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Global stories from the BBC’s 40 Language Services, with Faranak Amidi

Faranak Amidi presents global stories from the Fifth Floor, home to the BBC’s 40 Language Services.

Faranak Amidi presents global stories from the Fifth Floor, home to the BBC’s 40 Language Services

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The Fifth Floor: Germany's apology to Namibia

Documentaries

Wooden crosses mark graves in sparse rows in sandy, desert-like ground in Namibia

11/06/2021 GMT

Germany's apology to Namibia

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, Germany's apology to Namibia

A century in the making: saying sorry for colonial era genocide of the Nama and Herero

The German state has officially apologised for the historic genocide of Namibia’s Nama and Herero people, and offered aid and development money. So is it enough?

The German state has formally recognised that its colonial troops committed genocide in what's now Namibia at the start of the twentieth century. It is also paying $1.3 billion towards development projects in affected communities, but as BBC Africa's Pumza Fihlani reports, the offer has not been welcomed by descendants of the Nama and Herero survivors.  

South Korea's 'flower prescription' tattooist
A tattoo artist in South Korea is using her art to help clients who have struggled with their mental health. She works with them to design flower tattoos which cover self-harm and traumatic scars. BBC Korean's Julie Yoon has been to meet her.  

A Fifth Floor guide to Cornwall 
Leaders from the G7 nations are meeting in the Cornish holiday resort of Carbis Bay to discuss the world's biggest issues. It's a packed agenda, but should they have a few hours off, we asked our colleagues on the Fifth Floor for their tips on where to go, what to do, and what to pack.  Suggestions from Issariya Praithongyaem of BBC Thai, BBC Brasil's Eric Camara, Janina Litvinova of BBC Russian and Dahami Ranaweera of BBC Sinhala.

Returning cheetahs to India 
Cheetahs are set to make a comeback in India, where they became extinct more than half a century ago. They have a rich history in the country, and were bred for sport under the Mughals. BBC correspondent Soutik Biswas tells us about the efforts to get the world’s fastest cat back into the wild. 

Israeli, Jewish and Moroccan 
BBC Arabic’s Fethi Benaissa recently made a short film about Israeli Moroccan singer Neta Elkayam. Her music gives a clue to her background, born in Israel to Jewish Moroccan parents, and with a grandmother from Morocco’s indigenous Amazigh community. It’s a rich cultural mix – one that appealed to Fethi.   


Image: Graves next to the Swakopmund Concentration Camp Memorial in Namibia
Credit: Christian Ender/Getty Images

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