BBC Documentary - Rageh Inside Iran

Rageh Omaar embarks on a unique journey inside what he describes as one of the most misunderstood countries in the world, looking at the country through the eyes of people rarely heard - ordinary Iranians.

It took a year of wrangling to get permission to film inside Iran but the result is an amazing portrayal of an energetic and vibrant country that is completely different to the usual images seen in the media. A country of contrasts

Rageh soon discovers that Tehran is a complex place and uncovers a city of extremes of wealth and poverty, where some people survive on less than a dollar a day and others shop till they drop in glitzy shopping malls.

Iran is a country that bans women from riding motorcycles but where 60 per cent of the student population is female. It is also a youthful place, with two thirds of Iran's 70 million population under the age of 30. Local stories

Rageh meets with local people to hear their personal stories and feelings about the current state of affairs in Iran. There are stories of taxi drivers, wrestlers, business women, people working with drug addicts and the country's leading pop star and his manager - the 'Simon Cowell' of Iran.

Rageh Inside Iran transcends images of angry demonstrations and burning flags to reveal a country that isn't without its problems but which is also fascinating, dynamic and hospitable.

watch it

Hiroshima, the pictures they didn't want us to see

Photos of the aftermath of the bombings were censored by the American occupation forces because they prohibited any thing "that might, directly or by inference, disturb public tranquility". The pictures remained classified 'top secret' for many years. This is the horror they didn't want us to see, and that we must NEVER forget.

http://fogonazos.blogspot.com/2007/02/hiroshima-pictures-they-didnt-want-us_05.html

Skanger me banger

Oil lobby tried to undermine study

Scientists and economists have been offered $10,000 each to undermine a major climate change report due to be published today (2nd Feb 07).

Guardian: Scientists offered cash to dispute climate study