Fifth Floor

Latest Episodes:

Stories from a pandemic Mar 13, 2020

Show notes

Stories from the Fifth Floor following the evolving Covid-19 pandemic, from bats in China to global social media fake news. As told by Howard Zhang of BBC Chinese, Giang Nguyen of BBC Vietnamese, BBC Persian's Siavash Ardalan, Sunyoung Jeong of BBC Korean and BBC Africa's Bara'atu Ibrahim.

Picture: Coronavirus structure (illustration) Credit: Science Photo Library

Powerful women in the Mughal dynasty Mar 06, 2020

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BBC Uzbek puts the royal women of India's Mughal dynasty centre stage for a series of programmes about three powerful women in the life of the first emperor, Babur. Editor Diloram Ibrahimova takes us back to the 16th century and the city of Andijan in today’s Uzbekistan.

Image: Davlat Esan Begum, Emperor Babur's grandmother. Artist Isomiddin Eshonqulov. Copyright: BBC

The man who sang the Manas Feb 28, 2020

Show notes

The Manas is a Kyrgyz epic poem. It’s over a thousand years old, and is a performed poem, part recitation, part improvisation. Saparbek Kasmambet was a well-respected manaschi, or Manas performer, and also father of BBC Kyrgyz's Gulnara Kasmambet. Following his death earlier this year Gulnara has been overwhelmed by the tributes pouring in. She shares her memories. Image: State funeral for Saparbek Kasmambet with soldiers holding portrait Copyright: BBC

From refugee to reporter Feb 21, 2020

Show notes

40 years after the first Afghan refugees arrived in Iran and Pakistan, the UN has been discussing continuing support for those who remain. Many BBC Afghan journalists were once refugees. Asif Maroof, Karima Nahimi and Inayatulhaq Yasini tell us their stories of flight to Pakistan.

Picture: Kacha Garhi refugee camp near Peshawar, Pakistan Credit: Joanne Rathe/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Dear auntie.... Feb 14, 2020

Show notes

Broken heart, tough dilemma? We hear about the agony aunts and uncles answering the world’s personal questions with BBC Thai’s Issariya Praithongyaem, Zuhura Yunus of BBC Swahili, and Ibrat Safo of BBC Uzbek. Image: heart-shaped sweets Credit: Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images

The women protesters of Shaheen Bagh Feb 07, 2020

Show notes

Last December, four Muslim women began a street protest against India's Citizenship Amendment Act in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh neighbourhood. Since then, hundreds more women have joined them, and BBC India's Chinki Sinha has been a regular visitor.

Picture: Protest at Shaheen Bagh. Credit: Amal KS/Hindustan Times/Getty

New life for a Soviet ruin? Jan 31, 2020

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The Georgian spa resort, the refugees, and the billionaire.

Image: Dilapidated Tskaltubo hotel Credit: BBC

Facing their fathers' crimes Jan 24, 2020

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The BBC’s Valeria Perasso tells us about two Argentinian women she met for her documentary about the children of men who committed crimes during the military dictatorship. Between 1976 and 1983, the regime hunted down and killed around 30,000 people. Image: Women marching in Argentina under 'Disobedient Stories' banner. Credit: Historias Desobedientes

The man who lost his family Jan 17, 2020

Show notes

In 1971, a brief war between India and Pakistan over the territory of Kashmir shifted the border 6 kilometres into Pakistan's space. Four villages became part of the Indian territory, and the villagers away from home on that day were permanently split from their families. Farhat Javed of BBC Urdu and Aamir Peerzada of BBC Hindi talked to one divided family.

Image: Ghulam Qadir on the bank of the river Shyok. Credit: BBC Farhat Javed

Australia's camel cull Jan 10, 2020

Show notes

Australia’s decision to cull wild camels has shocked many Somali-speakers, for whom camels have a huge cultural significance. We bring together BBC Somali reporter and camel owner Issa Abdul and BBC Afghan’s Dawood Azami, who’s investigated the 19th century Afghans who came with the original camels to Australia. Image: Feral camel on red earth track, Australia Credit: Auscape Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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