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The Fifth Floor

Faranak Amidi presents global stories from the fifth floor of Broadcasting House, home to the BBC’s Language Services.

World Service,730 episodes

Episodes

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Taraneh: Iran's defiant actress
Why has a documentary about Taraneh Alidoosti been watched by millions in Iran?
10 Jan 2026,26 mins
Afghanistan's love poetry princess
Rabia Balkhi is one of the most famous Afghan poets, but she also died for love
03 Jan 2026,26 mins
Not-so-golden weddings
How record gold prices are taking the sparkle out of Indian weddings
27 Dec 2025,26 mins
Living in fear on South Africa's farms
Farmers in South Africa fear theft and violence, but why do these crimes happen?
20 Dec 2025,26 mins
A makeover for Syria's interim leader?
Ahmed al-Sharaa has embraced social media to project an apparently moderate image
13 Dec 2025,26 mins
Reporting the Nigerian school kidnappings
Why it was vital for BBC journalists to visit the site of the Nigerian school kidnappings
06 Dec 2025,26 mins
What is the 'Shadow Fleet'?
How Russia uses oil tankers to evade sanctions and conduct hybrid warfare
29 Nov 2025,26 mins
Inside India's war on Maoists
India has been at war with Maoist insurgents for nearly 60 years, is it about to end?
22 Nov 2025,26 mins
The COP 30 summit and the climate change frontline
Stories from the frontline of climate change and the 30th COP climate summit in Brazil
15 Nov 2025,26 mins
Does Kruger deserve a park?
The debate surrounding the name of South Africa's iconic wildlife park
08 Nov 2025,26 mins
How Russian AI targets news organisations
‘Russian Doll’ and ‘Doppelganger’: the bot networks targeting journalists
01 Nov 2025,26 mins
'Looking American' to avoid deportation
The ways in which Brazilian people living illegally in the USA try to avoid deportation
25 Oct 2025,26 mins
Reporting the impact of the Gaza ceasefire
Reporting the impact of the Gaza ceasefire
18 Oct 2025,26 mins
Tackling loneliness in India
We live in an ultra-connected world, but does that mean we’re less lonely?
11 Oct 2025,26 mins
The Kremlin’s reporter
Pavel Zarubin is a journalist following President Putin's every move
04 Oct 2025,26 mins
Social media influencers and politics
Food, fashion and politics - how social media influencers are shaping global politics
27 Sep 2025,26 mins
A radio lifeline for Afghan women
Radio for women, by women in the Panjshir Valley
20 Sep 2025,26 mins
Who's behind Europe's largest rare book heist?
How hundreds of Russian rare books disappeared from libraries across Europe
13 Sep 2025,26 mins
Colombia's cocaine submarines
How Colombian drug cartels are using new methods to boost their revenues
06 Sep 2025,26 mins
Scammed, robbed, traumatised – life after war for Russian soldiers
Vladimir Putin promised soldiers a hero's welcome, but their reality is quite different
30 Aug 2025,26 mins
Mud wrestling and tent pegging: Africa’s unusual sports
Wrestling in the mud, a dance of the mind, and a medieval sport on horseback
23 Aug 2025,26 mins
Comedians and Afghan weddings
How Afghans found alternative ways to celebrate weddings after the Taliban banned music
16 Aug 2025,26 mins
Why are Chinese micro-dramas so popular?
What's behind the success of a Chinese short form video trend that has expanded globally
09 Aug 2025,26 mins
Why a South Korean church bought a village in Paraguay
How the remote rural village of Puerto Casado ended up at the centre of a land dispute
02 Aug 2025,26 mins
The shooting of India’s biggest hip hop star
Inside the world of Punjabi rap and gangsters
26 Jul 2025,26 mins
The mystery of the ‘tula boy’
How a South Korean boy ended up in Colombia, and what happened to him next
19 Jul 2025,26 mins
The Romanians choosing life in the hills
A growing number of Romanians are choosing to move to the countryside. Why?
12 Jul 2025,26 mins
Is the Taliban’s war on drugs working?
In 2022, the Taliban banned poppy farming. How is this measure affecting people?
05 Jul 2025,26 mins
Who's Poland's new president?
Karol Nawrocki is a right-wing historian, an amateur boxer and a fan of Donald Trump
28 Jun 2025,26 mins
Ukrainian life under Russian occupation
Constant threat and acts of rebellion, what is life like under Russian control?
21 Jun 2025,26 mins