The Uphill Battle For Hearts And Minds

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Winning hearts and minds has always been a high priority for the US-led coalition which invaded Afghanistan nearly sixteen years ago. But the campaign hasn't always gone to plan, as with a recent airdrop of leaflets that caused so much offence that people rioted in the streets. Moheb Mudessir from BBC Afghan explains. Thailand's course on marrying foreigners BBC Thai recently reported on a new course for local women about marrying foreigners. It's less "how to" and more "is this a good idea?". Nanchanok Wongsamuth of BBC Thai went to the village in north-eastern Thailand where the first workshop was held. Françafrique An activist in Senegal was recently arrested after setting fire to 5,000 West African Francs. He was protesting about the link between the local currency - also known as the CFA - and France, as well as the power many believe France still exerts over its former colonies. Lamine Konkobo from BBC Afrique explains. Russia's Matilda row A new Russian film, Matilda, about the affair between Tsar Nicholas II and a ballerina has brought protests, even threats against those involved. Opponents say Nicholas is a saint and any negative portrayal is blasphemy. Olga Robinson of BBC Monitoring in Moscow explains why, to some Russians, the last tsar is beyond criticism. How Mexican mariachi became Balkan ballads In the 1960s, the most popular music in former Yugoslavia was Yu-Mex - Mexican-style ballads with lyrics in Serbo-Croat, sung by Yugoslavs in sombreros. For BBC Mundo, Pablo Esparza went to the Serbian capital Belgrade to discover the origins of this craze. And Fifi Haroon's selection of stories from the world wide web. Image: Afghan Shepherd Boy Credit: GETTY IMAGES/HOSHANG HASHIMI