Fifth Floor

By BBC World ServiceNews

Fifth Floor episodes

December 18, 2020 'Milk siblings' and Islam
Margarita Rodriguez of BBC Mundo recently published a story about Islamic milk kinship, or milk siblings. It refers to the relationship between children from different mothers who are breastfed by the same woman. It brings with it a special bond, but also prohibitions.
Living and working with Covid-19
The perks and pressures of working through a pandemic, with Beatriz de la Pava from BBC Minute’s Spanish team, BBC Russian’s Grigor Atanesian, Issariya Praithongyaem from BBC Thai, BBC Uzbek’s Ibrat Safo and BBC Marathi’s Mayuresh Konnur.
A Maharaja and a dancer
BBC Urdu has been running a series of stories about historical sites named after women, including a temple and a mosque inspired by Moran Mai, the court dancer who captured the heart of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, leader of the 19th century Sikh empire. Umer Draz Nangiana tells their story.
Image: Muslim mother with headscarf cradling baby
Credit: Getty/Narisara Nami
24 min
December 11, 2020 A small election in North Macedonia
North Macedonia is holding local elections this weekend. The country has been independent for nearly three decades, but it is not unusual for the countries of the former Yugoslavia to be interested in what happens next door. But not generally in small mayoral elections. BBC Serbian reporter Aleksandar Miladinovic explains that he travelled more than 450 kilometres talk to Stip to find out more about one of the candidates, Simon Gajiga.
Nepali chef in MasterChef: The Professionals
It’s not only UK viewers who have been gripped by the current series of MasterChef: The Professionals. People in Nepal have also been following it closely as one of their own, Santosh Shah, is not only the first Nepali to appear on the show, he's made to the finals. BBC Nepali’s Rama Parajuli tells us more.
Kimchi clash
Kimchi is a salted and fermented cabbage and a staple of traditional Korean cuisine. It's taken very seriously in South Korea, which is why a claim by China about Kimchi has angered people there, as Julie Yoongyung Lee of BBC Korean explains.
Image: Simon Gajiga came to Stip 40 years ago from Nigeria, and now hopes to become mayor
Credit: BBC
25 min
December 04, 2020 China’s provocative political artist
China and Australia are in a diplomatic fight, after the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman posted a fake image of an Australian soldier killing an Afghan child. The artist was Wuheqilin, a self-styled "Wolf Warrior" and "cyber-nationalist" based in Beijing. BBC Chinese editor Howard Zhang tells us more about the controversial artist fighting China's corner.
In praise of Mborokhé
Seydina Alioune Djigo, who’s based at BBC Dakar, has put his journalistic neutrality on the line to nominate his favourite food for a Nobel prize. He tells us why he believes Mborokhé deserves international recognition.
Vietnam and stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is relatively new in Vietnam and, in a country where public performances are monitored by the state, doesn’t touch on sensitive topics. So the success of Leo Nguyen, a Vietnamese comedian based in the US, talking about politics and abuses of power, caught the attention of BBC Vietnamese journalist Thu Bui.
Image: Wuheqilin’s latest artwork
Credit: Wuheqilin
25 min
November 27, 2020 The self-styled prophet of Siberia
In September FSB soldiers descended in helicopters on a remote Siberian village to arrest a religious leader, Vissarion. They arrived with guns, but were welcomed by his followers, who don't believe in conflict. BBC Russian journalist Nataliya Zotova travelled to deep into the forests of Krasnoyarsk Territory to meet followers of the Church of the Last Testament and find out more.
Thailand's "CIA" food hawkers
Thailand's pro-democracy protests have sprung up all over Bangkok, but in every location it seems the food hawkers were already set up and ready for business. BBC Thai's Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai set out to crack the mystery of the self-styled "CIA" food hawkers.
Image: Vissarion meets with his followers
Credit: Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images
24 min
November 20, 2020 Explaining Tigray
The crisis in the Tigray region of Ethiopia has continued to intensify, but what are the repercussions for ordinary Tigrayans? Hana Zeratsyon of BBC Tigrinya tells us how the conflict is affecting her friends and family back home. And where did the tensions begin? The BBC's Emmanuel Igunza, who was based in Addis Ababa for many years, explains.
Keeping a precious text alive
La Galigo is an ancient text which tells the creation story of the Bugis people of South Sulawesi in Indonesia, and is described by UNESCO as the most voluminous literary work in the world. Very few people understand the archaic language it's written in. Callistasia Wiyaya of BBC Indonesian has been hearing about efforts to keep La Galigo alive.
Image: Ethiopian refugees who fled fighting in Tigray province
Credit: ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP via Getty Images
25 min
November 13, 2020 Kenya's camel-back clinic
Last year BBC Africa TV reported on the big challenge of getting medicines and healthcare to Kenya's Maasai, Samburu and Turkana people, who are often on the move with their livestock. Christine Njeri discovered how camels have been enlisted to help with transport.
Saris in lockdown
Chinki Sinha, who's a contributor to BBC Hindi in Delhi, returned to the family home in Bihar for lockdown. As time went by, friends and followers on social media started to notice an eye-catching series of fashion shoots, with Chinki, her aunt and her mother, dressed in a succession of beautiful saris.
Image: Christine Njeri with medical camel caravan
Credit: BBC
19 min
November 06, 2020 Turkey’s Armenians under pressure
The Nagorno Karabakh conflict has put Turkey’s Armenian community in a predicament. The disputed territory is an Armenian-populated enclave inside Azerbaijan controlled by separatist Armenians. Turkey backs Azerbaijan while Armenia backs the separatists. But beneath these allegiances lie even deeper divisions that affect ethnic Armenians in Turkey. BBC Turkish journalist Esra Yalcinalp helps unpick this knotty issue.
My home town: Kigali
Felin Gakwaya of BBC Great Lakes takes us home to Rwanda's capital Kigali.
Sent back to Ghana
Being 'sent home' is a frequent threat for many first generation children of West African parents. Mark Wilberforce of BBC Africa was 'sent back' to Ghana, his parents' native country, when they felt his behaviour was getting out of hand in the UK. He tells us how he felt about it then and now.
Image: Turkish car rallies support Azerbaijan
Credit: Turkish woman waves Azeri flag in pro-Azerbaijan car rally in Istanbul
25 min
October 30, 2020 Inside the schools that chain boys
A BBC Arabic investigation has uncovered systemic child abuse inside Islamic schools in Sudan, known as khalwas. It found that boys are routinely chained, shackled and beaten; in some khalwas there was evidence of sexual abuse. The BBC’s Mamdouh Akbiek worked with a local investigative journalist on the story.
Boston's Brazilian party-goers
Boston’s large Brazilian community has stirred up controversy by holding huge outdoor parties despite Covid-19 restrictions, as BBC Brasil’s Ricardo Senra explains.
Somali storm in a teacup
A social media star was deported from the self-declared republic of Somaliland because of a cup of tea. Bilal Bulshawi is from Somalia, and posted a picture of himself drinking tea decorated with the Somalia flag, whilst in Somaliland. BBC Somali’s Bidhaan Dahir tells us about the online storm which followed.
Image: Sudanese schoolboy chained
Credit: BBC
25 min
October 29, 2020 The battle for Florida’s Latino voters
Florida makes or breaks the US presidential election, and Spanish language ads have been bombarding Latino voters. BBC Monitoring journalist in Miami Luis Fajardo analyses the tactics and tunes being used by both Republicans and Democrats to swing the state.
Egypt’s septuagenarian record breaking footballer
Ezzeldin Bahader recently entered the record books as the world’s oldest professional footballer aged 74. BBC Arabic sports reporter Marwa Helmy has followed the inspiring story.
A trip to a Russian banya
Yulia James of BBC Russian shares her love of the famous Russian bath house, the banya: a place to warm up, cool down and relax with friends.
Image: Poll worker at a ballot drop box in Miami Beach, Florida
Credit: EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/AFP
25 min
October 16, 2020 Raucous rude and simultaneously translated!
How do you simultaneously interpret a live US presidential debate, when the candidates are talking over each other, and throwing in the odd insult as well? Over to BBC Persian’s top team, Siavash Ardalan and Nicholas Niksadat.
Image: BBC Persian's simultaneous interpreters, alongside President Trump and Joe Biden
Credit: BBC
19 min