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The Fifth Floor

Factual: Life Stories

Global stories from the BBC’s 40 Language Services, with Faranak Amidi

Faranak Amidi presents global stories from the Fifth Floor, home to the BBC’s 40 Language Services.

Faranak Amidi presents global stories from the Fifth Floor, home to the BBC’s 40 Language Services

The Fifth Floor: Launching BBC Urdu TV

Urdu Presenters

16/02/2013

Launching BBC Urdu TV

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, Launching BBC Urdu TV

Behind the scenes with BBC Urdu's all-woman TV team

BBC Urdu TV's all-woman team; Swahili perspectives on Kenyan elections; a taste of horsemeat from Central Asia; and Afghan Uzbek lovers leap the border.

A fresh look at the week's global news from across the World Service's 27 language sections, with presenter David Amanor.

Launching BBC Urdu TV
BBC Urdu leapt onto Pakistani television screens this week with an all-woman team fronting its hour long current affairs programme, Sairbeen. Presenters Aliya Nazki, Irum Gillani, Nosheen Abbas and Tabinda Kokab talk about how their show has gone down.

Online greatest hits 
BBC Brasil's Thomas Pappon gives the lowdown on the big-hitting stories across the World Service language sites this week - including Azeri's Olympic wrestlers, crocodile tears in the Philippines, and ghoulish surprises in the Attacama desert. 

Election time in Kenya
As Kenya prepares to vote, two Swahili journalists - Odiambo Joseph and Robert Kiptoo - reflect on a legacy of election violence. What's in store for next month's presidential polls?

An ode to horsemeat
Horsemeat may not be the flavour of the month in Europe - but it certainly is in Central Asia where it's considered a delicacy. From the Uzbek and Kyrgyz Service's Diloram Ibrahimova and Gulnara Kasmambet tantalise the taste buds with their culinary tips for the best horse-meat sausage.

Love across the border
A torrid tale of two young lovers - connected by a mobile phone but divided by an ancient river that marks the border between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Rustam Qobil tells the story of the man who swam to unite with his sweetheart.

(Image: Credit: BBC)

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