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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: Following the Rohingya Boat People

ROHINGYA JOURNEY

22/05/2015

Following the Rohingya Boat People

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, Following the Rohingya Boat People

Homeless and stateless: stories from Rohingyas seeking better lives across dangerous seas

Following the Rohingya boat people; conducting food diplomacy; and welcoming the return of international cricket to Pakistan

With thousands of migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar stranded at sea this week, the Fifth Floor follows their journey in search of new lives. BBC Bengali's Akbar Hossain has been reporting from the Bangladeshi port of Cox's Bazar, one of the main departure points.  Rohmatin Bonasir of BBC Indonesian has followed crisis talks in Kuala Lumpur and visited centres in Indonesia where thousands of migrants are already being held.

Diplomatic Food Fights 
From the watermelon war between Iran and the UAE to the Russian clampdown on Ukrainian chocolate, Taraneh Millard of BBC Monitoring and Irena Taranyuk of BBC Ukrainian discuss why food can so often cook up diplomatic disputes between nations.

The Orange-robed Politicians of Thailand
There's a tradition in Thailand of politicians retreating to monasteries when they find themselves in difficulties. After the military coup a year ago, protest leader and former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban was ordained a monk. BBC Thai's Thanomjit Phanichrat tells the Fifth Floor about her recent encounter with him. 

Pakistan's cricket comeback
International cricket is returning to Pakistan! For six years no test playing nation has visited the country and all international matches have been limited to the screen. But how have Pakistan's cricket lovers coped with this severe sporting diet? Mohamed Hanif, former head of BBC Urdu, explains.

Turning off the Gramafoon: The Clampdown on Egyptian Radio
One of Egypt's top online music radio stations Gramafoon shut down earlier this month, raising questions about media freedom under a proposed law that would regulate all broadcasting in the country. Doaa Soliman from BBC Monitoring has been following the story from Cairo.

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