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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

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The Fifth Floor: Farewell to Rafsanjani

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Iranians gather around a hearse carrying the coffin of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images

13/01/2017 GMT

Farewell to Rafsanjani

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, Farewell to Rafsanjani

From revolutionary to regime critic: the two lives of former Iranian president Rafsanjani

Remembering Rafsanjani, the mystery of Gambia's absent judges, Tamil bull-taming, Nepal's menstruation huts, and Kenya's Uhuru challenge.  With David Amanor.

This week's funeral of former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani drew an estimated 2.5 million mourners. Rana Rahimpour of BBC Persian shares her memories of Rafsanjani, and explains why one of the founding fathers of the Islamic Revolution was mourned by so many reformists.

Where are Gambia's judges? 
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh claims he won't leave office until the Gambian Supreme Court rules on his request to re-run the election.  Quite when this will be is uncertain, as the Supreme Court doesn't have enough judges to operate. Hassan Arouni of BBC Africa explains this mysterious shortage.

Tamil Nadu's Jallikattu ban 
Jallikattu, or bull taming, was an integral part of Tamil Nadu's harvest festival until banned in 2014 on account of animal welfare and human safety. Youths used to chase the bulls and try to snatch money hung from their horns; though not Swaminathan Natarajan, who grew up in the state, and has been following the story.   

Menstruation huts: my experience
The death in December of a Nepalese girl banished to a "menstruation hut" during her period shocked the international media.  Krishnamaya Upadhyaya is a journalist in the western district of Jumla and shared her own experiences as a young woman growing up in a remote village in Jumla, and today.

Kenya's Uhuru challenge 
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta is facing ridicule on social media over his apparent love of grand opening ceremonies for modest projects.  Why open a footbridge, when you can launch a "non-motorised motor project" instead?  Abdinoor Aden in Nairobi shares Kenyans' online wit now called "The Uhuru Challenge".

And Fifi Haroon celebrates the wilder corners of the world wide web.

Image: Iranians gather around a hearse carrying the coffin of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani 
Credit: ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images

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