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The Fifth Floor

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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: Yes or No? Iraqi Kurdistan Referendum

Documentaries

Iraqi Kurdistan referendum crowds (credit: SAFIN HAMED/AFP/GettyImages)

22/09/2017 GMT

Yes or No? Iraqi Kurdistan Referendum

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, Yes or No? Iraqi Kurdistan Referendum

In the face of huge opposition, is the time right for an independent Iraqi Kurdistan?

Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum; blessings BBC Afaan Oromo; Macau and Hong Kong; comic super-heroines; Burkinabe mould-breaking musician; and Fifi Haroon. With David Amanor.

Iraqi Kurdistan plans an independence referendum next week.  Independence is a long-held ambition for many Kurds, but with opposition from most of the world community, is the time right?  Roj Ranjbar is an Iraqi Kurd at BBC Monitoring and has been following the story.

A blessing for BBC Afaan Oromo 
The new BBC Afaan Oromo service for Ethiopia was launched this week with a traditional blessing from a village elder.  Editor Beletu Bulbula explains the importance of blessings in Oromo culture.  

Macau impressions  
Martin Yip of BBC Chinese recently made the short journey from Hong Kong to Macau to cover local elections there.  He describes the relationship between Hong Kong and Macau, and how it has changed in recent years.

New comic heroines 
Two new super-heroines, Pakistan Girl, and in Nigeria Marvel's Ngozi, both making their world better places.  Here to tell us more are our own superwomen, BBC Urdu's Henna Saeed and Halima Umar Sale of BBC Hausa.  

Burkinabé musician challenging tradition  
BBC Afrique's Laeïla Adjovi meets the remarkable songwriter, balafon player and multi-instrumentalist Salimata Diabatet.  She comes from a family of musicians in Burkino Faso, and defied a male-dominated tradition to learn.

And Fifi Haroon's pick of the world wide web

Image: Pro-independence Iraqi Kurdistan crowds
Credit: SAFIN HAMED/AFP/GettyImages

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