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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: Cape Town's Water Challenge

Documentaries

Capetown water crisis

02/02/2018 GMT

Cape Town's Water Challenge

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, Cape Town's Water Challenge

Unflushed toilets and recycled bath water are some tricks to live on 50 litres per day

Cape Town's water crisis; Dhaka's "Anger Park"; Maharashtra's Dalit protests; Africa's fake presidents; super blue blood moon; Taiwan Mum sues son - and wins. With David Amanor

Could you live on 50 litres of water a day? That's the challenge facing millions of people in Cape Town, on the brink of becoming the first major city to run out of water.  BBC Africa contributor Mohammed Allie tells us how normal life has changed in his home town.

Calming down Dhaka
This week the Mayor of the southern part of Bangladesh's capital announced a new "Anger Management Park", where people can de-stress with TVs, refreshments and ornamental lakes. Shahnaz Parveen of BBC Bangla works and lives in the metropolis, so what's behind all that anger?

Maharashtra's Dalit protests
In the village of Bhima Karagaon in Maharashtra is a war memorial. It remembers the sacrifice of soldiers from the low caste Mahar community, fighting for the British East India Company, in defeating an army of high caste Peshwas in 1818. It remains a place of celebration for India's dalit communities, but this year violence broke out on the 200th anniversary of the battle. BBC Marathi journalist Mayuresh Connur explains why.

Fake Presidents of Africa
This week Kenya's main opposition leader, Raila Odinga, inaugurated himself as president at a controversial "swearing-in" - despite losing the presidential election last month. It turns out this isn't the first time a parallel President has emerged in parts of Africa, as BBC Africa's Wanyama Chebusiri and Paul Bakibinga in Nairobi explain.

Blue moon
"Once in a blue moon" the saying goes. And this week a blue moon, super moon and blood moon were seen together the first time in 150 years. This unusual phenomenon inspired us to ask BBC Africa's Akwasi Sarpong, BBC Mundo's William Marquez, Sangeeth Kalubowila from BBC Sinhala and Issariya Praithongyaem from BBC Thai to tell us their moon stories.

Taiwan Mum sues son - and wins
Last month in Taiwan a mother successfully sued her son for almost $1million. Aged 20, he signed a contract agreeing to give her more than half of his monthly income if she put him through dental school. She kept up with her end of the bargain, but he did not. BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei has been followed the case.

Photo Credit: Rodger Bosch/AFP/Getty Images

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