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BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

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

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

The Fifth Floor: Goodbye Castro!

Documentaries

Raul Castro and Fidel Castro in August 1978 in Havana

20/04/2018 GMT

Goodbye Castro!

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, Goodbye Castro!

The end of a famous dynasty from a Caribbean island with influence all over the world

End of the Castro era; Saudi cinema returns; Bishkek's disappearing trees; what women want in India; Thai pensioner rock stars; China's transgender agony aunt.  With David Amanor.

After six decades Cuba is no longer ruled by a Castro.  Fidel Castro, succeeded by his brother Raul, influenced some of the world's most powerful nations.  We hear from Jinxi Cao of BBC Chinese, Audrey Brown of BBC Africa and Irena Taranyuk of BBC Ukrainian. 

Cinema-going in Saudi Arabia
BBC Arabic's Huda al-Rashid grew up in Saudi Arabia and remembers a time before the cinema ban, with rooftop and even drive-in cinemas.

Bishkek's disappearing, and reappearing, trees 
Bishkek was once famous as a green, leafy city.  Air pollution and traffic have led to thousands of city trees being cut down to widen roads, though a new forest is planned outside the Kyrgyz capital.  Almaz Tchoroev of BBC Kyrgyz explains.

BBCShe: what women want in India
Divya Arya is the woman's affairs correspondent in Delhi.  She's just returned from visiting smaller cities across the country to find out what young Indian women want to hear, and not hear, on the BBC.  She shares her findings.

Bennetty: Bangkok's pensioner rock stars
Named after the American crooner Tony Bennett, Bennetty are a group of pensioner rock stars, aged between 65 and 86, who've become an unlikely hit in Thailand.  Jiraporn Kuhakan of BBC Thai met them.

Chinese transgender agony aunt 
Jin Xing is a famous Chinese TV host.  Her own story is remarkable too: she was born a he, was a soldier, a professional dancer, and became China's first transgender star.  Yashan Zhao interviewed her recently for BBC Chinese.

Image: Raul Castro and Fidel Castro in August 1978 in Havana
Credit: AFP/Getty Images

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