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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: Afghanistan:  A Moment of Peace

Documentaries

Taliban greet people on Eid al-Fitr amid ceasefire in Herat, 17 June 2018

22/06/2018 GMT

Afghanistan:  A Moment of Peace

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, Afghanistan:  A Moment of Peace

Reporting the ceasefire which brought Afghans from all sides together

Afghan ceasefire; female friendships in Bollywood; Aral Sea forest; celebrity citizenship; mindfulness in a Kenyan prison. With David Amanor.

Afghans had a rare taste of peace during the Eid ceasefire between the government and the Taliban. At the same time, a peace march from Helmand reached Kabul.  Karim Haidari from BBC Kabul met the marchers, and female reporter Malaika Ahmadzai interviewed a member of the Taliban.

Searching for female friendships in Bollywood  
The new Bollywood film Veere di Wedding has been criticised by many for the way its female stars drink, swear and have frank discussions about love and sex.  But BBC Hindi's Vandana Dhand welcomes it as a rare Bollywood portrayal of female friendship.

Aral seabed forest 
Salt has been falling from the skies in northern Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.  It's from the seabed of the former Aral Sea, once an abundant source of fish, now a salty, toxic desert.  Rustam Qobil of BBC Uzbek met people trying to stabilise the soil by planting a forest on the seabed. 

Honorary citizenships 
Former German tennis star Boris Becker surprised the world when he announced his new post as a diplomat for the Central African Republic. Anne-Marie Dias Borges from BBC Afrique and BBC Russian's Famil Ismailov discuss high profile honorary citizens.

Kenya's mindful prisoners 
BBC Africa sent Mercy Juma to a high security prison near Nairobi to find out how mindfulness helped both prisoners and warders, and changed the relationships between them.


Image: Taliban greet people on Eid al-Fitr amid ceasefire in Herat, 17 June 2018
Credit: Jalil Rezayee/European Photopress Agency

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