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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: The teenager who took on the Taliban

Documentaries

Qamar Gul, AK47 Afghan girl.jpg

07/08/2020 GMT

The teenager who took on the Taliban

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, The teenager who took on the Taliban

The story of Qamar Gul, who picked up a gun to defend her home during a Taliban attack

Money, child marriage and family feuds:  we hear the story behind the story of Qamar Gul, the Afghan girl who killed the Taliban fighters who murdered her parents.

A teenage Afghan girl was recently celebrated as a hero, and photos of her holding an AK47 widely circulated, after she killed two Taliban fighters who attacked her home.  But Firuz Rahimi of BBC Uzbek – himself from Afghanistan – shares the story behind the story, revealing the complexity of Afghan life and loyalties.

Unmasking the masks
Nasobuco, barbijo, tapabocas and mascarilla – the proliferation of words for facemasks in Latin America, with BBC Monitoring journalist Rafael Rojas in Miami.

When monuments say more than ministries 
Olga Ivshina tells us about a BBC Russian investigation into what the new names being added to war memorials can reveal about military operations in the absence of government information.  

Indian Matchmaking 
Indian Matchmaking is a Netflix show featuring an elite matchmaker seeking suitable matches for clients in India and the US.  It’s been a hit, but also controversial, as the BBC's Geeta Pandey explains.

Journey to the Carpathians
Roman Lebed of BBC Ukrainian takes us to the Carpathian Mountains, where he recently reported on devastating floods.  He tells us about the people he met, now trying to rebuild their lives, and explains why the Carpathians are so close to his heart. 

Image:  Qamar Gul, Afghan girl holding AK47 
Credit:  Social media

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