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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: Afghanistan's Ministry of Vice and Virtue

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A 'Department for Women's Affairs' sign is repainted to read 'the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice'

19/11/2021 GMT

Afghanistan's Ministry of Vice and Virtue

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, Afghanistan's Ministry of Vice and Virtue

A change of name that has brought painful memories for many Afghans

Goodbye Ministry for Women's Affairs: as the Taliban brings back its Ministry for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice we find out what this name means for many Afghans.

Soon after taking power, the Taliban replaced the Department for Women's Affairs with the Ministry for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. It's a name many Afghans feared during the last Taliban era, as 'morality police' enforced their extreme interpretation of Islam. BBC Afghan's Shekiba Habib lived through that era, and reports on what we know about how the current ministry is operating.

Istanbul's taxi problem 
If you’ve ever struggled to hail a taxi, spare a thought for people in Istanbul. Since the 1990s, the city’s population has doubled, but the number of cabs has stayed the same, and solving the problem is a political headache for the city’s mayor. BBC Turkish journalist Esra Yalcinalp explains Istanbul's unique and frustrating taxi system.

The daily life of Colombian coca farmers
Singing local songs and celebrating harvest: some of the activities TikTok users can see from the hashtag #Catatumbo. The images show the daily lives of coca growers in one of Colombia's main coca-growing regions, and have reopened the discussion about how best to fight the drug war, as Luis Fajardo from BBC Monitoring in Miami explains. 

The pirs of Pakistan 
Pirs or spiritual guides are deeply embedded in Pakistani culture, including in politics. They offer blessings and guidance which many politicians feel are important for their success. BBC Urdu's Asif Farooqi reports on the complex and sometimes controversial relationship between politicians and their pirs.    

(Photo: A Department for Women's Affairs sign is replaced by the Taliban with the Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Credit: Javed Tanveer/AFP via Getty Images)

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