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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

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The Fifth Floor: Women's radio in Afghanistan

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Women's radio in Afghanistan

22/03/2024 GMT

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, Women's radio in Afghanistan

The women making ‘lifeline’ radio for their sisters confined at home

The women making ‘lifeline’ radio for the many Afghan women now excluded from education, work and even social spaces like parks and beauty salons.

As a new school year starts in Afghanistan, 330,000 more girls will be excluded from secondary education, one of the ways in which women and girls are increasingly confined to their homes under the Taliban regime. In light of this, BBC Media Action is running the Women’s Voice radio project, training women to make programmes for other women on vital topics like health, work and education.  Getti Sediqi is one of the trainers in Kabul.  

Isabel, the giant armadillo
The giant armadillo, found only in Latin America, has been called a "ghost species" because it's so rarely seen. But thanks to one particular armadillo in Brazil, called Isabel by researchers, many discoveries have now been made, as BBC Brasil’s Giulia Granchi reports.

Haji Firouz: Nowruz controversy in Iran 
Iran traditionally heralds its New Year with a festive figure known as Haji Firouz. The jester-like character sings and dances through the streets but has become controversial because performers blacken their faces and hands, a practice many find highly offensive.  Now the character is being used as a form of protest to highlight the ongoing struggle for women's rights in Iran, as BBC Monitoring's Sarbas Nazari explains. 

No bidders for Aung San Suu Kyi's iconic house  
A failed attempt was made this week to auction the lakeside home of the detained Burmese leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.  A court had ordered its sale after a long drawn-out legal battle between Suu Kyi and her brother Aung San Oo. BBC Burmese editor Soe Win Than explains the significance of this house, and the possible reasons why no bidders showed up.

The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia's money glitch 
Ethiopia's largest commercial bank is trying to recoup millions of dollars' worth of currency after a 'system problem' allowed customers to withdraw unlimited funds.  It's been reported that a large portion of the cash was withdrawn by students as news of the banking glitch spread around universities. Kaleb Moges tells us about developments.  

(Photo: Nadia Shekib, journalist, producer and news editor at Radio TV Oboor. Credit: BBC Media Action)

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