Fifth Floor

In Nicaragua, mass protests sparked by pension cuts have escalated into unprecedented social unrest. More than 130 people have been killed, and protesters are calling for President Daniel Ortega to stand down. The conflict has divided the country and set friends and families against each other. Arturo Wallace is from Nicaragua and has been covering the story for BBC Mundo.

Image: An anti-government demonstrator fires a home-made mortar in Masaya, Nicaragua. Credit: Inti OCONINTI OCON/AFP/Getty Images

When Iranian activist Masih Alinejad posted a picture of herself driving without a hijab, she had no idea what she was starting. Five years later, thousands of women have joined her movement against the mandatory hijab, and they have become a force for the Iranian government to reckon with. The BBC's Nassim Hatam has been following the story.

Image: Iranian woman with wind in hair, veil held aloft Credit: mystealthyfreedom

It's a bumper year for two lucrative flower crops in Afghanistan. Rose-growers are harvesting flowers for rose oil whilst at the same time, illicit opium production has reached a record high. BBC Afghan's Auliya Atrafi tells the stories behind the flowers.

Image: (L) Damask Rose in Syria (R) and Poppies in Afghanistan Credit: (L) LOUAI BESHARA/AFP/Getty Images Credit: (R) JAVED TANVEER/AFP/Getty Images

For the past 20 years, the Hazara ethnic group in Pakistan - who follow Shia Islam - have been targeted and attacked by militants. BBC Urdu's Musa Yawari, a Hazara himself, recently reported from his hometown Quetta on the lives of Hazara taxi drivers who make dangerous journeys ferrying passengers from one Hazara district to another, but he remembers happier times as well.

Image: Hazara graveyard Credit: BBC

In 1999 Christians and Muslims in the Indonesian island of Ambon turned on each other. Thousands were killed, but one aspect of the conflict never reported before is the involvement of child soldiers. As part of the Crossing Divides season BBC Indonesia's Endang Nurdin went to the island to meet Ronald and Iskander, former child combatants from opposing sides, now working together for peace.

Image: (L) Ronald Regang and (R) Iskandar Slameth Credit: BBC

Lagos is Africa's most populous city stretching from the Atlantic seaboard and lagoons from where the city gets its name to the Nigerian mainland. Over 20 million people live there - around 100 working as journalists at the BBC Lagos bureau. It's through their lives that we're getting to know another side of Nigeria today.

Image: BBC Lagos staff Credit: BBC

Forty years ago the Afghan Communist party overthrew President Mohammad Daoud. Abdullah Shadan from BBC Afghan Service was a journalist at the state broadcaster at the time, and watched events unfold.

Image: Afghan communist supporters in Kabul 1979 Photo credit: S Sobolev/AFP/Getty Images

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.

Image: Irena Taranyuk, Jinxi Cao, Audrey Brown and David Amanor in The Fifth Floor studio Credit: BBC

40 years ago Manoshi Barua inherited a notebook with an old newspaper clipping inside. It was in Chinese, and showed a photo of her father as a young Indian doctor working in China. So what did it say? When chance brought Manoshi together on the fifth floor with BBC China's Yuwen Wu she finally had the opportunity to crack the mystery.

Image: Manoshi Barua holding a newspaper cutting Credit: BBC

Brazil's former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who's facing a lengthy prison term for corruption, stirs high passions both in those who support him and those who don't. The BBC's Fernando Duarte gives us insights into a charismatic leader he reported on for many years.

Image: Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Credit: Igo Estrela/Getty Images

BBC Serbian went live this week with a big challenge: reporting Serbian stories and issues without always getting drawn back into the 1990s Balkans conflict. Then there's the unresolved issue of Kosovo, which declared itself independent of Serbia ten years ago, a move Serbia rejects. So maybe a story about a women's handball competition in Belgrade would be a safe one to launch with. BBC Serbian editor Alexandra Niksic hoped so.

Image: Serbian women's handball player Kristina Liscevic Credit: BJORN LARSSON ROSVALL/AFP/Getty Images

This month violence erupted in the Sri Lankan city of Kandy. It started when a group of Muslim youths beat a Sinhala man following a minor traffic incident, but his death sparked days of rioting, the destruction of hundreds of Muslim properties, and at least two deaths. Azzam Ameen of BBC Sinhala sheds light on the role of social media, rumours and fake stories in raising inter-community tension.

Image: After the riots in Kandy Credit: BBC

Since last August, around 700,000 Rohingyas have fled their homes and sought refuge in Bangladesh. Many now live in the huge Kutupalong camp, where Rocky Shahnewaj, a photojournalist with BBC Bangla, was surprised to come across a love story.

Image credit: Rohingya couple reunited in a refugee camp in Bangladesh. Credit: BBC

BBC Russian has been at the heart of this week's reporting on the mysterious poisoning of a former Russian spy in Salisbury. Olga Ivshina tells us that a complex investigation in a quiet English city is just as difficult in its own way as frontline reporting from eastern Ukraine.

Image: Salisbury Cathedral in the mist Credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Eastern Ghouta has suffered intense bombardment as Syrian government forces attempt to oust rebel groups. But behind the name is a place with its own history and aspirations, and home to a defiant group of women blogging even as the shelling intensified. Lina Shaikhouni has been following their posts for BBC Monitoring.

Image: Syria's Eastern Ghouta under attack Credit: Hamza Al-Ajweh/AFP/Getty Images

Renaming the block outside the Russian Embassy in Washington DC, and the streets outside the United Arab Emirates and US embassies in Turkey. Political point scoring with names, with Natalka Pisnia of BBC Russian and Aylin Yazan of BBC Turkish.

Image: new street name installed Credit: ADEM ALTAN/Getty Images

Some of our language service journalists share not only an office with colleagues, but also a living room, kitchen and bedroom. BBC's Salim Kikeke, Kathy Harcombe and Valeria Perasso tell us what it's like to have a romance on the Fifth Floor.

Image and credit: Kathy Harcombe and Salim Kikeke on their wedding day.

BBC Afghan recently published the results of an ambitious project to assess the Taliban's influence across the country. Helmand Province in the south is the most affected area, and also home territory for BBC Afghan reporter Auliya Atrafi.

Image: Afghan soldier sits with gun on front line Credit: BBC

Could you live on 50 litres of water a day? That's the challenge facing millions of people in Cape Town, on the brink of becoming the first major city to run out of water. BBC Africa contributor Mohammed Allie tells us how normal life has changed in his home town. Picture credit: Rodger Bosch/AFP/Getty Images. Description: Several people queueing at a standpipe to fill water containers

Legendary South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela has died at the age of 78. One person who knew him well was Focus on Africa's Audrey Brown, who's also South African. She discusses the laughs, the conversations and the man behind the music.

Image: Hugh Masekela Credit: PRAKASH SINGH/AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis was in Chile this week, but he wasn't received with as much enthusiasm as the late Pope John Paul II thirty years ago. Chilean radio host Paula Molina reports regularly for BBC Mundo, and shares her impressions of both visits.

Image: Pope Francis in the northern city of Iquique, Chile Credit: VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images

The Golden Globes and Oscars are synonymous with fashion and glamour. But for those who cover the ceremonies, they also mean long hours in high heels or tuxedos in a tiny space, trying to get good quotes and pictures from superstars. Beatriz Diez from BBC Mundo and Bahman Kalbasi from BBC Persian share secrets, tricks and anecdotes from the red carpet.

Image: BBC Persian's Bahman Kalbasi with "The Crown" stars Claire Foy and Matt Smith on the red carpet at the 2018 Golden Globes Credit: BBC

The British Library holds several recordings of soldiers from South Asia who fought for the British during the First World War. One of them, Punjabi soldier Mall Singh, was taken prisoner by the Germans in 1915, who used the latest technology to record his voice. Ishleen Kaur of BBC Hindi tells the story behind the recording.

Image: Indian infantrymen on the march in France during World War I Credit: Hulton Archive/Stringer/Getty Images

What does your name say about your identity? Can it define or influence your personality? In many languages a name can be very revealing about culture, ethnicity and religion. Stories from Famil Ismailov of BBC Russian, Janay Boulos of BBC Arabic and Cagil Kasapoglu of BBC Turkish - after some examples in the Kinyarwanda language.

Image: David Amanor and members of the BBC's language services Credit: BBC

The north Indian state of Rajasthan has registered 50 cases of witch-hunting since 2015 even though it has banned the practice. BBC Hindi's Sumiran Preet Kaur has been to one district and met women whose lives have been changed forever.

Image: 80 year old Ramkanya Devi, branded a witch Credit: BBC

No passengers and no planes - Nacala International Airport in Mozambique cost millions and was meant to help the economies of both Mozambique and Brazil. Instead, it has proved an expensive white elephant. Amanda Rossi of BBC Brasil went to Nacala to find out more.

Image: Mozambique's "ghost" airport Credit: BBC

Roj Ranjbar has experienced displacement three times in his life. Roj is an Iraqi Kurd with BBC Monitoring, he's covered the recent referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan, and subsequent developments as Kurds face renewed civil conflict with Baghdad. Watching the images coming out of Kirkuk of families fleeing their homes has triggered memories of his own family's experiences in the 1990s.

Image: Families fleeing Kirkuk, Iraq in trucks Credit: MARWAN IBRAHIM/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

After 37 years of the Mugabe regime, Zimbabweans are adjusting to life without him. Most of the population have only known his rule, and he had become part of the fabric of the country. Two BBC Africa Zimbabweans - Kim Chakanetsa and Stanley Kwenda - share memories of the Mugabe era and the moment when it ended.

Image: School children holding an image of Robert Mugabe’s face Credit: JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/Getty Images

Medellin in Colombia was one of the first cities in South America to integrate cable cars into its metro transit system. The Metrocable links the affluent valley with poor neighbourhoods in the hills. Arturo Wallace of BBC Mundo explains how it's also affected social attitudes.

Image: Metrocable car in Medellin, Columbia Credit: RAUL ARBOLEDA /Stringer/Getty Images

Thailand encompasses a large geographical, ethnic and cultural range, so is there such a thing as 'Thainess'? BBC Thai colleagues Watchiranont Thongtep, Thitipol Panyalompanun, Thanyarat Doksone and Jiraporn Kuhakan consider the question.

Image: A crowd celebrating Songkran, or the Thai New Year, in Bangkok Credit: LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/Getty Images

Three years ago, a lightning advance by about 800 jihadist fighters in northern Iraq morphed into a global threat. Nafiseh Kohnavard of BBC Persian has followed the fight against so-called Islamic State, and she witnessed the toughest battle for Iraqi forces, to retake Mosul.

Image: Nafiseh Kohnavard sitting wearing helmet and flak jacket in Mosul Credit: BBC

Qalib Barud of BBC Somali recently reported on discrimination in Somali society against a group of clans commonly referred to as the Gabooye.

Image: A shoemaker, one of the Gabooye clans, mends a shoe Credit: BBC

It's a short but risky journey from Kabul to the centre of neighbouring Wardak province - much of which is under Taliban control. BBC Afghan's Auliya Atrafi looked beyond conflict on his recent reporting trip - to the university local people built for themselves, and new power from an old hydro station.

Image: Landscape in Chak Valley, Wardak Province, Afghanistan Credit: BBC

The Deccan Queen train links Pune in the hills with Mumbai down on the coast, and is older than the state of India itself. It's also India's only train to have a dining car. BBC Marathi's Mayuresh Konnur is from Pune and knows it well.

Image: Train sign for Deccan Queen Credit: BBC

The Kenyan presidential election took another surprising turn this week. The crisis has seen protests, a shock intervention from the judiciary, and now the surprise withdrawal of the main opposition candidate. Kenyans Esther Kahumbi and Dickens Olewe from BBC Africa share their stand-out moments.

Image: Kenya election protests: crowds protesting on streets, watercannons firing jets Credit: YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images

Ghost town is the name Cameroonians have given to a civil disobedience action where daily life is brought to a standstill. It began last year as an expression of dissent in the two English speaking regions of Cameroon, but tensions between them and the Francophone dominated government go back to the 1960s. Last week a number of protestors demanding independence were shot dead by gendarmes. BBC Africa's Randy Jo Sa'ah was in Bamenda following the story.

Image: Demonstrators in Bamenda, the main town in northwest Cameroon Credit: Getty Images/stringer/AFP

Prudent Nsengiyumva and Didier Bikorimana are colleagues at BBC Great Lakes, a journey that began for Prudent entertaining his family with dining table news reports, and for Didier listening to the Great Lakes Lifeline programme which tried to reunite families separated by the 1994 genocide.

Image: Rwandan boy listening to transistor radio Credit: GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty Images

Two new super-heroines have been launched recently in comic book form. Pakistan Girl joins her established superhero colleague Pakistan Man, and in Nigeria a character called Ngozi joins Marvel's family of mutant super-beings. Can they make a difference in their neighbourhoods? David Amanor finds out from Halima Umar Sale of BBC Hausa and BBC Urdu's Henna Saeed.

Image: Pakistan Girl cartoon in library Credit: FAROOQ NAEEMAFP/Getty Images

Winning hearts and minds has always been a high priority for the US-led coalition which invaded Afghanistan nearly sixteen years ago. But the campaign hasn't always gone to plan, as with a recent airdrop of leaflets that caused so much offence that people rioted in the streets. Moheb Mudessir from BBC Afghan explains.

Image: Afghan Shepherd Boy Credit: GETTY IMAGES/HOSHANG HASHIMI

In Northern Afghanistan, a ferocious and complicated fight has been raging for years with little attention from the outside world. In the remote Darzab distict in Jowzan province the Taliban, so called Islamic State, government forces and local warlords fight for control. It's a very difficult place to access as a journalist, but BBC Uzbek's Firuz Rahimi grew up in the area, and recently returned.

Image: a machine gun emplacement in Afghanistan's Jowzan province Credit: BBC

Geeta Pandey recently reported on a rare move by women in an Indian village to challenge the practice of wives never saying their husbands' names; a tradition her own parents observed. In Afghanistan a social media campaign #Whereismyname asserted the right for women to be known by their own names and not just by their relationship to a male relative. Shekiba Habib of BBC Afghan and Geeta Pandey in Delhi tell us what happens when traditions are challenged.

Image: couple holding hands with wedding rings Credit: JAY DIRECTO/AFP/Getty Images

It's Saturday night, bars and pubs are busy, and loud music pumps out of nightclubs. BBC Arabic's Omar Abdel-Razek tells David Amanor about discovering a surprising side to life in the Syrian capital Damascus, where six years into the civil war a new nightlife has emerged.

Image: barman pouring shots in Damascus Credit: BBC

The Siachen Glacier is the world's highest battlefield, straddling the disputed border between India and Pakistan in northern Kashmir. Thousands of soldiers have died there - mostly, since the 2003 ceasefire, from the harsh conditions. BBC Urdu's Abid Hussain paid a rare visit.

Photo: Pakistan army drills on Siachen Glacier, credit: BBC

In 2007, BBC Urdu's Arif Shamim made a documentary based on letters he discovered after the death of his great-uncle in Lahore. They were written in 1947 by the original owner of his uncle's house, who fled to India after Partition. He was unable to trace the writer or his family, but the story has now moved on. Arif told Faranak Amidi how it all started.

Image: Letter and envelopes. Credit: Arif Shamim/BBC.

The Argentinian revolutionary Che Guevara is an iconic figure whose face adorns countless t-shirts and posters. But some of his countrymen have mixed feelings about him, and there's even a campaign to pull down his statue in his birthplace, Rosario. BBC Mundo's Macarena Gagliardi explores Argentina's complex relationship with its famous son.

Image: Graffiti painting of Che Guevara Credit: EITAN ABRAMOVICH/Getty Images

Cais do Valongo, or Valongo Wharf, was recently designated a world heritage site. It's an old stone pier in Rio de Janeiro built for the landing of almost one million enslaved Africans in the 19th century. It was unearthed a few years ago and has brought to the fore difficult questions about the legacy of the slave trade. Fernando Duarte of BBC Brasil, who's from Rio, feels it's a story that's been hidden from view for too long.

Image: People passing the Valongo slave wharf in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

This week a Thai court convicted 60 people for human trafficking, with victims including Rohingya people. Rohingya are a muslim minority in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, but the Burmese government doesn't recognise them as citizens, and five years ago large numbers began to flee their homes after becoming victims of widespread violence and abuse. Rohmatin Bonasir of BBC Indonesian recently went to Rakhine State, where many of the Rohingya live, to visit an Indonesian funded school there, as well as a refugee camp in Bangladesh.

Image: BBC Indonesia's Rohmatin Bonasir holding a Rohingya child in Bangladesh refugee camp Credit: BBC

BBC Urdu's Aliya Nazki and Suhail Haleem talk us through their reporting trip up a mountain in Indian-administered Kashmir - to visit the remarkable Haji Public School. The only way up was on foot or on horseback. So they saddled up, and tried not to look down...

Image: Aliya Nazki Credit: BBC

This week marked the 50th anniversary of the Biafra war. Millions died, mostly from famine, as Nigerian government forces defeated attempts by the Igbo people in the south east to claim an independent Biafran state. You might think an event of such magnitude would be burned into the nation's memory, but it's not a part of history that many young Nigerians know much about. BBC Africa's Tomi Oladipo has been filling in some of those gaps.

Image: Biafran flag painted on a wall Photo credit: STEFAN HEUNIS/AFP/Getty Images

Audrey Brown's documentary Give Back the Land tells the story of a white Western Cape vineyard owner attempting to make reparations for the land his family "stole" 6 generations ago. Land rights and reparations remain contentious in South Africa 23 years after the end of apartheid, and are close to the heart of Audrey, whose family come from this area.

Image: Solms winery in South Africa Credit: Solms Delta Estate

BBC Hindi recently brought together two schoolgirls, one from Delhi and one from Indian-administered Kashmir, to became penfriends. What they have in common is music and youth, but they're divided by regional loyalties and religion in the long-running dispute over Kashmir. So the question is: can the two teenagers find common ground? The reporter behind the project is Divya Arya.

Image and credit: Teenage penfriends Duaa (L) in Indian Administered Kashmir and Saumya (R) in Delhi, India

BBC Afghan's Auliya Atrafi is just back from his home province, Helmand, where for the first time he had access to areas under Taliban control. He visited the de facto Taliban capital of Musa, and found much to surprise him.

Image: Auliya Atrafi with the Taliban Credit: BBC

Rumours of a film project about Sudanese ancient history have been raising hackles in neighbouring Egypt. The dispute is over which country had the most significant ancient civilisation on the Nile. BBC Africa's Mohanad Hashim, who's from Khartoum, puts the case for Sudan.

Camel riders in front of the Sudanese pyramids Credit: Ashraf Shazly/AFP/Getty Images

The images coming out of Venezuela show a country in turmoil. The economy is failing, violent protests on the streets have left nearly 60 dead, and figures recently released show that child mortality has also increased in a country that was once the wealthiest in the region. Vladimir Hernandez is a Venezuelan journalist with the BBC and recently came back with a troubling report from his home country about child malnutrition.

Image: Venezuelan girl Credit: BBC

The news has been full of China's One Belt One Road mega-infrastructure project to connect Asia, Europe and the Horn of Africa. It's a sort of modern day version of the ancient Silk Road - and what better opportunity to take a trip of our own. The Fifth Floor follows those famous caravan routes with Rustam Qobil of BBC Uzbek, Venera Koicheva of BBC Kyrgyz, Temtsel Hao of BBC Chinese and Daud Junbish of BBC Afghan.

Image: Catalonian merchants on the Silk Road from the 'Catalan Atlas' of 1375 Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Natalia Guerrero of BBC Mundo has tackled a taboo issue in her home country, Colombia. Thousands of soldiers have lost limbs due to land mines during the country's 50 year conflict with rebels, but what's seldom talked about are the numbers who've experienced genital injury, or the 'silent wound'. Natalia talks to soldiers and doctors keen to break that silence.

Image: Soldier Stivinson Mena Rivas lost a leg, a finger and had genital injuries due to a mine. Credit: Gregorio Mariño

Last month 25 soldiers were killed in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh by Maoist or Naxalite rebels. It's the latest episode in a 50 year conflict which has left thousands dead and tens of thousands homeless. So who are the Naxalites? BBC Hindi's Salman Ravi explains the movement and its origins.

Guyanese rodeo Grab your Stetson and pull on those cowboy boots: it's rodeo time in Guyana. This unexpected slice of the wild, wild west takes part in the small ranching town of Lethem and Carinya Sharples went along to join the fun.

The gangs of Japan - and Brazil A big business group in Japan had a recent internal disagreement, leading to a splinter group forming. Interviews were given and statements made. What's unusual about the story is that it's about a yakuza or crime syndicate. Ewerthon Tobace reports for BBC Brasil from Tokyo.

Umaru and the diamonds Next week a 709 carat rough diamond from Sierra Leone will go under the hammer. It was found in the Kono region, where BBC Africa's Umaru Fofana grew up, and it turns out he's no stranger to diamond mining.

China's TV dating show A new TV show called Chinese Dating has captured the hearts of viewers across China. What makes it unusual is that here it's the contestants' parents who make the choices. Suping from BBC Chinese has been viewing.

And Fifi Haroon's pick of the world wide web

Image: Arms seized from Maoists in Orissa's Malkangiri district following a fierce gun battle with police Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a long history of instability and conflict. Trouble recently flared up in the central Kasai region, and the BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga got rare access to the area, meeting the rebel militias fighting in this little-known uprising.

Keep Your Distance! When it comes to personal space how close is too close? We get up close and personal with our Fifth Floor colleagues to find out why there's so much variation worldwide.

Brazilian borders This week's audacious bank robbery in Paraguay was made possible by the relatively porous borders between Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina. BBC Brasil's Fernanda Odilla has visited the area, popular with tourists visiting the Iguazu Falls, as well as with criminals keen to shift loot.

The Mother of all Bombsites News that America had dropped a Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB), also known as "the mother of all bombs", on caves used by Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan made headlines worldwide. Auliya Atrafi of BBC Afghan was surprised by what he found at the site.

All aboard Lenin's train It's 100 years since Vladimir Lenin set off from exile in Switzerland to join the revolution in Russia. BBC Russian has followed his train journey from Zurich looking for answers to questions which are rarely asked in Russia itself. Answers from Anastasia Uspenskaya.

And Fifi Haroon shares the odder moments from the web this week.

Rebel militias in the DR Congo Kasai conflict. Credit: BBC

If India's Uttar Pradesh were a country it would be the fifth largest in the world. The state's new chief minister is Yogi Adityanath of the BJP party, which won a sweeping victory in last month's elections. The BBC's Geeta Pandey in Delhi has been analysing his popularity and following the controversies that surround him.

Goodbye Krushchyovkas... Around 1.5 million people in Moscow are waiting anxiously to hear more about plans to tear down the outdated Soviet blocks they live in. Hundreds of so-called Krushchyovkas have already been demolished, and 8,000 more are about to be flattened. BBC Russian's Oleg Boldyrev shares memories of growing up in one.

Ending the hunt for Kony Ugandan troops have called off the search for Joseph Kony, the notorious leader of the Lord's Resistance Army known for the destruction of rural communities in northern Uganda. The violence, enslavement and abduction of children also affected South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic. We get the response of BBC Africa's Paul Bakibinga.

We don't have that word! Fifth Floor journalists are constantly translating complex news stories from English, a task which can be fiendishly difficult as often their languages lack the word or entire concepts. There are some surprising omissions.

Making a hit out of corruption China has been gripped by a new tv drama about corruption investigators. 'In The Name of the People' goes behind the scenes in Chinese politics to reveal greed, immorality and violence. Yashan Zhao of BBC Chinese tells us why she's a fan.

And Fifi Haroon's pick of the world wide web.

Image: Yogi Adityanath Uttar Pradesh's new leader Credit: SANJAY KANOJIA/AFP/Getty Images

Tanzanians have been mystified by the recent kidnapping and reappearance of two rappers. Who was behind the abductions? Why are musicians being singled out? Sammy Awami has been following the story for BBC Swahili.

Kathmandu bans horn-honking Horn-honking reaches deafening proportions on Nepali New Year, 14th April. So will a new honking ban for drivers in Kathmandu return the city to a quieter, more bucolic soundscape? BBC Nepali's Surendra Phuyal considers the question.

Turkish online surveillance Social media is being used by Turkish citizens to spy on and denounce people suspected of anti-government sentiments. Tweets and Facebook posts are enough to lose someone their job or land them in court. Pinar Sevinclidr of BBC Monitoring talks us through some recent cases.

Indonesia's 'motherless' generation BBC Indonesian's Rohmatin Bonasir has been finding out what happens to children left behind by migrant worker mothers. Millions of Indonesian women work abroad, and mothers and children pay a high price.

Senegalese seductresses BBC Afrique's Leone Ouedraogo, who's from Burkino Faso, is spending time in Dakar in Senegal. Which seemed an excellent opportunity to find out if Senegalese women really are the best wives and expert seductresses everyone at home had always told her they were.

And Fifi Haroon's pick of the world wide web.

Image: Rapper Roma giving a press conference after being released by kidnappers Credit: BBC/Sammy Awami

Since leaving Gambia, former President Yahya Jammeh has been living in Equatorial Guinea. Home to Africa's longest serving leader, it's rich in resources, but tends to be in the news for all the wrong reasons. BBC Africa's Umaru Fofana has been following ex-President Jammeh's progress. He gives us a short guide to his new home.

The famous guavas of Kohat Kohat in northern Pakistan is famous for its fabulous guavas. BBC Urdu's Rifatullah Orakzai shares memories of family picnics in the guava orchards and laments their decline.

A guide to Afghan warlords Why are Afghanistan's warlords still so important? First they fought the Soviets, then each other, and now they seem to be permanently woven into society and politics. Insights from BBC Afghan's Dawood Azami.

Capoeira in Brazil and Africa As the Brazilian martial art capoeira continues to gain new fans around the world, BBC Brasil's resident capoeirista Rafael Barifouse explains its magic and mystery.

Why bets are on in Vietnam For decades, the Vietnamese passion for gambling has largely been indulged illegally due to strict restrictions. So how significant is the government decision to allow bets on selected sporting events? Over to Nga Pham of BBC Vietnamese.

And Fifi Haroon's stories from the world wide web.

Image: Ex-President Jammeh leaves Gambia Credit: STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images

A hometown on the front-line in Yemen; revisiting Brazilian childhood stories; a behaviour guide for Russian's abroad; African communities in India; Fifi Haroon's web roundup; and cleaning up the sex trade in Thailand.

First daughters; Thai street food; India's phone Romeos; escape from Raqqa; joy in CAR

Image: Influential First Daughters Credit: Getty, Reuters, BBC and Presidency of Tajikistan

Astana; Brazilian ghosts; Harare potholes; Belarus protests; fire jumping; Somali pirates Image: Astana Credit: LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images

Passions that unite - and divide: what does it mean to be Indian? Stories from BBC Delhi. (Photo: David Amanor and Vikas Pandey in Delhi)

South Africa has recently seen immigrant communities targeted in a spate of attacks, with Nigerians, Somalis and Zimbabweans among those whose homes and businesses have been looted. Mpho Lakaje who reports for the BBC Africa from Johannesburg compares this current wave of violence with previous xenophobic attacks.

Congolese Libanga With the collapse of CD sales and little to share out from concerts, Congolese musicians have found a new way to make money. It's called Libanga, with the rich and aspiring paying to get their names dropped into the music. It's keeping musicians paid but is it ruining the music? We asked Mila Kimbuini, a Congolese journalist with BBC Afrique.

Poets, carpets and reformed assassins I Stared at the Night of the City by Bakhtiyar Ali is thought to be the first Kurdish language novel to be translated into English. There's poetry, magic, murder and corruption, so what can this novel tell us about life in the autonomous Kurdish region? Over to translator Kareem Abdulrahman and fellow Iraqi Kurd Roj Ranjbar of BBC Monitoring.

Taliban Trees This week the head of the Taliban in Afghanistan urged Afghans to plant more trees. So does this mark a change of direction? BBC Afghan's Ismael Saadat explores the country's problems with trees.

Coptic Christians in North Sinai The recent flight of Coptic Christians from North Sinai has drawn attention to Egypt's long-running struggle against an IS-affiliated group in the province,which is now targeting Christians. Mariam Rizk of BBC Monitoring in Cairo explains why it's so hard to discover what's really happening in North Sinai.

Plus Fifi Haroon rounds up the week's wackier online stories.

Image: Demonstrator holding banner in Johannesburg to protest against xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Credit: Gianluigi Guercia/AFP/Getty Images.

Empty football stadia; Ethiopian raw meat; PC Carnival; mother tongues; Somali nicknames

A Sri Lankan astrologer was recently arrested for wrongly predicting the death of his president during January. In many cultures, the advice of an astrologer is a crucial part of everyday life, and often influences business and political decisions. Why are astrologers still so popular in this technological age? A question for Carol Yarwood of BBC Chinese, Nopporn Wong-Anan of BBC Thai, and Sangeetha Rajan of BBC Tamil.

Dead presidents Rumours about Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari's death have been rife this week. He is apparently alive and in London, and has found time to speak on the telephone to Donald Trump. But it's not unusual for presidents to be killed off long before they actually die, as we find out from Bara'atu Ibrahim of BBC Hausa, Famil Ismailov of BBC Russian and Rafael Chacon of BBC Mundo.

Romance without Valentine's Day This week's court ban on celebrating Valentine's Day in the Pakistani capital Islamabad put a spotlight on the challenges of enjoying romance in a conservative society. Ghazanfar Hyder of BBC Urdu tells us what it's like to be young and romantic in Pakistan today.

Tajikistan and Uzbekistan: the thaw After a freeze of 25 years, relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have started to thaw with the re-opening of a direct air link. The BBC's Khayrulla Fayz - an ethnic Uzbek from Tajikistan - remembers when you could cross from one country to the other without realising. He explains what went wrong in the relationship, and what the current thaw means to people in both countries.

India in space India's space agency launched a flock of 104 satellites into space over the course of 18 minutes on Wednesday, nearly tripling the previous record for single-day satellite launches and establishing India as a key player in a growing market. Although there is no direct space rivalry between China and India, some analysts have made comparisons with the US-Soviet space race. We hear from Suniti Singh of BBC Monitoring.

And Fifi Haroon's pick of the world wide web.

Image: Solar Eclipse observed in Asia. Credit: Feng Li/Getty Images.

Jiyar Gol recently met the Iranian Kurdish strongmen who haul dozens of tyres on their backs over the border from Iraqi Kurdistan. It's a story that went out on BBC Persian, and had a big impact in Iran, as it coincided with the death this week of three smugglers in an avalanche. Jiyar tells us more about the people he met and the dangerous border crossing.

The many accents of Colombia Cachaco, pastuso, caleño - not new Latin dance fads, but just three of the dozens of dialects spoken in Colombia. For BBC Mundo, Beatriz de la Pava enlisted people from across her country to share words and accents with the rest of Latin America. She speculates about why there's such diversity in Colombia - and analyses her own accent.

A brief history of Russian poisoning The Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza was this week reported to be in a coma in hospital. His wife claims that he had been poisoned, and for the second time. He's not the first troublesome Russian to be the victim of suspected poisoning: from Rasputin to Litvinenko, traces of poison run through Russia's political history. Over to BBC Russian news editor Famil Ismailov.

Indian snake-catchers in Florida The Irula tribesmen from southern India are serious snake-catchers, hunting snakes and milking them for their venom. Their fame has spread to the Florida Everglades, where two Irula snake-catchers have been called in to help catch Burmese pythons which have been eating their way through the local wildlife. Soutik Biswas in Delhi has been following their progress and investigating their lucrative snake venom trade.

Protesting Romanian-style Recent demonstrations in the Romanian capital Bucharest have caught the world's attention. The catalyst was a government move to soften anti-corruption legislation, and last Sunday an estimated half a million people took to the streets. Ioana Dumitrescu of BBC Monitoring is our guide to the language and style of Romanian protests.

And Fifi Haroon's pick of the world wide web.

Image: Iranian Kurdish smugglers Credit: BBC

The new president of the United States has set a challenge to interpreters and translators. His off the cuff, informal style sometimes makes it hard to convey his exact meaning in other languages - even in English it can be unclear. We explore the intricacies of translating Trump into Farsi and French with BBC Persian's Siavash Ardalan and BBC Afrique's Olivier Weber.

Colombia's other war Much has been made of the peace deal between the Colombian government and the FARC rebel group to end five decades of conflict. But less is heard about the war with another rebel group, the ELN, or National Liberation Army. But now peace talks are set to begin. Natalio Cosoy of BBC Mundo recently visited the town of Saravena close to the Venezuelan border, an area where the ELN is active.

Yours respectfully - deference around the world Cameroonian Sports Minister Pierre Ismaël Bidoung Kpwatt was recently pictured bowing down dramatically low to shake the hand of President Paul Biya. This display of extreme deference kicked off a social media trend, with people competing to adopt the lowest, most theatrical bows and handshakes. So how is deference expressed in different countries, and can it be taken too far?

Somalia election coverage After months of delays, Somalia has finally nailed a date for its presidential election and BBC Somali are getting ready to cover it. Easier said than done in a country emerging from decades of war, where the electoral process is potentially tortuous and journalists face constant security risks. Mohammud Ali of BBC Somali in Nairobi is organising the team as they prepare for this historic election.

"Broken neck girl" Every week, Marwa Mamoon of BBC Arabic ransacks history books and other archives for her weekly radio programme Story Shop. She recently found a story embedded in an everyday phrase used by Egyptian mothers to scold naughty daughters. It translates literally as "broken neck girl" and goes back to the sad fate of a Cairo aristocrat after the French invasion.

And Fifi Haroon's pick of the world wide web.

Image: President Trump of the United States of America. Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images.

How to survive Chinese New Year It's Chinese New Year, with millions on the move to be with their families. But some young Chinese say they're fed up with what awaits them when they finally get home - a grilling about their personal lives. Yashan Zhao from BBC Hong Kong explains why Chinese New Year can be such a mixed experience. The secret of a long life? Devote yourself to art. Everyone wants to know the secret of a happy and healthy old age. It seems that in Nepal, it helps to be an artist. The BBC's Sewa Bhattarai has interviewed several artists in their 90s, still active and creative - like Nepal's 98-year-old national poet Madhav Prasad Ghimire.

The unexpected president The latest hit tv comedy series in Ukraine is about an ordinary guy who against all expectations suddenly finds himself president of his country, elected on a brief to clean out political elites. Servant of the People has got everybody talking, as we hear from Anastasiya Gribanova of BBC Ukraine.

Sahrawi refugees BBC Arabic reporter Sally Nabil has had rare access to the 'forgotten refugees' from the disputed territory of Western Sahara who have lived in Algerian refugee camps for 40 years. She spent a week in a camp and heard from inhabitants about the harshness of their lives and their lack of hope about a resolution.

Driving Tests Three men were recently jailed in England for taking money from learner drivers to impersonate them and pass their tests on their behalf. That led us to seek driving test stories from other countries. Which tests are fiendishly difficult, and which are worryingly easy?

And Fifi Haroon's pick of the world wide web.

Image: Chinese lion dance in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province of China to welcome the upcoming Chinese lunar New Year. Credit: VCG/VCG via Getty Images

As the Obamas leave the White House to make way for the Trumps, we hear about some less smooth handovers of official residences. Venezuelan Patricia Sulbaran of BBC Mundo, Sammy Darko in Ghana and BBC Hindi's Shivaani Kohok share tales of presidents, officials and family members who have become rather too attached to their state-owned homes.

You've been scammed... Police in central China have raided a tourist attraction they say was tricking people into visiting a fake Terracotta Army. Tourists have always been prey to scams and con-artists, including our Fifth Floor language service colleagues, who share tales of tricksters from around the world.

Soviet jazz Alexander Kan of BBC Russian grew up as a citizen of the USSR. He felt few regrets with the recent 25th anniversary of the collapse of the Soviet Union, but he admits a nostalgia for Soviet jazz. He shares some of his favourite pieces from a rich tradition little known beyond the Iron Curtain.

'Sitting the Month' New mothers in China traditionally spent 30 days in near isolation from the outside world, and recently luxury hotels have been springing up to cater for women who want to sit their month in style. Laureen Leung from BBC Chinese in London and Daisy Li from the BBC Beijing bureau share insights and experiences.

Miami lunchboxes It's a busy week for BBC Miami with the inauguration of President Trump, but not so busy that there's no time for lunch. Emilio San Pedro recently visited and shared a culinary tour of South America with Uruguayan Ana Pais of BBC Mundo, and BBC Monitoring colleagues Rafael Abuchaibe and Claudia Plazas, both from Colombia.

And Fifi Haroon's pick of the world wide web.

Image: A set of house keys. Credit: Barnaby Perkins, BBC

This week's funeral of former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani drew an estimated 2.5 million mourners. Rana Rahimpour of BBC Persian shares her memories of Rafsanjani, and explains why one of the founding fathers of the Islamic Revolution was mourned by so many reformists.

Where are Gambia's judges? Gambian President Yahya Jammeh claims he won't leave office until the Gambian Supreme Court rules on his request to re-run the election. Quite when this will be is uncertain, as the Supreme Court doesn't have enough judges to operate. Hassan Arouni of BBC Africa explains this mysterious shortage.

Tamil Nadu's Jallikattu ban Jallikattu, or bull taming, was an integral part of Tamil Nadu's harvest festival until banned in 2014 on account of animal welfare and human safety. Youths used to chase the bulls and try to snatch money hung from their horns; though not Swaminathan Natarajan, who grew up in the state, and has been following the story.

Menstruation huts: my experience The death in December of a Nepalese girl banished to a "menstruation hut" during her period shocked the international media. Krishnamaya Upadhyaya is a journalist in the western district of Jumla and shared her own experiences as a young woman growing up in a remote village in Jumla, and today.

Kenya's Uhuru challenge Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta is facing ridicule on social media over his apparent love of grand opening ceremonies for modest projects. Why open a footbridge, when you can launch a "non-motorised motor project" instead? Abdinoor Aden in Nairobi shares Kenyans' online wit now called "The Uhuru Challenge".

And Fifi Haroon celebrates the wilder corners of the world wide web.

Image: Iranians gather around a hearse carrying the coffin of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Credit: ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images

Russian assassins strike in Turkey; shaping perfect eyebrows in Afghanistan; life along militarised walls; handball in the Arab World, family feud thrilling Indian politics.

Photo Credit: OZAN KOSE-AFP-Getty Images.

Wars, revolutions, chubby squirrels and jihadi hairstyles. All in a day's work for the multilingual journalists of BBC Monitoring, with David Amanor.

Image: TV news monitors with stories from around the world Credit: BBC

A year after Saudi women participated and voted in municipal elections for the first time, BBC Arabic's Hanan Razek has been back to see what's changed in the kingdom. She also tracked down the 'Niqabi Comedian' to find out why this mystery woman is making so many people laugh.

Odd insults There's been a lot of heavy news in 2016, but on the Fifth Floor we like to spread a bit of happiness, and when one of our morsels of merriment was picked as a "laugh out loud moment of 2016", it seemed the right moment to share it again. So in a year where political insults took a rather undiplomatic turn, we asked colleagues for more creative and nuanced insults from their home countries.

Highlights and happiness 2016 has been an eventful year on the news agenda. We ask Famil Ismailov of BBC Russian, Fernando Duarte of BBC Brasil, Victoria Uwonkunda of BBC Africa and Hanan Razek of BBC Arabic for their stand out moments, and the good news stories that sometimes get left behind.

Jihadi daughters' fashion Why has a fashion magazine article about three stylish Afghan women caused such a stir in Afghanistan? It turns out two of them come from prominent jihadi families, and photographs of them without their heads covered have broken a social taboo. Mariam Aman of BBC Persian has been looking at the reactions - positive as well as negative.

Why the Chinese love "Titanic" A full size replica of the Titanic is being built in the landlocked Chinese province of Sichuan, complete with bars and ballrooms. The Chinese obsession with the Titanic relates more to the film than the ship, and after its 1998 release there it became a pop culture phenomenon. Yashan Zhao of BBC Chinese is a fan, and explains why the film had such massive appeal.

(Image: Woman casting her ballot in last December's elections, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Credit: AFP/Getty Images.)

Fake news; Gambia re-visited; Daredevils of Sassoun; Dakar workouts; Polygon timewarp

Image: Adama Barrow, Gambia's President-elect, gesturing to the crowd in Kololi, Gambia. Credit: Joe Sinclair/AFP/Getty Images

Image: Gulnara Karimova at a press conference during Style.Uz Art Week 2013 in Tashkent Credit: Yves Forestier/Getty Images for Style.Uz Art Week 2013

L - Photo: Ghana elections, NDC supporter. Credit: Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP/Getty Images. R - Photo: Ghana elections, NPP supporter. Credit: Stefan Heunis/AFP/Getty Images.

Closing Dadaab; Russia's rival parades: weddings and the taxman; Iran's fencers

Image: Refugees at Dadaab refugee camp, Kenya Credit: TONY KARUMBA/Getty Images

Trump's victory; Ivan the Terrible; Syrian soul food; a portrait of Kashmir

Social change in Saudi, Mombasa night weddings, and the missing Kyrgyz constitution.

Image: Saudi women walking past a jewellery shop at Tiba market in Riyadh Credit: FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters near Bashiqa. Credit: Safin Hamed/AFP/Getty Images.

Guest presenter Emilio San Pedro, in Miami

Emilio heads to Miami's Little Havana district and its famous Versailles café to talk politics with Ivette Leyva and Luis Fajardo of BBC Mundo and Rafael Abuchaibe of BBC Monitoring.

Later he watches the final presidential debate at the BBC bureau as the Mundo team pick out what's of most interest to their audience and watch for reaction on social media.

Eating and voting with Miami's Colombians and Venezuelans Emilio referees a food competition: Colombians Claudia Plazas and Rafael Abuchaibe versus Venezuelan Patricia Sulbaran. Whose 'arepas' are better? They also reflect on the recent No vote in the Colombian referendum on the peace deal with Farc rebels, and the significance of the vote from Colombians in Miami.

Multiple Choice For decades, Chilean teenagers had to sit the Academic Aptitude Test in order to apply for university. Chilean writer Alejandro Zambra has gone back to this stressful time for his latest novel, Multiple Choice. Constanza Hola of BBC Mundo, who sat the test herself, puts Alejandro through his paces.

And Fifi Haroon's pick of the world wide web.

Image: Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton during the final presidential debate in Las Vegas Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: Afghan refugee families wait to board trucks near Peshawar in July 2016. Credit: A. MAJEED/AFP/Getty Images.

Image: A close up of an under-nourished child's had held by an adult hand. Credit: Ashwaq17

Photos: The ancient market in Aleppo, Syria before and after it was badly damaged by fire. Credits: AFP/Getty Images.

Kashmiri protestors clash with Indian government forces during a protest against civilian killings in Srinagar, Kashmir. Credit: Tauseef Mustafa/AFP/Getty Images.

Photo: Tamil demonstrators hold photos of their relatives who disappeared during the Sri Lankan Civil War. Credit: Buddhika Weerasinghe/GettyImages.

Photo: An Afghan National Security Forces serviceman takes position during a military operation in Helmand province. Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images.

Life after conflict in Colombia; Syrian footballers changed by war and Tajikistan's incomprehensible words.

Image: Colombia's President Santos (L), Cuban President Raul Castro (C) and 'Timochenko' (R), head of FARC signing the ceasefire 23 June 2016 Credit: ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: Rosario Murillo, wife of President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua. Credit: Rafael Trobat/AFP/Getty Images.

The relationship between Turkey's army and the people, tackling leprosy in Brazil and spoken word poetry in Nairobi.

Image: A Turkish soldier stands guard in front of the damaged Grand National Assembly building in Ankara Credit: Getty/Dimitar Dilkoff

Photo: David Amanor with the BBC Arabic journalists in Cairo. Credit: BBC

South China sea; Zimbabwe protests; Egypt in song; building bridges; 5th Floor Sapeurs

Image: An official map of Vietnam at an exhibition about the South China Sea in Hanoi Credit: Getty

Myanmar's ethnic conflicts, Russian rock and the military, remembering Abbas Kiarostami.

Turkey under attack; Afghan Ramadan; singing Ghazals; Sunni Shia families; Tbilisi zoo

Image credit: Getty Images

Sistan Baluchistan, Mar Mar Aye, Russian dream, South Africa; Bangladeshi women in news