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The Gambia's Political Earthquake

Gambia's surprise election result; Guyana's outmoded dress code; Dastangoi storytelling; Bogota's political bus fare saga; Egypt's sweet tooth; and women on Wiki

91热爆 Africa's Umaru Fofana is just back from reporting on the elections in the Gambia and the surprise defeat of the president of 22 years, Yahya Jammeh. He shares the stories that could not be told during the voting, and describes one of the biggest upheavals he has seen in African politics.

Guyana's Outdated Dress Codes
In Guyana, where the temperature rarely falls below 30 Celsius, many public and government buildings enforce strict dress codes. Even the president has called the rules "archaic" and "backward". The Fifth Floor's Carinya Sharples describes her daily dress dilemmas.

Dastangoi
Shumaila Khan of 91热爆 Urdu has been investigating Dastangoi, a popular form of storytelling between the 16th and 19th Centuries. It is currently enjoying a revival in Shumaila's hometown, Karachi in Pakistan.

Bus Fares and Politics in Bogota
The ex-mayor of Bogota, Gustavo Petro, a former left-wing rebel who lowered bus fares whilst in power, has been fined US$70 million for the consequent loss of income for the city. Rafael Abuchaibe of 91热爆 Monitoring explains the politics behind the story.

Egypt's Sugar Craving
These are hard times for sweet-loving Egyptians, with sugar shortages and price rises. This weekend sees the celebration of Moulid an-Nabi, the Prophet's birthday, when lots of sweets are traditionally consumed. What's the impact of the sugar crisis, and why do Egyptians have such a sweet tooth? Questions for Angy Ghannam at 91热爆 Monitoring in Cairo.

Wiki Edit-a-thon
Wikipedia is the internet's largest reference library, but women are under-represented, both as the subjects and authors of articles. In response, the 91热爆's language services embarked on an edit-a-thon to improve the balance. The Fifth Floor finds out about the women who are getting a long overdue write-up.

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

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50 minutes

Last on

Sat 10 Dec 2016 02:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Fri 9 Dec 2016 12:06GMT
  • Fri 9 Dec 2016 17:06GMT
  • Sat 10 Dec 2016 02:06GMT