What in the World

The annual World Happiness Report is out and Finland has been named the happiest country for the eighth year in a row.

What makes the Finns so joyful? Emilia Jansson from the What in the World team breaks it down for you.

But, is happiness just a fleeting emotion or is there more to it? Sarah Jelbert, a lecturer who teaches courses on the science of happiness explains how you can improve your life satisfaction.

And we hear from Sweden and Costa Rica, two countries that rank in the top ten.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Netflix has a TV show out called Apple Cider Vinegar - it’s a dramatisation of a real story of a real influencer who was popular online, and said she was treating a terminal illness with alternative therapies. But it turned out the supposed natural treatments she was promoting didn’t do anything, because she didn’t really have brain cancer.

So it got us thinking - how can you spot false wellness claims?

Drinking special tea to make you slimmer. Rubbing bee venom on your face to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Inserting gemstones into your vagina to regulate menstrual cycles. These are just three on the seemingly endless list which have little to no scientific evidence to support their purported benefits.

Jacqui Wakefield, a reporter with the BBC’s Global Disinformation Unit, takes us through what makes these trends take off and how we can spot the bad ones online. Makuochi Okafor in our Lagos bureau explains what wellness scams look like in Nigeria. And Maria Clara Montoya tells us about the scene in Latin America.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producer: Emily Horler Video Journalists: Benita Barden and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

Imagine going on a work or school trip for eight days, but ending up away from home for nine months. Now, imagine that journey was to space. NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore’s spacecraft launched in June last year from Cape Canaveral in Florida. They were taking part in the first crewed test flight of the Starliner spacecraft, developed by Boeing. But there were some technical problems after launch and NASA decided it was too risky to use it to take the astronauts back to Earth. Instead, Suni and Butch would catch the next scheduled flight home, which ended up being nine months later. And now Suni and Butch have splashed down off the coast of Florida in a different spacecraft.

Our Science Editor, Rebecca Morelle, explains what went wrong with the mission, if they were really stranded, and what daily life is actually like in space.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Elena Angelides Editor: Verity Wilde

On Sunday night, hundreds of people gathered at Pulse nightclub in Kocani, North Macedonia to watch the popular hip-hop duo DNK perform. It ended in tragedy. A fire ripped through the venue killing 59 people and leaving more than 150 others injured.

Reports say the fire was caused by sparks from pyrotechnic devices that hit the ceiling, which was made of highly flammable material. The incident has raised questions about how the venue was able to operate with inadequate safety measures, and if corruption has a role to play.

We speak to Saska Cvetkovska, an investigative journalist in Skopje, about what we know so far and how the country is coping with the aftermath of the tragedy.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Taylor Swift fans were gathering in Vienna in August last year, when organisers announced her three-night run would be cancelled, due to a terror threat. Three teenagers were arrested, accused of plotting an attack which was allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group. Speaking at a news conference, an Austrian politician said that “a tragedy was prevented.”

This sits within a wider picture of people behind acts like this getting younger. Although the numbers aren’t huge, in Europe last year, 1 in 5 terror suspects were under the age of 18. In the UK, it was double that. This data comes from a report written by Thomas Morgan, from the Institute for Economics and Peace in Australia. He joins the podcast to talk about the rise in radicalisation amongst young people.

We are also joined by Julian, a counsellor who works with teenagers in Berlin who have been radicalised by far-right ideology. He tells us how sessions run by Violence Prevention Network aim to change attitudes and behaviours of radicalised young people. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Elena Angelides and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has agreed to pay $3.5 billion to buy the gaming division of Niantic, the Pokémon Go publisher. It’s the latest in a string of entertainment and gaming investments by the PIF. BBC tech reporter Tom Gerken tells us why the Saudi government is spending billions on gaming and what the Kingdom stands to gain from it.

Plus: BBC Arabic’s Abdirahim Saaed explains where the PIF gets its money and why the gaming scene is so big in Saudi Arabia right now.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

An estimated 700 million people visit zoos every year. Some people see these facilities as a great way to teach people about nature and to save species from extinction. Others think they’re cruel and unnecessary. It’s a heated debate. And now, as more and more people are watching animal rescue videos on Instagram and TikTok, it feels like the debate is hotter than ever.

William Lee Adams from the What in the Word team talks us through the history of zoos, including how England's Queen Charlotte (who was featured in Netflix’s Bridgerton) came to have twenty kangaroos, and how zoos have evolved. We also discuss their pro and cons. We hear from Tonya Lander, a biology lecturer at the University of Oxford in the UK, 19 year old animal rights activist Nikita Dhawan, and Delcianna Winders, Director of the Animal Law and Policy Institute at Vermont Law and Graduate School in the US.

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In November, fifteen people were killed at the Novi Sad railway station in Serbia when a concrete canopy collapsed. Students in the country have been protesting ever since, claiming that government corruption contributed to the tragedy. The protests have brought the country to a standstill, and on Monday students occupied the public TV station RTS. Slobodan Maričić from BBC Serbian tells us about the student protests, what he’s seen when out reporting and the criticism faced by President Aleksandar Vučić.

We also hear from several student protestors and Konstrakta, a popular singer. She explains why students have been so effective leading and organising the protests and how their movement has expanded to include people of all ages.

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Two weeks ago $1.5 billion vanished from a cryptocurrency platform - it’s thought to be the biggest crypto heist ever. They had fallen into the hands of some infamous hackers - the Lazarus Group. These hackers have alleged ties to the North Korean government and have managed to steal huge amounts of money from other crypto platforms before.

The BBC’s Cyber Correspondent, Joe Tidy, takes us through all the details and explains why North Korean hackers are so untouchable.

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Plastic pollution has been highlighted as an environmental issue for several years. But experts are now researching whether it poses a potential danger to our health. Microplastics specifically are found in our bodies - even in our brains.

The BBC health reporter Smitha Mundasad explains to us what they are and whether we should be worried. And 25-year-old microplastics researcher and influencer Dana Zhaxylykova shares her top tips on how to avoid plastics.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Emilia Jansson Editor: Verity Wilde

Just like seemingly all aspects of life these days, AI is going to become more and more present in our dating apps. Match Group, the dating company that owns Tinder and Hinge and has a market value of over $10 billion, recently announced they would increase investment in AI. They’re hoping to use AI for a spoken interview with the user to work out what they want to get out of their dating experience, and also provide “effective coaching for struggling users”.

Some newer apps focus entirely on AI models and choose your matches for you. As annual downloads of some of the biggest dating apps are going down, could these AI elements improve things? Or will AI cause more concerns?

Tamzin Kraftman, a BBC journalist, downloaded one of these new apps, iris, to check it out.

We also hear from the app’s CEO - Igor Khalatian. He explains what it’s all about.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Josh Jenkins Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Most people in the world speak more than one language and many countries have more than one official national language. But what is it like living as a polyglot? And what advantages can it bring to your health? Studies have shown that speakers of multiple languages get dementia later and even recover better after a stroke.

BBC journalist Victoria Uwonkunda describes what it was like growing up as a polyglot and how she deals with speaking multiple languages in her daily life. Turkish polyglot İclal Dağcı , who speaks nine languages, tells us how she uses music to learn languages she finds difficult.

Plus, Professor Frédérique Liégeois, a cognitive neuroscientist at University College London, explains the benefits speaking multiple languages has on your brain, and how it could help to maintain your brain health as you get older.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, William Lee Adams, Mora Morrison, Emilia Jansson and Elena Angelides Video Journalists: Beatrice Guzzardi and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

One of the most eye-catching decisions by Donald Trump since becoming American President for a second time was to freeze foreign aid. USAID is the agency that’s given billions of dollars to global projects, from disaster relief to fighting malaria.

With this decision there will be a big hole in global financing, one that could potentially be filled by other leading global countries, such as China.

President Xi has already upped China’s foreign spending in places like Africa. Chinese investing in huge infrastructure projects abroad isn’t new, but could they use America’s decision to their advantage and extend their influence around the world?

Shawn Yuan, from the BBC’s Global China Unit, explains how Chinese aid models differ from the US. We also hear from Janice Nkajja, a Ugandan TikToker and social justice activist whose video went viral when USAID was frozen. And Daniel Dadzie, our reporter in Ghana, takes us through China’s funding strategy in Africa.

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Half of the Kenyan population use TikTok everyday. But when the sun sets, darker content appears on the platform. Girls as young as fifteen are advertising their bodies through livestreams and avoiding being caught by using coded messages. It’s a way for them to make money - but TikTok is also profiting, despite their strict rules on underage and sexual content.

BBC Africa Eye reporter Debula Kemoli has been to Kenya to investigate. She tells us what she uncovered, and shares insights from content moderators and the women and teens participating in the livestreams.

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At the end of last year, astronomers detected 2024 YR4, an asteroid that could collide with Earth on the 22nd December 2032. It was dubbed the ‘city-killer’ and news reports warned of Armageddon, comparing the potential impact to a nuclear bomb explosion. But since YR4’s discovery, space agencies and scientists have been studying the asteroid’s size, potential path and what we can do to divert it. There’s only the tiniest risk it will hit earth and experts say there’s no need for alarm.

BBC science and climate reporter Georgina Rannard talks us through all the details of Asteroid 2024 YR4, and gives a quick history of how we’ve managed asteroids in the past.

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The illegal drug trade is booming in Europe due to a growing and profitable demand for cocaine. It can be sold for almost double the price you can get for it in the US. Belgium and the Netherlands have been named as the new cocaine capitals, as the major container ports there have been infiltrated by drug smuggling gangs, and the US market becomes saturated and turns to opiates instead.

But how does cocaine get to Europe? And who’s operating these gangs? We speak to two journalists who’ve been looking at the illegal drug trade in Europe; Anna Holligan, BBC correspondent in the Netherlands, and Gabriel Stargardter, a Reuters journalist in Paris.

As more drugs are routed to Europe, countries in West and Central Africa are increasingly being used as key transit zones. Lucia Bird from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime tells us what impact it’s having on those countries.

Plus David Hillier, a freelance British journalist, explains what kinds of illegal drugs Europeans are currently taking.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Hayley Clarke and Benita Barden Editor: Rosanna La Falce

This podcast was edited on 28 February 2025.

Naomi Watanabe is a Japanese comedian, fashion icon and social media powerhouse. She shot to fame in 2008 with her viral Beyoncé impression, earning her the nickname ‘Japanese Beyoncé. Now, with 10 million followers, she’s one of Japan’s biggest influencers. But that wasn’t enough for her. Four years ago she moved to New York to do stand-up comedy on the global stage.

Hannah went to New York in October to see her debut stand-up show, speak to fans and meet Naomi in person. Naomi talks about adapting to life in NYC, the rats, and what it’s like on dating apps when you’re super famous.

She’s also a body positivity icon. In Japan, one in five young women is underweight and there’s immense pressure to be thin. Naomi shares her feelings on body image and explains why she set up her own fashion label, Punyus, which means ‘chubby’.

And Mariko Oi, a BBC reporter from Japan, tells us about her experiences with Japanese perceptions of the ideal body shape.

Watch out for the full interview between Hannah and Naomi on the BBC World Service YouTube channel.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Hayley Clarke and Rebecca Thorn Editor: Verity Wilde

America’s Next Top Model — the reality competition series hosted by Tyra Banks — continues to face criticism years after it stopped airing. And it’s not the only reality show that critics say hasn’t aged well. From Cops to The Swan to Mr Beast’s new show Beast Games, reality TV routinely courts controversy.

We all know reality shows like The Traitors, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, The Real Housewives and Love Island. But how did the genre become so popular in the first place? We hear from Danielle Lindemann, a sociologist at Lehigh University and the author of ‘True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us’. She explains how shows like The Real World and Survivor helped define the genre and unpacks some of the biggest scandals from reality TV history.

We also chat to Angelea Preston, a journalist in New York and a former ANTM contestant. She won Cycle 17 — the show’s All-Stars edition — but had her title revoked after producers learned that she had worked briefly as an escort. She gives her take on some of the show’s most infamous photo shoots.

And what about makeover shows? Well Tawnya Perrotta — who appeared on TV as Tawnya Cooke — underwent several procedures for The Swan, a show where contestants spent months undergoing plastic surgery and therapy before competing in a beauty pageant.

And we hear from Big Brother Naija contestant Mr KayVee, who famously walked out of the house after having what he calls a “mental breakdown.”

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producer: Emily Horler Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Ne Zha 2 has just become the highest-grossing animated film of all time globally. It’s a fantasy film about a boy’s quest, fighting demons with magical powers, based on Chinese mythology. It’s now in the top 10 biggest movies in history and it could end up beating Avatar, as people are still going to see it. This is the first time the Chinese film industry - which is in large part controlled by the information arm of the Chinese Communist Party - has created such a successful film.

BBC journalist Koh Ewe explains why this film has been such a hit, and what this tells us about Chinese cinema. Kerry Allen, who monitors Chinese media for the BBC, explains what the reaction’s been like in China and film reviewer Sully from @SullyStreams on YouTube gives us his verdict on the film.

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The Academy Awards take place this Sunday in Los Angeles concluding this year’s awards season. It’s been an unpredictable one with films Conclave, Emilia Perez and The Brutalist sweeping up big prizes at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and the SAG Awards. They’ll face blockbuster hits Dune: Part Two and Wicked in the Best Film category at the Oscars.

We speak to the BBC Culture Reporter Yasmin Rufo about what topics and controversies have got film fans, voters and critics speaking this season.

Plus we hear how artificial intelligence is being used in film and why it’s controversial from Dominic Lees, an Associate Professor and AI Expert at the University of Reading in the UK.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Josh Jenkins and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, tens of thousands of people have died and hundreds of thousands more have been injured. Now U.S. President Donald Trump thinks he can broker peace by negotiating directly with Russia’s president Vladimir Putin.

Vitaliy Shevchenko, BBC Monitoring’s Russia editor, explains how the war started and how severe it has become, assesses some of the misinformation that President Trump has repeated over the past week, and unpacks what we know about the proposed peace plan.

A generation of young people have had to come of age during the war. We hear from three of them — Maryna, Olga and Volodymyr. They explain how their lives have changed, how they feel about President Trump’s recent comments, and how they keep hope alive.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

People should have access to around 50 to 100 litres of clean water per day, according to the UN. But this is not always the case, especially in countries with desert areas or affected by droughts.

There’s a technique called fog catching that’s been used on a small scale for decades. Nets are used to trap fog and water is channelled into pipes and storage tanks. But now, in the Atacama Desert in Chile, researchers want to scale it up massively and meet the entire water demand of Alto Hospicio, which is in one of the world's driest regions.

How much water can fog catching provide? And is it clean? The BBC’s Science Correspondent Victoria Gill runs us through how it all works. And we hear from two organisations working on improving access to water across Africa and Latin America.

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In December 2024, a huge, red-hot metal ring fell from the sky and landed in a small village in Kenya. It turned out to be a piece of space junk. There are millions of pieces of space debris and rubbish floating around in space.

And we’re sending more and more stuff up there. Now it’s not just governments, but private companies like SpaceX and Amazon who are launching satellites. Some reports suggest that by 2030, we could have more than 60,000 active satellites in space. So what happens when they’re no longer needed?

BBC Science reporter Caroline Steel explains why space junk is such a big issue, and how people are trying to get rid of it.

And Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, a Kenyan PHD student studying aerospace engineering, tells us about some of the potential solutions, like using nets or lasers.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Julia Ross-Roy Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

South Africa faced the wrath of US President Donald Trump recently when he incorrectly accused the country’s government of confiscating land from white people.

Trump said South Africa was pursuing what he called "unjust and immoral practices" against the white minority Afrikaner community. As a result he’s frozen American foreign aid to the country and threatened to cut off all future funding, causing shockwaves across South Africa.

So how did we get here? What exactly is South Africa's Expropriation Act? And what influence is one of President Trump’s closest allies, South African born Elon Musk, having on the decisions being made? The BBC's Karnie Sharp talks us through what we need to know.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Josh Jenkins Editor: Verity Wilde

Even though cricket is a national obsession in India, many other sports struggle to find an audience. And in terms of performance in international competitions, India has historically lagged behind. At last year’s Paris Olympics, India — a country of more than one billion people — failed to win a single gold medal and it finished behind smaller countries like St Lucia, Kyrgyzstan and Botswana on the medal table.

The country’s female athletes face a particular set of challenges. But they are breaking down barriers and trying to prove that the playing field belongs to everyone.

The BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year awards honour pioneering Indian sportswomen. The BBC’s Divya Arya attended the event and explains the challenges that female athletes face in India and what is being done to change this. We also hear from one of this year’s recipients, Olympic shooter Manu Bhaker.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

Artificial intelligence is becoming a normal part of our everyday lives and some people think it will even replace people’s jobs. One industry that’s worried about this may surprise you: content creation. AI influencers are getting more popular online with hundreds of thousands of people following their (AI-generated) lives. They’re dishing out makeup tips, assisting with health advice and showing off their happy families. But can they ever replace real-world, human influencers?

Jacqui Wakefield from the BBC’s disinformation team tells us about this trend. And Sharihan Al-Akhras from BBC Arabic describes her meeting with a famous AI family.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Emilia Jansson and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

President Trump, the Pygmy hippo Moo Deng and the Central African Republic all have meme coins - but what are meme coins and how can you spend them? BBC reporter Nathalia Jimenez answers all our questions including why would anyone buy them and what a “pump and dump” means.

And we hear from the BBC’s Collins Nabiswa, who explains why President Touadéra of the Central African Republic has launched the meme coin $CAR and how successful it’s been so far.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Josh Jenkins and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

It’s not uncommon to see advice online on how to get beautiful glossy skin and what trendy skincare products can help achieve it. But some of the best-selling products contain ingredients like exfoliating acids or retinol that can cause damage if used incorrectly. Dermatologists are worried about the increasing number of children trying expensive serums, cleansers and creams promoted on social media that are not suitable for their age.

BBC Health reporter Annabel Rackham explains the health concerns around under 18s using anti-ageing products, and just how influential skincare content is online. We also hear from Blancah Catherine, a beauty content creator from South Africa, about how trends are driving young people’s interest in beauty products.

Plus, Dr Carol Cheng, a paediatric dermatologist at the University of California, explains what common anti-ageing ingredients like vitamin C, retinoids and hyaluronic acid actually do to our skin, and who should and shouldn’t be using them.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Benita Barden and Zofia Louise Video Journalist: Beatrice Guzzardi Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

In recent weeks the Sudanese army has been regaining control of areas in the capital, Khartoum, previously held by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). These two forces have been at war for nearly two years and its having a devastating impact on civilians.

BBC journalist Mohanad Hashim grew up in Sudan, and recently returned to the country after three decades. He tells us how the country has changed and why its so hard to find a resolution.

The #KeepeyesonSudan hashtag has been used a lot online to talk about the war. Yassmin Abdel-Magied, a Sudanese writer, tells about the role of social media in raising awareness about the conflict.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Mora Morrison, Emilia Jansson and Itoro Udofia Editor: Verity Wilde

India is dealing with an outbreak of Guillain-Barre syndrome. It’s a rare condition where your immune system attacks nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and paralysis. There have been 160 reported cases since early January in Pune, hitting kids as young as six years old. Seven people are thought to have died.

Iqra shares her experience of having GBS as a child and she speaks with BBC health reporter Michelle Roberts to get the details on the disease. Plus, our reporter Vandhna Bhan takes us through what’s happening in India.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

Five men in northern Nigeria were sentenced to death last week. Their crime? Murdering a woman they accused of being a witch. They said that the wife of one of the men had a dream she was being chased by the woman. The death penalty is rare in Nigeria and it has opened up a discussion on why people are being attacked for supposedly using witchcraft.

Olaronke Alo is a BBC journalist working in the disinformation unit in Lagos. She explains why people are still being accused of being witches, and what authorities are doing to stop it.

We also hear about Dr Leo Igwe who set up his own business to protect those accused of sorcery.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Josh Jenkins, Emily Horler and Emilia Jansson Editor: Verity Wilde

Is there any evidence that having a female leader actually changes a country? Do women make better politicians - or is it all based on stereotypes?

Women make up less than 7% of world leaders, and last year in 2024 the number of women in parliament globally fell. However, Mexico, Namibia and North Macedonia all elected their first female presidents, and as more women get elected to the top jobs, there’s an ongoing debate about whether female leaders do things differently to men.

Laura Garcia from BBC Mundo breaks down some common misconceptions about women in power with a game of true or false.

We also hear from Professor Rosie Campbell from the Global Institute for Women's Leadership at King’s College London, about why it’s so hard to draw conclusions about the effects of female lawmakers.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Benita Barden and Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is under fire. It is the world’s biggest donor and spends billions of dollars a year, funding programmes around the world, like fighting malaria in Bangladesh, clearing unexploded landmines in Cambodia and Laos and providing medical supplies in Sudan.

But President Trump says it is run by “radical lunatics” and he and billionaire Elon Musk, who’s got the job of trying to slash American government spending, want to shut it down. They have paused almost all international spending for 90 days and issued “stop work” orders to their staff. BBC journalist Nathalia Jimenez tells us what USAID does - and why the Trump administration wants to close it.

A large proportion of USAID funding goes towards healthcare and HIV medication in sub-Saharan Africa. Makuochi Okafor, the BBC’s Africa Health correspondent tells us what impact closing USAID could have in this region.

Anselm Gibbs, a BBC reporter based in Trinidad and Tobago, tells us about programmes USAID funds in the Caribbean. And Hilde Deman from Search for Common Ground, an international NGO that uses USAID funding in countries affected by violent conflict, talks about the impact to their work in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Rosanna La Falce

More young men are inquiring about and getting vasectomies. It’s a trend that’s been observed informally in several countries, and has particularly spiked in the United States since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

But what exactly does the procedure involve? Dr Jeff Foster specialises in men’s health. He talks us through the procedure, and debunks some common myths about pain, semen and erections. We also hear from two men - in the US and Kenya - about why they chose to have ‘the snip’.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Mora Morrison and Emilia Jansson Editor: Verity Wilde

Forget dating apps or meet cutes... marriage matchmaking is back. Young people in South Korea have been signing up to professional agencies to find love, and sales are booming. Birth and marriage rates in South Korea remain at record lows and now even the government is playing Cupid by organising speed-dating events. Our reporter Rachel Lee has been speaking to young people in Seoul to find out more.

We also run around our global office and ask: would you use a matchmaking service? (The reaction was surprisingly mixed…)

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producer: Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

Kenya’s government has launched an ambitious initiative to vaccinate all livestock in the country. Following misleading claims about the vaccines, the initiative has been met with fierce resistance from some farmers.

Peter Mwai, a BBC reporter from Nairobi, explains how misinformation is driving a series of conspiracy theories.

Plus: BBC disinformation reporter Jacqui Wakefield explains why so many conspiracy theories refer to Bill Gates — one of the best-known figures in health philanthropy.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Elena Angelides Editor: Emily Horler and Simon Peeks

There are so many foods and substances that people can be allergic to; peanuts, cows' milk, eggs, pollen, or animals. Even mangoes or bananas.

We are so much more aware of allergies now but there is also evidence that more people than ever have allergies. BBC journalist Frances Mao talks us through what allergies are - and why more of us are suffering with allergies. She also tells us about some new treatments being tested to treat them.

Australia is now described as the allergy capital of the world. Frances (who grew up in Australia) explains why. And Professor Kirsten Perrett, Director of the Australian National Allergy Centre of Excellence, tells us about the role of Vitamin D.

If you’ve got a serious allergy, it can be really stressful managing it and making sure the stuff you eat and come into contact with isn’t going to harm you. We hear from Mia Silverman (@AllergieswithMia) who is based in the US and allergic to 50 different food types.

And Maria Clara from the What in the World team tells us what it’s like to have immunotherapy for an allergy.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Maria Clara Montoya Video journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot launched last week, has shaken up the tech world and fuelled a new AI race between China, Europe and the US. The creators of the app say that it cost just $6 million to make compared to the billions spent by giants like Microsoft and Google. Amid the buzz surrounding this new chatbot, there are concerns about security, personal data and censorship.

BBC’s cyber correspondent Joe Tidy explains what DeepSeek is and assesses the impact it’s had so far.

We also hear from Benny Lu, a BBC Chinese reporter based in Hong Kong. He tells us about the concerns that people in Taiwan have over the use of Chinese technology.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: William Lee Adams, Maria Clara Montoya and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Huge clashes are taking place in the DRC, with the Congolese army facing the rebel group M23. M23 claims to have taken over the city of Goma in the eastern part of the country.

UN aid agencies say there are hundreds wounded, bodies in the streets, and an increase in rape and gender-based violence. The UN has long said M23 is backed by Rwanda, but the Rwandan government has always denied this.

The DRC is not unfamiliar to violence. The conflict has roots stretching back at least three decades. The country has huge amount of natural resources, with many trying to take advantage of it, including armed groups. BBC Monitoring journalist, Sam Lando in Nairobi takes us through the background to what’s going on. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Emilia Jansson Editor: Verity Wilde

2025 marks 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. It was at the centre of the Nazi campaign to eradicate Europe's Jewish population, and almost one million of those who died there were Jews - but Poles, Roma and Russian prisoners of war, among many others, also perished at the camp.

Memorials, historical documentation and testimony from survivors help preserve this troubled history. But disinformation and cultural amnesia mean many people deny that the Holocaust happened.

We hear from BBC presenter Jordan Dunbar, who visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp in Poland for a BBC documentary. He has been speaking to survivors of the Holocaust. He tells us about how this disinformation is spreading online, and what’s being done to preserve accurate accounts of history.

Plus, we also hear from Andy Pearce, an associate professor and historian at University College London’s Centre for Holocaust Education, about how to approach conversations where Holocaust misinformation or denial is present.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden and Emilia Jansson Editor: Verity Wilde

Malaysia has the highest obesity rate in South East Asia, and experts say that by 2035 two in every three children could be overweight. On our recent trip to Kuala Lumpur we wanted to find out why obese rates are so high, and what’s being done to address the issue.

We’re joined by nutritionist Fatin Keri, health and fitness coach Kevin Zahri, and two women who he trained - who’ve both been on their own weight loss journey.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Emily Horler and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

Dugongs are grey sea mammals, also called “sea cows”, partly because of how they look and because they graze on seagrass. The dugong can be found off the coast of 48 countries between East Africa and Vanuatu in Oceania. They are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

There used to be common sightings off the coast of Thailand but now, at least 70 dugongs have been found dead along the southern coast of the Andaman Sea over a period of 22 months. In October 2024 alone, 30 dugongs were reported dead in Thailand. What’s behind this?

Panisa Aemocha from BBC Thai, explains the importance of dugongs to local eco-systems and why their numbers are declining. We also hear what the Thai government is trying to do to save them.

Numbers have also gone down in East Africa. Evan Trotzuk from the African Parks NGO, explains why and tells us about the measures being taken to protect dugong in Bazaruto Archipelago National Park, Mozambique.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Maria Clara Montoya Video Journalist: Tim Hodges Editor: Verity Wilde

There are about 12 million Uyghurs, mostly Muslim, living in Xinjiang. China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity and possibly genocide against them. This includes the use of ‘re-education camps’ to eradicate Uyghur identity and culture. China denies any human rights abuses.

Many Uyghurs have fled to countries including Turkey and Thailand. But once they get there they face new challenges. Shawn Yuan, a journalist from the BBC’s Global China Unit, joins us to explain why. We also hear why some Uyghurs in Thailand could face being sent back to China.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

People who live in remote areas of the world often lack access to basic healthcare. Their difficulties are magnified during disasters. But around the world doctors are turning to drones to helping deliver medicine, vaccines, and other much-needed supplies. Paediatrician Heidi Sampang has run medical clinics in remote areas of several countries, including China, Costa Rica, Haiti, Mozambique and the Philippines. She tells us about her work at FlyingLabs Philippines, which has used drones to deliver medical supplies to people who live in difficult-to-reach communities in mountains and on distant islands. She also discusses the impact isolation

Data signals help drones reach their final destination. But connectivity can be a major problem in remote areas and disaster zones. Patrick McKay — the data operations manager for the United Nations World Food Programme — explains some of the workarounds.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: Josh Jenkins and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

TikTok officially went offline in the US on Saturday - only to come back online the following day. The comeback was due to President Donald Trump saying he would issue an executive order to delay the implementation of a ban.

The BBC’s Cyber correspondent Joe Tidy explains exactly what happened and what Trump’s Presidency may mean for the future of the app.

Plus, BBC World reporter Koh Ewe tells us more about RedNote - another Chinese app that US “TikTok refugees” have been flocking to.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Emily Horler, Emilia Jansson and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

On Monday, Donald Trump will become the 47th President of the United States of America. 76 days after winning the election back in November last year, he will be appointed in an inauguration ceremony in Washington DC. But what actually happens at an inauguration?

The BBC’s Nathalia Jimenez tells us all you need to know about the ceremony and why it takes so long to become President of the United States after winning the election.

This is not the first time Donald Trump has become President; he was also in charge between 2016 and 2020. Nathalia explains how his second term could be different from his first and what his priorities are when he sits down at his desk.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Josh Jenkins and Emilia Jansson Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Champion) both started off as niche TV and at small events, but are now thoroughly mainstream. The two companies merged in 2023 under TKO Holdings in a multi-billion dollar deal and now Netflix has signed a deal to pay more than $5bn for rights to show WWE programming.

President-elect Donald Trump has had ties to both WWE and UFC for decades; hosting events and even taking part in storylines. UFC President Dana White first publicly endorsed Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention and he was on stage during Trump's election victory speech after he won the Presidential election again in 2024. Donald Trump has appeared at many WWE and UFC events - did this encourage fans to vote for him?

BBC journalist Lola Schroer (using her wrestling stage name Lola the Loyal) breaks down what WWE and UFC are and explains Trump’s relationship with each. And we also hear from UFC fans Andrew, Jordan, Max and UFC content creator Kennedy Louise.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Lola Schroer Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Simon Peeks

After 15 months of war and long negotiations, the leaders of Israel and Hamas have reached a deal to stop fighting in Gaza and to release prisoners and hostages.

Full details haven’t been released, but the first phase of the deal is due to come into effect on Sunday - as long as it’s approved by the Israeli cabinet and government - a decision that’s been delayed. The health ministry in Gaza says dozens of Palestinians have been killed since the announcement of the deal on Wednesday evening.

We explain what we know about the deal and why it’s taken so long to get to this point. We hear from people in Gaza and Israel and a whole host of BBC journalists, including Lyse Doucet, Shaina Oppenheimer and Jeremy Bowen.

This episode was recorded on Thursday 16th January 2025 at 1430GMT.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Emily Horler and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

The fast fashion giant Shein has taken the world by storm and is now worth an estimated $66billion. But have you ever wondered where their clothes come from? The BBC’s China correspondent Laura Bicker has been to Panyu, in the city of Guangzhou in China, to find out. She tells us how Shein became so successful, why some people in their factories are working 75 hours a week, and what Shein is doing to try to improve its manufacturing practices.

Many people choose fast fashion because of cost. We also speak to fashion blogger 17 year old Onyeka Idiaghe about why she eventually decided to seek alternatives.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Josh Jenkins and Mora Morrison Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

The Darién Gap is one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world but thousands attempt the journey with hopes to reach the US. It’s a 96km stretch of rainforest across the Colombia-Panama border and it’s the only land bridge between South and Central America. According to official statistics over 50 people died crossing the region last year. But the treacherous conditions makes it difficult to know exactly how many people lost their lives trying to make the crossing.

The BBC’s Mimi Swaby has been following one young Venezuelan woman’s journey crossing the Darién gap. She tells us about the dangers and risk of death that migrants face along the way.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Emilia Jansson and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Emily Horler

Haiti has been engulfed in a wave of gang violence since the assassination of the then-president, in 2021. Now an estimated 85% of the capital, Port au Prince is under gang control. The UN says in 2024, 5000 people died in the violence, which has left the country on the verge of collapse.

To combat the violence, the UN Security Council authorised a Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) in October 2023. Funded primarily by the US, the Kenyan-led force deployed to Haiti six months ago has been tasked with restoring law and order. But there are questions over its effectiveness.

Nawal Al-Maghafi, a BBC investigations correspondent who has recently been embedded with the Kenyan police in Haiti, explains the situation there and how the country got to this point. Widlore Mérancourt, a reporter for the Washington Post and Editor-in-Chief of the Haitian publication Ayibo, describes how Haitians view outside intervention, after years of UN peacekeeping missions.

And we hear from young Haitian women, who tell us how their lives have been affected and what hopes they have for the future.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Nathalia Jimenez Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Josh Jenkins Editor: Emily Horler

Wildfires in Los Angeles have killed at least 10 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Officials are worried more high winds could make the flames spread even further.

At the same time, new data shows that 2024 was the world's hottest year on record. So is climate change making these types of fires worse?

Esme Stallard, a BBC Climate and Science journalist, takes us through the conditions that contributed to the fire and why the flames are so hard to contain.

We also hear from people in LA about what it’s all been like for them, losing their homes and having to evacuate.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Emily Horler and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Carbon offsetting is a way to try to balance carbon emissions. It’s when an individual, company or governments invest in projects that try to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, to compensate for their own carbon footprint.

Many of the schemes - like planting trees, protecting forests or switching to cleaner fuels - are set up in places like Africa or South America.

But how do these schemes work in practice? A paper published in 2024 in the science journal Nature found that few schemes led to a “real emission reductions“. Are they just a distraction or worse - a con? BBC climate and science reporter Esme Stallard answers our questions.

And Joshua Gabriel Oluwaseyi, a 24 year old climate activist in Nigeria, gives us his view on the impact carbon offsetting schemes have had in Nigeria - and whether he thinks they are worth doing.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Maria Clara Montoya Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Tibet was struck by a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday. It’s been reported by Chinese state media that at least 126 people have died, making the quake one of the deadliest in recent years. The epicentre of the earthquake is near the Nepal-Tibet border, some hundred miles away from the holy city of Shigatse. More than 14,000 rescue workers are working to find survivors.

Much of what we know about the quake is from Chinese state media, as Tibet, which is considered an autonomous region of China, is highly restricted, and access by foreign media is tightly controlled. Shawn Yuan from the BBC’s Global China Unit, tells us what we know so far about the rescue efforts and why there’s limited information.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Emily Horler and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Over the last few days the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, has turned his attention to European politics.

The billionaire owner of X has been relentlessly tweeting his criticism of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He’s also endorsed the far-right AfD party ahead of next month’s snap elections in Germany. These actions have been criticised by both the French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Musk is known for being outspoken on political issues across the world. He endorsed incoming President Donald Trump during the US election, is close friends with the Prime Minister of Italy and has gotten into public disagreements with political figures in Brazil and Venezuela.

We discuss Musk's recent takes with the BBC’s Berlin correspondent Jessica Parker and Maria Clara Montoya from the WITW team takes a look at some of the feuds and friendships Musk has in Latin America.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Josh Jenkins and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

A silent asthma epidemic could be affecting millions of people in Africa. It’s estimated almost half of all the asthma sufferers in the world live on the continent, but many face barriers to diagnosis and treatment. Dorcas Wangira, the BBC’s Africa Health Correspondent in Nairobi, Kenya talks us through the growing body of research looking into how asthma is affecting children and teens in Africa. We also hear from Doyin Ogunye, a campaigner for better air quality in Lagos, Nigeria, about the links between asthma and air pollution. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Josh Jenkins, Mora Morrison, Carolyne Kiambo and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

Bollywood films are known for their epic love stories, energetic dance numbers and huge stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra. However, the industry - like Hollywood - has faced a slump since the Covid pandemic.

But 2024 marked a new trend; the box office success of horror. Shaitaan, for example, earned over $25m worldwide. We speak to film critic and journalist Yasser Usman and Bollywood influencer Aaina Mehta to hear whether they think witches, zombies and evil spirits could pull more people back to the cinema.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

In the middle of the Karakum desert in Turkmenistan, there’s a massive fiery pit officially called the Darvaza Crater - but also known as the “gates of hell”. The fire - which is man made - has been burning for over 50 years. But now satellite images suggest that the brightness of the crater has started to dim. Turkmenistan is trying to finally put out the fire.

Alex from the What in the World team tells us all about how the fire started and why it’s taken so long to put it out. We hear from explorer George Kourounis who is (as far as we know) the only person to go down into the pit.

And BBC journalist Alistair Coleman gives us some facts about Turkmenistan and its leaders.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Alex Rhodes Editor: Verity Wilde

The Rights of Nature movement wants to give inherent rights to nature - so forests, animals and rivers would have the right to protection. More and more countries are starting to adopt this kind of legislation. Ecuador became the first country in the world to codify Rights of Nature in its constitution in 2008. In New Zealand, legislation has recognised the mountainous region Te Urewera and the Whanganui River as legal persons. In 2022, the Spanish lagoon Mar Menor became the first natural entity to be granted legal status as a person within Europe. BBC Climate and science reporter Georgina Rannard explains how it works and whether the approach is helping to protect the environment.

Another part of the movement wants to see nature recognised for the role it plays in music too. The people behind a track called The Song of the Cedars are petitioning Ecuador’s copyright office to recognise Los Cedros forest as a co-creator, given it was composed there.

Sounds Right is a global music initiative which encourages artists who use sounds from nature - like rain or animal noises - in their tracks to redirect some of the royalties they collect to help conserve and protect nature. Bill Sellanga, aka Blinky Bill, a musician and DJ based in Nairobi, tells us why he signed up, for his track OH WAH feat. NATURE.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Nathalia Jimenez Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

After its deadliest plane crash in decades, South Korea is looking for answers. 179 people died after a Jeju Air plane flying from Bangkok crashed and burst into flames at Muan International Airport. Authorities are carrying out an emergency safety inspection of the country's entire airline operation system and investigators are still working to identify all the victims. We speak to Rachel Lee, a BBC journalist based in Seoul, about what we know so far, and what the country’s next steps are.

Many of the passengers on board were families, including children returning home after holidays. Across South Korea people are paying their respects and preparing memorials. We hear briefly from Song Jong Hoon, who lost two family members on the flight.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Mimi Swaby Producers: Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Jimmy Carter — the 39th president of the United States — has died at the age of 100. A former peanut farmer in Georgia, he rose to the very top of American politics by portraying himself as an outsider. Once in office, he pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders, became the first U.S. president to take climate change seriously and brokered the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel. But his presidency was tarnished by a series of challenges and failures, from high inflation to a botched hostage rescue in Iran.

Following his one-term presidency, Carter went on to establish the Carter Center to promote human rights around the world. Among other things, he helped broker a truce in Sudan’s decades-long civil war, and his organisation’s work has helped nearly eradicate the parasitic infection Guinea worm. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work to find peaceful solutions for international conflicts.

William Lee Adams, a BBC reporter who grew up in Georgia, discusses Carter’s life, legacy and how he’ll be remembered.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with William Lee Adams Producers: Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

A campaign on TikTok recently started a fresh conversation about cultural appropriation of food. It started when content creator Yen Bui, who now lives in London, highlighted that a British-owned restaurant chain called Pho had trademarked the name of the Vietnamese national dish a while ago, which limited the rights of other restaurant owners to use the word in their names because they could have faced legal action. Yen Bui tells us why she started the campaign, and why it matters to so many.

What is cultural appropriation of food? US-based content creator Kim Pham explains. And the BBC’s Charlotte Edwards talks us through how and why trade marks are used in food in the first place.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Mora Morrison and Hayley Clarke Editor: Verity Wilde

South Africa has the largest population of canned lions in the world - these are lions born in captivity and bred for trophy hunting. People can pay (usually tens of thousands of dollars) to hunt and shoot the animals. Now the government has said it will ban it, but hasn’t said when, or what will happen to the lions.

Breeders argue it is better that hunters shoot a captive-bred lion than further endanger the wild populations, but conservationists and animal welfare groups dispute this, saying wild populations of lions are in decline and that the lion farms are creating a market for canned lion hunts and encouraging the hunting of wild lions too.

BBC Africa’s Danai Nesta Kupemba explains what canned hunting is and why campaigners want to end the practice. We discuss the ethical considerations and why lion bones are sought after. Stephanie Klarmann, from Blood Lions, which campaigns to bring an end to the commercial captive breeding of lions, tells us why they disagree with it.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Video journalist: Beatrice Guzzardi Editor: Rosanna La Falce

We all disagree on some things. For some people disagreeing is natural and, in some instances, even enjoyable. While for others it’s super uncomfortable, and something they want to avoid at all costs. Social media is alive with angry keyboard warriors at each other’s throats, but it is possible to disagree without hurting someone’s feelings.

Bo Seo is an expert at this. He’s a world debate champion, author, and a former coach of the Australian national debating team. He shares the art of having a good debate, and therefore a good conversation. Plus, we speak to Jason Lee, the founder of Jubilee, about why his YouTube and TikTok videos, which bring people together despite their differences, are gaining billions of views.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producer: Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

Nearly half the world's population had elections this year, but for the first time in at least 20 years, progress for women's representation has slowed. In 60% of countries that voted this year, the number of women in parliament fell.

Stephanie Hegarty, the BBC’s population correspondent, discusses some of the countries where fewer women were elected and explains some of the factors behind the drop. She also looks at the regions — from Latin America to Africa — where female politicians made gains.

We also hear from Puakena Boreham, a former member of parliament in the Pacific island of Tuvalu, and Indira Kempis, a former member of the Senate in Mexico. They discuss the importance of female representation and the challenges that female politicians face.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Benita Barden and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

Cyclone Chido has wreaked havoc in Mozambique and Mayotte.

In Mozambique, 120 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds of thousands more impacted by the storm. It’s further strained a country where protests and civil unrest have been ongoing since disputed elections in October. Mozambique’s constitutional council has confirmed the ruling party won the election. Our reporter, Evelin Uachave, explains what’s behind the protests.

But the French territory of Mayotte could be in worse shape - it’s the poorest part of France and already faced major challenges even before the cyclone made landfall. The BBC’s Sara Menai explains why things are so bad.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Adam Chowdhury and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

BMX Freestyle is one of the events at the 2024 Urban Cycling World Championships which are being held in Abu Dhabi. It features fearless BMX riders jumping, spinning and hurling themselves around the course on a small bike, pulling off mind-blowing tricks that get you gasping. Think acrobatic gymnastics but on a bike.

What does it take to become a BMX rider though? Tom Clemens from Germany, who sits 18th in the BMX Freestyle world rankings, tells us how he became a professional BMX rider.

Plus, Olympic commentator and professional skateboarder Lucy Adams explains how BMX Freestyle riders compete, and how new ‘action’ sports like BMX are trying to grow their popularity.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Adam Chowdhury, Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Even if you haven’t seen them in person, you might be familiar with images of the Northern Lights - dark skies with moving ribbons of green and purple. But what actually are they? And why do we seem to be seeing more of them in 2024?

BBC science presenter Caroline Steele answers loads of questions about the Northern Lights, like why are they different colours and when and where are the best times to see them? We also chat about the Southern Lights and ask why don’t people talk about them as much?

And 21 year old photographer Hugo Korhonen from Finland tell us what it’s like to see the Northern Lights in person and how you can take the best photos of them.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Maria Clara Montoya Video Journalist: Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

A law passed earlier this year means TikTok will be banned in the US unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, before 19 January 2025. On Monday US President-elect Donald Trump met the company’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, and now people are questioning if he will try and stop this ban, and save the app.

Rhiannon Williams, a UK-based tech journalist, talks us through how Trump’s relationship to TikTok has changed over the years, including how he utilised it to target young people in the presidential election, and why some people are calling this a clever move politically.

Plus Natalie Jimenez, a BBC reporter based in New York, reviews Trump’s TikTok page for us and shares if it’s hot, or a flop.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Since Syria’s civil war began, six million people have left the country and seven million more have been internally displaced. Now Bashar al-Assad’s regime has been overthrown by rebels, many refugees are wondering if they can return to their home. According to the UN, it’s the world’s largest refugee crisis.

BBC journalist, Lina Shaikhouni, explains what caused this crisis and we hear from three Syrian refugees in Germany, Lebanon and the UK.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and María Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

Gukesh Dommaraju — an 18-year-old from India — has become the youngest-ever world chess champion. That’s after beating defending champion Ding Liren, a 32-year-old from China.

Dommaraju comes from Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu. Saradha V, a BBC reporter in Chennai, explains how the city became India’s chess capital and how schools there are producing an impressive generation of young players.

Plus: Giovanni Sala, a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Liverpool, explains how the Internet is helping chess players master the game more quickly than players did decades ago. He also describes the benefits that chess has for young people.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden, Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Game of Thrones. Twilight. Little Red Riding Hood. The wolf is an animal that appears more than most creatures across popular culture. They’re known for being fierce, dangerous and scary. Is this what they are like in real life though? Abby Keller, who works at the International Wolf Centre in the US, tells us everything we need to know about wolves.

For 45 years in Europe, grey wolves were under the second highest level of protection in European Union laws. This is called Annex Two and offered ‘strict protection’. This month though, EU conservation officials voted to downgrade them to Annex Three. It means they have gone from ‘strictly protected’ to just ‘protected’. From March next year, each EU nation will be able to set a yearly figure of how many wolves can legally be killed in their country.

The BBC’s Emilia Jansson explains the decision and what it means for the wolf population of the EU.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

The reasons women donate their eggs vary significantly. Some people say they feel a sense of pride knowing they may help other women conceive children. Others say they want to earn a bit of extra cash, since many clinics are willing to pay donors for their eggs.

Charlotte Edwards, BBC Business reporter, explains how the process of egg donation works — and how it differs by country.

Plus: Elaine Chong, an egg donor in the United Kingdom and BBC journalist, discusses how she wanted to help other women of Chinese descent expand their families. And Ebimoboere Ibinabo Dan-Asisahin, an egg donor in Nigeria, discusses the process and physical side effects she experienced.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Video Journalist: Tim Hodges Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

There’s nothing quite like going to see a new film in the cinema; the big screen, surround sound, buckets of popcorn and collective gasps from the audience. But the film industry has experienced a number of setbacks in recent years, including the pandemic, competition from streaming, and Hollywood strikes.

Annabel Rackham, a BBC culture reporter, talks us though whether cinema in the United States, and elsewhere, is bouncing back, and how mega hits like Wicked and Gladiator 2 are helping.

We also speak to Mr C, a film critic from Nigeria who now lives in the UK, about how cinema is faring in Nigeria. And Adam Chowdhury from the What in the World team quizzes Hannah on some (pretty surprising) film-related Guinness World Records.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Adam Chowdhury and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

Brazil is known for it's top-tier football and stars like Vinicius Junior or Neymar. The enthusiasm for football has now a new layer, with millions of people turning to online betting when watching their national game.

Brazil is now considered the third-biggest market globally for sports betting, and authorities are trying to tackle this issue as lots of people are struggling with debt and gambling addictions, as we hear from Ian Alves, a BBC journalist in Sao Paulo.

And Reece Bush-Evans, member of the Gambling Research Group in the UK explains why gambling can be so addictive.

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues discussed in this episode please contact support organisations in your own country. Or, if you live in the UK, please check out bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Josh Jenkins, Maria Clara Montoya and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

The world was stunned over the weekend as rebel forces in Syria captured the capital of Damascus, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to flee and ending the final chapter of his violent regime. Assad is reported to have fled to Russia whilst opposition forces now loot his empty palace and people celebrate on the streets.

But who are the Syrian rebels who toppled Assad’s rule? And why has it happened now after decades of the Assad family in charge.

Five BBC experts - Frank Gardner, Lyse Doucet, Lina Sinjab, Mina Al-Lami and Barry Marston - take us through the story.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Emilia Jansson Editor: Verity Wilde

This audio was updated after publication and a name correction was made on the 17th December.

K-pop girl group NewJeans announced they were leaving their record label during an emergency press conference last week. This follows months of public disagreements between the label, the band, and fans. But the group is tied into a contract until 2029. So, what happens now?

Our reporter, Fan Wang, breaks it all down and the BBC’s Music Correspondent, Mark Savage, helps us with the question on everyone’s lips… if they do leave their agency do they get to keep their music and their name?

We also talk about Riize. One of its members has recently left the band after fan backlash. We take a look at how much power K-pop fans have over their idols with Julie Yoonnyung Lee, our resident K-pop expert.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Emily Horler and Emilia Jansson Editor: Verity Wilde

Phones have become an essential part of most people’s everyday lives, and debates about them in schools - as well as teenagers’ access to social media - are internationally hot topics.

BBC journalist Hayley Clarke joins us in the studio to talk through different approaches to social media and phone bans in schools around the world. We also hear from students in France and the US about how they would feel about potential bans.

Hannah Ritchie, a BBC journalist, explains the situation in Australia, where the government says it will introduce "world-leading" legislation to ban children under 16 from social media.

Plus we hear from two professors on opposing sides of the debate, and ask what is the scientific evidence that shows phones and social media are bad for us?

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Hayley Clarke and Emilia Jansson Video journalist: Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

South Korea's president Yoon Suk Yeol shocked the country on Tuesday night when, out of the blue, he declared martial law in the country. It’s the first time such an order has been passed there in nearly 50 years. Yoon cited "anti-state forces" and the threat from North Korea. But it soon became clear that the move may have been politically motivated.

Within hours thousands of people gathered in protest, and opposition lawmakers rushed to remove the measure. Julie Yoonnyung Lee, a BBC World Service reporter, talks us why the announcement was so shocking - and how it could impact South Korea’s democracy.

Plus, Emilia Jansson from the What in the World team shares which other countries have used martial law, and why.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Emilia Jansson Editor: Verity Wilde

For the past few nights, thousands of Georgians have been out protesting the government in Tbilisi. It’s because the ruling party, Georgian Dream, says it’s pausing negotiations to join the European Union until 2028. Many Georgians see the move as a betrayal of achieving the long-standing ambition of joining the EU, and some fear the country is inching closer to Russia’s influence.

The BBC’s Rayhan Demytrie takes us through the political situation in the country and explains why many Georgians are unhappy.

We also hear from two women, Nutsa and Nini, about why they’ve decided to join this round of protests.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Rage bait is social media content that's designed to elicit anger and frustration. Those feelings can encourage people to engage with the content, often by replying. It’s a process that helps content creators earn a lot of money.

BBC reporter Megan Lawton discusses the reasons that social media users engage with this type of content and offers tips to identify it.

And BBC tech reporter Tom Gerken explains how our online behaviour dictates what social media posts appear in our feeds.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Hayley Clarke, Emilia Jansson Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

The world’s most expensive banana has been sold at an auction for more than $6 million. It’s Maurizio Cattelan's 2019 work Comedian and it’s literally just a banana duct-taped to a wall.

The new owner bought the right to display the installation along with a guide on how to replace the fruit (it doesn’t stay fresh for long!).

But what makes it art? And why would someone eat a multi-million dollar banana? BBC arts reporter Yasmin Rufo takes us through the story and helps us decide if us taping a banana to a wall in our studio counts as art. We also hear from two people in the art world - artist Maddie Exton and critic Hakim Bishara - for their thoughts on this infamous banana.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Hayley Clarke, Benita Barden and Mora Morrison. Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Intra-continental travel is huge, and borderless agreements between countries make trips easier. For instance, Europe has the Schengen Zone and South East Asia has ASEAN. But for Africa, it’s still a work in progress. The UN tourism boss Natalya Bayona says she wants to make borderless travel for tourism in Africa a reality within ten years.

Daniel Dadzie, from the BBC Focus on Africa podcast, explains the benefits it could bring and why it could be difficult to achieve. And Zubaida Abdel-Rahman, a Ghanaian travel blogger, tells us about her experiences.

In January 2024, the Kenyan government introduced a new system called Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). It doesn’t require African nationals to obtain visas to enter the country for tourism and business travel. We hear from BBC reporter in Nairobi, Jewel Kiriungi, about how it works.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Benita Barden Video Journalist: Beatrice Guzzardi Editor: Verity Wilde

There has been intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah for over a year. More than 3,500 people have been killed in Lebanon, over a million people displaced, and many homes destroyed by Israeli airstrikes. Israel says 60,000 of its citizens will now be able to go back to their communities along its northern border, safe from Hezbollah rocket fire from Hezbollah.

In this episode, we speak to Carine Torbey, our BBC correspondent in Beirut, who explains the basics on Hezbollah, why it has been fighting Israel and what this ceasefire means.

We hear from other BBC correspondents on the ground in the region to get a sense of how the ceasefire deal is being received. And Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s International Editor explains what might happen to Hezbollah now - and whether a ceasefire in Gaza could be next.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Hayley Clarke Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

The town of Van Vieng in Laos is a popular stop for backpackers traveling through Southeast Asia. But after six tourists died earlier this month following suspected methanol poisoning, many tourists are re-thinking their itineraries and how they drink. We hear from some of them. Also: William from the What in the World team tells us about the victims in Laos and looks at alcohol poisoning around the world. And BBC Digital Health Editor Michelle Roberts explains how methanol affects the body and what symptoms people my experience after consuming it. Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

The annual United Nations climate change conference ended on Sunday but not everybody was happy. This year, the main focus was on getting richer countries, who have contributed more to climate change, to pay poorer, developing countries so that they can better deal with the impacts of climate change.

COP29 was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, and the talks were meant to end on Friday. The negotiations ran over into the weekend and a deal for $300 billion was finally agreed on Sunday at 3am.

However, the African Group of Negotiators described the final pledge as "too little, too late" and India said that “the amount that is proposed to be mobilised is abysmally poor. It's a paltry sum.”

BBC climate reporter Georgina Rannard was in Baku and takes us through the final deal. Georgina also speaks with two climate activists who were campaigning at COP29.

Plus, Jordan Dunbar from the BBC’s Climate Question podcast gives us three success stories of how climate change is being tackled around the world.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

According to a major government survey, more than 70% of young people in Malaysia are in debt. Officials say shopping addiction is the number one reason why.

Social media feeds that addiction by promoting “flex culture” — the desire to flash your wealth in person and online. Leeloo Larcombe, a fashion and lifestyle influencer, tells us about Malaysia’s shopping culture and her complicated relationship with it. Bryan Chen, the co-founder of Malaysia's biggest streetwear convention, Sneaker-LAH, explains how his shoe addiction has at times left him in debt.

The rise of buy now, pay later (BNPL) schemes also encourages people to live beyond their means. Doris Lieu, an economist at the IDEAS Malaysia think tank, explains how these schemes grew in popularity during the pandemic and why young people are attracted to them.

Finally, Pete Yong, the financial literacy expert behind the popular Mr Money TV YouTube channel, offers some practical tips to help people pull themselves out of debt.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Thailand has become the first country in South East Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. The new law means that LGBTQ+ couples will have the same legal rights as other couples when it comes to adoption, inheritance and medical decisions. It’s taken activists years of campaigning to get to this point, and in September 2024 Thailand's king signed it into law. It will come into force in January 2025.

BBC Thai journalist Panisa Aemocha, in Bangkok, explains the same-sex marriage legalisation in Thailand and attitudes towards LGBTQ+ in the country. This includes how Thailand has embraced boy love (BL) and girl love (GL) TV series - which show same-sex couples.

We also hear from Best Chitsanupong Nithiwana, an activist who co-founded the Young Pride Club in Chiang Mai, who tells us what this new law means for same-sex couples in Thailand. And we ask, could other nearby countries do the same?

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

A video of an Iranian student in her underwear at a university campus in Tehran has gone global. It shows Ahoo Daryaei walking around grey concrete buildings in a purple bra and knickers before being forcibly detained. Authorities were quick to claim that she was suffering from poor mental health, but many have seen it as an act of defiance against the hijab.

Faranak Amidi, a BBC journalist and presenter, tells us what life is like for women in Iran right now, and how they are bravely fighting for more rights. Azam Jangravi, an Iranian activist who now lives in Canada, shares her experience of being being arrested following her protest in 2018.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and William Lee Adams Editor: Verity Wilde

You might have seen the viral video of 22-year-old MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke doing the haka in the middle of New Zealand’s parliament last Thursday. It was a protest aimed at disrupting the debate in parliament about a bill which, if it became law (which is unlikely), would transform the way the indigenous Māori population are treated by changing the nation’s 184-year-old treaty.

Then, on Tuesday, a nine-day march to New Zealand’s parliament building in the capital city Wellington came to an end, with over 40,000 people from different backgrounds voicing their opposition to the proposed new bill. BBC reporter Katy Watson was at the protests and describes what it was like.

So what is life like for Māori people? The BBC’s Kathryn Armstrong takes us through the background and history of New Zealand’s Treaty of Waitangi. Plus, the BBC’s Vandhna Bhan breaks down the details of the proposed new bill.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6

Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Mora Morrison, Hayley Clarke and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

Elon Musk — the world’s richest man — has built several companies, including PayPal, Tesla, and SpaceX. He’s also built a close relationship with Donald Trump, president-elect of the United States. America’s next leader has appointed Musk to run the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, which is meant to slash government waste.

Nathalie Jimenez, a BBC reporter in New York, explains how Musk built his business empire and why he may have aligned with the Trump administration. She also discusses Musk’s personality traits and how they influence how he leads.

And Lily Jamali, the BBC’s North America Technology Correspondent, explains the ways Musk does and does not reflect “tech bro” stereotypes.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Can you imagine sitting all of the most important exams of your life on one day? That’s the reality for Korean students, whose university-entrance exam, the Suneung, sees students sit an eight-hour marathon of exams, all on one day. Juna Moon, our reporter in Seoul, tells us why a record number of students are resitting the brutal exam this year. Plus Koh Ewe, a BBC journalist in Singapore, tells us which K-pop earworm students are trying to avoid to stop it from distracting them.

Julie Yoonnyung Lee, a BBC reporter from Seoul now in London, joins us in the studio, to give us her own experience of the exam, and the years of late nights and ‘cram schools’ preparing for it. We also discuss the mental health challenges that can come with such high academic pressure.

Plus we hear from our China media analyst Kerry Allen, who explains the Gaokao, China’s university entrance exam, which might be even harder.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Hayley Clarke Editor: Verity Wilde

CBD products are everywhere. You can get the cannabis extract in oils, vapes, skincare products, even gummy bears, coffee and fizzy drinks. Videos recommending it are all over TikTok, and it’s so popular Kim Kardashian even had a CBD-themed baby shower.

Fans and influencers say it can help improve your mood, help you sleep, get rid of anxiety and chronic pain. But are these claims true?

BBC reporter Annabel Rackham explains what CBD is, where it’s legal and whether it can be addictive or have side effects. We hear from two people who take CBD. And Harry Sumnall, Professor in substance use at the Liverpool John Moores University in the UK, explains what we know from scientific studies on the health effects of CBD.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Hayley Clarke and Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Disputes over the South China Sea are back in the news, with China and the Philippines both marking out areas they say are theirs. China has previously been accused of hitting Philippine boats with water cannon and both sides say the other have rammed boats into each other.

Benny Lu from the BBC’s Chinese service in Hong Kong takes us through the background of it all and explains how the US’s relationship with China fits into it, especially with Donald Trump’s re-election.

It’s not just China and the Philippines arguing over this area. BBC Vietnamese reporter Thuong Le explains Vietnam’s involvement in the ongoing disputes, which even led to the Barbie movie being banned in Vietnam last summer.

Plus, we hear from people we spoke to in Manila when What in the World visited the Philippines, on why they feel strongly about the issue.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Hayley Clarke and William Lee Adams Editor: Verity Wilde

Hundreds of sex tapes featuring Baltazar Ebang Engonga, the nephew of Equatorial Guinea’s president, have flooded social media. Many of the women seen in the tapes are the wives and relatives of people close to the centre of power.

The scandal has shone an unflattering spotlight on the central African country, which is sometimes called “The North Korea of Africa”. Its President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has been in power for more than four decades and controls the majority of the country’s radio and television outlets, which are heavily censored. Following the sex tape leak, “Equatorial Guinea” was the top trending term in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa - even surpassing interest in the US election at times.

BBC Monitoring journalist Ines Silva gives explains how the scandal unfolded. And activist and human rights advocate Nsang Christia Esimi Cruz discusses how the government could use the controversy to crack down on social media use in the country.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

The World Health Organisation now officially recognises gaming disorder as a mental health condition - when someone’s gaming behaviour becomes so severe that it takes precedence over other interests.

Symptoms include losing control over the amount of time playing, prioritising gaming over other interests and responsibilities and continuing to game despite negative consequences.

But how do you know when you’re addicted to gaming? And how can you overcome it?

The Director of the National Centre for Gaming Disorders in the UK, Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones joins us to explain more about gaming disorder and how she helps patients overcome it, and two gamers in recovery share how much better they feel after getting help.

Kerry Allen, our China Media Analyst, also takes us through how China is dealing with under 18s gaming.

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this episode please contact support organisations in your own country. Or, if you live in the UK, please check out bbc.co.uk/actionline

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Kevyah Cardoso, Emily Horler and Hayley Clarke Editor: Verity Wilde

According to the United Nations, Africa’s urban population is projected to triple by 2050, with over 60% of 2.5 billion people living in cities. This rapid urbanisation and population growth is driving demand for properties across the continent. Nigerian and Ghanaian cities are some of the fastest-growing globally, but with inflation and the rising cost of living, prices are going up and people are finding it harder to save - making property and land acquisition a real challenge.

BBC journalist Stefania Okereke discusses the pressures on young people when it comes to purchasing real estate in Nigeria and Ghana. Ebube Okafor in Nigeria tells us about the hurdles to owning and buying land in Nigeria. Yaa Ofori-Ansah, a Ghanaian based in the UK shares her experience of preparing for a move back to Ghana. And Victoria Agyekum, co-founder of the Ghana Property and Lifestyle Expo, offers advice for anyone considering this journey.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Stefania Okereke Editor: Verity Wilde

$20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. That’s how much a Russian court has fined Google for restricting Russian state media channels on YouTube. That’s two undecillion roubles - and far greater than the world’s total GDP, which is estimated by the International Monetary Fund to be $110 trillion.

Jen Monaghan, from BBC Monitoring, talks us through why Google has been hit with such a massive fine, and how it’s impossible to pay. And the BBC’s Anastasia Golubeva shares how the internet and social media apps - including YouTube - are restricted in Russia, and the impact this has on young people there.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Hayley Clarke and Benita Barden Editor: Emily Horler

Donald Trump will return to the White House in January 2025, after defeating Democrat rival Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential elections. The win comes just four years after he lost re-election to Joe Biden — and just weeks before his sentencing in his New York criminal trial.

We explain the factors behind his historic win and hear from political analysts about how issues like the economy and immigration influenced voters in the crucial swing states that decided the election.

One of Trump’s campaign promises was to quickly end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and to prioritise America’s interest above all others. We hear from the BBC’s International Correspondent Lyse Doucet and the BBC’s China correspondent Laura Bicker about how international leaders are reacting to the win and what it means for their them.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Floods have swept through Valencia on Spain’s eastern coast, causing death and destruction in their wake. It’s the worst flooding in Europe this century. More than 200 people have died and many are still missing - it is the country’s deadliest natural disaster in recent memory. There is widespread anger over the government’s response, and when Spain’s king and queen visited the town of Paiporta, they were met with protesters and even had mud thrown at them.

We speak to BBC journalist Iqra Farooq, who has just been to the area. She tells us about the devastating scenes she saw, and the anger people are feeling. The BBC’s Mimi Swaby has been speaking to the mayor of Paiporta, Maribel Albalat, who told her she was shocked by the violence, but that she understood "the frustration and desperation of the people".

And we speak to Stav Danaos from BBC Weather, who explains the Dana phenomenon that caused the flooding and how climate change made it worse.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Emily Horler and Hayley Clarke Editor: Verity Wilde

COP 16 — the United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity — recently concluded in Colombia. One of the major issues was "biopiracy". That’s when companies take out patents to own the rights to living organisms, like plants — despite the fact many local and indigenous communities may have been using these plants and other biological material for centuries. BBC science and climate reporter Georgina Rannard explains the idea of biopiracy and why it’s so high stakes for both businesses and the communities that nurture traditional knowledge. And Nataly Canales, an evolutionary biologist, discusses how the issue of bio-piracy relates to the autonomy of her community — the Amazonian Quechua of Peru.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Gaming is growing in Africa. As the continent’s booming youthful population get better access to smart phones and internet connectivity improves, so does its gaming scene.

Esports events are gaining traction too, with South Africa, Kenya, Morocco and Nigeria all hosting large tournaments showcasing Africa’s best gaming talent. We chat to Brian Khisa, a BBC reporter based in Nairobi, about why the scene is taking off, and how representative it is.

We’re also joined by Megan van der Westhuizen, a 21-year-old gamer based in South Africa, and 26-year-old Sylvia Gathoni (aka 'QueenArrow'), from Kenya. They share what it’s like to be pro gamers, and why they’re excited about the future.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Hayley Clarke Editor: Verity Wilde

The practice of sending money to family in other countries - known as remittances - is widespread. The World Bank estimates that over $650 billion was sent to low- and middle-income countries in 2023. When it comes to the flow of money from the U.S. to African nations, some people use the term ”black tax.”

As costs are rising around the world, some people are saying it's becoming harder to afford to send money. And recently Kenyan influencer and comedian Elsa Majimbo reignited the long-running debate when she said on Instagram that she hated sending money abroad.

Two BBC journalists, Itoro Bassey in the United States and Makuochi Okafor in Nigeria, talk about their personal experiences of sending or receiving money. And they discuss the broader economic and cultural factors that underpin the issue.

We also hear a range of views from people who send money to relatives in Africa and some who receive it.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Hayley Clarke and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

Chris Brown is performing in South Africa for the first time since 2015 this December. Tickets for his concerts sold out Johannesburg's FNB Stadium in just a few hours. But not everyone is happy about it. Campaigners have highlighted that the concert is scheduled just days after the global commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. So, a petition has been started to block his shows. The petition calls them an ‘insult to the millions of women and girls affected by violence in South Africa and worldwide’.

Bulelwa Adonis is from Women for Change. She tells us why her organisation started the petition, and the conversations its sparked online and IRL. We also hear from a mother whose been directly impacted by gender based violence (GBV). Noma Mrwetyana’s daughter was murdered in 2019, at the age of 19. She tells us why she started the Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation in her name. And BBC reporter Danai Nesta Kupemba talks us through what the government is doing to address the issue.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Benita Barden and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

Two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, abortion remains a central issue in U.S. politics. The backlash from the ruling that allows states to ban abortion shook up the 2022 midterms, and since then, voters have consistently backed abortion rights in ballot measures—even in traditionally conservative states like Ohio, Kentucky, and Kansas.

Now, with Election Day approaching, 10 states are set to vote on how abortion should be regulated. The result could overturn existing bans, or solidify protections.

So could reproductive rights be the issue that changes the course of the election?

In this episode, a doctor breaks down the procedure’s medical aspects and Ana Faguy, our BBC reporter in Washington, explains the high stakes of abortion rights in the presidential race.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: Kevyah Cardoso and Hayley Clarke Editor: Verity Wilde

A growing number of young people born in France are choosing to leave the country. Many of them are moving to their parents’ countries of origin in Africa.

We chat with BBC reporter and producer Nathalie Jimenez about “The Homecoming”, a documentary from BBC Africa Eye. It explores the “silent exodus” of French Africans with an emphasis on those re-locating to Senegal, a former French colony.

Among other things, Nathalie explains how racism and the rise of the far right are driving people to seek new beginnings abroad. We also hear from other French citizens who are starting a new life in Senegal.

Just search for "BBC Africa Eye - The Homecoming" to watch the documentary on YouTube.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams & Zofia Louise Editor: Verity Wilde

More than 100 professional women's footballers have signed an open letter urging Fifa to drop the Saudi oil giant Aramco as a sponsor over humanitarian and environmental concerns. It follows Fifa’s announcement - earlier this year - of a partnership with the firm that will run until 2027, giving the company sponsorship rights to the men’s World Cup in 2026 and the Women’s World Cup the following year.

The words ‘Saudi Arabia’ and ‘football’ are increasingly used in the same sentence, and the country has become a huge player in the game. But it’s not without controversy. The nation has been accused of ‘sportswashing’ - with critics claiming Saudi Arabia is trying to improve its international reputation by investing in sports.

BBC sports correspondent Katie Gornall talks us through why these players are speaking up, and if this petition could change things. We also hear from Manchester City striker Vivianne Miedema and Danish international Sofie Junge Pedersen about why they chose to sign.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Hayley Clarke Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

A quick warning before listening: in this episode we’re talking about female genitals, in quite a lot of detail.

Brazil has the highest number of plastic surgery operations in the world and it’s where the BBL, Brazilian Butt Lift, comes from. It’s also seeing a spike in demand for another procedure: labiaplasty; where the labia minora (the folds of skin either side of the vulva) are reduced in size.

There’s been a 15% rise in this kind of surgery in the last 4 years, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. And Brazil comes top in terms of the number of labiaplasties carried out - over 28,000 last year. Why are women getting this procedure done? Giulia Granchi from BBC Brasil explains.

The idea of a “perfect vulva” is not new - it’s been portrayed a certain way since sculptures in ancient Greece. Zoe Williams from the Vagina Museum in London explains the history of this idea - and why porn and social media has made it worse.

And we hear about two projects; the Labia Library in Australia and the Great Wall of Vulva (formerly the Great Wall of Vagina) by British artist Jamie McCartney, both with the aim of demonstrating the huge range of shapes and sizes of women’s genitalia.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Lizzy Bella and Hayley Clarke Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

Ten years ago, in 2014, militants belonging to the Islamic State group in Iraq killed and captured thousands of Yazidi people in what would later be called a genocide. It’s understood that hundreds of women are still missing, and are being held as sex and domestic slaves across the Middle East. One was recently found in Gaza.

Since then there have only been a handful of court cases - mostly in European courts - but survivors are still fighting for justice. Caroline Hawley, a BBC diplomatic correspondent, talks us through the detail. We also hear from Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad who, at 21, was abducted into sexual slavery when IS militants surrounded her Yazidi community in the Sinjar region. Since her miraculous escape she has been advocating for survivors of genocide and sexual violence through her organisation Nadia’s Initiative.

Trigger warning: the material in this episode can be disturbing and quite hard to hear. If you are sensitive to content about physical and sexual violence, or if you believe that you might find the discussion to be triggering, this episode may not be right for you.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Hayley Clarke Editor: Verity Wilde

The Ivorian government has announced the dissolution of all student unions following the killing of two students, a crime attributed to the powerful Student and School Federation (Fesci).

The group has long been accused of terrorising university campuses across the country, operating a cartel-like system and charging extortionate rents to over 5,000 unregistered students for university accommodation.

During their investigation, authorities claim to have uncovered an underground tunnel used for torture and a secret brothel within Félix-Houphouët-Boigny University in Abidjan, the nation’s capital.

Multiple senior Fesci members have now been arrested in connection with the murders of students Khalifa Diomandé and Zigui Mars Aubin Déagoué, which occurred in August and September.

The BBC's Nicolas Négoce reports on the union’s vice grip on university campuses and students speak out for the first time about the culture of violence and fear.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producer: Kevyah Cardoso Editor: Verity Wilde

India’s caste system, one of the world’s oldest social hierarchies, has shaped lives for centuries, granting privileges to some while oppressing others. Although caste based discrimination was banned in 1948, its influence hasn’t gone away and is now spilling into our social media feeds, with some young women asserting pride in their caste identities.

We’re joined by correspondents from Delhi, Umang Poddar and Divya Arya, who explain the complexities of caste and unravel this new trend on Instagram.

We also hear from two Indians, Sachin and Christina, who come from different ends of the system. Their insights help us explore the ongoing impact of caste in India today.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Baldeep Chahal & Hayley Clarke Editor: Verity Wilde

The death of One Direction star Liam Payne has shocked the world, and there’s been a huge outpouring of grief. Many details about the British singer's death still remain unclear, but information from emergency services and other authorities has started to build a picture of the events. We know that he was in Buenos Aires, in Argentina, and died after falling from a hotel balcony.

Liam rose to fame after competing in the singing competition the X Factor. It was here that he first met fellow One Direction members Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik. Entertainment reporter Bonnie McLaren reminds us of his journey to fame, and his solo projects.

We also hear why he meant so much to fans globally, including 22-year-old Bintelmran in Pakistan. Plus Joshua Miles, a psychotherapist based in London, talks us through why we grieve celebs, even if we don’t know them directly.

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this episode please contact support organisations in your own country. Or, if you live in the UK, please check out bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

We’re bringing you an extra episode of What in the World.

Israeli troops have killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza. He is described as the mastermind of the 7th October 2023 attacks and Israel’s most wanted man.

We explain who Yahya Sinwar was and how he was killed and what the Israelis have said about him. Shaina Oppenheimer from BBC Monitoring goes through some of the reaction to his death, including from Palestinians and Arab social media.

And with the help of the BBC’s International Editor, Jeremy Bowen, we get answers to the big questions like what does this mean for the hostages taken on 7th October and the possibility of a ceasefire? Does this mean the war in Gaza will come to an end? And what will happen to Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the US, UK and European Union?

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Kevyah Cardoso Editor: Verity Wilde

Tensions between Israel and the United Nations over its peacekeeping operations in southern Lebanon have escalated in recent weeks. UN peacekeepers say Israeli forces fired at one of their positions and that tanks forced entry into another of its compounds, injuring 15 peacekeepers. Israel says that Unifil (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) has failed to prevent Hezbollah establishing itself in southern Lebanon, which is one of its main responsibilities, and has ordered Unifil to leave. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organisation by the US, European Union, Israel and Gulf Arab states.

BBC Middle East correspondents Hugo Bachega and Wyre Davis, in Beirut and Jerusalem respectively, explain what exactly has been happening in Lebanon and the history of the row between Israel and the United Nations.

We also hear from Major Shubham Thuwal, a UN peacekeeper from India who is stationed in Lebanon, to learn about what a peacekeeper actually does.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Maria Clara Montoya and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

It’s less than three weeks until the US election where voters will decide who they want their next president to be: either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. Overall, voters under 35 will make up about a third of the electorate, so the youth vote is an important one. But which issues matter most to them?

BBC reporter Nathalie Jimenez in New York explains why the economy is at the front of everyone’s minds. And The Climate Question’s Jordan Dunbar, who’s just back from a road trip across the US swing state of Georgia, shares what matters to voters there.

Credit: Clips of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump come from the White House (May 10, 2023 President’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics), and ABC News Presidential Debate (2024).

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

On Monday after Hurricane Milton forced a delayed launch, a spacecraft that will hunt for signs of alien life on one of Jupiter’s icy moons blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Europa Clipper will now travel 1.8 billion miles to reach Europa, a deeply mysterious ice moon orbiting Jupiter. It won’t arrive until 2030 but what it finds could change what we know about life in our solar system.

BBC Climate and Science reporter Georgina Rannard details the ambitious mission and Dr Sara Seager, Professor of Planetary Science and Physics at MIT, explains how we can detect signs of life beyond earth.

We also hear from Britney Schmidt, a professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, who played a pivotal role in designing an ice-penetrating laser for the space mission. Plus, Planetary Microbiologist Mark Fox-Powell, shares the profound implications of potentially discovering life beyond our planet.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Kevyah Cardoso and Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

For decades, Ghana has been Africa's leading producer of gold. Most of its mining takes place legally. But small-scale, illegal gold mining — known locally as “galamsey” — has become a major problem.

Toxic chemicals from the process are polluting Ghana’s water - 60% of its waterways are now contaminated. But as the country’s economy struggles, many involved in the practice say they lack an alternative to get by.

BBC Reporter Favour Nunoo in Accra explains how illegal mining is impacting the environment and people’s well-being. We also hear from two protestors who recently took to the streets demanding government action ahead of elections in December.

And Jewel Kiriungi, a BBC Business reporter in Nairobi, explains where gold produced in Ghana actually ends up.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Emily Horler and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

2024 is a huge year for elections, with more than 60 countries holding national elections and over half the world’s population voting. With each election it can seem like opinion polls dominate the coverage but how are these polls carried out? We speak to pollster and data analyst David Byler from the American non-partisan polling company Noble Predictive Insights about how it all works.

We also hear from the BBC’s North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher, who explains how significant the polls are in the 2024 US Presidential election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

Historically there have been lots of poll prediction fails. BBC journalist Rupsha Mukherjee in Delhi tells us about how some important polls got it wrong in India’s general election this year. And Niko Kelbakiani, a journalist at BBC Monitoring, explains the role opinion polls play in Iran’s elections - where the Guardian Council must approve every candidate.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Benita Barden and Hayley Clarke Editor: Verity Wilde

HPV (human papillomavirus) is a sexually transmitted disease that can cause genital warts but often doesn’t have any symptoms. It’s the leading cause of cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine is available for teenage girls in over 125 countries, but only one in eight girls have had it.

Dorcas Wangira, the BBC’s Africa Health correspondent joins us to discuss the HPV vaccine and how some countries have used the vaccine to reduce their rates of cervical cancer.

Malawi has one of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world, after Eswatini and Zambia. BBC reporter Ashley Lime, in Kenya, explains why - and tells us how Malawi is trying to improve cervical cancer treatment by installing new radiotherapy machines.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Hayley Clarke and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

In September, Rwanda detected its first ever outbreak of the highly infectious Marburg virus. Since then there have been more than forty confirmed cases and at least twelve people have died. Its health ministry has received 700 doses of an experimental drug supplied by the US-based Sabin Vaccine Institute, but we don’t yet know if it’ll be effective.

BBC’s Africa Health reporter Makuochi Okafor, explains how Rwanda is managing the outbreak and some of the challenges the country faces.

Across the border in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), another vaccination programme is underway for Mpox. Nearly 5,000 cases of Mpox have been detected in the DRC, but its vaccine rollout has been fraught with logistical challenges due to the country’s size. Emery Makumeno, a BBC journalist in the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa, discusses some of the hurdles officials face.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

This week, the BBC’s Green Sport Awards celebrated athletes from around the world who are using their sporting profile to make change towards a more sustainable future. We hear from BBC Sport journalist Nicola Pearson who tells us about the awards and who won.

We also speak to Maddy Orr, an author and assistant professor at Toronto University in Canada, who specialises in the connection between sport and climate change. She explains how climate change is affecting sport and what sports fans can do to reduce their environmental footprint.

Olympic shooter Kishmala Talat from Pakistan and Paralympic swimmer Malak Abdelshafi from Egypt tell us how they try to help the environment in their sports. Plus, young athlete and activist Innes FitzGerald tells us why she chose to turn down racing in Australia, and the difficult decision to fly to Peru to compete this year.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, María Clara Montoya, Adam Chowdhury and Hayley Clarke Editor: Verity Wilde

One year ago, Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an cross-border attack on Israel. It was the deadliest day in Israel’s history: Around 1,200 people were killed, and another 250 people were taken as hostages. Israel began a massive campaign of air strikes on Gaza, which has killed 41,000 people according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Tensions have escalated across this region, with Israel launching a military campaign in Lebanon.

BBC’s Shaina Oppenheimer in Jerusalem explains how life has changed for Israelis, the impact of the attacks on the 7th October and the ongoing hostage crisis.

Israel does not allow the BBC - or other international media - to report independently from inside Gaza. We speak to Kristina Völk, a BBC journalist in London, who has been speaking to Palestinians in Gaza for over a year. She tells us their account of how life has changed in Gaza.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Emily Horler, Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Moo Deng, a two-month-old baby pygmy hippo, is Thailand’s unexpected new it girl. She’s now a viral sensation and is attracting huge queues at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi Province and even has her own 24-hour livestream.

The zoo says visitor numbers have doubled since her birth in July, boosting revenue that can be used for animal conservation efforts. But Moo Deng’s fame comes at a price: videos have emerged showing visitors throwing food at the plump hippopotamus so she’ll squeal for their cameras.

BBC Thai reporter Panisa Aemocha explains Moo Deng’s rise to fame — and criticisms that have been levelled at the Thai zoo.

We also hear from Simon Watt, author of the book “We Can’t All Be Pandas, the Ugly Animals”. He discusses the link between cuteness and conservation — and how less attractive species are being left behind.

And Moo Deng superfan Ashley Calloway, a teacher from Atlanta, explains why her students can’t get enough of the adorable hippo.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Zofia Louise and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

On Tuesday night, Iran fired 180 ballistic missiles at Israel. The Iranian military said it was in response to Israel’s assassinations of the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, both whom had links to Iran.

What’s behind this long standing conflict between Iran and Israel? Who is in charge there? And what do Iranian people think about their leaders’ actions? Ghoncheh Habibiazad, a journalist from BBC Monitoring, gives us a basic guide to Iran, to understand what’s happening in the Middle East right now.

We also break down the different military capabilities of Iran and Israel, including nuclear and cyber warfare.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Benita Barden Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

You’ve probably seen people drinking matcha everywhere lately. It really seems to be a case of matcha this, matcha that. But does all the hype match what’s actually in your mug? Is it that healthy? And does this boom impact Japan at all?

BBC reporter Megan Lawton tells us why she started looking into this matcha trend and we hear some of her interview with Max Ando, a Japanese model who set up his own matcha brand. We also hear from Emma Beckett, a food and nutrition scientist, looks into how healthy the tea really is.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams with Benita Barden Producers: Emily Horler and Zofia Louise Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

According to the International Labour Organisation around 1 in 150 people globally, are trapped in modern slavery.

While some may think of slavery as a faraway evil from our past, a recent BBC investigation discovered a gang operating in the UK that forced people to live in an unheated attic and work up to 100 hours a week at a McDonald’s.

As global crises like COVID-19, conflict, and climate change fuel the rise of modern slavery, we’re asking what forms it takes today – and how you can spot it.

BBC Investigations reporter Jon Ironmonger details the findings of the UK operation and Chloe Cranston from the charity Anti-Slavery International tells us which sectors are most guilty of exploitation.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Kevyah Cardoso and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

On Friday, Israeli fighter jets dropped dozens of bombs on Lebanon’s capital Beirut, killing Hezbollah’s long-time leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Other key figures in the militant group have also been killed in recent weeks.

Officials in Lebanon say more than 1,000 people have been killed there in the past two weeks and a million could now be displaced

Hamas says the leader of its Lebanese group has also been killed by Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon.

Our BBC Monitoring reporter, Hesham Shawish, explains what’s been happening and what it means for Lebanon. Also, BBC Persian Correspondent, Jiyar Gol, takes us through how the wider Middle-East region is reacting and Iran’s relationship with Hezbollah.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Emily Horler and Zofia Louise Editor: Verity Wilde

More than 2,700 stars are embedded into the pavement on the Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, in Los Angeles in the US.

Marilyn Monroe, Zac Efron, Scarlett Johansson, Ludacris and (just very recently) Batman are all part of the Walk of Fame. Thousands of tourists visit it daily, but there have been questions about who is and isn’t included and if this star-studded road is diverse enough.

BBC reporter Sam Granville speaks to us from the Walk of Fame and explains what it takes to get a star and whether it’s still regarded by celebrities as an important legacy.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Gabriela Boccaccio and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

An indigenous red-feather cloak was recently returned to Brazil from a museum in Denmark - where it had been on display for hundreds of years. There are other examples of historic and precious artefacts being returned to their countries of origin. And this is leading to a growing pressure to return more, like the Hoa Hakananai'a, originally taken from Rapa Nui (Easter Island).

The BBC’s Zeinab Dabaa in Cairo talks us through Egypt’s calls for the repatriation of three items: Queen Nefertiti’s bust, the Rosetta Stone and the Dendara Zodiac. Ashley Lime, a BBC journalist in Nairobi, explains the significance of the Benin Bronzes - and why some museums are reluctant to let them go.

Alongside the campaigns to get valuable and historic items returned, there are also efforts to digitise treasures. Chidi Nwaubani is the founder of Looty, a radical art collective which wants to use augmented reality to create digital versions of artefacts and, in their words, “loot back” treasures. He was speaking to BBC Click.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Mora Morrison Editor: Emily Horler

Twenty-four-year-old Yu Hyuk is a North Korean defector who is about to make his debut as an idol in 1VERSE, the first K-pop band to include North Korean members.

Before defecting to South Korea at the age of 13, Hyuk was so poor that he had to beg on the streets to survive. He initially had a hard time adjusting to the new environment but eventually found solace in music and song-writing.

Can music bridge the divide between North and South Korea for defectors like Yu Hyuk? He shares his journey into the competitive K-pop industry. And Yuna Ku, our reporter in Seoul, explains the challenges defectors face in their new country.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Kevyah Cardoso and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Emily Horler

Anura Kumara Dissanayaka has just been elected as president in Sri Lanka’s first election since its economy collapsed in 2022. The National People's Power, the coalition alliance he ran for, drew support by promising to stamp out corruption and improve living conditions. But he faces the challenge of trying to sort out the country’s $92 billion debt.

We speak to the BBC’s South East Asia Regional Editor, Anbarasan Ethirajan about what shape the Sri Lankan economy is in and what challenges Dissanayaka’s incoming government may face.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Time capsules preserve artefacts and memories so that people in the future can learn about a particular time in the past. Now scientists at the University of Southampton in the U.K. have come up with an innovative memento: a “memory crystal” that fits in your hand and contains the entire human genome. It’s essentially a manual that defines what makes us human. How could future generations use the genetic information in the crystal? Nimesh Pinnamaneni, the CEO of Helixworks, the company behind this technology, explains. We also hear from the founder of Memory of Mankind, an archive of human memories that’s located in a salt mine in Austria. It aims to preserve a back-up of human civilisation, including the crystal, in case we disappear. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

Two years ago, rapper and music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs threw a lavish 53rd birthday party at his $61m mansion in Beverly Hills. A host of stars lined up to toast his career with a guest list that included Jay-Z, Travis Scott, Mary J Blige, Kehlani, Tinashe, Chris Brown and Machine Gun Kelly.

The party coincided with his 30th year in the music industry - three decades in which he formed his own entertainment empire and changed the sound of hip-hop, both as an artist and a producer for the likes of Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez and The Notorious B.I.G. Fast-forward to 2024, and everything has changed.

This week, P Diddy was arrested and charged with sex trafficking and racketeering. He’s pleaded not guilty. The BBC’ Sam Granville explains the case, and if this could be hip-hop’s #MeToo moment. And William Lee Adams from the What in the World team reminds us of Diddy’s career and dominance.

This episode contains discussion about sexual assault and harassment. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this episode please contact support organisations in your own country. For a list of organisations in the UK that can provide support for survivors of sexual abuse, go to bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

This week thousands of pagers and walkie talkies exploded all at once in Lebanon. Dozens were killed and thousands injured. These gadgets were used to communicate by members of Hezbollah, a designated terrorist group in Lebanon. Israel is widely believed to be behind these attacks, but Israel has not confirmed or denied its involvement. There are fears this could make the ongoing conflict in the Middle East even worse.

Speaking from Beirut, the BBC’s Rami Ruhayem talks us through the aftermath of the attack and explains what Hezbollah is and how it started. He also discusses why Israel may have done this.

Why was Hezbollah using these old-fashioned devices and how did they explode? The BBC’s cyber correspondent Joe Tidy tells us more (and explains what a pager is). And Gordon Corera, the BBC’s security correspondent, gives us a short summary of other covert operations - and why this one is different.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

Sex education is a hot topic around the world. In Hong Kong, the Education Bureau has released teaching materials that suggest teenagers who want to have sex with each other should “go out to play badminton together” instead. The materials also encourage students to “resist” pornography and exercise self-control. That’s opened a discussion about sex education and whether officials understand the needs and concerns of young people.

Koey Lee, a BBC journalist in Hong Kong, explains how young people have reacted to the guidance.

We also hear from Yuri Ohlrichs - a certified sexologist and expert in sex education at Rutgers. That’s an organisation in The Netherlands that works to improve sexuality education and information for young people.

And Yeside Olayinka-Agbola, a sexual health educator in Lagos, Nigeria, explains how she is using apps like Instagram to help young Nigerians get sexual health information they’re struggling to find elsewhere.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and William Lee Adams Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

On Sunday authorities say a second attempt was made on the life of Donald Trump. A gunman was allegedly hiding in the bushes on one of Mr Trump’s golf courses just 500 yards from the US presidential candidate. He was spotted by a Secret Service agent who opened fire at the suspect and whisked Mr Trump to safety. The alleged gunman was later arrested.

On this episode we go through the latest about what happened over the weekend, the gunman’s identity and what motivations he might have had. Plus Alex from the What in the World team goes into detail about who the Secret Service are and what we know about how they work.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Alex Rhodes and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

American entrepreneur and billionaire Jared Isaacman has become the first non-professional astronaut to walk in space. According to Time magazine, he paid $200million for the privilege. Georgina Rannard, a BBC climate and science reporter, talks us through the mission, including his super suit, and the risks involved. Georgina also updates us on those two NASA astronauts stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) following technical difficulties. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore spoke at a press event on Friday, where they appeared upbeat and optimistic. We hear about how they’re keeping busy, and the challenges of living in a zero-gravity environment for so long.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: William Lee Adams and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

Huge parts of Brazil are on fire. And it’s not just the drier areas. It’s the wetlands and the rainforests, too. Smoke from the fires can even be seen from space. Brazil has long struggled with wildfires, but they’re getting harder to control. And on top of this, Brazil is also experiencing its worst drought since records began 70 years ago.

Leandro Prazeres, a BBC reporter in the capital, Brasilia, explains how bad it is right now and what’s caused the fires. BBC Brasil reporter Giulia Granchi tells us about the wildlife in the affected areas; the Amazon rainforest, the Cerrado savannah and the Pantanal wetlands.

And Patricia Zanella, a gender activist who represented the Brazilian government’s youth delegation at COP last year tells us what she wants to see from her leaders to tackle these wildfires.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Gabriela Boccaccio Editor: Verity Wilde

Sickle cell is an inherited blood disorder caused by abnormal red blood cells. It can cause sudden bouts of severe pain, as well as fatigue, a stroke, even death. It’s one of the most common genetic disorders in the world, but there’s still some stigma and a lot of misunderstanding around the condition.

We hear from Dunstan Nicol-Wilson, who was born with the condition, about what it’s like to grow up with sickle cell, and whether people’s attitudes are changing.

Around 80% of sickle cell cases worldwide are in sub-Saharan Africa. Makuochi Okafor, BBC Africa health reporter, tells us how it is inherited and what the symptoms can be. Nigeria has the largest population of individuals with sickle cell in the world, so he tells us how sickle cell is treated there.

Also last year the UK became the first country in the world to license a new gene-editing tool known as Crispr, as a treatment for sickle cell disease. Kesewaa Browne, a journalist in the U.K. tells us what treatments are already available and how Crispr could change things.

nstagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Last week in the US State of Georgia 14-year-old Colt Gray allegedly walked into his Apalachee High School, took out a gun and shot two students and two teachers dead. It’s the 45th school shooting to happen in America this year.

With an upcoming election taking place in November is there any desire from the country’s top politicians for change?

We speak to the BBC’s North America Correspondent Anthony Zurcher about the complicated laws around gun ownership.

And we also hear from campaigner Zoe Touray, who survived the Oxford High School shooting in Michigan in 2021.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Alex Rhodes, Benita Barden and Josh Jenkins Editor: Verity Wilde

YouTube might seem like an easy way to make money, but hungry algorithms and nasty comments are leading to fatigue and depression.

Hannah chats to William from the What in the World team about his pretty successful side hustle as a YouTuber. He explains why more and more content creators are leaving the platform due to “burnout” and the pressure content creators feel under to pander to the algorithm.

We also hear from Roly West, a queer British YouTuber specialising in piercings, tattoos and body modifications and Eugoson Quorch, a tech Youtuber from Nigeria.

And Robyn Caplan, Assistant Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, explains how YouTube makes money from its content creators.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with William Lee Adams Producers: Kevyah Cardoso, Julia Ross-Roy and Imogen James Editor: Verity Wilde

Venezuela’s opposition candidate, Edmundo González, has arrived in Spain after being granted asylum. He’d spent weeks in hiding following a disputed election which erupted into unrest across the country. He’s said he will continue to fight from the outside. Many believe González is the rightful president, however the official result gave the incumbent Nicolás Maduro another term. With González in exile, what will happen now? The BBC’s Mimi Swaby brings us up to speed and talks us through crackdowns on political opposition in Venezuela.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Emily Horler and Shiler Mahmoudi Editor: Verity Wilde

A lot of films and TV shows like Game of Thrones, Dune, and Shadow and Bone have their own languages, and some are so complex that they have lore and history. But have you ever wondered how languages like Dothraki are created, or if the actors are just making it up as they go along?

We take our questions to married couple Jessie and David Peterson whose shared love of linguistics and making up languages has led to them working for some very famous shows. They talk us through how they come up with languages.

And the BBC’s resident gamer, Mel Ramsey, takes us on a journey into gaming and the role that languages like Skyrim's Dovahzul play in bringing games to life for fans.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden, Adam Chowdhury and Shiler Mahmoudi Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

Some university students in Kenya have been protesting a new funding model which, they say, favours the rich. The government says the changes are needed to help with funding issues. The BBC’s Anita Nkonge, based in Nairobi, explains.

Many universities around the world are struggling with the cost of living, and this burden is often felt most sharply by students. We know that students have been questioning if university is worth the cost for a while, but now it feels like this debate is hotter than ever. We chat through why uni can be so expensive, as well as the pros and cons of going.

Ishan Sharma, a YouTuber from India, dropped out of studying engineering and is now living his best life with no regrets. He shares his story, and tips for people considering a life without a degree.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenters: Alex Rhodes and Zofia Louise Producer: Mora Morrison Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Chappell Roan has posted on TikTok about "creepy behaviour" she's experienced in person and online. She’s one of this year’s most successful popstars with a growing fanbase, but are some of those fans starting to overstep the mark?

Pete Allison, our BBC Newsbeat reporter, tells us what Chappell has been saying.

We also look at K-pop fandoms with our Bilingual Reporter, Julie Yoonnyung Lee. There’s even a word in Korean to describe an obsessive fan who invades the privacy of a star - sasaeng.

And Veronica Lamarche, a psychologist who has done studies on parasocial relationships, tell us what signs to look out for that your interest in a celeb has turned into an obsession.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden and Emilia Jansson Editor: Simon Peeks

Millions of students around the world will be starting a new term of school or university this month. And one thing they might notice is more conversations around how education is embracing artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT.

Some people think ChatGPT is a way to cheat and bypass proper learning, while others are excited about how it could make education more efficient. Tech journalist Rhiannon Williams talks us through both sides of the debate.

We also hear from Grace Kejo, a 17-year-old student based in Tanzania, who shares how she uses the tool. And Daniel Herman, a high school English teacher in Berkeley, US, explains how he teaches his students to use it responsibly.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Mora Morrison and Zof Hare Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

The market for men’s beauty and grooming is blowing up, with more masculine beauty products on the shelves than ever before. It’s not uncommon to see men with manicures. And people like Harry Styles, Pharrell Williams and Idris Elba have even launched luxury product lines. It’s estimated that the global male grooming market will be worth $115 billion by 2028. It’s fair to say male beauty standards are changing. We hear from Enioluwa Adeoluwa, a Nigerian influencer known as ‘Lipgloss Boy’, about how practices have changed globally and in Nigeria. We also brush up on make-up for men, and speak to Adrián Ríos about how American beauty influencers are shaking up global standards. Plus if you’re a bloke wanting to change up your look we’ve got some tips for you. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Emily Horler and Benita Barden Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

Pavel Durov’s arrest could impact free speech, and the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Over the last few years the social media and messaging app Telegram has become increasingly popular. It’s different from other apps, like WhatsApp and Facebook, partly because it allows you to create massive groups, of up to 200,000 people. But the app has also faced criticism relating to disinformation, and the sharing of conspiracist, neo-Nazi, paedophilic, or terror-related content.

On Wednesday Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, was placed under formal investigation in France as part of a probe into organised crime on the app. BBC tech reporter Graham Fraser tells us what we need to know about Telegram, and this investigation.

Telegram has often been used by pro-democracy protesters, including in Hong Kong. The BBC’s Fan Wang explains.

And there has been a massive reaction to Durov’s arrest in Russia. The BBC’s Karine Mirumyan tells us why the Russian military, and government, use the app - and whether this arrest could impact the war in Ukraine.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Mora Morrison and Zofia Louise Editor: Verity Wilde

For the past 100 years diamonds have been the ultimate symbol of love, luxury and opulence. But then, a darker side to them was exposed. Diamond mining was shown to have links to conflict, human rights abuses and state corruption, putting off a lot of consumers. Lab-grown diamonds then appeared on the market as a more eco-friendly, ethical and cheaper alternative, but do they have the same appeal?

We speak to Caroline Steel, a BBC Science presenter, about what makes the gems so precious and the science behind how diamonds are formed.

We also hear from Shingai Nyoka, a BBC Africa reporter, about Africa’s relationship to diamond production, and the discovery of the second-largest mined diamond in Botswana in August.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

The war in Gaza has lead to a surge in settler violence. Extreme Israeli settlers are the perpetrators behind the attacks. Not only have they become more aggressive, Israeli settlers have also seized more and more land.

One spokesperson from Peace Now, an Israeli organisation that monitors settlement growth, says Jewish extremists in the West Bank are exacerbating an already tense and volatile situation, and making it harder than ever to end the Israel-Palestinian conflict. So will these settlements will permanent? The BBC’s Middle East correspondent Yolande Knell explains.

On Wednesday Israeli forces launched a "counterterrorism operation" in the occupied West Bank which includes air strikes and ground troops in several Palestinian towns and cities - including in Jenin and Tulkarm.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Emilia Jansson Editor: Verity Wilde

With the Olympics over the eyes of the sporting world are back on Paris once again ahead of the start of the Paralympic Games.

More than 4000 athletes will be competing for 549 medals over the next two weeks in sports such as Boccia, Swimming and Wheelchair Rugby.

We hear from Egyptian swimmer Malak Abdelshafi on what it means to represent her country at the games.

And BBC Sport’s Peter Harding tells us what sports and which athletes to watch out for.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Josh Jenkins, Adam Chowdhury and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Last week the newly announced CEO of Starbucks landed in hot water when it emerged that he’d be commuting from his home in California to the Starbucks headquarters in Washington using a private jet. The 1,600 km, three-hour commute stoked a wave of criticism online.

It’s not the first time a public figure has come under fire for their eye-watering air mileage; earlier this year media outlets began scrutinising Taylor Swift's carbon footprint after a student began posting her flight information online by using publicly available data to track the take-offs and landings of privately owned planes belonging to the rich and famous. Her lawyers threatened to sue him, saying that the tracking amounted to "stalking." In 2022, Twitter banned the same student’s profile after Elon Musk accused him of sharing his "assassination coordinates".

But when a four-hour private flight emits as much as the average person does in a year, climate campaigners say that the cost to the planet is not worth the convenience.

BBC business reporter Charlotte Edwards unpacks the Starbucks CEO’s controversial commute and lifts the curtain on the business of luxury air travel. And our climate and science reporter Esme Stallard explains the environmental cost of the industry.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Kevyah Cardoso and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

This week we’ve had the release of what is, right now, the most popular game in the world - but it’s not a new version of GTA or Minecraft - this one is from China and it’s called Black Myth: Wukong. There are predictions it’s going to make hundreds of millions of dollars - and it now has more than two million active online players.

It’s been made by a relatively small Chinese company called Game Science and it’s the first time a game from the country has managed to break through internationally on this scale.

The BBC’s Kerry Allen, a China media analyst, describes the gaming industry in China - and the various restrictions gamers there face. And Mel Ramsay, a BBC journalist and video games expert explains why the game has become so popular inside and outside China - and some of the controversies around it.

Also, Kirk McKeand, a video games journalist in the UK who has played Black Myth: Wukong, gives us his take.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Emily Horler, Emilia Jansson and Alex Rhodes Editor: Verity Wilde

The Somali Parliament recently passed the National Disability Act. Twelve percent of the population in Somalia are estimated to be living with a disability. People with disabilities in Somalia have less access to formal education and higher rates of unemployment. This new law aims to protect their rights, make sure they get equal opportunities in jobs, education, and healthcare, and help reduce the stigma they face.

Fardowsha Hanshi, a BBC journalist from Somalia, explains what life is like in Somalia for people living with a disability and talks about her own experience of disability. She tells us what activists hope this new law will achieve. BBC journalist Ellis Palmer describes where the first disability legislation came from - and why implementation and individual advocacy is key.

And we hear from Kenyan Wilson Macharia, who is visually impaired and sued a company in Kenya for discrimination.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Emilia Jansson and Lizzy Bella Editor: Verity Wilde

A legal battle has been raging after a woman suffered a severe allergic reaction and died at Disney World Orlando in Florida. The restaurant she ate at isn’t owned by Disney itself but her husband believes the entertainment giant does have some liability as well and tried to sue the company.

But here’s the catch - Disney’s lawyers said he couldn’t take the company to court because of terms in a Disney+ free trial contract he signed up to years before.

Disney has since backtracked on this argument after the case blew up on social media. But what are we really agreeing to when we tick the box on a terms and conditions document?

Graham Fraser from the BBC’s tech team takes us through the story at Disney World.

Plus Alex from the What in the World team goes into other weird clauses in contracts you might have signed.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Alex Rhodes Editor: Verity Wilde

Research shows that people in Africa are disproportionately rejected for visas over other nationals. While passport holders from Singapore can sail straight past immigration in many countries they visit.

To understand the unfair disparities that exist between passport holders, we speak to Stephanie Hegarty, the BBC’s global population correspondent. We learn about the new version of the Henley passport index (which lists the strength of passports), and why nationality plays a huge role in shaping the outcome of a person’s visa application, especially to countries in the West.

The BBC’s Tessa Wong, a Singaporean national, explains why her passport ranks the strongest in the world. And Daniel Dadzie, a BBC reporter, tells us about his personal experience of applying for a student visa to study in the UK from Ghana.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Benita Barden, Mora Morrison and Claudia Efemini Editor: Verity Wilde

After the rape and murder of a female trainee doctor in India, there have been protests across the country. She was killed at work. Doctors held a national strike over the weekend.

Protesters want a stronger law to better protect medical staff against violence, increasing the level of security at hospitals and the creation of safe spaces for rest.

More incidents of rape have made headlines in India since the trainee doctor was killed.

Bebika Dhurve, a dentist who has worked in hospitals, tells us her reaction to what’s been happening.

And Arunoday Mukharji is our correspondent in Delhi. He takes us through the story and what challenges female medical professionals face.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Alex Rhodes and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

MrBeast is the world's biggest YouTuber with more than 300 million subscribers. He’s built an empire partly through so-called “stunt philanthropy,” where he surprises people with large sums of money or gifts. MrBeast has given waiters thousand-dollar tips, gifted people new cars and houses, and even paid for surgery to help 1,000 deaf people hear for the first time. The recipients’ reactions are then filmed and put on his channel.

Tom Gerken, a BBC technology reporter, explains why some people don’t consider MrBeast’s stunt philanthropy particularly philanthropic and how he — and other YouTubers — make money through advertising and brand sponsorships. He also briefly explains the allegations facing MrBeast and some of his colleagues.

We also hear from Makuochi Okafor, a BBC reporter in Lagos, to find out how the trend is taking off in Nigeria.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

A school girl in Zimbabwe was recently killed in a road accident which involved a US diplomat. Ruvarashe Takamhanya’s family are calling for the person involved to apologise to them in person. The US diplomat has now left Zimbabwe, and is back in the US.

Danai Nesta Kupemba, a BBC Africa journalist, has spoken to the family. She talks us through the case.

All diplomats have diplomatic immunity, which means they are protected from being arrested or prosecuted for alleged crimes. Alex Rhodes from the What in the World team explains why diplomatic immunity exists and who gets it. We also discuss prominent cases where diplomacy has been key - including with Julian Assange.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Emily Horler Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Sharks off the coast of Brazil recently tested positive for cocaine in lab research by The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. It was the first study to detect cocaine in the species. It’s not yet known how the drug affect the predators.

It’s not just sharks ingesting man-made substances. Marine experts have found traces of painkillers, contraceptive pills, anti-depressants and MDMA in other aquatic creatures. Crabs and fish have demonstrated significant behavioural and psychical differences as a result.

We get a round up of the research from Alex Ford, a professor of biology at the University of Portsmouth. He explains how recreational drugs and medicines have been found in seawater samples in the U.K. and how that could impact animal behaviour and development.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

For the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, Ukrainian soldiers have advanced 30km inside Russia. President Zelensky says Ukraine is pushing the war onto "the aggressor's territory" in the Kursk region.

What could this mean for the war? Vitaly Shevchenko, one of the hosts of Ukrainecast and the Russia editor of BBC Monitoring, explains.

We also discuss a recent fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and why Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other for starting it.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Alex Rhodes and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris have officially come to an end. Among the memorable moments are things like: that outstanding 100m photo finish, the debut of Olympic breakdancing, the refugee collecting their first medal and Snoop Dogg.

To mark the occasion, we asked you what questions you had about the Olympic games - and reached out to two BBC journalists who’ve been in Paris: Isaac Fanin from the BBC World Service and Laura Garcia from BBC Mundo.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editor: Emily Horler

IITERNITI, formerly Eternity, is a South Korean pop group created entirely by artificial intelligence. The group first launched back in 2021, and now has millions of views online. And they’re not the only ones. There are other AI K-pop groups around too.

BBC reporter Iqra Farooq has been looking into how AI could change the genre; from ChatGPT messaging fans, to VR concerts. She talks us through her findings.

We’re also joined by Jieun Park, the CEO behind IITERNITI, Taiwanese artist KIRE, and Felix from K-pop mega group Stray Kids. Plus, we hear why some fans love AI in music, and others find it ‘terrifying’.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

There are loads of podcasts about entrepreneurship, setting up a business or start-up, being your own boss and making money. According to the American business magazine Forbes, up to 9 in 10 start-ups fail, and the number is thought to be even higher in Africa.

BBC Africa’s business reporter in Lagos, Nigeria, Nkechi Ogbonna, explains what a start-up is and some of the reasons why start-ups fail. We also hear about some of the sectors where start-ups are doing well.

African entrepreneur and YouTuber, Joseph Don, from The Entrepreneurs Connect Show, sets out the challenges some businesses in Africa face - and gives his top tips for starting and maintaining a successful business.

And Nic Rawhani, the South African founder of Vula.VC, a company that uses AI to help start-ups find and apply for funding, tells us how people can pick themselves up and learn from their mistakes if their business doesn’t work out.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Benita Barden, Mora Morrison, Kevyah Cardoso and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Chidimma Adetshina, a 23-year-old law student, has been facing online abuse since becoming a finalist in Miss South Africa 2024. Chidimma is South African and grew up in Cape Town to a Nigerian father and South African mother with Mozambican roots. Some people think she shouldn’t compete because of this - even though she is eligible.

BBC Africa journalist Danai Nesta Kupemba talks us through the details, and what this says about xenophobia and ‘afrophobia’ more generally in South Africa.

This isn’t the first time there have been issues over the Miss South Africa beauty pageant. Melissa Nayimuli - whose father is Ugandan - competed last year and also faced online abuse. She joins us to share her experience.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

This podcast was recorded on Wednesday lunchtime in the UK. On Wednesday evening, the South African government released a statement saying there was an ongoing investigation into fraud and identify theft involving Chidimma Adetshina’s mother, in order to become a South African citizen. On Thursday, Ms Adetshina announced she was withdrawing from the contest “for the safety and well-being” of herself and her family. She did not refer to the investigation.

There are celebrations in Bangladesh following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation after weeks of violent unrest.

Many have described the past month as one of the worst periods of violence seen in Bangladesh since the country formed five decades ago. Student protests against quotas in government jobs escalated into an anti-government movement after a violent crackdown by security forces and pro-government student groups have seen around 400 people killed.

The country remains in a state of chaos after the Prime Minister hastily fled the country before protestors stormed her official residence.

Until recently, 30% of civil service roles in Bangladesh were reserved for the children and grandchildren of people who fought for the country’s independence back in 1971, a system protestors said benefitted those close to the ruling party.

Protestors share their experiences and our BBC reporter in Dhaka, Akbar Hossain, explains how the student protests changed course and dramatically ended the 76 year-old leader’s 15 year reign. We also hear from Rani Singh, who previously interviewed Sheikh Hasina at her palace.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Kevyah Cardoso and William Lee Adams Editor: Emily Horler and Rosanna La-Falce

Animals are essential in maintaining ecosystem balance, but in some cases they can have the opposite effect. In the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya, authorities are looking to cull 1 million Indian house crows. Conservationists say they are becoming a nuisance and have significantly reduced the number of small indigenous birds in the region. So how will they be dealt with? The BBC’s Dorcas Wangira, an Africa health correspondent, explains.

Pest are an issue in New York too. There’s estimated to be 3 million rats scurrying around the Big Apple and the city’s mayor has made it his mission to deal with the rocketing number of rodents by hiring a ‘rat tsar’. Sam Cabral, a BBC reporter in New York, tells us more.

Finally, we hear from Predator Free Wellington, an organisation in New Zealand, which is hoping to completely remove predators (like rats and possums) by 2050.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Mora Morrison and Baldeep Chahal Editor: Emily Horler

Leg-lengthening surgery was once reserved for people with a serious injury or physical deformity. But now more people are undergoing the procedure simply because they want to be taller.

BBC journalist Tom Brada explains what the operation entails, the risks it carries, and the costs that patients incur. We also hear from Daniel, a man who underwent the procedure. He describes why he wanted to be taller, what his surgery and recovery were like, and whether it was worth it.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Baldeep Chahal and William Lee Adams Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Thousands of Venezuelans have been protesting after President Nicolás Maduro claimed victory in the country's disputed election. The opposition says the results were fraudulent.

There are reports of at least 11 deaths in protest-related violence, with lots more people injured.

Our South America correspondent, Ione Wells, explains why the results are disputed and what protesters in Caracas have been saying.

BBC Mundo’s Jorge Perez gives us the background on Venezuela, including who Hugo Chávez was and why the country is in such economic turmoil, despite having the biggest proven oil reserves in the world.

Also, young Venezuelans tell us about their hopes for their futures.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Shiler Mahmoudi Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Dearest gentle listener: It’s our first birthday! To celebrate one year of our What in the World podcast, we asked you what burning questions you had — and we turned to the BBC’s global network of experts to get the answers. In this episode, you’ll hear…

Digital health editor Michelle Roberts on how vaccines train the body’s immune system.

Seoul correspondent Jean Mackenzie on what tourists in North Korea can actually do.

Correspondent Samira Hussain on how the electoral college decides the U.S. presidential election.

Climate and environment researcher Mark Poynting on the role of hydrogen in the green energy transition.

Plus Mora from the What in the World answers Alex’s question, “How do fringes happen?” We said no question was too stupid.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Alex Rhodes and William Lee Adams Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Afrobeats originated in Nigeria and Ghana, starting to get popular in the 2010s. It’s generally seen as a blend of West African music styles with Western pop and rap.

Artists like Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Rema, and Davido have gone global. TikTok and Youtube have played a big part in the genre’s popularity, so have collabs with people like Beyonce and Drake.

But some are turning away from Afrobeats. Burna Boy has said ‘there’s no substance’ to the genre, even though it’s ‘an amazing time’. Wizkid has said he doesn’t want to be labelled as ‘just Afrobeats’ and that he makes more genres of music. And Davido has said he prefers to be called Afrofusion. So what next?

Our BBC pal Faith Oshoko takes us through what the music scene is like in Lagos and and some of the history behind Afrobeats.

We also chat to Candy Bleakz, a rapper in Nigeria. She’s made Afrobeats tracks and is the only woman in the Street Pop genre. We sit down and chat through her inspirations and hopes for her music career and why people in Lagos make such good music.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: Alex Rhodes and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

South Sudan — the world’s youngest nation — endured the longest civil war in Africa. Now, in their debut Olympic Games, its men’s basketball team is helping the country forge a new identity.

BBC Africa Sport journalist Kelvin Kimathi explains South Sudan’s meteoric rise in basketball -- and how the national team almost beat the United States in an exhibition match a week before the Olympics.

Luol Deng, a former NBA and Chicago Bulls star, is widely credited with revolutionising basketball in the country. He tells us about his work leading the South Sudan Basketball Federation, the potential he saw in his countrymen, and how he funded basketball programmes to create a pipeline of talent.

We also hear from Olympic team member Khaman Maluach, who grew up as a refugee in neighbouring Uganda. The 17-year-old explains how a chance encounter led him to basketball. Finally, basketball fans from South Sudan tell us about the pride they feel watching their player succeed internationally.

During the Opening Ceremony in Paris, which featured performances from Lady Gaga and Celine Dion, international commentators cited the men’s basketball team as South Sudan’s big hope in the Games. In their opening match, South Sudan defeated Puerto Rico 90-79. But their debut appearance wasn’t without hiccups. Players said they were "disrespected" after organisers played the wrong national anthem at the start of their match.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producer: Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

The Philippines is racing to contain the oil from a tanker that sank on Thursday in the midst of heavy rains from Typhoon Gaemi. It was carrying 1.5 million litres of oil, and the spread of it could cause an environmental catastrophe. We hear the latest on the coast guard operation from Jhesset Enano, a journalist based in Manila.

This incident has reminded people about the devastating impacts of previous major oil spills like BP’s Deepwater Horizon in 2012 and when MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef near Mauritius in 2020. We unpack how oil can be cleaned up and what these spills do to marine life with BBC climate and science reporter Georgina Rannard.

We also hear from Vikash Tatayah, conservation director at Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, about how Mauritius’ biodiversity was affected by the country’s worst environmental disaster. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

The Olympics have a huge impact, in many ways. Whether that’s tears, screaming at the TV, or inspiring you to take up rhythmic gymnastics. There’s another impact though, that affects us all, and that’s on the environment and climate. The 2016 Rio Games had a total estimated footprint of 3.6m tonnes of carbon.

Ahead of Paris 2024, we chat to BBC climate and sport reporter David Lockwood and Jordan Dunbar, co-host of BBC podcast The Climate Question. They explain how organisers are trying to cut their emissions in half this year, compared to previous Olympics and discuss what a future, greener Olympics could look like.

And almost 16,000km away in Tahiti, French Polynesia, the small community of Teahupo’o will host the surfing event on their legendary waves. But it’s not all smooth sailing, as the Olympic committee faced protests against the building of a massive new judging tower in the reef. Local photographer Tim McKenna explains what the locals think now, and how they’re preparing.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producer: Imogen James and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Check out some of our other episodes about the Olympics:

- How do I become an Olympian? https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct67qg - Breakdancing at the Paris Olympics: What to expect https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct6807 - How do African athletes train for the Winter Olympics without ice? https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct67hv

White cast, nostalgic smell, never quite rubbed in enough. Yep, that’s sunscreen. It can be the stuff of nightmares when sand is involved. But recently, some TikTok influencers - and even celebrities - are telling their followers that it’s dangerous. They allege that chemicals seep into your skin, and cause harm, even cancer.

But science says no. In this episode, biomedical scientist Judey Pretorius explains how UV rays cause cancer, and that you need chemicals, good ones, to help save your skin from sun damage. She goes through what actually happens when you use sun cream and the benefits.

And what about for darker skin tones? Dr Shadi Kourosh, professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, and expert in multi-ethnic skin, tells us how sunscreen is still important even if you have darker skin.

So where did this trend come from - if it’s a myth? BBC disinformation reporter Jacqui Wakefield speaks about reports, famous people and even trad wives. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producer: Imogen James, Benita Barden and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

Last year, Afghanistan attracted 7,000 tourists from abroad. That’s despite many governments warning citizens not to visit the country because it’s ruled by the Taliban, an extreme Islamic group. Since overthrowing Afghanistan’s government in 2021, the Taliban have banned women from attending university and working in all non-governmental organisations. They’ve also ordered the closure of beauty salons across the country.

So why are tourists choosing to go there and what are the risks? The BBC’s Flora Drury joined us to explain.

Plus, we hear from Sascha Heeney, who’s actually travelled to Afghanistan both as a tourist and a tour guide, and Zarghuna Kargar, an Afghan journalist with the BBC.

Rising tourism is good news for tour guides in the country, like Rohullah, who told us about the rules that must be followed and what makes the country appealing to visitors.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Baldeep Chahal and William Lee Adams Editor: Verity Wilde

After vowing that nothing could stop him from running for re-election, US President Joe Biden has dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take over.

He didn’t just fall out of a coconut tree, he exists in the context of what came before - so we explain how he got here.

He made the announcement via a statement on social media, in which he said his decision was "in the best interest of my party and the country". It comes after weeks of intense suggestions from fellow democrats, voters and even George Clooney to drop out following a dodgy debate performance against Donald Trump.

He’s still president until January, when the winner of the 2024 election will take office. But in the meantime, what happens? How do we get there? And why on earth are so many people talking about coconuts? We explain what’s likely to unfold over the next four months.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden and Kevyah Cardoso Editors: Verity Wilde

A lot of us dream about becoming a professional athlete and the ultimate athletes in sport are at the Olympic Games. But what does it take? The Olympics officially start on 26th July in Paris, France. 10,500 athletes from over 200 countries will take part in 32 sports including athletics, swimming, and gymnastics, as well as BMX, surfing and climbing.

Kishmala Talat (22), a shooter from Pakistan, and Zenéy Geldenhuys (24), a South African hurdler, are both competing at their first Olympics this year. They talk about how it feels to represent their country and what it takes to become an Olympian.

And two other Olympics athletes Tanisha Crasto (21), who plays badminton for India, and Rebecca Meder (21), a South African swimmer, answer some of your questions - like what have you sacrificed and what’s your morning routine?

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Adam Chowdhury Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and William Lee Adams Editor: Verity Wilde

Since the start of the month, university students have been protesting across Bangladesh, asking for quotas in government jobs to be removed. 30% of roles are reserved for the children and grandchildren of people who fought for the country’s independence back in 1971.

The anti-quota protesters have clashed with members of a pro-government student group and police.

Things have escalated this week and at least ten people have been killed.

Akbar Hossein is from BBC Bangla in Dhaka - he explains what the quota system is and why students want to change it.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden and Kevyah Cardoso Editors: Verity Wilde

A new strain of the mpox virus is spreading quickly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and experts say it is the most dangerous variant they have seen.

We chat to Makuochi Okafor, a BBC Africa health reporter, who explains the symptoms of mpox, why scientists changed its name, and how people can protect themselves. He also describes what we know about the new variant.

In 2022, a global outbreak of the virus spread across the world. The World Health Organisation said more than 87,000 cases were recorded in 111 countries. We hear what it was like for some people who caught it.

And BBC Health reporter Philippa Roxby tells us how that outbreak was controlled, and the role public information and vaccines played. With not enough vaccines in Africa, can authorities stop the spread this time?

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, William Lee Adams and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

This weekend, traffic in a key part of Mumbai came to a standstill to make way for a convoy of VIP guests attending one of the year’s most talked about events, the wedding ceremony of Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani. The couple tied the knot in a 4-day wedding extravaganza with the likes of Kim Kardashian, John Cena and India’s PM Narendra Modi in attendance. It was the glittering finale to 4 months of pre-wedding events which spread across continents and featured private concerts by Rihanna, Katy Perry and Justin Bieber. The spectacle of the whole wedding has divided opinions, with some enjoying the extravagance of it all and others uncomfortable with such a display of wealth in a country facing stark inequality between rich and poor. BBC Delhi reporter, Meryl Sebastian, gives us an overview of the event and wedding culture in India. Plus, BBC Business Correspondent, Nikhil Inamdar, tells us a bit about how the Ambani family made its fortune and the changing wealth landscape in India. And Alex tells all about a disaster at his own wedding! Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden and Kevyah Cardoso Editors: Rosanna La-Falce

On Saturday evening someone tried to kill Donald Trump. The former president was giving a speech at a political rally in Pennsylvania when a gunman took aim from a nearby rooftop. The bullet grazed Mr Trump’s right ear before he was rushed to safety.

Images of the defiant presidential candidate, moments after the incident, standing with his fist raised, lines of blood streaked across his face, could impact the election. We look at why. We also discuss security and how the gunman managed to get past US Secret Service agents.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

JailTime is a record label that aims to get prisoners away from crime and into the music industry. It operates from a studio in New Bell prison, a high security jail in Douala, Cameroon. They say they’ve brought reoffending rates down significantly.

JailTime’s founders, Dione Roach and Steve Happi, tell us what they're trying to achieve and talk about one of their success stories; Moussinghi. Paul Njie, a BBC reporter in Cameroon, describes the conditions in prisons there - and explains why reoffending rates are so high.

On the other side of the world, the USA has one of the highest recorded reoffending rates in the world. Can arts programmes prevent offenders returning to crime? Maurice Chammah from the Marshall Project gives us his take. He also talks us through the history of music in prisons and describes how prisoners manage to record music from their cells unofficially. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: Ez Roberts Editor: Verity Wilde

Over the last 18 months the world has gone pretty crazy about AI. Apple has been jumping into the space and Samsung is forecasting higher profits than ever from its advanced chips. Tech companies say it’s the future and may even put a lot of us out of a job. But a new report from one of the world’s top banks says that generative AI, things like ChatGPT or Gemini, might not prove to be the gamechanger that tech companies have been promising.

Generative AI also uses huge amounts of energy and water, behind the super smart tech are massive data centres that drive up greenhouse gas emissions. So we’re asking is AI really going to be worth the cost to our wallets and potentially our planet?

Imran Rahman Jones, a BBC Tech Reporter, tells us how the drive for AI has bumped up Google’s emissions by almost half and explains the ways tech companies are trying to compensate for the surges. Also Ed Zitron, who writes about tech and hosts the Better Offline podcast, tells us why he thinks the hype around generative AI is in danger of becoming overblown.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Benita Barden and Maria Clara Montoya Editors: Verity Wilde

After the Covid pandemic, global tourism numbers have been on the rise again, but so are concerns about the impact of tourism.

We will take you to Spain, Southern Africa and Hawaii to discuss the tension between the money that tourism brings in, and the price locals have to pay.

Protesters in Barcelona have been showing their discontent with tourists by spraying them with water pistols, trying to scatter visitors from popular areas like La Rambla. Demonstrations against tourism are happening more and more in different parts of Spain. Maria Clara Montoya from the What in the World team explains why the protests have been happening.

And James McCulloch in South Africa and Doctor Kiona in Hawaii talk us through how they set up travel companies with an ethical tourism approach to promote a more sustainable way of travelling.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Kevyah Cardoso and Alex Rhodes Editor: Verity Wilde

There’s loads of misinformation online about vaccines. For years, there have been false claims about the tetanus jab causing infertility. One of our listeners, Henry, got in touch to ask us if they were true. Fauziyya Tukur, a BBC Disinformation journalist in Abuja, looks into the claims with us.

The BBC's medical editor, Fergus Walsh explains why vaccine hesitancy is on the rise around the world - and the impact vaccines have had on global health. And we hear from Sahar Baloch, a BBC journalist in Islamabad, who talks about efforts to eradicate polio in Pakistan, amid misinformation about the jab (fuelled in part by a CIA fake vaccine campaign to seek out Osama bin Laden!).

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Maria Clara Montoya Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

On Sunday night, a surprising exit poll was announced for France’s parliamentary election. It showed that the New Popular Front was about to win the second round, in a result that no-one was expecting.

All previous predictions had suggested the far-right National Rally party would come out on top, but it came third.

The New Popular Front, a brand new left-wing coalition, was formed as part of a strategy to block seats from the National Rally. And even though the plan worked, the National Rally still got its best result in history. But now no party has a majority, meaning France will have a hung parliament.

BBC Journalist, Sara Menai, takes us through what happened and what it means for France.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, María Clara Montoya and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, Match have changed the way many of us date, offering convenience, choice and connection at your finger tips. They have millions of users worldwide. As many as one in three adults in the U.S. has used them, according to Pew Research Centre. But now, ten years after their boom, there’s endless chatter about deleting them. And it’s not because people are finding their Mr or Mrs Right. Some people are opting for advice online and paid coaching programmes instead.

Özge Özdemir from BBC Turkish has looked at the research. She tells us how attitudes are changing about online dating. She’s spoken to psychologists, journalists and young daters about the cultural shift and gives us an overview.

Some app developers have been accused of deliberately making their apps addictive. Elias Aboujaoude a psychiatrist from Stanford University, in the US, explains how some people get hooked.

Also, we get some dating tips from Anwar White, an American dating and relationship coach who specialises in advice for professional women, and women of colour.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Benita Barden, Emily Horler and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Simon Peeks

On Tuesday 2nd July, over 120 people died in a crowd crush at a religious event in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. According to police reports, the crush happened after 200,000 people gathered in an area that only had capacity for 80,000. The BBC’s Jugal Purohit has been to the scene of the tragedy - he describes what we know about it so far and the ongoing investigations. On Thursday, police said they had arrested six people who were part of a committee that organised the event.

Sadly, people getting crushed in crowds isn’t that rare. In 2022, a Halloween crush killed 159 young people in Seoul. Yuna Ku, a BBC journalist in South Korea, tells us what happened.

Why do crowd crushes happen, how can they be prevented, and is there anything you can do if you get stuck in one? Kevyah Cardoso from the What in the World team explains.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Kevyah Cardoso Editor: Emily Horler

Hurricane Beryl has been tearing through the southeast Caribbean and is now moving towards Jamaica. It’s expected to reach Mexico after.

Hurricanes form every year from June to November - with varying degrees of severity. There are also typhoons, cyclones and storms that rip through countries.

But what’s the difference, when does a storm become a hurricane and are they getting worse? Esme Stallard is our Climate and Science Reporter.

And Angelie Nieves-Jimenez is a graduate research assistant at Colorado State University, her department works on predicting and calculating storms and she’s actually flown into a hurricane! she tells us how predictions work.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden and María Clara Montoya Editors: Verity Wilde

A growing number of private companies are wading into the global race for space dominance. Space X, Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, Axiom, Vast and Boeing all have their sights set on the stars.

But how ready are we for the new era of space exploration?

Two space flight mishaps have recently made the headlines.

On Sunday, a space rocket owned by a private Chinese company accidentally launched itself during a test, before crash landing into a hillside.

Last week, two NASA astronauts on a critical test flight for Boeing’s new commercial spacecraft were forced to delay their return home because of helium leaks and thruster issues. The flight, launched on 5 June, was meant to last 10 days and show that the Starliner spacecraft is ready to ferry crews to and from the International Space Station. But NASA announced that the astronauts will stay at the station well into the summer until the issues are resolved.

More than fifty years after landing on the moon, why is space flight still so tricky?

Space X parachute engineer Pele Collins explains what goes into a rocket launch and why space flight is still so complicated.

And James Bruegger, co-founder of Seraphim Space, a SpaceTech investment company working to transform science fiction into science fact tells us about the wild wild west of the booming commercial space economy.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Kevyah Cardoso and Benita Barden Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

You might not live in the US but the value of America’s currency most likely affects how much you pay for stuff, wherever you are.

In this episode we explain why the strength of the US dollar matters so much.

The BBC’s Erin Delmore describes the picture stateside. Cuba Houghton, a graduate in Economics based in Nairobi helps us dig into the meaning of some economic terms that you need to be familiar with - and the BBC’s Jewel Kiriungi looks at how Africa feels the impact when the dollar gets more valuable.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

The East Africa crude oil pipeline - also known as EACOP - is facing ongoing backlash. The pipeline, which will pass through Uganda and Tanzania, is backed by a French and Chinese company. This week protesters have targeted several Chinese embassies to discourage further foreign support. They believe the pipeline is a human rights and environmental disaster.

The BBC's Jewel Kiriungi explains the project’s pros and cons, as well as how it could impact ancestral graves in the area. And Nyombi Morris, a 26-year-old Ugandan activist, shares his concerns.

Plus, the BBC’s Marco Silva tells us how fake social media accounts could be influencing the debate.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Mora Morrison, Olivia Briand and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Julian Assange, one of the world’s most notorious hackers and the face of the website Wikileaks, is now a free man. He’s been in a high security prison in the UK for the last five years, fighting extradition to the US, wanted for charges under the US Espionage Act. But who is he and what did he do?

We talk you through Julian Assange’s hacker background, some of Wikileaks' biggest revelations and controversies and how he ended up living at the Ecuadorean embassy in London for nearly seven years.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producer: Julia Ross-Roy and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

A pair of beluga whales have been evacuated from the besieged city of Kharkiv in Ukraine. They were taken to Europe’s largest aquarium — the Oceanogràfic de Valencia in Spain.

Mora from the What in the World team explains how the ongoing war in Ukraine put the belugas at risk. And Daniel Garcia-Párraga, director of zoological operations at Oceanogràfic, describes the complex rescue mission.

The evacuation of the belugas has sparked discussions about animal captivity more generally. Rob Lott from the wildlife charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation tells us how perceptions of aquariums are changing around the world. Jeffrey Ventre, a former trainer at SeaWorld in Florida, describes what life at the aquarium was like for Tilikum — the killer whale that was the focus of 2013 documentary Blackfish.

Finally, we meet Hot Pink Dolphins, which describes itself as Korea’s first aquarium dolphin liberation movement. One of its activists Oh Yeon-jae explains why she's committed to protecting endangered marine life and returning animals to the wild.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams and Mora Morrison Producer: Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

There’s been a lot of unrest in New Caledonia this year and it’s down to a proposed voting reform bill. Buildings have been set on fire, nine people have been killed and seven pro-independence activists have been detained and taken to France.

New Caledonia is a French territory, even though it’s really far away from France. Many local people there want independence. The BBC’s Malu Cursino gives us some background on New Caledonia and explains why there have been protests.

And Shawn Yuan from the BBC’s Global China Unit explains why China has interest in New Caledonia.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producer: Emily Horler and Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Hajj — the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca — took place last week during an extreme heatwave. Officials in Saudi Arabia say that at least 1,301 people died. Most of them had not obtained official permits to enter the country to perform Hajj, which all Muslims must do at least once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able. Without proper documentation, pilgrims cannot access amenities like air conditioned tents and buses.

Zeinab Hussein Dabaa, a journalist with BBC Arabic in Cairo, explains how the expense of Hajj leads many pilgrims to pursue what’s called “unofficial Hajj,” despite Saudi Arabia’s crackdown on the practice.

We also hear from Hina, a pilgrim from Pakistan. She describes what it was like to perform Hajj as temperatures soared past 51C.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producer: Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

Young Kenyans are leading demonstrations against a controversial finance bill, organising via TikTok and X. They are unhappy about proposals to raise taxes on sanitary pads and mobile money transfers, amongst other things. A protestor shares her motivation for taking to the streets.

We hear from Anita Nkonge a BBC reporter in Nairobi, who tells us what the protests are about. And BBC business reporter Jewel Kiriungi explains why President William Ruto wants to raise taxes. She also describes how tax rises a year ago have affected how people feel now.

The government has often defended the tax measures as necessary to reduce the country’s national debt of nearly $80bn.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Josh Jenkins, Julia Ross-Roy and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

Hollywood has gone into overdrive trying to guess which celebrities are using weight loss drugs. Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, Amy Schumer, and Rebel Wilson have all talked openly about taking them - and there have been loads of rumours swirling around Kim Kardashian.

These drugs are often known by their brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, made by the Danish company Novo Nordisk. Who are these drugs meant for and how effective are they? Kevyah Cardoso from the What in the World team explains. We also hear from someone who is taking these weight loss drugs.

BBC health and science correspondent James Gallagher describes how these drugs, known as semaglutides, work. And TikTok doctor Dr. Austin does some myth busting for us, including if Ozempic babies are a thing.

A black market has grown up to supply people who want to use so-called 'skinny jabs' for cosmetic reasons. BBC journalist Pria Rai tells us about her investigation.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Kevyah Cardoso Editor: Verity Wilde

For decades China has used pandas as a way to improve diplomatic relations with other countries. Now, China’s Premier has offered Australia two, to replace the zoo's existing pandas. BBC Sydney Correspondent Katie Watson explains.

We also speak to the BBC’s Jack Lau in Hong Kong about China’s history of panda diplomacy and the significance of the animal to the country.

And we hear from Katharina Marie Sperling, who is the Head of Wildlife Conservation Program at Berlin Zoo, about the costs involved in keeping them and their characteristics.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Josh Jenkins, Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Nigeria is Africa’s economic powerhouse - so why are so many young people trying to leave and find opportunities in other countries? It’s become so common there’s even a word for it: Japa.

Last year, Nigeria’s immigration service issued a record number of passports - almost 2 million.

So when we were in Lagos we spoke to the BBC’s Faith Oshoko, who explained what drives young professionals to move abroad.

And we chatted to students - would they ever Japa? And would they come back?

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with Makuochi Okafor Producers: Emily Horler and Alex Rhodes Editor: Verity Wilde

Nuclear power counts for just ten percent of the world’s total power supply and only 33 countries currently have nuclear power stations. But those numbers could soon change as China rushes to build new nuclear facilities and as African countries consider building their own.

Jordan Dunbar from the BBC podcast The Climate Question explains how nuclear power works, describes its benefits and drawbacks, and assesses whether it could ever be seen as a green form of energy.

Many people are nervous about leveraging nuclear power, partly because of the infamous disasters at nuclear sites like Three Mile Island and Fukushima. Alex from the What in the World team runs us through what happened at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine in 1986.

South Africa is the only country in Africa with a nuclear power plant — the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station near Cape Town. But ten other African countries — including Nigeria and Uganda— are looking into getting a plant of their own. Kevyah from the What in the World team explains why some African nations are considering a nuclear future.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producer: Alex Rhodes and Kevyah Cardoso Editor: Emily Horler

South Korea’s Buldak noodles are super spicy - and Denmark’s food regulator has now recalled some types of them, saying they could cause "acute poisoning". The company behind the noodles says there are no quality issues. They’re used in extreme food challenges that often go viral online. So we decided to try them ourselves and they were FIERY!

The BBC’s Health and Science Correspondent, James Gallagher, explains why spicy food can make us feel all hot and bothered, how to combat the side effects, and takes us through some common myths about spice.

And one of our BBC colleagues, Akwasi Sarpong, tells us how a tiny bit of extremely hot sauce caused some drama at work.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams with Benita Barden Producer: Emily Horler Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

She may be one of music's biggest stars, but it turns out even Billie Eilish is not immune to being ghosted. The ‘Bad Guy’ singer recently opened up about her experience on a BBC podcast, and it got us thinking about why ghosting feels so pervasive and hurtful.

So, in this episode, we’re chatting about all things ghosting: where the term came from, what it means, and why it makes us feel so bad. We hear from listeners in Colombia, Nigeria, the United States and France who have been ghosted - or done the ghosting. And Sylvia Anim - a psychosexual therapist in London - shares tips on how to look out for yourself if it happens to you.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with William Lee Adams Producer: Mora Morrison Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Despite the latest data showing fewer women are dying in childbirth globally, maternal mortality remains a huge issue for women across Africa. The World Health Organization says that more than two thirds of maternal deaths across the world happen in the continent. Chad and South Sudan rank the highest for maternal mortality, followed by Nigeria, one of the richest countries in Africa.

Dorcas Wangira, the BBC’s Africa Health Correspondent, explains the major causes of maternal death and what efforts are being made towards prevention and reducing rates. She also tells us about the specific issues faced by Nigeria and Kenya.

Plus, we speak to Isata Dumbuya, a trained midwife who moved back to Sierra Leone from the UK to improve maternal healthcare. Sierra Leone successfully reduced their maternal mortality rate by 60% and she describes exactly how they achieved this.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Benita Barden Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Being a feminist in South Korea is often associated with being a man-hater. And people who are thought to look like feminists - by for example having short hair or not wearing makeup - can be ridiculed, or even attacked.

Rachel Lee, a journalist based in Seoul, explains why anti-feminist sentiment is growing among young men, how this plays out online, and what the government is doing to protect women. Investigative journalist Chloe Hadjimatheou talks us through the Burning Sun scandal - which saw some K-pop stars imprisoned for crimes against women.

And we unpack the 4B movement, which is currently doing the rounds on TikTok.

Note: This episode mentions sexual abuse.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Kevyah Cardoso Editor: Emily Horler

Similar to the viral image "All Eyes on Rafah," the image "All Eyes on Papua" has been spreading across social media. It’s turning attention to Papua, a province of Indonesia. The slogan refers to the campaign of the indigenous people of Awyu and Moi in Papua, whose forest is at risk of being cleared for palm oil plantations.

Abraham Utama, a BBC journalist based in Jakarta, explains how the campaign started and what it hopes to achieve. We also hear how it has sparked a wider conversation about other issues Papuans face.

Plus, Deffe Wabiser, an indigenous Papuan campaigner shares her reaction to the "All Eyes on Papua” picture going viral.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editor: Emily Horler and Simon Peeks

In April, a top Nollywood star, Junior Pope, was killed in a boat crash, while being transported from a film set. He starred in more than a hundred Nigerian-produced films and his death has got the people who work in the industry asking questions about its safety record.

We speak to Ruth Kadiri, an actor and screenwriter who knew Junior Pope. She tells us about her own experiences with dangerous situations in moviemaking. She also talks about the big changes to Nollywood and how some producers are putting their films straight on YouTube, racking up millions of view in the process.

Plus we speak to Chidi Dike, a star who’s only recently burst onto the scene. He shares his advice for other young actors and tells us what it’s like to suddenly find yourself in the limelight.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with Chimezie UcheAgbo Producers: Emily Horler and Alex Rhodes Editor: Simon Peeks

Phone theft is really common - but what happens to your phone after it’s stolen? Nowadays it’s not just about taking the phone to sell on, or strip for parts. Now thieves will try to scam you afterwards to get your data or bank details. BBC Journalist Zofia Louise’s phone was stolen in London and ended up in Dubai. She talks Hannah through her experience.

Nigeria and Brazil also see a lot of phone robberies - BBC journalist Makuochi Okafor tells us what it’s like in Lagos and Jessica Cruz, from the BBC bureau in Sao Paolo, describes how people there try to avoid being a victim of phone theft.

Lots of stolen phones seem to turn up in Shenzhen in China. Shawn Yuan from the BBC Global China Unit explains why. And we get tips on how to keep your phone and data safe from British cybersecurity expert Jake Moore.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenters: Hannah Gelbart and Zofia Louise Producers: Alex Rhodes and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

For many, it’s a dream to fly to Nepal and reach the top of the highest peak in the world. But climbing Mount Everest is considered extremely risky even for experienced climbers and it can be deadly. On top of this, climate change is making the conditions even more dangerous. It’s thought that the bodies of nearly 200 of the 330 climbers who have died on the peak are still there, in hard-to-reach areas.

The BBC’s Navin Singh Khadka gives us an overview of the facts about the giant and takes us through some of the problems climbing Mount Everest.

We hear from two people who have been to the summit - Prakriti Varshney who climbed it in 2022 and Kami Rita Sherpa, who has summited Everest 30 times. That’s the most summits that anyone has ever done! He has been a guide there for 20 years. His son Lakpa Tenzing Sherpa tells us about the dangers of his dad going up the mountain.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Alex Rhodes, Benita Barden, Baldeep Chahal and Mimi Swaby Editor: Verity Wilde

Female genital mutilation affects around 230 million women and girls globally, with rates highest in Africa. FGM is considered a human rights violation and has no health benefits. That’s according to World Health Organisation. Hibo Wardere, a survivor from Somalia, recounts her ordeal and discusses the importance of education in ending the practice.

The Gambia banned FGM in 2015, but it could be about to reverse this. BBC journalist Esther Ogola, who’s based in Nairobi, explains why. We also hear how Kenya has more than halved its victims - and discuss the likelihood of the practice ending by 2030, which is the UN’s goal.

Note: This episode contains some graphic descriptions of FGM.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: Imogen James Editor: Verity Wilde

South African politics faces a big change for the first time in 30 years, after its election results. The ruling African National Congress party lost its majority and won’t be able to govern alone. Rival parties will have to find common ground in preparation for a possible coalition to work out next steps. BBC’s Southern Africa correspondent, Nomsa Maseko, explains why the party is falling out of favour despite its anti-apartheid history and what comes next.

We also speak to two people who voted in the election - Darren Campher, a socio-political content creator and Zulaikha Patel, an activist and award-winning author. They tell us about what changes they’d like to see from a new government.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Emily Horler, Julia Ross-Roy and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Donald Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in his historic criminal trial in New York. It is the first time a former or serving US president has been convicted of a crime. The court heard from 22 witnesses over six weeks, including the porn actor Stormy Daniels. Trump called the verdict a "disgrace".

It’s an unprecedented situation, which leaves a lot questions. Can Donald Trump still run for president? Could he go to prison? And what happens next?

There’s loads of contrasting opinions online, so we break down exactly what Donald Trump was found guilty of and we hear from BBC journalists Nomia Iqbal, John Sudworth, Nada Tawfik and Kayla Epstein.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Emily Horler, Julia Ross-Roy and Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

The slogan “All Eyes on Rafah” has been trending on social media. One image in particular, of white tents spelling out that phrase, has gone viral on Instagram with around 40 million shares. The picture is AI generated. Shayan Sardarizadeh from BBC Monitoring’s disinformation team tells us where the image came from and why so many people have posted it.

Rafah is a city in the south of Gaza and it’s been in headlines since the Israeli military began what it calls “targeted” ground operations against Hamas fighters and infrastructure in early May.

The UN says around a million people have now fled the fighting in Rafah, but several hundred thousand more could still be sheltering there. Israel has insisted that victory in its seven-month war with Hamas in Gaza is impossible without taking Rafah and rejected warnings that it could have catastrophic humanitarian consequences.

Yolande Knell, a BBC Middle East correspondent in Jerusalem, describes what’s happening in Rafah. We also ask her to explain the different efforts to achieve a ceasefire, via negotiations between Israel and Hamas, draft resolutions at the United Nations, and applications to the International Court of Justice.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Two flights have made the headlines recently after being hit by severe turbulence. Early investigations into a Singapore Airlines flight say that the plane dropped around 54m over 4.6 seconds. One passenger died of a suspected heart attack and dozens were injured.

Injuries from turbulence is pretty rare but scientists think that climate change could be making severe turbulence more likely in the future. The BBC’s climate and Science reporter, Esme Stallard, joins us to explain what causes severe turbulence and what scientists are doing to limit it.

It’s not just planes that fly, birds also have to deal with stormy weather. Researchers are now studying our feathered friends to better understand and predict turbulence. Emily Shepard, a researcher in bird flight and air flow, tells us how this might help.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

In June Europeans will go to the polls to decide the make-up of the next European Parliament. Far-right parties are expected to make significant gains in several countries, including Germany — the most populous country in the European Union.

Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) — Germany’s most popular far-right party — have been using social media, especially TikTok, to appeal to younger voters. Their political rivals, including Chancellor Olaf Sholz and his Social Democratic Party, are now playing catch-up when it comes to TikTok.

The BBC’s Kristina Volk explains who the AfD are and describes some of the controversies surrounding them during the current election campaign. TikTok specialist Marcus Bösch describes the growth of the AfD on the platform. And we hear from Maggy Hess, who started the #ReclaimTiktok campaign, which makes viral content to counter the influence of the AfD.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Maria Clara Montoya, William Lee Adams and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

China and South Korea are arguing on social media. This time it’s over K-pop group IVE’s new video for HEYA: some people in China claim that the group is passing off Chinese culture as Korean.

This isn’t the first time the neighbouring countries have had disputes about the origin of certain cultural things. There have been spats involving BTS, Squid Game, fashion, and - one that’s still fermenting - kimchi. The BBC’s Kerry Allen and Fan Wang talk us through the what and why.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Emily Horler and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

Coral around the world is turning white and even dying as recent record ocean heat takes a devastating toll. It has triggered the fourth “global mass coral bleaching event”. Hannah chats to What in the World producer Kevyah Cardoso about the magical life of coral.

BBC climate reporter Georgina Rannard explains what’s causing this bleaching and whether the coral can recover from it. And we hear from two parts of the world where people are trying to monitor and revive their coral reefs. The BBC’s Alfred Lasteck in Tanzania tells us about his visit to the Mnemba Island, Zanzibar where they are restoring the coral reefs. And 19 year old environmental activist and divemaster Emma Batty Sukerta, whose family are from Bali, Indonesia, talks about why she is recording the sounds of the coral reefs there.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Kevyah Cardoso & Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Thousands of young people have been out protesting in Georgia. But this isn’t organised by the opposition or a political party - these demonstrations are being driven by the 20 year olds themselves. It’s all because of a “foreign agents” law the government there is trying to bring in. There’s a fear that this law will suppress dissent and prevent Georgia from eventually joining the European Union.

This law will require non-governmental organisations and media outlets that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as an "organisation serving the interests of a foreign power". Don’t worry, we’ll go through it all in the episode.

The government says the law aims to increase transparency. Critics refer to it as the “Russian law” because it mirrors similar legislation introduced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his country.

Nutsa Dzandzava (22) and Dato Dolaberidze (23) have been spending their spare time on the streets of Georgia’s capital Tblisi. We hear why they’re protesting and what they hope to achieve. The BBC’s Rayhan Demytrie explains a bit about Georgia’s history with Russia - and the details of the controversial law that started the protests.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Maria Clara Montoya, Julia Ross-Roy & Alex Rhodes Editor: Emily Horler

This year’s Olympics will, for the first time, feature breaking – a style of street dance that originated in 1970s New York City. It’s characterised by acrobatic movements, speedy footwork and a hip-hop soundtrack. More than 30 breakers from all over the world will compete.

Rachael Gunn, known as Raygun, from Australia, is one of them. Raygun explains the rules and tells us what she loves about the sport, and why it’s so physically demanding. William Lee Adams from the What in the World team chats about the sport's history. And BBC Sport Africa reporter Isaiah Akinremi explains what else to look out for this year — including an Opening Ceremony on the River Seine.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Adam Chowdhury Producers: William Lee Adams and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

As India votes in the general election, it is impossible to avoid the wealth of AI-generated content being created - from campaign videos, to personalised audio messages in a range of Indian languages, and even automated calls made to voters in a candidate's voice.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also already made the best of the emerging technology to campaign effectively - addressing an audience in Hindi which, by using the government-created AI tool Bhashini, was then translated into Tamil in real time.

But as the tools get more sophisticated, experts worry about its implications when it comes to making fake news appear real. In April, two viral videos showed Bollywood stars Ranveer Singh and Aamir Khan campaigning for the opposition Congress party. Both filed police complaints saying these were deepfakes, made without their consent.

The BBC’s Meryl Sebastian, who is based in Kochi in southern India, explains how the election is playing out amidst the wave of AI and deepfake content.

Plus we get advice on how to deal with AI and deepfake material as a voter from Divyendra Jadoun, founder of The Indian Deepfaker, who creates this exact content.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Josh Jenkins and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, and several other officials, including the foreign minister, have died in a helicopter crash. Mr Raisi was widely tipped to eventually become Supreme Leader, the most powerful role in the country.

The BBC’s Shayan Sardarizadeh explains who Mr Raisi was, how power works in Iran, what the reaction has been, and what this could mean for the future of the regime.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Mora Morrison and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Simon Peeks

The Premier League may vote to scrap the use of video assistant referees (VAR) from next season.

Adam Chowdhury, from the What in the World team, explains how VAR works, why the technology is so controversial (including THAT Luis Diaz disallowed goal), and how it’s used in major leagues, including the Bundesliga and La Liga.

BBC Africa Sport Mimi Fawaz also shares how VAR is used in Africa, and AFCON.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Mora Morrison and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

The electric car industry is sending mixed signals. On one hand, sales of electric vehicles in Europe overtook diesel vehicles for the first time last year and annual sales of electric vehicles in China now make up 30% of total car sales in the country.

On the other hand, Elon Musk’s company Tesla and Chinese manufacturer BYD, two of the biggest electric vehicle makers, have both reported significant drops in sales this year. Plus, industry heavyweights General Motors, Nissan, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Ford have all revealed that as a result of a loss in momentum for electric cars, they are increasing their investment in hybrid vehicles, which partly use fossil fuels like petrol or diesel that harm the environment.

Confused? BBC business correspondent Erin Delmore explains what exactly is going on.

Plus, we take a closer look at how the electric vehicle industry is doing in Africa - and why the future is all about e-motorbikes instead of cars. Prosper, a 24 year old courier in Uganda tells us why she likes using an electric motorbike to get around.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Daniel Dadzie Producers: Josh Jenkins and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Open AI has just revealed the latest version of the AI chatbot ChatGPT. It’s called GPT-4o and is faster, more friendly, and even flirtatious. Tech journalist Rhiannon Williams explains how it differs from previous versions, and what this means for the future of AI technology.

But not everyone has equal access to ChatGPT. Grace Kejo, a 17-year-old student in Tanzania, shares why. Plus, Maria Clara Montoya describes how AI voices have changed over time: from the 1950s speech recognition systems to Siri and Alexa, and the present day.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Laura Cress Producers: Mora Morrison and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Several nations have suffered flooding in just the last few months. Brazil, Kenya, Indonesia and China are just some of those that have been hit. Many people have died and thousands have been forced to move away from their homes.

Floods are common and can happen at any time during the year. However, are we seeing more than usual these days? And how much impact is the El Nino weather system having? BBC Climate Reporter Georgina Rannard explains what’s been happening and why.

We hear from listener Leandro who sent us a voice message from the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, where more than half a million people have been displaced from their homes.

And eight months on from floods which hit Eastern Libya, the nation is continuing to rebuild from its catastrophic event. The BBC’s Amira Fathalla describes what it’s like on the ground today.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Beverly Ochieng Producers: Josh Jenkins and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Simon Peeks

The Eurovision Song Contest is the biggest music competition in the world. Countries from all over Europe, and some from outside (we’re looking at you Australia), compete to reach the Grand Final and win the iconic glass microphone trophy. The winner also gets the honour of hosting next year’s event, which brings big crowds and parties galore to the host city.

This year’s event was held in Malmö, Sweden on the 50th anniversary of ABBA’s victory in the event. This year Switzerland’s Nemo won with their song ‘The Code’. They are the first non-binary artist to win the competition. However, there was plenty of controversy beyond the celebrations.

In the build-up to Saturday’s Grand Final, there were protests against Israel’s inclusion because of the war in Gaza. Eden Golan performed the song ‘Hurricane’ which earned fifth place for Israel. Several acts ended their performances with messages such as "love will triumph hate" and "peace will prevail."

What in the World’s William Lee Adams was in Malmö reporting from the event and tells us everything we need to know about Eurovision 2024.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Adam Chowdhury with William Lee Adams Producer: Mora Morrison Editor: Simon Peeks

*This podcast was amended on 16th May 2024 to remove a reference to Celine Dion being Swiss at 00:33. Celine Dion is Canadian but won Eurovision for Switzerland.*

If you’ve been scrolling on TikTok recently, you might have come across the viral song out of North Korea called ‘Friendly Father’. It’s been released by the country’s leader Kim Jong Un. Frances Mao, from the BBC’s bureau in Singapore, explains why this song went viral, and what it tells us about the regime.

Over in Russia, the nation’s annual Victory Day has taken place, partly to show off Russia’s military capacity. We talk to the BBC Monitoring’s Alistair Coleman about what message these parades send. Plus, the BBC’s China analyst Kerry Allen describes China’s propaganda methods.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Mora Morrison and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

We throw tonnes of rubbish away and globally we’re throwing away more than ever. But what happens to it? Well, that depends on where in the world you live. Some gets recycled, some gets burned and some ends up in dumps or landfill.

British author Oliver Franklin-Wallis has written a book all about rubbish (Wasteland: The Dirty Truth About What We Throw Away, Where It Goes, and Why It Matters). He explains where some of it ends up - and why he’s hopeful about the global waste situation. The BBC’s Duc Ha tells us about the impact of imported waste and recycling on Vietnam.

Also we hear about the UN’s Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution; the BBC’s Esme Stallard breaks down what it is and whether it’ll make a difference. Betty Osei Bonsu, 26, from the Green Africa Youth Organisation, has been attending UN summits where this treaty has been discussed. She describes what it was like and what her organisation is doing to try to reduce plastic pollution in Ghana and Uganda.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Two of the biggest names in hip-hop right now, Drake and Kendrick Lamar, are certainly not friends anymore. Their beef is escalating as they release diss track after diss track. Lamar has dropped the likes of ‘Euphoria’ and ‘Meet the Grahams’ whilst Drake has released ‘Family Matters’ and ‘Push Ups’.

The musical feud is spilling into real life as well. On Tuesday, police say a security guard was shot outside Drake’s home in Toronto, Canada. They’ve added that it’s too early to say who exactly was involved in the incident and that the victim is in a serious condition in hospital.

Music journalist Nicolas-Tyrell Scott tells us everything we need to know about Drake v Kendrick.

The beef isn’t just happening in hip-hop. Afrobeat stars Davido and Wizkid are clashing too. Culture journalist Nelson CJ explains the battle and what beef is like in the Afrobeat world.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Josh Jenkins and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

Social media platforms, like Instagram and Xiaohongshu, are full of shopping tips to help you spend. But they can also help you save, partly by providing support and advice through groups of like-minded individuals - or, in China, da zi. This is a growing trend, especially among young women.

The BBC’s Sylvia Chang explains why they’re joining, and how this could impact China’s economy. We also hear from Anita Nkonge, in Kenya, about a popular saving challenge there.

Plus, if you’re currently on a budget we’ve got five top tips on how to save from Ashley Lee (@hermoneymastery on TikTok).

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Maria Clara Montoya and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Challengers. Poor Things. Saltburn. Three Hollywood movies released in the last six months which haven't held back on sex. However, the stats tell us movies in America are actually getting less steamy…

A study from The Economist suggests that sexual content in movies has dropped by 40% since 2000. BBC Culture reporter, Annabel Rackham, explains what’s behind this Hollywood trend.

Intimacy co-ordinators are a more regular sight on sets these days, helping people in front of the camera and behind it to navigate their way through a sensitive scene. Alicia Rodis, an intimacy co-ordinator who’s worked on Watchmen, And Just Like That and The Deuce, explains what the job entails.

Plus, BBC Asian Network’s Haroon Rashid describes how sex and romance is treated in Bollywood. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Emily Horler, Baldeep Chahal and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

Epic Games. Microsoft. Riot Games; owners of the biggest computer game titles in the world and part of a gaming industry which has been valued at $200 billion. That’s more than the music and entertainment industry combined. It’s not all plain sailing though.

Epic Games, which created Fortnite, recently cut 870 jobs. Microsoft, which now owns Activision-Blizzard; famous for the Call of Duty and Red Dead Redemption series, announced 1,900 job losses earlier this year. League of Legends maker Riot Games reduced their workforce by 10%, which meant 530 job cuts. It’s estimated that 18,000 jobs have been lost over the past couple of years. BBC gaming expert Mel Ramsay explains what’s going on. Also, Harriet in the UK and Francis from Canada share their experiences of being laid off. They give their views on the impact on the gaming sector and how to improve things for employees.

And we take a quick look at the computer game sector in Nigeria, where the demand for home grown mobile gaming is taking off.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Josh Jenkins and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

Zimbabwe has a brand new currency; it’s called the ZiG (Zimbabwe Gold) and it’s backed by the country’s gold reserves. This is the third time they’ve launched a new currency in ten years and 80% of transactions in the country are now carried out in US dollars. Can the government persuade its citizens that this one will remain stable and not deflate?

The BBC’s Zimbabwe correspondent Shingai Nyoka explains how people pay for stuff in the country and why the government has brought in a new currency. Two guys in Harare tell us what they make of the ZiG, and whether they’re using it instead of the US dollar.

Also Baldeep Chahal from the What in the World team brings us some other examples of countries changing their currency and chats about whether it ever works.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Demonstrations over the war in Gaza have taken place at several universities in the US over the past few weeks.

They have spanned from Columbia University in New York, to universities in Chicago, Texas and California.

In the last month, more than a thousand people have been arrested.

The BBC’s North America Correspondent Nomia Iqbal explains what has been happening and how this might affect the upcoming US election.

And Bernd Debusmann Jr tells us about the history of student demonstrations in America.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Maria Clara Montoya, Josh Jenkins and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

Nature conservation is effective at protecting animals and plants - and we’re getting better at it. That’s according to a new major study published in the journal Science. Esme Stallard, a BBC climate and science reporter, explains what conservation is, where it’s worked (including for humpback whales), and why we need it.

Plus, we hear from two people who work in conservation. Charles Emogor has a PhD in pangolins and is from Nigeria. He shares why he loves them and how he’s saving them from being hunted. And Aiita Joshua Apamaku, from Uganda, tells us why he finds conservation so exciting.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Baldeep Chahal and Sophie Smith Editor: Verity Wilde

Modest fashion has been steadily gaining more global recognition over the past decade, with longer hemlines spotted on the runway. It’s now estimated to be worth around $300 billion.

But modest fashion isn’t just religious coverings, loose dresses, or even your grandmother’s cardigan. At Modest Fashion Week in Istanbul there was everything from faux fur, to gold silk and platform heels. Megan Lawton, a BBC reporter in Toronto, has been looking into how modest fashion has shifted outside the leading markets in Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia to the US and Australia. She’s spoken to the founders of Reflective - an online marketplace for modest clothes.

We also hear from Nawal Sari, a Muslim model and content creator in Australia, about how the modest-friendly options have shifted over the years - and how authentic some marketing of the clothing is.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown and other cities have been suffering blackouts for weeks. It’s disrupted hospitals and daily life for many. Most of Freetown’s power comes from a Turkish ship floating off the country’s coast - and they’ve massively reduced electricity supply to the city because of unpaid bills. Karpowership is one of the world's biggest floating power plant operators, with several African states relying on it for electricity.

BBC journalist Chimezie UcheAgbo explains where Sierra Leone gets its power and what’s causing the blackout. Fatmata Gassim (19), an engineering student in Freetown, tells us how the blackout has affected her. We also hear about power outages in Ghana (from the BBC’s Favour Nunoo in his car) - and the rocketing cost of electricity in Nigeria. Irene Leigh (23) sends us a message about how her company, EasySolar, is helping people in Sierra Leone find alternative ways to get their power.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Emily Horler and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

President Biden has just signed a law that says TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance has nine months to sell the app or it will be blocked in the US. We hear what TikTok users in the US think about the ban - and how it would affect them. Liv McMahon from the BBC tech team explains why the US government has done this, how TikTok has responded - and why it won’t be easy to sell the app. And the BBC’s Kerry Allen describes the origins of TikTok in China and the Chinese reaction to the ban.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Benita Barden and Mary Isokariari Editor: Verity Wilde

Nuclear weapons have been back in public conversation recently - partly due to rising tensions between Iran and Israel. Outside of the news, they have also been featured a lot in films and TV shows. (Think Oppenheimer and Fallout).

But, what are nuclear weapons? And is it likely they’ll be used again? Or, have we learnt from what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

The BBC's security correspondent Gordon Corera explains. We also hear from a nuclear studies student in Islamabad, Pakistan, about why young people should care about them.

Plus, Alex Rhodes from the team talks us through some nuclear close calls. This includes how the actions of one Stanislav Petrov could have saved us all.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Alex Rhodes and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

There’s been massive flooding in Dubai, with twice the annual amount of rain in a single day. Roads, runways and shopping malls were flooded. Meanwhile, West Africa has been dealing with one of its worst heatwaves. Late March and early April saw consistent temperatures above 40 degrees centigrade, sometimes even at night. We know a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme weather events more likely - but are the freak events going to be the new normal?

Three BBC reporters take us through the facts. Abdirahim Saeed looks at the infrastructure in Dubai and our Climate Disinformation reporter, Marco Silva, explains what conspiracies around cloud-seeding were doing the rounds after the floods. We go to Lagos to speak to Makuochi Okafor, a BBC Health Correspondent for West Africa, and we also hear from three people in their early twenties about how they’re coping in the heat and trying to limit the effects of climate change.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Adam Chowdhury, Alex Rhodes, Emily Horler and Mary Isokariari Editor: Verity Wilde

The metaverse has been talked about as the next big thing in technology: a virtual world which will become a part of our daily lives (think Ready Player One). Mark Zuckerberg even changed his company’s name from Facebook to Meta in 2021, such was his commitment to building his own metaverse.

But what actually is a metaverse? And how close is it to becoming a reality? Technology reporter Omar Mehtab explains.

He also answers questions from two guests who want to know more about the metaverse. Yusaira, a college student in Bangladesh, and professional racing gamer Karl Etyemezian, who plays for the Veloce Esports team, and competed for Lebanon at the first ever Olympic Esports event in 2023. They discuss its real-life potential and their reservations.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Emily Horler

Korean shamans hold significant cultural importance in Korean society. They are often shown in Korean dramas and films, adorned in shiny and colourful traditional attire, dancing on sharp knives, summoning spirits, and banishing demons. They offer fortune telling services and perform rituals to help people with their personal issues.

In South Korean media, shamans are often portrayed as deceitful characters who misuse their status to manipulate people and profit from others… but that negative image is slowly changing as young shamans are modernising their approach. They now have shrines in the busy centre of Seoul and they've become big on social media, even offering consultations online. BBC journalist Soo Min Kim has been speaking to shamans and their customers about why people go to see them and how social media is making them more accessible.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with Soo Min Kim Producers: Emily Horler and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

India’s live music scene is thriving with higher ticket sales and more concerts from international artists. To meet demand, the country is renovating old venues. And the government has simplified tax rules to encourage more stars like Ed Sheeran to perform.

Megan Lawton, a BBC reporter in Toronto, has been speaking to fans in India and people who work in India’s live music industry. Among other things, she explains how streaming is boosting the demand for live music events and why music promoters see India as an important market to target.

Plus, BBC reporter Trisha Husada in Jakarta, explains what Indonesia is doing to entice more global musicians. That’s after Taylor Swift snubbed most of Southeast Asia during her recent Eras tour.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with Megan Lawton Producers: William Lee Adams and Mora Morrison Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

In this episode we chat with someone who just LOVES steak, and eats it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But Eric’s not the only one who loves beef: its consumption is going up around the world. But many people are also concerned about its huge carbon footprint - and how it impacts climate change.

BBC climate reporters Georgina Rannard and Marco Silva explain why cows are so bad for the environment, what misinformation exists online, and what alternatives are out there (if you’re looking to cut down).

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Women’s basketball is more popular than ever. Ratings for the WNBA are growing and the professional league has plans to increase its number of teams. Monday was a huge day for the sport, as the best college players in the United States gathered for the WNBA draft. The professional teams picked the college players who will join them for the next season. Dozens of women, including Caitlin Clark - who’s drawn comparisons to NBA legend Steph Curry - are now headed to the professional league and bringing their fans with them.

So what’s behind the success of women’s basketball? Shavonne Herndon, a sideline reporter for the Dallas Wings, explains. And Adam Chowdhury from the What in the World team shares some of the highlights from Monday’s draft. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Baldeep Chahal Editors: Emily Horler and Simon Peeks

Iran has carried out direct strikes on Israel for the first time. It’s believed to be a retaliation for a deadly strike on its consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus. The bad blood between both countries goes back many years. And it’s involved several countries in the region, including Lebanon and Syria. Previously, Israel and Iran had been engaged in a years-long shadow war - attacking each other's assets without admitting responsibility.

The BBC’s Shayan Sardarizadeh tells us why they are enemies, what’s lead to Iran’s recent airstrikes, who has nuclear weapons, and what the attack could mean for the rest of the world.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Baldeep Chahal Editors: Emily Horler and Simon Peeks

P-pop, or Pinoy pop, is a growing genre of music in the Philippines. It stems from OPM (Original Pilipino Music). You may be more familiar with K-pop, which is a multibillion-dollar industry. P-pop is hoping to get a slice of that global success.

One of P-pop’s biggest groups is Alamat. Each member comes from a different region of the Philippines and sings in their local language. In Manila, Hannah meets them and learns why spreading Filipino culture is so important to them, and what sets them apart.

We’re also joined by Camille Elemia, a Manila-based journalist, who explains P-pop’s origins and popularity. Plus, YouTuber Sylvia Kim tells us how P-pop compares to K-pop, and if it’s taking off in Korea.

(Music in episode: Dayang by Alamat)

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde and Julia Ross-Roy

Famine is imminent in northern Gaza, according to the United Nations. There is some aid going into Gaza, but it’s severely limited and aid workers face dangerous, sometimes deadly conditions.

Last week there was widespread international criticism after seven people from World Central Kitchen died in an Israeli airstrike. Israel has said the attack was due to “grave mistakes”. The UN says over 200 humanitarian workers have now been killed in Gaza.

The BBC’s Hugo Bachega, a Middle East correspondent, explains how much aid is entering Gaza and the challenges of getting aid in and distributing it.

We hear what kind of aid is being delivered, from Karyn Beattie, the team leader for Save the Children’s program in Gaza.

And we ask - is Israel starting to allow more aid in?

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

When it comes to elephant conservation, Botswana is the world leader. It is now home to more than 130,000 elephants — or around a third of the world's elephant population. But this growing number poses major problems for humans: the animals destroy homes and crops, and even injure and kill people.

To manage its elephant population, Botswana allows so-called “trophy hunting”. Hunters from abroad pay for permits to shoot and kill elephants — and can then take a piece of the elephant home. Botswana then re-invests this income into conservation efforts.

It’s a controversial practice. Animal rights activists want Botswana’s government to seek alternatives to trophy hunting, which they deem as cruel. And in Germany — Europe’s biggest importer of African elephant trophies — the government has suggested there should be stricter limits on importing them. The president of Botswana recently threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany as part of the dispute.

Shingai Nyoka, a BBC reporter in neighbouring Zimbabwe, explains the laws that govern trophy hunting and why they’re up for debate. And John Murphy, a BBC News reporter in London, recounts his experience visiting an “elephant corridor” — regular routes taken by elephants in their daily commute between their feeding grounds on one side and water on the other.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with Shingai Nyoka Producers: Alex Rhodes and William Lee Adams Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

On Monday, millions of people across Mexico, the US and Canada saw a total solar eclipse. That’s when the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun, blocking its light.

But it’s not just eclipse-chasers who are excited. Scientists are too. They’re using the opportunity to study the Earth's upper atmosphere (known as the ionosphere), the Sun’s corona, and even animal behaviour.

So, could this solar eclipse could help unlock some of the secrets of our universe? Astronomer Jimena Stephenson and the BBC’s Laura Garcia explain.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

*In this episode Laura says Mexico last witnessed a solar eclipse in 1999. But it was in fact 1991.*

Over the last few decades, most countries in Europe have abolished compulsory military service. But following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the debate around conscription has returned. Last year Latvia restarted mandatory military service for men between 18 and 27. And now other countries are expanding their policies on conscription and encouraging their allies to follow suit. Last month Denmark proposed extending mandatory military service to women.

BBC Europe correspondent Nick Beake explains why countries are bringing back conscription and how changing rules are affecting young people. We also hear from two young conscripts in Estonia . They describe their training and the mental toll it can take.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Mora Morrison, Alex Rhodes, William Lee Adams Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Vinícius Júnior is one of the top footballers in the world but recently he broke down in tears when asked about the racist abuse he’s suffered from fans while playing for Spanish side Real Madrid. It’s sparked a fierce debate about racism in the sport and in Spain itself. The Brazilian has said that La Liga “belongs to racists”, so what can be done about the problem?

We’ve got BBC Sport presenter Isaac Fanin and the What in the World team’s Maria Clara Montoya in the studio with Hannah to break down the issue.

And we hear how a small team in Madrid, Dragones de Lavapiés, is trying to tackle racism and prejudice at a community level. Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Alex Rhodes and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Welcome to the future. There are some people who already live with an implant inside their head. Noland Arbaugh is one of them - he’s paralysed but can now work a computer with his mind.

There could be more people with brain chips if Elon Musk's hopes for his company, Neuralink, come true. He wants humans to merge with artificial intelligence to stop AI from taking over the world. That’s not happening any time soon, but there are lots of questions around how brain implants are used at the moment. How are they helping people? Are they ethical? Could we all have one at some point?

Wired's biotech reporter, Emily Mullin, tells us more about how these brain interface devices work. And neuroethicist Laura Cabrera reflects on the moral implications of these implants.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Baldeep Chahal, Benita Barden and Emily Horler Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Senegal's democracy was put at risk earlier this year when former president, Macky Sall, tried to hold onto power by delaying elections and putting political opponents in prison.

But the election went ahead and Senegal now has a new president. Who is Bassirou Diomaye Faye and with him in charge, what’s the future for the country?

From Dakar, BBC correspondent Thomas Naadi tells us more about Faye's road to the Senegalese presidency.

And BBC journalist Natasha Booty gives us some details about Faye's personal life, which has attracted much attention now he’s the first president in Senegal in a polygamous marriage with two wives.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Maria Clara Montoya and Benita Barden Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

You may have started seeing adverts on your social media feed for a website called Temu. Its motto is “shop like a billionaire” and it sells… well, pretty much everything. The only thing the products in its marketplace have in common is that they’re dirt cheap and made in China.

It’s the global wing of a Chinese e-commerce shopping company and burst onto the scene in 2022. It’s now worth just under 150 billion dollars. It’s aggressively marketed itself, releasing glossy adverts during the Superbowl, cultivating an army of influencers and offering promotions that encourage users to sign up other shoppers for cash giveaways.

But the small print details of these deals got some experts worried about data and privacy protection.

Alex chats to BBC Business and Tech reporter Sam Gruet talk about the origins of the company and how it manages to make money when its products are so cheap.

Hannah speaks to BBC journalist Tom Espiner about the giveaway promotion and why users may have signed away more than they’d bargained for.

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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart and Alex Rhodes Producers: Baldeep Chahal and Maria Clara Montoya Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

The cost of cocoa - the key ingredient for making chocolate - has reached an all-time high. In fact, the price has roughly doubled over the past year. The soaring cocoa prices are squeezing major chocolate makers and filtering through to consumers who are paying more for their sweet treats.

Nkechi Ogbonna, the BBC’s Senior West Africa Business Correspondent, explains how climate change, irregular rainfall and crop infestations are contributing to the price hike. It’s a similar story for coffee, as producers face growing demand and environmental challenges. Vanusia Nogueira, the executive director of the International Coffee Organization, tells us more.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: William Lee Adams, Baldeep Chahal and Mora Morrison Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Marina Summers is one of the top drag queens in the Philippines and she was one of the finalists on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World. Her drag embraces her Philippine identity, with looks on the show inspired by rice farming and even the national fish. Drag culture in the Philippines is becoming more mainstream but it’s not completely easy for all drag queens - one queen, is facing prison time for ‘offending religion’, after dressing up as Jesus in a show.

So what is life like for a Filipino drag queen? Plus we hear from two young LGBT people about what drag and being LGBT means to them.

Also, William Lee Adams, from the What in the World team, takes us through what LGBT rights are like across Southeast Asia. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

Beyoncé has released her highly anticipated new album, Cowboy Carter. It is a deep dive into the country-western genre. Some critics have questioned why one of the biggest R'n'B vocalists in the world would experiment with country. But others say it is her right as a Texas-born singer. Regardless, there is a strong sense that she is helping black artists take up more space in a genre long associated with white Americans.

Sophie Williams, a BBC reporter, explains how black artists have often felt excluded from the country music industry. We also hear the from two black women working in country music: Holly G, the founder of Black Opry, an organisation that connects black artists in the country and Americana genres, and Tiera Kennedy, a singer-songwriter from Alabama who appears on Beyoncé’s tracks Blackbird, which is a cover of The Beatles’ original song, and Tyrant.

We also hear from Dr Emmett G Price III, dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music & Boston Conservatory. He explains how African-American history influenced the development of country music.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with Sophie Williams Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Flying cars are something that’s straight out of sci-fi films and novels. But despite predictions in the past that we’d all be driving/flying one by now, they’ve always been confined to visions of the future. But could all that be about to change?

A Chinese firm has bought a European company who’ve made a working flying car and has got permission to fly them in an unspecified location in its home country. China is a huge driving force behind the adoption of electric vehicles - can it do the same for flying cars?

The BBC’s Technology Editor Zoe Kleinman takes us through the story. Plus Alex from the What in the World team drops in to talk about other predictions and whether they came true.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Alex Rhodes, Adam Chowdhury and Baldeep Chahal Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

More than two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western countries have ramped up their attempts to stifle Russia’s economy using sanctions. These are economic penalties imposed by one country on another to stop them acting aggressively or breaking international law. There are now around 16,500 sanctions against Russia that target sectors from energy to finance to aviation. However, Russia’s economy has proven resilient. Vitaly Shevchenko, Russia editor at BBC Monitoring, explains the ways Moscow has managed to evade sanctions. He also assesses whether sanctions can work long-term. Plus, Dr Thomas Withington, an expert on electronic warfare, discusses how Russia uses ‘ghost ships’ to trade sanctioned goods without being caught.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

All of these African countries have suffered major internet disruption this month: Ivory Coast, Liberia, Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia, Burkina Faso. This meant people couldn’t do everyday things like post on social media, send money to each other or order taxis.

It’s because of damage to some of the underwater cables off the coast of west Africa. These cables, some only as thick as a garden hose, span thousands of miles and are responsible for most of the earth’s internet access.

BBC Africa business reporter Jewel Kiriungi tells the affected countries are dealing with being knocked offline.

And internet infrastructure expert Doug Madory explains how exactly this vast network of cables works and what might have happened to cause the online blackout.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross Roy, Alex Rhodes and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Havana Syndrome has confused scientists ever since it first emerged in Cuba in 2016. The mystery illness mostly affects American officials working in embassies abroad. They report symptoms like hearing buzzing and screeching noises, and often experience pulses of pain and intense pressure in their skulls.

Among other theories, people have suggested it’s a side effect from some unknown surveillance technology or the result of microwave weapons deployed by foreign enemies. Others argue it’s likely a mass psychogenic illness — so one that’s all in the mind — resulting from stress.

But some scientists think it might be physical, so there have been studies that look for signs of damage in the brains of people experiencing symptoms. Two of the most recent studies in the U.S. failed to detect any. So what or who is causing this illness?

We hear from Gordon Corera, the BBC’s Security Correspondent, who talks us through the some of the theories.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with Gordon Corera Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editor: Simon Peeks

Cookies are a way for organisations to collect data from people who visit their site or app. You might see banners popping up on sites you visit asking you to accept or decline them. Maria Clara Montoya from the What in the World team explains how cookies work and why we often see that choice.

Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has rolled out a paid-subscription version of their social media sites for users in Europe. If you pay the subscription you don’t get advertisements and Meta says it doesn’t get your data. If you don’t pay, the sites get your data and you see ads. Meta says they’re doing this to comply with European Union laws on data collection.

But some privacy campaigners say people shouldn’t have to pay if they don’t want to share their data. Privacy expert and campaigner Alexander Hanff, known as That Privacy Guy, explains what happens to our data when we browse online.

And Bipana Dhakal, founder of “The Learning Fortress” in Nepal, explains how you can keep your online data safe.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Emily Horler, Maria Clara Montoya and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Plane manufacturing giant Boeing has been making the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Videos of a dramatic door blowout onboard an Alaskan Airlines flight swept through social media in January. BBC reporter Thomas Mackintosh tells us about his chat with Cuong Tran, the man who was just inches away from the hole in the plane.

We also hear from the BBC’s North America Business Correspondent Erin Delmore, who tells us what might be behind the other incidents involving Boeing this year and how the company has responded.

Plus we discuss the allegations of a whistleblower who appears to have taken his own life in between testifying against the company.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Alex Rhodes and Baldeep Chahal Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Some women with afro and curly textured hair use chemicals to straighten their hair. But using these products can lead to burns and skin irritation. And some of the ingredients, like formaldehyde, are carcinogens. Some studies have shown a link between their use and higher rates of some cancers.

Kate Holden, a hair and scalp expert, tells us how chemical straighteners work. Dorcas Wangira, the BBC’s Africa Health correspondent, explains the health effects of using these products. Mary Isokariari from the What in the World team discusses why some women feel pressure to straighten their hair. Chinenye Ézémbu in Nigeria tells us why she chemically relaxes her hair and Deborah William shares her health issues, which she thinks are linked to her use of chemical hair straighteners.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mary Isokariari, Emily Horler and Adam Chowdhury Researcher: Jaidaa Taha Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Idris Elba, one of the actors rumoured to be the next James Bond, is leading a project to turn an island in Sierra Leone into an eco-city. The new plans for Sherbro Island include wind-powered renewable electricity, solar farms and a film studio. The hope is that the island will become a tourist destination for people seeking the sun.

The BBC’s David Waddell spoke to Elba about his new project. David joins us to explain the actor’s motivations and his vision for the city.

But we can’t not mention Akon City! Grammy award-winning artist Akon also has plans to transform a part of Africa. In 2018, the Senegalese-American said he would build ‘Akon City’ on the coast of Senegal. The R&B star said he wanted to create something like Wakanda from Marvel’s Black Panther. However, the project has been hit by delays and has barely got off the ground. Borso Tall, a journalist based in Senegal, takes us though the latest.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: William Lee Adams and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Emily Horler

The Philippines is one of the most at risk countries in the world from the effects of climate change. At the same time, it has some of the most expensive energy in Southeast Asia and relies heavily on imported coal. But a recent report by the NGO Climate Analytics found that, by 2050, the Philippines could get its energy entirely from renewable sources.

Is it feasible? Three Filipinos give us their thoughts. Jhesset Enano is a journalist, Mitzi Jonelle Tan is a climate activist and Joshua Miguel Lopez works for Reboot, a youth-led organisation working towards a just energy transition.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Emily Horler

In Cameroon, 62 football players have been suspended from the domestic league for double identification or age fraud. One of them is 17 year old Wilfried Nathan Doualla who was part of the Indomitable Lions squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

There have been claims of age fraud in Cameroonian football for a long time now. Last year, 21 members of their under-17s squad failed age tests. Some of them were found to be in their late 20s and early 30s. But these allegations aren’t just limited to Cameroon - there have also been cases in Ghana and Nigeria.

BBC Sport Africa reporter Oluwashina Okeleji explains why some players lie about their age and how clubs use MRI technology to work out if a player is under 18. Former Premier League footballer and Ghana international Kwesi Appiah talks about his experience of how age impacts players on the pitch. And Alex from the What in the World team chats about other cases of age fraud and age controversy outside football, from gymnastics to Mariah Carey.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Josh Jenkins Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

At least six trans people have been killed in Mexico since the beginning of the year. Human rights groups say that Mexico is the second most dangerous country to be trans, after Brazil.

One of the women killed was Samantha Gómez Fonseca, a trans activist and politician. She was shot multiple times in a taxi in Mexico City. Miguel Fuentes, from the LGTBQ organisation Yaaj, tells us about her life. Naran Sofia Martin del Campo explains the daily challenges that come with being a trans woman in Mexico. And BBC journalist Marcos Gonzalez talks about the culture in Mexico and attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Maria Clara Montoya Researcher: Elena Angelides Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Muslims around the world are observing the holy month of Ramadan. It's a month of fasting, reflection, community and family time. But this year it feels different.

Iqra Farooq, a BBC journalist in London, explains how people have traditionally marked Ramadan and how the Israel-Gaza war is impacting those traditions.

We also hear from Muslims, from Gaza to Sudan, who discuss how the conflict is affecting them and their families during Ramadan.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenters: Hannah Gelbart with Iqra Farooq Producers: William Lee Adams and Baldeep Chahal Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

An online storm has engulfed Kate Middleton. Rumour and speculation have swirled ever since she underwent planned abdominal surgery at the start of the year. Kensington Palace said from the beginning that she wasn’t expected to resume Royal duties until after Easter but that did nothing to stop the pressure mounting over a lack of public appearances.

Over the weekend the Palace released a photo of the Princess of Wales with her children but then people started noticing odd details. Soon the press agencies that distributed the photo had issued a “kill notice” - over concerns that it had been digitally altered or edited. Eventually Kate issued a statement on Instagram, admitted “experimenting” with editing and apologised for any “confusion” the picture may have caused.

This PR disaster has done nothing to quell the rumours.

In this episode we break down the timeline of the story so far, the BBC’s Jacqui Wakefield looks into how the image may have been edited and we get some PR tips from crisis management expert Molly McPherson.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Alex Rhodes and Maria Clara Montoya Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

These days tickets for big music tours and sports events can sell out in a matter of seconds. And not everyone who buys a ticket is planning on going. Touts, scalpers, resellers (whatever you know them as) are using increasingly high-tech ways to snap up all the tickets before real fans get a chance, then selling them on for dizzying amounts.

It’s not just big stars like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, it’s also huge sports events like the Cricket World Cup, the Superbowl and the Euros.

We hear from Rachel Lee, a reporter in South Korea, and Roxy Gagdekar, a reporter in India, about the scale of the problem in their countries. Plus we speak to Alessandro Moretti, a criminologist who’s spoken to some prolific touts to study their secrets.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Beverly Ochieng Producers: Alex Rhodes, Baldeep Chahal and Maria Clara Montoya Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks