What in the World

Why does China put Uyghurs in ‘re-education camps’?

22 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There are about 12 million Uyghurs, mostly Muslim, living in Xinjiang. China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity and possibly genoc...

How drones could transform healthcare in remote areas

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

People who live in remote areas of the world often lack access to basic healthcare. Their difficulties are magnified during disasters. But around the ...

(A very temporary) RIP to American TikTok

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 sayi...

*BONUS EPISODE* Trump’s inauguration: What to expect

18 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

Donald Trump, UFC and WWE: The love affair

17 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Champion) both started off as niche TV and at small events, but are now thoroughly main...

Israel-Gaza ceasefire: What’s been agreed?

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 an...

Who makes Shein’s clothes?

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 com...

Why is the Darién Gap so dangerous?

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

How is gang violence affecting life in Haiti?

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

Wildfires are burning across Los Angeles

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Is carbon offsetting a con?

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

Tibet earthquake: What we know so far

08 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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, ma...

Is Elon Musk influencing world politics?

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 rele...

How asthma is affecting Africa

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 o...

Can zombies and witches save Bollywood from its troubles?

03 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bollywood films are known for their epic love stories, energetic dance numbers and huge stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra. However, the in...

Is Turkmenistan finally closing the “gates of hell”?

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 “gat...

Does nature deserve rights - and song credits?

01 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 mo...

South Korea’s Jeju Air crash: What we know

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

From peanut farmer to President: Why the world is mourning Jimmy Carter

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Cultural appropriation of food: What is it?

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A campaign on TikTok recently started a fresh conversation about cultural appropriation of food. It started when content creator Yen Bui, who now live...

Is this the end for canned hunting in South Africa?

26 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 (...

How to disagree without biting someone’s head off

25 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We all disagree on some things. For some people disagreeing is natural and, in some instances, even enjoyable. While for others it’s super uncomfort...

Why 2024 was a bad year for female politicians

24 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 slowe...

How has Cyclone Chido impacted Mozambique and Mayotte?

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cyclone Chido has wreaked havoc in Mozambique and Mayotte.In Mozambique, 120 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds of thousands more impacted b...

Is BMX Freestyle on its way up?

20 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ju...

Northern Lights - what are they?

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 purp...

Could Donald Trump stop a TikTok ban in the US?

18 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 202...

Syria: What will the refugees do now?

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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’...

Gukesh Dommaraju: Why India is producing more chess champions

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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

Why is Europe worried about wolves?

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Why young women are donating their eggs

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

From Hollywood to Nollywood: Are cinemas bouncing back?

11 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

Does Brazil have a problem with online gambling?

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Syria: What you need to know

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Who’s got the power? K-pop stars, their label, or their fans?

06 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

K-pop girl group NewJeans announced they were leaving their record label during an emergency press conference last week. This follows months of public...

Bans on social media and phones - what is the evidence?

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 m...

Martial law: What is it and what happened in South Korea?

04 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 f...

Protesters in Georgia are worried about Russia

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For the past few nights, thousands of Georgians have been out protesting the government in Tbilisi. It’s because the ruling party, Georgian Dream, s...

How content creators make money from rage-baiting

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rage bait is social media content that's designed to elicit anger and frustration. Those feelings can encourage people to engage with the content, oft...

Has the price of art gone bananas?

29 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 lit...

Is borderless travel in Africa possible?

28 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Intra-continental travel is huge, and borderless agreements between countries make trips easier. For instance, Europe has the Schengen Zone and South ...

The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal explained

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 peopl...

Laos tourist deaths: How dangerous is fake alcohol?

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 follo...

COP29 was all about the money

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The annual United Nations climate change conference ended on Sunday but not everybody was happy. This year, the main focus was on getting richer count...

Flex culture: Is shopping addiction driving Malaysia’s youth debt crisis?

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 reas...

How Thailand’s same-sex marriage law could impact South East Asia

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Why does Iran call women protesting the hijab ‘mentally ill’?

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 bu...

Māori rights protests in New Zealand

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Thursd...

Elon Musk: From tech billionaire to Donald Trump adviser

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk — the world’s richest man — has built several companies, including PayPal, Tesla, and SpaceX. He’s also built a close relationship w...

Is Korea’s Suneung the world’s most stressful exam?

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 e...

Why is CBD use on the rise – and are all the health claims true?

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

CBD products are everywhere. You can get the cannabis extract in oils, vapes, skincare products, even gummy bears, coffee and fizzy drinks. Videos rec...

The South China Sea: What’s going on?

13 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 previousl...

Why have hundreds of sex tapes been leaked in Equatorial Guinea?

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hundreds of sex tapes featuring Baltazar Ebang Engonga, the nephew of Equatorial Guinea’s president, have flooded social media. Many of the women se...

Gaming disorder: What are the signs to look for?

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The World Health Organisation now officially recognises gaming disorder as a mental health condition - when someone’s gaming behaviour becomes so se...

Why buying a house feels impossible if you’re young and single

08 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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. Thi...

Russia has fined Google more than all the world’s money

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

$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 Yo...

How Donald Trump won the US presidential election

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Why is the flooding in Spain so bad?

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

Why "biopiracy" was a big talking point at COP 16

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

COP 16 — the United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity — recently concluded in Colombia. ...

Is Africa the next big player in esports and pro gaming?

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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

Why some young people are fed up with the “black tax”

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The practice of sending money to family in other countries - known as remittances - is widespread. The World Bank estimates that over $650 billion was...

South Africa: Chris Brown gig shines light on violence against women

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Could abortion rights swing the U.S election?

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 s...

Why young people are leaving France for Senegal

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Why women footballers are taking on an oil company

25 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 humanitaria...

Why is labiaplasty on the rise in Brazil?

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 pla...

Are the Yazidis any closer to justice?

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

Why has Ivory Coast banned student unions?

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Ivorian government has announced the dissolution of all student unions following the killing of two students, a crime attributed to the powerful S...

Are attitudes towards India’s caste system changing?

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

India’s caste system, one of the world’s oldest social hierarchies, has shaped lives for centuries, granting privileges to some while oppressing o...

Liam Payne: Why One Direction fans are so heartbroken

18 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

*EXTRA EPISODE* Hamas leader dead: What does this mean for the war in Gaza?

18 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 maste...

Israel, Lebanon and UN peacekeepers - what’s going on?

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tensions between Israel and the United Nations over its peacekeeping operations in southern Lebanon have escalated in recent weeks. UN peacekeepers sa...

US election: Why money matters to young voters

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 T...

Jupiter’s moon: Will we discover alien life beneath the ice?

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

How illegal gold mining impacts Ghana

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

How do election polls work?

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ele...

Why does Malawi have such high rates of cervical cancer?

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

HPV (human papillomavirus) is a sexually transmitted disease that can cause genital warts but often doesn’t have any symptoms. It’s the leading ca...

How is Rwanda managing the Marburg virus outbreak?

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In September, Rwanda detected its first ever outbreak of the highly infectious Marburg virus. Since then there have been more than forty confirmed cas...

How is climate change affecting sport?

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

How has life changed in Israel and Gaza?

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Does Moo Deng have pretty privilege?

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Kha...

Iran: What you need to know

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Tuesday night, Iran fired 180 ballistic missiles at Israel. The Iranian military said it was in response to Israel’s assassinations of the Hezbol...

How matcha tea took over the world

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

How modern slavery hides in plain sight

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Israel-Lebanon: What next?

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Friday, Israeli fighter jets dropped dozens of bombs on Lebanon’s capital Beirut, killing Hezbollah’s long-time leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Other...

How do you get a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame?

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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, ...

Should museums give back looted treasures like the Benin Bronzes?

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

How a North Korean defector became a K-pop idol

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Kor...

Who is Sri Lanka’s new leader?

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Can a crystal bring humans back to life in case of extinction?

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Univer...

P Diddy: What are the charges against the hip-hop mogul?

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 line...

How did thousands of pagers simultaneously explode in Lebanon?

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week thousands of pagers and walkie talkies exploded all at once in Lebanon. Dozens were killed and thousands injured. These gadgets were used t...

Why has badminton become code for sex in Hong Kong?

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 h...

The second Trump assassination attempt and the Secret Service

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 go...

Why SpaceX sent a billionaire to walk in space

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

American entrepreneur and billionaire Jared Isaacman has become the first non-professional astronaut to walk in space. According to Time magazine, he ...

Wildfires and drought in Brazil - what does it mean for the Amazon?

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

How are attitudes to sickle cell changing?

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

Has the US given up on gun control?

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Why YouTubers are hitting burnout

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Wil...

How dangerous is it to be part of the opposition in Venezuela?

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Venezuela’s opposition candidate, Edmundo González, has arrived in Spain after being granted asylum. He’d spent weeks in hiding following a dispu...