What in the World
Episodes
How free are celebs to get political online?
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Social media can be a messy business full of opinions and celebrity influence. But can celebs speak freely online, and what happens when they do?In so...
Is guinea worm about to be eradicated?
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guinea worm could soon be the second human disease to be eradicated. In the 1980s millions of cases were recorded annually in 21 countries in Africa a...
What’s behind the civil war in Myanmar?
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been three years since Myanmar’s military coup when the army took control of the country, a decade after agreeing to hand power to a civilian...
What’s the new proposed security law in Hong Kong?
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hong Kong’s government has said it wants to pass a new national security law. It comes four years after China imposed sweeping legislation in the wa...
How do the US Presidential elections actually work?
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is our simple(ish) guide to how America picks its president. In November 2024, America will go to the polls to pick the next President of the Uni...
Who is Imran Khan and why is he in prison?
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been jailed for 14 years after being convicted of illegally profiting from state gifts. It’s the second sen...
How is plastic pollution affecting marine animals?
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
More than 171 trillion pieces of plastic are estimated to be floating in the world's oceans. We’ve touched on the extent of the plastic problem befo...
Why is femicide on the rise in Kenya?
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Demonstrations have been taking place across Kenya to protest femicide and violence against women. The demonstrations follow the murder of socialite S...
How do African athletes train for the Winter Olympics without ice?
26 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nigeria’s youth curling team, the Broomzillas, are Africa’s first curling team to reach a Winter Youth Olympics. Their journey to the 2024 Gangwon...
Have influencers changed perceptions of ADHD?
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
366 million adults worldwide have ADHD as of 2020 - that’s over 6% of the whole population. And more young adults are being diagnosed with the condi...
What’s going on with Pakistan and Iran?
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last week Iran carried out an airstrike on Pakistan’s territory in Balochistan. Pakistan responded with an attack of its own. Both sides say they we...
Why did India’s top female wrestler quit before the Olympics?
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wrestling is huge in India. Not just the type with WWE stars like Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins - but amateur wrestling, which is an Olympic sport. Bu...
How much does having a baby contribute to climate change?
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are a growing number of people speaking out about their decision not to have children because of climate change. They worry about the environmen...
Should video games be more culturally sensitive?
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time, Ubisoft have released a Prince of Persia game with an option to have all the characters fully voiced in Farsi. It says it wants Pr...
Why are young people leaving Romania?
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Young people seem to be moving away from Romania. In 2000, it had a population of 22.4 million people. But two decades later it had fallen to just 19....
Is circular fashion the answer to clothes waste?
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s estimated that a garbage truck full of clothing is being sent to a landfill every second, with less than 1% recycled into new clothes. One way ...
Super Mosquitoes and how to fight back against malaria
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cape Verde has become the first sub-Saharan nation to be declared malaria-free in fifty years. But mosquitoes, the insects that spread the deadly dise...
Who are the Houthis and why are the US and UK attacking them?
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Houthi, a political and military group in Yemen, have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November. They say they’re targeting vessels hea...
Why are Guinness World Records being smashed in Ghana and Nigeria?
12 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hundreds of people have been trying to set new world records in Ghana, with applications flying in since July 2023.Earlier this week a Ghanaian chef, ...
Ecuador: How do you solve the gang problem?
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The notorious leader of Ecuador’s main criminal gang escaped from prison this week - he is still missing. The country’s President declared a state...
Overeducated, underpaid: China’s youth unemployment problem
10 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
More than one in five people between the ages of 16 and 24 are jobless in China according to the latest government data. But the figure could be even ...
The dirty secret inside clean tech
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We need precious metals to run green tech but what’s the cost of mining them? Norway has approved commercial-scale deep-sea mining off its shores in...
Ukraine: What’s life like for President Zelensky?
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been nearly two years since Russia invaded Ukraine. Millions of people have fled the country and thousands have been killed. The fighting is st...
Mickey Mouse: Copyrights and wrongs
05 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Disney’s copyright on ‘Steamboat Willie’, which features the earliest version of Mickey Mouse, expired in the US on New Year’s Day - meaning t...
How to survive a plane crash
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pictures of a burning Japan Airlines plane have been all over the news this week after it collided with a smaller aircraft on a runway in Tokyo. Amazi...
Make it rain: What is cloud seeding?
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Officials in Lahore, Pakistan have been using artificial rain in an effort to lower levels of air pollution. They make it rain through cloud seeding, ...
Can blind dates fix China’s shrinking population?
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
China’s population is shrinking so its government is trying to get more people to have kids by offering financial incentives and its own dating app....
How Vladimir Putin changed everyday life in Russia
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin says he’s going to stand for the top job again in March. He’s been in charge of the country in some way or ano...
Bigfoot, Chupacabras and Yetis: What are cryptids?
29 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From the Chupacabra to the Yeti, lots of countries and regions around the world have their own myths about strange creatures whose existence has never...
Are billionaires a good thing?
28 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are more than 2000 billionaires worldwide with a combined wealth of $13 trillion. Some say they’re good for society, others call them a symbol...
The Nile: A big dam problem
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ethiopia says its huge dam upstream on the Nile will generate electricity for millions. But downstream countries like Sudan and Egypt are worried abou...
Kush: The mystery drug that’s got Sierra Leone hooked
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kush is rumoured to contain everything from chemicals used to preserve dead bodies to shoe polish. Nobody really know what’s in it or where it’s c...
Work hard, play hard
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Indian software billionaire Narayana Murthy (the father-in-law of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak!) - says that young people in his country should be ha...
Fascination and fear: Why are volcanoes a hot topic?
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A volcanic eruption in the Reykjanes peninsula of south-west Iceland has captured the world’s attention. But how dangerous are volcanoes, and how mu...
Sudan: What’s happening in the world’s ‘forgotten war’?
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since April this year the Sudanese army and a rival military group called the RSF, the Rapid Support Forces, have been locked in a civil war that’s ...
Why do farmers in Myanmar and Afghanistan grow opium?
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Myanmar is now the world's largest producer of opium, overtaking Afghanistan. That’s after the Taliban banned the cultivation of opium poppies, whic...
AI deepfake porn: Could I be next?
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As AI technology advances, new image generator apps pop up all the time. Some of these can be used to make deepfake pornography where someone’s face...
Why are STIs on the rise in Europe?
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a concerning rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) across Europe. That’s according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention ...
BTS: From singers to soldiers
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
All members of BTS are now in the South Korean military. This week, lead vocalist Jung Kook joined the rest of the group to enlist - a requirement of ...
Israel-Gaza: How and when might a ceasefire happen?
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been over two months since Hamas attacked Israel. The war between both sides has continued since then, with a temporary ceasefire and pauses in...
COP28: What’s the deal?
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly 200 countries have agreed a new global deal on climate change at COP28 in Dubai. It’s the biggest step forward on climate since the Paris Agr...
Kashmir: What India’s Supreme Court ruling means
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday, India’s Supreme Court upheld the government’s 2019 decision to revoke Article 370. That’s a law that previously gave the region of Ja...
How progressive is the Pope?
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Pope Francis is not your standard pope. He’s talks about climate change, he has a more liberal stance on divorce and he’s even weighed in on hot-b...
Should rap lyrics be allowed as evidence in criminal trials?
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Grammy award-winning rapper Young Thug is currently on trial for gang-related charges in Atlanta, US. Prosecutors claim that the rap label he founded,...
COP28: How to stop your climate anxiety flaring up
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re back at COP28, discussing ways to help you cope with climate anxiety. The ever present threat of climate change can feel overwhelming and can ...
Tanzania floods: What’s it like to live through a landslide?
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tanzania is coping with the aftermath of severe floods and landslides, which killed dozens of people in the northern Hanang region.Shem Otieno, a BBC ...
Why are Venezuela and Guyana locked in a land dispute?
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Essequibo is part of Guyana in South America - it’s got lots of oil and dense rainforests. But last Sunday, Venezuela voted to claim it in a referen...
Why has Russia’s Supreme Court labelled the LGBT movement “extremist”?
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Russia’s Supreme Court has banned the “international LGBT movement" and declared it an “extremist organisation.” The ruling does not criminali...
Why did it take so long to rescue the Indian tunnel workers?
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
41 men were working underground in a tunnel in India when a nearby landslide caused part of it to cave in, trapping them inside. They were rescued aft...
The controversial climate summit held in an oil state: What is COP28?
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s that time of year again where world leaders, business execs and loads of lobbyists and activists gather for a few weeks to try to make concrete...
How TikTok is changing the music industry ft. Sofi Tukker
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How often do you discover new music on TikTok? Chances are, quite a lot. That’s because TikTok is becoming a go-to app for finding and remixing musi...
Why are so many historic celebrity sexual assault cases being filed now?
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
P Diddy, Russell Brand, Jamie Foxx. Those are just three of the male celebrities who’ve been hit with sexual assault lawsuits in recent weeks. All t...
Israel-Gaza: The hostage and prisoner release explained
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
By Monday morning, more than fifty hostages held in Gaza had been released as part of a deal between Israel and Hamas. The deal, which includes a four...
Rammed earth: What is it and can it help tackle climate change?
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cement is said to be responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions. In the search for an alternative, more sustainable construction material, building...
OpenAI: What’s going on and what does it mean for the future of AI?
23 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s been serious drama in Silicon Valley this week. On Friday the board of OpenAI, the multi-billion-dollar company behind ChatGPT, fired its CE...
Brazil heatwave: What’s it got to do with El Niño?
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Brazil has recorded its hottest ever temperature - 44.8C (112.6F) - as parts of the country endure a stifling heatwave.You may have seen the video of ...
How a chainsaw wielding TV star became Argentina’s president
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Argentina has elected far-right outsider Javier Milei as its new president.He’s a pretty unconventional politician - from tantric sex to cloning dog...
Fentanyl: Why is it killing so many young Americans?
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that’s fifty times more powerful than heroin. It’s also the biggest killer of 18-45 year olds in the United States....
Gaza: Why is Al-Shifa hospital so important to both sides?
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Al-Shifa hospital has become a focal point of the Israel-Gaza war in the last few days. On Wednesday morning, Israeli tanks and troops entered the com...
Miss Universe: Can beauty pageants ever be inclusive?
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Miss Universe pageant takes place on 18th November in El Salvador. Organisers have introduced new rules to make the contest more inclusive. Marrie...
How people smugglers are using social media in Pakistan
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A BBC investigation has found that people smugglers in Pakistan are using social media sites to advertise their services, despite a government crackdo...
Cryptocurrency Explained
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The world of cryptocurrency can be confusing. There’s no tangible money and no clunky coins. Instead we hear about things like Ethereum, Bitcoin and...
How removing tattoos can help people cope with trauma
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Gang members and victims of sex trafficking are often tattooed against their will. For those who escape, their tattoos become permanent reminders of t...
Is there a right way to be masculine?
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s so much stuff online about masculinity; guys telling you how to get buff, what to eat and how to talk to women. Sometimes a particular type ...
Marvel mishaps: Are we sick of superheroes?
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ever since ‘Iron Man’ and ‘The Dark Knight’ impressed audiences in 2008, superhero movies have been a major player in the film industry.Marvel...
Delhi smog: How India is tackling air pollution
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Delhi is often described as the most polluted city in the world. Right now the air quality is so bad the government has ordered all primary schools to...
Ukraine: Life in a warzone
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Nearly two years later, fighting is still going on. Lives are being lost and shat...
Asexuality: Is it the 'invisible' sexual orientation?
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Asexuality – broadly defined as not experiencing sexual attraction — has been called “the invisible orientation”. Asexual people say they’re...
How do you tackle toxic behaviour in gaming?
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Online multiplayer can be a toxic environment, especially for female players and people of colour. There are criticisms that not enough is being done ...
Are "super-shoes" giving some runners an unfair advantage?
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Kenyan runner Kelvin Kiptum has just set a new marathon world record. He did it wearing “super-shoes”. Sports brands are racing to design new ...
The secret life of Chinese social media apps
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Canada has banned the all-in-one Chinese social media app, WeChat, on government devices. Even though TikTok has received loads of attention for poten...
What’s behind the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The United Nations says that the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing one of the world’s biggest displacement and humanitarian crises. Around 6.9 ...
More money, more problems: How do currencies work?
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nigeria’s currency has seen a big drop in value over the last few months. The BBC’s West Africa correspondent, Mayeni Jones, helps us find out why...
Why are some Caribbean nations demanding slavery reparations?
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Across the Caribbean, governments are demanding that former colonial powers, like the U.K., France and The Netherlands, pay reparations for their invo...
Reasons to be climate cheerful, with Bill Gates
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bill Gates, the tech billionaire turned philanthropist, invests huge amounts of money in the climate crisis - and he’s pretty optimistic about how w...
Dengue fever: What is it and why is it spreading?
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The World Health Organization has warned that mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever are spreading to new regions. One reason is that warmer temper...
An empty airport, a railway to nowhere and China’s trillion-dollar plan
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
China is pouring billions of dollars into other countries’ infrastructure projects - some of which have been hugely successful. In this episode we’...
Why governments are building huge cities from scratch
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why would a government build an entirely new capital city? Soe Win Than, editor of the BBC Burmese service, explains why Myanmar did exactly that, sta...
Is Taylor Swift bringing in a new Era of economics?
20 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Taylor Swift’s Eras tour is set to become the biggest tour of all time. From tickets to merch, fans are showing up for Tay Tay and spending the big ...
Israel-Gaza: What do we know about the hospital blast?
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An explosion at a crowded hospital in Gaza City has killed hundreds of people, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel says the number is mu...
Beauty standards: How far will people go to achieve them?
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Botox, tummy tucks, Brazilian butt lifts. You may have seen the posts - and adverts - on your socials.Cosmetic surgery is on the rise globally. Last y...
India’s Supreme Court rejects petition for same-sex marriage - what’s next?
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
India’s Supreme Court has rejected a petition seeking to legalise same-sex marriage. Petitioners sought the same rights as heterosexual couples — ...
The Antarctic: The ‘untold’ climate story of the season
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Amid a year of heatwaves and wildfires you might have missed that winter sea-ice surrounding Antarctica is at a record low. The BBC’s Georgina Ranna...
Will Australia’s referendum give Indigenous people a Voice?
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A special vote is taking place in Australia this weekend asking people whether Australia's constitution should be changed. The referendum seeks to cre...
Why is it dangerous to be a climate activist in Colombia?
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. But it’s also the most dangerous to be an environment activist. A report from Global ...
How a deadly scam is costing lives in India
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It starts with downloading an app but pretty soon some scammers are going through your data, messaging your contacts, threatening you with violence an...
How did 6 million people in China buy homes that don’t exist?
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
China is in the middle of a housing market crisis. Two of its top property developers, Evergrande and Country Garden, are struggling to pay back debt ...
Israel-Gaza violence: The conflict explained
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over the weekend, partygoers at a festival in Israel’s Negev desert were attacked by gunmen, with hundreds killed and taken hostage. At the same tim...
Why has it taken so long to arrest someone for Tupac’s murder?
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s nearly three decades since the drive-by shooting that killed rapper Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas. Now Duane ‘Keefe D’ Davis has been arrested ...
Why are young people calling on Ghanaians to #OccupyJulorbiHouse?
05 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of people have been out on the streets of Ghana and organising protests online, using #OccupyJulorbiHouse. In 2019 - just four years ago - G...
The dark but luxurious life of El Chapo’s wife
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of people - including politicians, students and journalists - are killed in drug cartel violence in Mexico every year.One of the biggest car...
Why is there so much instability in the Sahel?
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Niger and Gabon are the latest countries in Africa's Sahel to experience military coups. But that’s not the only issue that is facing the area. Beve...
Why are thousands of people fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh?
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A decades-long territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan, over the Nagorno-Karabakh region has flared up. Now nearly the entire ethnic Armeni...
How do we get plastic out of our oceans?
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A truckload of rubbish enters the ocean every minute. Boyan Slat is on a mission to remove it. He’s the founder of The Ocean Cleanup, one of the org...
What's really inside your phone?
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our phones are powered by teeny tiny semi conductors. Taiwan produces over 60% of them. Huawei recently unveiled a phone with a chip made in mainland ...
Deal! Hollywood writers end their strike
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After nearly five months, Hollywood writers have ended their strike, which brought the American film and TV industry to a halt. The Writers Guild of A...
Are your 20s the loneliest decade?
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are loads of videos on TikTok of people calling their 20s the loneliest decade. But are they?We speak to Foyin Ogunrombi (@FoyinOG), a content c...
Net zero: How do we get there?
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Talks about net zero have been getting heated in the UK. It’s after the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was still confident the country would hit...
From BTS to Beyoncé - why do “world” tours skip Africa?
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What do Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, BTS and Olivia Rodrigo’s “world tours“ have in common?…None of them are going to Africa. And only two of them ...
India’s spy agency: What do we know about RAW?
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said his government is investigating "credible" claims that Indian government agents may have been involv...