200 episodes

Helping you make sense of what’s happening in your world. Big stories, small stories and everything in between. Understand more, feel better. Five days a week, Monday to Friday.

What in the World BBC World Service

    • News

Helping you make sense of what’s happening in your world. Big stories, small stories and everything in between. Understand more, feel better. Five days a week, Monday to Friday.

    Why are student protests in the US spreading?

    Why are student protests in the US spreading?

    Demonstrations over the war in Gaza have taken place at several universities in the US over the past few weeks.
    They have spanned from Colombia 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: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
    Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
    Producers: Emily Horler, Maria Clara Montoya, Josh Jenkins and Adam Chowdhury
    Editor: Verity Wilde

    • 9 min
    From pangolins to plants: how we’re getting better at protecting nature

    From pangolins to plants: how we’re getting better at protecting nature

    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: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
    Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
    Producers: Mora Morrison, Baldeep Chahal and Sophie Smith
    Editor: Verity Wilde

    • 15 min
    Modest fashion is on the rise

    Modest fashion is on the rise

    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: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
    Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
    Producers: Emily Horler, Mora Morrison and Benita Barden
    Editor: Verity Wilde

    • 14 min
    What’s causing the blackouts in Sierra Leone?

    What’s causing the blackouts in Sierra Leone?

    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: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
    Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
    Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Emily Horler and Mora Morrison
    Editor: Verity Wilde

    • 12 min
    How will the US TikTok ban affect me?

    How will the US TikTok ban affect me?

    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: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
    Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
    Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Benita Barden and Mary Isokariari
    Editor: Verity Wilde

    • 14 min
    Nuclear weapons: who has them and how do they work?

    Nuclear weapons: who has them and how do they work?

    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: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
    Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
    Producers: Mora Morrison, Alex Rhodes and Maria Clara Montoya
    Editor: Verity Wilde

    • 15 min

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