What in the World BBC World Service

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.
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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.
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Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
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.
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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.
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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.
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Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
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.
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Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Alex Rhodes
Producers: Mora Morrison and Adam Chowdhury
Editor: Julia Ross-Roy