What in the World

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 man...

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 n...

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 corres...

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...

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 tro...

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 thei...

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 d...

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 c...

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 th...

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...

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 S...

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 d...

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 d...

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...

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 difficu...

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 O...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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 tea...

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 Wh...

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...