What in the World

Female genital mutilation affects around 230 million women and girls globally, with rates highest in Africa. FGM is considered a human rights violation and has no health benefits. That’s according to World Health Organisation. Hibo Wardere, a survivor from Somalia, recounts her ordeal and discusses the importance of education in ending the practice. The Gambia banned FGM in 2015, but it could be a...

South African politics faces a big change for the first time in 30 years, after its election results. The ruling African National Congress party lost its majority and won’t be able to govern alone. Rival parties will have to find common ground in preparation for a possible coalition to work out next steps. BBC’s Southern Africa correspondent, Nomsa Maseko, explains why the party is falling out of...

Donald Trump has been found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in his historic criminal trial in New York. It is the first time a former or serving US president has been convicted of a crime. The court heard from 22 witnesses over six weeks, including the porn actor Stormy Daniels. Trump called the verdict a "disgrace". It’s an unprecedented situation, which leaves a lot questi...

The slogan “All Eyes on Rafah” has been trending on social media. One image in particular, of white tents spelling out that phrase, has gone viral on Instagram with around 40 million shares. The picture is AI generated. Shayan Sardarizadeh from BBC Monitoring’s disinformation team tells us where the image came from and why so many people have posted it. Rafah is a city in the south of Gaza and it’...

Two flights have made the headlines recently after being hit by severe turbulence. Early investigations into a Singapore Airlines flight say that the plane dropped around 54m over 4.6 seconds. One passenger died of a suspected heart attack and dozens were injured. Injuries from turbulence is pretty rare but scientists think that climate change could be making severe turbulence more likely in the f...

In June Europeans will go to the polls to decide the make-up of the next European Parliament. Far-right parties are expected to make significant gains in several countries, including Germany — the most populous country in the European Union. Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) — Germany’s most popular far-right party — have been using social media, especially TikTok, to appeal to younger voters. The...

China and South Korea are arguing on social media. This time it’s over K-pop group IVE’s new video for HEYA: some people in China claim that the group is passing off Chinese culture as Korean. This isn’t the first time the neighbouring countries have had disputes about the origin of certain cultural things. There have been spats involving BTS, Squid Game, fashion, and - one that’s still fermenting...

Coral around the world is turning white and even dying as recent record ocean heat takes a devastating toll. It has triggered the fourth “global mass coral bleaching event”. Hannah chats to What in the World producer Kevyah Cardoso about the magical life of coral. BBC climate reporter Georgina Rannard explains what’s causing this bleaching and whether the coral can recover from it. And we hear fro...

Thousands of young people have been out protesting in Georgia. But this isn’t organised by the opposition or a political party - these demonstrations are being driven by the 20 year olds themselves. It’s all because of a “foreign agents” law the government there is trying to bring in. There’s a fear that this law will suppress dissent and prevent Georgia from eventually joining the European Union....

This year’s Olympics will, for the first time, feature breaking – a style of street dance that originated in 1970s New York City. It’s characterised by acrobatic movements, speedy footwork and a hip-hop soundtrack. More than 30 breakers from all over the world will compete. Rachael Gunn, known as Raygun, from Australia, is one of them. Raygun explains the rules and tells us what she loves about th...

As India votes in the general election, it is impossible to avoid the wealth of AI-generated content being created - from campaign videos, to personalised audio messages in a range of Indian languages, and even automated calls made to voters in a candidate's voice. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also already made the best of the emerging technology to campaign effectively - addressing an audienc...

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, and several other officials, including the foreign minister, have died in a helicopter crash. Mr Raisi was widely tipped to eventually become Supreme Leader, the most powerful role in the country. The BBC’s Shayan Sardarizadeh explains who Mr Raisi was, how power works in Iran, what the reaction has been, and what this could mean for the future of the regime. Instag...

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 AF...

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 signific...

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...

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?...

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,...

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 Russi...

We throw tonnes of rubbish away and globally we’re throwing away more than ever. But what happens to it? Well, that depends on where in the world you live. Some gets recycled, some gets burned and some ends up in dumps or landfill. British author Oliver Franklin-Wallis has written a book all about rubbish (Wasteland: The Dirty Truth About What We Throw Away, Where It Goes, and Why It Matters). He...

Two of the biggest names in hip-hop right now, Drake and Kendrick Lamar, are certainly not friends anymore. Their beef is escalating as they release diss track after diss track. Lamar has dropped the likes of ‘Euphoria’ and ‘Meet the Grahams’ whilst Drake has released ‘Family Matters’ and ‘Push Ups’. The musical feud is spilling into real life as well. On Tuesday, police say a security guard was s...

Social media platforms, like Instagram and Xiaohongshu, are full of shopping tips to help you spend. But they can also help you save, partly by providing support and advice through groups of like-minded individuals - or, in China, da zi. This is a growing trend, especially among young women. The BBC’s Sylvia Chang explains why they’re joining, and how this could impact China’s economy. We also hea...

Challengers. Poor Things. Saltburn. Three Hollywood movies released in the last six months which haven't held back on sex. However, the stats tell us movies in America are actually getting less steamy… A study from The Economist suggests that sexual content in movies has dropped by 40% since 2000. BBC Culture reporter, Annabel Rackham, explains what’s behind this Hollywood trend. Intimacy co-ordin...

Epic Games. Microsoft. Riot Games; owners of the biggest computer game titles in the world and part of a gaming industry which has been valued at $200 billion. That’s more than the music and entertainment industry combined. It’s not all plain sailing though. Epic Games, which created Fortnite, recently cut 870 jobs. Microsoft, which now owns Activision-Blizzard; famous for the Call of Duty and Red...

Zimbabwe has a brand new currency; it’s called the ZiG (Zimbabwe Gold) and it’s backed by the country’s gold reserves. This is the third time they’ve launched a new currency in ten years and 80% of transactions in the country are now carried out in US dollars. Can the government persuade its citizens that this one will remain stable and not deflate? The BBC’s Zimbabwe correspondent Shingai Nyoka e...

Demonstrations over the war in Gaza have taken place at several universities in the US over the past few weeks. They have spanned from Columbia 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 up...