What in the World

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 complex. Israel has claimed Hamas has a command centre under the hospital in a network of tunnels. Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organisation by many Western governments, including the US, has denied this. The BBC’s bureau chief in Jerusalem, J...

The Miss Universe pageant takes place on 18th November in El Salvador. Organisers have introduced new rules to make the contest more inclusive. Married women and mothers can compete for the first time. And the age rule has been abolished, allowing people over 28 to participate. This year’s line-up includes two married mothers, two transgender women and a plus-sized queen. We hear from the pageant’...

A BBC investigation has found that people smugglers in Pakistan are using social media sites to advertise their services, despite a government crackdown on their operations. Reha Kansara from BBC Trending joins us to explain what she discovered. Plus: TikTok is being banned in Nepal. A food influencer tells us how he feels about the ban. Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22...

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 Dogecoin. Crypto has been in the spotlight this month after Sam Bankman-Fried (the ‘Crypto King’) was found guilty of fraud and money laundering. But there are many people who believe crypto could be transformative, especially for young people and fai...

Gang members and victims of sex trafficking are often tattooed against their will. For those who escape, their tattoos become permanent reminders of the pain and suffering they endured. The Radiance Clinic in Boston removes tattoos from survivors for free. Dr. Shadi Kourosh, an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard, tells us how this can help people cope with trauma. We also hear from nurs...

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 of masculinity, known as toxic masculinity, seems dominant on some platforms. That’s where traits like being tough and not showing emotion are emphasised. With more awareness of this kind of content, young men are being warned off it. They’re increasin...

Ever since ‘Iron Man’ and ‘The Dark Knight’ impressed audiences in 2008, superhero movies have been a major player in the film industry. Marvel have been at the core of this wave, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe raking in billions of dollars at the box office. Characters like Iron Man, Captain America and Thor have become household names during the 2010s as the studio produced hit after hit aft...

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 shut until 10th November. We want to focus on what’s being done to improve things. Kamala Thiagarajan, a climate and science reporter from India, explains. We also hear about what’s working to improve air quality in Accra, Ghana. And the BBC’s Divya...

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 shattered. The UN Refugee Agency says more than 6.2 million people have crossed into neighbouring countries and around 5.1 million people are internally displaced. Jenny Hill is a BBC Correspondent in Ukraine. She takes us through what life is like in tw...

Asexuality – broadly defined as not experiencing sexual attraction — has been called “the invisible orientation”. Asexual people say they’re often misunderstood and that many people doubt that they can really be asexual. But awareness is growing thanks to online resources, social media and global campaigns like Asexual Awareness Week, which recently came to a close. Sex is considered a central par...

Online multiplayer can be a toxic environment, especially for female players and people of colour. There are criticisms that not enough is being done by the gaming companies to address the abuse that some people face on a daily basis. Now the developer behind Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft, has brought out a “Good Game Playbook” to send to some of its players reported for harassment. But will people re...

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 trainers which are lighter and have clever geometry to propel runners forward. Bobbie Jackson from BBC Sport and Celestine Karoney from BBC Sport Africa discuss whether they really make a difference - and is it fair if some athletes wear them? And in the...

Canada has banned the all-in-one Chinese social media app, WeChat, on government devices. Even though TikTok has received loads of attention for potential security risks, many security experts think that WeChat is riskier. James Clayton, our North America Tech Reporter, explains. And Kerry Allen, our China Media Analyst, takes us through how tightly controlled social media is in China itself. Ther...

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 million people have fled their homes to escape violence caused by more than 250 rebel groups operating across the country. Emery Makumeno, a reporter in Kinshasa, explains the origins of the 30-year conflict and motivations of several rebel groups. And...

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. We also take a wider look at currency in general with our North America Business Correspondent, Erin Delmore. Why do some countries see such big fluctuations? And how on earth do you manage a currency successfully? Hannah gets tested to see if she coul...

Across the Caribbean, governments are demanding that former colonial powers, like the U.K., France and The Netherlands, pay reparations for their involvement in slavery. Anselm Gibbs, a BBC reporter in Trinidad and Tobago, explains what forms reparations can take and describes the specific demands that Caribbean nations have put forward. We also hear from Akeem Chandler-Prescod, a member of the Ba...

Bill Gates, the tech billionaire turned philanthropist, invests huge amounts of money in the climate crisis - and he’s pretty optimistic about how we can avoid the worst impacts. But why? Graihagh Jackson, from The Climate Question, helps unpack some potential solutions. We also hear from Nissa Bek, a climate activist and the founder of Project Mulan in Libya, about ways to get involved - from art...

The World Health Organization has warned that mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever are spreading to new regions. One reason is that warmer temperatures are allowing disease-carrying mosquitos to push into new areas. And wetter monsoons are giving them more time to reproduce in countries like India. According to the WHO, the number of reported cases around the world has jumped from around 500,...

China is pouring billions of dollars into other countries’ infrastructure projects - some of which have been hugely successful. In this episode we’re asking why and also take a look into some of the plans that haven’t quite panned out. Nikhil Inamdar tells us about a Sri Lankan airport with no travellers and Anne Soy takes us onboard Kenya’s “railway to nowhere”. Plus we here from Celestine Karone...

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, starting construction of its capital city Nay Pyi Taw in 2002 and completing it ten years later. He also tells us about the extreme secrecy that went into its planning and explains why so few people wanted to move there. Astudestra Ajengrastri, a report...

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 bucks. Her tours have boosted local economies across the United States and will continue to sell out around the world. Even her relationship with Travis Kelce has helped American Football (NFL) reach a new audience. You may have heard about this ‘Taylo...

An explosion at a crowded hospital in Gaza City has killed hundreds of people, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel says the number is much lower. Hamas blames Israel, but Israel says it wasn’t them and points the finger at another group, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. They also say it wasn’t them. Shayan Sardarizadeh, from the BBC Disinformation team, tells us how he has been investi...

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 year there were 33.8 million surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures done worldwide. That’s according to a recent report from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS). We chat to Giulia Granchi, our reporter from Brazil, a...

India’s Supreme Court has rejected a petition seeking to legalise same-sex marriage. Petitioners sought the same rights as heterosexual couples — including the right to adopt children and open joint bank accounts. The petitioners said not being able to marry violates their constitutional rights and makes them "second-class citizens.” The government and religious leaders strongly opposed same-sex u...

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 Rannard explains why. And we speak to Dr Robbie Mallett who’s in the Antarctic. He talks us through why it’s so important - and underreported. Plus, Tiffanie Turnbull gives us an update on how Australians are feeling after the country voted against a plan t...