What in the World

By: BBC World Service
  • Summary

  • 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.

    (C) BBC 2024
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Episodes
  • Venezuela elections: What you need to know
    Aug 1 2024

    Thousands of Venezuelans have been protesting after President Nicolás Maduro claimed victory in the country's disputed election. The opposition says the results were fraudulent.

    There are reports of at least 11 deaths in protest-related violence, with lots more people injured.

    Our South America correspondent, Ione Wells, explains why the results are disputed and what protesters in Caracas have been saying.

    BBC Mundo’s Jorge Perez gives us the background on Venezuela, including who Hugo Chávez was and why the country is in such economic turmoil, despite having the biggest proven oil reserves in the world.

    Also, young Venezuelans tell us about their hopes for their futures.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Shiler Mahmoudi Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

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    14 mins
  • Your questions answered — from vaccines to vacations in North Korea
    Jul 31 2024

    Dearest gentle listener: It’s our first birthday! To celebrate one year of our What in the World podcast, we asked you what burning questions you had — and we turned to the BBC’s global network of experts to get the answers. In this episode, you’ll hear…

    Digital health editor Michelle Roberts on how vaccines train the body’s immune system.

    Seoul correspondent Jean Mackenzie on what tourists in North Korea can actually do.

    Correspondent Samira Hussain on how the electoral college decides the U.S. presidential election.

    Climate and environment researcher Mark Poynting on the role of hydrogen in the green energy transition.

    Plus Mora from the What in the World answers Alex’s question, “How do fringes happen?” We said no question was too stupid.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Alex Rhodes and William Lee Adams Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

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    13 mins
  • Will Nigeria leave Afrobeats behind?
    Jul 30 2024

    Afrobeats originated in Nigeria and Ghana, starting to get popular in the 2010s. It’s generally seen as a blend of West African music styles with Western pop and rap.

    Artists like Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Rema, and Davido have gone global. TikTok and Youtube have played a big part in the genre’s popularity, so have collabs with people like Beyonce and Drake.

    But some are turning away from Afrobeats. Burna Boy has said ‘there’s no substance’ to the genre, even though it’s ‘an amazing time’. Wizkid has said he doesn’t want to be labelled as ‘just Afrobeats’ and that he makes more genres of music. And Davido has said he prefers to be called Afrofusion. So what next?

    Our BBC pal Faith Oshoko takes us through what the music scene is like in Lagos and and some of the history behind Afrobeats.

    We also chat to Candy Bleakz, a rapper in Nigeria. She’s made Afrobeats tracks and is the only woman in the Street Pop genre. We sit down and chat through her inspirations and hopes for her music career and why people in Lagos make such good music.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: Alex Rhodes and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

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    13 mins

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