What in the World

Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown and other cities have been suffering blackouts for weeks. It’s disrupted hospitals and daily life for many. Most of Freetown’s power comes from a Turkish ship floating off the country’s coast - and they’ve massively reduced electricity supply to the city because of unpaid bills. Karpowership is one of the world's biggest floating power plant operators, with several African states relying on it for electricity.BBC journalist Chimezie UcheAgbo explains where Sierra Leone gets its power and what’s causing the blackout. Fatmata Gassim (19), an engineering student in Freetown, tells us how the blackout has affected her. We also hear about power outages in Ghana (from the BBC’s Favour Nunoo in his car) - and the rocketing cost of electricity in Nigeria. Irene Leigh (23) sends us a message about how her company, EasySolar, is helping people in Sierra Leone find alternative ways to get their power. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Emily Horler and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

President Biden has just signed a law that says TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance has nine months to sell the app or it will be blocked in the US. We hear what TikTok users in the US think about the ban - and how it would affect them. Liv McMahon from the BBC tech team explains why the US government has done this, how TikTok has responded - and why it won’t be easy to sell the app. And the BBC’s Kerry Allen describes the origins of TikTok in China and the Chinese reaction to the ban.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Benita Barden and Mary Isokariari Editor: Verity Wilde

Nuclear weapons have been back in public conversation recently - partly due to rising tensions between Iran and Israel. Outside of the news, they have also been featured a lot in films and TV shows. (Think Oppenheimer and Fallout). But, what are nuclear weapons? And is it likely they’ll be used again? Or, have we learnt from what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?The BBC's security correspondent Gordon Corera explains. We also hear from a nuclear studies student in Islamabad, Pakistan, about why young people should care about them. Plus, Alex Rhodes from the team talks us through some nuclear close calls. This includes how the actions of one Stanislav Petrov could have saved us all. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Alex Rhodes and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

There’s been massive flooding in Dubai, with twice the annual amount of rain in a single day. Roads, runways and shopping malls were flooded. Meanwhile, West Africa has been dealing with one of its worst heatwaves. Late March and early April saw consistent temperatures above 40 degrees centigrade, sometimes even at night. We know a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme weather events more likely - but are the freak events going to be the new normal? Three BBC reporters take us through the facts. Abdirahim Saeed looks at the infrastructure in Dubai and our Climate Disinformation reporter, Marco Silva, explains what conspiracies around cloud-seeding were doing the rounds after the floods. We go to Lagos to speak to Makuochi Okafor, a BBC Health Correspondent for West Africa, and we also hear from three people in their early twenties about how they’re coping in the heat and trying to limit the effects of climate change.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Adam Chowdhury, Alex Rhodes, Emily Horler and Mary Isokariari Editor: Verity Wilde

The metaverse has been talked about as the next big thing in technology: a virtual world which will become a part of our daily lives (think Ready Player One). Mark Zuckerberg even changed his company’s name from Facebook to Meta in 2021, such was his commitment to building his own metaverse.But what actually is a metaverse? And how close is it to becoming a reality? Technology reporter Omar Mehtab explains. He also answers questions from two guests who want to know more about the metaverse. Yusaira, a college student in Bangladesh, and professional racing gamer Karl Etyemezian, who plays for the Veloce Esports team, and competed for Lebanon at the first ever Olympic Esports event in 2023. They discuss its real-life potential and their reservations.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Emily Horler

Korean shamans hold significant cultural importance in Korean society. They are often shown in Korean dramas and films, adorned in shiny and colourful traditional attire, dancing on sharp knives, summoning spirits, and banishing demons. They offer fortune telling services and perform rituals to help people with their personal issues. In South Korean media, shamans are often portrayed as deceitful characters who misuse their status to manipulate people and profit from others… but that negative image is slowly changing as young shamans are modernising their approach. They now have shrines in the busy centre of Seoul and they've become big on social media, even offering consultations online. BBC journalist Soo Min Kim has been speaking to shamans and their customers about why people go to see them and how social media is making them more accessible.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with Soo Min Kim Producers: Emily Horler and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

India’s live music scene is thriving with higher ticket sales and more concerts from international artists. To meet demand, the country is renovating old venues. And the government has simplified tax rules to encourage more stars like Ed Sheeran to perform. Megan Lawton, a BBC reporter in Toronto, has been speaking to fans in India and people who work in India’s live music industry. Among other things, she explains how streaming is boosting the demand for live music events and why music promoters see India as an important market to target. Plus, BBC reporter Trisha Husada in Jakarta, explains what Indonesia is doing to entice more global musicians. That’s after Taylor Swift snubbed most of Southeast Asia during her recent Eras tour.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with Megan Lawton Producers: William Lee Adams and Mora Morrison Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

In this episode we chat with someone who just LOVES steak, and eats it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But Eric’s not the only one who loves beef: its consumption is going up around the world. But many people are also concerned about its huge carbon footprint - and how it impacts climate change.BBC climate reporters Georgina Rannard and Marco Silva explain why cows are so bad for the environment, what misinformation exists online, and what alternatives are out there (if you’re looking to cut down). Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Women’s basketball is more popular than ever. Ratings for the WNBA are growing and the professional league has plans to increase its number of teams. Monday was a huge day for the sport, as the best college players in the United States gathered for the WNBA draft. The professional teams picked the college players who will join them for the next season. Dozens of women, including Caitlin Clark - who’s drawn comparisons to NBA legend Steph Curry - are now headed to the professional league and bringing their fans with them.So what’s behind the success of women’s basketball? Shavonne Herndon, a sideline reporter for the Dallas Wings, explains. And Adam Chowdhury from the What in the World team shares some of the highlights from Monday’s draft. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Baldeep Chahal Editors: Emily Horler and Simon Peeks

Iran has carried out direct strikes on Israel for the first time. It’s believed to be a retaliation for a deadly strike on its consulate in the Syrian capital Damascus. The bad blood between both countries goes back many years. And it’s involved several countries in the region, including Lebanon and Syria. Previously, Israel and Iran had been engaged in a years-long shadow war - attacking each other's assets without admitting responsibility.The BBC’s Shayan Sardarizadeh tells us why they are enemies, what’s lead to Iran’s recent airstrikes, who has nuclear weapons, and what the attack could mean for the rest of the world. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Baldeep Chahal Editors: Emily Horler and Simon Peeks