More than two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western countries have ramped up their attempts to stifle Russia’s economy using sanctions. These are economic penalties imposed by one country on another to stop them acting aggressively or breaking international law. There are now around 16,500 sanctions against Russia that target sectors from energy to finance to aviation. 
 
However, Russia’s economy has proven resilient. Vitaly Shevchenko, Russia editor at BBC Monitoring, explains the ways Moscow has managed to evade sanctions. He also assesses whether sanctions can work long-term. 
 
Plus, Dr Thomas Withington, an expert on electronic warfare, discusses how Russia uses ‘ghost ships’ to trade sanctioned goods without being caught. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: William Lee Adams and Baldeep Chahal 
Editor: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Are sanctions on Russia actually hurting its economy?

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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 questions. Can Donald Trump still run for president? Could he go to prison? And what happens next?  There’s loads of contrasting opinions online, so we break down exactly what Donald Trump was found guilty of and we hear from BBC journalists Nomia Iqbal, John Sudworth, Nada Tawfik and Kayla Epstein.  Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
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Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Alex Rhodes
Producers: Emily Horler, Julia Ross-Roy and Baldeep Chahal
Editor: Verity Wilde

Donald Trump guilty verdict: What just happened?

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’s been in headlines since the Israeli military began what it calls “targeted” ground operations against Hamas fighters and infrastructure in early May.  The UN says around a million people have now fled the fighting in Rafah, but several hundred thousand more could still be sheltering there. Israel has insisted that victory in its seven-month war with Hamas in Gaza is impossible without taking Rafah and rejected warnings that it could have catastrophic humanitarian consequences. Yolande Knell, a BBC Middle East correspondent in Jerusalem, describes what’s happening in Rafah. We also ask her to explain the different efforts to achieve a ceasefire, via negotiations between Israel and Hamas, draft resolutions at the United Nations, and applications to the International Court of Justice.  Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Benita Barden 
Editor: Verity Wilde

All Eyes on Rafah: What does it mean?

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 future. The BBC’s climate and Science reporter, Esme Stallard, joins us to explain what causes severe turbulence and what scientists are doing to limit it. It’s not just planes that fly, birds also have to deal with stormy weather. Researchers are now studying our feathered friends to better understand and predict turbulence. Emily Shepard, a researcher in bird flight and air flow, tells us how this might help. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Emily Horler and Baldeep Chahal
Editor: Verity Wilde

Is climate change making plane turbulence worse?

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. Their political rivals, including Chancellor Olaf Sholz and his Social Democratic Party, are now playing catch-up when it comes to TikTok. The BBC’s Kristina Volk explains who the AfD are and describes some of the controversies surrounding them during the current election campaign. TikTok specialist Marcus Bösch describes the growth of the AfD on the platform. And we hear from Maggy Hess, who started the #ReclaimTiktok campaign, which makes viral content to counter the influence of the AfD.  Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
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Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart 
Producers: Maria Clara Montoya, William Lee Adams  
Editor: Verity Wilde

How the far right is using TikTok in Germany

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 - kimchi. The BBC’s Kerry Allen and Fan Wang talk us through the what and why.  Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: William Lee Adams
Producers: Emily Horler and Mora Morrison
Editor: Verity Wilde

Are sanctions on Russia actually hurting its economy?

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