For many, it’s a dream to fly to Nepal and reach the top of the highest peak in the world. But climbing Mount Everest is considered extremely risky even for experienced climbers and it can be deadly. On top of this, climate change is making the conditions even more dangerous. It’s thought that the bodies of nearly 200 of the 330 climbers who have died on the peak are still there, in hard-to-reach areas.

The BBC’s Navin Singh Khadka gives us an overview of the facts about the giant and takes us through some of the problems climbing Mount Everest.

We hear from two people who have been to the summit - Prakriti Varshney who climbed it in 2022 and Kami Rita Sherpa, who has summited Everest 30 times. That’s the most summits that anyone has ever done! He has been a guide there for 20 years. His son Lakpa Tenzing Sherpa tells us about the dangers of his dad going up the mountain.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld

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 about to reverse this. BBC journalist Esther Ogola, who’s based in Nairobi, explains why. We also hear how Kenya has more than halved its victims - and discuss the likelihood of the practice ending by 2030, which is the UN’s goal.

Note: This episode contains some graphic descriptions of FGM.

Email: [email protected]

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 favour despite its anti-apartheid history and what comes next.

We also speak to two people who voted in the election - Darren Campher, a socio-political content creator and Zulaikha Patel, an activist and award-winning author. They tell us about what changes they’d like to see from a new government.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld

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

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

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

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

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

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 from two parts of the world where people are trying to monitor and revive their coral reefs. The BBC’s Alfred Lasteck in Tanzania tells us about his visit to the Mnemba Island, Zanzibar where they are restoring the coral reefs. And 19 year old environmental activist and divemaster Emma Batty Sukerta, whose family are from Bali, Indonesia, talks about why she is recording the sounds of the coral reefs there.

Email: [email protected]

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 law will require non-governmental organisations and media outlets that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as an "organisation serving the interests of a foreign power". Don’t worry, we’ll go through it all in the episode.

The government says the law aims to increase transparency. Critics refer to it as the “Russian law” because it mirrors similar legislation introduced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his country.

Nutsa Dzandzava (22) and Dato Dolaberidze (23) have been spending their spare time on the streets of Georgia’s capital Tblisi. We hear why they’re protesting and what they hope to achieve. The BBC’s Rayhan Demytrie explains a bit about Georgia’s history with Russia - and the details of the controversial law that started the protests.

Email: [email protected]