What in the World

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow gap of water in the Middle East between Iran and the Arabian peninsula. About 3,000 or so ships sail through the Strait each month - that’s about 80 ships a day. About 20% of the world’s oil and gas passes through it. But now, it’s an active war zone.
As the US and Israel continue strikes on Iran, and Iran launches missiles at Israel and nearby Gulf states in retaliation, key shipping routes are being disrupted as well as oil and gas production in the region.
Iran says it has complete control of the Strait of Hormuz, and that it would "set fire" to any ships trying to pass through it.
In this episode we explain how this war could affect the wider world and why closing the Strait of Hormuz could lead to higher prices for petrol, food and electronics for us all.
Kayleen Devlin from BBC Verify tells us what’s happening to ships in the Strait of Hormuz and BBC business reporter Nick Marsh describes why parts of Asia are already feeling the effects.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
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Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Maria Clara Montoya and Ash Mohamed
Editor: Verity Wilde

Wild bee species at risk of extinction in Europe have more than doubled in the last decade. And that matters more than you might think.
Bees pollinate 75% of the crops we eat, from apples and tomatoes to carrots and raspberries. So if bee populations decline, our food system feels it too. So what’s actually driving the drop in wild bees? BBC climate & science correspondent Georgina Rannard breaks it down for us. We also hear from a beekeeper in Sierra Leone about protecting bees on the ground – and what simple changes could help them thrive closer to home.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Baldeep Chahal, Chelsea Coates, Emily Horler
Video producer: Baldeep Chahal
Editor: Verity Wilde

The conflict between Israel and the US against Iran continues to escalate. At least one thousand civilians have been killed in Iran since the US-Israeli attacks began on Saturday, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
There is uncertainty about what happens next. As Iran enters its fifth day into the conflict, how do Iranians feel about it? Ghoncheh Habibiazad, who is a journalist for the BBC Persian Service, tells us how people who she’s spoken to in Iran are feeling. And we hear from Iranians outside the country for their hopes for Iran.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Emily Horler, Chelsea Coates and Maria Clara Montoya
Editor: Verity Wilde

For centuries, people have lived side by side with animals in harmony. But with habitats shrinking, animals such as lions and elephants are having to travel further to find food, sometimes stumbling into human territory. Crops and property are destroyed as farmers lose their livelihoods. And when their path crosses with humans it can get violent - even leading to death. As humans are killed by the animals, their communities go out to get revenge on the species.
The BBC’s reporter Shingai Nyoka in Zimbabwe tells us about the situation in her country, and what governments across Africa are doing to ensure communities can live in harmony with the animals. Plus, we hear from WWF, an independent conservation organisation, and find out how it is dealing with human-wildlife conflict in Tanzania.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden and Emilia Jansson
Video producer: Baldeep Chahal
Editor: Verity Wilde

The US and Israel have launched a massive military operation in Iran, carrying out a series of strikes that have killed the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as hundreds of Iranians.
Iran has also launched strikes in response, targeting Israel, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and other countries and killing several civilians - and American military personnel - in the process.
In this episode we answer some of your most searched questions on this developing conflict - including why the US and Israel have attacked Iran, who Iran has attacked in response, whether petrol prices will go up and how long this conflict could last.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates
Editor: Harriet Oliver