A growing number of private companies are wading into the global race for space dominance. Space X, Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, Axiom, Vast and Boeing all have their sights set on the stars.

But how ready are we for the new era of space exploration?

Two space flight mishaps have recently made the headlines.

On Sunday, a space rocket owned by a private Chinese company accidentally launched itself during a test, before crash landing into a hillside.

Last week, two NASA astronauts on a critical test flight for Boeing’s new commercial spacecraft were forced to delay their return home because of helium leaks and thruster issues. The flight, launched on 5 June, was meant to last 10 days and show that the Starliner spacecraft is ready to ferry crews to and from the International Space Station. But NASA announced that the astronauts will stay at the station well into the summer until the issues are resolved.

More than fifty years after landing on the moon, why is space flight still so tricky?

Space X parachute engineer Pele Collins explains what goes into a rocket launch and why space flight is still so complicated.

And James Bruegger, co-founder of Seraphim Space, a SpaceTech investment company working to transform science fiction into science fact tells us about the wild wild west of the booming commercial space economy.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Kevyah Cardoso and Benita Barden Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

You might not live in the US but the value of America’s currency most likely affects how much you pay for stuff, wherever you are.

In this episode we explain why the strength of the US dollar matters so much.

The BBC’s Erin Delmore describes the picture stateside. Cuba Houghton, a graduate in Economics based in Nairobi helps us dig into the meaning of some economic terms that you need to be familiar with - and the BBC’s Jewel Kiriungi looks at how Africa feels the impact when the dollar gets more valuable.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

The East Africa crude oil pipeline - also known as EACOP - is facing ongoing backlash. The pipeline, which will pass through Uganda and Tanzania, is backed by a French and Chinese company. This week protesters have targeted several Chinese embassies to discourage further foreign support. They believe the pipeline is a human rights and environmental disaster.

The BBC's Jewel Kiriungi explains the project’s pros and cons, as well as how it could impact ancestral graves in the area. And Nyombi Morris, a 26-year-old Ugandan activist, shares his concerns.

Plus, the BBC’s Marco Silva tells us how fake social media accounts could be influencing the debate.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Mora Morrison, Olivia Briand and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Julian Assange, one of the world’s most notorious hackers and the face of the website Wikileaks, is now a free man. He’s been in a high security prison in the UK for the last five years, fighting extradition to the US, wanted for charges under the US Espionage Act. But who is he and what did he do?

We talk you through Julian Assange’s hacker background, some of Wikileaks' biggest revelations and controversies and how he ended up living at the Ecuadorean embassy in London for nearly seven years.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producer: Julia Ross-Roy and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

A pair of beluga whales have been evacuated from the besieged city of Kharkiv in Ukraine. They were taken to Europe’s largest aquarium — the Oceanogràfic de Valencia in Spain.

Mora from the What in the World team explains how the ongoing war in Ukraine put the belugas at risk. And Daniel Garcia-Párraga, director of zoological operations at Oceanogràfic, describes the complex rescue mission.

The evacuation of the belugas has sparked discussions about animal captivity more generally. Rob Lott from the wildlife charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation tells us how perceptions of aquariums are changing around the world. Jeffrey Ventre, a former trainer at SeaWorld in Florida, describes what life at the aquarium was like for Tilikum — the killer whale that was the focus of 2013 documentary Blackfish.

Finally, we meet Hot Pink Dolphins, which describes itself as Korea’s first aquarium dolphin liberation movement. One of its activists Oh Yeon-jae explains why she's committed to protecting endangered marine life and returning animals to the wild.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams and Mora Morrison Producer: Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

There’s been a lot of unrest in New Caledonia this year and it’s down to a proposed voting reform bill. Buildings have been set on fire, nine people have been killed and seven pro-independence activists have been detained and taken to France.

New Caledonia is a French territory, even though it’s really far away from France. Many local people there want independence. The BBC’s Malu Cursino gives us some background on New Caledonia and explains why there have been protests.

And Shawn Yuan from the BBC’s Global China Unit explains why China has interest in New Caledonia.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producer: Emily Horler and Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Hajj — the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca — took place last week during an extreme heatwave. Officials in Saudi Arabia say that at least 1,301 people died. Most of them had not obtained official permits to enter the country to perform Hajj, which all Muslims must do at least once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able. Without proper documentation, pilgrims cannot access amenities like air conditioned tents and buses.

Zeinab Hussein Dabaa, a journalist with BBC Arabic in Cairo, explains how the expense of Hajj leads many pilgrims to pursue what’s called “unofficial Hajj,” despite Saudi Arabia’s crackdown on the practice.

We also hear from Hina, a pilgrim from Pakistan. She describes what it was like to perform Hajj as temperatures soared past 51C.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producer: Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

Young Kenyans are leading demonstrations against a controversial finance bill, organising via TikTok and X. They are unhappy about proposals to raise taxes on sanitary pads and mobile money transfers, amongst other things. A protestor shares her motivation for taking to the streets.

We hear from Anita Nkonge a BBC reporter in Nairobi, who tells us what the protests are about. And BBC business reporter Jewel Kiriungi explains why President William Ruto wants to raise taxes. She also describes how tax rises a year ago have affected how people feel now.

The government has often defended the tax measures as necessary to reduce the country’s national debt of nearly $80bn.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Josh Jenkins, Julia Ross-Roy and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

Hollywood has gone into overdrive trying to guess which celebrities are using weight loss drugs. Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, Amy Schumer, and Rebel Wilson have all talked openly about taking them - and there have been loads of rumours swirling around Kim Kardashian.

These drugs are often known by their brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, made by the Danish company Novo Nordisk. Who are these drugs meant for and how effective are they? Kevyah Cardoso from the What in the World team explains. We also hear from someone who is taking these weight loss drugs.

BBC health and science correspondent James Gallagher describes how these drugs, known as semaglutides, work. And TikTok doctor Dr. Austin does some myth busting for us, including if Ozempic babies are a thing.

A black market has grown up to supply people who want to use so-called 'skinny jabs' for cosmetic reasons. BBC journalist Pria Rai tells us about her investigation.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Kevyah Cardoso Editor: Verity Wilde

For decades China has used pandas as a way to improve diplomatic relations with other countries. Now, China’s Premier has offered Australia two, to replace the zoo's existing pandas. BBC Sydney Correspondent Katie Watson explains.

We also speak to the BBC’s Jack Lau in Hong Kong about China’s history of panda diplomacy and the significance of the animal to the country.

And we hear from Katharina Marie Sperling, who is the Head of Wildlife Conservation Program at Berlin Zoo, about the costs involved in keeping them and their characteristics.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Josh Jenkins, Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Nigeria is Africa’s economic powerhouse - so why are so many young people trying to leave and find opportunities in other countries? It’s become so common there’s even a word for it: Japa.

Last year, Nigeria’s immigration service issued a record number of passports - almost 2 million.

So when we were in Lagos we spoke to the BBC’s Faith Oshoko, who explained what drives young professionals to move abroad.

And we chatted to students - would they ever Japa? And would they come back?

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with Makuochi Okafor Producers: Emily Horler and Alex Rhodes Editor: Verity Wilde

Nuclear power counts for just ten percent of the world’s total power supply and only 33 countries currently have nuclear power stations. But those numbers could soon change as China rushes to build new nuclear facilities and as African countries consider building their own.

Jordan Dunbar from the BBC podcast The Climate Question explains how nuclear power works, describes its benefits and drawbacks, and assesses whether it could ever be seen as a green form of energy.

Many people are nervous about leveraging nuclear power, partly because of the infamous disasters at nuclear sites like Three Mile Island and Fukushima. Alex from the What in the World team runs us through what happened at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine in 1986.

South Africa is the only country in Africa with a nuclear power plant — the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station near Cape Town. But ten other African countries — including Nigeria and Uganda— are looking into getting a plant of their own. Kevyah from the What in the World team explains why some African nations are considering a nuclear future.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producer: Alex Rhodes and Kevyah Cardoso Editor: Emily Horler