P-pop, or Pinoy pop, is a growing genre of music in the Philippines. It stems from OPM (Original Pilipino Music). You may be more familiar with K-pop, which is a multibillion-dollar industry. P-pop is hoping to get a slice of that global success.

One of P-pop’s biggest groups is Alamat. Each member comes from a different region of the Philippines and sings in their local language. In Manila, Hannah meets them and learns why spreading Filipino culture is so important to them, and what sets them apart.

We’re also joined by Camille Elemia, a Manila-based journalist, who explains P-pop’s origins and popularity. Plus, YouTuber Sylvia Kim tells us how P-pop compares to K-pop, and if it’s taking off in Korea.

(Music in episode: Dayang by Alamat)

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

Famine is imminent in northern Gaza, according to the United Nations. There is some aid going into Gaza, but it’s severely limited and aid workers face dangerous, sometimes deadly conditions.

Last week there was widespread international criticism after seven people from World Central Kitchen died in an Israeli airstrike. Israel has said the attack was due to “grave mistakes”. The UN says over 200 humanitarian workers have now been killed in Gaza.

The BBC’s Hugo Bachega, a Middle East correspondent, explains how much aid is entering Gaza and the challenges of getting aid in and distributing it.

We hear what kind of aid is being delivered, from Karyn Beattie, the team leader for Save the Children’s program in Gaza.

And we ask - is Israel starting to allow more aid in?

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

When it comes to elephant conservation, Botswana is the world leader. It is now home to more than 130,000 elephants — or around a third of the world's elephant population. But this growing number poses major problems for humans: the animals destroy homes and crops, and even injure and kill people.

To manage its elephant population, Botswana allows so-called “trophy hunting”. Hunters from abroad pay for permits to shoot and kill elephants — and can then take a piece of the elephant home. Botswana then re-invests this income into conservation efforts.

It’s a controversial practice. Animal rights activists want Botswana’s government to seek alternatives to trophy hunting, which they deem as cruel. And in Germany — Europe’s biggest importer of African elephant trophies — the government has suggested there should be stricter limits on importing them. The president of Botswana recently threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany as part of the dispute.

Shingai Nyoka, a BBC reporter in neighbouring Zimbabwe, explains the laws that govern trophy hunting and why they’re up for debate. And John Murphy, a BBC News reporter in London, recounts his experience visiting an “elephant corridor” — regular routes taken by elephants in their daily commute between their feeding grounds on one side and water on the other.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with Shingai Nyoka Producers: Alex Rhodes and William Lee Adams Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

On Monday, millions of people across Mexico, the US and Canada saw a total solar eclipse. That’s when the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun, blocking its light.

But it’s not just eclipse-chasers who are excited. Scientists are too. They’re using the opportunity to study the Earth's upper atmosphere (known as the ionosphere), the Sun’s corona, and even animal behaviour.

So, could this solar eclipse could help unlock some of the secrets of our universe? Astronomer Jimena Stephenson and the BBC’s Laura Garcia explain.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

*In this episode Laura says Mexico last witnessed a solar eclipse in 1999. But it was in fact 1991.*

Over the last few decades, most countries in Europe have abolished compulsory military service. But following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the debate around conscription has returned. Last year Latvia restarted mandatory military service for men between 18 and 27. And now other countries are expanding their policies on conscription and encouraging their allies to follow suit. Last month Denmark proposed extending mandatory military service to women.

BBC Europe correspondent Nick Beake explains why countries are bringing back conscription and how changing rules are affecting young people. We also hear from two young conscripts in Estonia . They describe their training and the mental toll it can take.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Mora Morrison, Alex Rhodes, William Lee Adams Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Vinícius Júnior is one of the top footballers in the world but recently he broke down in tears when asked about the racist abuse he’s suffered from fans while playing for Spanish side Real Madrid. It’s sparked a fierce debate about racism in the sport and in Spain itself. The Brazilian has said that La Liga “belongs to racists”, so what can be done about the problem?

We’ve got BBC Sport presenter Isaac Fanin and the What in the World team’s Maria Clara Montoya in the studio with Hannah to break down the issue.

And we hear how a small team in Madrid, Dragones de Lavapiés, is trying to tackle racism and prejudice at a community level. Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Alex Rhodes and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Welcome to the future. There are some people who already live with an implant inside their head. Noland Arbaugh is one of them - he’s paralysed but can now work a computer with his mind.

There could be more people with brain chips if Elon Musk's hopes for his company, Neuralink, come true. He wants humans to merge with artificial intelligence to stop AI from taking over the world. That’s not happening any time soon, but there are lots of questions around how brain implants are used at the moment. How are they helping people? Are they ethical? Could we all have one at some point?

Wired's biotech reporter, Emily Mullin, tells us more about how these brain interface devices work. And neuroethicist Laura Cabrera reflects on the moral implications of these implants.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Baldeep Chahal, Benita Barden and Emily Horler Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Senegal's democracy was put at risk earlier this year when former president, Macky Sall, tried to hold onto power by delaying elections and putting political opponents in prison.

But the election went ahead and Senegal now has a new president. Who is Bassirou Diomaye Faye and with him in charge, what’s the future for the country?

From Dakar, BBC correspondent Thomas Naadi tells us more about Faye's road to the Senegalese presidency.

And BBC journalist Natasha Booty gives us some details about Faye's personal life, which has attracted much attention now he’s the first president in Senegal in a polygamous marriage with two wives.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Maria Clara Montoya and Benita Barden Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

You may have started seeing adverts on your social media feed for a website called Temu. Its motto is “shop like a billionaire” and it sells… well, pretty much everything. The only thing the products in its marketplace have in common is that they’re dirt cheap and made in China.

It’s the global wing of a Chinese e-commerce shopping company and burst onto the scene in 2022. It’s now worth just under 150 billion dollars. It’s aggressively marketed itself, releasing glossy adverts during the Superbowl, cultivating an army of influencers and offering promotions that encourage users to sign up other shoppers for cash giveaways.

But the small print details of these deals got some experts worried about data and privacy protection.

Alex chats to BBC Business and Tech reporter Sam Gruet talk about the origins of the company and how it manages to make money when its products are so cheap.

Hannah speaks to BBC journalist Tom Espiner about the giveaway promotion and why users may have signed away more than they’d bargained for.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld

WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6

Email: [email protected]

Presenter: Hannah Gelbart and Alex Rhodes Producers: Baldeep Chahal and Maria Clara Montoya Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

The cost of cocoa - the key ingredient for making chocolate - has reached an all-time high. In fact, the price has roughly doubled over the past year. The soaring cocoa prices are squeezing major chocolate makers and filtering through to consumers who are paying more for their sweet treats.

Nkechi Ogbonna, the BBC’s Senior West Africa Business Correspondent, explains how climate change, irregular rainfall and crop infestations are contributing to the price hike. It’s a similar story for coffee, as producers face growing demand and environmental challenges. Vanusia Nogueira, the executive director of the International Coffee Organization, tells us more.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: William Lee Adams, Baldeep Chahal and Mora Morrison Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Marina Summers is one of the top drag queens in the Philippines and she was one of the finalists on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs The World. Her drag embraces her Philippine identity, with looks on the show inspired by rice farming and even the national fish. Drag culture in the Philippines is becoming more mainstream but it’s not completely easy for all drag queens - one queen, is facing prison time for ‘offending religion’, after dressing up as Jesus in a show.

So what is life like for a Filipino drag queen? Plus we hear from two young LGBT people about what drag and being LGBT means to them.

Also, William Lee Adams, from the What in the World team, takes us through what LGBT rights are like across Southeast Asia. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

Beyoncé has released her highly anticipated new album, Cowboy Carter. It is a deep dive into the country-western genre. Some critics have questioned why one of the biggest R'n'B vocalists in the world would experiment with country. But others say it is her right as a Texas-born singer. Regardless, there is a strong sense that she is helping black artists take up more space in a genre long associated with white Americans.

Sophie Williams, a BBC reporter, explains how black artists have often felt excluded from the country music industry. We also hear the from two black women working in country music: Holly G, the founder of Black Opry, an organisation that connects black artists in the country and Americana genres, and Tiera Kennedy, a singer-songwriter from Alabama who appears on Beyoncé’s tracks Blackbird, which is a cover of The Beatles’ original song, and Tyrant.

We also hear from Dr Emmett G Price III, dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music & Boston Conservatory. He explains how African-American history influenced the development of country music.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with Sophie Williams Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks