Shea butter, a rich silky fat loved for its versatility, is under threat. It’s a key ingredient in everything from moisturisers to pharmaceuticals, and it has a huge global market. The shea trees where it’s extracted from grow from West to East Africa in a vast strip known as the "shea belt".

BBC Africa’s Anne Okumu has been to visit the Mount Kei Central Forest Reserve in Uganda, an area which used to be lush with wild shea trees, but has now been turned into a near-barren expanse dotted with stumps. She tells us why people have been cutting them down, and what this has to do with climate change. We also hear about what is being done to protect shea trees.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Mora Morrison, Adam Chowdhury and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Axolotls are only found in the wild in one place in the world; an area of wetland just outside Mexico City. They are one of the world’s most endangered, and arguably most adorable, amphibians. Not just meme-worthy, they are also scientifically fascinating - they don’t really age and they can regrow body parts, including their brains. Very few are left in the wild, but now scientists have released captive-bred axolotls back into the wetlands and found that they not only survived, but even put on a bit of weight. BBC science correspondent Victoria Gill talks us through the study and explains what scientists can learn from these amazing creatures. And Assistant Professor Prayag Murawala from the MDI Biological Laboratory in the US, describes what we know about how axolotls regenerate their own body parts. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Chelsea Coates, Emily Horler and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Harriet Oliver

Sean "Diddy" Combs is one of the most successful music moguls in the history of rap. He has been arrested and charged with sex trafficking and racketeering. Prosecutors allege that he “abused, threatened, and coerced women” and that he created “a criminal enterprise” involving forced labour, kidnapping and bribery. Mr. Combs denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty.

Ahead of the trial later this month, Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty, host of the BBC podcast, Diddy on Trial, explains the charges and shares Diddy’s response. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: William Lee Adams and Mora Morrison Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Two Belgian teenagers have plead guilty to trying to smuggle thousands of giant African harvester ants out of Kenya. The authorities said they were allegedly planning to sell the ants on the growing exotic pet market in Europe and Asia, where ant keepers put the insects in special habitats and watch them build their colonies. BBC reporter Akisa Wandera talks us through this landmark case.

We also hear from two ant keepers, Kaden (Ender Ants) and Mauro (Bruma Ants) on why they love their pets.

And finally, a quick question for you, how many ants do you think there are for every person on earth? A) 10 ants B) 67 thousand ants C) 980 thousand ants D) 2.5 million ants

Listen to the episode for the answer!

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

Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams recently returned to Earth after a longer-than-expected nine months on the International Space Station (ISS). And when the astronauts emerged from their space craft they were helped on to a stretcher, which is standard practice after spending so long in a weightless environment.

The BBC’s Caroline Steel has been looking into how going into space impacts the body. She talks us through how muscles, bones and even vision are affected, and how astronauts can limit any long-term damage. Peggy Whitson holds the world record for the woman who has spent most time in space - 675 days. She explains the challenges of lifting weights while in zero gravity.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Emilia Jansson Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal and Kesewaa Browne Editor: Verity Wilde

China’s cosmetic surgery industry has exploded over the past decade and in turn, put even more pressure on young women to conform to unrealistic beauty standards. On Chinese social media there are hundreds of filtered faces, extreme weight-loss hacks, and even apps that scan your face and let you book cosmetic surgery as easily as ordering a taxi.

BBC reporter Natalia Zuo, takes us through the culture in China and what she found out when working on a documentary for the BBC about the boom.

You can watch the documentary on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaYSEWlHrGw

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Benita Barden Editor: Harriet Oliver

Many economists have warned that the world is poised for an economic downturn. The warnings come after President Trump's recent changes to America’s tariff policies. Changes in consumer spending — including their fashion choices — are one potential “recession indicator.”

Erin Delmore, the BBC’s North America business correspondent, explains what a recession is and discusses how people’s purchasing decisions — regarding everything from clothes to salon visits — offer clues to what’s going on with the economy.

We also hear from Caroline Stevenson from the London College of Fashion. She explains how trends come about and unpacks recent trends like the “clean girl” look and the “office siren”.

Plus content creator Leah Holme discusses how she makes mindful purchasing decisions based on the long-term.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden, Abiona Boja, Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

Finding the right shade of makeup can be a struggle, especially if you have really fair or dark skin. But things are changing. Some brands, including Korean ones are looking at their shade ranges and making them more inclusive.

Soo Min Kim, a BBC reporter, takes us through the K-beauty industry and what’s changing.

We also hear from two beauty influencers - May Akhtar and Oceanne Comtois. Have they seen much change and could K-beauty be what the market needs?

Gloria Achieng is a BBC reporter in Kenya - how popular are products there?

And Adam Triantis from Dcypher walks us through why brands having a huge shade range can be hard logistically and whether AI could help.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Benita Barden Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

The title of Ed Sheeran’s new single ‘Azizam’ means ‘my love’ in the Persian language. The track and accompanying music video includes references to Persian culture and features famous Iranian pop star Googoosh. She’s been banned from singing in Iran since the 1970s.

The song has received an outpouring of support from Iranian communities worldwide for its positive and heartfelt representation of Iran. But Googoosh’s featuring role has also shed light on the restrictions that women face in Iran, including a ban on singing in public places. We speak to Ghoncheh Habibiazad from BBC Persian about what inspired the song and what it tells us about music culture in Iran.

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

Pope Francis led the Catholic church for more than a decade. He was the first Latin American pope, and the first non-European in more than a thousand years.

Many saw him as a more liberal pope than his predecessors - he talked about things like climate change, migration and LGBTQ rights but there are also those who felt he should have been more progressive.

After his funeral, a conclave will begin and his successor will be chosen. We explain what this process involves and we hear young voices from around the world speaking about the death of Pope Francis and their hopes for the future of the Catholic Church.

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

Over the past few weeks social media has been flooded with TikTok videos of people claiming that expensive European designer goods are actually made in China, and that you can buy the same luxury handbags and clothes for a fraction of the usual price. Many of these videos have since been taken down, but it’s led many to wonder if any of these claims are true. Are consumers being ripped off? And does President Donald Trump’s increased tariffs on Chinese imports have anything to do with these videos?

We speak to Jake Horton, a reporter at BBC Verify, who’s been analysing these viral Chinese supplier videos. He’s reached out to both designers and copyright law experts.

Plus: we hear from Blythe Milligan, a supply chain expert and the host of the Everything is Logistics podcast, about why some products are manufactured in Asia. She also explains how supply chains work.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Benita Barden and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Emily Horler

It’s 2025 and Katy Perry has officially gone to space. On Monday 14th April, she strapped herself into the Blue Origin rocket and blasted off like a “Firework” with five other well-known women. The rocket is owned by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and his fiancé Lauren Sanchez was also on board. The women claimed this all-female mission was to “take up space” but the reaction to the trip has been “Hot N Cold“. Some argue this wasn’t a win for feminism, only for the “Roar“ of capitalism.

But what is space tourism? And are regular people going to start flying to space and become “‘E.T.“?

The BBC’s Science correspondent Victoria Gill explains what the reaction has been and the impact space travel can have on the environment.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee-Adams Producers: Emily Horler and Emilia Jansson Editor: Julia Ross-Roy