Huge parts of Brazil are on fire. And it’s not just the drier areas. It’s the wetlands and the rainforests, too. Smoke from the fires can even be seen from space. Brazil has long struggled with wildfires, but they’re getting harder to control. And on top of this, Brazil is also experiencing its worst drought since records began 70 years ago.

Leandro Prazeres, a BBC reporter in the capital, Brasilia, explains how bad it is right now and what’s caused the fires. BBC Brasil reporter Giulia Granchi tells us about the wildlife in the affected areas; the Amazon rainforest, the Cerrado savannah and the Pantanal wetlands.

And Patricia Zanella, a gender activist who represented the Brazilian government’s youth delegation at COP last year tells us what she wants to see from her leaders to tackle these wildfires.

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

Sickle cell is an inherited blood disorder caused by abnormal red blood cells. It can cause sudden bouts of severe pain, as well as fatigue, a stroke, even death. It’s one of the most common genetic disorders in the world, but there’s still some stigma and a lot of misunderstanding around the condition.

We hear from Dunstan Nicol-Wilson, who was born with the condition, about what it’s like to grow up with sickle cell, and whether people’s attitudes are changing.

Around 80% of sickle cell cases worldwide are in sub-Saharan Africa. Makuochi Okafor, BBC Africa health reporter, tells us how it is inherited and what the symptoms can be. Nigeria has the largest population of individuals with sickle cell in the world, so he tells us how sickle cell is treated there.

Also last year the UK became the first country in the world to license a new gene-editing tool known as Crispr, as a treatment for sickle cell disease. Kesewaa Browne, a journalist in the U.K. tells us what treatments are already available and how Crispr could change things.

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

Last week in the US State of Georgia 14-year-old Colt Gray allegedly walked into his Apalachee High School, took out a gun and shot two students and two teachers dead. It’s the 45th school shooting to happen in America this year.

With an upcoming election taking place in November is there any desire from the country’s top politicians for change?

We speak to the BBC’s North America Correspondent Anthony Zurcher about the complicated laws around gun ownership.

And we also hear from campaigner Zoe Touray, who survived the Oxford High School shooting in Michigan in 2021.

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

YouTube might seem like an easy way to make money, but hungry algorithms and nasty comments are leading to fatigue and depression.

Hannah chats to William from the What in the World team about his pretty successful side hustle as a YouTuber. He explains why more and more content creators are leaving the platform due to “burnout” and the pressure content creators feel under to pander to the algorithm.

We also hear from Roly West, a queer British YouTuber specialising in piercings, tattoos and body modifications and Eugoson Quorch, a tech Youtuber from Nigeria.

And Robyn Caplan, Assistant Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, explains how YouTube makes money from its content creators.

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

Venezuela’s opposition candidate, Edmundo González, has arrived in Spain after being granted asylum. He’d spent weeks in hiding following a disputed election which erupted into unrest across the country. He’s said he will continue to fight from the outside. Many believe González is the rightful president, however the official result gave the incumbent Nicolás Maduro another term. With González in exile, what will happen now? The BBC’s Mimi Swaby brings us up to speed and talks us through crackdowns on political opposition in Venezuela.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Emily Horler and Shiler Mahmoudi Editor: Verity Wilde

A lot of films and TV shows like Game of Thrones, Dune, and Shadow and Bone have their own languages, and some are so complex that they have lore and history. But have you ever wondered how languages like Dothraki are created, or if the actors are just making it up as they go along?

We take our questions to married couple Jessie and David Peterson whose shared love of linguistics and making up languages has led to them working for some very famous shows. They talk us through how they come up with languages.

And the BBC’s resident gamer, Mel Ramsey, takes us on a journey into gaming and the role that languages like Skyrim's Dovahzul play in bringing games to life for fans.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden, Adam Chowdhury and Shiler Mahmoudi Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

Some university students in Kenya have been protesting a new funding model which, they say, favours the rich. The government says the changes are needed to help with funding issues. The BBC’s Anita Nkonge, based in Nairobi, explains.

Many universities around the world are struggling with the cost of living, and this burden is often felt most sharply by students. We know that students have been questioning if university is worth the cost for a while, but now it feels like this debate is hotter than ever. We chat through why uni can be so expensive, as well as the pros and cons of going.

Ishan Sharma, a YouTuber from India, dropped out of studying engineering and is now living his best life with no regrets. He shares his story, and tips for people considering a life without a degree.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenters: Alex Rhodes and Zofia Louise Producer: Mora Morrison Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Chappell Roan has posted on TikTok about "creepy behaviour" she's experienced in person and online. She’s one of this year’s most successful popstars with a growing fanbase, but are some of those fans starting to overstep the mark?

Pete Allison, our BBC Newsbeat reporter, tells us what Chappell has been saying.

We also look at K-pop fandoms with our Bilingual Reporter, Julie Yoonnyung Lee. There’s even a word in Korean to describe an obsessive fan who invades the privacy of a star - sasaeng.

And Veronica Lamarche, a psychologist who has done studies on parasocial relationships, tell us what signs to look out for that your interest in a celeb has turned into an obsession.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden and Emilia Jansson Editor: Simon Peeks

Millions of students around the world will be starting a new term of school or university this month. And one thing they might notice is more conversations around how education is embracing artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT.

Some people think ChatGPT is a way to cheat and bypass proper learning, while others are excited about how it could make education more efficient. Tech journalist Rhiannon Williams talks us through both sides of the debate.

We also hear from Grace Kejo, a 17-year-old student based in Tanzania, who shares how she uses the tool. And Daniel Herman, a high school English teacher in Berkeley, US, explains how he teaches his students to use it responsibly.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Mora Morrison and Zof Hare Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

The market for men’s beauty and grooming is blowing up, with more masculine beauty products on the shelves than ever before. It’s not uncommon to see men with manicures. And people like Harry Styles, Pharrell Williams and Idris Elba have even launched luxury product lines. It’s estimated that the global male grooming market will be worth $115 billion by 2028. It’s fair to say male beauty standards are changing. We hear from Enioluwa Adeoluwa, a Nigerian influencer known as ‘Lipgloss Boy’, about how practices have changed globally and in Nigeria. We also brush up on make-up for men, and speak to Adrián Ríos about how American beauty influencers are shaking up global standards. Plus if you’re a bloke wanting to change up your look we’ve got some tips for you. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Emily Horler and Benita Barden Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

Pavel Durov’s arrest could impact free speech, and the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Over the last few years the social media and messaging app Telegram has become increasingly popular. It’s different from other apps, like WhatsApp and Facebook, partly because it allows you to create massive groups, of up to 200,000 people. But the app has also faced criticism relating to disinformation, and the sharing of conspiracist, neo-Nazi, paedophilic, or terror-related content.

On Wednesday Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, was placed under formal investigation in France as part of a probe into organised crime on the app. BBC tech reporter Graham Fraser tells us what we need to know about Telegram, and this investigation.

Telegram has often been used by pro-democracy protesters, including in Hong Kong. The BBC’s Fan Wang explains.

And there has been a massive reaction to Durov’s arrest in Russia. The BBC’s Karine Mirumyan tells us why the Russian military, and government, use the app - and whether this arrest could impact the war in Ukraine.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Mora Morrison and Zofia Louise Editor: Verity Wilde

For the past 100 years diamonds have been the ultimate symbol of love, luxury and opulence. But then, a darker side to them was exposed. Diamond mining was shown to have links to conflict, human rights abuses and state corruption, putting off a lot of consumers. Lab-grown diamonds then appeared on the market as a more eco-friendly, ethical and cheaper alternative, but do they have the same appeal?

We speak to Caroline Steel, a BBC Science presenter, about what makes the gems so precious and the science behind how diamonds are formed.

We also hear from Shingai Nyoka, a BBC Africa reporter, about Africa’s relationship to diamond production, and the discovery of the second-largest mined diamond in Botswana in August.

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