What in the World

Women's appearances have often come under heavy scrutiny, especially their weight. The ideal body type has changed again and again. But in the wake of the body positivity movement of the 2010s, it seems like super skinny models are more prominent once more. There's a lack of diversity being shown in the fashion industry and across social media. According to the Vogue business report for Spring/Summer 2026, there were fewer mid-size and plus-size models on the catwalks in 2025. So what's behind it, and what could the effects be? Imogen James from the What in the World team gets into the trend.We also hear from Norwegian model Karoline Bjornelykke, who has experienced working while very thin and being forced into diets, as well as being a curve model.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Imogen James and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Gut health seems to be everywhere on social media right now. Top tips for healing your gut, diet advice including things like sea moss and bone broth, and lots and lots of supplements. But is there any truth to these suggestions, and should you care that much about your gut? Australian influencer Jade Chiang tells us why she works on her gut health. We get into what your gut microbiome actually is and whether you need to heal it with BBC science broadcaster Caroline Steel. We also delve into trending food with microbiologist Alan Walker, who gives us some ideas on what actually works, and what you should skip. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producer: Imogen James Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, Fate & Flame… all of these popular book series belong to the romantasy genre. It combines elements of romance and fantasy, so think mythical creatures and high drama, all ending with a hard-earned happily ever after. It's also big on BookTok, with over a million videos using the hashtag. So why is the genre suddenly having a moment?BBC journalist Maia Davies tells us what readers can expect from romantasy books - and why it's big business for the publishing industry. Sarah Wendell, the founder of Trashybooks.com, tells us about the unique appeal romantasy holds for readers. And we hear from romantasy fans around the world, who tell us why they have fallen in love with the genre. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde

Vitamin C, vitamin D, collagen, creatine, magnesium. All of them can be found in supermarkets, wellness shops and of course, online. These products, also known as supplements, have gained so much popularity that the global market has an estimated value of over $150 billion. But do they actually work and what's the science behind them? The BBC's Digital Health editor Michelle Roberts unpacks some of the most popular supplements for us. Plus we hear from people around the world about why they've decided to include them in their diet. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Chelsea Coates, Rio Rennalls and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Emily Horler

Nostalgia. That reminiscent, comforting feeling of something from the past that is familiar. We get it with different things, from fashion to TV shows and music. In the last few years, there's been a huge rise in things like y2k fashion, old school technology like flip phones and digital cameras, and even Kate Bush has made it back into the charts.So why do Gen Z care so much about old things? Professor Ryan Lizardi tells us more about how nostalgia works, when it's bad for you, and how marketing is keeping old things alive. We also hear how nostalgia is interpreted from Marie Tusiama in the Ivory Coast, who runs a successful y2k Instagram page. And what does nostalgia mean in Portuguese and Brazilian culture? Well, we hear from someone else in the Gelbart family - Ben tells us about his favourite Portuguese word, ‘saudade'. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Imogen James Editor: Verity Wilde

Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Do you enjoy small talk with strangers or do you do everything you can to avoid catching their eye? Type A or Type B?Right now the internet is obsessed with these labels. Personality types, birth charts, attachment styles, Myers Briggs, colour coding your aura.These days the internet is full of tests that attempt to define who you are by answering questionnaires, but the reality is more complicated. We go through these trends with Claudia Hammond, a psychologist and BBC presenter. Plus we hear from BBC colleagues in other parts of the world. Yuna Ku tells us the trends around personality types in South Korea and Makuochi Okafor in Nigeria explains how Igbo culture defines people's characteristics according to four categories.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Producers: Benita Barden, Julia Ross-Roy and Rio Rennalls Editor: Emily Horler

From the Caribbean to the Mediterranean, tonnes of seaweed is turning up on beaches in ever bigger quantities. Seaweed blooms — massive, rapid accumulations of seaweed — are smelly and can release toxic gases. They're also crowding out native plants. So where is all this seaweed coming from and is it down to climate change? BBC climate and science correspondent Georgina Rannard explains what effect this extra seaweed is having on biodiversity. Lots of countries and scientists are trying to work out what to do with all this seaweed - and even find ways to use it in the fight against climate change. We speak to Santiago Stebelski, who's 20 and from Mexico. He and his brother have just founded a company called Sargolico, which aims to convert sargassum seaweed into bioplastic. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, William Lee Adams and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Emily Horler

Football fans all around the world are gearing up for the 2026 Men's World Cup. It's set to be a historic tournament and will be hosted by three countries for the first time: the United States, Canada and Mexico. But some fans says it will make the history books for the wrong reasons - because of the jump in ticket prices.Group-stage tickets are up to three times more than those for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the cheapest ticket for the final will cost hundreds of dollars. FIFA has announced that it will release a small number of more affordable tickets, but some fans say this is not enough.BBC Africa Sports Reporter Celestine Karoney explains the costs of attending the 2026 World Cup - and how the tournament could also be affected by US‘ immigration policy. We also hear from fans in Cape Verde, which has qualified for the tournament for the first time, and in the Ivory Coast about the barriers they have faced when trying to get tickets to World Cup matches.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Maria Clara Montoya and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde

Are your work emails too polite? Do you use unnecessary punctuation and emojis? Career experts have told the BBC that using multiple exclamation marks can seem fake or could impact credibility.The BBC's Culture reporter Yasmin Rufo has been looking at how the emails you write might be making you come across as less competent and less professional.Plus we're joined by William Lee Adams who describes what it's like communicating with people from all over the world at the BBC World Service and considering the email or message culture of different countries.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Benita Barden and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

At the end of November, Ethiopia's biggest social media creators gathered in Addis Ababa for the Ethiopia Creative Awards. It was supposed to be a night celebrating the thriving digital culture but the outfits of the attendees stole the spotlight. A few weeks later six creators were arrested and detained for wearing “indecent attire” at the event and undermining public morality - but what exactly does that mean?Kalkidan Yibeltal, a BBC journalist based in Nairobi, tells us about cultural expectations for clothing in Ethiopia and why the outfits sparked so much controversy there. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Benita Barden, Chelsea Coates and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Iran is facing its worst drought in decades, with rainfall hitting a record low. Several of the reservoirs that supply water to the capital Tehran are almost empty: one of them, the Latian Dam, is currently holding less than 10% of its capacity. The government is encouraging people in Tehran to use less water and putting heavy restrictions on water supplies, especially at night.But Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has also suggested another solution - relocating the capital.BBC journalist Ghoncheh Habibiazad outlines these plans and explains what other solutions Iran is using to tackle the problem. We hear from someone living in Tehran about what it's like living with extreme water shortages. And the BBC's climate and science correspondent Georgina Rannard explains how climate change is contributing to this drought - and what solutions Iran could use to mitigate water shortages.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde

Charity used to be about bake sales and running marathons. Now it's all about thumbnails, hashtags, and stunts.Recently, MrBeast ran a massive campaign called #TeamWater - he partnered up with WaterAid and 10,000 other content creators. It raised over $40 million and is the biggest example so far in terms of number of influencers involved in a charitable campaign.Now other influencers, and charities are following this trend - working together on campaigns. So what happens when charity becomes content? Does this represent the future of philanthropy? Makuochi Okafor, a BBC reporter in Nigeria talks us through this growing trend and we hear from Gisela Amponsa, a Ghanaian digital creator, who was part of the #TeamWater campaign. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: Julia Ross-Roy Editors: Verity Wilde and Harriet Oliver

Taiwan is an island about 180 kilometres off the coast of China - nearly 24 million people live there. Taiwan is self governed but China says it's part of its territory. Only 12 countries (plus the Vatican) officially recognise Taiwan as a country. Taiwan is increasingly worried that China could be preparing to take the island by force. Whatever happens there could affect your whole online life, because Taiwan makes most of the world's computer chips, which power your phone, your laptop, AI apps and electric cars. In this episode Shawn Yuan from the BBC's Global China Unit explains the relationship between Taiwan and China and how the whole world could be affected if conflict broke out. We also hear from Taiwanese students Yi-Ting and Louis and Chinese student Rongzhi, who tell us how they feel about Taiwan-China relations. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Imogen James and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

On Sunday evening in Australia, two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah event on Sydney's Bondi Beach in Australia. Fifteen people were killed and dozens more are in hospital.In this episode we're going to look at what we know about what happened and talk about why the Jewish community in Australia were already concerned about their safety before the shooting.Australia has some of the strictest gun laws in the world - we'll also talk about how they work and why some people are now calling for them to be tightened. BBC's William Lee Adams joins us to helpInstagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Benita Barden and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde

Vases crafted thousands of years ago, temples built by past civilisations, natural parks with stunning waterfalls. These are all tangible things, there is a physical trace of them and many times they are protected and valued. But what about festivals, recipes or dances and skills that are unique to a certain part of the world? These cannot be stored, really. However they are passed on, become part of many people's identities and are known as intangible cultural heritage. UNESCO, the United Nations agency that focuses on culture and education has released its yearly list recognising these practices. But what does it actually mean to be included and why is it celebrated? We hear from Matthieu Guevel, Chief of Communications at UNESCO.Plus we talk to three people whose cultural practices have been added to the list this year: Paola Maggiulli a British-Italian cook, Lika Kat, a content creator from Kyrgyzstan and Zahra Hankir, a Lebanese author and journalist.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Chelsea Coates Producers: Maria Clara Montoya and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Stray Kids or BlackPink? Spice Girls or Westlife? Music executives - like Simon Cowell - have been creating girl bands and boy bands for decades. And he's about to launch a brand new competition on Netflix to find “The Next Act”. When we talk about these groups, we generally mean good-looking young women or men who've been brought together, and who don't tend to write their own songs or play their own instruments. Their fans are stereotyped as being teenage girls and their mums. Is there any truth to the belief that girl bands make better music because they are held to higher standards? The BBC's music correspondent Mark Savage explains how pop bands have evolved over the decades. We look at the different pressures and stereotyping that girl and boy bands face and we hear from some of our BBC friends - do they prefer girl bands or boy bands and why?Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

More than half a million people have been forced to leave their homes in Cambodia and Thailand. This follows rising conflict over the two countries' shared border. Now, this is not a new dispute. In fact it's been going on for decades. But this year things have gotten worse. A ceasefire was negotiated by US president Donald Trump in October. But it hasn't held. Trump now says he will ‘make a phone call' to stop the fighting. BBC reporter Panisa Aemocha, in Bangkok, chats us through the humanitarian needs of hundreds of thousands of evacuees. We also from the BBC's South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head who's at an evacuation centre, and from two young people who have fled their houses. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

The Trump administration says it has killed dozens of people in strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, which it says are from Venezuela and are carrying illegal drugs bound for the US. The US hasn't provided any evidence or details about those who have been killed. Experts have questioned the legality of these strikes. President Trump has alleged the Venezuelan leader, Nicolas Maduro runs a criminal group called Cartel de los Soles. Maduro denies this and has accused the US of using its "war on drugs" as an excuse to try and remove him from power to access Venezuela's huge oil reserves.Mimi Swaby, a BBC Global Affairs Reporter who focuses on Latin America, explains the history between the US and Venezuela and why the US is launching strikes on boats. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Producers: Emily Horler and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Australia is banning social media for everyone under 16. The government says it's to protect children from cyber bullying, harmful content and online predators. TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter) - they're some of the platforms that are going to be banned. Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has already started kicking under-16s off its apps. An estimated 150,000 Facebook users and 350,000 Instagram accounts are expected to be affected. The social media ban will come in to effect from December 10. Lots of teenagers are unhappy about this social media ban. But what about Australians who are now over 16? Do they wish they'd had something similar? We chat to Felix, 20, Lia, 19, and Habibat, 21, to find out.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Benita Barden, Mora Morrison and Julia Ross-Roy Researchers: Natalia Makohon and Rio Rennalls Editor: Verity Wilde

Across the world, footballers are hoping to be picked for their national team to play at FIFA World Cup 2026, but in Europe's top leagues, teams are picking younger players. In the Premier League this season, just over half of players are 25 and under. The average age of footballers starting matches is now 26 years and 217 days, the youngest in Premier League history.Being a young footballer is nothing new. But the amount of young footballers is rising. For some, like Arsenal's Max Dowman, they are setting records. He's the youngest Champions League player ever, debuting this season at 15-years-old. So why is football getting younger? BBC Sport reporter Jonty Colman gets into the game, the pressures, and why clubs are chasing down young talent. We also hear from Chifundo Mbofana, a young semi-professional footballer in Malawi, who explains how young players can inspire others.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Imogen James, Mora Morrison and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

You've probably had a call from someone pretending to be your bank - or even a family member - all to find out that it's a scam. It's part of a global, lucrative industry: the UN estimates that countries in east and southeast Asia lost an estimated $37 billion to cyber fraud in 2023, while the United States reported losses of more than $5.6 billion. But have you ever considered that the people behind these scams are sometimes victims themselves?Across South East Asia, in countries like Myanmar and Cambodia, thousands of people from all over the world work in ‘scam centres'. Some are forced to be there - and say they faced torture and beatings. The BBC's South East Asia Correspondent, Jonathan Head, has been to Shwe Kokko in Myanmar, where several centres are located. He tells us what it was like, how the scam industry operates and how the authorities are trying to crack down on it. We also hear from Mwesezi, a 21 year old from Uganda, who was trafficked to Myanmar after arriving in Thailand, for what he thought was a job in the IT industry.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Producers: Imogen James, Chelsea Coates, Rio Rennalls and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Kerala claims to be the first state in India to have ended extreme poverty. Over the past four years, various government departments have worked together to provide around 64,000 families living in extreme poverty with food, shelter, medical care and scholarships for their children. But what is extreme poverty and why are some people questioning this claim? The BBC's Shruti Menon, who is from Kerala, explains all. She also chats us through how extreme poverty rates across India have plummeted in the past decade. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbert Producers: Mora Morrison and Natalia Makohon Editor: Verity Wilde

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Thousands of schools have been damaged in the war. According to the UN children agency Unicef, only a third of Ukraine's schoolchildren currently study in-person, due to the threat of missile and drone attacks as well as shelling. Russia has attacked energy infrastructure so there are also frequent power cuts across the country. In this episode we hear what life is like for students in Ukraine right now.Initially Russian forces captured large parts of Ukraine and nearly made it to the capital, Kyiv, but Ukraine pushed the Russian forces back. Now the fighting is mostly in the south and east of the country, but the whole country is affected. Ukraine has started to build schools underground to allow children to carry on studying during rocket attacks, both purpose-built and by converting existing underground spaces. We speak to BBC reporter Olga Malchevska who has been to see what one of these schools is like. Another area where education has changed is in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. The BBC is not able to travel to these areas but we discuss allegations of “re-education” there. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Producers: Natalia Makohon and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Sugar taxes are in place in several countries including Mexico and the UK. And they're evolving. Maybe you've noticed that some sweet fizzy drinks are getting more expensive? Buying drinks with added sugar has an extra cost, which is commonly known as sugar tax. It's a way to discourage people from consuming too much sugar - something which can lead to poor health if consumed in excess. But do these sugar taxes work? Our BBC colleague Maria Clara Montoya has been looking into this with the help of Elisa Pineda, a public health expert from The George Institute for Global Health at Imperial College London.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Mora Morrison and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

Colombian archaeologists have retrieved the first items from what's thought to be the most valuable shipwreck in the world. A Spanish naval ship, the San José, was sunk by a British fleet off the coast of Colombia more than 300 years ago. It had a cargo of gold, silver and emeralds worth billions of dollars in today's money. Treasure hunters had tried to locate the shipwreck for many years, before Colombia announced that it had discovered it back in 2015.But how can we be sure this is the actual San Jose - and if it is, who has the rightful claim to the precious cargo onboard?Helen Farr, a marine archaeologist from the University of Southampton in the UK, takes us through the legal dispute over who owns the ship, and recounts how it ended up on the ocean floor. And we hear from Mariana Carulla, a conservationist in the Colombian ministry of culture, who has been working with the team that's retrieving objects from the shipwreck. She tells us what they have found so far - and explains how authorities are searching for clues about the shipwreck's true identity.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Maria Clara Montoya and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde

Elon Musk could be about to become the world's first trillionaire. That's after a record-breaking pay package - that could be worth nearly $1tn (£760bn) - was approved by Tesla shareholders. The electric car boss is already the world's richest man, but this would take his wealth to a whole new level. But who is Elon Musk and how did he make all this money? We explain all, as well as breaking down what a trillion dollars actually is. Plus, we hear from two special guests about what they would do with a trillion dollars.But not everyone thinks trillionaires are a good thing. Billie Eilish has been vocal about this. She recently called for billionaires to give their money away. And then there's charities, like Oxfam, who point to rising global inequality. BBC reporter Nathalie Jimenez joins us to crunch the numbers, and explain all sides of the arguments for, and against, trillionaires. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Chelsea Coates and Emily Horler Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Children learn best when they're taught in the language they use at home, research suggests. But there's the question about the power of world languages like English, Spanish, French or Arabic and how they could provide more opportunities to those who learn it, be it in education or a career. You've been messaging us about what languages you learned in at school. Say hello to Brian in Kenya and Christian in the Philippines!We then skip over to Nigeria, where our reporter Makuochi Okafor breaks down for us why the government is reversing its policy of teaching in other languages that aren't English. And our colleague Santiago tells us what went wrong when he was learning in English in his Colombian school. Plus, we get the research from Justine Sass, from UNESCO - the UN agency for education, science and culture.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Chelsea Coates, Maria Clara Montoya and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

GPS interference or GPS ‘jamming' is getting more common. It's when radio signals on the same frequencies as GPS satellites are used to overwhelm and block legitimate navigation signals. It's led to pilots having to make emergency landings or switch to older non-GPS systems. The issue has become so prevalent that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) held a conference on it last year. Several European governments also believe it is intentional interference by Russia. BBC journalist Emilia Jansson explains GPS jamming in detail and how it is affecting the aviation industry.Plus we hear from Ian Petchenik, director of communications at flight-tracking website Flightradar24 about what GPS interference looks like in real-time.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: Emilia Jansson and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

COP30, the big meeting where countries discuss climate change annually, has finished. This year it was hosted in the city of Belem in Brazil, in the Amazon forest, which is directly affected by it. The role of the two biggest emitters has also made headlines. The United States hasn't taken part in the talks and China has kept a very low profile. This summit has ended without a clear commitment to phase out fossil fuels and that has angered protesters and activists, who participated in demonstrations showing their opposition to this plan. We wrap up the highlights of COP30 with our resident climate expert, Georgina Rannard and also hear from Natalia Tsuyama, a Brazilian climate activists who shares with us how her first COP has been. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

Scientists at Oxford University in the UK now think that kissing evolved more than 21 million years ago, and it wasn't humans that started it.As a behaviour, it has no obvious survival or reproductive benefits but it's seen across the world, in humans and animals alike.Victoria Gill, our Science Correspondent, tells us all about the research and what we know about if animals can be romantic like humans can.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch has been crowned Miss Universe at a ceremony in Bangkok, marking the end of an exceptionally scandal-filled pageant season. It's the 74th Miss Universe pageant and there was a lot of drama before a single contestant took to the stage.Early in November, Miss Mexico walked out of an event after she was told off by a Thai official and those who supported her were threatened with disqualification. Then in the days before the final, some judges resigned, one over claims the competition is rigged - which is of course denied by the Miss Universe Organisation.Social media has shown some of the drama behind the scenes… and at the centre of it is two of the men running the pageant. Nawat Itsaragrisil and Raúl Rocha Cantú have very different visions for the future of the pageant, which has been dealing with declining ratings and financial issues.William Lee Adams, host of Marketplace Morning Report, takes us through what's been going on behind the scenes, everything from finances to clashes over how it should be run.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Benita Barden, Chelsea Coates and Emily Horler Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

After months of mounting pressure, US lawmakers have just voted to release all of the so-called Epstein files. So documents from criminal investigations into the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before his death could soon be made public. The vote was passed in the House of Representatives 427-1 and the Senate unanimously fast-tracked it without a formal vote. Now it's down to US President Donald Trump, who's already said he'll release them.This story has been around for a while, and it's become a bit of a thorny issue for the US president. Trump used to socialise with Epstein, although there are no allegations of wrongdoing against him. During his re-election campaign, Trump called for the Epstein files to be released. Then, once in power, he changed his mind. But, after a rebellion from some in his own party, he switched sides again, calling for their release.Following this vote, lots of people have questions: When will the Epstein files be released? What are the Epstein files? And who's in them? In this episode we explain everything we know so far. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Imogen James Editor: Verity Wilde

In Sudan, where a civil war has been raging for over two years, millions of students have had their education disrupted. Over half of all schools are in conflict zones. Many schools are being used as shelters and many students have missed their exams. In some parts of the country there is no education at all.Sudan is one of the biggest countries in Africa. It's mostly Muslim and is also one of the poorest countries in the world. More than 150,000 people have been killed in the conflict, and around 12 million have had to flee their homes. The UN has called it the world's biggest humanitarian crisis.In this episode school and university students in Sudan tells us how their education has been affected by the war. And BBC journalist Maha El Gaml explains how some schools are now re-opening. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde

Both Jamaica and the Philippines have been battered by tropical storms in the past month. Hurricane Melissa, a category five storm, was the worst storm to ever hit Jamaica and one of the strongest so far to affect the Caribbean, leaving at least 30 people dead. And super-typhoon Fungwong displaced more than a million people in the Philippines, only days after an earlier storm claimed hundreds of lives. Neither region is a stranger to storms - the Philippines is hit with an average of 20 typhoons each year - but scientists say that climate change is making these storms more severe. So, how can island nations better protect themselves in the face of natural disasters?Environment and climate journalist Jhesset Enano, who's from the Philippines, tells us what it's like to live in a region where tropical storms are common - and what's being done to protect people. And Rosanne Martyr, a senior scientist from Climate Analytics, tells us about the natural defences small islands around the world are using to minimise the damage caused by storms.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Chelsea Coates and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

These days, buying concert tickets is a huge expense. If fans miss out, they can often find tickets on resale sites at hugely inflated prices. Sometimes people resell their tickets because they can't go but there are also lots of “professional resellers” or ticket touts playing the system and making loads of profit. They buy tickets in bulk from the original seller platform, then mark them up to fans. We hear from a Taylor Swift super fan, who has spent hundreds on resale tickets.Now, a group of musicians including Dua Lipa, Coldplay, Sam Fender and Radiohead have sent a letter to the UK government, asking politicians to introduce a price cap on resale tickets to "stop touts from fleecing fans”. Ireland has already introduced a law to stop people selling tickets for more than their original price. Gary Devitt, who co-founded a platform in Ireland for fan-to-fan ticket resales called Toutless, gives us his view on what effect the law has had. In this episode we hear some stories about buying resale tickets, and ask whether price caps can actually stop the touts. The BBC's music correspondent Mark Savage also explains how ticket touts operate, and what artists could do themselves to reduce dodgy reselling. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Imogen James and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

Prepping is a big deal in the US. There's even a reality TV show called “Doomsday Preppers”. Prepping is when you stockpile loads of stuff - food, water, medicine - in case of a disaster, nuclear war or an unstoppable virus. Now billionaires are taking it to the next level, building underground mansions and self-sustaining bunkers that look like something out of a zombie apocalypse movie. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is building a $100 million compound in Hawaii—complete with plans for a huge underground bunker, although he's described it as a “little shelter, like a basement”. Peter Thiel, the CEO of Paypal tried to build one in New Zealand and Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, is rumoured to have underground security areas under every one of his homes.In this episode BBC reporter Nathalia Jimenez joins us again to chat about what exactly these billionaires are building and what they're so worried about. And we hear from Lauren, a prepper in the US, about why she thinks it's important to get organised. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Benita Barden Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Are Christians being targeted and killed in their thousands in Nigeria? That's the claim made by US President Donald Trump in several social media posts. He's blamed the Nigerian Government for allowing the killing of Christians, and has threatened to stop aid and send troops into the African country. It not only caught the attention of Nigerians, but also rapper Nicki Minaj. In a post on X that's been seen more than 50 million times, she said she's grateful to Trump, writing that no group should be persecuted for their religion. But is there truth to what Trump says? We speak to BBC reporter Ijeoma Ndukwe to learn more about the religious tensions in Nigeria and what's really happening. We also hear from two young Nigerians, who offer up their thoughts on the situation. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Imogen James and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

Do aliens exist? What's out there in the universe beyond Earth? These are some of the questions which have plagued astronomers and film producers for years. Well, now astronomers are revisiting these questions following the discovery of a possible atmosphere around an Earth-sized planet about 40 light years away. The exoplanet is called Trappist-1e and may be able to host life. BBC science presenter Caroline Steel joins us to explain what we need to know about this discovery. Plus, we speak to Ximena from Venezuela and Vanessa from Finland - who are both members of the Cosmic Girls Foundation - about what they make of Trappist-1e. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Chelsea Coates Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

The COP30 climate summit is taking place in the Brazilian city of Belém for the next two weeks. It's run by the United Nations (UN) and every year is one of the biggest events in the calendar, especially for world leaders and environmental campaigners. This COP is in the Amazon rainforest. The country's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, says it will be an historic summit because it is "a COP in the Amazon, not a COP about the Amazon". All world leaders are invited, but not all attend. US President Donald Trump, for example, won't be there. Every year at COP countries make commitments about what they will do over the next year with the aim of reducing climate change. But this year's summit is particularly important as it marks ten years since the Paris Agreement and people will be tracking our progress. The BBC's Georgina Rannard breaks down everything we need to know about this year's COP. Plus Natalia Tsuyama, who's a climate activist based in Brazil, shares why she's feeling hopeful. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Maria Clara Montoya and Rio Rennalls Editor: Verity Wilde

New York has chosen its new mayor - Zohran Mamdani. He's a Muslim, was born in Uganda, and loves Arsenal. He's also pretty young. The politician has been making waves online with his social media campaign and united a huge Gen Z force behind him. From viral moments like jumping in the sea in a suit to walking the entire length of Manhattan, he's probably appeared on your timeline. So, what made his campaign go down so well with younger voters? We speak to BBC journalist Nathalia Jimenez, who has watched all this unfold in New York. She explains whether other politicians around the world can learn from his success.We also hear from young New Yorkers and their experience taking part in some of the mayor-elect's events, as well as Ugandans, who share what it's like to see someone from their country go and win an American election. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Pria Rai Producers: Imogen James and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

The Amazon rainforest is home to billions of trees, animals and people. It's spread across nine countries in South America - Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela - but the majority of it, almost 60%, is in Brazil. As well as being rich in biodiversity, the Amazon is also very important in the world's fight against climate change; as it absorbs carbon dioxide and produces oxygen. But the Amazon has been declining. In fact, in 2022 Brazil set a new deforestation record for the amount of trees cut down in the rainforest in one month. This impact is being felt directly by the indigenous groups who have been living there for thousands of years, but also the world as a whole. In this episode we're joined by Graihagh Jackson, from the BBC's The Climate Question podcast, and Dr Erika Berenguer, who's a Senior Research Associate at the University of Oxford and Lancaster. We chat about why the Amazon is so important, and what's being done to protect it. This year's climate summit Cop30 is being held in Belem, in the Amazon, for the first time. So we also discuss what impact this could have on the world's largest rainforest. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: Mora Morrison and Chelsea Coates Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

The RSF (Rapid Support Forces) have taken the city of el-Fasher, in Darfur, from the Sudanese army. The city had been under siege by RSF fighters for 18 months, trapping hundreds of thousands of civilians and sparking a hunger crisis. Thousands are now trying to flee. And there are mounting fears of mass killings and sexual violence - some of which are feared to be ethically motivated. The civil war in Sudan has been going on since 2023. But some believe that this could be a turning point. Deka Barrow, a journalist from BBC Monitoring who's based in Nairobi, joins us to explain why. We also hear from someone who is trapped in el-Fasher. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde