What in the World

Ever wondered why you might feel a bit unwell after a flight? There are lots of reasons for that - from dehydration, jet lag, cabin pressure and altitude. Last month, a French court recognised that cosmic radiation was a factor in a flight attendant’s breast cancer diagnosis. Studies show that cabin crew and pilots have the highest level of radiation- related cancer deaths compared to more than 50...

You are at the top of your game in your sport. Maybe you are the best in the world. But, you also want to start a family. For many female athletes, these two things happen at the same time - with careers often peaking when athletes are most fertile - the ages of 20-29. Can you do both? We have seen athletes like Serena Williams, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Alice Kinsella do it. But how easy is it?...

Russia has been trying to grow its influence in Africa for years, with Russian paramilitary groups operating in countries such as Mali and Niger and Africans being recruited to fight in Russia’s war in Ukraine. But it’s not just through soldiers and paramilitaries - Russia has now announced plans to open eight new cultural centres across Africa. The new centres are expected to open in countries su...

A series of recent studies suggests that drug use is increasing among Gen Z. Some young people are taking prescription anti-anxiety medications — such as propranolol and pregabalin — without a prescription. They’re buying them online or on the black market, exposing themselves to additional risks. Jacqui Wakefield, our Global Health Reporter, explains why some young people see these drugs as an al...

In the current global economic environment, youth unemployment is higher than the national average in many countries, as companies are reluctant to take on new staff. According to the United Nations, the global youth unemployment rate rose to 12.4 per cent last year, meaning around 67 million people under 24 can’t find jobs. Now some companies are staging less conventional recruitment processes th...

From memes to movies, we’ve all seen vultures getting a bit of a bad rep! The bird of prey is often linked to death and decay, but some people are trying to fight back and try and give them a bit of a rebrand. Kojo Baidoo is a vulture fan and birder in the US. He tells us about how he’s trying to rehab the vulture brand through social media and why we should have some more love for these feathered...

After a record 250 consecutive days at sea, the USS Abraham Lincoln finally docked in Thailand last week. Half of the 5,000 crew members are under 24 years old and they’ve been on board since December, as part of the US-Israel war with Iran. There have been reports of difficult conditions on board, with food shortages, broken plumbing and concerns about the crew’s morale and mental health, but the...

A floating island that appeared in a Canadian reservoir and seemed to vanish has returned. Officials at Williston Reservoir in British Columbia spent months tracking it through satellite imagery and discovered it had drifted 30 kilometres away. The island made international headlines and gained a loyal fan base on social media. Jake Horton from BBC Verify has been looking at the data and gave us a...

Imagine you’ve just started a new job or it’s your first day at uni. You’re talking to your boss or teacher, someone who’s much older, much richer, or much more powerful than you. Do you call them by their first name? Or do you go with Mr, Mrs, Professor, Doctor? In Nigeria, a video of a young woman being corrected for calling a billionaire businessman, Tony Elumelu, by his first name has sparked...

Aura farming has left your phone screen and landed in public squares all over Latin America. Hundreds of people are attending ‘aura battles’ - high-energy public competitions where the only way to win is show just how much raw charisma you have. Laura Garcia from BBC Mundo tells us exactly what it takes to prove your aura. Dani San, who’s been organising aura battles in Chile, tells us what it’s l...

Investing used to be seen as something that was for older people in suits, but now more young people are getting into it, thanks to the rise in online investing apps that have made it more accessible, and a growing awareness of how stocks and shares work. But data suggests that despite being less likely to start investing, women often make higher returns than men when they do. So, why are women of...

Videos from the second edition of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing have been going viral. Two thousand robots from 16 countries took part and the robots seem more human-like than ever. They dance, compete in boxing matches, sprint faster than Usain Bolt, and even lift weights (not always successfully). BBC China Analyst Kerry Allen explains how the Games relate to China’s international an...

Rockstar — the developer behind Grand Theft Auto 6 — has released the “extended look” trailer ahead of the game’s November release. The 26-minute preview offers fans the first detailed footage from the game. Among other things, the trailer showcases the relationship between protagonists Jason Duval and Lucia Camino and some very impressive chase scenes. The extended look premiered following a week...

Tradwife content is everywhere - you’ve seen it on your feed. Influencers showing off their sourdough loaves while talking about how lucky they are to be stay-at-home wives, mothers, and girlfriends. For some, it looks like an aspirational lifestyle - fairy-tale wealth, a beautiful home, family and no 9-5 job. One of the biggest accounts like this is Nara Smith. And although she’s often seen as th...

Dolly Parton was a country music star like no other. Following her death from cancer on Tuesday, everyone from President Donald Trump to Beyoncé has expressed condolences online. But the public mourning isn’t just about Dolly’s catalogue of hits like “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene” and “9 to 5,” or her nearly 50 studio albums like “Backwoods Barbie.” William Lee Adams, a BBC culture reporter, e...

Scientists have snapped some shiny new pictures of the Sun in the most detail we’ve ever seen. They used a super powerful solar telescope to show "whirlpools" of activity which are the Sun’s magnetic field being twisted and moved by the motion of hot gas. Victoria Gill, our Science Correspondent chats to us about how the pictures were taken by the Inouye Solar Telescope and what they tell us about...

Divine, a short-form video-sharing app, lets users create and share videos which are just six seconds long and repeat on a loop. It’s inspired by Vine, an app founded in 2012 that, at its peak, had more than 200 million monthly active users. It helped launch the careers of some of the internet's biggest stars, including Jake Paul and Lele Pons. Laura Cress, a BBC tech reporter, explains how the ap...

Niu Lai, a low-budget Chinese animation film about a cow in a dream sequence, is going viral. Released on August 5, it earned less than $1,500 in its first ten days. But then — following snarky comments, bad reviews and widespread mockery by Gen-Z — the film found a larger audience and has now brought in more than $1.6 million dollars. We speak with William Lee Adams, a BBC culture reporter, and M...

Do you run without a a shirt on ever? Lots of people have opinions on this topic and in some parts of the world it’s something you’re just not allowed to do. We hear from runners around the world for their take on the decision to run without a shirt one - for both men and women. And Yijin Shim from BBC Korean tells us about how in South Korea “no shirtless running” signs have been popping up after...

Across social media young women are discussing the "luteal uglies." These are changes in appearance and mood that women experience during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. We hear from women in Vietnam, the Philippines, and the UK about the symptoms they experience, from acne and bloating to fatigue and brain fog. But what’s behind these changes? Dr Helen O'Neill, an associate professor i...

AI isn’t just occasionally going rogue…(Open AI and Meta we’re looking at you) it’s also changing the world of work. Nearly 70% of college students in the US said they thought AI would make it harder to find a job in a recent survey - and 22% said that they’ve changed what they’re deciding to study at university because of this. They’re not the only ones… students all over the world are thinking a...

Rapper Tupac Shakur is one of the most influential music artists ever - with musicians such as Kendrick Lamar, Justin Bieber and Drake citing him as a major inspiration. His career was cut short in 1996 when he was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas - but now, nearly three decades later, a man is going on trial, accused of his murder. He’s called Duane "Keffe D" Davis - he has pled not gui...

What would you do if you found out that your favourite artist was not actually human? More musicians are using AI-tools for their work. But recently, there has also been a boom in AI Personas and 100% AI generated work. Some fans and musicians are not happy, they have called for more transparency around what’s human made. Streaming websites have also raised concerns about fraud and copyright infri...

Orangutans are the world’s most endangered apes and they’re now even closer to extinction. They live on two islands in southeast Asia: Sumatra and Borneo. In November, an extreme weather event in the area killed more than 1,000 people there, plus about 7% of the world’s rarest type of orangutan according to a new study. BBC Climate and Science reporter Georgina Rannard takes us through how orangut...

Heatwaves are uncomfortable for everyone. But people living with disabilities face additional and specific challenges that can compromise their health and well-being. Many of these issues - from struggling service dogs to overheating wheelchairs - are frequently overlooked, even in public advice and emergency planning. Maddie Molloy is a BBC climate and science reporter who is also profoundly deaf...