What in the World

K-pop megastars BTS have announced their long-awaited comeback, after their military service for the South Korean army took them out of the game for four years. There’s gonna be a new album, a world tour AND an extravagant 360 degree stage, meaning tickets sales can be maxed out, allowing more fans into stadiums. Experts think it will all net the band over $1 billion.We hear from the BTS Army about how excited they are.But four years is a long time in K-pop, so how can BTS hold onto their crowns? BBC reporter Rachel Lee in Seoul joins us to explain why the band is so important to the South Korean music industry and how they can continue to dominate it.Latin America, Europe and the US are some of the places where dates have been announced but the ‘world tour’ has skipped over the continent of Africa again. More dates are due to be announced, but how are fans feeling there?Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Emily Horler and Emilia Jansson Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Ultra-processed food - things like biscuits and crisps - are making up more and more of our diets globally. In the US and the UK, ultra-processed food actually make up half the calories we eat. New research is calling for more action to reduce this intake because of its potential threat to our health. But what is ultra-processed food and how does it impact the body? We’re joined by the BBC health reporter Annabel Rackham and Priscila Machado, a nutritionist from Deakin’s Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition in Australia, to talk through everything we need to know. We discuss what ultra-processed food is, what it contains, how to spot it, and if we need to worry about eating it. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

The AI tool Grok has caused controversy and shock around the world, after it was revealed that the chatbot can generate images of real people without clothes on. These fake nudes are then posted publicly on X, causing immense distress for the victims. There are also reports of underage victims. BBC technology reporter Laura Cress joins us to explain what has happened with Grok, how governments worldwide are reacting, and how Grok’s owner Elon Musk has responded to the backlash. We hear from Daisy in the UK, whose gym photo was edited without her consent and BBC business reporter Osmond Chia, who’s been speaking to victims of these deepfakes in Indonesia, which has just banned Grok. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: William Lee Adams and Emilia Jansson Editor: Julia Ross-Roy and Emily Horler

American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon in 1969. The landing was televised and watched by around 600 million people around the world. That and subsequent missions have brought back 382kg of moon rock. More than 400,000 people work on the American space programme to get people to the Moon; scientists, engineers, researchers and support staff along with the astronauts.But still, some people don’t believe the Moon landings actually happened and think the whole thing was staged or faked, possibly with the help of Hollywood. Among them are Kim Kardashian, Joe Rogan and YouTuber Shane Dawson. And they’re not alone. In some surveys, as many as 25% of those asked agreed with a statement that the Moon landings had all been a hoax. Results differ by age group, but some surveys have also found there’s even more doubt about the Moon landings in young people, compared to older age groups. In this episode, Nathalie Jimenez, our BBC reporter in New York and Jacqui Wakefield, a BBC global disinformation reporter debunk some of the conspiracy theories about the Moon landing and discuss why younger people are more likely to think it was staged.Audio of Moon landing used courtesy of British Pathé. 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

The streets of Iran have been filled with protesters for the last few weeks. What initially started as dissatisfaction over the economy has turned into a nationwide uprising which keeps escalating.The Iranian security forces have responded by firing tear gas into the crowds of people. According to human rights groups, hundreds of demonstrators have reportedly been killed. Amongst those confirmed dead is fashion student Rubina Aminian, whose family have been able to identify her body. But information out of the country remains sparse, as the government has shut off the internet.Now the US President Donald Trump has weighed in on the protests, threatening military intervention. We’re joined by Ghoncheh Habibiazad, a senior reporter at BBC Persian - she explains why people are protesting and what life is like for young people in the country.Shayan Sardarizadeh from BBC Verify also explains how reporters are able to access footage despite limited connection.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Benita Barden, Emily Horler and Emilia Jansson Editor: Harriet Oliver

Single girlies, put your hands up!!! Because haven’t you heard? It’s chic to be single. Think solo trips, personal growth for yourself and no one else, and as Miley Cyrus says, you can buy yourself flowers.If you are single, you aren’t alone - by 2030, 45% of women in the US aged between 25 and 44 will be single according to US data. Whilst getting into a relationship has historically been seen as the end goal, it seems that increasingly even if women are in one, they don’t post about their boyfriends. Attitudes to being single are changing - especially for women in heterosexual relationships - many are embracing the single life on social media a bit moreWe hear from Chanté Joseph, the author of that viral Vogue article with the big question ‘is having a boyfriend embarrassing now?’.Three single women tell us their takes on singledom and three BBC pals in China, Turkey and South Korea, tell us what the single stigma is like in their countries. Plus, we should all have a bit more main character energy shouldn’t we? So some of the What in the World team tell you what they’re doing this year to take on a leading role.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Chelsea Coates and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

English is the most widely spoken language globally, both online and IRL. In fact, 1.5 billion people speak it. However, only around 25% of those are native speakers. So how did English become so dominant? Why do people learn it at school? And how have hybrid versions of English, like Spanglish (Spanish-English) or Hinglish (Hindi-English), developed? Georgie Thorman from BBC Learning English joins us to chat through everything we need to know. English is also the most dominant language online and is the lingua franca (dominant language) of pop culture. AI is trained on vast amounts of information taken from the internet. So does this mean that as AI use increases, English will gain even more ground? We invited linguist and AI expert Linda Heimisdóttir onto the pod to explain. Plus, we hear from three young people about why they chose to learn English. Are you learning English right now? We’d love to hear from you. All our details can be found below. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Natalia Makohon and Maria Clara Montoya Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Brick phones are making a comeback… but it’s not just down to Y2K nostalgia. There’s growing concern around how dependent we are on our smartphones - screen time apps are getting more popular, devices to lock you out of your apps are on the market and some people are even getting rid of their smartphones completely. So, why are so many of us doing a digital detox? And do we even need to?BBC journalist Chelsea Coates explains where this growing trend is coming from, plus she takes us through the data on smartphones and young people. We hear from Elias Wachtel, who reported on this for The Atlantic after giving up his smartphone, and Veda (@Sakuraopal) in Hong Kong, who went viral online after swapping her smartphone for a flip phone to cut her screen time. And Professor Andy Przybylski, who specializes in Human Behaviour and Technology at the University of Oxford, debunks some of the misconceptions we have about phones and our health.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Chelsea Coates, Maria Clara Montoya and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

When you think of AI, you might think of funny generated pictures, help with your homework and dating advice. But, do you think of the effect using it might be having on the environment? AI firms usually have huge data centres, which power the technology. And with that great usage, comes great amounts of energy zapped up by AI companies. There’s long been a rumour that every ChatGPT query you make uses one pint of water. So is there any truth to the claim? And is it damaging the world around us? We speak to tech reporter Laura Cress, who explains the environmental impacts of the technology. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Imogen James, Benita Barden and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are in custody in the US after President Trump has launched a series of strikes on Venezuela. It was all part of ‘Operation Absolute Resolve’ - a mission the Trump administration had secretly been planning for months. Both Maduro and his wife have been charged with a list of drugs and weapons offences and are due to appear in court in New York later on Monday. President Trump has said the US will run Venezuela until he can organise a “safe, proper and judicious” transition of power. But how will this work?In this episode, we explain why the US went ahead with the attack, whether it is legal, and what the future could hold for people living in Venezuela after the operation.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde

Just an hour and a half after the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Day 2026, a fire broke out in a bar in Crans-Montana, a ski resort in Switzerland. At least 40 people are confirmed to have died in the blaze and over 100 are injured. Most of the party goers were young people celebrating the start of the New Year. Patients as young as 15 are being treated for severe burns.The exact cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, but authorities have said that the fire was likely an accident and an investigation is already underway. In this episode, we explain what we know about what happened and we hear from people who were in the bar that night as well as BBC reporters covering the story.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates Editor: Julia Ross-Roy and Harriet Oliver

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