What in the World

Is it OK for fashion brands to take inspiration from other cultures?

15 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Mexico's president is among those who have criticised Adidas for perceived cultural appropriation. The brand's Oaxaca Slip-On was inspired by traditio...

Can eco-tourism ever really be eco?

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Costa Rica is known as a world leader in eco-tourism. It has lush rainforests, tranquil beaches and protected wildlife and is famous for sustainable t...

Why Nigeria promised its women’s basketball team new apartments

13 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Players on Nigeria’s female basketball team will receive a cash reward of $100,000 each and a three-bedroom apartment following their win at the Fib...

How can we STILL be discovering new dinosaurs?

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Experts have discovered a new small species of dinosaur. It has been named Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae, and scientists say it lived around 150 milli...

Has Ghana's ‘Year of Return’ been a success?

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Back in 2019, Ghana’s then president sent out an invitation to people with African heritage to come to Ghana. It was called the Year of Return - a c...

Why the DRC is sponsoring FC Barcelona

08 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re a Barca fan, you might want to look out for a small change to the players’ kits that’s coming soon. The Democratic Republic of Congo h...

Should we be eating more ‘forgotten foods’?

07 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At least 30,000 of the 350,000 known plant species on our planet are edible, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, but o...

Move over action films, I wanna watch a kids movie

06 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you look at the list of box office hits from the past year, you’ll see lots of live action versions of children’s and young adult films, and ev...

Are anti-wrinkle injections like Botox worth it?

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Botox - or Botulinum toxin injections - has become mainstream. It’s no longer for the super-rich and A-list celebrities. As it’s become cheaper an...

Discussing a Palestinian state

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A growing number of countries have said they could recognise Palestine as a state. What does a Palestinian state mean? And why is this one of the most...

Are attitudes to albinism changing?

01 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Albinism is a rare genetic condition that reduces melanin; that’s the pigment that gives colour to your skin, eyes, and hair. The condition can make...

The rise of Agronejo: Brazil’s flashy farmer music

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Agronejo is a relatively new genre of Brazilian music. It draws on Brazil’s ever-popular traditional country music, sertanejo but adds a modern twis...

The takedown of one of the world’s largest online drug markets

30 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In June 2025, a Europe-wide law enforcement operation shut down Archetyp Market, the longest-running illegal drug marketplace on the dark web. 300 off...

Sinkholes: Why the ground is collapsing beneath our feet

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sinkholes are holes that suddenly appear in the ground. They can be any size but some are enormous. Some have swallowed cars, parts of buildings and e...

Do we need more laws for space?

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Outer space is starting to get crowded. Private companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are launching rockets regularly, tho...

Did you know countries can now sue over climate change?

25 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if countries could sue each other for wrecking the climate? Well, that’s now a real possibility after a decision by the UN’s top court, the I...

Why are period tracking apps getting so popular?

24 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Period tracking apps help you track your menstrual cycle, so you know when to expect your period. They’re growing in popularity worldwide, with the ...

Syria: What’s behind the Druze-Bedouin conflict?

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Violence has flared up again in Syria, this time in the southern province of Suweida. Fighting has broken out between the government forces and two mi...

Why are some cities sinking?

22 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dozens of coastal cities — from Jakarta to Manila — are sinking at a worrying speed. Climate change, too much water being pumped out of the ground...

Wafcon: How women’s football is changing in Africa

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Wafcon — or the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations — is heating up. Ahead of the final this Saturday in Morocco, only four teams out of twelve remain...

Beggars can’t be Cubans, allegedly

18 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If someone talks about Cuba does it make you think of cigars and classic cars? Or maybe you think of limited freedom of speech and Che Guevara?We’re...

Struggling to fall asleep? Listen to this!

17 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do you find yourself tossing and turning for hours whilst struggling to fall asleep? Or are you out like a light the minute your head touches the pill...

From blobfish to goblinshark: Why do deep ocean creatures look so weird?

16 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Oceans make up more than 99% of the Earth’s habitats by volume — yet less than 20% of them have been explored. Some even say it’s easier to send...

Why people in China are pretending to get married

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Across cultures, weddings are usually a big event. Lots of us look forward to dressing up and dancing the night away with the person we love — but ...

Feeling lonely? Come on a friendship date with us

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Loneliness is a feeling lots of us face from time to time… and it might be more common than you think. A new study from the World Health Organisatio...

Kenya’s Gen Z protests and claims of police brutality

11 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tension is rising in Kenya after a new wave of anti-government protests against alleged government corruption and police brutality. Dozens have been k...

Why water pistols are being used to fight overtourism

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Water pistols have become a symbol of resistance against overtourism in several cities around the world. This summer local residents in Barcelona, Spa...

Rare earths - The most important minerals you probably haven’t heard of

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rare earth minerals are vital to modern human life - but you probably haven’t heard of them. They’re in our phones, computers and cars. These mine...

‘I replaced my therapist with an AI chatbot’

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From drafting emails to planning trips, AI has become like a personal assistant for lots of people around the world. Now, the technology is playing a ...

Meet Velvet Sundown - the band that doesn’t really exist

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Velvet Sundown have become a viral hit. The band have over a million streams on Spotify and are generating much discussion across the music commun...

Why choosing the next Dalai Lama could be tricky

04 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of his 90th birthday, the Dalai Lama has finally put an end to years of speculation over what will happen after his death. The head of Tibetan B...

The Diddy trial and verdict explained

03 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After seven weeks of trial and 34 witnesses, a verdict has been reached: Sean “Diddy” Combs has been found guilty of transportation for prostituti...

A Romantic Recession: How Gen Z isn’t settling for love

02 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Recent data from the United States shows there’s a big political divide between Gen Z American men and women. For decades young Americans have mostl...

Why we are having fewer children than we want

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The United Nations Population Fund World has described the low fertility rates around the world as a ‘crisis’ . Their newest report shows that man...

What's the Land Back movement?

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For centuries, Indigenous people around the world have been fighting to reclaim lost land. In most instances, the term Indigenous is used to refer to ...

Why do female footballers get more ACL injuries?

27 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The women’s football European Championship kicks off next week in Switzerland. The Euros have thrust a recurring issue into the spotlight: ACL injur...

BBC Journalists SHOCKED By ADDICTIVE And SEXY Chinese TikTok Dramas

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You might have come across ads on your TikTok or Instagram feed for Chinese micro-dramas: short episodes lasting only a few minutes with highly addict...

Who is Iran’s Supreme Leader?

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After twelve days of intense fighting, Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire that, for now, seems to be holding.Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Kham...

Nitrous oxide: How dangerous is it?

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nitrous oxide or laughing gas as been used as a recreational and medical drug since the late 1700s. Dentists often use it as an anaesthetic. It’s be...

Help! My friend won’t stop using AI

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you’re struggling to write an email, planning a holiday, or wondering what to cook for dinner: increasingly more and more of us are turning ...

K-pop gets its first gay male idol

20 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The K-pop industry is known for being super strict and encouraging idols not to share details about their private lives, especially their relationship...

The young people fighting to save their culture from the climate

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change is one of the biggest issues of our time. Warmer weather and melting ice is forcing people and animals to migrate but it’s also threa...

Thinking Out Loud: What Ed Sheeran’s copyright trial means for the music industry

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ed Sheeran’s long-running copyright battle over his hit Thinking Out Loud is finally over. That’s after the US Supreme Court rejected an appeal to...

Why Elon Musk and JD Vance want a US baby boom

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There is a small but growing group of people in the US who are concerned that civilisation might collapse if people don’t have enough children. They...

What do we know about Iran’s nuclear capabilities?

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Israel has launched a huge wave of attacks on Iran. They say the targets of their attacks are Iran’s nuclear facilities and important scientists. Ir...

Why was the Indian hip hop star Sidhu Moose Wala murdered?

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moose Wala was at the peak of his fame when he was murdered in 2022. Goldy Brar, a gangster based in Canada, has said that he ord...

Degrowth explained: A radical idea for a sustainable future

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

More money, more growth, more stuff. Can our economies keep on growing forever? And should they? A group of activists and academics are questioning th...

Who let the dogs out? Not Iran

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dog walking has been banned in at least 20 cities across Iran, after it was first outlawed in the capital, Tehran, six years ago. It’s the latest re...

Why is protein being added to everything?

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

‘High’ or ‘added’ protein foods are popping up everywhere - from ice cream to pizza and even coffee. The nutrient’s newfound popularity has ...

Why Morocco’s king has banned sheep for Eid

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For millions of Moroccans, Eid al-Adha means quality time with your family, eating delicious food - and the tradition of sacrificing sheep. But this y...

How to hack your flight luggage allowance

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Baggage fees have become part and parcel of international travel, with charges taking off in recent years. Globally, passengers spent $150 billion USD...

Is it possible to end new cases of HIV by 2030?

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

World leaders pledged to end the AIDS pandemic as a public health threat by 2030. And the World Health Organisation aims to reduce HIV infections from...

Made in Vietnam: Why its homegrown fashion is having a moment

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do Billie Eilish, Doja Cat and Jennie from Blackpink have in common? They have all been spotted wearing Vietnamese fashion brands. You might have...

Can refreezing Arctic sea ice help save polar bears?

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Polar bears are the biggest bears in the world and the only marine bear. There are estimated to be around 26,000 globally. They’re mostly found in C...

Why some athletes and musicians are using OnlyFans as a side hustle

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

OnlyFans is an online platform where people create content (photos, videos and live streams), which can be monetised. Although it hosts a variety of c...

It’s prom night in Uganda baby!

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

High school prom may have started off as an American tradition, but now, it’s spread across the globe. In Uganda, proms are often a super lavish eve...

The ongoing mysteries of Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Pyramids of Giza are among Egypt's most famous landmarks. The Great Pyramid is made up of 2.3 million stone blocks, weighing five million tonnes i...

How politicians use styling to win hearts (and votes)

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In South Korea, what presidential candidates are wearing is a hot topic.People use fashion to express themselves. Many of us think carefully about wha...

How do musicians make money?

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From Taylor Swift to Michael Jackson, there’s been countless superstar musicians who have called out their record labels for how much they’re bein...

Why Trump’s ‘white genocide’ claim in South Africa is false

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

US president Donald Trump has claimed that white farmers in South Africa are being executed en masse. But this is simply not true. South Africa's Pres...

The difficulties of getting aid into Gaza

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After cutting off the supply of aid to Gaza for more than two months, Israeli officials have allowed some trucks to enter. But despite over a hundred ...

Would you turn down a $400m plane?

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If so, President Trump thinks you’re a “stupid person“.The royal family of Qatar wants to gift America a private jet. Critics say the gift is es...

Fortnite, Darth Vader and the use of AI voices in gaming

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the biggest unions in the world representing a diverse range of creative professionals, including actors and voice artists, has filed a complai...

What’s being done to tackle skin-lightening in Nigeria?

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Skin-lightening is a multi-billion-dollar industry and impacts many women, and men, around the world. Within the African context, women in Nigeria use...

JAMB 2025: How Nigeria’s university entrance exams went wrong

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hundreds of thousands of students in Nigeria have been told they can retake their JAMB university entrance exam. That’s after nearly 80 per cent of ...

Why are young men getting hair transplants in Turkey?

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You might have seen videos on TikTok of guys with shaved heads and black sweatbands walking round Turkish airports, or sitting on planes on the way ho...

White snus: Why are teens, Swedes and footballers getting hooked?

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

More and more people are using snus. Maybe you’ve noticed this where you live: people walking around with circular plastic tubs in their pockets and...

How did Virat Kohli become one of the world’s biggest sports stars?

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the world’s biggest sporting stars, Virat Kohli, has announced his immediate retirement from Test cricket via an Instagram post to his 270 mi...

Big Ocean: The world’s first K-Pop band with hearing loss

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Big Ocean are the world’s first K-Pop boy band with hearing loss. Each of the three members; Jiseok, PJ and Chanyeon, has a different level of heari...

Why are India and Pakistan clashing over Kashmir?

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

India and Pakistan have largely seen each other as rivals since they got their independence from Britain in 1947. Recently, tensions have erupted ther...

New Pope, who dis?

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

White smoke from the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City on Thursday 8th May announced that a new Pope had been elected. Pope Leo XIV is the 267th Pope to ...

Why are we obsessed with true crime?

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

True crime series are hugely popular around the world. These are non-fiction TV shows and podcasts which look at victims of crimes and investigate the...

How does compulsory voting work?

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Election season in Australia is drawing to a close with the re-election of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party. Around 18 million peop...

Could Bali become waste-free in just two years?

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When you picture Bali, you might think of sandy beaches, laid-back surfers, ancient temples and lush green rice paddies. As a tourist hotspot, single-...

Why shea butter production could dry up

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Shea butter, a rich silky fat loved for its versatility, is under threat. It’s a key ingredient in everything from moisturisers to pharmaceuticals, ...

Axolotls: How the endangered amphibian is making a comeback

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 endange...

Everything you need to know about the Diddy trial

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 rackete...

Why would someone try to smuggle 5,000 ants?

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Two Belgian teenagers have plead guilty to trying to smuggle thousands of giant African harvester ants out of Kenya. The authorities said they were al...

How does going into space impact the human body?

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams recently returned to Earth after a longer-than-expected nine months on the International Space Station...

Why is plastic surgery so popular in China?

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 bea...

Are your fashion choices a ‘recession indicator’?

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

How inclusive is Korean make-up?

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

How Ed Sheeran’s song ‘Azizam’ started a conversation on women’s rights in Iran

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The title of Ed Sheeran’s new single ‘Azizam’ means ‘my love’ in the Persian language. The track and accompanying music video includes refer...

After Pope Francis, what do young Catholics want next?

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Are all luxury handbags really made in China?

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past few weeks social media has been flooded with TikTok videos of people claiming that expensive European designer goods are actually made i...

Katy Perry went to space but does that make her an astronaut?

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Why has Nigeria banned Afrobeats song Tell Your Papa?

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

‘Tell Your Papa’ by Eedris Abdulkareem is an Afrobeats song which criticises Nigeria’s president Bola Tinubu and calls on his son, Seyi Tinubu, ...

When is the right time to put your sick pet down?

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A pet can bring so much joy to a person’s life. Usually, the owner will outlive their pet. But advances in modern veterinary care has made more trea...

Are artificial reefs good for our oceans?

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An enormous fifty-year-old ocean liner, the SS United States, is set to be sunk and become the world’s biggest artificial reef, off the coast of Flo...

Why North Sentinel island doesn’t want visitors

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

East of India is a small island called North Sentinel Island. It’s home to the Sentinelese people. But no one else is welcome to visit, and if they ...

Why do scientists want to bring back extinct animals?

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The US company Colossal claim to have brought back the dire wolf from extinction after 12,000 years through genetic engineering. The three pups, calle...

South Sudan conflict: Explained

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tensions in South Sudan are rising, threatening an already fragile peace deal between President Salva Kiir and his rival First Vice-President Riek Mac...

Why Taiwan is deporting Chinese influencers and “mainland wives”

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Taiwan’s government recently deported Liu Zhenya, a Chinese national who goes by “Yaya in Taiwan” on social media. It’s after Liu posted comme...

What is the International Criminal Court?

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The International Criminal Court has been in the spotlight recently after it issued several arrest warrants for both Hamas and Israeli officials invol...

Tariffs: Your super simple guide

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has introduced tariffs on imports to the US. This has caused a huge reaction across the world with many major stock markets in free fall ...

A rhino swinging from the sky? A secretly radioactive horn?

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rhinos are at extreme risk of extinction because of poaching and habitat loss. The work of conservationists has made sure that their numbers have cont...

Can reusable products solve period poverty?

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The average person who menstruates has their period for 2,535 days (nearly seven years) of their life, according to the UN. That’s A LOT of tampons ...

Why are international students being detained in the US?

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump and his administration is cracking down on international students who have been active in protests against Israel on university campus...

Shadow ships: What are they and why do countries use them?

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we’re tracing the route of a shadow ship. These ships are part of a network carrying Russian oil around the world - in violation of ...

Myanmar earthquake: Why is it difficult to know the details?

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Myanmar is reeling following a powerful earthquake on Friday. The epicentre was near the second largest city Mandalay, home to about 1.5 million peopl...