What in the World

Why does Trump want Greenland to be part of the United States?

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

US Vice-President JD Vance and his wife Usha are scheduled to land in Greenland on Friday afternoon. Their visit comes as President Donald Trump conti...

Why the world buys India’s hair

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The global hair wig and extension market was valued at $7.5billion in 2024. Hair is big business - especially in India, which is the world’s biggest...

Who is protesting in Turkey and why?

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Thousands of people in Turkey turned out for a seventh night of protests which have so far seen more than 1,400 people detained, including students, j...

Fluoride: What you need to know

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fluoride has been in most American tap water for decades. It’s there to help to prevent tooth decay, especially in children. Scientists and health o...

Deepfake porn crisis: How it’s affecting schools in South Korea

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over 500 schools and universities in South Korea are dealing with a deepfake porn crisis. Explicit images and videos of classmates and teachers are be...

How do you become the happiest country in the world?

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The annual World Happiness Report is out and Finland has been named the happiest country for the eighth year in a row. What makes the Finns so joyful?...

How can you spot a TikTok wellness scam?

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Netflix has a TV show out called Apple Cider Vinegar - it’s a dramatisation of a real story of a real influencer who was popular online, and said sh...

Why were NASA astronauts ‘stuck’ in space?

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine going on a work or school trip for eight days, but ending up away from home for nine months. Now, imagine that journey was to space. NASA astr...

North Macedonia nightclub disaster: What we know so far

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On Sunday night, hundreds of people gathered at Pulse nightclub in Kocani, North Macedonia to watch the popular hip-hop duo DNK perform. It ended in t...

Are more teenagers becoming terror suspects?

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Taylor Swift fans were gathering in Vienna in August last year, when organisers announced her three-night run would be cancelled, due to a terror thre...

Why did Saudi Arabia capture Pokémon Go?

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has agreed to pay $3.5 billion to buy the gaming division of Niantic, the Pokémon Go publisher. It’s the lat...

Should zoos exist?

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An estimated 700 million people visit zoos every year. Some people see these facilities as a great way to teach people about nature and to save specie...

Why are students in Serbia protesting?

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In November, fifteen people were killed at the Novi Sad railway station in Serbia when a concrete canopy collapsed. Students in the country have been ...

The award for the world’s biggest crypto heist goes to North Korea

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Two weeks ago $1.5 billion vanished from a cryptocurrency platform - it’s thought to be the biggest crypto heist ever. They had fallen into the hand...

Microplastics on the brain?

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Plastic pollution has been highlighted as an environmental issue for several years. But experts are now researching whether it poses a potential dange...

Can AI save dating apps?

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Just like seemingly all aspects of life these days, AI is going to become more and more present in our dating apps. Match Group, the dating company th...

Why speaking multiple languages is good for your brain

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most people in the world speak more than one language and many countries have more than one official national language. But what is it like living as ...

Could China replace the US as a global aid giver?

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most eye-catching decisions by Donald Trump since becoming American President for a second time was to freeze foreign aid. USAID is the age...

How TikTok makes money from sexual livestreams in Kenya

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Half of the Kenyan population use TikTok everyday. But when the sun sets, darker content appears on the platform. Girls as young as fifteen are advert...

Could an asteroid hit the earth in 2032?

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At the end of last year, astronomers detected 2024 YR4, an asteroid that could collide with Earth on the 22nd December 2032. It was dubbed the ‘city...

Why the trade of cocaine is booming in Europe

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The illegal drug trade is booming in Europe due to a growing and profitable demand for cocaine. It can be sold for almost double the price you can get...

Naomi Watanabe: The Japanese comedian on body image, sex and dating

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Naomi Watanabe is a Japanese comedian, fashion icon and social media powerhouse. She shot to fame in 2008 with her viral Beyoncé impression, earning ...

How have older reality tv shows aged?

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

America’s Next Top Model — the reality competition series hosted by Tyra Banks — continues to face criticism years after it stopped airing. And ...

Ne Zha 2: The Chinese film breaking the box office

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ne Zha 2 has just become the highest-grossing animated film of all time globally. It’s a fantasy film about a boy’s quest, fighting demons with ma...

Oscars 2025: What you need to know about this year's film awards

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Academy Awards take place this Sunday in Los Angeles concluding this year’s awards season. It’s been an unpredictable one with films Conclave,...

Ukraine: Where the war stands three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, tens of thousands of people have died and hundreds of thousands more have been injured. N...

Fog harvesting: What is it?

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

People should have access to around 50 to 100 litres of clean water per day, according to the UN. But this is not always the case, especially in count...

Why is space junk such a big problem?

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In December 2024, a huge, red-hot metal ring fell from the sky and landed in a small village in Kenya. It turned out to be a piece of space junk. Ther...

Why is a new land law in South Africa controversial, and why is Trump involved?

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

South Africa faced the wrath of US President Donald Trump recently when he incorrectly accused the country’s government of confiscating land from wh...

Do women in India face barriers in sports?

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Even though cricket is a national obsession in India, many other sports struggle to find an audience. And in terms of performance in international com...

Are AI influencers the future of social media?

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence is becoming a normal part of our everyday lives and some people think it will even replace people’s jobs. One industry that’...

What’s the point of meme coins?

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump, the Pygmy hippo Moo Deng and the Central African Republic all have meme coins - but what are meme coins and how can you spend them? B...

Skincare trends: Are they causing harm to young people?

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s not uncommon to see advice online on how to get beautiful glossy skin and what trendy skincare products can help achieve it. But some of the be...

Sudan: What’s life like two years into the civil war?

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In recent weeks the Sudanese army has been regaining control of areas in the capital, Khartoum, previously held by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forc...

Guillain-Barre syndrome: What is it?

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

India is dealing with an outbreak of Guillain-Barre syndrome. It’s a rare condition where your immune system attacks nerve cells, causing muscle wea...

Why are people in Nigeria being accused of witchcraft?

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Five men in northern Nigeria were sentenced to death last week. Their crime? Murdering a woman they accused of being a witch. They said that the wife ...

Do female politicians do things differently from men?

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is there any evidence that having a female leader actually changes a country? Do women make better politicians - or is it all based on stereotypes?Wom...

USAID: Can the world live without it?

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is under fire. It is the world’s biggest donor and spends billions of dollars a year, funding ...

Vasectomies: Why men get the snip and how it works

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

More young men are inquiring about and getting vasectomies. It’s a trend that’s been observed informally in several countries, and has particularl...

Why people are ‘swiping right’ on matchmakers in South Korea

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Forget dating apps or meet cutes... marriage matchmaking is back. Young people in South Korea have been signing up to professional agencies to find lo...

How cow vaccines sparked conspiracy theories in Kenya

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kenya’s government has launched an ambitious initiative to vaccinate all livestock in the country. Following misleading claims about the vaccines, t...

Why are more people getting allergic to stuff?

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There are so many foods and substances that people can be allergic to; peanuts, cows' milk, eggs, pollen, or animals. Even mangoes or bananas.We are s...

How DeepSeek is shaking up the world of AI

29 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot launched last week, has shaken up the tech world and fuelled a new AI race between China, Europe and the US. The creato...

The DRC conflict: What you need to know

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Huge clashes are taking place in the DRC, with the Congolese army facing the rebel group M23. M23 claims to have taken over the city of Goma in the ea...

Auschwitz: How Holocaust survivors are preserving history

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

2025 marks 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. It was at the centre of the Nazi campaign to eradicate Europe's Jewish ...

How to solve Malaysia’s obesity crisis

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Malaysia has the highest obesity rate in South East Asia, and experts say that by 2035 two in every three children could be overweight. On our recent ...

Why are dugongs (or sea cows) dying out in Thailand?

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dugongs are grey sea mammals, also called “sea cows”, partly because of how they look and because they graze on seagrass. The dugong can be found ...

Why does China put Uyghurs in ‘re-education camps’?

22 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There are about 12 million Uyghurs, mostly Muslim, living in Xinjiang. China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity and possibly genoc...

How drones could transform healthcare in remote areas

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

People who live in remote areas of the world often lack access to basic healthcare. Their difficulties are magnified during disasters. But around the ...

(A very temporary) RIP to American TikTok

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

TikTok officially went offline in the US on Saturday - only to come back online the following day. The comeback was due to President Donald Trump sayi...

*BONUS EPISODE* Trump’s inauguration: What to expect

18 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On Monday, Donald Trump will become the 47th President of the United States of America. 76 days after winning the election back in November last year,...

Donald Trump, UFC and WWE: The love affair

17 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Champion) both started off as niche TV and at small events, but are now thoroughly main...

Israel-Gaza ceasefire: What’s been agreed?

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After 15 months of war and long negotiations, the leaders of Israel and Hamas have reached a deal to stop fighting in Gaza and to release prisoners an...

Who makes Shein’s clothes?

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The fast fashion giant Shein has taken the world by storm and is now worth an estimated $66billion. But have you ever wondered where their clothes com...

Why is the Darién Gap so dangerous?

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Darién Gap is one of the most dangerous migration routes in the world but thousands attempt the journey with hopes to reach the US. It’s a 96km...

How is gang violence affecting life in Haiti?

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Haiti has been engulfed in a wave of gang violence since the assassination of the then-president, in 2021. Now an estimated 85% of the capital, Port a...

Wildfires are burning across Los Angeles

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Wildfires in Los Angeles have killed at least 10 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Officials are worried more high winds could make the flames ...

Is carbon offsetting a con?

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Carbon offsetting is a way to try to balance carbon emissions. It’s when an individual, company or governments invest in projects that try to take c...

Tibet earthquake: What we know so far

08 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tibet was struck by a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday. It’s been reported by Chinese state media that at least 126 people have died, ma...

Is Elon Musk influencing world politics?

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last few days the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, has turned his attention to European politics.The billionaire owner of X has been rele...

How asthma is affecting Africa

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A silent asthma epidemic could be affecting millions of people in Africa. It’s estimated almost half of all the asthma sufferers in the world live o...

Can zombies and witches save Bollywood from its troubles?

03 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bollywood films are known for their epic love stories, energetic dance numbers and huge stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra. However, the in...

Is Turkmenistan finally closing the “gates of hell”?

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the middle of the Karakum desert in Turkmenistan, there’s a massive fiery pit officially called the Darvaza Crater - but also known as the “gat...

Does nature deserve rights - and song credits?

01 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Rights of Nature movement wants to give inherent rights to nature - so forests, animals and rivers would have the right to protection. More and mo...

South Korea’s Jeju Air crash: What we know

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After its deadliest plane crash in decades, South Korea is looking for answers. 179 people died after a Jeju Air plane flying from Bangkok crashed and...

From peanut farmer to President: Why the world is mourning Jimmy Carter

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jimmy Carter — the 39th president of the United States — has died at the age of 100. A former peanut farmer in Georgia, he rose to the very top of...

Cultural appropriation of food: What is it?

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A campaign on TikTok recently started a fresh conversation about cultural appropriation of food. It started when content creator Yen Bui, who now live...

Is this the end for canned hunting in South Africa?

26 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

South Africa has the largest population of canned lions in the world - these are lions born in captivity and bred for trophy hunting. People can pay (...

How to disagree without biting someone’s head off

25 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We all disagree on some things. For some people disagreeing is natural and, in some instances, even enjoyable. While for others it’s super uncomfort...

Why 2024 was a bad year for female politicians

24 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly half the world's population had elections this year, but for the first time in at least 20 years, progress for women's representation has slowe...

How has Cyclone Chido impacted Mozambique and Mayotte?

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cyclone Chido has wreaked havoc in Mozambique and Mayotte.In Mozambique, 120 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds of thousands more impacted b...

Is BMX Freestyle on its way up?

20 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

BMX Freestyle is one of the events at the 2024 Urban Cycling World Championships which are being held in Abu Dhabi. It features fearless BMX riders ju...

Northern Lights - what are they?

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Even if you haven’t seen them in person, you might be familiar with images of the Northern Lights - dark skies with moving ribbons of green and purp...

Could Donald Trump stop a TikTok ban in the US?

18 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A law passed earlier this year means TikTok will be banned in the US unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, before 19 January 202...

Syria: What will the refugees do now?

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Since Syria’s civil war began, six million people have left the country and seven million more have been internally displaced. Now Bashar al-Assad’...

Gukesh Dommaraju: Why India is producing more chess champions

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Gukesh Dommaraju — an 18-year-old from India — has become the youngest-ever world chess champion. That’s after beating defending champion Ding L...

Why is Europe worried about wolves?

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Game of Thrones. Twilight. Little Red Riding Hood. The wolf is an animal that appears more than most creatures across popular culture. They’re known...

Why young women are donating their eggs

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The reasons women donate their eggs vary significantly. Some people say they feel a sense of pride knowing they may help other women conceive children...

From Hollywood to Nollywood: Are cinemas bouncing back?

11 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There’s nothing quite like going to see a new film in the cinema; the big screen, surround sound, buckets of popcorn and collective gasps from the a...

Does Brazil have a problem with online gambling?

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Brazil is known for it's top-tier football and stars like Vinicius Junior or Neymar. The enthusiasm for football has now a new layer, with millions of...

Syria: What you need to know

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The world was stunned over the weekend as rebel forces in Syria captured the capital of Damascus, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to flee and ending...

Who’s got the power? K-pop stars, their label, or their fans?

06 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

K-pop girl group NewJeans announced they were leaving their record label during an emergency press conference last week. This follows months of public...

Bans on social media and phones - what is the evidence?

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Phones have become an essential part of most people’s everyday lives, and debates about them in schools - as well as teenagers’ access to social m...

Martial law: What is it and what happened in South Korea?

04 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

South Korea's president Yoon Suk Yeol shocked the country on Tuesday night when, out of the blue, he declared martial law in the country. It’s the f...

Protesters in Georgia are worried about Russia

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For the past few nights, thousands of Georgians have been out protesting the government in Tbilisi. It’s because the ruling party, Georgian Dream, s...

How content creators make money from rage-baiting

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rage bait is social media content that's designed to elicit anger and frustration. Those feelings can encourage people to engage with the content, oft...

Has the price of art gone bananas?

29 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The world’s most expensive banana has been sold at an auction for more than $6 million. It’s Maurizio Cattelan's 2019 work Comedian and it’s lit...

Is borderless travel in Africa possible?

28 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Intra-continental travel is huge, and borderless agreements between countries make trips easier. For instance, Europe has the Schengen Zone and South ...

The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal explained

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There has been intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah for over a year. More than 3,500 people have been killed in Lebanon, over a million peopl...

Laos tourist deaths: How dangerous is fake alcohol?

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The town of Van Vieng in Laos is a popular stop for backpackers traveling through Southeast Asia. But after six tourists died earlier this month follo...

COP29 was all about the money

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The annual United Nations climate change conference ended on Sunday but not everybody was happy. This year, the main focus was on getting richer count...

Flex culture: Is shopping addiction driving Malaysia’s youth debt crisis?

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

According to a major government survey, more than 70% of young people in Malaysia are in debt. Officials say shopping addiction is the number one reas...

How Thailand’s same-sex marriage law could impact South East Asia

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Thailand has become the first country in South East Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. The new law means that LGBTQ+ couples will have the same legal...

Why does Iran call women protesting the hijab ‘mentally ill’?

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A video of an Iranian student in her underwear at a university campus in Tehran has gone global. It shows Ahoo Daryaei walking around grey concrete bu...

Māori rights protests in New Zealand

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You might have seen the viral video of 22-year-old MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke doing the haka in the middle of New Zealand’s parliament last Thursd...

Elon Musk: From tech billionaire to Donald Trump adviser

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk — the world’s richest man — has built several companies, including PayPal, Tesla, and SpaceX. He’s also built a close relationship w...

Is Korea’s Suneung the world’s most stressful exam?

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Can you imagine sitting all of the most important exams of your life on one day? That’s the reality for Korean students, whose university-entrance e...

Why is CBD use on the rise – and are all the health claims true?

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

CBD products are everywhere. You can get the cannabis extract in oils, vapes, skincare products, even gummy bears, coffee and fizzy drinks. Videos rec...

The South China Sea: What’s going on?

13 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Disputes over the South China Sea are back in the news, with China and the Philippines both marking out areas they say are theirs. China has previousl...

Why have hundreds of sex tapes been leaked in Equatorial Guinea?

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hundreds of sex tapes featuring Baltazar Ebang Engonga, the nephew of Equatorial Guinea’s president, have flooded social media. Many of the women se...