Épisodes

  • Why do tennis players smash up their rackets?
    Sep 5 2025

    If you’ve been watching the US Open this year, chances are you’ll have seen that there’s been some drama on the court. There was a heated exchange between players Jelena Ostapenko and Taylor Townsend. Ostapenko has been fined in the past before for throwing her water bottle and knocking over a chair, after she lost a match.

    So today, we’re talking about bad behaviour in tennis, and what the rules are for tennis players who throw things, shout, and even smash up their rackets. Someone who has seen many a Grand Slam spat in their time is Ben Rothenberg, former NYT tennis correspondent and writer behind the blog Bounces. He takes us through some top tennis meltdowns and explains why it’s such a high pressure sport.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde

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    12 min
  • How to REALLY spot a narcissist and can they change?
    Sep 4 2025

    Am I a narcissist? Am I dating a narcissist? Is narcissism becoming more common? How do I spot a narcissist? Can narcissists change or be treated?

    These are just some of the many questions which people - especially on social media - ask about narcissism. It’s a term which gets banded around A LOT these days, but what actually is it? Well, we took five of the most asked questions about narcissism and put them to an expert. In this episode we sit down with Ramani Durvasula (@DoctorRamani on YouTube) - a bestselling author, clinical psychologist and leading expert on narcissism and narcissistic relationships.

    And, just to be clear, in this episode we’re talking about the narcissism as a personality style not the diagnosable disorder. There’s a big difference. Narcissism is a spectrum of several behaviours and characteristics - like being overly sensitive to criticism and having an unshakeable belief you’re better or more deserving than other people. But Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is more rare and much more extreme — it’s a diagnosed mental health condition where a person demonstrates many of the traits repeatedly and over time, and these traits significantly interfere with a person's life.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producer: Mora Morrison Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

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    11 min
  • Why are protesters in Indonesia so angry with the government?
    Sep 3 2025

    There have been huge protests across Indonesia. They were sparked by cost-of-living concerns and discontent at politician wages and allowances. But after police ran over and killed a delivery driver, protests have spread and become violent. Protesters have been killed, buildings torched and politicians' houses looted.

    Astudestra Ajengrastri, a BBC journalist who’s based in Jakarta, takes us through why the protests began, what the government says about it, and where things could go next.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

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    9 min
  • How does China control its internet?
    Sep 2 2025

    China has one of the world’s most sophisticated internet censorship systems - it’s so extensive that it’s been nicknamed ‘The Great Firewall of China’. Many Western websites, such as Google or WhatsApp, are shut off to Chinese Internet users, while Chinese equivalents like Baidu and WeChat are popular instead. Blockbuster films like Top Gun Maverick have been edited, celebrities like Lady Gaga are taboo and even Peppa Pig has been censored.

    So, what is the Chinese government trying to achieve with internet censorship? And in an increasingly globalised world, how are they managing to filter out the information they don’t want people to know? Shawn Yuan from the BBC’s Global China Unit explains how the ‘Great Firewall’ works - and what it tells us about the relationship between the government and citizens in China.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Chelsea Coates Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

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    13 min
  • Kpop Demon Hunters is slaying charts and monsters
    Sep 1 2025

    The animated movie Kpop Demon Hunters is topping nearly every chart. Netflix says it’s become its most watched movie ever, and its songs are some of the most streamed on Spotify.

    The name is pretty self-explanatory - it’s about a Kpop girl group who hunt demons, and their power comes from their music.

    But one thing that really stands out is how Korean it is - all the references, outfits, and artefacts have gone down really well in South Korea.

    It wasn’t made in Korea though, but it was co-directed by a Korean-Canadian director and many of the actors are Korean-American

    BBC Korean reporter Yuna Ku joins us from Seoul to explain why a film made for a global audience is so popular in South Korea.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde

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    12 min
  • The Russian job scheme targeting young women in South Africa
    Aug 29 2025

    South Africa’s government is warning young women not to fall for social media recruitment drives promoting job opportunities abroad. That’s after a number of online videos by South African social media influencers advertising jobs for young women in Russia went viral.

    There have been allegations that some of those recruited to work in Tatarstan have ended up working in a weapons factory, making drones that have been used in Russia's war in Ukraine.

    BBC reporter Danai Nesta Kupemba walks us through the allegations and explains why young women may be particularly vulnerable to the scam. She also discusses Cyan Boujee, an influencer who has apologised after advertising the recruitment drive.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Abiona Boja and William Lee Adams Editor: Verity Wilde

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    9 min
  • What’s the ‘manosphere’ and why is it harmful?
    Aug 28 2025

    Toxic masculinity can be seen online - and IRL. Chads, Alphas and Stacys are some terms that are used in an online space known as the ‘manosphere’. In this space men often share content that can be toxic, misogynistic, and, in extreme cases, lead to real-world violence.

    In this episode the BBC’s global disinformation reporter Jacqui Wakefield unpacks how people can become part of the ‘manosphere’, and how it connect to incels - young men describing themselves as "involuntarily celibate". And we also hear from Will Adolphy, a British psychotherapist who experienced the ‘manosphere’ himself and now mentors men on healthy masculinity and mental health.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Mora Morrison and Maria Clara Montoya Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

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    15 min
  • How did a meteorite from Mars end up at auction in New York?
    Aug 27 2025

    A chunk of the planet Mars - the largest ever found on Earth - recently sold for $4.3 million at Sotheby’s auction house in New York City. A meteorite hunter first discovered the massive rock in the Sahara desert in Niger in 2023.

    So how did the meteorite end up at an auction in New York City and why would anyone pay millions of dollars for it? BBC reporter Damian Zane walks us through the rock’s mysterious journey — from Mars to New York, via Niger and Italy. He also shares the concerns that Niger’s government has about the sale and how Sotheby’s has responded.

    We also hear from Julia Cartwright from the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leicester. She explains how the market surrounding meteorites can lead to even more discoveries.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Rosabel Crean Editor: Verity Wilde

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    9 min