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What in the World

What in the World

By: BBC World Service
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Helping you make sense of what’s happening in your world. Big stories, small stories and everything in between. Understand more, feel better. Five days a week, Monday to Friday.

(C) BBC 2026
Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Will the PCOS name change help young women get treatment?
    Jun 11 2026

    PCOS is one of the most common hormonal disorders affecting women globally; affecting roughly 13% of women who have a menstrual cycle. The World Health Organization has estimated that up 70% of women with PCOS worldwide do not know they have this condition. Symptoms can include irregular periods, fertility issues, weight gain, acne, excess hair growth and insulin resistance. There is no cure.

    And now Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is officially being reclassified as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS).

    The new name reflects growing recognition that the condition involves much more than ovarian cysts alone. It’s actually a complex endocrine condition (to do with hormones) which affects the whole body. Experts hope that the name change will lead to a better focus on treating and reversing some of symptoms. Global health reporter Dorcas Wangira in Kenya explains what we know about the condition. And we hear from Professor Helena Teede, from Monash Univerity in Australia, who led the name-changing initiative.

    Jenef Ngombo, 25 from the UK and Chelle Robotham, in Florida USA, share their experiences of PMOS/PCOS and tell us what they think about the name change.

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

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    13 mins
  • Why is Russia cutting the internet and blocking apps?
    Jun 10 2026

    Since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has been banning social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and X. Recently the government also extended the ban to Telegram, one of Russia’s most popular messaging apps. It’s cracking down on VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and it’s introduced a new state-backed app called Max, which comes downloaded on any new phone.

    Authorities say these internet crackdowns are needed to “ensure security” and disrupt Ukrainian drones. But some say this is actually all about censorship - and that the government is trying to extend its control over the internet. So - how are these bans affecting Russians that rely on the internet everyday?

    BBC Monitoring journalist Clare Denning joins us to break down why the Kremlin is restricting access to the internet and how Russians are reacting to the crackdown.

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

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    11 mins
  • Can AI help us save endangered languages?
    Jun 9 2026

    Around half of the world’s languages are in danger of disappearing, according to UNESCO. Languages often become endangered when parents stop talking in them to their children, when schools no longer offer them on the curriculum - or when governments don’t recognise them as official languages that need to be protected. Campaigners are calling for more efforts to preserve them - and the history, heritage and culture they carry - and they’re using an unlikely tool: AI. But there are concerns that artificial intelligence could actually create more language inequality, because it’s mainly trained on a handful of dominant languages.

    So, could AI stop endangered languages from going extinct? Or will it speed up their demise?

    Journalist and author Sophia Smith Galer joins us to explain how languages become endangered, how AI is being used to combat this and the risks of using the technology to preserve languages. And we hear from Ivory Yang in the US, who built an AI tool to help preserve her grandmother’s endangered language, Nüshu.

    Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Chelsea Coates and William Lee Adams Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

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    9 mins
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