What in the World

Ariana Grande has announced that she's planning to take a break from the public eye after her Eternal Sunshine tour ends in September. She started her performing career when she was a kid and has since become one of the biggest pop stars in the world, winning three Grammys and most recently portraying Glinda in the hit film Wicked.
But over the past couple of years, a lot of the conversation online about Ariana hasn't been about her music or acting: it's been about her appearance. That's despite her asking people repeatedly not to comment on her body over the years. Her most recent music video, Petal, went viral after some fans said they were concerned about how thin she was.
So, is it ever ok to talk about a celebrity's health or appearance? And where's the line between concern and scrutiny?
Chelsea Coates from the What in the World team joins us to discuss it all - and we hear how Ariana’s fans are reacting to her decision to take a break.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producer: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates
Editor: Verity Wilde
If you are concerned about your health, you could speak to a health professional. If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org

Disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow showed the world hit by extreme weather events caused by disruption to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Today, even though the events of the film are highly unlikely to happen, scientists are concerned by changes to the AMOC.
The AMOC is a massive north-south system of currents in the Atlantic Ocean that carries warm surface water towards the Arctic and returns colder water thousands of miles south through the deep ocean. It impacts weather patterns across the world from north-west Europe, to west Africa and all the way to India. However, scientists are worried that climate change is weakening the system which could lead to dramatic changes in weather around the world.
BBC Weather presenter Sarah Keith-Lucas explains what the AMOC is, what exactly scientists are worried about and what the potential impacts could be if the AMOC is weakened or collapses entirely.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: William Lee Adams
Producers: Adam Chowdhury
Video Producer: Adam Chowdhury
Editors: Emily Horler & Verity Wilde

Protests against undocumented migrants have been going on for months in South Africa. We’ve talked about them on the podcast before - people are protesting against illegal immigrants, and some of the marches have turned violent and deadly. Houses have been burned down, shops looted, and countries like Ghana and Nigeria have even evacuated some of their citizens from the country.
But these protests aren’t just affecting politics and South Africa’s relationships with other countries on the continent. They’re also impacting sports and pop culture.
Now, Tyla, the South African pop star, has taken Nigeria off her world tour dates. She hasn’t given a reason, but thousands of Nigerians had signed a petition urging her to stay away.
So that’s what we’re getting into today with Makuochi Okafor, our West Africa Reporter.
Plus, we hear from people in Nigeria on what they think about it all.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producer: Chelsea Coates, Benita Barden and Emily Horler
Editor: Verity Wilde

It’s less than two weeks after Spain won the men’s World Cup, but suddenly the tournament is back in the headlines. This time it’s because of a plan from Fifa’s President Gianni Infantino to sell a stake in their tournaments to private investors. Infantino says it’s a chance to “turbocharge” the development of the game - and national associations have been offered millions of dollars if they agree to the plans.
It’s fair to say the plans haven’t gone down well with everyone - with European’s governing body Uefa saying their members won’t go to any World Cups (men’s or women’s) if the plans go through.
We talk to BBC Sport’s Isaac Fanin (fresh from a month at the World Cup) about what the plans are, what the response has been and what might happen next.
NB: We recorded this episode on Friday morning and it’s all changing so fast we have to keep rewriting this description…
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producer: Emma-Louise Amanshia
Editor: Verity Wilde

You might have heard Gen Z being called the “sober generation” - the data suggests that we’re less likely to drink than older generations, that alcohol-free brands are getting more popular with under-30s and there’s a huge push towards sobriety and wellness culture more generally. At the same time, pre-mixed cocktails are flying off the shelves - and new figures suggest that binge drinking has gone up.
So is Gen Z really drinking less than previous generations? Or is that just a myth?
In this episode, we go to one of London’s alcohol-free pubs to chat to three guests who all stopped drinking in their 20s: Millie, founder of the Sober Girl Society and author of HANGXIETY, Daniel, creative director of The Scene, a South Asian-led collective organising alcohol-free events in London, and Tyler, a content creator. We discuss how drinking culture is changing — and whether quitting alcohol is on the rise for Gen Z.
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