What in the World

There’s so much stuff online about masculinity; guys telling you how to get buff, what to eat and how to talk to women. Sometimes a particular type of masculinity, known as toxic masculinity, seems dominant on some platforms. That’s where traits like being tough and not showing emotion are emphasised. With more awareness of this kind of content, young men are being warned off it. They’re increasingly told what not to do and who they shouldn’t be listening to. But that’s not much of a guide.In this episode the BBC’s Andrew Ochieng and Kai Kim describe their experiences of growing up in Kenya and South Korea and how masculinity is portrayed there.Nigerian commentator and life coach Solomon Buchi gives his view on what 'healthy masculinity' looks like. And we tell you about two different schemes in Guatemala (SerNiño) and India (Coaching Boys Into Men), working with boys and men to help them challenge harmful masculinity.Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenters: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Alex Rhodes, Mora Morrison and Julia Ross-Roy Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Ever since ‘Iron Man’ and ‘The Dark Knight’ impressed audiences in 2008, superhero movies have been a major player in the film industry.Marvel have been at the core of this wave, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe raking in billions of dollars at the box office. Characters like Iron Man, Captain America and Thor have become household names during the 2010s as the studio produced hit after hit after hit.In recent years though, Marvel have suffered a relative downturn in success. Their projects aren’t always getting rave reviews and their latest movie, ‘The Marvels’ starring Brie Larson, is predicted to have a disappointing opening weekend at the box office.Hannah and Adam speak to Digital Spy writer Janet Leigh about the creative side of Marvel, and box office analyst Tom Lashley weighs in on what the numbers are telling us about the MCU.Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenters: Hannah Gelbart with Adam Chowdhury Producers: Alex Rhodes and Emily Horler Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Delhi is often described as the most polluted city in the world. Right now the air quality is so bad the government has ordered all primary schools to shut until 10th November. We want to focus on what’s being done to improve things. Kamala Thiagarajan, a climate and science reporter from India, explains. We also hear about what’s working to improve air quality in Accra, Ghana. And the BBC’s Divya Arya tells us how women who were attacked in Manipur are coping six months on.Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenters: Hannah Gelbart with Daniel Dadzie Producers: William Lee Adams and Mora Morrison Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Nearly two years later, fighting is still going on. Lives are being lost and shattered.The UN Refugee Agency says more than 6.2 million people have crossed into neighbouring countries and around 5.1 million people are internally displaced.Jenny Hill is a BBC Correspondent in Ukraine. She takes us through what life is like in two places there: Odesa is on the coast; Avdiivka continues to see fierce battles.And BBC Monitoring's Vitaly Shevchenko is from Ukraine. He speaks to friends there every day. What do they tell him?Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Alex Rhodes Editors: Simon Peeks

Asexuality – broadly defined as not experiencing sexual attraction — has been called “the invisible orientation”. Asexual people say they’re often misunderstood and that many people doubt that they can really be asexual. But awareness is growing thanks to online resources, social media and global campaigns like Asexual Awareness Week, which recently came to a close.Sex is considered a central part of the human experience. So what’s it like not to have sexual desire? Two women who identify as asexual explain their experiences: Priyanka Chakrabarty, a lawyer and writer in India, and Yasmin Benoit, a model and writer in the U.K.Plus, Colombia’s “cocaine hippos”: What are they, how did they go wild and why are they now being culled? The BBC’s Peter Goffin explains.Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and William Lee Adams Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Online multiplayer can be a toxic environment, especially for female players and people of colour. There are criticisms that not enough is being done by the gaming companies to address the abuse that some people face on a daily basis. Now the developer behind Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft, has brought out a “Good Game Playbook” to send to some of its players reported for harassment. But will people read it? We speak to two BBC reporters; Andrew Rogers, who’s been speaking to the gaming companies, and Laura Cress who describes her experiences of toxicity in gaming. Also, as the BBC World Service launches an emergency lifeline radio service for people in Gaza, Hannah speaks to one of the team behind it.Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart and Alex Rhodes Producers: Emily Horler, Mora Morrison and Julia Ross-Roy Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

The Kenyan runner Kelvin Kiptum has just set a new marathon world record. He did it wearing “super-shoes”. Sports brands are racing to design new trainers which are lighter and have clever geometry to propel runners forward. Bobbie Jackson from BBC Sport and Celestine Karoney from BBC Sport Africa discuss whether they really make a difference - and is it fair if some athletes wear them? And in the week of Halloween and Day of the Dead, Mathias Clasen, Co-Director of the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark, answers our question; “Why do some people love scaring themselves?”Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

James Clayton, North America Tech Reporter, explains why WeChat is considered riskier than TikTok. Kerry Allen, China Media Analyst, discusses the tightly controlled nature of social media in China and the secret emoji code to avoid censorship. James Reynolds, a BBC correspondent, paints a picture of what Gaza was like before the recent escalation with Israel.

Uncovering the origins and motivations of the 30-year conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the challenging conditions faced by displaced people in the Kivu region, and the role of resource exploitation in fueling the conflict and humanitarian crisis.

Exploring Nigeria's currency devaluation, challenges in currency management, and the impact of borrowing money. Plus, a discussion on the basics of currency markets and the factors influencing currency value. Touching on a news story about a footballer's parents being abducted in Colombia.