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.

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Mosquitoes are frequently called the world's deadliest insect. They kill more people every year than any other creature by spreading diseases like malaria, West Nile virus and Zika. In an effort to combat the disease carrying-bug in the U.S., Google is creating an army of sterile male mosquitoes by infecting them with bacteria. It’s hoped that over time these mosquitoes will lower the population of mosquitoes that carry some illnesses.

James Gallagher, BBC health and science correspondent, explains how the process works and the reasons Google is interested in this area of research. We also hear from Dorcas Wangira, a global health reporter, about the release of genetically modified mosquitoes in Djibouti. She explains why it’s important to engage with local communities about the issue.

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South Africa has seen weeks of protests against illegal immigrants. Some of these protests have turned violent and people have been killed. The country is grappling with deep tensions around immigration and identity.

Houses have been burned, shops damaged and looted, and people have been forced to leave their homes. There have been reports of vigilante groups checking the documentation of foreign nationals and forcing small businesses run by non-South Africans to close.

Countries like Ghana and Nigeria have even been evacuating their citizens from the country.

So what’s behind these recent protests? And what are authorities doing to try to reduce illegal migration in South Africa? BBC correspondent Mayeni Jones explains.

We also hear what South Africans and migrant workers living in the country make of the protests.

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Work feels more uncertain than it has in years. Layoffs, AI disruption, hiring freezes and a tough job market are leaving many people out of work or stuck.

So instead of hopping jobs for better pay or new opportunities, more people are doing the opposite. They’re staying put, even if they’re unhappy. It’s called “job hugging”.

But is it a smart move in an unstable world, or could it hold you back in the long run?

On this episode of What in the World, we break down the rise of job hugging with the BBC’s business reporter Emer Moreau. We discuss why it’s happening and whether sticking with your current role is a risk or a strategy.

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Serena Williams is making a comeback to tennis at 44 years of age. She is one of the greatest players of all time. She’s won 23 Grand Slam titles - the second highest tally by a woman in the sport’s history. She’s the highest earning female athlete of all time. She was world number one for 319 weeks. And the stats go on and on. Now, she wants to add to them.

Four years after leaving the sport and after giving birth to her second child, the American will play in the doubles at Queen’s Club in London next week - a warm-up tournament on the road to Wimbledon. However, she is attempting something almost no tennis player has done before - returning to the game in their mid-40s and going up against much younger players. How well can she perform?

Ben Rothenberg, a tennis journalist who runs the Bounces podcast, joins us to explain the significance of Serena’s comeback and the challenges she might face.

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New forecasts show that the developing El Niño in the tropical Pacific Ocean could be one of the strongest on record. The weather phenomenon could be so strong, scientists and the UN are describing it as a “Super El Niño” or “Godzilla El Niño.” And with that comes warnings of record global temperatures and huge potential humanitarian impacts.

We also hear from Drishti in India and Santiago in the US for how they’re being affected.

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This audio was updated on 8th June 2026 to remove an incorrect figure.

Influencers like Andrew Tate popularised the so-called manosphere — the network of websites, forums and social media influencers that promote "traditional" masculinity. In their thinking, men hold a dominant role in a relationship and women are subservient.

BBC World Service Disinformation reporter Jacqui Wakefield recently spent a year following El Temach and Andrew Kibe — two of the most influential manosphere figures in Latin America and Africa — for her BBC Africa Eye documentary Manosphere Messiahs. She explains why their message resonates with so many young men, the consequences that can have on women and how manosphere content is driving men and women apart.

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Some women in China are unhappy with how brands are making women’s clothing. Posts on the social media site Xiaohongshu show just how awkward the sizing can be. A video of a tiny dog squeezed into a size L women top went viral as proof that brands label tiny clothes as much bigger than they actually are. Now many women are turning to menswear for its durability, quality and low cost. BBC Chinese reporter Eunice Yang explains the trend in detail.

This isn’t just happening in China. Gender and age in fashion have been getting more blurred. Fashion Psychologist Shakaila Forbes-Bell explains why we could all benefit from shopping in any department.

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According to the World Health Organization, around 1 in 5 people will develop cancer during the course of their lifetimes. We usually associate the disease with getting older - but doctors are warning that some cancers are becoming more common in people in their 20s and 30s too.

Data shows that bowel and breast cancer are the most common cancers for young adults, with others such as thyroid and ovarian cancer on the rise too. So, what’s behind this?

BBC Health and Science correspondent James Gallagher explains why we are seeing more young people being diagnosed with cancer - and the new treatments scientists are finding to combat the disease. We also hear from Lauren McDermott in Canada, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 22. She shares her story and tells us why she is encouraging other young people to advocate for their health if they are showing symptoms.

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The cockroach has become an unlikely symbol for millions of Gen-Zs in India, thanks to the Cockroach Janta Party - a satirical collective posting online. Nearly 40% of graduates aged 15-25 in India are jobless and many of them are frustrated or disillusioned with politics. So, it didn’t land when India's Chief Justice Surya Kant compared the unemployed to “parasites and cockroaches”. He later clarified that the comments were directed at people with fake degrees. But within days the Cockroach Janta Party attracted over 22 million followers and lots of support.

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