What in the World

Today we’re talking talc… that white powder that is sometimes found in make-up. There’s been a lot of chat recently about the safety of talc. So, in this episode we find out why it’s in our make-up and cosmetics, and whether we should be avoiding it.
BBC journalist Phoebe Keane, who produced the podcast series Talc Tales, explains what talc is and its link to asbestos, a known carcinogen. We also discuss the different tests that are used to determine if talc has been contaminated with asbestos.
The World Health Organization has classified talc as “probably carcinogenic to humans”. Several companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Chanel and L’Oreal have been quietly moving away from using talc-based products in recent years. But do consumers care about this? We hear from Savannah, a PhD student and make-up content creator. And what can you use if you want to avoid talc in make-up? Jen Novakovich, a science communicator and cosmetic scientist, suggests some alternatives.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Mora Morrison and Benita Barden
Video producer: Tim Hodges
Editor: Verity Wilde and Harriet Oliver

Hippos were first introduced to Colombia by drug lord Pablo Escobar. After his death in 1993, the hippos were left roaming free on his abandoned estate and their population kept on growing.
Colombia is the only country outside of Africa with a wild hippo population and they’ve become a tourist attraction there. But like other invasive species, they are an issue - tearing through villages and competing with native wildlife. The government has tried sterilising and relocating them but this has been expensive and unsuccessful. So now, they’ve decided to cull around 80 hippos to limit their growth but animal rights groups think other options might still be possible.
We speak to the BBC’s Climate and Science reporter, Esme Stallard, who explains how these decisions are made and why invasive species can be such an issue. And we hear from Manuel Rueda, a freelance journalist in Bogota, who has previously visited the hippos.

India has the biggest youth population in the world and more and more people are graduating from colleges and universities. 5 million people are coming out of education each year, but nearly 40% of graduates aged between 15-25 can’t get a job. In fact, the unemployment rates are way higher for graduates than for people who are less educated.
White-collar job creation - graduate office jobs - has fallen from 11% growth before 2020 to just 1% today, according to Naukri Jobspeak Index. Big employers like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and Wipro are all cutting jobs or freezing recruitment. And AI is also playing a role here. The Indian government estimates that by 2031, AI could eliminate close to three million IT and customer service jobs.
So what’s it like to be an unemployed graduate in India right now? How do you get through the daily grind of job applications and interviews? How do you deal with pressure from your family to find a job? We chat to Karmanya Batra, Anjali Mekala and Bhadra Ashok Kumar.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Ash Mohamed and Julia Ross-Roy
Video producer: Baldeep Chahal
Editor: Verity Wilde

After 16 years in power, Victor Orbán is no longer in charge in Hungary, after losing the election in a landslide vote. He’s friends with President Trump - who sent his deputy JD Vance to support his campaign - and he’s also close to President Putin.
The man replacing him as Prime Minister - Péter Magyar - hinted at making big changes during his campaign, including stamping out alleged corruption and moving away from Russia to get closer to the EU. But his win isn’t just a big moment for Hungarians - it also marks a huge change for politics across Europe and could have ripple effects that will be felt across the world.
In this episode, we hear from the BBC’s Rajini Vaidyanathan, who’s in Budapest reporting on the election, and explains why this result is so significant. And we also hear from young Hungarians who voted for Magyar - and their hopes for the future after his win.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Benita Barden and Chelsea Coates
Editor: Harriet Oliver

India has passed a controversial bill that seeks to change how transgender people are legally recognised and their right to self-identify. The government says this legislation is meant to protect vulnerable groups from being exploited. But it’s caused protests by opposition parties and members of the LGBTQ community.
In this episode the BBC’s Anahita Sachdev, based in Delhi, breaks down everything we need to know about the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act 2026, including how this law could impact India’s ‘third gender’. We also hear from trans-rights activist Don Hasar who shares why some people are worried.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producer: Mora Morrison
Editor: Harriet Oliver