Most of the world’s call centres are based in India and the Philippines, but major hubs are also on the rise in other regions - especially in Latin America. In countries like Colombia, Brazil and Mexico, thousands of young people work in this industry to earn money while they’re studying. They mainly answer customer services calls coming from the US, trying to solve their problems and dealing with a lot of frustrated customers - all in their second language.

BBC Mundo reporter Santiago Vanegas Maldonado, who’s based in Miami, explains why this industry is growing so much in Latin America - and how it’s affecting the local economy. Plus we hear from people who’ve worked in call centres to find out what it’s like.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Santiago Vanegas Maldonado, William Lee Adams and Chelsea Coates Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

After an explosive public feud with Kendrick Lamar, Drake is back with a triple-solo album release. The three albums - Iceman, Habibti and Maid of Honour - contain a blend of music genres across 43 different songs.

The albums have sparked a mixed reaction from fans and critics, but they have already helped Drake become the most streamed Spotify artist of 2026.

BBC Newsbeat’s Peter Gillibrand explains why Drake decided to publish so much music all at once and discusses how it reflects on and reignites Drake’s beef with Kendrick Lamar. He also touches on Drake’s reputation, his lawsuit against his record label UMG, and the hype around Iceman.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

For the last few days, international headlines have been dominated by stories about Donald Trump's visit to China, to meet Xi Jinping. The trip featured marching bands, red carpets, photocalls, big smiles and many, many handshakes. Now that President Trump has left the country, we ask what actually happened below the surface level. Was it all just superficial pageantry or did the leaders of the world’s two largest economies make any real agreements or deals?

People expected talks on trade deals, the war in Iran and Taiwan. President Trump didn't travel alone; he was joined by some of the biggest heavyweights in American technology and business. Tesla and Space X boss, Elon Musk, Tim Cook, the head of Apple and David Solomon, from the bank Goldman Sachs to name a few.

So, what, if anything, actually came out of this trip? And what is the US-China relationship really like? We hear from BBC reporters covering the visit and find out how people in China are reacting to President Trump and his visit.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Chelsea Coates and Emma-Louise Amanshia Editor: Verity Wilde

Since the Iran war broke out, the Strait of Hormuz has effectively been blocked. The Strait is one of the world's busiest oil shipping routes - leading to fears about shortages of jet fuel. Prices for aviation fuel more than doubled after the war began, and the cost of some plane tickets has gone up dramatically. In May 13,000 flights were cut from schedules. And European travel operator Tui says its customers are appearing more cautious about booking summer holidays due to the Iran war.

Loads of people have questions about jet fuel shortages, airlines cancelling flights, and if jet fuel could run out. This has also sparked a conversation about sustainability, with people asking if reducing flights could have a positive impact on the climate, as well as whether eco-fuel could replace jet fuel. In this episode we sit down with BBC business reporter Emer Moreau to answer all your burning questions about jet fuel shortages.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Baldeep Chahal and Benita Barden Video Producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Where do you stand on voice notes? In some places, sending a three minute - or even 20 minute(!) voice memo is totally normal and actually seen as much more personal than texting.

It started back in 2013 on WhatsApp but now you can send voice messages on Instagram as well as some dating sites. Lots of people love them as you can send messages on the go and don’t have to worry about typos. BUT is it selfish or indulgent to send them? Some people say they demand more time for the person receiving them and it’s not always practical to listen to them, especially if you’re at work.

In this episode we unpack why voice messages are more popular in some countries and some of the voice message etiquette with BBC reporter Ashitha Nagesh. We also hear from some of our BBC friends around the world - why do you love or hate them?

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Chelsea Coates, Jenna Abaakouk, Emily Horler and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Chappell Roan recently faced backlash amid online chat that falsely claimed her bodyguard left a young fan in tears. But reports now suggest the entire online drama could have been driven by bots programmed to spread misinformation.

The BBC’s disinformation reporter Jacqui Wakefield explains what bots are, how they work, and what the people who operate them stand to gain. State actors and governments have been linked to specific bot campaigns in the past. BBC Monitoring’s Veronika Malinboym looks at some of the bot activity linked to Russia, including a campaign to undermine the Summer Olympics in Paris by spreading misinformation about a bed bugs outbreak.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producer: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Instagram has switched off one of its privacy policy options - end‑to‑end encryption.

If an app has it, it means your messages can only be read by the sender and the recipient.

But now Meta, who owns Insta has turned off that option. And it doesn’t just own Instagram - it’s also in charge of Facebook and WhatsApp, so people are worried about what could happen on those platforms in the future.

Joe Tidy, the BBC’s Cyber Correspondent, takes us through why are is Instagram pulling the plug on end to end encryption - and what does it mean for you?

Plus, Anushka, an Insta user in India gives us her take and Andre Najee, a cyber security content creator, tells us his tips for staying private online.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Chelsea Coates and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

You’ve probably grown up hearing his unmistakable voice in some of your favourite nature documentaries…we’re of course talking about Sir David Attenborough, who turns 100 this Friday. He’s been making wildlife films for more than 70 years, turning nature documentaries into must-see TV and inspiring people all over the world to learn more about the wonders of our planet.

But he hasn’t just changed the way we see the natural world - he’s also alerted us to how rapidly it’s changing because of climate change, and has influenced policy and public perceptions in the process.

In this episode, we look back at some of his most iconic moments. Our climate and science correspondent, Georgina Rannard, tells us how he’s changed the world - and we hear how he’s inspired lots of you to take action on climate change.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Chelsea Coates, Makuochi Okafor and Jenna Abaakouk Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Saunas and cold plunges are getting really popular and people say they can boost your mood and come with all sorts of health benefits. So we sent Hannah off to try them out and see what she thought…

In this episode we talk about why so many people are into saunas and cold plunges with Emilia Jansson, a BBC journalist and our resident Finn. Plus we’ll hear if there’s evidence that they’re actually good for you with James Gallagher, our Science and Health Correspondent.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Chelsea Coates and Ash Mohamed Editor: Verity Wilde

A cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic ocean has been hit by an outbreak of hantavirus. A number of passengers on the MV Hondius have been infected with the virus, and three have died. Some passengers have been evacuated from the ship and it’s currently anchored off Cape Verde, off the West coast of Africa. Spain had agreed to let it dock in the Canary Islands. But now, as we’re recording this podcast, the president of the Canary Islands has said he can’t allow the vessel to dock there.

Hantavirus is a rare disease usually spread from infected rodents. In this episode we tell you everything you need to know about hantavirus and explain why the risk of another COVID-style pandemic is actually really low.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

What if the best way to stop fearing rejection is to seek it out? Rejection therapy - the idea of deliberately putting yourself in situations where you might be rejected - has exploded on social media. From asking strangers for favours to dancing on trains, people are documenting their experiences online.

Supporters say it helps people build resilience, reduce anxiety and stop taking rejection personally. But does rejection therapy actually work? Or is it just another viral self‑help trend?

In this episode, Claudia Hammond, a psychologist and BBC presenter, helps us unpack where rejection therapy came from, what psychology says about it, and why it’s taken off on platforms like TikTok. We also hear from Sophie Jones, who’s gone viral for her videos on the topic.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Baldeep Chahal, Chelsea Coates and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

The Met Gala is the super bowl of fashion. It’s a relatively small event, only open to a small number of invited guests - usually around 450. Tables cost upwards of around $350,000 , while individual tickets are reported to go for about $75,000. And every invitee has to be signed off by ex-Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

Celebs go out of their way to impress on the red carpet. Think Rihanna’s legendary yellow dress or Kim Kardashian’s ‘wet look’. But this year’s Met Gala feels a little bit different - partly because of it being sponsored by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos. Not everyone’s happy about a tech billionaire being involved.

Journalist Amy Odell (author of Anna: The Biography) has even called this year’s event ‘Tech Gala’. She joins us to explain why. We also chat about the super high ticket prices and why protest posters have been popping up around New York City.

Audio for this episode was updated on 5 May 2026.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde