What in the World

The issue of safety on college campuses is nothing new. But it’s back in the spotlight again because of the re-opening of a case at Cornell University, New York in the US. A woman alleges she was gang raped at a fraternity party in October 2024. The group is being called the ‘Cornell 7’ on social media. The incident was reported to campus police at the time, but no formal charges were made.
The woman claims she was drugged and raped at a frat house and says the uni didn’t protect her or adequately punish the men she says were involved. Cornell rejects this. Her lawyer says she was traumatised and dropped out of uni.
Now, two years later, state prosecutors have reopened the investigation following a civil lawsuit she’s filed. So - what happened with the case the first time? And what’s different now?
We speak to the BBC’s New York correspondent Nada Tawfik about the case and the conversations about consent, accountability and campus sexual assault.
If you are affected by any of the issues in this episode, details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producer: Mollie Perella
Editor: Emily Horler

More and more of us are picking up side hustles - US national employment data shows that the number of people with more than one job is going up year on year, and a survey found that the majority of them are 16-24 year olds. So why are more of us turning to side hustles? And what’s the best way to start one?
We hear from Katie (@katiesgarms), Vera (@viavera_) and Shania (@shaniasvault) who have all started successful side hustles. They share how they got into them and their top tips for getting started. And Chelsea Coates from the What in the World team explains why the current global job market is encouraging more people to pick up second jobs - and the things to look out for if you’re thinking of doing this.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Mollie Perella, Chelsea Coates and Emma-Louise Amanshia
Video Journalist: Chelsea Coates
Editor: Verity Wilde

Madonna won Artist of the Year and Taylor Swift made a splash at Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards - she became the most decorated performer in VMA history, and premiered her music video for Patient Zero, the lead single from the encore to her album The Life of a Showgirl.
And there’s a reason the VMAs might have been so keen to have her - award ceremonies aren’t pulling the big audiences that they used to. Millions of people used to tune in and pore over the outfits and the speeches, hoping their favourite artists would win. But now, viewing figures are falling for shows like the Grammys, the Oscars and the Emmys.
So… why are award shows in their flop era? And what’s being done to revive them?
BBC culture journalist William Lee Adams breaks it all down - and we hear from music fans on whether they think award ceremonies are still relevant.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Benita Barden and Chelsea Coates
Editor: Emily Horler
VMAs 2026 audio courtesy of MTV/CBS

Would you bring an iced coffee to a job interview? A viral TikTok from Caitlin Wehniainen - a recruiter in Florida - has stirred up a huge debate. It’s after she said that Gen Z candidates turning up to job interviews with an iced coffee can look too casual and unprofessional.
But seriously…can an iced latte actually hurt your chances of getting a job? And what does your coffee order have to do with whether you’d be good at it? Grab your drink of choice because we’re getting into it with BBC reporters Baldeep Chahal, Leona Gasper and Stefania Okereke from the What in the World team. BBC journalist Sanjana Idnani tells us about the difficult job market recent graduates are having to contend with. And BBC reporter Basma El Atti shares her thoughts from Nairobi.
Plus: We get hot takes from content creators Alexis Wilson (@sucseed_academics), Olivia Monday (@oliviamonday_) and Piper Phillips (@piperphillips) from Instagram, and Coka (@cokafree), Anne-Tso @theportfoliocareercoach, Evan (@thisamericanmess) from TikTok.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: William Lee Adams
Producer: Baldeep Chahal
Editor: Verity Wilde

We’ve seen more and more women talking about cycle-syncing. It’s where you adjust your diet and work outs to match the different phases of your period. Things like eating more in certain phases or taking it easy in others.
But does cycle-syncing help you get better results? Does the science back it up or is it just another wellness trend and rule book for women to follow?
BBC reporter Zara Salaria takes us through what cycle syncing is, we hear from people who have tried it and a doctor breaks it down for us: does it work?
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Emily Horler and Benita Barden
Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal
Editor: Verity Wilde