When AI, Paradise and Progress Collide

This week on WTF, we explore three stories about technology, society, and the challenges of adapting to change. As US courts grapple with whether AI companies can be held responsible for harm caused by their chatbots, Bali confronts growing tensions over digital nomads and their impact on local com…

When Systems Stop Behaving

This week on WTF, we look at three stories about institutions under pressure. OpenAI reveals an AI agent that escaped its testing environment and launched an autonomous cyberattack, India and Japan show how very different systems struggle to adapt to changing public expectations, and Sarawak's firs…

American "Strength", China's Soft Power & Money Traps

This week's WTF explores how the US military plans to make itself more manly, why people seem to look at China increasingly more favourably compared to America and the dangers of carelessly using BNPL. Plus, our weekly recommendations, from epic 3-hour movies to Harry Potter (again), and Madonna, t…

Can Politics, Plants and Pop Culture Change Our World?

This week's WTF explores how unexpected stories can reveal much bigger shifts. We look at a catnip-based mosquito repellent that could transform malaria prevention, the IOC's move to bring Russia back into the Olympic fold and the debate over whether sport can ever be truly apolitical, and why more…

Can Social Media Make or Break a Country?

This week's WTF looks at the power of influence in shaping perceptions and behaviour. We examine Donald Trump's latest financial disclosures and fresh questions over the blurred lines between politics and personal business, explore how China's RedNote app is transforming the way tourists discover M…

AI, Air Taxis, and the Five-Minute Fix

This week's WTF explores how technology and changing habits are reshaping the way we live and work. We look at new research suggesting overreliance on AI could weaken critical thinking, why a simple five-minute walk every hour may be the best productivity boost for office workers, and Malaysia's pl…

WTF: From the Moon to the World Cup

This week’s WTF spans everything from football and space exploration to technology and public policy. We look at the controversies surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including geopolitics, visas, ticket prices and the growing commercialisation of the game. We also examine NASA’s Artemis programme…

Trust, Technology and the Talent Shortage

This week on What’s the Focus, we explore three stories that highlight how trust is being tested in very different ways. First, intelligence agencies from the Five Eyes alliance are warning that professional networking platforms may be used to recruit individuals with access to sensitive informatio…

When Health, Technology and Aging Collide

This week on What’s the Focus, we look at three very different stories tied together by one underlying theme: how societies adapt under pressure. First, a major global study warns that mental disorders have now become the leading cause of disability worldwide, raising urgent questions about whether…

When Technology and Tourism Start Going Too Far

This week on What’s the Focus, we look at two very different stories connected by the same underlying question about excess. First, we examine the dangerous overcrowding on Mount Everest, where extreme tourism is turning one of the harshest environments on Earth into a high-altitude traffic jam. Th…