What in the World

BMX Freestyle is one of the events at the 2024 Urban Cycling World Championships which are being held in Abu Dhabi. It features fearless BMX riders jumping, spinning and hurling themselves around the course on a small bike, pulling off mind-blowing tricks that get you gasping. Think acrobatic gymnastics but on a bike.What does it take to become a BMX rider though? Tom Clemens from Germany, who sits 18th in the BMX Freestyle world rankings, tells us how he became a professional BMX rider.Plus, Olympic commentator and professional skateboarder Lucy Adams explains how BMX Freestyle riders compete, and how new ‘action’ sports like BMX are trying to grow their popularity.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Adam Chowdhury, Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Even if you haven’t seen them in person, you might be familiar with images of the Northern Lights - dark skies with moving ribbons of green and purple. But what actually are they? And why do we seem to be seeing more of them in 2024? BBC science presenter Caroline Steele answers loads of questions about the Northern Lights, like why are they different colours and when and where are the best times to see them? We also chat about the Southern Lights and ask why don’t people talk about them as much? And 21 year old photographer Hugo Korhonen from Finland tell us what it’s like to see the Northern Lights in person and how you can take the best photos of them. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Maria Clara Montoya Video Journalist: Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

A law passed earlier this year means TikTok will be banned in the US unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, before 19 January 2025. On Monday US President-elect Donald Trump met the company’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, and now people are questioning if he will try and stop this ban, and save the app.Rhiannon Williams, a UK-based tech journalist, talks us through how Trump’s relationship to TikTok has changed over the years, including how he utilised it to target young people in the presidential election, and why some people are calling this a clever move politically. Plus Natalie Jimenez, a BBC reporter based in New York, reviews Trump’s TikTok page for us and shares if it’s hot, or a flop. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Since Syria’s civil war began, six million people have left the country and seven million more have been internally displaced. Now Bashar al-Assad’s regime has been overthrown by rebels, many refugees are wondering if they can return to their home. According to the UN, it’s the world’s largest refugee crisis. BBC journalist, Lina Shaikhouni, explains what caused this crisis and we hear from three Syrian refugees in Germany, Lebanon and the UK.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and María Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

Gukesh Dommaraju — an 18-year-old from India — has become the youngest-ever world chess champion. That’s after beating defending champion Ding Liren, a 32-year-old from China. Dommaraju comes from Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu. Saradha V, a BBC reporter in Chennai, explains how the city became India’s chess capital and how schools there are producing an impressive generation of young players.Plus: Giovanni Sala, a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Liverpool, explains how the Internet is helping chess players master the game more quickly than players did decades ago. He also describes the benefits that chess has for young people.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producer: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden, Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Game of Thrones. Twilight. Little Red Riding Hood. The wolf is an animal that appears more than most creatures across popular culture. They’re known for being fierce, dangerous and scary. Is this what they are like in real life though? Abby Keller, who works at the International Wolf Centre in the US, tells us everything we need to know about wolves.For 45 years in Europe, grey wolves were under the second highest level of protection in European Union laws. This is called Annex Two and offered ‘strict protection’. This month though, EU conservation officials voted to downgrade them to Annex Three. It means they have gone from ‘strictly protected’ to just ‘protected’. From March next year, each EU nation will be able to set a yearly figure of how many wolves can legally be killed in their country.The BBC’s Emilia Jansson explains the decision and what it means for the wolf population of the EU.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Benita Barden and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

The reasons women donate their eggs vary significantly. Some people say they feel a sense of pride knowing they may help other women conceive children. Others say they want to earn a bit of extra cash, since many clinics are willing to pay donors for their eggs. Charlotte Edwards, BBC Business reporter, explains how the process of egg donation works — and how it differs by country. Plus: Elaine Chong, an egg donor in the United Kingdom and BBC journalist, discusses how she wanted to help other women of Chinese descent expand their families. And Ebimoboere Ibinabo Dan-Asisahin, an egg donor in Nigeria, discusses the process and physical side effects she experienced.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Video Journalist: Tim Hodges Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

There’s nothing quite like going to see a new film in the cinema; the big screen, surround sound, buckets of pop corn and collective gasps from the audience. But the film industry has experienced a number of setbacks in recent years, including the pandemic, competition from streaming, and Hollywood strikes.Annabel Rackham, a BBC culture reporter, talks us though whether cinema in the United States, and elsewhere, is bouncing back, and how mega hits like Wicked and Gladiator 2 are helping. We also speak to Mr C, a film critic from Nigeria who now lives in the UK, about how cinema is faring in Nigeria. And Adam Chowdhury from the What in the World team quizzes Hannah on some (pretty surprising) film-related Guinness World Records. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Adam Chowdhury and Mora Morrison Editor: Verity Wilde

Brazil is known for it's top-tier football and stars like Vinicius Junior or Neymar. The enthusiasm for football has now a new layer, with millions of people turning to online betting when watching their national game. Brazil is now considered the third-biggest market globally for sports betting, and authorities are trying to tackle this issue as lots of people are struggling with debt and gambling addictions, as we hear from Ian Alves, a BBC journalist in Sao Paulo.And Reece Bush-Evans, member of the Gambling Research Group in the UK explains why gambling can be so addictive.If you’ve been affected by any of the issues discussed in this episode please contact support organisations in your own country. Or, if you live in the UK, please check out bbc.co.uk/actionline. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Josh Jenkins, Maria Clara Montoya and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

The world was stunned over the weekend as rebel forces in Syria captured the capital of Damascus, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to flee and ending the final chapter of his violent regime. Assad is reported to have fled to Russia whilst opposition forces now loot his empty palace and people celebrate on the streets.But who are the Syrian rebels who toppled Assad’s rule? And why has it happened now after decades of the Assad family in charge.Five BBC experts - Frank Gardner, Lyse Doucet, Lina Sinjab, Mina Al-Lami and Barry Marston - take us through the story.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Emilia Jansson Editor: Verity WildeThis audio was updated after publication and a name correction was made on the 17th December.

K-pop girl group NewJeans announced they were leaving their record label during an emergency press conference last week. This follows months of public disagreements between the label, the band, and fans. But the group is tied into a contract until 2029. So, what happens now?Our reporter, Fan Wang, breaks it all down and the BBC’s Music Correspondent, Mark Savage, helps us with the question on everyone’s lips… if they do leave their agency do they get to keep their music and their name?We also talk about Riize. One of its members has recently left the band after fan backlash. We take a look at how much power K-pop fans have over their idols with Julie Yoonnyung Lee, our resident K-pop expert.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Emily Horler and Emilia Jansson Editor: Verity Wilde

Phones have become an essential part of most people’s everyday lives, and debates about them in schools - as well as teenagers’ access to social media - are internationally hot topics.BBC journalist Hayley Clarke joins us in the studio to talk through different approaches to social media and phone bans in schools around the world. We also hear from students in France and the US about how they would feel about potential bans.Hannah Ritchie, a BBC journalist, explains the situation in Australia, where the government says it will introduce "world-leading" legislation to ban children under 16 from social media.Plus we hear from two professors on opposing sides of the debate, and ask what is the scientific evidence that shows phones and social media are bad for us? Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Hayley Clarke and Emilia Jansson Video journalist: Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

South Korea's president Yoon Suk Yeol shocked the country on Tuesday night when, out of the blue, he declared martial law in the country. It’s the first time such an order has been passed there in nearly 50 years. Yoon cited "anti-state forces" and the threat from North Korea. But it soon became clear that the move may have been politically motivated. Within hours thousands of people gathered in protest, and opposition lawmakers rushed to remove the measure. Julie Yoonnyung Lee, a BBC World Service reporter, talks us why the announcement was so shocking - and how it could impact South Korea’s democracy. Plus, Emilia Jansson from the What in the World team shares which other countries have used martial law, and why. Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Emilia Jansson Editor: Verity Wilde

For the past few nights, thousands of Georgians have been out protesting the government in Tbilisi. It’s because the ruling party, Georgian Dream, says it’s pausing negotiations to join the European Union until 2028. Many Georgians see the move as a betrayal of achieving the long-standing ambition of joining the EU, and some fear the country is inching closer to Russia’s influence.The BBC’s Rayhan Demytrie takes us through the political situation in the country and explains why many Georgians are unhappy. We also hear from two women, Nutsa and Nini, about why they’ve decided to join this round of protests.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Rage bait is social media content that's designed to elicit anger and frustration. Those feelings can encourage people to engage with the content, often by replying. It’s a process that helps content creators earn a lot of money. BBC reporter Megan Lawton discusses the reasons that social media users engage with this type of content and offers tips to identify it. And BBC tech reporter Tom Gerken explains how our online behaviour dictates what social media posts appear in our feeds. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Hayley Clarke, Emilia Jansson Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

The world’s most expensive banana has been sold at an auction for more than $6 million. It’s Maurizio Cattelan's 2019 work Comedian and it’s literally just a banana duct-taped to a wall.The new owner bought the right to display the installation along with a guide on how to replace the fruit (it doesn’t stay fresh for long!).But what makes it art? And why would someone eat a multi-million dollar banana? BBC arts reporter Yasmin Rufo takes us through the story and helps us decide if us taping a banana to a wall in our studio counts as art. We also hear from two people in the art world - artist Maddie Exton and critic Hakim Bishara - for their thoughts on this infamous banana. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Hayley Clarke, Benita Barden and Mora Morrison. Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Intra-continental travel is huge, and borderless agreements between countries make trips easier. For instance, Europe has the Schengen Zone and South East Asia has ASEAN. But for Africa, it’s still a work in progress. The UN tourism boss Natalya Bayona says she wants to make borderless travel for tourism in Africa a reality within ten years. Daniel Dadzie, from the BBC Focus on Africa podcast, explains the benefits it could bring and why it could be difficult to achieve. And Zubaida Abdel-Rahman, a Ghanaian travel blogger, tells us about her experiences.In January 2024, the Kenyan government introduced a new system called Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). It doesn’t require African nationals to obtain visas to enter the country for tourism and business travel. We hear from BBC reporter in Nairobi, Jewel Kiriungi, about how it works. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Benita Barden Video Journalist: Beatrice Guzzardi Editor: Verity Wilde

There has been intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah for over a year. More than 3,500 people have been killed in Lebanon, over a million people displaced, and many homes destroyed by Israeli airstrikes. Israel says 60,000 of its citizens will now be able to go back to their communities along its northern border, safe from Hezbollah rocket fire from Hezbollah.In this episode, we speak to Carine Torbey, our BBC correspondent in Beirut, who explains the basics on Hezbollah, why it has been fighting Israel and what this ceasefire means.We hear from other BBC correspondents on the ground in the region to get a sense of how the ceasefire deal is being received. And Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s International Editor explains what might happen to Hezbollah now - and whether a ceasefire in Gaza could be next. Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Hayley Clarke Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

The town of Van Vieng in Laos is a popular stop for backpackers traveling through Southeast Asia. But after six tourists died earlier this month following suspected methanol poisoning, many tourists are re-thinking their itineraries and how they drink. We hear from some of them. Also: William from the What in the World team tells us about the victims in Laos and looks at alcohol poisoning around the world. And BBC Digital Health Editor Michelle Roberts explains how methanol affects the body and what symptoms people my experience after consuming it. Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

The annual United Nations climate change conference ended on Sunday but not everybody was happy. This year, the main focus was on getting richer countries, who have contributed more to climate change, to pay poorer, developing countries so that they can better deal with the impacts of climate change.COP29 was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, and the talks were meant to end on Friday. The negotiations ran over into the weekend and a deal for $300 billion was finally agreed on Sunday at 3am.However, the African Group of Negotiators described the final pledge as "too little, too late" and India said that “the amount that is proposed to be mobilised is abysmally poor. It's a paltry sum.”BBC climate reporter Georgina Rannard was in Baku and takes us through the final deal. Georgina also speaks with two climate activists who were campaigning at COP29.Plus, Jordan Dunbar from the BBC’s Climate Question podcast gives us three success stories of how climate change is being tackled around the world.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Rosanna La-Falce