What in the World

Ash Dykes has five Guinness World Records. He’s trekked through some of the world’s toughest environments. And he just can’t stop. The extreme adventurer has recently completed a 700km (434 mile) journey through the Congo Basin in central Africa by inflatable kayak. It was the first of six expeditions he’s doing back-to-back. The journey was documented ‘live’ on his socials. So how do you prepare for challenges like this? Why do they seem to get tougher and tougher? Where is the limit? Ash joins us in the What in the World studio to talk about his mission, why he keeps raising the bar, and what he says to those who criticise him. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mollie Perella Video Producer: Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde

Have you ever watched a film, and wondered: has this been made with AI? From AI animals to face swapping, it’s getting harder to tell. When Director Danny Boyle’s upcoming movie Ink premiered at film festivals this autumn, many viewers noticed the tell-tale signs of AI. But the director said that he made sure no actors lost out on work and that AI-generated animals could be an ethical solution to using real ones. BBC Journalist Kesewaa Browne joins Hannah to talk about whether AI is becoming another regular film making tool and if it’s something we should be excited or worried about in cinema.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Chelsea Coates, Elena Angelides and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

Russell Brand started off as a comedian and presenter in the UK, known for his back-brushed hair and self-proclaimed sex addiction. After fame in the US and a short marriage to Katy Perry, he’s now a big religious influencer.He’s also now been found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault in a big trial in London. He was found not guilty on three other counts. We will find out how long his sentence is on Monday.In today’s episode we’re going to answer: who is he, what happened and how does this fits into a wider industry issue?Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter and Producer: Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

You might’ve seen lots of chat online about ‘ferritin face’ alongside zoomed in before and after pics of people’s faces. Some claim that changes in their appearance, like pale skin and hair loss, are down to having low ferritin levels. But what even is ferritin? It’s the protein responsible for storing iron in the body. Iron is important for creating red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. It’s needed for things like your energy levels, skin and hair health. So, can you tell if your ferritin levels are low just by your face? We break it down with the BBC’s Zara Salaria and Dr Aziza Sesay, who specialises in female health. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mollie Perella and Zara Salaria Editor: Verity Wilde

Democrats in the US have won control of Congress in the midterm elections. They’ve done better than even the polls suggested - winning seats held by Republicans for decades. But what does that actually mean? BBC reporter and What in the World’s resident American, William Lee Adams, breaks down what the elections were for, what voters were most concerned about, what it means for President Trump and his Republican party as well as some of the notable firsts among the victors. And we’re hearing from young voters in some of the states that have changed parties this yearInstagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

While job hunting have you ever spotted a job ad that never seems to go away? When you apply you don’t get a reply, let alone a rejection. You may have spotted a ghost! Or a ghost job.In fact, it’s happening so much ‘ghost jobs’ was on the shortlist for Collins dictionary word of the year (mogging won in the end).According to a study across the US, UK and Germany up to 22% of jobs posted online last year were listed with no intent to hire. We speak to BBC Business reporter, Megan Lawton about why some companies are choosing to post ‘ghost jobs’ and why some governments are trying to ban them.Plus, we hear from Sundus who is searching for work and we get some tips from Patricia, a career coach from Nyche careers.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mollie Perella and Emma-Louise Amanshia Video Producer: Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Modern Warfare 4 - the latest Call of Duty game - was already deemed controversial before its release. The main storyline depicts a fictional conflict in the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea invading the South. That’s upset many Koreans: More than one million people died in the real Korean War, and technically North Korea and South Korea remain at war because a peace deal was never signed. Loyal fans of the video game franchise were not put off by the controversial story line, as developers Activision have been inspired by real-life events in the past. But some fans discovered real footage from the Itaewon crowd crush, a tragedy completely unrelated to conflict, in the game. Victims’ families were horrified and complained. BBC Newsbeat’s Riyah Collins and Jake Kwon, the BBC’s correspondent in Seoul, explain how the game has been received. 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

When you think of Hyrox, you might remember those viral pictures of an athlete pushing through the race even though diarrhoea was running down her legs.Her name is Joanna Wietrzyk - and in an exclusive interview with the BBC, she’s described the fallout after she won the competition. She and Hyrox have previously apologised. She’s spoken to the BBC now about the online hate she got after the race (we’ve put the link to that interview at the bottom for you). In Hyrox, competitors alternate between running a kilometre and doing fitness exercises, like a sled push, burpee jumps, indoor rowing, and lunges while carrying a sandbag.What happened in those viral photos catapulted the fitness craze into the spotlight - but now it’s making headlines again, because of its bid to become an Olympic sport. So how has Hyrox got so popular - and does it have a good chance of making it into the Olympics?BBC Health reporter and Hyrox athlete Annabel Rackham explains why Hyrox is taking off in a big way. BBC journalist Jacob Evans, who has also just done his first ever Hyrox, shares his experience, and explains some of the difficulties the sport could face in its Olympic bid. And sports journalist Emma Sunny tells us what she thinks this means for the world of sports more widely.Also, the Olympics has a long history of including sports that you might not expect. We put Hannah to the test to see if she can guess which sports have made an appearance over the years.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity WildeThe BBC's Hyrox athlete interview: bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6gr8l15k744o

Need good weather for your birthday? Want a date to go well? Maybe you’ve got exams coming up or want a promotion at work and need some good vibes. An 'Etsy witch' might be able to help… There are loads of online witches on platforms, like eBay and Etsy, offering spells to help us with everything from love to money. But do they actually work? And why has witchcraft become so popular online? Morgan from The Divine Eyes shop explains how she casts her spells, while we hear from people who’ve turned to online witches for help. Plus, William Lee Adams from the What in the World team explores the taboos surrounding witchcraft around the world.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Liv Cleal Video Producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Kylian Mbappé - the French football superstar sometimes nicknamed a ‘Dictator’ online - has found himself at the centre of a scandal in China this week, after mentioning one of the memes made about him. It shows his face on the body of Mao Zedong, the former Chinese leader, and on a French talk show, when Mbappé describes it, he refers to Mao as a dictator.The backlash against Mbappé has been huge. He’s been dropped by major Chinese brands, shops have pulled football shirts with his name off the shelves, and the state broadcaster has even stopped showing La Liga matches. Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga - the Spanish league - have all apologised.So how did a joke about meme become so controversial in China - and what does it tell us about censorship in the country? Kerry Allen, the BBC’s China Media Analyst, talks us through it all - and we hear from the BBC Global China Unit’s Shawn Yuan, who explains how censorship in China is changing.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Chelsea Coates and William Lee Adams Editor: Verity Wilde