What in the World

This week features the Green Sport Awards, celebrating athletes championing sustainability. Insightful discussions explore how climate change is reshaping sports, affecting competition and training conditions. Athletes like Kishmala Talat and Malak Abdelshafi share their eco-friendly initiatives. Young activist Innes FitzGerald reveals her tough choice regarding racing in Australia versus flying to Peru. Experts emphasize the urgent need for sports and fans to adopt greener practices to protect the environment.

One year ago, Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an cross-border attack on Israel. It was the deadliest day in Israel’s history: Around 1,200 people were killed, and another 250 people were taken as hostages. Israel began a massive campaign of air strikes on Gaza, which has killed 41,000 people according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Tensions have escalated across this region, with Israel launching a military campaign in Lebanon.BBC’s Shaina Oppenheimer in Jerusalem explains how life has changed for Israelis, the impact of the attacks on the 7th October and the ongoing hostage crisis.Israel does not allow the BBC - or other international media - to report independently from inside Gaza. We speak to Kristina Völk, a BBC journalist in London, who has been speaking to Palestinians in Gaza for over a year. She tells us their account of how life has changed in Gaza. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Emily Horler, Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Moo Deng, a two-month-old baby pygmy hippo, is Thailand’s unexpected new it girl. She’s now a viral sensation and is attracting huge queues at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi Province and even has her own 24-hour livestream.The zoo says visitor numbers have doubled since her birth in July, boosting revenue that can be used for animal conservation efforts. But Moo Deng’s fame comes at a price: videos have emerged showing visitors throwing food at the plump hippopotamus so she’ll squeal for their cameras.BBC Thai reporter Panisa Aemocha explains Moo Deng’s rise to fame — and criticisms that have been levelled at the Thai zoo. We also hear from Simon Watt, author of the book “We Can’t All Be Pandas, the Ugly Animals”. He discusses the link between cuteness and conservation — and how less attractive species are being left behind. And Moo Deng superfan Ashley Calloway, a teacher from Atlanta, explains why her students can’t get enough of the adorable hippo. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Zofia Louise and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

Ganshe Habibi-Yazad, a BBC journalist specializing in Iran and the Middle East, breaks down the current heightened tensions between Iran and Israel. They discuss Iran's recent missile assaults as a response to Israeli actions, and delve into the historical roots of this rivalry since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Ganshe also examines the contrasting views among Iranian youth regarding their government's priorities and explores the military capabilities of both nations, highlighting the implications of nuclear and cyber warfare.

You’ve probably seen people drinking matcha everywhere lately. It really seems to be a case of matcha this, matcha that. But does all the hype match what’s actually in your mug? Is it that healthy? And does this boom impact Japan at all?BBC reporter Megan Lawton tells us why she started looking into this matcha trend and we hear some of her interview with Max Ando, a Japanese model who set up his own matcha brand. We also hear from Emma Beckett, a food and nutrition scientist, looks into how healthy the tea really is.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: William Lee Adams with Benita Barden Producers: Emily Horler and Zofia Louise Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

According to the International Labour Organisation around 1 in 150 people globally, are trapped in modern slavery.While some may think of slavery as a faraway evil from our past, a recent BBC investigation discovered a gang operating in the UK that forced people to live in an unheated attic and work up to 100 hours a week at a McDonald’s.As global crises like COVID-19, conflict, and climate change fuel the rise of modern slavery, we’re asking what forms it takes today – and how you can spot it.BBC Investigations reporter Jon Ironmonger details the findings of the UK operation and Chloe Cranston from the charity Anti-Slavery International tells us which sectors are most guilty of exploitation.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Kevyah Cardoso and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

On Friday, Israeli fighter jets dropped dozens of bombs on Lebanon’s capital Beirut, killing Hezbollah’s long-time leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Other key figures in the militant group have also been killed in recent weeks. Officials in Lebanon say more than 1,000 people have been killed there in the past two weeks and a million could now be displacedHamas says the leader of its Lebanese group has also been killed by Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon.Our BBC Monitoring reporter, Hesham Shawish, explains what’s been happening and what it means for Lebanon. Also, BBC Persian Correspondent, Jiyar Gol, takes us through how the wider Middle-East region is reacting and Iran’s relationship with Hezbollah.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Emily Horler and Zofia Louise Editor: Verity Wilde

More than 2,700 stars are embedded into the pavement on the Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, in Los Angeles in the US. Marilyn Monroe, Zac Efron, Scarlett Johansson, Ludacris and (just very recently) Batman are all part of the Walk of Fame. Thousands of tourists visit it daily, but there have been questions about who is and isn’t included and if this star-studded road is diverse enough.BBC reporter Sam Granville speaks to us from the Walk of Fame and explains what it takes to get a star and whether it’s still regarded by celebrities as an important legacy. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Gabriela Boccaccio and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Verity Wilde

An indigenous red-feather cloak was recently returned to Brazil from a museum in Denmark - where it had been on display for hundreds of years. There are other examples of historic and precious artefacts being returned to their countries of origin. And this is leading to a growing pressure to return more, like the Hoa Hakananai'a, originally taken from Rapa Nui (Easter Island).The BBC’s Zeinab Dabaa in Cairo talks us through Egypt’s calls for the repatriation of three items: Queen Nefertiti’s bust, the Rosetta Stone and the Dendara Zodiac. Ashley Lime, a BBC journalist in Nairobi, explains the significance of the Benin Bronzes - and why some museums are reluctant to let them go.Alongside the campaigns to get valuable and historic items returned, there are also efforts to digitise treasures. Chidi Nwaubani is the founder of Looty, a radical art collective which wants to use augmented reality to create digital versions of artefacts and, in their words, “loot back” treasures. He was speaking to BBC Click. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Mora Morrison Editor: Emily Horler

Twenty-four-year-old Yu Hyuk is a North Korean defector who is about to make his debut as an idol in 1VERSE, the first K-pop band to include North Korean members. Before defecting to South Korea at the age of 13, Hyuk was so poor that he had to beg on the streets to survive. He initially had a hard time adjusting to the new environment but eventually found solace in music and song-writing. Can music bridge the divide between North and South Korea for defectors like Yu Hyuk? He shares his journey into the competitive K-pop industry. And Yuna Ku, our reporter in Seoul, explains the challenges defectors face in their new country.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Kevyah Cardoso and Maria Clara Montoya Editor: Emily Horler