You might have seen the viral video of 22-year-old MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke doing the haka in the middle of New Zealand’s parliament last Thursday. It was a protest aimed at disrupting the debate in parliament about a bill which, if it became law (which is unlikely), would transform the way the indigenous Māori population are treated by changing the nation’s 184-year-old treaty.

Then, on Tuesday, a nine-day march to New Zealand’s parliament building in the capital city Wellington came to an end, with over 40,000 people from different backgrounds voicing their opposition to the proposed new bill. BBC reporter Katy Watson was at the protests and describes what it was like.

So what is life like for Māori people? The BBC’s Kathryn Armstrong takes us through the background and history of New Zealand’s Treaty of Waitangi. Plus, the BBC’s Vandhna Bhan breaks down the details of the proposed new bill.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6

Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Mora Morrison, Hayley Clarke and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

Elon Musk — the world’s richest man — has built several companies, including PayPal, Tesla, and SpaceX. He’s also built a close relationship with Donald Trump, president-elect of the United States. America’s next leader has appointed Musk to run the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, which is meant to slash government waste.

Nathalie Jimenez, a BBC reporter in New York, explains how Musk built his business empire and why he may have aligned with the Trump administration. She also discusses Musk’s personality traits and how they influence how he leads.

And Lily Jamali, the BBC’s North America Technology Correspondent, explains the ways Musk does and does not reflect “tech bro” stereotypes.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Can you imagine sitting all of the most important exams of your life on one day? That’s the reality for Korean students, whose university-entrance exam, the Suneung, sees students sit an eight-hour marathon of exams, all on one day. Juna Moon, our reporter in Seoul, tells us why a record number of students are resitting the brutal exam this year. Plus Koh Ewe, a BBC journalist in Singapore, tells us which K-pop earworm students are trying to avoid to stop it from distracting them.

Julie Yoonnyung Lee, a BBC reporter from Seoul now in London, joins us in the studio, to give us her own experience of the exam, and the years of late nights and ‘cram schools’ preparing for it. We also discuss the mental health challenges that can come with such high academic pressure.

Plus we hear from our China media analyst Kerry Allen, who explains the Gaokao, China’s university entrance exam, which might be even harder.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Hayley Clarke Editor: Verity Wilde

CBD products are everywhere. You can get the cannabis extract in oils, vapes, skincare products, even gummy bears, coffee and fizzy drinks. Videos recommending it are all over TikTok, and it’s so popular Kim Kardashian even had a CBD-themed baby shower.

Fans and influencers say it can help improve your mood, help you sleep, get rid of anxiety and chronic pain. But are these claims true?

BBC reporter Annabel Rackham explains what CBD is, where it’s legal and whether it can be addictive or have side effects. We hear from two people who take CBD. And Harry Sumnall, Professor in substance use at the Liverpool John Moores University in the UK, explains what we know from scientific studies on the health effects of CBD.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Hayley Clarke and Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Disputes over the South China Sea are back in the news, with China and the Philippines both marking out areas they say are theirs. China has previously been accused of hitting Philippine boats with water cannon and both sides say the other have rammed boats into each other.

Benny Lu from the BBC’s Chinese service in Hong Kong takes us through the background of it all and explains how the US’s relationship with China fits into it, especially with Donald Trump’s re-election.

It’s not just China and the Philippines arguing over this area. BBC Vietnamese reporter Thuong Le explains Vietnam’s involvement in the ongoing disputes, which even led to the Barbie movie being banned in Vietnam last summer.

Plus, we hear from people we spoke to in Manila when What in the World visited the Philippines, on why they feel strongly about the issue.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Hayley Clarke and William Lee Adams Editor: Verity Wilde

Hundreds of sex tapes featuring Baltazar Ebang Engonga, the nephew of Equatorial Guinea’s president, have flooded social media. Many of the women seen in the tapes are the wives and relatives of people close to the centre of power.

The scandal has shone an unflattering spotlight on the central African country, which is sometimes called “The North Korea of Africa”. Its President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has been in power for more than four decades and controls the majority of the country’s radio and television outlets, which are heavily censored. Following the sex tape leak, “Equatorial Guinea” was the top trending term in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa - even surpassing interest in the US election at times.

BBC Monitoring journalist Ines Silva gives explains how the scandal unfolded. And activist and human rights advocate Nsang Christia Esimi Cruz discusses how the government could use the controversy to crack down on social media use in the country.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

The World Health Organisation now officially recognises gaming disorder as a mental health condition - when someone’s gaming behaviour becomes so severe that it takes precedence over other interests.

Symptoms include losing control over the amount of time playing, prioritising gaming over other interests and responsibilities and continuing to game despite negative consequences.

But how do you know when you’re addicted to gaming? And how can you overcome it?

The Director of the National Centre for Gaming Disorders in the UK, Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones joins us to explain more about gaming disorder and how she helps patients overcome it, and two gamers in recovery share how much better they feel after getting help.

Kerry Allen, our China Media Analyst, also takes us through how China is dealing with under 18s gaming.

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues 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: [email protected] Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Kevyah Cardoso, Emily Horler and Hayley Clarke Editor: Verity Wilde

According to the United Nations, Africa’s urban population is projected to triple by 2050, with over 60% of 2.5 billion people living in cities. This rapid urbanisation and population growth is driving demand for properties across the continent. Nigerian and Ghanaian cities are some of the fastest-growing globally, but with inflation and the rising cost of living, prices are going up and people are finding it harder to save - making property and land acquisition a real challenge.

BBC journalist Stefania Okereke discusses the pressures on young people when it comes to purchasing real estate in Nigeria and Ghana. Ebube Okafor in Nigeria tells us about the hurdles to owning and buying land in Nigeria. Yaa Ofori-Ansah, a Ghanaian based in the UK shares her experience of preparing for a move back to Ghana. And Victoria Agyekum, co-founder of the Ghana Property and Lifestyle Expo, offers advice for anyone considering this journey.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Stefania Okereke Editor: Verity Wilde

$20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. That’s how much a Russian court has fined Google for restricting Russian state media channels on YouTube. That’s two undecillion roubles - and far greater than the world’s total GDP, which is estimated by the International Monetary Fund to be $110 trillion.

Jen Monaghan, from BBC Monitoring, talks us through why Google has been hit with such a massive fine, and how it’s impossible to pay. And the BBC’s Anastasia Golubeva shares how the internet and social media apps - including YouTube - are restricted in Russia, and the impact this has on young people there.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Hayley Clarke and Benita Barden Editor: Emily Horler

Donald Trump will return to the White House in January 2025, after defeating Democrat rival Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential elections. The win comes just four years after he lost re-election to Joe Biden — and just weeks before his sentencing in his New York criminal trial.

We explain the factors behind his historic win and hear from political analysts about how issues like the economy and immigration influenced voters in the crucial swing states that decided the election.

One of Trump’s campaign promises was to quickly end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and to prioritise America’s interest above all others. We hear from the BBC’s International Correspondent Lyse Doucet and the BBC’s China correspondent Laura Bicker about how international leaders are reacting to the win and what it means for their them.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

Floods have swept through Valencia on Spain’s eastern coast, causing death and destruction in their wake. It’s the worst flooding in Europe this century. More than 200 people have died and many are still missing - it is the country’s deadliest natural disaster in recent memory. There is widespread anger over the government’s response, and when Spain’s king and queen visited the town of Paiporta, they were met with protesters and even had mud thrown at them.

We speak to BBC journalist Iqra Farooq, who has just been to the area. She tells us about the devastating scenes she saw, and the anger people are feeling. The BBC’s Mimi Swaby has been speaking to the mayor of Paiporta, Maribel Albalat, who told her she was shocked by the violence, but that she understood "the frustration and desperation of the people".

And we speak to Stav Danaos from BBC Weather, who explains the Dana phenomenon that caused the flooding and how climate change made it worse.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Emily Horler and Hayley Clarke Editor: Verity Wilde

COP 16 — the United Nations Biodiversity Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity — recently concluded in Colombia. One of the major issues was "biopiracy". That’s when companies take out patents to own the rights to living organisms, like plants — despite the fact many local and indigenous communities may have been using these plants and other biological material for centuries. BBC science and climate reporter Georgina Rannard explains the idea of biopiracy and why it’s so high stakes for both businesses and the communities that nurture traditional knowledge. And Nataly Canales, an evolutionary biologist, discusses how the issue of bio-piracy relates to the autonomy of her community — the Amazonian Quechua of Peru.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde