Life is full of plastic, but it’s not always fantastic. We know that plastic is super useful: it helps keep food fresh and lets medicines, like vaccines, be delivered at scale to billions of people. But the world is drowning in it. In fact, the amount of plastic on our planet now weighs more all the land and sea creatures currently alive.

Last week countries from around the world gathered in Geneva, Switzerland, to try to come up with a plan to tackle plastic pollution. But they once again failed. That’s because there is a split between those calling for curbs on the production of plastic, and oil states pushing for a focus on recycling.

BBC climate correspondent Georgina Rannard talks us through the problem, the conference, and potential solutions to plastic waste. And we also hear from 24-year-old conservationist Sri Mauliani about how plastic pollution impacts Indonesia.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Benita Barden and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde

North Korea is one of the world’s most secretive nations. For years it’s been almost entirely closed to foreign visitors (apart from a few highly-controlled tours each year). But in July the state opened the luxury Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, which was promoted as an attraction for both locals and foreigners. It has hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and a water park, with a capacity of 20,000 people, according to state media.

Since the resort began construction in 2018, human rights groups have protested the alleged mistreatment of its workers. According to early planning documents seen by BBC Verify, the initial goal was to attract more than a million visitors, with foreign tourists expected to mainly come from China and Russia.

But now, a notice on North Korea's tourism website says that foreigners are "temporarily" not allowed to visit. Russian tourists appear to be the exception.

We speak to Rachel Lee, a BBC reporter in South Korea about why North Korea is trying to boost its tourism. And we hear from Anastasia Samsonova, a Russian tourist who visited the resort.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Abiona Boja Additional reporting: Yaroslava Kiryukhina Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Jamestown in Accra, Ghana, is famous for producing boxing world champions like Azumah Nelson. However, it wasn't until last year that a female boxer brought back a historic new title. Abigail Kwartekaa Quartey defeated British boxer Sangeeta Birdie, making her Ghana's first female boxing champion and Jamestown's newest boxing prodigy.

Abigail tells us how the journey to victory was a difficult one. We hear about the social and financial challenges she faced in detail.

Plus, Isaac Fanin, a sports reporter from BBC Newsday gives us a crash course on what it takes to become a world champion boxer.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden, Beryl Richter Editor: Verity Wilde

Mexico's president is among those who have criticised Adidas for perceived cultural appropriation. The brand's Oaxaca Slip-On was inspired by traditional leather sandals known as huaraches made by Indigenous artisans in Mexico. But with its slip-ons, Adidas and its designer Willy Chavarria didn’t work with the original designers and there are some reports that the sandals were made in China.

We unpack the controversy with Jennifer Meierhans, a BBC business reporter. Plus: Javier Uhthoff, an intellectual property lawyer, explains the rights that designers and artisans in Mexico have when it comes to their creations.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Maria Clara Montoya and William Lee Adams Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Costa Rica is known as a world leader in eco-tourism. It has lush rainforests, tranquil beaches and protected wildlife and is famous for sustainable travel.

It’s part of a growing market that promises to protect nature, support local economies and let people explore the world without harming it.

But can tourism ever really be eco-friendly? Or is the very act of getting on a plane, staying at a resort or hotel, and taking selfies in pristine places fundamentally at odds with sustainability?

Graihagh Jackson, a BBC journalist who also presents the Climate Question Podcast, takes us through what eco-tourism is and what issues tourism can cause for local communities.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Emily Horler Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Players on Nigeria’s female basketball team will receive a cash reward of $100,000 each and a three-bedroom apartment following their win at the Fiba Women’s AfroBasket Championship. That comes just weeks after Nigeria’s women’s football team, the Super Falcons, were promised a similar award after winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

President Bola Tinubu says the women are deserving of the recognition because they have inspired Nigerians to dream big and brought honour to the West African country. But reaction to the cash prize has been mixed, with some saying such rewards are unsustainable given the country’s economic difficulties.

Mansur Abubakar, a BBC reporter in Abuja, tells us about the government’s promises and describes the apartments in more detail. We also get reactions from Nigerian basketball fans. And William from the What in the World team tells us about the various incentives — from cash to cows — that other countries have offered athletes.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Chelsea Coates Editor: Harriet Oliver

Experts have discovered a new small species of dinosaur. It has been named Enigmacursor mollyborthwickae, and scientists say it lived around 150 million years ago, during the late Jurassic period. Millions of years following their extinction, how are we still finding new dinosaurs? And how much can we learn from them?

BBC Science correspondent Victoria Gill explains the discovery and why we’re fascinated by them. We also hear from two dinosaur experts. Steve Brusatte is a professor of Palaeontology and Evolution at the University of Edinburgh and also consulted on the Jurassic Park movies. And Aswatha Biju is an Indian palaeontologist who has been collecting dinosaur fossils since she was 12 years old.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Mora Morrison and Chelsea Coates Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

Back in 2019, Ghana’s then president sent out an invitation to people with African heritage to come to Ghana. It was called the Year of Return - a campaign by Ghana's tourism board to mark 400 years since the first documented African slaves were taken to America. The campaign built on ideas of Pan-Africanism, a movement to promote unity and liberation on the continent.

So five years on, how is it going? We hear from Lakeshia Ford, Rowena Habadah, and Mama Kexornyi, three women who made the decision to relocate and live in Ghana. They tell us about the challenges they faced and how life in Ghana altered their perspective on life.

Plus, Kobby Mensah, chief executive of Ghana Tourism Development Company, discusses whether the Year of Return has benefited Ghana's tourism industry and led to increased investment in the country. We also question him about some of the tensions resulting from rising costs.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden, Beryl Richter Editor: Verity Wilde

If you’re a Barca fan, you might want to look out for a small change to the players’ kits that’s coming soon. The Democratic Republic of Congo has struck a four-year sponsorship deal with FC Barcelona, that will see “DR Congo - Heart of Africa" emblazoned on the back of their training shirts from the start of next season. The deal reportedly cost the country around 50 million dollars and includes a training camp in Spain for 50 young Congolese players, according to the Sports Minister. But it’s also faced criticism at home and abroad, as the DRC continues to struggle with poverty and political instability.

BBC journalist Emery Makumeno joins us from Kinshasa to explain the reasons the country has given for making the deal and the issues its own football league is facing. BBC sports journalist Daniel Austin explains how sports sponsorship works and what it reveals about money, image, and influence in sport. And we hear from football fans in the DRC, who share what they think of the deal.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity Wilde

At least 30,000 of the 350,000 known plant species on our planet are edible, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, but only 170 species of plant are cultivated for food on a large scale. As climate change affects plant yields and disease threatens some of our most popular crops (bananas, we’re looking at you), scientists say we need to explore so-called “forgotten foods” to diversify the crops we grow. But what are they — and what are some of the opportunities and challenges of growing them at scale?

BBC Climate and Science correspondent Georgina Rannard explains why food security is such an important issue - and the solutions scientists are finding to tackle this. Kew Gardens ethnobotanist Philippa Ryan, from the UK, tells us about some examples of forgotten foods. And BBC Africa business correspondent Jewel Kiriungi explains why seed sharing - a practice to help preserve crop diversity - is banned in Kenya.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Chelsea Coates and Julia Ross-Roy Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

If you look at the list of box office hits from the past year, you’ll see lots of live action versions of children’s and young adult films, and even film adaptations of video games. Films like A Minecraft movie and Lilo and Stitch.

Last year Inside Out 2 led the global box office earning $1.69 billion, and 6 out of the top 10 movies were animated - it’s a big jump up from the year before. Previously action and comedy films seem to dominate, but this year, ‘The Naked Gun’ is only the second big-screen comedy to hit cinemas.

Why are kids films and remakes of familiar films are doing so well at the moment? Megan Lawton chats to us about why this might be and what it might say about Hollywood.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde

Botox - or Botulinum toxin injections - has become mainstream. It’s no longer for the super-rich and A-list celebrities. As it’s become cheaper and more beauticians on the high street are offering it, its use is starting to become more widespread and normalised. Influencers are open about (some of) the non-surgical procedures they’ve had done. Why has it become so popular?

BBC Health and Wellbeing reporter Annabel Rackham explains how these anti-wrinkle injections work (the most common of which is the product Botox) and how they differ from other “tweakments” like filler. We also discuss the potential risks of getting these injections as well as a recent case of hospitalisations after fake Botox was used. And what to be aware of if you’ve decided you want to get it done.

BBC Africa Health correspondent Dorcas Wangira explains the rising demand for non-surgical beauty procedures in Kenya and why the authorities there are trying to crack down on unlicensed clinics and spas and practitioners with no registration.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams, Maria Clara Montoya and Julia Ross-Roy Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde