2024 is a huge year for elections, with more than 60 countries holding national elections and over half the world’s population voting. With each election it can seem like opinion polls dominate the coverage but how are these polls carried out? We speak to pollster and data analyst David Byler from the American non-partisan polling company Noble Predictive Insights about how it all works.

We also hear from the BBC’s North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher, who explains how significant the polls are in the 2024 US Presidential election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

Historically there have been lots of poll prediction fails. BBC journalist Rupsha Mukherjee in Delhi tells us about how some important polls got it wrong in India’s general election this year. And Niko Kelbakiani, a journalist at BBC Monitoring, explains the role opinion polls play in Iran’s elections - where the Guardian Council must approve every candidate.

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

HPV (human papillomavirus) is a sexually transmitted disease that can cause genital warts but often doesn’t have any symptoms. It’s the leading cause of cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine is available for teenage girls in over 125 countries, but only one in eight girls have had it.

Dorcas Wangira, the BBC’s Africa Health correspondent joins us to discuss the HPV vaccine and how some countries have used the vaccine to reduce their rates of cervical cancer.

Malawi has one of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world, after Eswatini and Zambia. BBC reporter Ashley Lime, in Kenya, explains why - and tells us how Malawi is trying to improve cervical cancer treatment by installing new radiotherapy machines.

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

In September, Rwanda detected its first ever outbreak of the highly infectious Marburg virus. Since then there have been more than forty confirmed cases and at least twelve people have died. Its health ministry has received 700 doses of an experimental drug supplied by the US-based Sabin Vaccine Institute, but we don’t yet know if it’ll be effective.

BBC’s Africa Health reporter Makuochi Okafor, explains how Rwanda is managing the outbreak and some of the challenges the country faces.

Across the border in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), another vaccination programme is underway for Mpox. Nearly 5,000 cases of Mpox have been detected in the DRC, but its vaccine rollout has been fraught with logistical challenges due to the country’s size. Emery Makumeno, a BBC journalist in the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa, discusses some of the hurdles officials face.

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

This week, the BBC’s Green Sport Awards celebrated athletes from around the world who are using their sporting profile to make change towards a more sustainable future. We hear from BBC Sport journalist Nicola Pearson who tells us about the awards and who won.

We also speak to Maddy Orr, an author and assistant professor at Toronto University in Canada, who specialises in the connection between sport and climate change. She explains how climate change is affecting sport and what sports fans can do to reduce their environmental footprint.

Olympic shooter Kishmala Talat from Pakistan and Paralympic swimmer Malak Abdelshafi from Egypt tell us how they try to help the environment in their sports. Plus, young athlete and activist Innes FitzGerald tells us why she chose to turn down racing in Australia, and the difficult decision to fly to Peru to compete this year.

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

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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Zofia Louise and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde

On Tuesday night, Iran fired 180 ballistic missiles at Israel. The Iranian military said it was in response to Israel’s assassinations of the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, both whom had links to Iran.

What’s behind this long standing conflict between Iran and Israel? Who is in charge there? And what do Iranian people think about their leaders’ actions? Ghoncheh Habibiazad, a journalist from BBC Monitoring, gives us a basic guide to Iran, to understand what’s happening in the Middle East right now.

We also break down the different military capabilities of Iran and Israel, including nuclear and cyber warfare.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Email: [email protected] Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Benita Barden Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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 displaced

Hamas 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Mora Morrison Editor: Emily Horler