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The controversial climate summit held in an oil state: What is COP28?

The controversial climate summit held in an oil state: What is COP28?

It’s that time of year again where world leaders, business execs and loads of lobbyists and activists gather for a few weeks to try to make concrete plans to reduce emissions globally and compensate countries worst affected by climate change - it’s COP28 and hopes are high.

This year it’s taking place in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, one of the biggest oil producers in the world. And the President of COP is the head of the country’s state oil company.

BBC climate reporter Georgina Rannard is at COP28 - she explains what it is and what’s going to be discussed. We hear from two young activists; Yabtsega Getachew from Ethiopia and Shreya KC from Nepal.

Marco Silva, a BBC climate disinformation reporter debunks some myths about climate change you might have seen on your social feeds.

Also: As Virgin flies the first big passenger plane using 100% alternative fuels across the Atlantic, we ask BBC Transport Correspondent Katy Austin how big a deal is this? And how green are these alternative fuels?

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Alex Rhodes, Maria Clara Montoya and Julia Ross-Roy Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

How TikTok is changing the music industry ft. Sofi Tukker

How TikTok is changing the music industry ft. Sofi Tukker

How often do you discover new music on TikTok? Chances are, quite a lot. That’s because TikTok is becoming a go-to app for finding and remixing music.

Veneno is an example of this. It’s a song from the 1980s by Ronaldo Silva, which was sampled by Mari Merenda and Sophia Ardessore on TikTok, and then remixed by pop duo Sofi Tukker in Florida.

We speak to Sofi Tukker (Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern) about why they fell in love with this song, and why they chose to release it.

We’re also joined by the BBC’s Maia Beth, music commentator Derrick Gee, and Nigerian rapper Reggie Rankin’ who explain the pros and cons of the app.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Why are so many historic celebrity sexual assault cases being filed now?

Why are so many historic celebrity sexual assault cases being filed now?

P Diddy, Russell Brand, Jamie Foxx. Those are just three of the male celebrities who’ve been hit with sexual assault lawsuits in recent weeks. All three deny the claims.

Those lawsuits were all filed because of a New York law with a one-year time limit, called the Adult Survivors Act. It’s led to a huge rise in accusations.

Plus, BBC investigative reporter Rianna Croxford explains how the people she spoke to for her recent investigation into Abercrombie and Fitch have been using this law to take the fashion company to court.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenters: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Alex Rhodes, Benita Barden and Maria Clara Montoya Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Israel-Gaza: The hostage and prisoner release explained

Israel-Gaza: The hostage and prisoner release explained

By Monday morning, more than fifty hostages held in Gaza had been released as part of a deal between Israel and Hamas. The deal, which includes a four-day pause in fighting, came seven weeks after the 7 October attacks on Israel. In exchange, more than a hundred Palestinian women and teenagers have been released from Israeli jails.

In this episode, the BBC’s Shaina Oppenheimer in Jerusalem and Jaidaa Taha in Cairo talk us through the detail.

We also hear from Tossapol Chaisamritpol, a BBC reporter in Bangkok, who has been speaking to relatives of Thai hostages who have also been released.

Plus, Frances Mao explains why New Zealand’s new government has made a U-turn on the country’s pioneering smoking ban.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenters: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Mora Morrison Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Rammed earth: What is it and can it help tackle climate change?

Rammed earth: What is it and can it help tackle climate change?

Cement is said to be responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions. In the search for an alternative, more sustainable construction material, building companies in Ghana and other African countries are reviving an ancient technique called ‘rammed earth’. Daniel Dadzie, a BBC reporter from Ghana, explains how you make it and why it’s seen as a greener option. Architect and academic Kuukuwa Manful explains the history of rammed earth and how European colonial authorities discouraged indigenous African building styles.

Also: Fardowsa Osman, a BBC Somali reporter, describes the effect of the floods in Somalia and BBC Meteorologist Tomasz Schafernaker explains the two weather patterns that contributed to the devastation.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Alex Rhodes, Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

OpenAI: What’s going on and what does it mean for the future of AI?

OpenAI: What’s going on and what does it mean for the future of AI?

There’s been serious drama in Silicon Valley this week. On Friday the board of OpenAI, the multi-billion-dollar company behind ChatGPT, fired its CEO Sam Altman. By Wednesday he was back in the job. But this isn’t just an internal dispute for tech journalists. It’s about the future of artificial intelligence; whether it should be used for profit and whether it should be constrained.

BBC tech reporter Shiona McCallum explains who Sam Altman is and how his most famous product, ChatGPT, works. Alex Rhodes breaks down a few of the most important AI terms being used at the moment. And to hear how other people away from Silicon Valley are using AI in their work, Valeria Diaz Romero from Bolivia talks about how her company uses it.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Maria Clara Montoya, Alex Rhodes and Julia Ross-Roy Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Brazil heatwave: What’s it got to do with El Niño?

Brazil heatwave: What’s it got to do with El Niño?

Brazil has recorded its hottest ever temperature - 44.8C (112.6F) - as parts of the country endure a stifling heatwave.

You may have seen the video of Taylor Swift struggling to catch her breath while performing in Rio de Janeiro. She pushed back a performance on Saturday after it emerged a fan had died after going into cardiac arrest at the stadium.

Climate change and El Niño are both impacting this heatwave. But what is El Niño? We explain.

And Dr Sooj (@doctorsooj on Tik Tok) offers advice about how to spot, and prevent, heat stroke.

Plus, North Korea has revealed that its put its first spy satellite into orbit. Surbhi Kaul from BBC Monitoring tells us more.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes Producers: Mora Morrison, Benita Barden and Luis Felipe Molina Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

How a chainsaw wielding TV star became Argentina’s president

How a chainsaw wielding TV star became Argentina’s president

Argentina has elected far-right outsider Javier Milei as its new president.

He’s a pretty unconventional politician - from tantric sex to cloning dogs. But, how did he win and what could this mean for the Latin American country? The BBC’s Maria Clara Montoya explains.

TikTok played an important role in his campaign. So, we also hear from Den Borg, an Argentinian marketing specialist, about how the app was utilised.

Plus, we have reaction from two young voters in Argentina.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Alex Rhodes with Maria Clara Montoya Producers: Mora Morrison and Luis Felipe Molina Editor: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Fentanyl: Why is it killing so many young Americans?

Fentanyl: Why is it killing so many young Americans?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that’s fifty times more powerful than heroin. It’s also the biggest killer of 18-45 year olds in the United States.

The death toll is so high that the sons of imprisoned drug lord El Chapo have said they aren’t going to sell it anymore - although experts say that’s probably just a publicity stunt.

Dr Smitha Mundasad from the BBC’s Health team explains why fentanyl is so fatal. The BBC’s Nadine Yousif in Canada talks about the fentanyl crisis’ ‘fourth wave’, which is affecting every community in the North America - including San Francisco, where activist Darren Stallcup is based.

Also in this episode, we talk about Argentina’s election results with the BBC’s Mimi Swaby.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart with Alex Rhodes Producers: Alex Rhodes and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Gaza: Why is Al-Shifa hospital so important to both sides?

Gaza: Why is Al-Shifa hospital so important to both sides?

Al-Shifa hospital has become a focal point of the Israel-Gaza war in the last few days. On Wednesday morning, Israeli tanks and troops entered the complex. Israel has claimed Hamas has a command centre under the hospital in a network of tunnels. Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organisation by many Western governments, including the US, has denied this. The BBC’s bureau chief in Jerusalem, Jo Floto, describes the hospital and its importance.

This war is also, in a lesser way, playing out online. Two BBC journalists; Shaina Oppenheimer and Hesham Shawish, who monitor social media across the Middle East, describe the different kinds of posts people in Israel and in Arab nations might be seeing in their feeds.

And we discuss what tools social media companies use to try to combat controversial content on their platforms, with BBC global disinformation reporter Jack Goodman.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Maria Clara Montoya, Alex Rhodes and Julia Ross-Roy Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Miss Universe: Can beauty pageants ever be inclusive?

Miss Universe: Can beauty pageants ever be inclusive?

The Miss Universe pageant takes place on 18th November in El Salvador. Organisers have introduced new rules to make the contest more inclusive. Married women and mothers can compete for the first time. And the age rule has been abolished, allowing people over 28 to participate. This year’s line-up includes two married mothers, two transgender women and a plus-sized queen.

We hear from the pageant’s new owner, Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, as well as current candidates Miss Colombia (Camila Avella), Miss Nepal (Jane Garrett), and Miss Netherlands (Rikkie Kollé).

Despite its efforts to promote inclusivity, Miss Universe still faces criticism for being anti-feminist. Author Jessa Crispin explains.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenters: Hannah Gelbart and William Lee Adams Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Mora Morrison Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

How people smugglers are using social media in Pakistan

How people smugglers are using social media in Pakistan

A BBC investigation has found that people smugglers in Pakistan are using social media sites to advertise their services, despite a government crackdown on their operations. Reha Kansara from BBC Trending joins us to explain what she discovered.

Plus: TikTok is being banned in Nepal. A food influencer tells us how he feels about the ban.

Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenters: Hannah Gelbart with Reha Kansara Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden and Adam Chowdhury Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

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