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What in the World: Daily Summaries Delivered
by BBC World Service
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- Today13 min
Midterm elections: How the Democrats beat President Trump’s Republicans
Democrats in the US have won control of Congress in the midterm elections. They’ve done better than even the polls suggested - winning seats held by Republicans for decades. But what does that actually mean? BBC reporter and What in the World’s resident American, William Lee Adams, breaks down what the elections were for, what voters were most concerned about, what it means for President Trump and his Republican party as well as some of the notable firsts among the victors. And we’re hearing from young voters in some of the states that have changed parties this yearInstagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Emily Horler Editor: Verity Wilde
- Yesterday11 min
The ghost jobs haunting your job hunt
While job hunting have you ever spotted a job ad that never seems to go away? When you apply you don’t get a reply, let alone a rejection. You may have spotted a ghost! Or a ghost job.In fact, it’s happening so much ‘ghost jobs’ was on the shortlist for Collins dictionary word of the year (mogging won in the end).According to a study across the US, UK and Germany up to 22% of jobs posted online last year were listed with no intent to hire. We speak to BBC Business reporter, Megan Lawton about why some companies are choosing to post ‘ghost jobs’ and why some governments are trying to ban them.Plus, we hear from Sundus who is searching for work and we get some tips from Patricia, a career coach from Nyche careers.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mollie Perella and Emma-Louise Amanshia Video Producer: Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde
- 2 days ago12 min
Why is the new Call of Duty game getting backlash?
Modern Warfare 4 - the latest Call of Duty game - was already deemed controversial before its release. The main storyline depicts a fictional conflict in the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea invading the South. That’s upset many Koreans: More than one million people died in the real Korean War, and technically North Korea and South Korea remain at war because a peace deal was never signed. Loyal fans of the video game franchise were not put off by the controversial story line, as developers Activision have been inspired by real-life events in the past. But some fans discovered real footage from the Itaewon crowd crush, a tragedy completely unrelated to conflict, in the game. Victims’ families were horrified and complained. BBC Newsbeat’s Riyah Collins and Jake Kwon, the BBC’s correspondent in Seoul, explain how the game has been received. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: William Lee Adams and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde
- 5 days ago9 min
Hyrox could become an Olympic sport
When you think of Hyrox, you might remember of those viral pictures of an athlete pushing through the race even though diarrhoea was running down her legs.Her name is Joanna Wietrzyk - and in an exclusive interview with the BBC, she’s described the fallout after she won the competition. She and Hyrox have previously apologised. She’s spoken to the BBC now about the online hate she got after the race (we’ve put the link to that interview at the bottom for you). It catapulted the fitness craze into the spotlight - but now it’s making headlines again, because of its bid to become an Olympic sport. So how has Hyrox got so popular - and does it have a good chance of making it into the Olympics?BBC Health reporter and Hyrox athlete Annabel Rackham explains why Hyrox is taking off in a big way. BBC journalist Jacob Evans - who has also just done his first ever Hyrox - shares his experience, and explains some of the difficulties the sport could face in its Olympic bid. And sports journalist Emma Sunny tells us what she think this means for the world of sports more widely.Also — the Olympics has a long history — which including sports that you might not expect. We put Hannah to the test to see if she can guess which sports have made an appearance over the years.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates Editor: Verity WildeThe BBC's Hyrox athlete interview: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6gr8l15k744o
- 6 days ago11 min
Would you use an 'Etsy witch'?
Need good weather for your birthday? Want a date to go well? Maybe you’ve got exams coming up or want a promotion at work and need some good vibes. An 'Etsy witch' might be able to help… There are loads of online witches on platforms, like eBay and Etsy, offering spells to help us with everything from love to money. But do they actually work? And why has witchcraft become so popular online? Morgan from The Divine Eyes shop explains how she casts her spells, while we hear from people who’ve turned to online witches for help. Plus, William Lee Adams from the What in the World team explores the taboos surrounding witchcraft around the world.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler and Liv Cleal Video Producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde
- 1 weeks ago9 min
Why Kylian Mbappe has been cancelled in China
Kylian Mbappé - the French football superstar sometimes nicknamed a ‘Dictator’ online - has found himself at the centre of a scandal in China this week, after mentioning one of the memes made about him. It shows his face on the body of Mao Zedong, the former Chinese leader, and on a French talk show, when Mbappé describes it, he refers to Mao as a dictator.The backlash against Mbappé has been huge. He’s been dropped by major Chinese brands, shops have pulled football shirts with his name off the shelves, and the state broadcaster has even stopped showing La Liga matches. Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga - the Spanish league - have all apologised.So how did a joke about meme become so controversial in China - and what does it tell us about censorship in the country? Kerry Allen, the BBC’s China Media Analyst, talks us through it all - and we hear from the BBC Global China Unit’s Shawn Yuan, who explains how censorship in China is changing.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Chelsea Coates and William Lee Adams Editor: Verity Wilde
- 1 weeks ago13 min
What Bukangi the shark in South Korea tells us about climate change
For weeks, the city of Busan in South Korea has been playing host to an unexpected visitor. A Dusky shark nicknamed Bukangi. She swam into a canal in the city and simply won’t leave, despite efforts from experts to try to coax her back to the to the open sea. Those attempts to move her have been live-streamed and Bukangi has become something of a celeb in Busan. There’s merchandise of her, posters with her as a cartoon have been put up and she’s been made the city’s un-official mascot. Bukangi has helped boost visitors to the city - but what does she tell us about climate change? We hear from the BBC’s Jake Kwon, who’s in Busan, about the impact she’s had on the city, shark enthusiast @SarahShark tells us all about Dusky sharks and our climate reporter Esme Stallard explains why she might be there in the first place. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Mollie Perella Producers: Emma - Louise Amanshia and Benita Barden Editor: Verity Wilde
- 1 weeks ago8 min
How student protesters won against Serbia's Vučić
Snap elections in Serbia have resulted in the toppling of the long-term leader, Aleksandar Vučić, as protest movement ‘The Student List’ won a decisive victory over the weekend. Over the last two years, students have protested against the government after a concrete roof collapsed outside of a train station and 16 people were killed. Lots of people saw the disaster as a result of corruption and negligence in the country. We hear from people on the streets of Belgrade celebrating this new era. But how did this win come about? Who will lead the country? And what is next for Serbia? Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Emma-Louise Amanshia Producers: Emily Horler and Abigail Akerman Editor: Verity Wilde
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