What in the World

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

When you think of Hyrox, you might remember 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).
In Hyrox, competitors alternate between running a kilometre and doing fitness exercises, like a sled push, burpee jumps, indoor rowing, and lunges while carrying a sandbag.
What happened in those viral photos 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 thinks this means for the world of sports more widely.
Also, the Olympics has a long history of 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 Wilde
The BBC's Hyrox athlete interview: bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6gr8l15k744o

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

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

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