<description>&lt;p&gt;The world’s most expensive banana has been sold at an auction for more than $6 million. It’s Maurizio Cattelan's 2019 work Comedian and it’s literally just a banana duct-taped to a wall.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The new owner bought the right to display the installation along with a guide on how to replace the fruit (it doesn’t stay fresh for long!).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But what makes it art? And why would someone eat a multi-million dollar banana?
 
BBC arts reporter Yasmin Rufo takes us through the story and helps us decide if us taping a banana to a wall in our studio counts as art.
 
We also hear from two people in the art world - artist Maddie Exton and critic Hakim Bishara - for their thoughts on this infamous banana. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Emily Horler, Hayley Clarke, Benita Barden and Mora Morrison.
Editor: Julia Ross-Roy&lt;/p&gt;</description>

A banana duct-taped to a wall sold for $6.2 million… it’s since been eaten

The world’s most expensive banana has been sold at an auction for more than $6 million. It’s Maurizio Cattelan's 2019 work Comedian and it’s literally just a banana duct-taped to a wall.The new owner bought the right to display the installation along with a guide on how to replace the fruit (it doesn’t stay fresh for long!).But what makes it art? And why would someone eat a multi-million dollar banana?
 
BBC arts reporter Yasmin Rufo takes us through the story and helps us decide if us taping a banana to a wall in our studio counts as art.
 
We also hear from two people in the art world - artist Maddie Exton and critic Hakim Bishara - for their thoughts on this infamous banana. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Emily Horler, Hayley Clarke, Benita Barden and Mora Morrison.
Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

Has the price of art gone bananas?

<description>&lt;p&gt;Intra-continental travel is huge, and borderless agreements between countries make trips easier. For instance, Europe has the Schengen Zone and South East Asia has ASEAN. But for Africa, it’s still a work in progress. The UN tourism boss Natalya Bayona says she wants to make borderless travel for tourism in Africa a reality within ten years. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Daniel Dadzie, from the BBC Focus on Africa podcast, explains the benefits it could bring and why it could be difficult to achieve. And Zubaida Abdel-Rahman, a Ghanaian travel blogger, tells us about her experiences.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In January 2024, the Kenyan government introduced a new system called Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). It doesn’t require African nationals to obtain visas to enter the country for tourism and business travel. We hear from BBC reporter in Nairobi, Jewel Kiriungi, about how it works. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Benita Barden
Video Journalist: Beatrice Guzzardi
Editor: Verity Wilde&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Helping you make sense of what’s happening in your world

Intra-continental travel is huge, and borderless agreements between countries make trips easier. For instance, Europe has the Schengen Zone and South East Asia has ASEAN. But for Africa, it’s still a work in progress. The UN tourism boss Natalya Bayona says she wants to make borderless travel for tourism in Africa a reality within ten years. Daniel Dadzie, from the BBC Focus on Africa podcast, explains the benefits it could bring and why it could be difficult to achieve. And Zubaida Abdel-Rahman, a Ghanaian travel blogger, tells us about her experiences.In January 2024, the Kenyan government introduced a new system called Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). It doesn’t require African nationals to obtain visas to enter the country for tourism and business travel. We hear from BBC reporter in Nairobi, Jewel Kiriungi, about how it works. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Julia Ross-Roy and Benita Barden
Video Journalist: Beatrice Guzzardi
Editor: Verity Wilde

Is borderless travel in Africa possible?

<description>&lt;p&gt;There has been intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah for over a year. More than 3,500 people have been killed in Lebanon, over a million people displaced, and many homes destroyed by Israeli airstrikes. Israel says 60,000 of its citizens will now be able to go back to their communities along its northern border, safe from Hezbollah rocket fire from Hezbollah.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, we speak to Carine Torbey, our BBC correspondent in Beirut, who explains the basics on Hezbollah, why it has been fighting Israel and what this ceasefire means.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We hear from other BBC correspondents on the ground in the region to get a sense of how the ceasefire deal is being received. And Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s International Editor explains what might happen to Hezbollah now - and whether a ceasefire in Gaza could be next. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Emily Horler and Hayley Clarke
Editor: Julia Ross-Roy&lt;/p&gt;</description>

There has been intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah for over a year

There has been intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah for over a year. More than 3,500 people have been killed in Lebanon, over a million people displaced, and many homes destroyed by Israeli airstrikes. Israel says 60,000 of its citizens will now be able to go back to their communities along its northern border, safe from Hezbollah rocket fire from Hezbollah.In this episode, we speak to Carine Torbey, our BBC correspondent in Beirut, who explains the basics on Hezbollah, why it has been fighting Israel and what this ceasefire means.We hear from other BBC correspondents on the ground in the region to get a sense of how the ceasefire deal is being received. And Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s International Editor explains what might happen to Hezbollah now - and whether a ceasefire in Gaza could be next. Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Emily Horler and Hayley Clarke
Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal explained

<description>&lt;p&gt;The town of Van Vieng in Laos is a popular stop for backpackers traveling through Southeast Asia. But after six tourists died earlier this month following suspected methanol poisoning, many tourists are re-thinking their itineraries and how they drink. We hear from some of them. 
 
Also: William from the What in the World team tells us about the victims in Laos and looks at alcohol poisoning around the world. And BBC Digital Health Editor Michelle Roberts explains how methanol affects the body and what symptoms people my experience after consuming it.
 
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden 
Editor: Rosanna La-Falce&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Six tourists in Van Vieng have died of suspected methanol poisoning

The town of Van Vieng in Laos is a popular stop for backpackers traveling through Southeast Asia. But after six tourists died earlier this month following suspected methanol poisoning, many tourists are re-thinking their itineraries and how they drink. We hear from some of them. 
 
Also: William from the What in the World team tells us about the victims in Laos and looks at alcohol poisoning around the world. And BBC Digital Health Editor Michelle Roberts explains how methanol affects the body and what symptoms people my experience after consuming it.
 
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: William Lee Adams, Benita Barden 
Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

Laos tourist deaths: How dangerous is fake alcohol?

<description>&lt;p&gt;The annual United Nations climate change conference ended on Sunday but not everybody was happy. This year, the main focus was on getting richer countries, who have contributed more to climate change, to pay poorer, developing countries so that they can better deal with the impacts of climate change.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;COP29 was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, and the talks were meant to end on Friday. The negotiations ran over into the weekend and a deal for $300 billion was finally agreed on Sunday at 3am.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;However, the African Group of Negotiators described the final pledge as "too little, too late" and India said that “the amount that is proposed to be mobilised is abysmally poor. It's a paltry sum.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;BBC climate reporter Georgina Rannard was in Baku and takes us through the final deal. Georgina also speaks with two climate activists who were campaigning at COP29.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Plus, Jordan Dunbar from the BBC’s Climate Question podcast gives us three success stories of how climate change is being tackled around the world.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Emily Horler and Adam Chowdhury
Editor: Rosanna La-Falce&lt;/p&gt;</description>

A $300 billion climate deal was made, but many think it’s not enough

The annual United Nations climate change conference ended on Sunday but not everybody was happy. This year, the main focus was on getting richer countries, who have contributed more to climate change, to pay poorer, developing countries so that they can better deal with the impacts of climate change.COP29 was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, and the talks were meant to end on Friday. The negotiations ran over into the weekend and a deal for $300 billion was finally agreed on Sunday at 3am.However, the African Group of Negotiators described the final pledge as "too little, too late" and India said that “the amount that is proposed to be mobilised is abysmally poor. It's a paltry sum.”BBC climate reporter Georgina Rannard was in Baku and takes us through the final deal. Georgina also speaks with two climate activists who were campaigning at COP29.Plus, Jordan Dunbar from the BBC’s Climate Question podcast gives us three success stories of how climate change is being tackled around the world.Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Emily Horler and Adam Chowdhury
Editor: Rosanna La-Falce

COP29 was all about the money

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