BMX Freestyle is one of the events at the 2024 Urban Cycling World Championships which are being held in Abu Dhabi. It features fearless BMX riders jumping, spinning and hurling themselves around the course on a small bike, pulling off mind-blowing tricks that get you gasping. Think acrobatic gymnastics but on a bike.

What does it take to become a BMX rider though? Tom Clemens from Germany, who sits 18th in the BMX Freestyle world rankings, tells us how he became a professional BMX rider.

Plus, Olympic commentator and professional skateboarder Lucy Adams explains how BMX Freestyle riders compete, and how new ‘action’ sports like BMX are trying to grow their popularity.

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Even if you haven’t seen them in person, you might be familiar with images of the Northern Lights - dark skies with moving ribbons of green and purple. But what actually are they? And why do we seem to be seeing more of them in 2024?

BBC science presenter Caroline Steele answers loads of questions about the Northern Lights, like why are they different colours and when and where are the best times to see them? We also chat about the Southern Lights and ask why don’t people talk about them as much?

And 21 year old photographer Hugo Korhonen from Finland tell us what it’s like to see the Northern Lights in person and how you can take the best photos of them.

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A law passed earlier this year means TikTok will be banned in the US unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, before 19 January 2025. On Monday US President-elect Donald Trump met the company’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, and now people are questioning if he will try and stop this ban, and save the app.

Rhiannon Williams, a UK-based tech journalist, talks us through how Trump’s relationship to TikTok has changed over the years, including how he utilised it to target young people in the presidential election, and why some people are calling this a clever move politically.

Plus Natalie Jimenez, a BBC reporter based in New York, reviews Trump’s TikTok page for us and shares if it’s hot, or a flop.

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Since Syria’s civil war began, six million people have left the country and seven million more have been internally displaced. Now Bashar al-Assad’s regime has been overthrown by rebels, many refugees are wondering if they can return to their home. According to the UN, it’s the world’s largest refugee crisis.

BBC journalist, Lina Shaikhouni, explains what caused this crisis and we hear from three Syrian refugees in Germany, Lebanon and the UK.

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Gukesh Dommaraju — an 18-year-old from India — has become the youngest-ever world chess champion. That’s after beating defending champion Ding Liren, a 32-year-old from China.

Dommaraju comes from Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu. Saradha V, a BBC reporter in Chennai, explains how the city became India’s chess capital and how schools there are producing an impressive generation of young players.

Plus: Giovanni Sala, a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Liverpool, explains how the Internet is helping chess players master the game more quickly than players did decades ago. He also describes the benefits that chess has for young people.

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Game of Thrones. Twilight. Little Red Riding Hood. The wolf is an animal that appears more than most creatures across popular culture. They’re known for being fierce, dangerous and scary. Is this what they are like in real life though? Abby Keller, who works at the International Wolf Centre in the US, tells us everything we need to know about wolves.

For 45 years in Europe, grey wolves were under the second highest level of protection in European Union laws. This is called Annex Two and offered ‘strict protection’. This month though, EU conservation officials voted to downgrade them to Annex Three. It means they have gone from ‘strictly protected’ to just ‘protected’. From March next year, each EU nation will be able to set a yearly figure of how many wolves can legally be killed in their country.

The BBC’s Emilia Jansson explains the decision and what it means for the wolf population of the EU.

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The reasons women donate their eggs vary significantly. Some people say they feel a sense of pride knowing they may help other women conceive children. Others say they want to earn a bit of extra cash, since many clinics are willing to pay donors for their eggs.

Charlotte Edwards, BBC Business reporter, explains how the process of egg donation works — and how it differs by country.

Plus: Elaine Chong, an egg donor in the United Kingdom and BBC journalist, discusses how she wanted to help other women of Chinese descent expand their families. And Ebimoboere Ibinabo Dan-Asisahin, an egg donor in Nigeria, discusses the process and physical side effects she experienced.

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There’s nothing quite like going to see a new film in the cinema; the big screen, surround sound, buckets of popcorn and collective gasps from the audience. But the film industry has experienced a number of setbacks in recent years, including the pandemic, competition from streaming, and Hollywood strikes.

Annabel Rackham, a BBC culture reporter, talks us though whether cinema in the United States, and elsewhere, is bouncing back, and how mega hits like Wicked and Gladiator 2 are helping.

We also speak to Mr C, a film critic from Nigeria who now lives in the UK, about how cinema is faring in Nigeria. And Adam Chowdhury from the What in the World team quizzes Hannah on some (pretty surprising) film-related Guinness World Records.

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Brazil is known for it's top-tier football and stars like Vinicius Junior or Neymar. The enthusiasm for football has now a new layer, with millions of people turning to online betting when watching their national game.

Brazil is now considered the third-biggest market globally for sports betting, and authorities are trying to tackle this issue as lots of people are struggling with debt and gambling addictions, as we hear from Ian Alves, a BBC journalist in Sao Paulo.

And Reece Bush-Evans, member of the Gambling Research Group in the UK explains why gambling can be so addictive.

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues discussed in this episode please contact support organisations in your own country. Or, if you live in the UK, please check out bbc.co.uk/actionline.

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The world was stunned over the weekend as rebel forces in Syria captured the capital of Damascus, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to flee and ending the final chapter of his violent regime. Assad is reported to have fled to Russia whilst opposition forces now loot his empty palace and people celebrate on the streets.

But who are the Syrian rebels who toppled Assad’s rule? And why has it happened now after decades of the Assad family in charge.

Five BBC experts - Frank Gardner, Lyse Doucet, Lina Sinjab, Mina Al-Lami and Barry Marston - take us through the story.

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This audio was updated after publication and a name correction was made on the 17th December.