We are at the One Young World Summit in Montréal with four young delegates from across the world. In a live panel, we put BBC correspondents' questions to them and ask, what would be different if they were in charge?
Global News Podcast - The Happy Pod: Kylie thanks fans who got her through cancer
Pop superstar Kylie Minogue tells us how the love and support of fans around the world helped her breast cancer recovery. Also: the penguin post office; making plastic from onion peel; and learning happiness from dogs.
CrowdScience - What’s the fairest voting system?
2024 is the biggest election year in history. From Taiwan to India, the USA to Ghana, by the end of the year almost half of the world’s population will have had the chance to choose who governs them. But there are a huge number of possible voting systems – and listener James wants CrowdScience to find out which is the fairest. To do so, we create a fictional country called CrowdLand to try out different electoral systems. Presenter Caroline Steel consults mathematician David McCune and political scientists Eric Linhart and Simon Hix, and we hear from listeners around the world about how they vote in their respective countries. Can we find the perfect voting system for CrowdLand? Contributors: Prof David McCune, William Jewell College, USA Prof Eric Linhart, University of Technology Chemnitz, Germany Prof Simon Hix, European University Institute, Italy Actors: Charlotte Bloomsbury Ross Virgo Presenter: Caroline Steel Producer: Florian Bohr Editor: Cathy Edwards Production Co-ordinator: Ishmael Soriano Studio Manager: Donald MacDonald
(Image: Hand of a person casting a vote into the ballot box during elections, Thailand Credit: boonchai wedmakawand via Getty Images)
Focus on Africa - Why Eritrea hosted leaders from Egypt and Somalia
The leaders of Egypt, Somalia and Eritrea, countries which all have strained relations with Ethiopia, have been meeting in the Eritrean capital, Asmara. Can Eritrea help de-escalete tension between its neighbours
Also an app that helps detect illnesses in people with black and brown skin
And the Ugandan bill, seeking to restore respect for the elderly!
Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: Rob Wilson, Yvette Twagiramariya and Victor Sylver in London. Technical Producer: Nick Randell Senior Journalist: Karnie Sharp Editors: Alice Muthengi and Andre Lombard
Unexpected Elements - The world’s longest treasure hunt
After 31 years, a mammoth treasure hunt consisting of solving eleven cryptic clues has finally concluded. A replica of the final prize – a golden owl – was dug up in France, leaving fellow treasure hunters both disappointed and relieved.
Inspired by this pursuit, the Unexpected Elements team unearth some of science’s hidden gems. From the potential resurrection of ancient healing tree balm to the world’s rarest stone, and even how cats could help solve crimes. The team are also joined by astrobiologist Nathalie Cabrol to speak about the potential treasures hiding on another moon in our solar system. Along the way, our panel have their own clues to crack as they take on a mini hunt of their own to find the location of a scientific golden nugget.
Plus, we solve the mystery of a moth which ended up 4000 miles from home, hear what our brains see when we can’t and talk about returning treasures to where they came from.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Panel: Chhavi Sachdev + Tristan Ahtone Producer: Julia Ravey Production team: Harrison Lewis, Jonathan Blackwell + Tom Taylor Studio Engineer: Gavin Wong
Science In Action - Nobel convergence
In the week the Nobel prizes for science are announced, Roland Pease takes a look at the stories behind the breakthroughs being recognized, and the themes that connect them. From the discovery of the tiny fragments of RNA that regulate our cells’ behaviour, via computer structures that resemble our brains, and harnessing those sorts of computers to design drugs and medicines, it has been one of the most interdisciplinary years for the prize panellists.
We hear from old students, recent colleagues, laureates and lab (and life) partners, including Rosalind “Candy” Lee and her husband Victor Ambros, of UMass Chan Medical School, US, Erika DeBenedictus of the Crick Institute, UK, and Dmitri Krotov of IBM Research.
Presented: Roland Pease Produced: Alex Mansfield Production co-ordinator: Andrew Rhys Lewis
(Photo: 3d rendering of RNA strands and lipid-based nanoparticles or liposome. Credit: Love Employee via Getty Images)
Focus on Africa - Zimbabwe in major land ownership shift
Zimbabwe announces a major shift in its land tenure. Black farmers will get titles for land seized from white farmers but can only sell to "indigenous Zimbabweans"
What's behind the rare flooding in the Sahara Desert?
And a community in Uganda with an unusually high number of blind people.
Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Nyasha Michelle, Rukia Bulle, Bella Hassan and Paul Bakibinga in London. Technical Producer: Francesca Dunne Editors Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi.
Focus on Africa - Zimbabwe in major land ownership shift
Zimbabwe announces a major shift in its land tenure. Black farmers will get titles for land seized from white farmers but can only sell to "indigenous Zimbabweans"
What's behind the rare flooding in the Sahara Desert?
And a community in Uganda with an unusually high number of blind people.
Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: Yvette Twagiramariya, Nyasha Michelle, Rukia Bulle, Bella Hassan and Paul Bakibinga in London. Technical Producer: Francesca Dunne Editors Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi.
Focus on Africa - Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast’s rocky relationship
Burkina Faso has allegedly withdrawn all its diplomats from Ivory Coast, worsening ties between the neighbours. The relationship has been rocky of late and earlier this year their ministers of defence held a meeting on the border, in a bid to bring about a "new start" in relations - but that meeting didn't seem to help. What's going on?
Also how important is it for African countries to have a permanant seat on the UN Security Council - and how will they be chosen?
And a story of hope in Malawi, after the country gets access to cancer treatment!
Presenter: Charles Gitinga Producers: Rob Wilson, Nour Abida and Victor Sylver in London. Technical Producer: Chris Kouzaris Senior Journalist: Karnie Sharp Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi
CrowdScience - Why don’t sunflowers fall over?
With huge heads on top of spindly stalks, how do sunflowers defy gravity to stay standing? That was a question sent to CrowdScience by listener Frank, whose curiosity was piqued by the towering sunflowers on his neighbour’s deck. They stay up not only when the weather is fine, but, even more impressively, during strong winds. Could this feat of strength, flexibility and balance inspire the construction of tall buildings?
It's a question that takes presenter Anand Jagatia to a sunflower festival in England, to see how the sunflower’s long evolutionary lineage has honed its structure. And from tall flowers to tall buildings, we turn to structural engineers, asking how these concepts factor into the design of the world’s tallest skyscrapers. Can ideas drawn from sunflowers or other natural structures help buildings withstand wind, or even storm surges?
Contributors: Stuart Beare, partner and grower at Tulley’s Farm Roland Ennos, Visiting Professor in Biological Studies, University of Hull Sigrid Adriaenssen, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University Koichi Takada, founder of Koichi Takada Architects
Presenter: Anand Jagatia Producer: Tom Bonnett Editor: Cathy Edwards Production Co-ordinator: Ishmael Soriano Studio Manager: Bob Nettles
(Image: Tall Sunflower blooming in a field, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Credit: Naomi Rahim via Getty Images)