Top Australian Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has apologised after soiling herself during a race in Beijing, saying she would withdraw from the event and forfeit the points she earned.

The company behind the fitness phenomenon has also apologised for allowing her to continue and win, amid criticism over hygiene and athlete welfare.

The incident has shone a spotlight on the rapidly growing fitness trend, which combines running with functional exercises including sled pushes, rowing, lunges and burpees. So why has Hyrox become so popular across Asia? And could the controversy dent its momentum? In this episode, host Mariko Oi speaks to Hyrox Pro Mens athlete Gabriel Heck, one of the fastest-rising names in the sport, and Rebecca Orme, a Singapore-based enthusiast, about how Hyrox became so big and how the Beijing incident shook up the sport. Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends. Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, just search Asia Specific.

Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk

Australia was the first country in the world to ban social media for under-16s. Now, it's taking aim at something even bigger: the algorithms that keep everyone hooked.

Under a new "My Feed, My Way" proposal, tech companies could be forced to let users switch off the personalised recommendation systems that decide what they see on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Supporters say it could reduce exposure to addictive, divisive content. Critics, including the platforms themselves, warn it could make apps far less useful, and put the burden of managing it back on parents.

This comes as Meta agreed to pay $18 billion over allegations it knowingly built addictive features to hook teenagers, as concerns about the power of big tech mount worldwide.

So is Australia getting ahead of a global problem — or creating a new one? And can an algorithm even really be switched off?

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by BBC Australia correspondent Katy Watson and Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies at Curtin University

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk

Australia is home to some of the world's most distinctive wildlife — nearly 90% of its mammals exist nowhere else on Earth. But Australia is also where a mammal extinction is happening at an alarming pace.

Species are disappearing at a rate of roughly four every decade, driven by feral predators, habitat destruction, and a changing climate. Feral cats alone kill an estimated three billion native animals and insects every year.

But it’s not all bleak. In Western Australia, conservationists have spent decades bringing the numbat, a small, striped marsupial found only in Australia, back from the brink, and it's just been reclassified as no longer endangered.

The bigger question is whether that success story can be repeated elsewhere, especially when government spending on conservation lags far behind what experts say is needed.

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi discusses the extinction crisis with BBC Senior Journalist Tiffanie Turnbull and Professor Euan Ritchie, Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at Deakin University.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people. Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, just search Asia Specific.

Get in touch: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk