The Inquiry: Recent Episodes
BBC World Service
The House of Representatives has voted to make daylight saving time permanent in the United States. If the measure is approved by the Senate and becomes law, most Americans would no longer spring forward in March or fall back in November.
For more than a century, changing the clocks has been used to make better use of daylight, but the practice has long divided opinion. Supporters argue it boosts productivity and removes the disruption of changing the clocks twice a year. Critics warn that permanent daylight saving time could affect health and road safety as people face darker winter mornings.
Around the world, governments have taken different approaches. Some have scrapped seasonal clock changes altogether, while others continue to observe them. We examine why daylight saving time was introduced and whether the case for changing the clocks still stacks up today. Is daylight saving time working?
Contributors:David Prerau, author of Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving TimeJennifer Evans, professor of biomedical sciences at Marquette University, USTill Roenneberg, professor of chronobiology at the University of Munich, GermanyJoan Costa-Font, professor of health economics at the London School of Economics, UK
(Photo: The turquoise Art Deco clock tower with white clock hands of the Eastern Columbia Lofts in downtown Los Angeles. Credit: (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Matt Toulson Researcher: Evie Yabsley Technical producer: Cameron Ward Production co-ordiantor: Phoebe Lomas Production management assistant: Liam Morrey Editor: Tom Bigwood
New Zealand’s government is making big changes to its education system. The aim is to reverse declining student achievement and give more opportunities to disadvantaged children. The subjects of reading, writing, maths and science form the core of the new curriculum. But there are concerns particularly among the Indigenous community that the Māori language, culture and identity have not been considered as an integral part of the reforms. And that in the longer term, a lack of access to Indigenous teaching might have repercussions beyond the classroom, in wider society.
This is not just an issue for New Zealand. Decisions on heritage-based learning are of concern for Indigenous populations across the world. In Canada’s public school system, whilst courses in Indigenous knowledge are not mandatory, there are concerted efforts to include Indigenous perspectives in the curriculum. In the province of Ontario, children from kindergarten age up to the age of 15 to 16, learn about their Indigenous communities. However, it is not the same story everywhere, so is Indigenous education at risk?
To help answer this question are our panel of leading educators: Dr Mere Skerrett, associate professor, school of education, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand; Dame Elizabeth Rata, professor of education and social practice, University of Auckland, New Zealand; Dr Lindsay Morcom, professor and Canada Research Chair in language revitalisation and decolonising education, faculty of education, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada and Dr Liana MacDonald, associate professor of peace studies and co-director of The National Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Otago, New Zealand.
(Photo: Six children sitting on the floor of a classroom with their backs facing the camera listening to their teacher, Auckland, New Zealand. Credit: Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Evie Yabsley and Jill CollinsResearcher: Amelia CoxTechnical producer: Nathaniel Danter Production co-ordinator: Phoebe LomasProduction management assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
Extreme heatwaves are becoming more frequent across the globe, not only in countries used to cooler climates, but also in those already familiar with significantly hotter temperatures.
Intense heat can have an impact on the human body, from heat stroke to dehydration to skin damage. Economies can suffer as drought conditions impact farming communities. Built up urban areas can exacerbate the temperatures caused by heatwaves. And it can further expose already existing inequalities in society.
There is advice out there on how to protect ourselves. There are tried and tested models of sustainable farming. Some urban spaces are being redesigned to accommodate heat extremes, and some major cities are taking action to address the imbalances caused by extreme heat. But do they all go far enough Can we live with extreme heat?’
Joining us on the programme are Prof Ollie Jay, director of Heat and Health Research Centre, University of Sydney, Australia; Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, animal scientist, chairperson of the Council of the National University of Science & Technology, Zimbabwe; Winston Chow, co-chair, IPCC Working Group II, professor of urban climate, Singapore Management University and Diana Liverman, professor of geography, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.
(Photo: Two people walking with blue umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun in front of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. Credit: Tiziana Fab/Getty Images)
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: Amelia CoxTechnical producer: Cameron WardProduction co-ordinator: Phoebe LomasProduction management assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
Gold has been prized throughout history for its value and its beauty, which has also made it attractive to those prepared to exploit this precious metal for their own ends. The European Union recently banned the purchase, import and transfer of gold from Sudan, one of Africa’s largest gold producers, saying it had become a key source of financing for the country’s civil war.
And in other parts of the world where there are gold reserves, there can be similar exploitation. Many artisanal and small-scale miners are vulnerable to organised crime syndicates who find the risks of gold mining lower compared to those of drug trafficking.
And illicit gold is much easier to launder into the legal market, because it can be melted down with legitimate sources of gold and smuggled across borders, making its origins much harder to trace.
But the challenge for governments trying to enforce the law is how to protect those at the bottom of the chain and provide them with sustainable alternatives to illicit gold mining, whilst clamping down on the criminal groups behind the operation. So, can the illicit gold trade be stopped?’
This week, our panel includes Campbell Harvey, professor of finance, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA; Dr Dan Watson, research associate, International Institute for Strategic Studies, London, UK; Bram Ebus, consultant with International Crisis Group, founder and co-director Amazon Underworld, Bogotá, Colombia and Louis Maréchal, senior adviser on minerals and extractives, OECD, Paris, France.
(Photo: Gold nugget and gold coins. Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Jill CollinsResearcher: Amelia CoxTechnical producer: Cameron WardProduction co-ordinator: Phoebe LomasProduction management assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
Gene therapy has changed what is possible for people living with sickle cell disease. New treatments have shown that the condition can be successfully treated. But the therapy is costly and available to only a small number of patients.
Millions of people around the world still rely on early diagnosis and preventative medicines, with access to basic care remaining a challenge in many places, including sub-Saharan Africa, which has almost 80% of global sickle cell cases. Are we closer to gene therapy for sickle cell disease being accessible?
We speak to Dr Natasha Archer, director of the Sickle Cell Program at the Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, US; Dr Alexis Thompson, paediatric haematologist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a professor of paediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania, US; Dr Leon Tshilolo, professor of paediatrics and haematology at the University of Mbuji-Mayi, DR Congo and Prof Baba Inusa, consultant paediatrician in the School of Life Course & Population Sciences at King's College London, UK
(Photo: Cell lines are prepared in a laboratory in Maryland, US. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)
Presenter: Daniel RosneyProducer: Matt Toulson Researcher: Evie Yabsley Technical producer: Cameron WardProduction co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction management assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
Last year Kenya’s President William Ruto established a task force to investigate the escalating cases of gender-based violence including femicide. The task force travelled around the country gathering information and at the beginning of this year published its recommendations, which are now being debated in parliament. One of those recommendations is the legal recognition of femicide as a standalone crime.
UN Women, the United Nations agency which promotes the empowerment and rights of girls and women, have been working with grassroots organisations in Kenya on male engagement strategies, to change perceptions of the role of men and women. But the UN Women’s representative in Kenya, acknowledges that challenges remain.
In the meantime, women continue to march in protest and the country waits to see if President Ruto will implement the task force recommendations. So, is Kenya serious about ending femicide?
Contributors:Shyleen Momanyi, executive director, Young Women’s Leadership Institute, Nairobi, Kenya Dr Nancy Baraza, former deputy chief justice of the Republic of Kenya, senior law lecturer, University of Nairobi, chairperson of the technical working group on gender-based violence including femicide, KenyaConsuelo Corradi, professor of sociology, Lumsa University, Rome, ItalyAntonia Sodonon, UN Women country representative, Kenya
(Photo: Protesters attend a rally in Nairobi demanding an end to femicide. Three women at the forefront, one wears a white T-shirt with "End Femicide" at the front, the middle woman wears a red T-shirt and is shouting, and the third is holding a banner with the slogan "Stop Killing US". Credit: Daniel Irung/EPA-EFE/Rex/Shutterstock)
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Jill Collins Researcher: Evie Yabsley Technical producer: Toby James Production co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction management assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
Flesh-eating parasitic flies have been found in the US state of Texas for the first time in decades. Known as the New World Screwworm, officials have now put plans in place to try and contain its spread. The fly feeds off warm-blooded animals, like cattle, dogs and horses, but if detected early enough, with treatment, the animals can make a full recovery. It can also infest humans, but human deaths are rare and it poses no food safety issues.
The New World Screwworm is not a new problem; it is considered endemic in South America and some parts of Central America, towards South America. But despite the United States declaring itself screwworm free in the 1960s, the country has since seen several outbreaks. Officials have been tracking this latest case since late 2024.
To date, the most widely used method to try and control the spread of the screwworm is the Sterile Insect Technique, whereby millions of flies are hatched and exposed to radiation, before they are released into the wild. And the idea here is that as the females only mate once in a lifetime, any eggs they lay will be unfertilised and will not hatch. There is currently only one facility hatching these flies in operation and there are not enough sterile flies being produced. In addition, there is a concern over a lack of knowledge among new veterinary recruits on how to deal with a problem that many may be experiencing for the first time. So, can the New World Screwworm be stopped?
Contributors:Grace VanHoy, veterinarian and professor, UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, California, USA Thomas Rath, author and assistant professor, History Department, University College London, UKDr Phillip Kaufman, professor and head of department of entomology, Texas A&M University, chair of the Texas A&M AgriLife New World Screwworm Task Force, USARui Cardoso Pereira, head of insect pest control section, Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria.
(Photo: New World Screwworm poster. Credit: Joel Angel Juarez/Getty Images)
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: Amelia Cox Technical producer: Craig BoardmanProduction co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction management assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
This year, technology has more influence in officiating sports than ever before.
At the men's World Cup, the role of virtual assistant referee technology (VAR) has been extended to include two more on-pitch scenarios while in tennis, umpires use electric line calling systems (ELC) to make final decisions.
Both bits of kit aim to improve the accuracy. It’s become easier to consider match-defining moments through these tracking and review systems’ specialised cameras. But, this information takes human officials valuable time to analyse.
Football fans criticise VAR for this reason, saying it delays match momentum. Top ranking tennis players Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev have also complained as these systems are not yet infallible. If technology is as imperfect as a human referee or umpire and can interrupt the fan experience too, why do elite sports rely on it?
ContributorsCarlo de Marchis, independent adviser in sports and media technology in ItalyDr Otto Koblinger, former sports scientist, Munich Technical University, Germany and senior data manager, Saudi Pro LeagueProfessor Odilon Roble, sport philosopher and psychoanalyst, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), BrazilMatt Moore, associate dean, University of Kentucky’s college of social work, US.
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Evie YabsleyResearcher: Amelia CoxSound engineer: Nicky EdwardsProduction Co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: VAR check. Credit: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
A new directive strives to narrow the 11% hourly wage gap between men and women in the EU.
Around the world, the gender pay gap has been shrinking as women gain access to higher education and better employment opportunities. Though varied hours, industries and care responsibilities make this inequality a difficult problem to tackle with one universal policy.
Member states have just passed their deadline to implement measures that will hold employers to account for pay disparities in the workplace so will pay transparency solve the persistent gap?
Contributors:Emma Duchini, assistant professor of economics, University of Essex, UKMarianne Bertrand, professor of economics, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, USAdamnesh Bogale, head of gender, African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET), GhanaMarina Tverdostup, economist, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, Austria.
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Evie YabsleyResearcher: Amelia CoxSound engineer: Toby JamesProduction Co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: A woman typing)
In May 2026, the World Health Organization declared an Ebola outbreak in western Africa a public health emergency of international concern. Within days, hundreds of cases had been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo, raising fears that the virus could spread further across the region.
Ebola has been causing outbreaks for nearly 50 years, but despite advances in vaccines and treatments, the disease continues to return. But why is it so difficult to treat and contain?
Contributors:Syra Madad, infectious disease epidemiologist at the Harvard Belfer Centre, USHypolite Muhindo Mavoko, professor of tropical medicine at the University of Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of CongoAmanda Rojek, associate professor of health emergencies at the University of Oxford, UKJulienne Anoko, risk communication and community engagement officer at the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Kenya
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Amelia CoxTechnical producer: Nicky EdwardsProduction Co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Ebola awareness banner in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Credit: Glordy Murhabazi/Getty Images)
In 2001, Portugal decriminalised the possession and use of all illicit drugs. It was a move designed to mitigate the country’s public health crisis, which at the time meant Portugal had one of the worst rates of overdose deaths in Europe, as well as the highest rate of HIV among drug users. Whilst drugs remained illegal, users did not receive a criminal record but were instead referred to rehabilitation and treatment programmes. It was an approach that proved so successful, that it has remained in place for a quarter of a century.
But just over 10 years after its introduction, Portugal’s drugs policy started to come under strain as the country’s economic crisis and subsequent austerity measures led to budget cuts for drug services. More recently the rising cost of living has diverted people’s attention from investment in this field. On top of this, the trafficking of cocaine and newer substances into the country along with changing demographics is putting decriminalisation under strain.
Contributors:Joana Teixeira, President of the Board of Directors, Institute for Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (ICAD), Lisbon, PortugalLuís Mendão, Director General, Grupo de Ativistas em Tratamentos (GAT), Lisbon, PortugalAntónio Leitão da Silva, Chief of Police, Braga, PortugalKeith Humphreys, Esther Ting Memorial professor of psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, California, USA.
Presenter: David Baker Producer: Jill CollinsTechnical Producer: Toby James Production Co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Discarded syringes and drug paraphernalia. Credit: Andy Buchanan/AFP)
At the beginning of this year Bulgaria, considered as one of the poorest countries in the European Union, became the latest to officially join the eurozone. Bulgaria’s legal tender since 1881 had been the lev, but since the mid-1990s it had been pegged to other European currencies, first to the German deutschmark and now to the euro. But it remains to be seen if the country’s economic policy can take advantage of the opportunities that joining the single currency can afford, in terms of trade and economic development.
Monetary unions are not a new concept, some like the Scandinavian monetary union date back to the 19th Century, involving Denmark, Sweden and Norway. It established a fixed exchange rate system based on the gold standard, whilst member countries still had their own currencies before it was gradually dissolved from the outbreak of World War One onwards.
Today, the biggest monetary union is the eurozone, used by around 358 million people across 21 European Union countries. It has one monetary authority for all the members and a standardised currency and coinage.
And now the Economic Community of West African States, known as Ecowas is actively planning a monetary union with a common currency called the eco and pegged to the euro. The ambition is for greater economic sovereignty and regional economic integration.
But with the US dollar as the world’s dominant global reserve currency, even though it is not part of a global monetary union, is there an argument for one currency across all borders and if so, what should it be?
Contributors:Assoc Prof Ralitsa Simeonova-Ganeva, Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski, Bulgaria Prof Barry Eichengreen, University of California, Berkeley, USAProf Mohamed Ben Omar Ndiaye, Cheikh Anta Diop University, SenegalDr Judy Shelton, Senior Fellow, The Independent Institute, California, USA
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducers: Daniel Rosney and Jill Collins Researcher: Evie YabsleySound engineer: Toby JamesProduction Co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Euro and US dollar banknotes)
The Himalayan glaciers are melting more rapidly as global temperatures rise, raising concerns about the future of ecosystems and communities across the Himalayan mountain range. Glaciers store more than two thirds of the world’s freshwater and help regulate global temperatures by reflecting the sun’s rays.
Across South Asia, melting ice is contributing to the formation of unstable glacial lakes and increasing the risks of floods, droughts and avalanches. The Himalayas are a vital source of water for millions of people, supporting agriculture, energy production and livelihoods from tourism.
Experts warn that continued glacier loss could have significant consequences for people living in the region and the mountainous ecosystem, but what can be done to respond to these changes?
Contributors: Pasang Yangjee Sherpa, assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, CanadaPam Pearson, director and founder of the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, USMatthias Huss, glaciologist and senior scientist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, SwitzerlandAlton Byers, faculty research scientist at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado, US
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Matt Toulson Researchers: Evie Yabsley and Amelia CoxTechnical Producer: Mitch GoodallProduction Co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Trekkers walk to Everest Base Camp in Nepal. Credit: Kriangkrai Thitimakorn/Getty Images)
The recent election result in Hungary has been seen as a welcome relief within the European Union.
The bloc of 27 nations has, at times, felt frustrated with the country for blocking what the other 26 members have agreed to do, especially regarding financial support for Ukraine.
Now the EU has been able to push through a loan to Ukraine of more than US$100bn, and some observers believe the union’s turbulent years are behind it.
As it marks 10 years since the United Kingdom voted to leave, and with Montenegro expected to soon join, this week, what is the future of the European Union?’
Contributors:Dr Monika Sus, professor at the Polish Academy of Sciences and at the Robert Schuman Centre of the European University Institute in Florence, ItalyMichael Geary, professor of European history at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NorwayCatherine E. de Vries, author How Europe Survives: The Adaptability and Resilience of a Continent in Peril, vice dean of the school for politics, economics and global affairs at IE University of Madrid, SpainDr Andi Hoxhaj, lecturer in law and director of the European law and LLM programme at King's College, London, UK
Presenter: Daniel RosneyProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: Evie YabsleyTechnical Producer: James BradshawProduction Co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: European Union flags. Credit: Reuters)
Global oil markets have been affected by the US Israel war with Iran, leading to higher jet fuel prices and increased attention on supply risks.
But how serious is the situation? While some experts point to tightening supply chains and regional bottlenecks, others say there is no clear evidence so far of immediate shortages.
Even so, the refining and distribution of jet fuel remains a potential vulnerability, as disruption can have notable impacts even when crude oil itself is available. With air travel crucial to trade and tourism, the resilience of fuel supply is a growing concern for economies and travellers. Can alternative suppliers and fuel sources help limit the impact of future disruption?
Contributors: Zach Aman, professor of chemical engineering, the University of Western Australia Ahmed Mehdi, senior fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and managing director at Renaissance Energy Advisors, UKDumebi Oluwole, lead economist at Stears, NigeriaLi Qiao, professor of aeronautics and astronautics, Purdue University, US
Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Evie YabsleyTechnical Producer: Mitch GoodallProduction Co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Airline worker attaching fuel pipe to plane to refuel. Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The recent Nasa Artemis II crewed mission to the far side of the Moon is a further step towards a long-term return to the lunar surface and future missions to Mars. The plan is that before the end of the decade there will be a crewed landing and the start of a Moon base. China is among those developing similar plans. Previous missions both crewed and uncrewed have provided evidence of resources that potentially could be of use here on Earth, and support human life on the Moon.
So, it’s not just the race to the Moon that’s capturing the world’s attention, but also the possible economic benefits that that might bring with it. The Moon’s surface or lunar regolith contains volatiles like hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane. There is evidence of minerals such as silicate and oxides and metals like aluminium and titanium, which could be extracted for building materials. And something that is rare on Earth, Helium-3, a potential resource for clean fusion energy. Governments in conjunction with private corporations are already working on the technology to extract these resources.
Concerns have been raised about the potential damage to the Moon, not only in terms of the depletion of its resources, but in terms of its scientific value and its cultural heritage. Protection ranges from established treaties that prohibit ownership of the moon, to national laws that permit resource extraction. But to date, there is no universally accepted international law in place, which explicitly permits or prohibits lunar mining.
So, this week on the Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Should we mine the Moon?’
Contributors:Dr Dylan Mikesell, principal geophysicist, NGI-The Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo, Norway Dr Justin Holcomb, assistant research professor, Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas, USAProf Dr Thomas Zurbuchen, director of ETH Space, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich, SwitzerlandDr Tanja Masson-Zwaan, assistant professor and deputy director, International Institute of Air and Space Law, Leiden University, The Netherlands
Presenter: William CrawleyProducer: Jill Collins Researcher: Evie YabsleySound engineer: Nicky EdwardsProduction Co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: The Moon. Credit: Reuters)
Conflict in the Middle East has led to volatility in global oil prices, pushing up fuel costs worldwide. Previous oil shocks prompted some countries to reconsider their reliance on cars, investing in alternatives such as cycling. In some places, this has become part of everyday life, while elsewhere it has proved more contested, reflecting wider political and cultural divides.
Cycling offers benefits for health and the environment, but it is not practical for everyone. For many people, including those in rural areas or with limited mobility, cars remain everyday essentials.
As oil price volatility continues to affect motorists, questions remain about how far behaviour can change.
With contributions from Meredith Glaser, CEO of Urban Cycling Institution, professor of cycling at Ghent University, Belgium, and a senior lecturer at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Levke Sönksen, research associate at the German Institute of Urban Affairs, Germany; Dr Eunhye Enki Yoo, professor of Geography at the University of Buffalo, US and Martin Tillman, independent transport consultant, UAE.
Presenter: Gary O’DonoghueProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Evie YabsleySound engineer: Richard HannafordProduction Co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Cyclists ride bicycles in Amsterdam. Credit: George Clerk/Getty Images)
Broadcasters from The Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Spain and Slovenia are all boycotting May’s Eurovision Song Contest because Israel is participating.
Sources within Israel’s broadcaster say calls for it to be banned are unjustified, and organisers of the contest insist it must remain politically neutral, describing the event as "a platform for displaying the importance of peace and unity in a divided world".
The boycott has sparked one of the biggest crises in Eurovision’s 70-year history. In several cases, the position to withdraw also reflects wider pressure from politicians and public opinion. How will countries boycotting Eurovision affect the contest?’
Contributors:Natalija Gorščak, president of the management board of RTV, SloveniaDr Bárbara Barreiro León, lecturer in film and visual Culture, University of Aberdeen, UKDr Heather Dichter, associate professor of sport history and sport management, De Montfort University, UKDr Dean Vuletic, author Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest, Luxembourg
Presenter/Producer: Daniel RosneySound Engineer: James BradshawProduction Co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Eurovision flags. Credit: Georg Hochmuth/Getty Images)
For the second time in 12 years Glasgow is preparing to host the Commonwealth Games after Australia’s Victoria state pulled out because of increased costs. Victoria’s withdrawal raised questions about whether the 2026 games would go ahead before Glasgow agreed to step in.
Staging a sporting mega-event is expensive and governments face increasing scrutiny over public spending. Victoria’s decision raised wider questions about affordability for potential hosts. At the same time, critics question the Games’ political relevance, given its origins in Britain’s colonial past.
The Commonwealth Games Federation says the event can be delivered in a more sustainable way and argues that it brings cultural and economic benefits to host cities, but recent editions have run into significant costs and budget pressures.
Our contributors this week are Dr Stuart Whigham, senior lecturer in sport, coaching and physical education at Oxford Brookes University, UK; Dr Matthew McDowell, lecturer in sport policy, management, and international development at the University of Edinburgh, UK; Dr Verity Postlethwaite, lecturer in strategic event management at Loughborough University, UK and Professor Gayle McPherson, associate dean for research at the University of the West of Scotland, and director of legacy and community engagement for Commonwealth Games Scotland, UK.
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Matt ToulsonTechnical Producer: Craig BoardmanResearcher: Evie Yabsley Production Co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medals. Credit: Adrian Dennis/Getty Images)
Ireland has a new permanent government scheme providing regular cash transfers to 2,000 artists. The people who can access it range from circus performers to opera singers.
It follows a pilot of more than three years, which is believed to have brought a return on investment to the economy.
Big tech backs basic income schemes like this to offset the consequences AI is having on the workforce. Leading economists believe it could create a dystopian world. Nevertheless, more governments are piloting or planning to introduce schemes like this.
Contributors: Dr Jenny Dagg, assistant lecturer, Maynooth University, IrelandDr Catarina Neves, postdoctoral fellow, Utrecht University, The Netherlands Daron Acemoglu, 2024 Nobel Prize winner in economics, institute professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USDr Jurgen De Wispelaere, acting chair of the Basic Income Earth Network.
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Daniel RosneySound engineer: Craig BoardmanResearcher: Evie Yabsley Production Co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: A customer withdraws euro bills from an ATM in Sofia. Credit: Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Cuba is facing one of its most severe humanitarian crises in decades.
For years, Cuba relied heavily on oil from Venezuela. Those supplies have largely stopped, contributing to widespread fuel shortages. Electricity blackouts have become increasingly common, disrupting daily life across the country.
The United States has blocked fuel shipments to Cuba as part of wider pressure linked to its economic and political policies. Meanwhile, the Cuban government has warned it will resist any external interference in its domestic affairs.
This weeks panel includes Lillian Guerra, professor of Cuban and Caribbean history at the University of Florida, US; Ricardo Torres, research fellow at American University, US; Christopher Sabatini, senior research fellow for Latin America at Chatham House, UK and Renata Segura, programme director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Crisis Group, US.
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Matt ToulsonSound engineer: Cameron Ward Researcher: Evie Yabsley Production Co-ordiantor: Phoebe LomasProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Havana, the capital of Cuba, during a blackout in March 2026. Credit: Yamil Lage/Getty Images)
Rewilding, or letting nature take care of itself, can restore stability to damaged ecosystem components which support life on earth, like fungi, bacteria, vegetation, insects and animals.
But there's now a wider discussion to discover what it’s capable of on a wider scale.
International agreements for reducing the impact of climate change tend to set global targets.
However, individual governments decide how to work towards meeting those goals at a national level.
Some rewilding initiatives improve biodiversity, but it can have negative impacts too.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘How can rewilding help combat climate change?’
Contributors: Carolina Soto-Navarro, head of Wilder Nature at Rewilding EuropeBrendan Fisher, professor in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, at University of Vermont, USDavid Nogues Bravo, professor in biodiversity, University of Copenhagen, Denmark Steve Carver, professor of rewilding and wilderness science, University of Leeds, UK
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producers: Jill Collins and Daniel Rosney Researcher: Evie YabsleyEditor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Cameron WardProduction Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: Galapagos giant tortoise. Credit: Anadolu/Getty Images)
In February, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted a social media video celebrating new figures from the International Monetary Fund suggesting that the average person in Poland now has slightly more spending power than the average person in Spain, the European Union’s fourth largest economy.
It’s a symbolic milestone for a country that emerged from communism just over three decades ago and once struggled with hyperinflation and economic upheaval. In 2025, Poland’s economy also passed the trillion-dollar mark, putting it in an elite group of just 20 countries globally.
Investment from across the EU has helped drive growth. But can Poland keep its edge as labour shortages grow and the war in neighbouring Ukraine continues to shape the region?
This week on The Inquiry, Tanya Beckett asks: Why is Poland’s economy booming?
Contributors:Dr Pawel Bukowski, lecturer in economics at University College London and Polish Academy of Sciences, UKIga Magda, associate professor at the Warsaw School of Economics, PolandKatarzyna Rzentarzewska, chief CEE macro economist at Erste Group Bank AG, AustriaRafal Benecki, chief economist at ING, Poland
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Evie YabsleyEditor: Tom BigwoodTechnical Producer: Cameron WardProduction Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: A high street in Warsaw. Credit: NurPhoto/Getty Images)
Half a million people are in Spain without official permission.
They come mainly from Colombia, Peru, Honduras, Paraguay, and Argentina. It’s thought that most outstay their work, student, or tourist visas.
An amnesty to grant them legal status to remain and work is due to start within weeks.
It's a very different approach from most other countries in Europe that have been tightening controls on migration.
The prime minister has admitted “Some say we've gone too far, that we're going against the current”.
Opposition parties argue that this policy puts pressure on public services.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: “How will Spain’s migrant amnesty work?”
Contributors:Ismael Gálvez Iniesta, assistant professor, department of applied economics, Universitat de les Illes Balears, SpainDonna Cabrera, independent researcher, international migration lecturer, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, ColombiaAlana Moceri, international relations professor, IE University, SpainJoan Monràs, economics professor, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Daniel RosneyResearcher: Evie YabsleyEditor: Tom BigwoodTechnical Producer: James BradshawProduction Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: Pedro Sánchez the Prime Minister of Spain. Credit: NurPhoto/Getty Images)
Control of critical minerals is becoming a source of geopolitical tension. They are essential to modern technology and industries around the world, and China currently dominates the mining and processing industry.
As demand grows, governments in the United States and elsewhere are looking at ways to reduce their reliance on Chinese supply chains. That means investing in new mines and processing facilities even though they are expensive and environmentally toxic.
Ultimately, the US and EU have a goal of diversifying the control of these lucrative elements.
This week on The Inquiry, Tanya Beckett explores whether the rest of the world can catch up with China in the race for rare earths.
Contributors:Julie Michelle Klinger, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USSophia Kalanzakos, global distinguished professor of environmental studies and public policy in the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayan scholars programme at NYU Abu Dhabi, UAEKalim Siddiqui, international economist, UKDr Patrick Schröder, senior research fellow in the Environment and Society Centre at Chatham House, UK
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Evie Yabsley Editor: Tom BigwoodTechnical Producer: Richard Hannaford Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: Trucks transporting minded materials. Credit: Las Vegas Review-Journal/Getty Images)
The 2026 men’s football World Cup will be the biggest ever staged. For the first time, 48 teams will compete, playing more than 100 matches across North America.
But the expanded scale comes at a cost. Ticket prices are far higher than at the last World Cup in Qatar. With matches also spread across the US, Mexico and Canada, attending the tournament is becoming unaffordable for many global fans.
FIFA says higher revenues will be reinvested to grow the game worldwide and has released some lower-priced tickets for dedicated supporters, but some fan groups say this isn’t going far enough.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: Is the 2026 World Cup an own goal?
Contributors:Dr Christina Philippou, associate professor in sport finance at the University of Portsmouth, UKDr Victor Matheson, professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, USDr Johan Rewilak, associate professor of sport management at Loughborough University, UKMiguel Delaney, chief football writer, The Independent newspaper in the UK
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Evie YabsleyEditor: Tom BigwoodTechnical Producer: Cameron WardProduction Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed during the FIFA World Cup 2026. Credit: Pool/Getty Images)
Chennai, São Paulo, Mexico City, Tehran, Cape Town - these cities have all faced the threat of a ‘Zero Day’, or, having no fresh water left in their taps.
The UN says we’re entering a ‘water bankruptcy’ era, meaning our water ‘current accounts’ are running empty, while our ‘savings accounts’ - the long term stores of water deep underground - have been depleted, with some beyond repair.
So how did we get here?
From clearing forests for cattle grazing, to thirsty AI data centres, Rajan Datar examines the pressures on our global water supply and looks for solutions.
Contributors:Jayshree Vencatesan, Co-founder, Care Earth Trust, IndiaAugusto Getirana, research scientist at NASA's Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, USAProf Bridget Scanlon, Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas, USA Dr Jie-Sheng Tan Soo, Director, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, National University of Singapore
Presenter: Rajan DatarProducer: Phoebe KeaneResearcher: Evie YabsleyEditor: Richard Fenton-SmithTechnical Producer: Cameron WardProduction Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
(Photo: Indian women with empty plastic pots protest as they demand drinking water. Credit: Arun Sankar/Getty Images)
Bangladesh will hold a national election in February, after years of political turmoil and the ousting of long-time leader Sheikh Hasina. Her rule of more than a decade delivered strong economic growth but was also accompanied by tighter political control and repeated confrontations with protesters.
Sheikh Hasina’s party, the Awami League, has been banned. This has brought renewed focus on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s leader Tarique Rahman, who is the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, as well as several emerging challengers.
Following years of unrest, the vote is seen as a test of whether Bangladesh can move towards political stability.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: What does the national election mean for the future of Bangladesh?
Contributors:Shaheen Mamun, Executive Director of the Jargoron Foundation, London, UKZia Chowdhury, journalist, Dhaka, Bangladesh Rounaq Jahan, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue, Dhaka, Bangladesh Constantino Xavier, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, New Delhi, India
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Evie Yabsley Editor: Tom BigwoodTechnical Producer: Cameron WardProduction Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
This programme has been updated since the original broadcast.
(Photo: A woman casting her ballot during the 2024 national election in Bangladesh. Credit: Ahmed Salahuddin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Boosting, swiping or the five finger discount - many countries around the world are seeing a rise in retail theft.
From Japan to the UK, the USA to Germany, retailers are struggling to tackle shoplifting - but the factors fueling this trend are as varied as the people carrying out these crimes. Poverty, opportunism, thrill-seeking - and technology - are some of the factors experts say are to blame. But a more costly problem is the rise in organised crime, as gangs of thieves strategically target shops and steal to order, turn to online marketplaces to anonymously sell on stolen goods for big profits.
Charmaine Cozier reveals how the justice system and surveillance technology are being used to combat this rising crime wave, as The Inquiry asks what’s behind the rise in shoplifting?
Contributors: Dr Nicole Bögelein, sociologist at the University of Cologne, GermanyAssistant Chief Constable Alex Goss, national lead for retail crime at the UK National Police Chiefs Council Tony Sheppard. Vice President of Retail Risk Solutions at Think LP, USAKhris Hamlin, Retail Industry Leaders Association in the USA
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Phoebe KeaneResearcher: Evie YabsleyEditor: Richard Fenton-SmithTechnical Producer: Cameron WardProduction Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
(Photo: A warning sign in Canada. Credit: NurPhoto/Getty Images)
Iran has been shaken by protests on a scale not seen since its 1979 revolution.
Demonstrations that began in the country’s capital over the state of the economy have spread to multiple cities, with wider calls for political change.
The government has called the demonstrations "riots" backed by the nation’s enemies.
Thousands have been killed.
For some, the scenes bring back memories of the uprising that toppled the monarchy more than four decades ago.
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last monarch, has emerged as a figure that could challenge the existing order.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Is history repeating itself in Iran?’
Contributors:Naghmeh Sohrabi, modern Middle East historian, director for research at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University, United StatesAzadeh Kian, author of ‘Rethinking Gender, Ethnicity and Religion in Iran’, emerita professor of sociology and gender studies at the University of Paris Cité, FranceSara Bazoobandi, non-resident research fellow at the Institute for Security Policy of Kiel University, GermanySiavash Ardalan, BBC Persia senior reporter, United Kingdom
Presenter: Daniel RosneyProducer: Megan LawtonTechnical producer: James BradshawEditor: Tom BigwoodProduction Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: Car on fire on a street in Iran. Credit: WANA/Reuters/BBC Images)
In February 2026, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty bilateral between Russia and the United States is set to expire. The aim of the New START agreement was to reduce and limit the number of strategic nuclear warheads, but once this treaty comes to an end it means there will no longer be rules on the cap of these nuclear weapons. The legal provisions in the treaty for a one-time five-year extension, were used in 2021.
The multilateral Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is still in place, to which 190 countries are signatories. The general idea behind the NPT was for nuclear countries to reduce their stockpiles of nuclear weapons, with the goal of complete disarmament. Whilst those countries without nuclear weapons would commit to not pursuing them. In 1995 the members agreed to extend the treaty indefinitely, but it is not without its challenges. Four nuclear powers sit outside the NPT and there are rifts between the non-nuclear and nuclear states.
So, on The Inquiry this week we’re asking, ‘Is nuclear disarmament set to self-destruct?’
Contributors: Hermann Wentker, Professor of Modern History, University of Potsdam and Head of Berlin Research Department, The Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History, GermanyAlexandra Bell, President and CEO, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, USA Mike Albertson, arms-control expert, former negotiator on New START arms reduction treaty, USA Nathalie Tocci, Professor of Practice, Johns Hopkins SAIS (School of Advanced International Studies), Italy
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: Evie YabsleyProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyTechnical Producer: Richard HannafordEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Deck of the nuclear submarine Saphir. Credit: Alexis Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
Kenya is facing rising public discontent over allegations of political corruption, economic stagnation and a shortage of good quality jobs, particularly for the country’s Gen Z.
One of the government’s flagship responses is an ambitious push into digital outsourcing. It argues that call centres, coding work and other IT-enabled services can position the country as a global hub and generate a million new jobs within five years.
The model has worked before in countries such as India and the Philippines, but the global landscape is shifting. Advances in artificial intelligence are already transforming the very roles Kenya hopes to attract, raising questions about whether this strategy can deliver long-term employment at scale.
Tanya Beckett asks whether Kenya’s vision for digital outsourcing can provide stability and opportunity for the country.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: Can Kenya answer the call for employment?
ContributorsJoy Kiiru, senior lecturer at the Department of Economics and Development Studies at the University of Nairobi, Kenya
Marcus Larsen, professor at the Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, Denmark
Deepa Mani, faculty member and deputy Dean for academic programmes at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, India
Boaz Munga, research consultant at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, Nairobi, Kenya
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Evie YabsleyEditor: Tom BigwoodTechnical Producer: Craig BoardmanProduction Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
(Photo: President of Kenya William Ruto. Credit: Luis Tato/Getty Images)
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shattered records, becoming the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, redefining what’s possible and confirming a new era in the business of touring.
As streaming transformed how we listen to music, selling records is no longer the financial centrepiece it once was for artists. Instead, exclusivity has been transferred to the live experience. But staging shows on this scale requires enormous investment and complex production. At the same time, ticket scarcity fuels extraordinary demand and rising prices, which mean big ticket prices.
Tanya Beckett explores how technology, fandom and economics turn modern concert tours into multi-billion-dollar ventures.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: How did music megatours become such a money spinner?
Contributors
Kevin Kim, Head of Asia at music distribution company Route Note, Seoul, South Korea
Serona Elton, professor at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, United States
Adam Behr, Reader and Head of Music at Newcastle University, United Kingdom
Poppy Reid, music journalist and founder of Curious Media, Sydney, Australia
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducers: Maeve Schaffer and Matt ToulsonResearcher: Evie YabsleyProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyTechnical Producer: Craig BoardmanEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Taylor Swift during The Eras Tour. Credit: Erika Goldring/TAS24/Getty Images)
Christmas is a time of year when many families and friends come together for a period of joy, peace and goodwill.
The story of the birth of Jesus Christ has been translated into thousands of languages over thousands of years.
And while you may hear it differently, the message is the same.
From carols to conversations, Christmas reminds us how united we can be. But there’s still one thing that sets us apart and prevents us from truly understanding one another - language.
Esperanto, created in the late 1800s, was the most ambitious direct attempt at creating a singular way of speaking.
Its struggle to spread beyond a committed community shows us how deeply languages are tied to identity, power and history.
This week on The Inquiry we’re asking: Will there ever be a single global language?
Contributors:Esther Schor, author Bridge of Words: Esperanto and the Dream of Universal Language, professor of English at Princeton University, United States Patrick Foote, author Immigrant Tongues: Exploring How Languages Moved, Evolved, and Defined Us, YouTuber, United KingdomSalikoko Mufwene, professor of linguistics at the University of Chicago, United StatesCeleste Rodriguez-Louro, associate professor, chair of linguistics, director of language lab at the University of Western Australia
Presenter and Producer: Daniel RosneyResearcher: Evie YabsleyProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyTechnical Producer: James BradshawEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Earth. Credit: Planet Observer/Getty Images)
In November gunmen seized more than 300 pupils and a dozen teachers from a Catholic school in northern Nigeria. While authorities have rescued around 100 children, many remain missing.
Kidnapping has become a recurring reality in many parts of the country, and in late 2025 President Bola Tinubu declared the crisis a national security emergency. He pledged to boost security in remote areas, but rights groups say the true scale of abductions is hidden by widespread underreporting.
The sheer number of kidnappings has also drawn international attention. The United States President has spoken of sending troops to assist, and France’s President Emmanuel Macron has offered broader help to tackle insecurity.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: How can Nigeria stop its kidnap crisis?
Contributors
Dr Kachi Madreke, politics and international relations scholar, University of Aberdeen, UK
Dr Jumo Ayandele, clinical assistant professor at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs, US
James Barnett, non-resident research fellow at the Centre on Armed Groups
Dengiyefa Angalapu, research analyst at the Centre for Democracy and Development in Abuja, Nigeria
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Evie Yabsley Editor: Tom BigwoodTechnical Producer: James Bradshaw Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
(Photo: Nigeria demonstration about student kidnapping. Credit: Kola Sulamon/Getty Images)
Changing tastes, climatic conditions, health warnings, economic factors are all creating a perfect storm for the global wine industry. The origins of wine-making date back to around 9,000 years ago, when it was a drink mostly associated with elite society. Since then, it has had a long association with major occasions like weddings and funerals, as the beverage of choice. And it has been integral to different forms of worship and spirituality. Up until the 20th Century it was even considered a healthy tipple.
But demand for wine has been steadily declining across the globe. In France, home to some of the world’s most famous brands, the government has now had to step in to support the producers and their vineyards. And there is increasing competition everywhere from both the beer and spirits industry, who are marketing more alcohol-free or low-alcohol options. Is it last orders for the wine industry?
We speak to four key experts: Jane Anson, author, wine critic, Bordeaux, France; Roderick Phillips, author, professor of History, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada; Stefano Castriota, author, professor of Economics, University of Pisa, Italy; Peter McAtamney, founder of Wine Business Solutions, New South Wales, Australia.
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: Evie YabsleyProduction management assistant: Liam MorreySound engineer: Mark BurrowsEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: A bunch of grapes. Credit: Gabriel Bouys/AFP)
On 10 December 2025, Australia will become the first country in the world to ban under-16s from using social media apps. Children will have their accounts deactivated on most platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, X, and Facebook.
Critics say the ban could push children to unregulated platforms, but prime minister Anthony Albanese argues the new law is to safeguard vulnerable members of society. World leaders are watching with interest.
Politicians from the UK, Denmark, Greece and France have all suggested tighter controls could be coming soon. New Zealand’s government wants tougher rules too, and public debates are also beginning in Japan and Indonesia.
Will Australia’s social media ban start a global trend? We speak to Terry Flew, professor of digital communication and culture at the University of Sydney, Australia; Sonia Livingstone, professor in the department of media and communications at the London School of Economics, United Kingdom; Lisa Given, professor of information sciences at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia and Jessica Galissaire, senior policy researcher at Interface, France
Producer/presenter: Daniel RosneyResearcher: Evie YabsleyProduction management assistant: Liam MorreySound engineer: James BradshawEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: A child looking at a mobile phone. Credit: David Gray/AFP)
The eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded the north after a military coup backed by Greece. Since then, the northern third has been run by a Turkish-Cypriot government. This self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is recognised as an independent state only by Turkey, while the rest of the world sees it as part of Cyprus. The southern two-thirds of the island is run by an internationally recognised government led by Greek-Cypriots. Whilst the physical division between the two is maintained by a United Nations peacekeeping force.
Negotiations aimed at reunification have been attempted over the years and stalled. One of the biggest barriers has been the differences over what a future settlement would look like, with Turkey pushing for a two-state solution and the recognition of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The last formal attempt, supported by the United Nations, was in 2017 and took place in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. And even though informal talks have continued since then, there has been little progress. Key sticking points remain over issues including political equality and what it means between the two communities, issues of governance and security.
But in October of this year, a new Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhürman, was elected. He supports federation and is in favour of the resumption of reunification talks. Is Cyprus moving closer to reunification?
Contributors: Mete Hatay, Senior Research Consultant, PRIO Cyprus Centre, Oslo, Norway Lefteris Adilinis, Political Analyst, Cyprus Dr. Dorothée Schmid, Director, Middle East Programme, French Institute of International Relations, Paris, FranceKathleen Doherty, Former United States Ambassador to Cyprus, USA
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: Maeve SchafferProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyTechnical Producer: James BradshawEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: A United Nations worker rides bike through the UN Buffer Zone. Credit: Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Cardinal Robert Prevost made history earlier this year, when he became the first American pontiff to lead the Catholic Church. And when he stepped out onto the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica as Pope Leo XIV, dressed in traditional papal robes, some conservatives in the church took it as a sign of a symbolic shift away from what they saw as the liberal drift of his predecessor the late Pope Francis.
Francis, who had put social justice at the heart of his papacy, divided opinion. Some Catholics praised his stance on issues like same-sex blessings, whilst others claimed that he had abandoned tradition for wokeness.
Now six months into his papacy, Pope Leo XIV is also coming under similar scrutiny, he’s already been criticized by some Catholics from the Make America Great Again (Maga) movement in the United States for blessing a block of Greenland ice. Whilst on the issue of same-sex blessings, his stated intention is to continue the same course as Pope Francis, that the Church’s teaching is not going to change on this issue.
But though he may also be advocating diversity, equity and inclusion, Pope Leo XIV may not necessarily be a carbon copy of his predecessor. As he prepares for his first apostolic visit to Turkey and Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV already appears to be charting a more nuanced path, grounded in pastoral instincts rather than divisive politics.
So, on The Inquiry this week we’re asking, ‘Is the new Pope woke?’
Contributors:Dr Massimo Faggioli, Professor in Ecclesiology, Loyola Institute, Trinity College Dublin, IrelandInés San Martín, Vice President of Communications, The Pontifical Mission Societies, New York, USAChristopher White, Author ‘Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of New Papacy’, Associate Director, Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USAElise Ann Allen, Senior Correspondent for Crux, Author ‘Leo XIV: Citizen of the World, Missionary of the 21st Century’, Rome, Italy
Presenter: William CrawleyProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: Maeve SchafferProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyTechnical Producer: Craig BoardmanEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican in May 2025. Credit: Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images)
From floods in Pakistan to droughts in the Horn of Africa, extreme weather events are already forcing millions of people to move. Most are displaced within their own countries but rising temperatures and sea levels could soon push many across national borders.
Yet international law offers little protection for those uprooted by the changing climate, and few countries appear ready for the scale of movement predicted in coming decades.
Charmaine Cozier explores how communities, governments and international systems could respond as the number of people displaced by climate change grows.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: Is the world ready for more climate migration?
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Maeve SchafferEditor: Tom BigwoodTechnical Producer: Craig BoardmanProduction Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Contributors:
Amali Tower, founder and executive director of Climate Refugees
Dr Lagipoiva Cherelle Jackson, Samoan climate journalist and professor of Pacific Island Studies at Portland State University, US
Alessio Terzi, professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, UK
Gaia Vince, writer, Anthropocene researcher and the author of Nomad Century: How to Survive the Climate Upheaval
(Photo: Kuakata Sea Beach Patuakhali District, Bangladesh. Credit: NurPhoto/Getty Images)
Matcha, a long-time popular drink in Japan, has gone global. Major chains now serve it, and coffee start-ups are competing to offer their own photogenic takes on the vivid green drink.
But the growing craze exposes bigger problems for the wider tea industry.
Tea is a delicate crop, highly sensitive to changing weather conditions. Around the world, farmers are reporting falling yields, altered growing seasons and a higher risk of disease due to climate change. Labour shortages and economic issues are also affecting supply chains, creating uncertainty for producers and consumers.
From drone technology helping to monitor remote fields to the extraordinary claim that tea could one day grow on the moon, scientists and growers are exploring bold new solutions.
Is trouble brewing for the worldwide tea industry?
ContributorsKatharine Burnett, Founding Director at the Global Tea Institute for the Study of Tea Culture and Science and Professor of Chinese Art History at the University of California, Davis, based in the United StatesCristina Larrea, Director of Agriculture, Food and Sustainability Initiatives at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, based in Canada Harki Sidhu, Consulting Program Coordinator for India at the Rainforest Alliance, based in IndiaLiberal Seburikoko, deputy CEO at Ethical Tea Partnership, based in Rwanda
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Maeve SchafferSound engineer: Craig BoardmanProduction management assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Lady drinking tea. Credit: Redhead pictures/Getty Images)
In the aftermath of World War Two, the charter that founded the United Nations was signed, with the aim of preventing a third global conflict. The UN Security Council, one of six organs of the UN, has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It’s made up of 15 member countries, there are 10 rotating non-permanent members who are elected for two-year terms by members of the UN General Assembly, the body that represents all UN members. And there are five permanent members – the US, the UK, France, China and Russia; it’s these five that have veto power.
Now 80 years on, there are growing calls for the council to reflect the world of today, not only in its representation, but in the way it functions. Criticisms of this international body include abuse of the veto power, lack of permanent representation for countries which have seen more than their fair share of conflict and an inability to reach common consensus, including on how to reform the organisation from within.
So, on The Inquiry this week we’re asking, ‘Is the UN Security Council still relevant?’
Contributors: Devika Hovell, Prof International Law, London School of Economics, UK Richard Gowan, Director, UN and Multilateral Diplomacy, International Crisis Group, New York, USADr Samir Puri, Director, Global Governance and Security Centre, Chatham House, London, UK Mona Ali Khalil, former Senior Legal Officer, UN Office of the Legal Counsel, Co-Editor and Co-Author, ‘Empowering the UN Security Council: Reforms to Address Modern Threats’, Vienna, Austria.
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: Maeve Schaffer Technical Producer: Craig BoardmanEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: United Nations Security Council meeting. Credit: Reuters/BBC Images)
Benin has long tried to highlight its role in the transatlantic slave trade through monuments and memorials in the country, in the hope it would attract tourism.
Now it has a new plan.
It is offering citizenship to descendants of enslaved Africans around the world.
US singers Lauryn Hill and Ciara received their citizenship in July. Filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife Tonya Lewis Lee have also been made Benin’s ambassadors to the African-American population in America.
The move is an attempt to attract talent and money to its shores and showcase the nation’s culture and traditions to a wider audience.
This week on The Inquiry we’re asking: Can Benin win back its diaspora?
Contributors:Dr Bayo Holsey, Association Professor, African American Studies and Anthropology at Emory University, United StatesAna Lucia Araujo, Professor in the Department of History at Howard University, United StatesDr Leonard Wantchekon, Founder and President of the African School of EconomicsTonya Lewis Lee, filmmaker and entrepreneur
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Daniel RosneyResearcher: Maeve SchafferTechnical producer: Nicky EdwardsProduction Co-ordinator: Hattie ValentineEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Ciara receiving citizenship of Benin. Credit: Government of Benin)
At the beginning of September 2025, within 48 hours, Nepal’s government had been toppled, and more than 70 people had been killed, with many more injured. The trigger for all of this had been a government ban on 26 social media platforms, but the primary reasons ran much deeper. Nepal became a republic in 2008, following a decade long civil war, but since then, the promised stability and prosperity have failed to materialise. The country has been subjected to short term coalition governments, resembling a game of musical chairs between certain political parties. And it was Nepal’s Gen Z, who decided to make their frustrations over the lack of opportunities, the social inequality and the existing political system known, with their digitally driven anti-corruption protests. In the aftermath, the protestors gave their approval to a new interim prime minister and demanded new elections, set for March next year.
Asia is increasingly witnessing a mood for change amongst its young people, from Indonesia to Sri Lanka and last year’s student-led revolution in Bangladesh. But very few protests of this nature have translated into fundamental social change. And it remains to be seen if the decision by Nepal’s Gen Z, to place their trust in 73-year-old Sushila Karki as the new Interim Prime Minister, reflects their own political maturity. So, on this week’s Inquiry we’re asking, ‘Can Gen Z shape a new Nepal?’
Contributors: Prof Jeevan Sharma, Chair of South Asia and International Development, University of Edinburgh, UK Pranaya Rana, Journalist and Writer, Kalam Weekly, Kathmandu, NepalProf Sreeradha Datta, International Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University, Haryana, IndiaDr Rumela Sen, Lecturer and Faculty Director, Master’s in International Affairs programme, Columbia University, USA
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: Maeve Schaffer Production Co-ordinator: Tim FernleyTechnical Producer: James BradshawEditor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Anti government protest in Kathmandu. Credit: Sunil Pradhan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Donald Trump once dismissed cryptocurrencies as a scam. But since returning to office, his view of them has shifted dramatically.
In July, President Trump signed new legislation aimed at integrating crypto into the financial mainstream. Members of the Trump family have launched their own ventures, generating significant profits and boosting the visibility of digital currencies in American politics.
Supporters say this could reassert the dominance of the US dollar in a changing global economy, while critics warn of economic volatility and regulatory gaps. How did crypto go from fringe to front-and-centre in Trump’s economic vision?
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: Is Trump building a crypto economy?
Contributors:Molly White, writer for the Citation Needed Newsletter in the USFrancine McKenna, Lecturer at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USWill Grant, BBC's Mexico, Central America and Caribbean correspondentGillian Tett, Provost of King's College, Cambridge, UK
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducers: Ben Henderson and Matt ToulsonResearcher: Evie Yabsley Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Nicky EdwardsProduction Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
(Photo: President Donald Trump displays the GENIUS Act on 18 July 2025. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection passed on to humans by infected ticks. Symptoms can range from fatigue, joint pain and a circular shaped rash to facial paralysis and heart arrythmia.
According to a British Medical Journal (BMJ) global health review, Lyme disease has likely infected about one in 10 people across the globe.
Recently, pop star Justin Timberlake went public about contracting the condition.
If treated quickly, most people will recover but there are still issues around diagnosing and treating Lyme disease.
And globally, cases are on the rise. In this edition of The Inquiry, Charmaine Cozier explores what's behind the increase and hears about new tests and vaccines currently being developed.
Contributors: Dr Sally Mavin, clinical scientist and Director of the Scottish Lyme Disease and Tick-Borne Infections Reference Laboratory, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, ScotlandDr Armin Alaedini, Chief Scientific Officer, Global Lyme AllianceDr Gábor Földvári, research group leader, Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Evolution, Budapest, HungaryDr Alessandra Luchini, Professor, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, USA
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducers: Jill Collins and Emma FordeResearcher: Maeve SchafferTechnical producer: Richard Hannaford Production Coordinator: Tammy SnowEditor: Tara McDermott
(Photo: Tweezers removing a forest tick from human body. Credit: rbkomar/Getty Images)
The major rivers of the Rio Grande and the Colorado run through both the United States and Mexico and they are the source of a water sharing agreement between the two countries that dates back to 1944.
Under the terms of this treaty, Mexico must send 430 million cubic metres of water per year from the Rio Grande to the US, to supply Texas and dozens of cities near the border. Whilst the US sends a much larger allocation of nearly 1.85 billion cubic metres of water a year, from the Colorado River to supply Mexico’s border cities like Mexicali and Tijuana.
But 80 years on, a deepening row over a shortage of water has put the treaty in jeopardy. Mexico is in arrears and has failed to keep up with its water deliveries to the US for much of this century and its unlikely to meet its obligation this year too. Farmers on both sides are struggling to water their crops, whilst the border cities are facing water shortages for both their populations and industries. And pressure on Mexico is mounting with President Trump earlier this year accusing Mexico of ‘stealing’ the water.
So this week on The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Why does Mexico owe the US water?’
Contributors: Stephen Mumme, Emeritus Professor in Political Science, Colorado State University, USADr Rosario Sanchez, Senior Research Scientist, Texas Water Resources Institute, USA Susanne Schmeier, Professor in Water Co-operation, Law and Diplomacy, IHE Delft, The Netherlands. Naho Mirumachi, Professor in Environmental Politics, King’s College, London, UK
Presenter: Gary O’DonoghueProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: Maeve Schaeffer Technical Producer: Craig BoardmanProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tom Bigwood
{Photo: The Rio Grande River and surrounding land that divides the USA and Mexico. Credit: Daniel Slim/Getty Images)
Deepfakes are videos, picture or audio clips made with artificial intelligence to look real.
Although sometimes used for fun, they can also be used to defame or discredit people. Anyone from politicians to celebrities to normal members of the public can become the subject of deepfake imagery. So how can we protect our image from being used maliciously?
In Denmark, the government is proposing a new law which would give people copyright-like protection over their face, voice, and appearance. In this edition of the Inquiry, Tanya Beckett explores how the new law would work and asks how do we strike a balance between Big Tech and AI innovation and the need to protect our identity?
Contributors:
Gitte Løvgren Larsen, Lawyer and partner, Sirius Advocator, Denmark
Dr Alina Trapova, lecturer (Assistant Prof), Intellectual property law, University College London
Ignacio Cofone, Professor of Law and Regulation of AI, University of Oxford
Mikkel Flyverbom, Professor of Communication and Digital Transformations, Copenhagen Business School
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Emma Forde Researcher: Matt Toulson Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Production Coordinator: Tammy SnowEditor: Louise Clarke (Photo: Digital human head. Credit: imaginima/Getty Images)
In January, the popular Chinese social media app TikTok went offline for its 170 million Americans. The outage marked a turning point in a long-running dispute over data privacy and national security, with US lawmakers concerned about the app’s Chinese ownership. A law passed by Congress required ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell its US operations or face a ban. Although ByteDance did not meet the deadline, the newly inaugurated President Trump postponed enforcement, introducing a timeline for a potential sale. That deadline has since been extended multiple times, with the current cutoff now set for 17 September. But with complex negotiations still underway and Beijing reluctant to approve any deal, Trump has signalled he may grant yet another extension leaving the app’s fate in the US uncertain. This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: Is it time up for TikTok in the US?
Contributors:Alan Rozenshtein, Associate Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota Dr Joanne Gray, Senior Lecturer in Digital Cultures in the Discipline of Media and Communications at the University of SydneyAnupam Chander, Professor of Law and Technology at Georgetown University Isabella Wilkinson, Research Fellow in the Digital Society Initiative at Chatham House
Presenter: David BakerProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Maeve SchafferEditor: Louise ClarkeTechnical Producer: James BradshawProduction Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
(Photo: TikTok message announcing a ban. Credit: NurPhoto/Getty Images)
“There is no longer any debate that space is a war fighting domain,”
These were the words of Commander General Stephen Whiting from the US government’s Space Command at a conference earlier this year.China, the US, India and Russia have tested anti-satellite weapons in space, and technology is blurring the lines between civilian and military satellites.
But will there be war in space?
Joining us to discuss the threat of satellite warfare are: Dr Raji Rajagopalan, a resident senior fellow with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute in Canberra; Juliana Suess, an associate with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs; Saadia Pekkanen, professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, USA and Dr Bleddyn Bowen is an associate professor of Astro politics with the Space Research Centre at Durham University in the UK.
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Vicky FarncombeResearcher: Maeve SchafferTechnical producer: Nicky EdwardsProduction Coordinator: Tammy SnowEditor: Tara McDermott
Image: Getty Images
A far-right party which came to prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic recently showed itself to be a contender to Japan’s centrist political establishment, when it grew from one seat, three years ago to 15 seats in the recent elections.
Known as Sanseito, the party is led by Kamiya Sohei, whose YouTube videos spread conspiracy theories about vaccinations. Its political platform is a nationalist ‘Japanese first’ agenda and warns against a ‘silent invasion of foreigners’.
Whilst for Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party coalition, the election results were bruising. The LDP lost its majority in the Upper House, having already lost control of the Lower House last year. But its embattled Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, whilst facing calls from within his party to resign, has said he has no plans to quit.
Against this backdrop, there’s a growing unease amongst Japanese voters over issues like immigration, over-tourism and the economy and Sanseito are tapping into that.
Joining us to discuss Japan's political climate are Kenneth Mori McElwain, professor of Comparative Politics, University of Tokyo, Japan; Dr Fabian Schäfer, chair of Japanese Studies, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany; Jeffrey Hall, author and lecturer, Kanda University of International Studies, Eastern Japan; Dr Kristi Govella, associate professor of Japanese Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford, UK.
Presenter: William CrawleyProducer: Jill Collins Researcher: Evie Yabsley Technical producer: Craig BoardmanProduction management assistant: Liam MorreyEditor: Tara McDermott
Image credit: Reuters via BBC Images
Children in Indonesia are now receiving free school meals — part of a bold new plan by President Prabowo Subianto to tackle malnutrition.Around one in five children in the country are stunted, meaning they are too short for their age.The lunch programme is central to Prabowo’s vision of a “Golden Indonesia” – a prosperous, high-income nation by 2045.But not everyone is happy.To fund this and other populist pledges, the president has reallocated billions in public funds, cutting budgets from ministries including health and education.There have also been reports of food poisoning linked to the programme.Meanwhile, millions of Indonesians are struggling. The International Monetary Fund warns the country's unemployment rate will rise to 5% this year — the highest among the Southeast Asian economies it tracks.On this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking: ‘Can Indonesia afford free lunches?’Contributors:Dini Widiastuti, Executive Director, Yayasan Plan International IndonesiaJulia Lau, Senior Fellow and Coordinator, Indonesia Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, SingaporeDr Suman Chakrabarti, Associate Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit, International Food Policy Research Institute, New Delhi, IndiaBhima Yudhistira, Executive Director, Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS), Indonesia
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Vicky FarncombeResearcher: Maeve Schaffer Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky EdwardsProduction Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Image Credit: Dimas Rachmatsyah via Getty Images
When the war in Ukraine began back in February 2022, the remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicle or drone as its commonly known, was peripheral to the conflict. But three years on, the drone in all its shapes and sizes has taken on a central role in this battle, in the air, on land and at sea, for surveillance, reconnaissance, combat and other purposes. Now drone technology is evolving even further into the area of autonomous weapons.But whilst the drone can offer greater strategic and operational flexibility and a possible reduction in the number of military casualties, there are concerns that the drone, particularly in Ukraine’s case, has prolonged the war. Only last year the United Nations reported that 118 countries now had military drones, along with at least 65 non-state actors. And as an increasing number of countries have begun to manufacture and export their own array of military drones, many are concerned about how drone technology is presenting a big challenge in terms of defensive measures. So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘How are drones changing the landscape of modern warfare? Contributors: James Patton Rogers, Author and Executive Director, Brooks Tech Policy Institute, Cornell University, New York State, USA. Dr Oleksandra Molloy, Senior Lecturer in Aviation, University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australia Stacie Pettyjohn, Director of the Defence Programme, Centre for A New American Security, Washington DC. USA. Dr. Elke Schwarz, Professor of Political Theory, Queen Mary University, London, UK
Presenter: Gary O’Donoghue Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Maeve Schaffer Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Toby James Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Image credit SOPA via Getty Images
In July, a brutal highway hijacking in southern Syria sparked tit-for-tat clashes between Druze and Bedouin fighters.
During the week-long violence, over a thousand people were killed and more than 125,000 displaced. Syrian government forces and Israel also entered the conflict.
The latest hostilities come less than a year after Syrians celebrated the end of dictatorship and the promise of renewal. The resurgence of sectarian violence raises urgent questions about interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s leadership and whether his government can truly unify a fractured nation.
What does Syria’s recent conflict tell us about al-Sharaa’s presidency?
Contributors: Dr Rim Turkmani, Research Fellow at Director of Syria Conflict Research Programme (CRP); Makram Rabah, Assistant professor of history at the American University of Beirut; Dr Rahaf Aldoughli, Middle East and North African Studies at Lancaster University; Dr Burcu Ozcelik, Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security at the Royal United Services Institute.
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Evie YabsleyTechnical Producer: Richard HannafordEditor: Tara McDermott
Image credit Reuters via BBC Images
What lies behind the clashes on the Thai Cambodian border is a fractured friendship between the two nations.
In July both countries strike each other with civilians killed and injured in the crossfire. More than a hundred thousand are evacuated.
Thailand warns the clashes could escalate to war. In May a brief gunfire exchange killed a Cambodian soldier. Just over two weeks later surprising details from a recorded private phone conversation went public.
On that 17-minute call to Cambodia was Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. It was supposed to defuse the situation - instead it has erupted.
Away from the border, there’s been public outrage in Thailand, a major prime ministerial setback, fractured friendships, diplomatic ties downgraded and even more political pressure on a far from robust government.
Contributors: · Dr Petra Alderman, Centre manager at the Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre at the London School of Economics and Political Science Dr Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Professor and senior fellow of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University Dr Vu Lam, Lecturer at the University of New South Wales Dr Pavida Pananond, Professor of International Business and Strategy at Thammasat University’s Business School based in Bangkok
Presented by Charmaine Cozier Produced by Daniel Rosney Researched by Evie Yabsley Technical producer Criag Boardman Production Management Assistant Liam Morrey Editor Tara McDermott
Image credit: Lillian Suwanrumpha via Getty Images
In Chile, a powerful new telescope has just given a taster of what we can expect from it later this year, when it will be used to survey the cosmos over a ten-year period. In one image it revealed vast colourful gas and dust clouds swirling in a star-forming region 9,000 light years from the Earth.
Housed in the Vera C Rubin Observatory, which sits on a mountain in the Chilean Andes, the telescope is designed to get giant images of the sky about one hundred times larger and quicker than any other existing telescope can achieve. It contains the world’s most largest digital camera, the size of a large car.
When the Legacy Survey of Space and Time begins towards the end of 2025, the camera will film the entire Southern hemisphere night sky for the next decade, every three days, repeating the process over and over. And it will focus on four areas: mapping changes in the skies or transient objects, the formation of the Milky Way, mapping the Solar System and understanding dark matter or how the universe formed.
So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking, ‘What will Chile’s latest telescope tell us about the Universe?’
Contributors: Catherine Heymans, Professor of Astrophysics, University of Edinburgh, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, UK Željko Ivezić, Director of Rubin Construction, Professor of Astronomy, University of Washington, USADr. Megan Schwamb, Planetary Astronomer, Reader, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern IrelandDr. Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil, Observational Astronomer, Assistant Professor, Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, USA
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producers: Louise Clarke and Jill Collins Researcher: Maeve SchafferEditor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Craig BoardmanProduction Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Image Credit:Anadolu via Getty Images
More and more of the tasks we perform in our daily lives are been guided by artificial intelligence, from searching the internet for answers to relying on satellite navigation in our cars. But studies recently released suggest that our use of AI is having a negative impact on our ability to make informed judgements and decisions. In one recent study from MiT’s Media Lab, a group of people were asked to write several essays. Some of them used AI, others didn’t. Those who used generative AI reportedly became lazier with each subsequent essay.
This cognitive offloading, allowing AI to take over from our brains might be less taxing, but there are concerns that if we come to rely on AI, we are in danger of replacing our own critical thinking for a technology that might not always come up with the right answer.
However, there are those who argue that AI can be beneficial in helping our cognitive function, that it can be employed to take on the more mundane, repetitive tasks, freeing up headspace to allow us to become more productive. Software education platforms are just one example where AI is been employed to assist teachers in things like knowledge checks and grading, with the claim that it allows them time for more valuable interaction with their students.
So is it possible to find a balance where we can we can rely on AI but not to the extent were we lose our mental agility.On this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking "Is AI eroding our critical thinking?’
Contributors:Dr. Daniel Willingham, Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia, USA Dr. Michael Gerlich, Professor of Management, SBS Swiss Business School, Zurich, SwitzerlandYvonne Soh, Co-founder and CEO, Noodle Factory, Singapore Sana Khareghani, Professor of Practice in AI, AI Policy Lead for Responsible AI UK Programme, King’s College, London
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Maeve Schaffer Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Craig BoardmanProduction Co-ordinator: Tammy SnowProduction Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Image credit: Surasak Suwanmake via Getty Images
Brazil’s Zebu cattle, or “supercows” are bred for size, strength, and meat quality. Every year the animals are showcased at ExpoZebu, Brazil’s premier cattle fair. These animals are preened, pampered, and prized, before being sold for millions for their genetic material.
Zebu cattle were not always part of Brazil’s landscape. After being imported from India in the late 19th century, farmers found their resilience to heat, pests, and poor pasture made them ideal for Brazil’s expanding cattle frontier.
Thanks to decades of selective breeding and low-cost pasture-based farming, Brazil is now the world’s largest beef exporter, and demand is only rising.
Despite its economic success and domestic popularity, Brazil’s beef has a significant environmental cost due to its emissions and links to deforestation. However, their genetic material has the potential to be used around the world to make cattle more resilient to climate change.
Photo Credit: Carolina Arantes
Contributors:Carolina Arantes, Photojournalist, FranceDr. Oscar Broughton, Teaching Fellow and historian at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, UK Dr Cassio Brauner, Associate Professor in Beef Cattle Production Systems, Federal University of Pelotas, BrazilDr Marcos Barozzo, Assistant Professor of Economics, DePaul University, Chicago, US
Presenter: David Baker Producer: Louise ClarkeResearcher: Maeve Schaffer Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Production co-ordinator: Tammy Snow
Ahead of last year’s US Presidential elections, Donald Trump was asked if he would defend China against Taiwan, he responded that Taiwan should pay the US for protection from China. Taiwan is a self-governing island, claimed by Beijing and whilst Taiwan is not formally recognised by the US, they do remain the island’s most important security partner. Taiwan manufactures over ninety percent of the world’s most advanced semiconductor chips, which makes some American industries heavily dependent on trade links with the island. But official US policy towards Taiwan is one of ‘strategic ambiguity’. So when the US Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth recently warned of China posing an ‘imminent’ threat to Taiwan, whilst at the same time urging Asian countries to boost defence spending and work with the US to deter war, it raised the issue of how far America would be prepared to go to defend Taiwan. China in response accused the US of being the ‘biggest troublemaker’ for regional peace. The US has only just agreed a truce on trade tariffs with China and President Trump’s immediate attention has shifted onto issues in the Middle East, so if Pete Hegseth’s warning is valid, how far up the list is Taiwan in terms of Trump’s foreign policy priorities. This week on the Inquiry we’re asking ‘Does Trump care about Taiwan?’Contributors: Dr Chun-yi Lee, Associate Professor, School of Politics and International Relations, Director of Taiwan Research Hub, University of Nottingham, UK Christopher S. Chivvis, Senior Fellow and Director, American Statecraft Program, The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington DC, USA Patricia Kim, Scholar on China, The Brookings Institution, Washington DC, USA Raymond Kuo, Inaugural Director, Taiwan Policy Initiative, The Rand Corporation, California, USA
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Maeve Schaffer Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Production Co-ordinator: Tammy Snow Image Credit: Taiwanese flags wave at the park decorated by Chang Lao-wang, ahead of Taiwan National Day in Taoyuan, Taiwan, October 5, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most important energy corridors in the world. It is the only sea route from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, it serves as the primary maritime route for oil exports from the Gulf. Any disruption to traffic through the strait would have implications for oil markets and regional stability.
While some Gulf states have developed pipelines to bypass the strait, the volume of oil transported by sea is far greater, and for many countries, including key Gulf exporters, the waterway is essential to maintaining trade. China is the largest buyer of oil that travels through the strait, making it particularly exposed to any disruption.
Iran itself relies on the Strait of Hormuz to sell its oil and any blockage of the route would likely damage Iran’s own economy and could strain relationships with regional neighbours.
Despite past threats to close the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway has remained open, including during the tanker wars of the 1980s, but any disruption could have a big impact on global oil supplies.
Picture Credit: Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Contributors: Camille Lons, Deputy Head of the Paris office of the Council on Foreign relationsElisabeth Braw, Senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative in the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security
Jacob P. Larsen, BIMCO’s Chief Safety & Security Officer
Petter Haugen, Partner, Equity Research Shipping, ABG Sundal Collier, Nordic Investment Bank
Presenter Charmaine CozierProducer Louise ClarkeResearcher Maeve SchafferEditor Tara McDermottTechnical Producer: Gareth JonesProduction Coordinator - Tammy Snow
During a speech to the Spanish parliament earlier this year, the country’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez claimed there’s one thing that would guarantee lasting peace in Europe.
His idea is the creation of a new army drawn from the 27 countries whose governments already work together as members of the European Union.
The concept isn't a new one - and NATO already exists, the military alliance which includes EU member states and other European countries.
But talk of a new military force is reappearing as the continent becomes more vulnerable to threats. Its ally the US is increasingly unreliable and unpredictable too.
Other European leaders are also backing the idea
This week we’re asking - “Are we closer to a European army?”
Contributors:
Dick Zandee, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Security and Defence Programme at the Clingendael Institute
Dr Ulrike Franke, Senior Policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations
Oana Lungescu, Distinguished fellow with the Royal United Services Institute and former NATO spokesperson
Prof. Dr. Sven Biscop, Director of the Europe in the World Programme at Egmont.
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Daniel Rosney
Researcher: Maeve Schaffer
Editor: Tara McDermott
Technical Producer: Toby James
Production Coordinator - Tammy Snow
(Image Credit: FREDERICK FLORIN/AFP via Getty Images)
The creation of a landmark gene editing drug used to treat a baby with a rare genetic mutation which could help transform personalized medicine. Blood tests showed baby KJ had sky-high levels of ammonia, a toxic substance the body usually expels. The root cause was his genes - or more particularly a specific gene mutation.The race was on to try and treat him before his condition took a firm hold. His doctors came up with a radical solution - for the first time ever, they designed and applied a gene-editing drug in record time, specifically for him. Have we seen breakthrough in preventing genetic diseases? With Fyodor Urnov, a professor in the Molecular and Cell Biology Department at the University of California, Virginijus Šikšnys professor at the Life Science Center of Vilnius University, Waseem Qasim from the UCL Institute of Child Health in Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and Jennifer Doudna, Professor, University of California, Berkeley and founder of the Innovative Genomics Institute.
Presented by Tanya Beckett. Produced by Bob Howard. Researched by Mauve Schaffer Edited by Tara McDermott.
The economic fortunes of the Southern Africa country of Botswana were transformed back in the mid 1960s when shortly after gaining independence from Britain, its first diamond mine was discovered. A partnership with the world’s biggest diamond firm DeBeers ensured Botswana’s diamonds gained global attention and with some of the world’s biggest diamonds been mined in the country, it now ranks just below Russia in terms of its importance in the industry. But post pandemic, the global market has seen a shift in demand for mined diamonds, with consumers in countries like China, who accounted for around thirty percent of global demand, falling away.
Another reason for this shift is the emerging popularity of lab grown diamonds. Originally used in industrial machinery, lab diamonds are now been refined for the jewellery market at a fraction of the price of mined diamonds, with the majority of consumer interest coming from the United States. Botswana has been trying to ride this wave with a policy of diversification, to allow it to generate more export revenue. But its new Government, who have only been in power since October last year, are dealing with a large budget deficit not helped by the low level of diamond revenues. It faces a hard task in trying to revive demand for mined diamonds across the global market. So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Are diamonds forever in Botswana?’
Contributors: Dr Gloria Somolekae, Executive Director, BIDPA, BotswanaJessica Warch, Co-founder, Kimai, LondonEdahn Golan, Diamond Industry Analyst, Israel Dr. Keith Jefferis, Managing Director, Econsult Botswana
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Maeve Schaffer Editor: Tara McDermott Sound engineer: Craig BoardmanProduction co-ordinator: Tammy Snow
(Photo: Karowe diamond in Botswana. Credit: Lucara Diamond/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Fungal diseases are becoming more common, more dangerous, and more difficult to treat. There’s concern that they may cause the next global pandemic.
Rising global temperatures, better survival rates for vulnerable patients, and increased medical interventions contribute to the rise in fungal infections. Access to effective diagnostics and treatment remains limited, with significant disparities between high and low-income countries.
Treating fungal infections is becoming more challenging as they build resistanceto the drugs used to treat them. New therapies are being developed, including treatments that disrupt fungal DNA replication or interfere with essential proteins, offering some hope for long-term control.
Contributors:Adilia Warris, Professor in Paediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Exeter, UK
Rita Oladele, Professor of Clinical Microbiology, University of Lagos and Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
Arturo Casadevall, Professor and Chair of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, US
Michael Bromley, Professor in Fungal Disease, University of Manchester, UK
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Louise ClarkeResearcher: Maeve SchafferEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical Producer: Richard HannafordProduction co-ordinator: Tammy Snow
(Image: Aspergillus fumigatus, seen under an optical microscope. Credit: BSIP/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
A domestic rice shortage in Japan has caused supermarket shelves to empty and prices to double. Rice is more than a staple food in Japan—it carries deep cultural, historical and even spiritual significance.
The rice crisis highlights broader weaknesses in Japan’s economy. Japan imports over half of its food and has experienced persistent inflation. The country’s economic resilience is being tested by supply chain pressures, demographic shifts, and increased trade tensions.
Efforts to address the shortage have focused on auctioning rice reserves, but underlying economic challenges persist.
Contributors:•Yi-Chun Ko, Professor, Asian Growth Research Institute, Fukuoka, Japan•Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney, William F. Vilas Research Professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison, US•Stefan Angrick, Senior Economist, Moody’s Analytics, Tokyo, Japan•Norihiro Yamaguchi, Lead Economist, Oxford Economics, Tokyo, Japan
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Louise ClarkeResearcher: Katie MorganEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical producer: Richard HannafordProduction Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Photo was supplied by Yukari Sakamoto, author of Food Sake Tokyo
“Measles is back, and it’s a wake-up call,” proclaimed one regional director from the World Health Organisation who went on to add, “without high vaccination rates, there is no health security.”
Measles is a childhood disease which can be deadly. We’ve been successfully vaccinating against it for decades. So much so that many younger physicians have never seen a child with the disease. But recently, the recorded number of cases has been rising - and this is a global trend.
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known to man. In an unvaccinated population it will spread like wildfire. So what’s behind the rapid rise of measles cases around the world? According to one of our expert witnesses it comes down to three Cs: complacency, convenience and confidence.
In this edition of the Inquiry, Sandra Kanthal looks into what’s causing the rise in measles cases around the world and asks how this trend can be reversed.
Contributors:
Doctor Claudia Cojocaru – Romanian physician and neonatologist
Robb Butler - Director of the Division of Communicable Diseases, Environment and Health: World Health Organisation
Dr Benjamin Kasstan-Dabush -Assistant Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Fatima Cengic, Regional Immunization Specialist, Europe and Central Asia: UNICEF
Presenter: Sandra KanthalProduction: Katie MorganProduction Management Assistant: Liam MorreyTechnical Producer: James BeardEditor: Tara McDermott
Serbia’s citizens have been protesting for over six months, taking part in demonstrations around the country in reaction to their government’s alleged corruption. Though the country’s president, Aleksandar Vučić, has attempted to appease them, the movement shows no sign of slowing down.
Situated in the Western Balkans, Serbia has had a long history of conflict; from the Ottoman Empire to the dissolution of Yugoslavia, but the ongoing civil unrest comes at a crossroads moment for President Vučić. Serbia is awaiting approval to join the European Union yet remains closely tied with the Kremlin.
As the Serbian government seeks to solidify its place in the world, protestors continue their calls for transparency and accountability. This week on The Inquiry we ask “Will Serbia’s mass protests unseat the president?”
Contributors:Gordana Andric, Executive Editor at Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, Belgrade, SerbiaDr. Andi Hoxhaj OBE, Lecturer in Law and the Director of the European Law LLM pathway programme, King’s College, LondonIvana Randelovic, Senior Programme Officer for Europe at Civil Rights Defenders, Belgrade, SerbiaDr. Helena Ivanov, Associate Research Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, Belgrade, Serbia
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Daniel Rosney Researcher: Maeve Schaffer Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: James BradshawProduction Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Image credit: Srdjan Stevanovic via Getty Images
Scientists at a bio-technology firm made headlines when they announced the “de-extinction” of the dire wolf, a species of wolf that went extinct on Earth over 10,000 years ago. Colossal Biosciences examined DNA from ancient dire wolf fossils and used it to create wolf puppies with traits of the extinct species. The gene editing technology sparked curiosity around the world, and although the new wolves were not exact replicas of the originals they had similar traits. The development raises serious questions about what de-extinction really means.
Mass extinctions have shaped the history of life on Earth, and nature has adapted across the millennia, but with almost half of all species already in decline, including some frogs, how seriously is de-extinction technology being taken?
Contributors:Dr. Beth Shapiro, Chief Science Officer, Colossal Biosciences, California, USADr. Daniel Pincheira-Donoso, Associate Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Global Change, Queen's University Belfast, UKTorill Kornfeldt, Science Journalist and author, SwedenDr. Jay Odenbaugh, Professor of Philosophy, James F. Miller Professor of Humanities, Lewis and Clark College, Oregon, USA
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Louise Clarke Researcher: Maeve Schaffer Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Earlier this month President Trump announced radical new taxes on foreign imports amounting to what he described as ‘Liberation Day' for the United States. It was a promise he made to American voters during last year’s election campaign but the scale of the tariffs caught many countries by surprise.
Global financial markets plunged as investors braced themselves for a shock to the flow of international trade. Faced with prolonged market turmoil, within days the US president paused most of his plans.
A to-and-fro between Washington and Beijing has left many world leaders confused who to side with, as many look towards the White House wondering if there is a detailed plan at the heart of these unprecedented few weeks.
Contributors:●Carla Sands, Vice Chair for the Center for Energy and Environment at America First Policy Institute and former US Ambassador to Denmark●Emily Kilcrease, Senior Fellow and Director of the Energy, Economics and Security Program at the Center for a New American Security●Victor Gao, Chair professor at Suzhou University and Vice President at the Center for China and Globalization●Gillian Tett, Provost of King’s College at Cambridge University and Financial Times columnist
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Daniel RosneyResearcher: Katie Morgan and Ben HughesSound engineer: Nicky EdwardsProduction co-ordinator: Liam MorreyEditor: Tara McDermott
(Photo: US President Donald Trump holds a chart and delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs at an event entitled Make America Wealthy Again, at the White House, Washington DC, 2 April, 2025. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)
For Russia’s President Putin, the return of President Donald Trump to the White House ushered in a new world order. This has created new diplomatic space for Russia, as Trump’s world view seems more closely aligned with Moscow’s ambitions. Support for Ukraine has diminished, peace talks have been floated, and speculation has grown about a lasting ceasefire.
While the relationship between Washington and Moscow appears to be warming, recent tensions show how unpredictable diplomacy between the two leaders can be.
Putin’s ambition for Russia as an influential superpower remains but with shifting global alliances how much potential leverage does Putin have to reshape the international order?
Contributors:•Kadri Liik, Senior Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations•Maria Snegovaya, Senior Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies•Ivan Klyszcz, Research Fellow, International Centre for Defence and Security•Mark Galeotti, Director, Mayak Intelligence; Honorary Professor, University College London
Presented by Victoria UwonkundaProduced by Louise ClarkeResearched by Katie MorganTechnical producer James BradshawProduction Co-ordinator Liam MorreyEditor Tara McDermott
Image credit GAVRIIL GRIGOROV via Getty Images
SpaceX has revolutionised space travel, making reusable rockets a reality and dramatically reducing the cost of reaching orbit. But two high-profile Starship explosions have raised concerns about the company’s approach to innovation and risk.
Commercial spaceflight has rapidly expanded, with private companies looking to harness space resources and build new economies beyond Earth. Reusability has been a game-changer, significantly lowering launch costs and enabling more ambitious missions.
SpaceX operates with a philosophy of rapid iteration, treating test failures as learning opportunities rather than setbacks. While this approach has led to major breakthroughs, repeated failures raise questions about long-term reliability and safety. Meanwhile, growing competition from other private space firms suggests the industry is no longer dominated by a single player.
With rivals gaining ground and technological hurdles ahead, does SpaceX still have the edge in the new space economy?
Contributors:Professor Michelle Hanlon, Executive Director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law in the USA
Jack Burns, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physics in the USA
Dr Ella Atkins is Fred D. Durham Professor and Head of the Kevin T. Crofton Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Department at Virginia Tech in the USA
David Thomas is Director of the Thunderbird School of Global Management's Initiative for Space Leadership, Policy and Business at Arizona State University.
Presenter Charmaine CozierProducers Vicky Carter and Louise ClarkeResearcher: Katie MorganEditor Tara McDermottProduction co-ordinator Liam MorreyTechnical producer Matthew Dempsey
Image credit: Brandon Bell via Getty Images
In November, a far right, pro-Russia figure came from almost nowhere to become favourite for the presidency. Calin Georgescu, with no affiliated political party and whose campaign had been largely on social media, won the first round of Presidential elections in Romania. The result sent shockwaves across the continent. But serious allegations surfaced over the legitimacy of Georgescu’s campaign, resulting in Romania’s Constitutional Court annulling the vote and barring Georgescu from standing. After mass demonstrations across the country, it’s clear Romania’s political landscape has been upended. Ahead of the rerun of the vote for president on 4 and 18 May, what will happen now with Romania’s elections? Will the country lean towards a more nationalist future or back the mainstream parties that were previously in power?
Contributors:Veronica Anghel, assistant professor at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at The European University Institute, ItalyOana Popescu-Zamfir, director of the GlobalFocus Center, associated expert at Carnegie Europe and associate researcher for the European Council on Foreign Relations, RomaniaDr Radu Cinpoes, associate professor of politics and international relations at the University of Greenwich, United KingdomCostin Ciobanu, political scientist with Aarhus University, Denmark
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Vicky Carter Researcher: Katie MorganProduction Co-ordinator: Liam MorreyTechnical producer: Nicky EdwardsEditor: Tara McDermott
European leaders have had cause to rethink their roles within Nato recently, in light of statements coming from the US Government. The Trump administration’s dealings with Russia to try and broker a peace deal in Ukraine, have called into question America’s support for the alliance. But whilst the Trump administration say they are not pulling out of Nato and remain committed to the defence partnership with Europe, they have warned that they will "no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship which encourages dependency".
Nato currently asks member states to spend at least 2% on defence, but US President Donald Trump has consistently told European allies to spend much more than that target. The alliance’s famous Article 5 holds that Nato members will come to the defence of an ally which comes under attack and the assumption has always been that the US would continue to be the anchoring power. But now Europe’s leaders are having to consider whether they could potentially go it alone without American military aid. So, do we need a new Nato?
This week's experts include John Deni, author and research professor, US Army War College Strategic Studies Institute, USA; Rachel Ellehuus, director-general, The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), London, UK; Toomas Hendricks Ilves, Former President of Estonia, professor at Tartu University; Estonia, Irina Borogan, deputy editor Agentura.ru, non-resident senior fellow, The Centre for European Policy Analysis, London, UK.
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Katie Morgan Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Craig BoardmanProduction co-ordinator: Janet Staples and Liam Morrey
(Photo: Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte participates in a bilateral meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance (not pictured) at the Commerzbank in Munich, Germany, 14 February, 2025. Credit: Leah Mills/Reuters)
At the beginning of this year, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a bill into law which allows for private land to be seized by the government. Known as the Expropriation Act, it’s a power that many democratic governments around the world can exercise – the seizure of private property for public use in return for compensation. But in South Africa’s case, the plan is not to offer compensation, in certain circumstances, such as if land was needed for public use and all other avenues to acquire the land exhausted.
And it is this caveat that has provoked strong reactions both domestically and on the international front. Even within the President’s own party, the ANC, there are those who would prefer more consultation before the law can be implemented. Whilst the Democratic Alliance, the second largest party in South Africa’s coalition government, says that it supports legislation addressing land restitution, it does takes issue with the process followed by the country’s parliament to enact the law. It is testing the Act’s constitutionality with legal action. And now President Trump has signed an executive order cutting US financial aid to South Africa, the order claims that this Act would enable the government to seize the agricultural property of ethnic minority Afrikaners without compensation.
For his part, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that he’ll be sending envoys to various countries to explain South Africa’s positioning on the Expropriation Act, amongst other recent policy changes.
So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking, ‘Can South Africa solve land inequality’?
Contributors: Thula Simpson, Author and Associate Professor, Department of Historical and Heritage Studies, University of Pretoria, South Africa Tanveer Jeewa, Junior Lecturer, Constitutional Law, Stellenbosch University, South Africa Dr Ralph Mathekga, Author and Political Analyst, Pretoria, South AfricaChristopher Vandome, Senior Research Fellow, Africa Programme, Chatham House, UK and Ph.D. Student in International Relations, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Co-Producers: Jill Collins and Bara’atu Ibrahim Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Craig BoardmanBroadcast Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Image Credit: Shadrack Maseko, whose family has been residing on Meyerskop farm for three generations, looks over a piece of land, in Free State province, South Africa, February 9, 2025. REUTERS/Thando Hlophe
Undersea cables form the backbone of global communication, with over 95% of global internet traffic relying on hundreds of fibre-optic cables criss-crossing the globe. But recent incidents such as disruption to cables in the Baltic Sea have highlighted concerns over their security and raised the possibility of ‘grey zone warfare’.
We examine who owns and runs this vast global network, what happens when things go wrong, and what the future holds for underseas cables. Are they powerful enough to sustain future communications, and what role could quantum technology play in their future?
To discuss all this are Lane Burdette, research analyst, TeleGeography, Jovan Kurbali, director of the Diplo Foundation and head of Geneva Internet Platform, Erin L Murphy, senior Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC and Kristine Berzina, managing director at the German Marshall Fund, Washington DC.
Presenter: Gary O'Donoghue Producer: Dan Hardoon and Vicky Carter Researcher: Katie Morgan Production co-ordinator: Liam Morrey Technical producer: James Bradshaw Editor: Tara McDermott (Photo: Employees of Orange Marine work on the installation of the very high speed submarine cable SEA-ME-WE 5, linking Singapore to France, 1 March, 2016. Credit: Boris Horvat/AFP)
The International Criminal Court was founded to prosecute the world’s worst crimes—genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. It has secured historic convictions, but its effectiveness is under scrutiny.
US opposition has been a long-standing challenge. Donald Trump previously rejected the ICC’s legitimacy, and now, early in his second presidential term, he has imposed sanctions on its top prosecutor. The move echoes past tensions but raises new concerns about the court’s ability to function under external pressure.
The ICC also relies on member states to arrest and transfer suspects. A recent case in Italy has highlighted the court’s enforcement difficulties, as Italian authorities deported a Libyan suspect instead of extraditing him to The Hague. Such incidents fuel questions about the ICC’s global authority.
Despite its high-profile cases, the court has only secured 11 convictions in 23 years. Its slow trials and high costs have drawn criticism, leading some to question whether reform—or even an alternative—is needed. But with 125 member states still backing its mission, is the ICC an institution the world can afford to lose?
Contributors: Dr Viviane Dittrich, Deputy Director of the International Nuremberg Principles Academy in GermanyGerry Simpson, Professor of International Law at the London School of Economics in the UK Rachel Kerr, Professor of War and Society at King's College London in the UK Mark Kirsten, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada
Presented by Charmaine CozierProduced by Louise Clarke and Bara’atu Ibrahim Editor Tara McDermottTechnical Producer Toby JamesProduction co-ordinator Liam Morrey
Image credit: Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
Women have been using the female contraceptive pill for over 60 years, and many other options have followed. Yet, after decades of research, there is still no male version of a birth control pill.
Male options for contraception are limited to the condom, vasectomy or withdrawal. However, clinical trials are underway around the world testing new innovations in male contraception. New options may be less than a decade away but, when they arrive, will people want to take them? In this edition of the Inquiry Sandra Kanthal asks: Are we ready for the new male contraceptives? Contributors:Allan Pacey, Professor of Andrology, University of ManchesterDr Diana Blithe, Chief of the Contraceptive Development Programme, National Institutes of HealthDhananjay Vaidyanathan Rohini, Founder and Partner, Alstonia ImpactLogan Nickels, Chief Research Office, Male Contraceptive Initiative
Presenter/Producer: Sandra KanthalProduction Co-ordinator: Liam MorreyTechnical Producer: James BeardEditor: Tara McDermott
The Panama Canal, a crucial artery for global trade, is at the centre of growing tensions between the United States and China. Donald Trump has claimed that Chinese companies exert undue influence over the waterway, accusing Panama of overcharging US businesses. But does the US still have a legitimate stake in the canal?
With Trump demanding action, Panama faces a difficult choice. Could a renegotiation of tolls or a review of Chinese port contracts ease US concerns?
Contributors:Will Freeman, Fellow for Latin American studies at the Council on Foreign RelationsAndrew Thomas, Academic and Author of The Canal of Panama and GlobalisationDr Yu Jie, Senior Research Fellow on China in the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House David Young, President of the Committee for Economic Development
Presented by Gary O’DonoghueProduced by Louise ClarkeResearched by Katie MorganTechnical producer Matthew DempseyProduction Coordinator Liam Morrey Editor Tara McDermott
Image credit: Getty Images via MARTIN BERNETTI
In the decade that followed the Great Financial Crisis, inflation rates remained low and steady, and in some cases even threatened to turn negative, as economies around the world struggled to recover.
This era came to an abrupt end in recent years following the double economic shocks of the Covid pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Many central banks and senior policymakers were caught on the back foot as inflation rates soared to levels not seen for nearly half a century in some countries.
Although rates have since come down from those highs, they are still proving tricky to completely get under control, causing concern among some observers. We explore what inflation is, where it comes from, what has been happening in recent years and what the outlook might be. Our panel includesStephen D. King, author and senior economic adviser at HSBC, Vicky Pryce, chief economic adviser at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, Marieke Blom, chief economist and global head of research at ING and Manoj Pradham, author and chief economist at Talking Heads Macroeconomics.
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Ben CooperResearcher: Katie MorganSound engineer: Richard Hannaford
China has approved the construction of what will become the world’s largest hydropower dam in Tibet. Located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo river, it could generate three times more energy than the Three Gorges Dam – also built by China - and currently the worlds’ biggest. This Inquiry examines how important hydropower is for China’s economy, whether it will meet its climate goals and whether this new dam is a “safe project that prioritises ecological protection” as China claims. We look at how it’ll be built, and why some in neighbouring countries have concerns.
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Vicky Carter Researcher: Katie MorganProduction Co-ordinator: Liam MorreyTechnical producer: Craig BoardmanEditor: Tara McDermott
Contributors:Brian Eyler, Director of the Energy, Water and Sustainability Programme at the Stimson Center, Washington DCNeeraj Singh Manhas, special advisor for South Asia at the Parley Policy Initiative, South Korea & Subject Matter Expert at the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, HQ IDS, Ministry of Defence, Government of IndiaProf Mark Zeitoun, Director General of the Geneva Water Hub and professor of Water Diplomacy at the Geneva Graduate Institute, SwitzerlandProf Cecilia Tortajada, Social and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Glasgow, Adjunct senior research fellow Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore
Image credit: China News Service via Getty Images
In December 2024, the decades-old Assad regime in Syria fell following 13 years of brutal civil war.
The Islamist rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, seized power in the capital Damascus, having co-ordinated a lightning offensive along with other opposition forces across the country.
This week on The Inquiry, we examine how recent events led to the current situation, who the main players are vying for control, and the many challenges facing both the new government and the Syrian people.
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Ben CooperResearcher: Evie YabsleyProduction Co-ordinator: Liam MorreyTechnical producer: Toby JamesEditor: Tara McDermott
Contributors:
Tim Eaton, Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House
Dr Rahaf Aldoughli, Middle East and North African Studies at Lancaster University
David Schenker, Director of the Arab politics programme at the Washington
Natasha Hall, Middle East programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
Image Credit:ABDULAZIZ KETAZ via Getty Images
Drinks with toxic ingredients have been linked to deaths and poisonings in Turkey, Laos and India in 2024.
Fake alcohol is unrecorded and unregulated alcohol that hasn’t been registered in official statistics for sales, production or trade. The range of unrecorded alcohol includes alcohol smuggled across borders, counterfeit alcohol and homemade brew.
This week of The Inquiry we look at how toxic and widespread fake alcohol is. What are the health risks of drinking contaminated alcohol? Bootleg alcohol is big business for criminals, are governments doing enough to combat the illicit alcohol trade?
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Vicky Carter Researcher: Katie MorganProduction Co-ordinator: Liam MorreyTechnical producer: Toby JamesEditor: Tara McDermott
Contributors:Dr. Monica Swahn, alcohol epidemiologist and professor at the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services at Kennesaw State University in the USA, currently based in Uganda. Dr Dirk Lachenmeier, food chemist and toxicologist, director of department of plant-based foods at CVUA Karlsruhe, an official control laboratory, Germany.Piotr Stryszowski, senior economist at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and head of the Working Party on Countering Illicit Trade (WP-CIT), France. Jeff Hardy, Director General of Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade, USA.
Cancer is a disease that will affect 1 in 5 people in our lifetime, and it’s estimated that around 20 million people worldwide will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in 2025.
But how might a vaccine help in the treatment of cancer?
Numerous trials began testing the viability of cancer vaccines in 2024, including one for melanoma and another for lung cancer.
With all the promise that these new cancer vaccine trials bring for cancer patients, we explore the different ways in which vaccines could work within the body, and how the time at which future vaccines are administered may vary according to the cancers they are targeting.
This week on the Inquiry we’re asking: Are we close to a cancer vaccine?
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Katie MorganProduction Coordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermottStudio Director: Craig Boardman
Contributors:
Meredith McKean, director of Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research for Sarah Cannon Research Institute at Tennessee Oncology
Samra Turajlic, Chief Investigator of translational studies into melanoma and kidney cancer at the Francis Crick Institute and Professor at the Institute of Cancer Research
Eduardo Vilar-Sanchez, professor in the department of Clinical Cancer Prevention at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Patrick Ott, Clinical Director at Melanoma Disease Center at the Dana-Farber Institute
Robert F Kennedy Jr, nephew of America's 35th President, John F. Kennedy, has been nominated to be the next US health secretary by President-elect Donald Trump. The post oversees everything from medical research to food safety and public welfare programmes.
Kennedy has been the face of “Make America Healthy Again”, a movement dedicated to “public health, sustainable practices and a government that truly serves the people”.
This week of The Inquiry, we look at how MAHA wants to tackle chronic disease, in particular obesity. Will RFK carry these ideas into public office? How will food corporations and colleagues in the US Congress react? How feasible is it for the US Health Secretary to shift the dial on healthy eating?
Contributors:Bill Dietz, Director of the Stop Obesity Alliance at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., USMatthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist and former Trump State Department official, USProfessor Jerold Mande, CEO of Nourish Science, USProfessor Colleen Heflin, Professor of public administration and international affairs at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, US
Production Team:Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducers: Vicky Carter and Matt ToulsonProduction Co-ordinator: Liam MorreyTechnical producer: Richard HannafordEditor: Tara McDermott
Photo Credit: Bloomberg via GettyImages
The Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, sandwiched between China and India, is perhaps best known around the globe for its unconventional measure of national development: Gross National Happiness. The concept was introduced back in 1972 by the fourth King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. It assesses the country’s overall wellbeing on the basis of sustainable and equitable socio-economic development; environmental conservation; preservation and promotion of culture; and good governance.
But the Bhutanese are now finding that their cautious approach to balancing economic growth with the well-being of their citizens, is proving difficult to sustain in light of mounting economic problems. The country which has a population of less than 800,000, is experiencing high levels of youth unemployment and many young people and skilled workers are leaving for countries like Australia and Canada.
To try and counter this brain drain and to attract new investment into the country to help the economy grow, Bhutan has plans to create a ‘Mindfulness City’. This multi-million dollar project is being spearheaded by the current monarch. At its core will be a scaled up, less cautious version of Bhutan’s key concept, which the Bhutanese Prime Minister has called Gross National Happiness 2.0.
So on this week’s Inquiry we’re asking ‘Can Bhutan retain its happiness?’
Contributors: Dr Ha Vinh Tho, Founder and President, Eurasia Learning Institute for Happiness and Well-Being, Switzerland.
Dr Rishi Gupta, Assistant Director, Asia Society Policy Institute, New Delhi, India
Dr Lhawang Ugyel, Senior Lecturer, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
Jan Eeckhout, Professor of Economics, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: James Bradshaw Production Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley and Liam Morrey
Accusations of sabotage have been made after a Chinese merchant ship cut through two important undersea cables in the Baltic Sea. Eight of the nine states in the Baltic are members of Nato but Russia has access to the sea from St Petersburg and for its Kaliningrad exclave.
With previous incidents of damage to underwater pipelines and cables, there is concern that the security of critical underwater infrastructure is at risk from ‘grey zone’ activities - damaging but deniable incidents below the level of outright war.
David Baker hears how countries’ security is threatened by incidents like these. The pipelines that were cut ran between Finland and Germany and Sweden and Lithuania. He asks who can intervene to protect these assets in the Baltic. Can Nato respond?
Our experts this week are: Elizabeth Braw, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Scowcroft Centre for Strategy and Security, and the author of an upcoming book called The Undersea War; Helga Kalm, director of the Lennart Meri Conference in Tallinn, Estonia; Marion Messmer, senior research fellow in the International Security Programme at Chatham House; Tormod Heier, professor at the National Defence University College in Oslo, Norway and a former officer in the Norwegian Intelligence Service.
Presenter: David BakerProducer: Philip ReevellResearcher: Katie MorganEditor: Tara McDermottSound engineer: Craig Boardman
Image Credit - Rex/Shutterstock via BBC Images
When Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired his finance minister, Christian Lindner last month, Germany’s ‘traffic light’ government collapsed, an uneasy coalition between parties with differing perspectives and strained relations, the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Free Democrats.
At the heart of the political dispute lie deeply opposing views about spending plans, and how to fund much needed investment in infrastructure projects such as transport, education, green energy and digital technology, in order to boost Germany’s international competitiveness.
Falling demand both domestically and overseas for manufacturing goods, the pandemic, war in Ukraine and high energy costs have weakened Germany’s economy. So how can Germany reinvigorate its exports and economic growth? On this episode of The Inquiry, we’re asking: Does Germany need to reinvent itself?
ContributorsMichaela Kuefner, Chief Political Editor, DW Deutsche Welle.Marcel Fratzscher, President, German Institute for Economic Research & Professor of Macroeconomics, Humboldt University.Julian Hinz, Professor of International Economics, Bielefeld University & Director, Trade Policy Research Group, Kiel Institute for the World Economy.Monika Schnitzer of Economics & Chairwoman of the German Council of Economic Experts.
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProduction: Diane Richardson and Matt ToulsonProduction Co-ordinator: Liam MorreyTechnical Producer: Matthew DempseyEditor: Tara McDermott
Image credit - Reuters via BBC Images
The car industry across the European Union employs over thirteen million people, both directly and indirectly, that’s around six percent of the bloc’s workforce. But in recent years, Europe’s manufacturers have been struggling to cope with issues like economic downturns, clean energy requirements and the digital revolution. Some of the oldest, biggest carmakers are considering plant closures and job cuts in order to try and stay afloat.
They are also facing fierce competition in the electric vehicle market from China, who have taken a lead in producing cars that are much more competitively priced and equipped with much more sophisticated technology. China’s own economy has been flagging, so the EU provides it with its largest overseas market in terms of the electric car industry.
But now, in a bid to protect their own car industry, the EU has introduced tariffs on electric cars made in China. These tariffs are set to rise from ten percent up to forty five percent for the next five years. Beijing has condemned them as protectionist and there are concerns that it could spark a trade war between Brussels and Beijing.
So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Is Europe’s car industry at a crossroads?’
Contributors: Carsten Brzeski, Global Head of Macro Research, ING, Germany Tu Le, Founder and Managing Director, Sino Auto Insights, United States of America Beatrix Keim, Director, CAR Centre for Automotive Research, Germany Stefan Deix, Director, EUCAR, European Council for Automotive R&D, Belgium
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Matthew DempseyProduction Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Image Credit: Westend61 via Getty Images
When protests against decades of rule by the Assad family were crushed by Syrian government forces in the spring of 2011, opposition groups took up arms and the country descended into civil war. The conflict drew in Syria’s Kurds, jihadi groups including Islamic State and al-Qaeda, and the international community.
13 years on President Assad controls around two thirds of the country, but northern Syria remains out of the regime's grip and is highly volatile. Internal divisions, international influences and a worsening humanitarian situation may be about to further destabilise the region, with potentially serious consequences for Syria and the world. So, in this episode of The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘What’s the future for Syria’s divided north?’
ContributorsDr Burcu Ozcelik, Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security at the Royal United Services Institute.Charles Lister, Director of the Syria and Countering Terrorism & Extremism programs, Middle East Institute.Qutaiba Idlbi, Director of the Syria Initiative at the Atlantic Council.Emma Beals, Senior Advisor at the European Institute of Peace and a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington.
Presenter: Emily WitherProduction: Diane Richardson and Matt ToulsonBroadcast Co-ordinator: Ellie Dover & Liam MorreyEditor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Cameron Ward
Image credit - NurPhoto via Getty Images
Aerospace giant Boeing has had big problems to overcome since the crashes of two of its 737 Max aircraft. Its situation was compounded this year with another safety scare and a strike losing it billions of dollars. It has a new CEO who has pledged to return the company to its engineering roots and away from cost cutting and in October, Boeing managed to raise 21bn US dollars by issuing new shares in the company. However, catching up on lost production will take time and money and financially the company is nowhere near out of the weeds.
Can Boeing regain the trust of regulators, airlines and passengers?
Contributors:Richard Aboulafia, AeroDynamic Advisory, a US aerospace consultancy Sharon Turlep, an aviation industry reporter at the Wall Street Journal Christine Negroni, an aviation journalist specialising in safety Scott Hamilton, aviation analyst
Presented by David Baker. Produced by Bob Howard. Researched by Matt Toulson. Edited by Tara McDermott. Mixed by David Crackles.
Image credit - Kevin Burkholder via Getty Images
Earlier this year the global video sharing platform You Tube dominated TV viewership in the United States, knocking Disney off the top spot and leaving major media names like Netflix, Paramount, Amazon and Fox in its wake. In a first for the streaming platform, the time people spent watching YouTube on television accounted for 10.4 percent of total TV in the month of July.
In terms of its world reach, the platform is now available in more than one hundred countries and pulls in nearly three billion users every month, the majority of which are between 25 and 34 years old, that’s younger than the core audience for traditional television.
Launched in 2005, YouTube has since expanded and diversified, but it’s niche area for dominating the market is still in user generated content and the advertising income it draws in provides the platform with its main source of revenue, leaving the traditional TV market in its wake.
So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Is YouTube’s disruption of TV now complete?’
Contributors: Mark Bergen, Reporter with Bloomberg Technology, Author of ‘Like, Comment, Subscribe: Inside YouTube’s Chaotic Rise to World Domination’, London, UK.
Chris Stokel-Walker, Journalist, Author of ‘YouTubers: How YouTube Shook Up TV and Created a New Generation of Stars’, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Rahul Telang, Professor of Information Systems, Carnegie Mellon University, Co-Author of ‘Streaming, Sharing, Stealing: Big Data and the Future of Entertainment’, Pennsylvania, USA
Dr. Marlen Komorowski, Professor for European Media Markets, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Senior Research Fellow, Cardiff University, Wales, UK Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Kirsteen Knight Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Cameron Ward Production Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley
Image: Silhouettes of laptop and mobile device users are seen next to a screen projection of the YouTube logo
Credit: Reuters/Dado Ruvić
The International Space Station will be decommissioned in 2030 and crash down into the Pacific Ocean, ending more than three decades of international cooperation.
Launched in the wake of the Cold War, the ISS is seen as a triumph of global diplomacy between the US, Russia and other nations. Its demise will mark the end of an era.
Nasa has awarded contracts to commercial companies to develop potential successors to the ISS, and maintain a U.S. presence in low earth orbit. Meanwhile Russia and India have said they plan to launch their own individual stations, and China has already got its own space station, Tiangong.
As the era of the International Space Station nears its end, this week on The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘What will happen after the International Space Station?’
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Kirsteen Knight Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Operator: Ben Houghton
Contributors: Jennifer Levasseur, Museum Curator at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, Washington D.C., US
Mark McCaughrean, former Senior Advisor for Science & Exploration at the European Space Agency and astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany
Mai'a Cross, Professor of political science at Northeastern University, and director for the Center for International Affairs and World Cultures, Massachusetts, US
Wendy Whitman Cobb, Professor of strategy and security studies at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Alabama, US
CREDIT: State of the Union address, 1984; Courtesy Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
This year wildfires in Canada have caused devastation to the country’s treasured town of Jasper. The wildfires have ravaged the landscape, destroyed communities and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
The causes are many, and fires are a natural occurrence. But humans, and the climate, are making them worse. As the number and intensity of fires increase, the methods used to both prevent and fight them may need to change.
How can Canada fight its wildfires?
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Louise ClarkeResearcher: Anoushka Mutanda-DoughertyEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical producer: Cameron Ward
Contributors: Mike Flannagan, Professor of wildland fire at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British ColumbiaLiz Goldman, World Resources InstituteJohn Keeley, senior research scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey and an adjunct professor at the University of California in Los AngelesCordy Tymstra, former wildfire science coordinator for the Alberta Wildfire Management Branch
(Image: Getty/ Anadolu)
Ukraine’s President Zelensky recently presented his ‘Victory Plan’ to end the war in Ukraine to both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, the two candidates competing to be the next President of the United States of America. President Zelensky’s view is that if his plan is supported by Ukraine’s allies, then the war could be ended by next year.
But both US Presidential candidates, whilst in agreement that the war has to stop, have expressed a very different approach to how they would work towards that. And there are concerns from Ukraine that there will be a significant decrease in getting support in the future, regardless of who will be sitting in the White House. The United States is the top donor to Ukraine in terms of military, financial and humanitarian aid, but if their support did wane, it would mean Ukraine would have to become much more reliant on European backing. Whilst Europe has pledged much in terms of military support, it has yet to deliver everything it has promised. And there is the issue of Europe’s political will and financial backing to fulfil its pledge. In light of this President Zelensky is hoping Europe too will be convinced by his ‘Victory Plan’ and perhaps act as an insurance plan to keep the US focus on this war.
So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘How might the next US President affect the war in Ukraine?’
Contributors: Mariia Zolkina, Head of Regional Security and Conflict Studies, Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation, Kyiv, UkraineMary Anne Marsh, Democratic Strategist and Political Analyst, Boston, USA Matthew Kroenig, Vice President and Senior Director, Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Washington DC, USAMatthew Savill, Director of Military Sciences, Royal United Services Institute, London, UK
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Ben Houghton Broadcast Co-ordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Image: BBC file photo)
A court room in the US State of Nevada provided the setting for the recent hearing between media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his children, over who will inherit his empire on the 93 year old’s death.
The succession battle, worthy of the TV drama Succession, which was partly inspired by the Murdoch dynasty, was played out behind closed doors and it’s unlikely that the decision, when it comes, will be made available to the public.
Murdoch’s News Corp owns hundreds of newspapers and media outlets around the world. It includes the right-leaning Fox News in the US, which gave Donald Trump a major platform in the run-up to the 2016 Presidential election, as well as widely read newspapers like the Sun in the UK.
Speculation over who is most likely to take control of the multi-billion dollar business currently centres around the eldest son Lachlan Murdoch, the sibling most closely aligned to his father in terms of their vision for the future. But at this point the outcome all depends on whether legally such a takeover can happen.
So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘What’s the succession plan for Murdoch’s empire?’
Contributors: Walter Marsh, Journalist and Author of Young Rupert: The Making of the Murdoch Empire, South AustraliaDavid Folkenflik, Media Correspondent NPR News, Author of Murdoch’s World: The Last of the Old Media Empires, USAReid Weisbord, Distinguished Professor of Law, Rutgers Law School, Visiting Professor, Columbia University, USA Alice Enders, Chief Economist, Enders Analysis, UK
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producers: Louise Clarke and Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Broadcast Co-ordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Image: Reuters/Mike Segar)
With Lebanon, Gaza, and Israel all under fire and a death count running into tens of thousands, the Middle East has never been in a more dangerous position.
The United States has been a big diplomatic influence on attempts at peace negotiations in the Middle East.
The last major attempt at peace negotiations was in the spring of 2024 when the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited the region to try and broker a ceasefire.
But despite the efforts of not just the US, but Egypt, Qatar and Europe, there has been no agreement to cease hostilities.
What would bring all the different parties to the negotiating table? And is there any country or organisation credible enough that will be listened to by all parties?
This episode of The Inquiry asks: Can anyone broker peace in the Middle East?
Contributors: Hugh Lovatt, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign RelationsBilal Y Saab, Head of the US-Middle East Practice and an Advisor in the Scientific and Academic Council of TRENDS Research and AdvisoryProfessor Christopher Phillips, Professor of International Relations at Queen Mary University of LondonDr Burcu Ozcelik, Senior Research Fellow in Middle East security at The Royal United Services Institute
Presenter: Victoria UwonkundaProducer: Louise ClarkeResearcher: Matt ToulsonEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical producer: James BradshawProduction support: Jacqui Johnson
(Image: Getty/FADEL ITANI)
In September Greek Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni announced the introduction of special fees for passengers disembarking from cruise ships at Mykonos, Santorini and some other ports. The fees are part of a broader strategy to manage the resurgence of mass tourism post-covid, reducing some of the negative impacts such as pressure on water supplies, waste management and overcrowding, while spreading the economic benefits more fairly across society. Greece is not alone in considering how to alleviate the tensions arising when exceptional numbers of tourists arrive during peak holiday times. Venice has limited the size of tour groups, charging visitors a daily entry fee and the mayor of Barcelona has pledged to eliminate short-term tourist lets in the city within five years, to ease housing pressures.
With revenues from international tourism reaching USD 1.8 trillion last year according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, many governments and experts are thinking carefully about how to strike a balance between the economic boost, the tourist experience and the welfare of local communities. Can tourists be enticed away from those Instagram hot spots and what potential solutions could Greece employ to deal with overtourism? ContributorsKaterina Kikilia, Head of Tourism Management, University of West Attica, AthensSandra Carvão, Director of Market Intelligence, Policies, and Competitiveness, UN World Travel OrganisationKumi Kato, Professor in Tourism Studies, Wakayama University, JapanCevat Tosun, Eisenhower chair and professor of Tourism Studies and management at George Washington University School of Business
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProduction: Diane Richardson and Matt ToulsonBroadcast Co-ordinator: Jacqui JohnsonEditor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Toby James
(Image: Oia, Thira, Greece / Getty Images: Fernando Vazquez Miras)
Just over three years ago the Taliban seized Kabul and stormed to power in Afghanistan. They soon declared a new government which is still not recognised by any other country.
The Taliban claim they have made improvements to the country. War is over and, they say, there is more peace and security than before they came to power.
But millions of people are struggling to survive in the country, there is a restrictive rule of law that is imposed by a very hierarchical government structure and half the population need aid.
This week on The Inquiry we’re asking ‘How are the Taliban governing Afghanistan?’
Presenter: Emily WitherProducers: Louise Clarke and Matt ToulsonEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical Producers: Nicky Edwards and Cameron Ward
Contributors: Dr Weeda Mehran, co-director for Advanced Internationalist studies at Exeter UniversityGraeme Smith, senior analyst for the International Crisis GroupDr Orzala Nemet, research associate at ODI Overseas Development InstituteJavid Ahmad, non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington DC
(Photo by WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images)
At the beginning of September, the far-right party Alternative for Germany or AfD, won an election in the eastern state of Thuringia. The result marked the far right’s first win, in a state parliament election, since World War Two. In the more populous neighbouring state of Saxony the party came in a close second. Whilst in both states the party has been officially classed as ‘right-wing extremist’, the results nonetheless, signify a sharp rebuke from the voting public towards Germany’s established political forces, including the ruling coalition.
The Afd was founded in 2013 as an anti-euro party to challenge the government. It entered the German parliament for the first time in 2017 and now it’s focus has shifted to immigration and Islam. As the country faces federal elections next year, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged mainstream parties to block the AfD from governing in Thuringia by maintaining a so-called firewall against it. But in terms of the voting public, the polls currently suggest the party could also take the most votes in Brandenburg state’s election coming up.
So, on this week’s Inquiry we’re asking, Can Germany’s far right win the country?
Contributors: Thomas König, Professor Dr. of Political Science, European Politics, University of Mannheim, Germany Dr. Michelle Lynn Kahn, Associate Professor, Modern European History, University of Richmond, VA, USA Christina Zuber, Professor Dr. of German Politics, Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Konstanz, Germany Jörn Fleck, Senior Director of the Europe Centre, The Atlantic Council, Washington DC, USA
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Broadcast Co-ordinator: Jacqui Johnson
Image Credit: CLEMENS BILAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
In August this year, a US court in Washington DC ruled that Google acted illegally to crush its competition and maintain a monopoly on online search and related advertising. This is just one of a number of lawsuits that have been filed against the big tech companies, as US antitrust authorities attempt to strengthen competition in the industry.
Now Google is facing another legal case in Virginia, USA, over its advertising technology. Whilst in Europe it has been fined billions in monopoly cases. Google themselves dispute they are a ‘monopolist’ and presented evidence in the US court case in August to show that they face ‘fierce competition from a broad range of competitors’. The court did find Google’s search to be ‘superior’ to its competitors. And Google’s executives say consumers stick with them because they find Google ‘helpful’.
Google is everywhere in our online lives and it handles billions of search queries every day, so on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Can we trust Google?’
Contributors: David Vise, Pulitzer Prize winning Journalist and Author of ‘The Google Story’, New York, USA Professor Douglas Melamed, Visiting Fellow, Stanford Law School, Washington, DC. USA Jonathan Stray, Senior Scientist, UC Berkeley Center for Human-Compatible AI, California, USA Cristina Caffarra, Independent Expert Economist, Honorary Professor, UCL, London, UK
Presenter: David Baker Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Broadcast Co-ordinator: Jacqui Johnson
Image Credit: Reuters/Steve Marcus
Hezbollah has both political and military wings both of which are designated by several countries as terror organisations. It emerged several decades ago in Lebanon.
Since Israel launched its war in Gaza in the wake of the Hamas attacks of October 7th, it has intensified its military activities along the border between Israel and Lebanon.
The persistent question has been what is it trying to achieve? Are the attacks intended as a show of support for the Palestinians in Gaza or an attempt to take advantage of Israel’s diverted military focus? And could this dangerous front lead to an all-out war in the Middle East?
This week on the Inquiry we are asking: What does Hezbollah want?
Contributors:Aurélie Daher, Associate Professor in political science at the University Paris-Dauphine Lina Khatib, Associate Fellow with the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham HouseDr Bashir Saade, Lecturer of Politics and Religion at the University of Stirling in ScotlandMehran Kamrava, Professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Louise ClarkeResearcher: Matt ToulsonEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical Producer: Gareth JonesBroadcast Co-ordinator: Jacqui Johnson
Image: Hezbollah Fighters and Mourners Attend Funeral of Top Commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut / NurPhoto / Contributor via Getty Images
In 2018 an historic document known as the ‘Provisional Agreement’ was signed between the Catholic Church and the People’s Republic of China. So far this agreement has been renewed every two years and the expectation is that it will be renewed again this year.
The only detail that has been made public is that the Agreement allows the Pope final approval on Bishops appointed by the Chinese authorities, other than that it is cloaked in secrecy. But there have been occasions since its signing where the Communist Party have reneged on this Agreement, approving its own choice of Bishops.
There are an estimated 13 million Catholics in China, split between the official Chinese state recognised church and the underground church. And one of the Catholic Church’s most senior members, Cardinal Joseph Zen, the former Bishop of Hong Kong, has in the past, referred to this Provisional Agreement as betrayal of those in the underground church.
For the Pope, the Agreement is a pragmatic attempt to unify the church in China and make peace with the state, but the underground church see this Agreement as a sell-out by their spiritual father.
So on The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Is Pope Francis ‘betraying’ China’s Catholics?’
Contributors: Martin Palmer, Theologian and Sinologist, UK Fr. Jeroom Heyndrickx, CICM (Scheut) Missionary, BelgiumSamuel Chu, President, Campaign for Hong Kong, USA John Allen, Editor of Crux, Italy Presenter: William Crawley Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Broadcast Co-ordinator: Jacqui Johnson
Image Credit: A worshipper waves the flag of China, as Pope Francis leaves the weekly general audience at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican. Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images.
Project 2025 is a blueprint for the next conservative president of the US. The think tank behind it, The Heritage Foundation, has published a book, ‘Mandate for Leadership’. It’s an anthology of ideas that suggest sweeping changes to federal government, presidential power and US involvement in global affairs.
Mandate for Leadership is a collection of policy ideas, written for any president to use once in office. Previous Republican administrations have implemented many of its action points.
Project 2025 is divisive. Many see it as a way to strengthen the US constitution, but others fear it will dismantle it and invest irreversible power in the president.
How might Project 2025 shape the US?
Presented by Charmaine CozierProduced by Louise ClarkeResearched by Matt ToulsonEditor Tara McDermott Technical producer Nicky Edwards
Contributors: Don Moynihan, Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University in Washington DC
Jeff Anderson, the President of the American Main Street Initiative
Beau Breslin, Professor of Political Science at Skidmore College in upstate New York
Heather Hurlburt, Associate Fellow at Chatham House
(Image credit: AP)
Last year the Canadian province of British Columbia, launched a landmark three-year pilot programme on drug decriminalisation. For a number of years now communities across Canada have been facing their own opioid crisis, as drugs like fentanyl become more easily available.
Vancouver in British Columbia, has always been at the forefront of drug policy change, yet it has seen an explosion in overdose deaths due to toxic drugs in recent years. So the city readily adopted the decriminalisation programme as a measure to try and help reduce the death rates. But now just over a year since its implementation, that pilot programme has been scaled back, and it now means that people found with drugs on their person in public places can be arrested again. Can Canada overcome its drug overdose crisis?’
Contributors: Dr. Alexander Caudarella, CEO Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, Ottawa, CanadaKennedy Stewart, associate professor, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada Aljona Kurbatova, head of Centre for Health Promotion, National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia Gillian Kolla, assistant professor, Memorial University, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical producer: Richard Hannaford
(Photo: Supervised consumption sites in the DTES. Credit: Gary Coronado/Getty Images)
Hundreds of monumental human shaped statues are motionless, and exposed to the elements, on Rapa Nui - also known as Easter Island. A name that dates back to 1722, when a Dutch explorer first saw it on Easter Sunday.
The statues, or Moai, were there centuries before that and are sacred to the Rapa Nui people.
They’ve also become a world famous tourist attraction and can be found in multiple outdoor locations across the small island. They are heavy and huge - sizes range from 1 to 20 metres tall. Some are upright on platforms, others are toppled over and broken.
Over the years, global weather has become more extreme and is having a devastating effect.
So this week on The Inquiry we're asking - Can the statues of Easter Island survive climate change?
Contributors: Sonia Haoa Cardinali, Archaeologist with the Mata Ki Te Rangi Foundation and coordinator of Easter Island's national monuments, Rapa Nui
Roberto Rondanelli, Meteorologist and Climate Scientist at the Department of Geophysics, University of Chile
Jo Anne Van Tilburg, Archaeologist and the Director of the Easter Island Statue Project
Pilar Vicuña, Culture Programme Officer, UNESCO (Santiago de Chile),
Production team: Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducers: Lorna Reader and Jill CollinsProduction Co-ordinators: Liam Morrey and Tim Fernley Editor: Tara McDermott
The South China Sea is a major world shipping route bordered by a number of countries including China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, all of whom have staked claims to various zones in this vast expanse of water.
But tensions have grown in recent years between China who claim the majority of the South China Sea for themselves and the Philippines. Lately these tensions have escalated into a series of dangerous encounters as the two countries seek to enforce their right to disputed reefs and outcrops in these contested waters.
At the heart of this particular dispute lies a rusting warship, which belongs to the Philippine navy. It has been berthed on a submerged reef, the Second Thomas Shoal, since 1999, an outpost that the Philippine government claim belongs to them. The Sierra Madre is manned by a small Filipino crew who need a continual supply of provisions from the mainland, but the supply ships are encountering increasingly dangerous stand-offs with the Chinese coast guard in the South China Sea. The Chinese claim these encounters are just aimed at blocking an ‘illegal transportation’ of supplies. But there are concerns that this regional dispute could spark a wider conflict between China and the US, who are treaty-bound to come to the defence of the Philippines, should it come under attack.
So, on this week’s Inquiry, ‘What can a rusting warship tell us about tensions in the South China Sea?’
Contributors: Dr Hasim Turker, Independent Researcher, Istanbul, Turkey Professor Steve Tsang, Director SOAS China Institute, LondonProfessor Jay Batongbacal, Director, Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, U.P. Law Centre, Philippines Gregory Poling, Director Southeast Asia Programme and the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, USA Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Katie Morgan Technical Producer: Richard HannafordProduction Coordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
Image: The Philippine ship BRP Sierra Madre in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.
Credit: Lisa Marie David/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
The H5N1 bird flu virus has spread from birds to dairy cattle in the United States where a number of agricultural workers have also been infected by it. This is thought to be the first time humans have caught the virus from another mammal and the first time the virus has been detected in cattle.
This unusual development is being tracked by virologists who have followed Bird Flu since it first emerged in Hong Kong in the 1990s.
Since then, across the world millions of wild birds and poultry have died from the virus and over 400 human deaths worldwide have been linked to it. So it is a concern that the US outbreak has emerged in dairy cattle herds and that there has been some human infection - although there has been no person-to-person infection.
This Inquiry examines how the virus infects birds and mammals and what the potential is for further transmission to humans.
Contributors:Dr Erin Sorrell is a senior scholar and associate professor at Johns Hopkins University in the US.Professor Wendy Barclay studies viruses at Imperial College London in the UKDr Ed Hutchinson is a virologist at the MRC University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research in ScotlandDr Marc-Alain Widdowson leads the high threat pathogens group at the World Health Organisation in Europe.
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Phil Reevell Researcher: Katie Morgan Editor: Tara McDermott Sound: Nicky EdwardsProduction co-ordinator: Tim Fernley
(Photo Cows queuing for their midway milking at United Dreams Dairy, in North Freedom, Wisconsin. Credit: The Washington Post/Getty Images
Since the CNN Presidential Debate in June 2024 headlines in the US calling for Joe Biden to pull out of the race have been relentless. There have been questions about his age, performance, and ability to run for a second term in the White House.
Biden’s ratings have slipped, and donors and party members have publicly said that Biden should step aside.
Joe Biden maintains he will not go and that he is the best person to beat would-be president Donald Trump.
He does still have staunch supporters and he was democratically elected as presumptive nominee by the electorate.
But with weeks to go before the Democratic National Committee meets to make Biden the official candidate, how easy would it be to find a replacement?
This week on The Inquiry we’re asking, can the Democrats replace Biden?
Presented by Tanya BeckettProduced by Louise ClarkeResearched by Matt ToulsonProduction Coordinators: Ellie Dover & Tim FernleyTechnical Producer: Nicky EdwardsEditor: Tara McDermott
Contributors:
Martha McDevitt Pugh, International Chair of Democrats Abroad
Elaine Kamarck, senior fellow in Governance Studies and the director of the Center for Effective Public Management at The Brookings Institution
Ed Kilgore, political columnist for New York Magazine
Hans Noel, associate Professor of Government at Georgetown University
Image Credit: Bloomberg\Getty
The European Union is made up of 27 sovereign member states and has several governing institutions. On 1 July 2024, Viktor Orbán’s government will hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union for six months.
This diplomatic role may present its challenges because Hungary takes a divergent view from centrist colleagues in a few areas, two of them being climate policy and support for Ukraine. And in the past Hungary has used its veto to stall votes on policies that support Ukraine.
After recent European elections hard-right parties now have a greater presence in the European Parliament and they have different priorities from their more centrist counterparts. The question is how the far-right, together with Hungary’s presidency of the Council of the EU, can alter the direction of European politics.
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Louise ClarkeResearchet: Matt ToulsonSound engineer: Richard HannafordProduction co-ordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
Contributors: Pawel Zerka, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations in Paris
Thu Nguyen, deputy director of the EU policy think tank the Jacques Delors Centre in Berlin
Dimitar Bechev, from the School of Global and Area Studies at the University of Oxford and Senior fellow at Carnegie Europe
Marta Mucznik, senior EU analyst for International Crisis Group
(Photo:Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Mihaly Orban. Credit: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
Artificial Intelligence is something that’s all around us in our daily lives. And even if we do use it, whether that’s to search for a recipe online, make a funny photo, or ask it to help with our homework, every task that AI does uses power. That power is electricity.
Around the world there are thousands of data centres hosting computers that process all our requests. And as those tasks get more sophisticated, and AI becomes Super Intelligent, they will need even more electricity.
But as Super AI develops, could it become so intelligent that it is able to solve the very problems it creates?
Contributors:Dr Mark Van Rijmenam, a strategic futuristKate Crawford, research professor at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and senior principal researcher at Microsoft Research in New YorkSam Young, AI Manager at Energy Systems CatapultRose Mutiso, research director of the Energy for Growth Hub
Presented by David BakerProduced by Louise ClarkeResearched by Katie MorganEdited by Tara McDermottTechnically Produced by Craig Boardman
The Caribbean country of Haiti has been blighted for years by groups of armed gangs, who have proved more than a match for the national police force, who have struggled to confront them.
Now as the country descends further into lawlessness, a response to Haiti’s plea for international assistance may finally be at hand, in the form of a United Nations backed multi-national security force led by Kenya and supported financially by the United States. This East African country has volunteered to lead the mission with their own elite police unit, to help Haiti’s transitional authorities restore order. But the Kenyan government’s decision to involve itself in another country’s problems has raised some questions back home about the deployment. So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Why is Kenya getting involved in Haiti?’
Contributors: Robert Fatton Jr, Emeritus Professor of Politics, University of Virginia, USA. Dismas Mokua, Political Risk Analyst, Tricarta Advisory Limited, Nairobi, KenyaProfessor Karuti Kanyinga, University of Nairobi Institute for Development Studies, KenyaMichelle Gavin, Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, New York, USA
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Production Coordinator:Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
Image/Credit: Haiti awaits the arrival of Kenyan led international security support mission, Port Au Prince/ORLANDO BARRIA/EPA-EFE/REX Shutterstock via BBC Images
In September 2022 a Christian pastor had a meeting with Kim Keon Hee, the first lady of South Korea, in her private residence. That meeting was recorded with a hidden camera and the film was released a year later.
What happens in the footage is not entirely clear … except that it appears to show two people - a man and a woman meeting, and one offering an expensive bagged gift to the other. This obscure video triggered a political storm so large that some say it even affected the outcome of the country’s parliamentary elections.
So what does a designer handbag say about South Korean politics?
Contributors:Raphael Rashid, freelance Journalist based in SeoulSarah Son, Director of the Centre for South Korean Studies at the University of SheffieldJong Eun Lee, Assistant Professor of Political Science at North Greenville University in South CarolinaAndrew Yeo, Senior Fellow and South Korea Foundation Chair at the Brookings Institution
Presented by Tanya BeckettProduced by Louise ClarkeResearched by Matt ToulsonProduction Coordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
Image Credit: Philip Fong\Getty
On the 28th of May, in a small country on the easternmost reaches of Europe, a new law came into effect.
For the vast majority of people around the world, this new ruling, in a nation of fewer than 4 million inhabitants, went largely unnoticed.
However, for many of the citizens of Georgia it marked a setback, throwing off course the country’s prospects of joining the European Union and aligning it more closely with Moscow.
This week on The Inquiry we’re asking, ‘Is Georgia turning its back on Europe?’
Contributors:
Megi Kartsivadze, DPhil student, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford, and an invited lecturer at the University of Tbilisi, Georgia
Professor Stephen Jones, Director of the Program on Georgian Studies at the Davis Center at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Dr. Lia Tsuladze, Executive Director of the Center for Social Sciences and an Associate Professor of Sociology at Tbilisi State University, Georgia
Maia Nikoladze, Assistant Director in the GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council, Washington DC
Production team:
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Lorna ReaderTechnical Producer: Craig BoardmanResearcher: Matt ToulsonProduction Coordinators: Ellie Dover & Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
Image Credit: David Mdzinarishvili/Epa-Efe/Rex/Shutterstock
The current record holder for the world’s biggest iceberg is the A23a. Back in 1986 this colossus broke away from an Antarctic ice sheet. This process of breaking off or ‘calving’ as it is known is a natural part of the life cycle of an ice sheet. But A23a then became lodged in the Weddell Sea for more than thirty years, until four years ago a gradual melting allowed the berg to refloat.
Since then it’s been steadily on the move, heading in the same direction as Antarctic icebergs before it, towards the warm waters of the Southern Ocean, where it will eventually shrink from melting.
As it travels, the iceberg has been playing an important role on the ecological environment around it, both in positive and negative ways. So, on this week on The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘What can the world’s biggest iceberg tell us?’
Contributors: Dr. Catherine Walker, Glaciologist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts, USA Dr. Oliver Marsh, Glaciologist, British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK Jemma Wadham, Professor of Glaciology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway Christopher Shuman, Research Associate Professor, NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre, Maryland, USA
Presenter: William Crawley Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Katie Morgan Editor: Tara McDermott Production Co-ordinator: Ellie Dover
Image Credit: A23a in Antarctica, Jan 2024. Rob Suisted/Reuters/via BBC Images
In February 2024, Myanmar reactivated an old law which had been on hold for 14 years, stating adult men aged up to 35, and women up to 27 years old, must serve at least two years in the country’s armed forces. The plan is to add sixty thousand new recruits annually – and anyone caught avoiding conscription faces prison and a fine.
It’s part of the military-led government’s bid to fight back in a brutal civil war, which broke out in 2021 after its coup seized power from the democratically elected party. A violent crackdown on the peaceful public protests that followed triggered widespread armed resistance and has energised other groups who are determined to end military leadership.
Myanmar is no stranger to internal unrest, but this latest conflict is pushing it closer to the edge.
This week we’re asking - Is Myanmar on the brink of collapse?
Contributors: Tin Htar Swe, Former Editor of BBC Burmese Service & freelance Myanmar consultantProfessor Michael W. Charney, Professor of Asian and Military History, SOAS, University of LondonDr David Brenner, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of SussexDr Min Zaw Oo, Executive Director, Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security
Production team: Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Lorna ReaderResearcher: Matt ToulsonEditor: Tara McDermott
Picture Credit: Getty Images
Historically, Turkey has always had a strong women’s rights movement, stemming from the days of the Ottoman Empire through to the emergence of the Republic of Turkey into the present day. At the top of the movement’s agenda now is the fight to protect women against violence from men. It’s three years since Turkey pulled out of the Istanbul Convention, the Europe wide treaty on combatting violence against women and girls. The Turkish Government has its own version of domestic violence law, but there are concerns that this doesn’t offer the same protection as the Convention.
Campaigners say that femicide and violence against women continues to plague society and that there is an increasingly anti-gender rhetoric within mainstream politics.
So, this week on The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Is Turkey getting more dangerous for women?’
Contributors: Dr. Sevgi Adak, Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, The Aga Khan University. Professor Seda Demiralp, Işık University, Turkey. Dr. Ezel Buse Sönmezocak, International Human Rights Lawyer, Turkey Dr. Hürcan Aslı Aksoy, German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Berlin.
Presenter: Emily Wither Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Katie MorganProduction Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Image credit: Cagla Gurdogan via REUTERS from BBC Images
The war in Ukraine has reached a pivotal moment.
After months of an apparent stalling on the frontlines, Russia has recently made a series of critical breakthroughs.
Now the race is on for Kyiv to get newly approved military aid to the front line before Russian forces attack Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv.
The 60 billion dollar bill passed in America’s congress at the end of April allows for Ukraine to push back against Russian forces and prepare to mount an offensive next year.
But a gap in the supply of missiles has left Kyiv dangerously exposed and huge questions remain about how Ukraine’s President will act next.
So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Has US military aid come in time for President Zelensky?’
Contributors:
Gustav Gressel, senior policy fellow with the Wider Europe Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations’ Berlin office. Max Bergmann, Director, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Stuart Center, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in the US. Dr Marina Miron, post-doctoral researcher in the War Studies Department and an honorary researcher at the Centre for Military Ethics and the Department of Defence Studies, Kings College, London. Professor Olga Onuch, Professor (Chair) in Comparative and Ukrainian Politics at the University of Manchester, UK.
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Lorna ReaderResearcher: Matt ToulsonProduction Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Image credit: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via Reuters via BBC Images
Last year the US state of Texas introduced a controversial law designed to control the huge number of undocumented migrants crossing its southern border with Mexico. The law known as Senate Bill 4 or SB4, allows local and state police the power to arrest and charge people with a newly created state crime - ‘illegal entry’.
Immigration law has historically been handled by the federal government. Crossing the border is a federal crime and addressed by immigration courts that fall under the justice department.
Now Texas is embroiled in a legal battle and SB4 has been paused. But it’s just the latest measure that Texas has taken to stop hundreds of thousands of migrants entering the US on its border. Back in 2021 the state’s Governor, Greg Abbott launched a multi-billion dollar border security programme known as Operation Lone Star. Along with his Republican lawmakers, the Governor’s argument is that Texas has a legal right to defend itself and they allege that Democrat President Joe Biden has failed to secure the US southern border in violation of the law.But with a Presidential election this November, it remains to be seen if Texas will have a more sympathetic ally in the White House in the future.
So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Can Texas go it alone on border control?’
Contributors:
Dr. Ernesto Castañeda, Director of the Centre for Latin American and Latino Studies and it’s Immigration Lab, American University, Washington DC, USA
Dr James Henson, Director, Texas Politics Project, Department of Government, The University of Texas at Austin, USA.
Denise Gilman, Clinical Professor, Co-Director Immigration Clinic, The University of Texas at Austin, School of Law, USA
Julia Gelatt, Associate Director, US Immigration Policy Programme, Migration Policy Institute, Washington DC, USA
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Image credit: Adam Davis via BBC Images
Beyonce has released an album that has gone straight to the top of the country music charts.
The 27 tracks include the work of many collaborators from the world of country music, including Black country artist Linda Martell and Dolly Parton’s 1974 song Jolene.
It has been so well received it has become the fastest selling album of the year.
Beyonce is usually known for her pop and RnB. Her success in the country music genre has opened up a wider debate about where country music originates from, who it belongs to and its political associations.
This week on the Inquiry we are asking, who is country ?
Contributors:
William Nash, Professor of American Studies and English at Middleburgh CollegeFrancesca Inglese, assistant professor in the Department of Music at Northeastern UniversityTaylor Crumpton, music critic and culture writer from Dallas, TexasCharles Hughes, associate professor at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee and co-founder of the No Fences Review
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducers: Louise Clarke and Lorna ReaderEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical Producer: Cameron WardProduction Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Image credit: Reuters
An increasing number of people are dying from misuse of synthetic opioids. In 2022, the US recorded over 70,000 overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids. The government is spending billions to combat the effects of these super strength drugs.Synthetic opioids, such as Fentanyl, are made in laboratories by using materials derived from the opium poppy. China is a major hub for the production of synthetic opioids, where it then makes its way to North America through Mexican drug cartels.
The lab-made drugs can be more deadly than the natural materials, but they are more easily accessible, and prevalence is rising across the world.
In West Africa and the Middle East, tramadol is one of the most consumed synthetic drugs. The rise of synthetic opioids in the European market, which are being used as a substitute for a heroin shortage, is fuelling concern that these substances could lead to a rise in drug-related deaths.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking are synthetic opioids a global problem?
Contributors Ric Treble, Forensic chemist and advisor to the Government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of DrugsDr Angela Me, Chief of the Research and Trend Analysis Branch from the United Nations Office on Drugs and CrimeBen Westhoff, author of Fentanyl, Inc and investigative journalistDr Vanda Felbab-Brown is a senior fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings Institution
Production teamPresenter: Charmaine CozierProducers: Vicky Carter and Matt Toulson Researcher: Ajai SinghEditor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Cameron WardProduction Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Image credit: mikroman6 via Getty Images
Six months into Israel’s war in Gaza and with no sign of a ceasefire or breakthrough in securing the release of the 130 hostages, as yet unaccounted for, pressure is mounting on Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
There have been widespread protests in Tel Aviv and across Israel. There have been calls both from home and abroad for an early election to be called. And Israel’s greatest ally, the United States has sharpened its rhetoric in the past few weeks over Israel’s conduct of the war, with President Biden now saying that he believes Benjamin Netanyahu is making ‘a mistake’ in his handling of it.
For his part, the Israeli Prime Minister looks set to continue with his military offensive and has shown no indication so far that he is willing to step down or call an early election.
So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘How secure is Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership?’
Contributors: Professor David Tal, the Yossi Harel Chair in Modern Israel Studies, University of Sussex, UK Natan Sachs, Director of the Centre for Middle East Policy, The Brookings Institution, Washington DC, USA Aaron David Miller, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington DC, USA Professor Tamar Hermann, Senior Research Fellow, The Israel Democracy Institute, Jerusalem
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Jill Collins Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Cameron Ward Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Image credit: Reuters via BBC Images
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease which can lead to loss of mobility and vision. Almost 3 million people worldwide are affected by it. There is no cure, but attempts are being made to accelerate the healing process with treatments to restore what the disease has damaged.
At the same time, scientists have recently discovered a link between MS and a common virus that the majority of us carry in our bodies. It had been known for years that there was a link between Multiple Sclerosis and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). But then, a study finally proved the link.
Now, trials are underway on potential vaccines against EBV and scientists are hopeful that this could be a gateway to preventing MS.
This week on the Inquiry we are asking: Are we close to a breakthrough for Multiple Sclerosis?
Contributors:
Tim Coetzee, Chief Advocacy, Services & Science Officer for the National MS Society, USTjalf Ziemssen, Professor of Clinical Neuroscience and Head of the Multiple Sclerosis Center and Neuroimmunological Laboratory, University Clinic Carl-Gustav Carus, GermanyJeffrey Huang, Associate Professor of Biology, Georgetown University, USClaire Shannon-Lowe, Associate Professor in Virology, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy at the University of Birmingham, UK
Production team:
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Matt ToulsonResearcher: Ajai SinghEditor: Tara McDermottStudio Manager: Hal HainesProduction Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Image Credit: Shidlovski\Getty
For centuries chocolate has had a global appeal, the key ingredient of this confectionery is derived from the dried and fully fermented seed of the Theobroma cacao, whose origins began in northern Amazonia. From this tree, both cocoa solids and cocoa butter can be extracted to form the basis of chocolate.
Today, it’s the West African countries of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana that produce the bulk of the world’s supply of cocoa beans. But in recent years hotter temperatures and shifts in rainfall patterns have impacted cocoa harvests particularly in this region. And now the global price of this key ingredient has roughly doubled since the start of last year, fuelling concern that demand could outweigh supply. Cocoa farming itself is mainly small scale and these farmers are at the bottom end of the value chain when it comes to profits. But whilst many of the major chocolate manufacturers do invest in the industry, with support for improved planting and harvesting techniques, farming sustainably is just one of a number of challenges that these small farmers face.
So on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Is climate change impacting chocolate production?’
Contributors: Dr Katie Sampeck, British Academy Global Professor of Historical Archaeology, University of Reading, EnglandPhilip Antwi-Agyei, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana Steffany Bermúdez, Policy Advisor, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), CanadaYunusa Abubakar, Project Manager, International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO), Côte d’Ivoire
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt ToulsonEditor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Hal HainesProduction Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Image by grafvision via Getty Images
In February this year, El Salvador's president Nayib Bukele won re-election with nearly 85% of the vote. His flagship policy after he came to power in 2019 has been the mass arrest of thousands of alleged gang members, mainly young men.
It is estimated that over 100,000 people are now behind bars as part of his crime crackdown. The round-ups have been hugely popular with El Salvador's people as it has improved security and neighbouring countries are taking note.
But critics say following Bukele's approach could threaten democracy, not just in El Salvador but across the continent. So on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking: Will neighbouring countries follow El Salvador's lead on crime?
Contributors: Carlos Dada, director of El Faro, an online newspaper based in El SalvadorKatherine Saunders-Hastings, a lecturer in Latin American Studies at the University of London's Institute of the Americas.Will Freeman, Fellow for Latin American Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York.Monica Pachon , a political scientist and professor at the University of the Andes in Bogotá, Colombia.
Presenter: David BakerProducer: Farhana HaiderJournalism Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky EdwardsProduction Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley and Liam Morrey
Image Credit:Alex Peña / Stringer via Getty Images
More than half of the world’s population currently lives in cities, and by 2050, the UN estimates that figure will rise to nearly 7 in 10 people. The world is also getting hotter, with heatwaves and wildfires becoming increasingly common.
So how can we deal with the dual challenges of increasing urbanisation and extreme weather caused by climate change? Perhaps we should look downwards.
For millennia, humans have taken refuge underground from the elements, predators and from war. Even today, bomb shelters exist under major cities like Beijing and Seoul. Many cities across the world have subway systems for easy transportation – and some are integrated seamlessly with below-ground business and shopping centres.
But what are the future challenges for urban planners and architects in this subterranean space, and how can we overcome the social stigma against those who live underground?
This week on the Inquiry, we ask: is our future underground?
Contributors: Martin Dixon, trustee of Subterranea Britannica, a society devoted to the study and investigation of man-made and man-used underground places. Jacques Besner, architect and urban planner; co-founder and general manager of Associated Research Centres for Urban Underground Spaces.Antonia Cornaro co-chair of ITACUS, the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association's Committee on Underground Space.Professor Clara Irazábal, Director of the Urban Studies and Planning Program at the University of Maryland, USA.
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Ravi NaikEditor: Tara McDermottResearcher: Matt Toulson Production Coordinators : Janet Staples & Liam Morrey
Photo by BEHROUZ MEHRI via Getty Images
The Mexican government has won its appeal to bring a civil lawsuit against a number of American gun companies. Mexico, which has extremely restrictive gun laws, claims that the ‘deliberate’ business practices of these US firms results in the illegal flow of firearms into Mexico, contributing to the gun crime violence in the country. They are now seeking as much as ten billion dollars in compensation.
The gun companies, which include some of America’s oldest established names in the firearms business, deny any wrongdoing. Since 2005, these companies have being granted immunity from prosecution under the ‘Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act’. This law protects the firearms manufacturers and dealers from being held liable when crimes have been committed with their products. But Mexico’s argument is that PLCAA, as it’s also known, only applies within the United States and therefore doesn’t protect the companies from liability.
It’s a case which is also resonating with other Latin American countries who have been impacted by illegal gun trafficking from the United States. Some of these countries have supported Mexico’s claims in the courts. And they will be watching closely to see if Mexico’s lawsuit, the first by a sovereign state, can set a precedent.
So on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Can Mexico win its battle with US gun companies?’
Contributors:Ioan Grillo, journalist and author focusing on Organised Crime, MexicoAdam Winkler, Cornell Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law, California, USARobert Spitzer, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Political Science, SUNY Cortland; Adjunct Faculty Member, College of William and Mary School of Law, USADr. León Castellanos-Jankiewicz, Senior Researcher, Asser Institute for International and European Law; Academic Supervisor, International Law Clinic on Access to Justice for Gun Violence, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Jill CollinsJournalism Researcher: Matt ToulsonEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical Producer: Cameron WardProduction Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey Image: Reuters via BBC Images
One of the most famous of Egypt’s pyramids, Menkaure’s pyramid on the Giza plateau, is the subject of controversy after the Egyptian authorities announced plans to restore it in what the country’s Head of Antiquities has called “the project of the century” and Egypt’s “gift to the world”. But not everyone believes such a restoration is in keeping with the demands of proper archaeological preservation.
The plans met with opposition from archaeologists and Egyptologists both inside and outside the country. The project has now been paused after recommendations from a scientific committee commissioned by the Egyptian authorities.
So what’s going on with the pyramids?
Presenter: Gary O’DonoghueProducer: Louise ClarkeResearcher: Matt ToulsonEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical producer: Nicky EdwardsProduction co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Contributors: Aidan Dodson, honorary Professor of Egyptology at Bristol university in the UKDr Jennifer Hellum, senior lecturer in classics and ancient history at the University of Auckland in New ZealandHeba Saleh, Cairo correspondent for the Financial TimesSalima Ikram, professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo
Photo by KHALED ELFIQI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock via BBC Images
Across the world fertility rates are falling and for the first time Europe is experiencing a sustained population decline. The average fertility rate for the European Union is 1.53 live births per woman. In Italy the fertility rate has remained low for the last thirty years, with an average 1.3 births per woman.
Some governments, who are concerned that not enough people are being born to keep their economies functioning in the long term are spending billions on incentives and policies to try and reverse the trend. But even in the Nordic countries, which are noted for some of the best family focused policies, these are proving ineffective against a markedly high drop in fertility rates over the last decade.
Society’s attitudes on when or whether to start a family are shifting, so does this mean that we need to change the way we approach the issue or even adapt to a future with fewer people?
On this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Can Europe reverse its falling fertility rates?’
Contributors: Anna Rotkirch, Research Director, Population Research Institute, The Family Federation of Finland, Helsinki Michael Herrmann, Senior Advisor on Economics and Demography, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), TurkeyArnstein Aassve, Professor of Demography, Political Science Centre, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy Tomas Sobotka, Deputy Director, Vienna Institute of Demography, Austrian Academy of Sciences
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Journalism Researcher: Matt ToulsonEditor: Tara McDermott Technical Producers: Nicky Edwards and Toby JamesProduction Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Image Credit: PA via BBC Images
In the next two or three years America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration - NASA - plans to send a mission into space that will land people on the moon for the first time in over a half a century.
The mission has already been pushed back and is widely expected to be delayed again.
But America is not alone. Both China and India also have ambitions to land people on the lunar surface.
Who is next to walk on the moon is driven by geopolitics and a desire to harness the moon’s resources. Different countries, and even the private companies involved, all have different agendas. Who gets there first may even determine the political ideology of any future permanent human settlement.
Contributors:Oliver Morton, Senior Editor at The Economist and author of The Moon, A History for the FutureEric Berger, Senior Space Editor at Ars TechnicaChristopher Newman, Professor of space law and policy at Northumbria UniversityNamrata Goswami, Professor at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Louise ClarkeJournalism Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermottTechnical Producer: Richard HannafordProduction Coordinator: Liam Morrey
Image: U.S. Flag On The Moon by Encyclopaedia Britannica via Getty ImagesCredit: NASA Youtube Channel
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church - once a powerful marker of nationhood - is deeply split as result of the recent civil war in Tigray which exacerbated historical tensions in the church.
The Church, which traces its history to the fourth century, was once the biggest denomination in Ethiopia with nearly 44 percent of the population calling themselves Orthodox Christians, but now its centrality in Ethiopian spiritual and political life - once unquestioned - appears to hang in the balance, with a steady increase in the number of people joining other denominations and the number of people calling themselves Orthodox Christians diminishing. Ethiopia is a modern state, with the second largest population in Africa, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019. But months after he took power, Ethiopia was ripped apart by a civil war which broke out in November 2020 and left tens of thousands of civilians dead. In May 2021, four archbishops in Tigray announced that they were forming an independent structure. They accused the church of not opposing the war - and of being too close to Abiy Ahmed's government. Although a ceasefire was agreed in 2022, the recent splits highlight historic ethnic and religious tensions in Ethiopia.
Contributors:
Ralph Lee: Oxford Centre for Mission Studies in the UK.Mebratu Kelecha: London School of Economics. His research focuses on conflict, peace building and democracy.Yohannes Woldemariam: US-based academic specialising in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.Jorge Haustein: Associate Professor of World Christianity at the University of Cambridge.
CREDITSPresenter: Audrey BrownProducer: Philip Reevell. Researcher: Matt ToulsonTechnical Producer: Nicky Edwards. Production Coordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermott
Main Image: Ethiopian Orthodox priests walk around the church during the Saint Michael's anniversary celebration at St. Michael church in Mekele, the capital of Tigray region, Ethiopia
Image Credit: Yasuyoshi Chiba\AFP via Getty
After serving nearly a year of his 26 year sentence for treason in a Nicaraguan jail, Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa was flown to Rome in January. The high profile bishop known as an outspoken critic of President Ortega’s Sandinista government has been under house arrest since August 2022. He was allowed to leave the country alongside his supporter Bishop Isidoro Mora and a group of priests and seminarians, after a request from the Vatican. It’s the latest development in a relationship between Nicaragua and the Holy See that has grown increasingly tense. President Ortega has had a complicated relationship with Nicaragua’s Catholic clergy ever since he first came to power in the 1979 revolution. It was with the help of the Church that Daniel Ortega returned to power in 2006, but as his rule became increasingly more authoritarian he steadily repressed any sort of opposition, including critical voices from within the clergy. Mass peaceful protests over social security reforms in 2018 ramped up the repression from the Ortega government in the following years. Opposition leaders, journalists, and prominent leaders from within the R.C.Church were amongst those expelled or advised to leave the country and some like Bishop Álvarez were even imprisoned. The situation has left the Catholic Church in a difficult position. There are no diplomatic ties now between Nicaragua and the Holy See and since the end of the Cold War it appears that the international community has found more pressing concerns. Nicaragua’s Catholic neighbours may have the country on their radars, but how willing they are in supporting the Pope over his concerns for Nicaragua’s Catholic population remains to be seen.
So, this week on The Inquiry we’re asking ‘Can the Vatican stop Nicaragua’s Catholic crackdown?
Contributors: Brandon Van Dyck, Associate Director of the Princeton Initiative in Catholic Thought, The Aquinas Institute, New Jersey, USABianca Jagger, President of the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation, Executive Directors Leadership Council of Amnesty International, LondonAndrea Gagliarducci, Vatican Analyst, EWTN /ACI Group, Rome, Italy Ryan Berg, Director, Americas Programme, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC, USA
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt ToulsonEditor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Cameron Ward Broadcast Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley
Image Credit: Mireya Acierto\Getty
After months of tension and hostility in the Middle East over the Gaza-Israel conflict, Iran has publicly stated its desire to avoid a regional conflict. It has however displayed its military force on several fronts.
There have been missile strikes. Iran targeted militant bases in western Pakistan leading to a retaliatory back-and-forth with Pakistan. With attacks on Iraq and Syria, Tehran said it was targeting Islamic State and Israel's Mossad spy agency - both of whom it claimed were behind the deadliest domestic attack on Iranian soil since the Islamic revolution – an attack in early January that killed almost a hundred people in the southern city of Kerman.
Iran has been using proxy groups too - the so-called “Axis of Resistance” – to carry out attacks on Israel and its allies to show solidarity with the Palestinians. The axis is a grouping of Iran-backed militant groups including Houthi militants in Yemen who have been responsible for disrupting shipping in the Red Sea and have been targeted by US and UK air strikes aimed at deterring them. Other members of the axis include Hezbollah in Lebanon and various groups in Syria and Iraq. Tehran insists that the groups act independently but that the coalition shares its goals. Iran’s stated aim is to roll back US influence in the Middle East and it stands ideologically opposed to Israel. Iran’s grown closer to China and Russia too, the latter more so since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022. What does Iran hope to gain from these relationships?
We also ask how Iran wants the current Israel-Gaza conflict to end.
So this week on The Inquiry we’re asking ‘What does Iran want?’
Experts: Negar Mortazavi, Iranian journalist and Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy.Kirsten Fontenrose is a non-resident fellow at the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative in the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs. Professor Maryam Alemzadeh, Associate Professor in History and Politics of Iran at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) and a Middle East Centre Fellow.Suzanne Maloney is the vice president and director of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, where her research focuses on Iran and Persian Gulf energy.
CREDITS:Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Philip ReevellResearcher: Matt ToulsonProduction Coordinator: Tim FernleyEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Image: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei
Image Credit: Anadolu/Getty
Indonesia’s ambitious plan to move the administrative headquarters of its capital city from Jakarta to a new location on the island of Borneo, in the East Kalimantan province, is nearing the completion of its first phase. Known as Nusantara, the new city’s inauguration is scheduled to coincide with Indonesia’s Independence Day on 17th August, the date of the final term of office for the current President Joko Widodo.
The project has been deemed necessary as Jakarta is considered no longer fit for purpose. Located on the island of Java, it ranks as one of the most densely populated cities in the world and it is reported to be sinking by around 17 centimetres a year in some areas, due to a combination of environmental pollution and climate change.
With four more phases to go, around two million people are expected to inhabit Nusantara by the planned completion date of 2045, but that remains dependent on a number of factors and the schedule has already hit some challenges.
Future development is reliant on billions of dollars from foreign investors and currently the Government is struggling to secure much commitment. Furthermore, with Presidential elections due next month, there are concerns about whether a new leader will be inclined to continue with the vision announced by the outgoing President Joko Widodo.
So this week on The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Can Indonesia pull off relocating its capital?’
Contributors: Dr Athiqah Nur Alami, Head of Research Centre for Politics, National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia. Dimas Wisnu Adrianto, Assistant Professor, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Brawijaya University, Indonesia Sulfikar Amir, Associate Professor of Science, Technology and Society, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang University, Singapore Julia Lau, Senior Fellow and Co Coordinator, Indonesia Studies Programme, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducers: Matt Toulson and Jill Collins Editor: Tara McDermottTechnical Producer: Nicky Edwards and Toby James Production Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley
Image credit: Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg/Getty.
In 1973 America ended a draft that had been in effect since before it entered the second World War, and for the last fifty years the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines have been an all-volunteer military.
But, recently, of the four major branches which make up the US armed services, only the Marines have achieved their target for new recruits. And the biggest force, the Army, has been struggling most of all. In the past two years its missed its recruiting target by several thousand.
In this edition of the Inquiry, Sandra Kanthal looks at the myriad reasons the American Army is failing to enlist enough new soldiers, and why this may affect what impact it can have on global security.
Guests:Nora Bensahel – Professor of the Practice at the School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University Mark Cancian - Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Peter Feaver – Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, Duke University and author of Thanks For Your Service: The Causes and Consequences of Public Confidence in the US Military Beth Asch – Senior Economist, The Rand Corporation
Production Team:Presenter: Sandra KanthalProducer: Sandra KanthalEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical Producer: James BeardProduction Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley
Image Credit: Bo Zaunders\Getty
Something strange started happening in early 2023 in the waters off south-western Europe, where the Mediterranean sea meets the Atlantic ocean. Orcas began slamming into the sides of fishing and sailing vessels. The killer whales then dived underneath to locate and destroy the rudders used to steer the boats. Once finished, the orcas departed, leaving shocked crews and thousands of dollars of damage behind. Some of the attacks were over in a matter of minutes, but others lasted hours.
It’s very unusual behaviour for this particular mammal, but orcas are under a lot of threat from man-made hazards. Factors like underwater noise pollution, overfishing, toxic waste and climate change to name a few are making orca life extremely difficult. Could all of this have caused this change in behaviour?
Contributors:
Billy Heaney, zoologist, wildlife tour guide and presenterDr Jeremy Kiszka, professor of biology at Florida International University in MiamiHannah Strager, marine biologist and director of exhibitions at the Whale Museum in NorwayNicola Hodgins, researcher with the global charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producers: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty, Jill Collins, Matt ToulsonEditors: Tara McDermott and Tom BigwoodResearcher: Matt ToulsonSound designer: Nicky Edwards Production co-ordinator: Jordan King
Image: An orca showing its teeth (Credit: Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Sargassum seaweed was recorded as far back as the 15th century when Christopher Columbus wrote in his expedition diaries about miles and miles and miles of dense seaweed as he crossed the Atlantic Ocean. In 2011, a great mass of this seaweed emerged, stretching from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico, a phenomenon known as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt. Since then it’s been washing up on coastlines in massive amounts, causing a big impact on communities whose economy relies heavily on the tourism industry. As the seaweed decays it releases hydrogen sulphide which has a strong odour of rotten eggs.
Various research projects are looking into ways of containing this seaweed, as no one has found a viable solution on an industrial scale. But whilst it is causing problems onshore, offshore in the deep ocean of the Sargasso Sea, the sargassum provides a unique ecosystem for a variety of marine life including turtles and swordfish.
So, this week on The Inquiry we’re asking, ‘What’s going on with sargassum seaweed?’
Contributors:
Dr. Chuanmin Hu, Professor of Oceanography, University of South Florida College of Marine Science, USA
Dr. David Freestone, Executive Secretary, The Sargasso Sea Commission, Washington DC, USA
Dr. Marie-Louise Felix, Marine Biologist and Lecturer, Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, Consultant to the Department of Fisheries, St Lucia
Ajit Subramaniam, Biological Oceanographer, Lamont Research Professor, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, New York, USA
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: George Crafer Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Production Co-ordinator: Jordan King
Image: Miami Beach, Florida, North Beach Atlantic Ocean shoreline, large quantity of arriving seaweed sargassum macroalgae, tourist trying to swim. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Toyota has unveiled a revolutionary electric car battery, able to travel 1,200 kilometres in one go and can be charged in just ten minutes.
Toyota’s CEO Koji Sato said that “commercialisation of solid state batteries is a thing of the future... now within reach, changing the future of cars". The company also claims to be on the brink of being able to manufacture them.
So is this, as some are claiming, a ‘watershed moment’ in car making? Can these new batteries now be produced at scale? What impact will this have on the popularity of electric cars and their uptake?
Has Toyota solved the electric car battery problem?
Contributors:
Paul Shearing, chair in sustainable energy engineering and director of the Zero Institute at the University of Oxford.Shirley Meng, Professor of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago.Jeff Liker, Professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Michigan for 35 years.Dr Evi Petavratzi, a mineral commodity specialist from the British Geological Survey. Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Bob HowardEditor: Tara McDermottSound Designer: Gareth JonesProduction Coordinator: Jordan King
Image: Olga Rolenko via Getty Images - 1403000871
Tensions between South American neighbours Venezuela and Guyana have ratcheted up a notch in recent weeks over the disputed oil rich region of Essequibo. The territory, which is roughly the size of Florida, currently makes up around two thirds of Guyana and vast oil reserves were discovered here in 2015 which have helped make Guyana’s economy one of the fastest growing in the world. Essequibo has come under the authority of Guyana and before it British Guiana for more than a century, but Venezuela has always disputed that decision made by an international tribunal back in 1899. The issue is currently with the International Court of Justice in the Hague, who are expected to make a decision next year. But Venezuela does not recognise their jurisdiction. And now President Maduro has used the results of a recent referendum claiming rights over Essequibo, as evidence to support his threat to move forward with plans to annexe the region.
So this week on The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Is Venezuela about to invade its neighbour?’
Contributors: Phil Gunson, Senior Analyst, Andes, Caracas, Venezuela for International Crisis Group Alejandro Velasco, Associate Professor of Latin American History, New York University, author of ‘Barrio Rising: Urban Popular Politics and the Making of Modern VenezuelaDr Christopher Sabatini, Senior Fellow for Latin America at Chatham House, London Dr Annette Idler, Associate Professor in Global Security, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.
Presenter: David BakerProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: George CraferEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical Producer: Mitch GoodallBroadcast Co-ordinator: Jordan King
Image credit: Anadolu\Getty
In less than a year, France will play host to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The opening ceremony will be played out along the River Seine in the nation’s capital city Paris. The Seine is also set to be the scene of the open-water swimming events and work is now being done to make sure the polluted waterway will be clean and safe enough for the Olympic participants.
To accommodate the expected influx of visitors to the Games, new transport links are been built. Whilst its already been acknowledged that some of the network is planned to link up a number of Olympic sites, it won’t be ready in time for the Games. There are plans to provide extra river boats and cycle lanes.
In addition to all this is the question of whether the French themselves are in the mood to celebrate the Games. This summer saw waves of social and political unrest in the country, but traditional sporting events like the Rugby World Cup have played a role in bringing the country together.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Is Paris Ready for the 2024 Olympics?’
Contributors: Jean-Marie Mouchel, Professor of Hydrology, Sorbonne University, Paris, France Florence Villeminot, Journalist and Presenter, France 24, Paris, FranceBill Hanway, Global Sports Leader, AECOM, Dallas, Texas, USARainbow Murray, Professor of Politics, Queen Mary University of London
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: Matt Toulson Technical Producer: Kelly Young Production Co-ordinator: Jordan KingEditor Tara McDermott
Photo: Olympic Rings to celebrate the IOC official announcement that Paris won the 2024 Olympic bid are seen in front of the Eiffel Tower at the Trocadero square in Paris, France, September 16, 2017. Credit: Reuters
Around 1 billion people around the world suffer from a mysterious neurological condition called migraine. Far more than just a headache, migraine is abnormal processing of the world around us that can have symptoms like loss of sight and speech, dizziness, nausea and extreme fatigue.
There are drugs which can help those struggling with the condition like anti-depressants and anti-convulsants. However, they weren’t developed specifically for migraine and can come with quite a lot of side effects or simply not work.
For a long time migraine medication has been a process of trial and error.
But a new class of drugs called anti-CGRPs are being hailed as a breakthrough migraine medication. Anti-CGRPs have a small side effect profile and were designed specifically to target migraine. They work by blocking CGRP (Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide) from building up in the body and triggering a receptor in the brain which turns on a head pain pathway causing the migraine attack.
Earlier this year the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence - or NICE – in England cleared the use of an anti-CGRP called Rimegepant to use as both a preventive and acute treatment. Clinicians are hoping this will massively improve the lives of those living with the condition.
So this week on The Inquiry were asking ‘Have we reached a turning point with migraine medication?’
Contributors: Dr. Amaal Starling, neurologist and headache specialist at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, in the US state of Arizona. Dr Faraidoon, researcher at the Georgian Institute for Global Health at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.Peter Goadsby , Director of the NIHR King's Clinical Research Facility and a professor of neurology at King's College London, England. Dr Lise Rystad Oie, researcher at the government funded Norwegian Centre for Headache Research - also known as NorHead.
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Editor: Tara McDermott Researcher: Matt ToulsonTechnical Producer: Craig BoardmanBroadcast Co-ordinator: Jordan King
Image: eternalcreative - Getty Images: 1372323487
Bangladesh is set to hold parliamentary elections next January. But only time will tell whether there will be real change at the top or whether the current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League will remain in power.
In recent months there has been an increase in political protests calling for a neutral interim government ahead of the polls opening. But these protests have only resulted in increasing numbers of senior leaders of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party being rounded up and put in jail.
Historically, the country has had a fractured relationship with democracy since its birth in 1971, but the government for their part has denied accusations of democratic backsliding.
So this week on the Inquiry we’re asking ‘Why is Bangladesh in turmoil?’
Contributors:
Sabir Mustafa, a former Editor of the BBC Bengali Service, now based in Washington DC, USA
Dr. Avinash Paliwal, Reader in International Relations, Department of Politics and International Relations, SOAS University of London
Ali Riaz, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Politics and Government, Illinois State University, USA and non-resident Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council
Dr. Geoffrey MacDonald, Visiting Expert in the South Asia Programme, United States Institute of Peace, Washington DC, USA
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt ToulsonEditor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Broadcast Co-ordinator: Jordan King
Photo: Bangladesh Nationalist Party protest for Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, Dhaka -28th Oct 2023. Credit: Photo by MONIRUL ALAM/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock(14171078p)
The head of Ukraine’s armed forces, General Zaluzhny, has a frank take on his country’s conflict with Russia: "Just like in the First World War, we have reached the level of technology that puts us into a stalemate."
He explains that using drones and remote surveillance equipment in battlezones means each side knows what the other is doing. That slows down troops advancing, and creates a standoff. In a separate essay offering solutions, the general states that fresh tech innovation is the key to cracking it.
President Zelensky disagreed, and his office accuses the general of making “the aggressor’s job easier.” The Kremlin also denies there’s a deadlock. But with the world’s attention also focused on the Middle East, has attention drifted away from the Ukraine conflict – and if it has, what does that mean for Ukraine’s campaign?
Charmaine Cozier explores the current state of fighting which continues on the eastern frontline, and whether Ukraine’s recent attacks on Crimea demonstrate the country’s capacity to fight back against Russia’s forces. Meanwhile, Moscow has been building up an ‘axis of the sanctioned’ – countries including Iran and North Korea, which are providing armaments and sharing technology to support Russia’s military in Ukraine in a war of attrition.
And as the war heads towards its second year, is international support for Ukraine holding up? In the United States, some Republican lawmakers have delayed the latest package of military aid to Ukraine as they raise questions about the cost of the war for Americans. One year out from the next Presidential election, support for Ukraine may become an election issue. In Europe, support for Ukraine has been signalled by the European Union as it recommends formal talks should begin. Contributors:Tymofiy Mylovanov is president of Kyiv School of Economics. He’s also a former member of the Ukrainian government. Before leaving it in 2020, his roles included minister of economy, international trade and agriculture.
Dr. Hanna Notte is director of the Eurasian programme at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. It focuses on research and training around preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and technologies. She’s also senior associate with the Europe, Russia and Eurasia programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Natasha Lindstaedt is a professor of government at the University of Essex in England
Mark Katz is a professor of government and politics at the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government in Virginia in the US.
Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Philip Reevell. Researcher: Matt ToulsonEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical producer: Richard Hannaford.
Image credit Getty Images
When the Referendum to give Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders greater political rights was first announced, it was well received, with the early polls suggesting that more than sixty percent of Australians supported it.
This was an opportunity for the establishment of an advisory body to Parliament that would allow Indigenous Peoples a voice on the issues affecting their own communities and for them to be recognised in the Australian constitution.
The ‘YES’ campaign said their proposals outlined in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, requested a modest yet profound change, allowing Indigenous Australians to take their ‘rightful place’ in their own country.
Whilst the ‘NO’ campaigners argued that the ‘Voice to Parliament’ would be racially divisive, giving Indigenous Peoples greater rights over other Australians.
In the end Australia voted ‘NO’ to changing the status quo, by an overwhelming majority.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘What went wrong with Australia’s Indigenous call for a voice?’
Contributors: John Maynard, Emeritus Professor, Aboriginal History and Research, University of Newcastle, NSW Australia. Tim Soutphommasane, Chief Diversity Officer, Professor of Practice in Human Rights and Political Theory, University of Oxford, UK and a Former Race Discrimination Commissioner for Australia Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia Thomas Mayo, Indigenous Rights Advocate, Maritime Union of Australia Official and Author
Presenter: David BakerProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: Matt Toulson Technical Producer: Richard HannafordProduction Co-ordinator: Jordan KingEditor: Tara McDermott
Image: Voice Referendum in Australia: Credit: Reuters.
Audio for this episode was updated on 20th November 2023.
The Human Cell Atlas is a project that has 3000 researchers in over 94 countries working to collect samples of every single cell in the human body.
The idea is that an interactive map of the body will be created. It will be a reference for what every kind of normal human cell should look like. But that will also vary depending on who you are and where you live.
It will give doctors a tool to measure illness and disease and make diagnosis and treatment much quicker.
The database will enable any doctor, anywhere in the world, with the right kind of interface, to access the information.
It could be ground-breaking for the treatment of disease and the democratisation of healthcare.
Contributors: Dr Aviv Regev, one of the co-chairs of the Human Cell AtlasDr Sarah Teichmann from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of CambridgeDr Piero Carninci, Geneticist, Transcriptome Technology and RIKEN CentreSean Bendall, Associate Professor of pathology and immunology at Stanford University
Presented by Tanya BeckettProduced by Louise ClarkeResearched by Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Edited by Tara McDermottTechnical Producer is Richard HannafordProduction Co-ordinator is Jordan King
Image: Medical Technology Stock Photo by Kentoh via Getty Images
After violence erupted between Hamas and Israel, President Biden flew to Tel Aviv to offer his ‘staunch’ ally US support.
In a very public embrace of Israel, he reinforced a relationship that goes back decades to Israel's foundation.
But does the US have the diplomatic influence to bring peace to the region?
This week on the Inquiry: what can US diplomacy achieve in the Middle East.
Contributors:
David Sanger, White House and national security correspondent and senior writer for The New York TimesSteven Cook, senior fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign RelationsEmma Ashford, senior fellow at the Stimson CenterBrian Katulis, vice president of policy at the Middle East Institute
Presented by Gary O’DonoghueProduced by Louise ClarkeResearched by Matt ToulsonCo-ordinated by Jordan King
Image: (Photo by GPO/ Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Climate change and the war in Ukraine is transforming the geopolitics of the Arctic.
Melting ice opens up the possibility of new trade routes making the region more valuable.
Tensions in the area are rising as Russia turns to China for cooperation. China in return wants to position itself as a major power in the region.
Geopolitical tensions mean that any disputes become harder to resolve and potentially more dangerous. And in a region that’s vulnerable to climate change science is also suffering – without cooperation between countries valuable data is being lost.
Contributors: Andreas Østhagen, Senior Researcher at Fridtjof Nansens Institute
Stefan Hedlund, Professor of Russian and East European Studies at Uppsala University in Sweden
Matthew Funaiole, senior fellow of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
Sophie Arts, from the Geostrategy North team at the German Marshall Fund of the United States
Presented by Emily WitherProduced by Louise Clarke and Ravi NaikResearched by Anoushka Mutanda-DoughertyMixed by Craig BoardmanThe Editor is Tara McDermottThe production co-ordinator is Jordan King
Image: Tourists with Russian nuclear icebreaker on way to North Pole - Per Breiehagen (Getty Images)
Europe’s migration crisis began back in 2015, with the arrival of over a million refugees, the majority from the war in Syria. Many thousands more from different countries have since sought refuge on European shores for one reason or another, whilst the tightening of external borders and asylum laws have proved ineffective in stopping the boats.
There have been years of disagreements over migration amongst the member states of the European Union, which have caused damage to the bloc’s unity. In recent months, however, it looked like some progress had been made towards a fairer and more uniform migration system, but a proposal to relocate people to different parts of Europe was met with opposition.
As the flow of people into frontline countries like Italy, Greece and Spain looks set to continue in the future, it appears that collective action from the member states, looks further away.
This week on The Inquiry we’re asking ‘Can Europe solve its migrant crisis?’
Contributors:
Hanne Beirens, Director, Migration Policy Institute Europe, Brussels
Cathryn Costello, Full Professor of Global Refugee and Migration Law, UCD Sutherland School of Law, University College Dublin, Ireland
Charles Kenny, Senior Fellow, Centre for Global Development, Washington DC. USA
Martin Ruhs, Chair in Migration Studies and Deputy Director of the Migration Policy Centre at the European University Institute (EUI), Florence, Italy.
Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: Matt ToulsonTechnical Producer: James BradshawProduction Co-ordinator: Jordan KingEditor: Tara McDermott
Photo: MSF Ship GEO Barents rescues migrants off the Libyan coast in the central Mediterranean Credit: Reuters
The German government was elected with a plan to build 400,000 new homes a year – but it fell short last year by over 100,000. The country’s house building industry is in crisis, with hundreds of companies going into liquidation this year as order books are emptying and demand for new homes has fallen. So why can’t Germany build enough homes?
A combination of high construction costs caused by inflation since the Covid pandemic, and increases in interest rates in recent years has produced a difficult business environment for a construction sector that is a significant part of the German economy. Along with falling demand, industry experts fear that regulations and bureaucracy are a factor in causing the crisis.
Charmaine Cozier hears from:Dirk Salewski President of the German Housebuilding Federation who attended a recent summit hosted by Chancellor Olaf Scholz when the government announced a 14 point plan to revive housing construction.Alice Pitinni is the research director at Housing Europe, the European Federation of Public Co-operative and Social Housing and says there is a growing affordable housing crisis in Europe.Ireland has endured it's own housing crisis in the past - Michelle Norris, is professor of social policy at University College Dublin, and says Ireland has repeated some of Germany’s mistakes.Jens Boysen-Hogrefe is a senior economist at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy – he says the country faces a tough situation, that worse is yet to come, but it is not a repeat of the post-reunification boom and bust of the 1990s.
CREDITSPresenter - Charmaine CozierProducer - Phil Reevell. Researcher - Matt ToulsonEditor - Tara McDermott
(Photo: A construction worker is seen on the roofing for a new residential building in Dortmund, western Germany, on April 18, 2023) (Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)
At the recent BRICS economic summit in South Africa, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s President Xi Jinping had a rare face-to-face meeting. For years these two world powers have been in dispute over their ill-defined border in the Himalayan region. A military escalation of this dispute in 1962 led to the creation of the ‘line of actual control’ or the LAC, the de facto border between the two countries.
Down the years there have been a number of clashes along the LAC and its commonly agreed that relations now are at their lowest point since 1962.
And whilst India has taken steps to reduce its economic dependence on China in a bid to engage in trade relations on an equal footing, they are both competing to become the dominant power in the global south with financial aid and infrastructure projects.
Both sides agreed at their BRICS meeting to intensify efforts to de-escalate border tensions. Can China and India fix their relationship?’
Contributors: Shibani Mehta, senior research analyst with the Security Studies Programme, Carnegie India, New Delhi Dr Ivan Lidarev, visiting fellow at LSE IDEAS, the London School of Economics’ foreign policy think tank and Asia security expert Dr Geeta Kochhar, assistant professor, Centre for Chinese and South-East Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi Steve Tsang, professor of Chinese Studies and director of the SOAS China Institute, London
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt ToulsonEditor: Tara McDermott
(Photo: China’s President Xi Jinping (L) and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Credit: Mike Hutchings/AFP)
The life expectancy of Americans has fallen in recent years after a long period when it had been increasing. There are a number of factors which contribute to the fall. The Covid pandemic, with over 1m deaths, made a significant impact on lowering the average life expectancy. In comparison with other peer countries, the USA also did not return to pre-Covid levels at the same rate. However there are also other important factors driving this, namely gun deaths and drug deaths as a result of opioid overdoses. And another major contributor to lower life expectancy in the States is inequality in the US healthcare system. In this edition of The Inquiry Tanya Beckett explores why US life expectancy is falling.She hears from Jeremy Ney an adjunct professor at Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco and author of American Inequality, a data project that highlights US inequality and regional divides. Dr. Mark Rosenberg helped set up the Centre for Disease Control’s National Centre for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) and is a key proponent of research that examines how to reduce gun violence. He explains how gun deaths among young people have a big influence on the average life expectancy numbers.Dr. Judith Feinberg, is a professor at West Virginia University School of Medicine - her experience of working with communities with high levels of opioid problems makes her an authority on the extent to which drug overdose deaths impact average life expectancy.Ellen Marra is a professor of health economics at Harvard University - she says that diseases such as cancer and cardio deaths are big factors in lower life expectancy, compared with the number of gun and opioid deaths.
CREDITSPresenter Tanya BeckettProducer Phil Reevell. Researcher Bisi AdebayoEditor Tom Bigwood
Image: USA Birthday Cake, Credit: Getty Images
The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is ageing and his ruling Fatah party is deeply unpopular. There have been protests against him and the Palestinian Authority. Many Palestinians feel the PA has lost legitimacy.
There’s no plan for how to choose a successor to Mahmoud Abbas and any candidate is likely to be controversial. There’s a risk that an unpopular replacement may throw the occupied territories into chaos, even violence, and have major implications for the future goals of Palestinian people.
Contributors:Dalia Hatuqa, independent Palestinian journalist.Khalil Shikaki, Professor of Political Science and director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research.Ahmad Khalidi, political analyst and writer on Palestinian and Middle East political and strategic affairs. Ines Abdel Razak, executive director of the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy.
Presenter: Emily WitherProducer: Louise ClarkeResearcher: Matt ToulsonEditor: Tara McDermottSound engineer: Jack Wood
(Photo: Palestinians celebrate vote. Credit: Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)
THow much do you think about your gut? Are you taking a probiotic or prebiotic? If so, you’re not alone as globally we spend billions of dollars on soothing our stomachs. Our guts do so much more than just digest our food and there’s a very special connection to our brain. So how exactly does our gut work? And what do we need to do in order to keep it healthy?Presented by Tanya BeckettProduced by Louise ClarkeResearched by Matt ToulsonMixed by Nicky EdwardsProduction co-ordinator Brenda BrownThe editor is Tom BigwoodContributors:Geoff Preidis, a gastroenterologist at Baylor college of medicine at Texas children’s hospital in HoustonImage: Man bites in to cheeseburger, Credit: Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images
In July 2023 a group of lawmakers in the US held a session to explore evidence of extra-terrestrial life. The evidence included the famous Tic Tac videos of mysterious objects flying through the sky.
Pilots described encounters with Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon – or UAPs. Congress also heard of a secret US government programme that retrieves and reverse engineers materials made by non-humans, including crashed and intact craft – and possibly the remains of the entities that piloted them.
So does this mean we are not alone in the universe? Do sightings and hearsay provide enough scientific data to answer a question that has been asked by humans for thousands of years – are we alone in the universe?
Contributors: Greg Eghigian is professor of history and bioethics at Penn State University in the US. Leslie Kean is an investigative reporter. Adam Frank is Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Rochester, and author of The Little Book of Aliens. Dr Chelsea Haramia is a member of the UK SETI Research Network Post-detection Hub.
Presented by Charmaine Cozier Produced by Louise Clarke Researched by Matt Toulson and Bisi Adebayo Editor Tom Bigwood Mixed by Kelly Young
(UFO crash site sign in Roswell, New Mexico USA / Getty Images)
Working from home became the norm for millions of us around the globe during the Covid-19 pandemic, but now three years on some major employers are insisting on their employees returning to the office, for at least some part of the working week.
The levels of working from home currently vary, depending on the country and its culture. The Netherlands are looking at legislation to allow employees the ability to work remotely, whilst in Japanese culture the preference for employees tends to be going into the office.
So how do we navigate a future where both business and personnel needs are met to provide a good work life balance.
This week on the Inquiry we’re asking ‘Is work from home working?’
Contributors: Jose Maria Barrero, Assistant Professor of Finance at ITAM Business School, Mexico and Co-Founder of WFH Research project Dr Saori Sugeno, Lecturer in Corporate Governance and International Business, Surrey Business School, University of Surrey Román Gil, Partner in law firm Sagardoy Abogadas, the Spanish firm of Ius Laboris, global employment law alliance for multinational companies. Dr Wladislaw Rivkin, Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Trinity Business School, Dublin, Ireland
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Kelly Young Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
(A working from home environment / Getty images)
About 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest is in Brazil and it is home to more than 300 indigenous groups. But for centuries both the rainforest and its indigenous inhabitants have been under threat, from deforestation, agri-business, mining and politics. Brazil’s current president, Luis Ignácio de Silva, has made the future security of the Amazon and its peoples a key policy pledge. So far, the president has appointed a new minister for indigenous peoples and according to government figures, the first six months of this year saw a 33 percent drop in deforestation.
But at the recent Amazon Summit in Belém, the president failed to commit to zero-deforestation, to the disappointment of indigenous leaders. They are calling for more protection for their land and their way of life, which they say is crucial to the future preservation of the Amazon and a matter for the whole world.
This week on The Inquiry we are asking ‘Can Brazil’s indigenous population save the Amazon?’
Contributors: Pedro Cesarino, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Sao Paolo and Writer, Brazil Carlos Peres, Professor of Conservation Biology at the University of East Anglia, England Ana Carolina Alfinito, Legal Advisor at the NGO Amazon Watch Kawá Huni Kuin, Indigenous leader and representative from the Huni Kuin/Kaxinawá people, in the State of Acre, Brazil.
Presenter: David Baker Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Kelly Young Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
(Image: Kawá Huni Kuin, Photo Credit: Bimi Huni Kuin)
Environmental activists in the UK have disrupted high profile sporting events in an effort to persuade the government to stop oil development. How would stopping oil production impact those countries around the world with economies dependent on oil?
Tanya Beckett explores the history of oil, the implications of the Ukraine war for its price, how countries like Nigeria and Norway are dependent on oil revenues, and the challenges facing new oil producers in the global south as they face international efforts to limit new oil development in order to meet international climate targets.
Presenter Tanya Beckett Producer Phil Reevell Researcher Matt Toulson Editor Tara McDermott Technical producer Gareth Jones
(Industrial offshore oil rig platform on the North Seacoast, UK. Credit Getty images)
South Africa once had the most abundant and cheap electricity on the continent. Now, it is experiencing power blackouts. It’s called loadshedding, the process by which the power company Eskom occasionally reduces the demand for electricity on the national grid.
For many South Africans this means no electricity for up to ten hours a day, almost every day. The result is disruption to everyday life, impacting on work, education, sanitation, food and heating.
In 1994 Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress party promised a better life for all South Africans. So why is South Africa’s infrastructure crumbling?
Contributors: Duma Qgubule, economist and journalist Thomas Mnguni, campaigner with Groundwork Anton Eberhard, professor at the Power Futures Lab at the University of Cape Town Lungile Mashele, energy economist
Presented by Audrey Brown Produced by Louise Clarke Researched by Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Edited by Tara McDermott and Tom Bigwood Technical producer Kelly Young Production co-ordinator Brenda Brown
(Dressmaker Faieza Caswell sews under candlelight at her workplace in Cape Flats, South Africa. Credit: Esa Alexander/BBC Images)
In June 2023 the British government announced a £40 million pound pilot scheme to increase access to specialist weight management services in England -It reads “Using the latest drugs to support people to lose weight will be a game-changer.”
The scheme will use prescription drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic, a once weekly injection that slows down the emptying of the stomach and suppresses the hunger hormone in our brains. Both these medications are made of the same of the same drug called Semaglutide.
Semaglutide mimics the hormone released by the body when we eat food, helping people feel fuller for longer and suppressing mental chatter about various food cravings. When prescribed alongside diet, physical exercise and behavioural support, the drug can help obese people lose 15% of their body weight.
Ozempic has been used to treat sufferers of type 2 diabetes since 2018 when doctors noticed that alongside increasing insulin the drug helped people lose weight. In 2021 the drug was approved as a fat loss injection under the name Wegovy.
Since then, stories of the 'fat loss wonder drug' have lit up social media, rumours are rife about who might be using it in Hollywood and international demand has skyrocketed.
But it's not meant for shedding a few pounds to fit into your favourite frock. So this week were asking are weight loss drugs the answer to obesity?
Contributors: Dr Disha Narang Director of obesity medicine at Northwestern Wake Forest Hospital Adrian Van den Hoven Director General of Medicines for Europe Dr Jena Tronieri Director of Clinical Services at its Department of Psychiatry’s Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the Perelman School of Medicine Josh Jordy CEO of Eracal Therapeutics a biotech company based in Switzerland.
Presenter Charmaine Cozier Producer Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Editor Tara McDermott Researched by Bisi Adebayo Mixed by Cameron Ward Production Co-ordinator Brenda Brown
(Overweight person on scales./Credit: Peter Dazely/Getty images)
Venezuela is the country with the largest oil deposits, yet 3 in every 4 Venezuelan lives in extreme poverty. More than 7 million people are recorded as having left the country since 2015 in search of a better life, causing the largest ever displacement of people in Latin American history. And it’s only surpassed in numbers by those people leaving Ukraine.
But Venezuela is not at war, its current humanitarian crisis is the result of years of political and economic turbulence. International sanctions, imposed on the country with the aim of pressing the government to change its policies and restore democracy have had little impact, other than making it more difficult for Venezuela’s economy to function.
Presidential elections are due to be held in the country next year, but talks between the government and the opposition to ensure that they are free and fair are currently at a standstill.
This week on The Inquiry we’re asking ‘Is Venezuela a failed state?’
Contributors: Maria Gabriela Trompetero, Migration Researcher, Bielefeld University, Germany Alejandro Velasco, Associate Professor of History, New York University, author of ‘Barrio Rising: Urban Popular Politics and the Making of Modern Venezuela’ Dr. Luisa Palacios, Senior Research Scholar, Centre on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University Mariano de Alba, Senior Adviser, International Crisis Group.
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Matt Toulson Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Kelly Young Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
(Oil spills over a hand and river in Venezuela. Credit: John Harper/Getty Images)
Canada is in the grip of the worst wildfires in recorded history. Blazes are devouring millions of acres of forest, forcing more than a hundred thousand people from their homes. Toxic smoke has blanketed cities across North America.
Why are wildfires getting more frequent and intense across the world?
Part of the reason is climate change, but part of it is also population growth and land management. The question is, what should we do about it? How can we stop wildfires?
Contributors: Mike Norton, Director General of the Canadian Forest Service Liz Goldman, World Resources Institute Jon Keeley, senior research scientist with the US Geological Survey and adjunct professor at the University of California Matt Oakley, fire investigation officer and wildfire officer, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service
Presented by Tanya Beckett Produced by Louise Clarke Researched by Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Edited by Tara McDermott Mixed by Kelly Young Production Co-ordinator Brenda Brown
(Wildfires at Lebel-sur-Quevillon in Quebec, Canada June 23 2023. Credit: Frederic Chouinard/Getty Images)
Following the Wagner mutiny in Russia, and with fighting intensifying as Ukraine presses on with its counter-offensive, there’s concern about increasing instability around potential use of nuclear weapons. President Putin has threatened to use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Gary O’Donoghue asks how likely this is, and if the nuclear threat level is rising across the world.
Are countries around the world looking at what is happening in Ukraine and adjusting their nuclear thinking? As China seeks to increase its own nuclear arsenal, experts are talking increasingly of Tripolar nuclear competition, taking in Russia and the US. In this uncertain world, what role - if any - is there for nuclear non-proliferation treaties and how can the nuclear threat be contained ?
Contributors Nikolai N Sokov: The Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Robert Litwak: Director of international security studies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Henrik Hiim: Associate Professor, the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies Rose Gottemoeller: former Deputy secretary general of NATO, now at Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies
Presenter: Gary O’Donoghue Producer: Phil Reevell Researcher: Anoushka Mutanda -Dougherty Editor: Tara McDermott Technical producer: Nicky Edwards
(Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launched during exercises on October 26, 2022. Photo: Russian Defence Ministry via Reuters)
The medieval city of Venice is situated in the heart of a lagoon on the coast of northeast Italy. It was built on a large area of low-lying marshland. A system of wooden poles driven into the soft mud created an underwater forest. It still forms the foundations of the city we see today.
For centuries the City has had to battle with ‘aqua alta’ or high tides from the Adriatic sea. And the gradual combination of water erosion and rising sea levels means the City is now facing a more urgent battle to stay afloat.
In recent years a series of barriers which sit on the sea floor and which are raised when an ‘aqua alta’ is expected have been successful in keeping the majority of the city dry. But its already been acknowledged that the Mose Barrier, as it’s known, is not a permanent solution for the future.
An idea designed to complement the Mose Barrier, one which was suggested more than a decade ago, is to inject seawater into wells underneath the city. The scientists behind the project are confident that if it were to be adopted, it would provide a uniform uplift to the city without causing any structural issues to the buildings.
This week on the Inquiry we’re asking ‘Can seawater save Venice from flooding?’
Contributors: Prof Claire Judde de Lariviere, Medieval Historian, University of Toulouse Hermes Redi, Director General of the Consorzio Venezia Nuova (responsible for the Mose Barrier) Professor Pietro Teatini, University of Padua, Chair of UNESCO International Initiative on Land Subsidence Prof Carlo Ratti, MIT, Co-Chair at the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cities.
Presenter: David Baker Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Bisi Adebayo Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
(The Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy. Woman standing in flood water. Credit: Getty Images)
Thailand’s recent elections produced a shock result. A popular progressive party called Move Forward won the most seats. But the leader of the government has not yet been named as the country moves through its procedures for verifying the election results.
If the head of the party, Pita Limjaroenrat, is successful, it will mean civilian rule for the first time in over a decade. But the path to that role is far from smooth. There are many challenges as military coups and court rulings have cut many previous political careers short.
Contributors: Professor Tamara Loos, Chair of the history department at Cornell University Professor Duncan McCargo, director of the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies at the University of Copenhagen Soawanee Alexander, social linguist and political analyst
Presented by Charmaine Cozier Produced by Louise Clarke Researched by Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Edited by Tara McDermott Mixed by Kelly Young
(Damnoen Saduak floating market in Bangkok, Thailand. Credit: Valletta Vittorio/ Getty Images)
In 2009 Disney bought Marvel studios and helped transform the company into a movie making powerhouse that brought a new world of superhero stories to the silver screen, called The Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Since then the franchise has generated over $30 billion dollars in profit, released 32 films and has even made its way onto the small screen… And it’s not slowing down any time soon. Before the end of next year we can expect Captain America, Thunderbolts, The Marvels and Blade in cinema’s and Daredevil, Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Iron heart streaming on Disney Plus.
But glitchy graphics in recent projects like, ‘She-Hulk’ and patchy plots in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantomania’ have left fans and film critics wondering if marvels conveyor belt of content has led to it losing its magic. So this week were asking ‘Is it Endgame for the Marvel Cinematic Universe?’
Contributors: Dr Mathew J. Smith Radford University in Virginia. Lisa Laman Writer and film critic at The Spool, Collider and Looper. Prof Spencer Harrison International business school INSEAD Jonathon Sim - Film journalist and movie critic at Comingsoon.net
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Editor: Tara McDermott Researcher: Bisi Adebayo Broadcast Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
A fifteen minute test flight of a plane fuelled only by hydrogen was successfully completed over recent months. Trucks are already running on the fuel in the US, as are trains in Canada and the UK. Both Toyota and Hyundai have expressed a desire to explore the gas as an option for their smaller vehicles. The UK has announced plans to use hydrogen as a replacement for natural gas in two trial villages, Whitby and Redcar, having already completed tests at Keele University. Several glass and tiling companies are also testing the potential energy source.
There is a lot of buzz around the idea of replacing our current fossil fuel usage with hydrogen, and for good reason too. Hydrogen is everywhere and it can be made via green methods and its only by-product is water. It almost sounds almost too good to be true, and perhaps it is. That’s why this week we ask, will hydrogen solve our energy needs?
Presenter: David Baker Producer: Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott
Ron DeSantis, the governor of the US State of Florida has now declared his republican nomination for the 2024 Presidential Election. He’s the latest in a line of republican contenders keen to take on President Joe Biden for the White House.Since his appointment as Florida’s governor in 2018, Ron DeSantis has been busy stamping his own brand of cultural conservatism on the ‘Sunshine State’, including limits on abortions and restricting sex and gender identity education in schools. The latter, known officially as the Parental Rights In Education Act’, denounced by critics as ‘Don’t Say Gay’, has led to an ongoing legal battle with Disney over their criticism of the Act. Ron DeSantis claims that his ‘Florida Blueprint’ can act as a guide for Federal Policies. But before that, he’s got an uphill battle to unseat his former political mentor Donald Trump. The former President is currently leading the Republican field in the polls and he’s not wasted any time in attacking Ron DeSantis on a number of fronts, from insults and nicknames, to criticising some of his policies. This week on the Inquiry we’re asking ‘Can Ron DeSantis win the White House?’Contributors: Aubrey Jewett, Professor of Political Science at the University of Central Florida, Orlando.Matt Terrill, Public Affairs, Firehouse Strategies, former Chief of Staff to the Marco Rubio for President Campaign. Ron Christie, Former Special Assistant to President George W. Bush and North American Political Analyst for the BBC.Dr. Julie Norman, Co-Director of the Centre on US Politics at University College London. Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Jill CollinsResearcher: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Kelly YoungProduction Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown(Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the Air Force One Pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library March 5 2023 Simi Valley, California. Credit: Mario Tarna/Getty Images)
Official figures report that there are more than eight million houses standing empty across Japan, the reality could be even higher. One of the highest concentrations of empty houses or ‘Akiya’ as they are known, is in the Prefecture of Akita, in Northern Japan, where in the past five years, houses have been abandoned at a rate of 13.6 percent. The problem is being put down to a number of factors. The lack of employment or education opportunities in rural economies means more migration into the cities. An ageing population combined with a low birth rate is upending traditional living arrangements. The land on which property sits benefits from tax relief, and if a property disappears so does the preferential measure. Building codes are strict. Religious reasons are cited as another factor - it’s believed that the spirits of ancestors still dwell in the home. The Government has invested heavily in the housing sector, from financial incentives to occupy older empty houses, to focusing on building preferred new and expensive homes in Japan’s cities in order to boost the economy. But as the population demographics continue to shift and shrink, unless the balance of supply and demand is addressed soon, then the suggestion is that empty Akiya will be an ongoing issue for Japan. This week on the Inquiry we’re asking: Why are there millions of empty houses in Japan? Contributors: Ayumi Sugimoto, Associate Professor, Rural Studies, Akita International University, JapanMisa Izuhara, Professor of Social Policy, University of Bristol, UKKazuki Morimoto, Associate Professor in Japanese, University of Leeds, UK Jiro Yoshida, Associate Professor of Business, Pennsylvania State University, USA; Guest Professor of Economics, University of Tokyo, JapanPresented: Charmaine Cozier Produced: Jill CollinsResearcher: Bisi Adebayo Editor: Tara McDermott Technical producer: Richard Hannaford Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown (Photo: Abandoned wooden house in Tambasasayama, Japan,5 April, 2023 Credit: Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)
The Great Green Wall is one of the most ambitious environmental projects ever conceived, creating a vast belt of vegetation spanning Africa by 2030; from Senegal on the Atlantic to Djibouti on the Red Sea. It was heralded as Africa’s contribution to the fight against climate change, reversing damage caused by drought, overgrazing and poor farming techniques. The regreening of 11 Sahel countries on the edge of the Sahara Desert would create millions of jobs, boost food security, and reduce conflict and migration. The plan was launched by the African Union in 2007, and despite political consensus, only 4% of the Great Green Wall had been completed by 2021. So what has gone wrong? What lessons have been learned, and will a change of strategy ensure its success by the end of the decade? Presenter: Audrey BrownProducer: Ravi NaikEditor: Tara McDermottResearcher: Anoushka Mutanda-DoughertyBroadcast Co-ordinators: Brenda Brown(Photo: The Niger river in Mali. Credit: Getty images)
For the first time in his 20 years in power Erdogan is facing serious pressure - and the choice voters make in this month’s presidential election could define Turkey’s destiny for decades. The impact of February’s devastating earthquake in Turkey is one of the key factors determining how voters will decide on their next president. The Turkish economy is also under pressure with inflation running at 55%. Against that background, a coalition of opposition parties, The Table of Six, are supporting a single candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, against President Erdogan. As polls predict a tight result in the first round of the election, The Inquiry asks: What does this presidential election mean for Turkey’s future? Presenter: Qasa AlomProducer: Phil ReevellResearcher: Anoushka Mutanda -DoughertyEditor: Tara McDermott Technical producer: Nicky Edwards(Turkish citizen living abroad casts her vote in advance of the presidential election in London UK April 29 2023. Credit: Rasid Necati Aslim/Getty Images)
Last November Israel elected its most far right government in its 75 year history. Months of protests followed over its plans for reform of the judicial system.Benjamin Netanyahu’s new coalition government is proposing an agenda that goes beyond domestic reforms – and not everyone is happy. As well as domestic protests, some of Israel’s allies are nervous as, with the government’s attention taken up by internal challenges, new alliances are forming in the middle east. This episode of The Inquiry explores the reasons behind the tension and protests in the country and asks, why is Israel in turmoil?Guests:Tamar Hermann, senior researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute and Professor of Political Science at the Open UniversityAnshel Pfeffer, journalist and biographer of Benjamin NetanyahuProfessor Yossi Mekelberg, associate fellow at Chatham HouseHugh Lovatt, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign RelationsPresented by Gary O’Donoghue.Producer: Louise Clarke Researcher: Anoushka Mutanda-DoughertyEditor: Tara McDermott.The programme was mixed by Richard Hannaford(Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 20 Apr 2023. Credit: Menahem Kahana/ Shutterstock)
Next year Americans will go to the polls to choose their next President. For many the race has already begun. Digital electioneering in US elections has been steadily developing over the last fifteen years but this time around advancements in artificial intelligence could be a game changer.There have been huge strides in generative AI in the past year. One of the most accessible AI tools now available to the general public is the software known as Chat GPT, which can scour the internet for information, producing text for speeches and essays. Generative AI is widely used to produce social content around image and text but what will happen when full on AI video becomes more readily available to any user?AI systems will be able to reach voters with messages targeted specifically to them, but will they be able to trust them? There are concerns that voters will have an increasingly tough task working out which campaign messages are genuine and which are not. To date, there is currently little regulation of a system which has already been used to create deep-fake manipulations of people and what they say, provoking questions over authenticity. So do we all have to be more aware of how much we allow AI to shape our democracies ? This week on the Inquiry, we’re asking: Will AI decide America’s next President? ContributorsBetsy Hoover, Higher Ground LabsProf Hany Farid, University of California BerkeleyMartin Kurucz, CEO Sterling Data CompanyNina Schick, Author of ‘Deepfakes’Presented by Tanya Beckett Produced by Jill CollinsResearcher Anoushka Mutanda-DoughertyEditor Tara McDermott Technical Producer Richard HannafordBroadcast Coordinator Brenda Brown (Voting Booths set up in Orlando, Florida USA. Credit: Paul Hennessy/Getty Images)
Recent protests in France oppose plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. The demonstrations stem from a government plan so people would work -and pay into the pension system - for longer. There’s also concern about what that change might mean for those who are many decades away from pension age. France isn’t the only country facing economic efficiency challenges as populations age and leave the labour market. As more people leave Europe’s labour market, will young workers have to pay for the old? The Inquiry hears also about the productivity challenges facing Spain and Germany.Anne Elizabeth Moutet is a French columnist for the Daily Telegraph newspaper Bart Van Ark , Professor of productivity studies at the University of Manchester Prof Marcel Jansen, an economist from the Autonomous University of MadridStefano Scarpetta is Director for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs at the OECD Presenter Charmaine Cozier(Protesters at the rally against Macron's pension reform, Paris, France. Credit: Telmo Pinto/Getty Images)
Recent cloud storage outages have exposed just how the modern world is reliant on remote servers to hold data that runs everything from websites, to digital operating systems and businesses. When cloud storage emerged, it meant that information could be streamed, rather than held in a device’s memory. Vast data centres were built where land was cheap and their owners soon realised that they could sell excess memory space on their servers. They became so-called “hyperscalers” providing cloud services. They include Amazon Web Services, Google and Microsoft, and the business is worth $500 billion a year. But there are concerns that too much information is already in the cloud. Critical data – such as aircraft control and military systems is being uploaded to publicly accessible servers. If there’s a glitch, the consequences could be catastrophic. Remote cloud systems therefore need to run 24 hours a day without fail, but the power the industry uses causes around 2 to 3% of all global carbon emissions. It’s set to get even bigger, but at what cost to the environment? This week on the Inquiry, we’re asking: will we ever run out of cloud storage?Contributors: Ola Chowning, Partner with ISG Information Services GroupLaurel Ruma. Global Editorial Director for the MIT Technology ReviewProfessor Bill Buchanan, Edinburgh Napier University. Dr Emma Fitzgerald, Lund UniversityPresenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Phil RevellEditor: Tara McDermottResearcher: John CosseeStudio Engineer: Richard Hannaford Broadcast Coordinator: Brenda Brown(Woman at home with an ipad looking at the large cloud above her head. Credit: Anthony Harvie/Getty Images)
Saudi Arabia has entered into a new era of relations with its long time rival, Iran. It’s a deal that has the potential to be very significant for the Middle East region. It’s part of a vision of a new Saudi Arabia spearheaded by its Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman. It’s a vision of futuristic cities, a new society, and a move away from an economy reliant on oil, not to mention new deals with ancient rivals in the region. How much of this new vision of Saudi Arabia is achievable and is the man at the centre convincing enough to make it work?This week on The Inquiry we’re asking, what is Mohammed bin Salman’s vision for Saudi Arabia?Contributors:Stephen Kalin, Middle East correspondent, The Wall Street JournalBill Farron Price, energy markets analystSanam Vakil, deputy head of Chatham House, Middle East and North Africa programmeDina Esfandiari, senior advisor for the Middle East and Africa programme at the International Crisis GroupPresented by Tanya BeckettProduced by Louise ClarkeEdited by Tara McDermottProduction co-ordinator is Brenda BrownMixed by Nicky Edwards(Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman. Courtesy Saudi Royal Court/BBC Images.)
In 1981, the rock photographer Lynn Goldsmith did a photoshoot with an up-and-coming singer songwriter called Prince. A few years later, he became a superstar, and she licenced one of her photos to Vanity Fair to be used as a reference picture for an illustration.That portrait, known as “Purple Prince” was painted by Andy Warhol.But what Lynn Goldsmith didn’t know, and nor did anyone else, was that Warhol made multiple portraits from her photograph. After Prince died in 2016, Vanity Fair licenced a different one of these portraits from the Andy Warhol Foundation for a tribute in the magazine. That picture was called the “Orange Prince”. When Lynn Goldsmith saw this new portrait, she asserted her copyright – and so did the Andy Warhol Foundation. The US Supreme Court, is now trying to decide whether the photo was “transformed” when Warhol painted it, and what constitutes “fair use”. It’s a case with vast implications for artists, photographers, galleries and the art business. So this week on the Inquiry, we’re asking: why are Warhol’s Prince works before the US Supreme Court? Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Ravi NaikEditor: Tara McDermottResearcher: Anoushka Mutanda-DoughertyBroadcast co-ordinators : Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed(Photo: Prince Rogers Nelson Credit: ©️ 1981 Lynn Goldsmith)
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. He is accused of forcibly deporting children from Ukraine to Russia after the invasion last year. The Kremlin does not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC and denies war crimes. But is this a symbolic move and is it realistic that Putin will actually be arrested and stand trial? This week on The Inquiry we’re asking, will Putin be prosecuted for war crimes in Ukraine?Contributors:Klaus Rackwitz, Director of the International Nuremberg Principles AcademyPatrycja Grzebyk, Professor at the University of Warsaw Rachel Denber, Deputy director for Europe and Central Asia at Human Rights WatchGerry Simpson, Professor of Law at the London School of EconomicsPresented by Tanya BeckettProduced by Louise Clarke-RowbothamEdited by Tara McDermottMixed by Richard Hannaford
Deaths on American roads are at a 20 year high. More than 46,000 people lost their lives in vehicle collisions last year alone. That’s up a tenth on the year before and the numbers are on a par with those killed by gun violence. Or, the equivalent of a plane crash every day. It’s a tragedy for everyone involved and there’s an untold cost for families, but there’s also a financial cost. It’s estimated that the cost to the economy runs into billions of dollars. Why are America’s roads so dangerous? This episode was presented by Tanya Becket, produced by Louise Clarke-Rowbotham, researched by John Cossee and mixed by Kelly Young. The production co-ordinator is Brenda Brown and the editor is Tara McDermott.
On the 7th December 2022, President Pedro Castillo attempted to dissolve Congress. His attempted self-coup ended almost as quickly as it began, having been denounced by his own party, the military and the police. He was arrested as he tried to make his way to Mexico and currently awaits trial.His running mate and vice president, Dina Boluarte has assumed power in his stead. However, prior to Castillo’s attempt to gain complete control, Boluarte had already been expelled from the party, after publicly rejecting the it’s ideology, and had defected to the opposition. This has left Peruvian’s angry, especially as she originally intended to see out the rest of the term until 2026.Thousands of disillusioned Peruvians gathered in protest all over the country, at first demanding the release of Castillo, and latterly, for the resignation of Presidential Boluarte and constitutional reform. They have been met by a fierce and brutal response.At least 60 Peruvians have lost their lives in the protests, and a further 1000 or more have suffered injury. Still the protests continue. That’s why this week we are asking, Can Peru sort out its political problems? Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Christopher BlakeResearcher: John CosseeEditor: Tara McDermottProduction Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown(Peru's President Pedro Castillo after his swearing-in ceremony in Lima, Peru 28 July 2021. BBC Images/credit: Angela Ponce)
Just over 100 years ago the island of Ireland was partitioned. It created an independent catholic free state in the South and a majority protestant one in the northeast called Northern Ireland that remained a part of the United Kingdom. For many catholics and nationalists the goal of a united Ireland remains. For most protestants and unionists the division has been key to preserving their British identity. But the demographics are changing in Northern Ireland. The most recent census show catholics outnumbering protestants for the first time, though still short of being the overall majority. There’s also been a rise in support for Sinn Fein, the political party that supports a united Ireland. Any question about whether Northern Ireland remains part of the UK or becomes part of a united Ireland would have to be put to the people in a referendum, or border poll. In this episode of The Inquiry we ask, will there be a united Ireland?Presented by Gary O’Donoghue.(map / Getty images)
It’s a year since President Putin launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia currently holds areas in the South and East of Ukraine including Donetsk and Luhansk but the Ukrainian army, helped militarily by its allies, has regained control over key towns and large swathes of land. Russia is also thought to have lost 20,000 soldiers in the conflict.But it is reinforcing its ranks with hundreds of thousands of new conscripts, and experts suggest Russia may be positioning fighter jets and gathering troops on the border for a renewed land offensive. So we’re asking - What is Putin’s plan now for Ukraine?
The owner of Facebook - Meta - is reinstating Donald Trump’s account after a two-year suspension. The former US president was suspended from Facebook and Instagram after his posts were deemed to have encouraged the Capitol riots in 2021. In a statement Meta's president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, said a review found Mr Trump's accounts were no longer a risk to public safety. Donald Trump pointed out that Facebook was in financial trouble and probably needed him back for the money it can raise.Daily user numbers for Facebook grew to an average of two billion in December 2022 - about a quarter of the world's population. The bigger-than-expected growth helped drive new optimism about the company, which has been under pressure as its costs rise and advertising sales drop.Where does the social media giant go from here? Does it have a future and clear direction of travel? How did it become so big? How does it work now and what does it do with our data? Also, when has it gone wrong and what are its challenges now?This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: is everything okay at Facebook?Presented by Charmaine CozierResearcher John CosseeProducer Simon CoeEditor Tara McDermottTechnical producer Richard HannafordBroadcast Coordinator Brenda Brown(Facebook symbol. Image credit: Dado Ruvić /Reuters)
On the 25th February Nigerians go to the ballot box to vote for their next president. For the first time in a long time, the Incumbent president will not be contesting the elections – having already served the maximum allowed two terms.Since 2016, the country has spiralled down as inflation has hit over 20% and unemployment rides at around 30% overall, and 60% for the young. Banditry and kidnappings have become lucrative methods of making a living in the country and a pervading sense that this could be now or never for Nigerians hangs ominously.Three candidates have emerged as the front runners for the elections. The stalwarts Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress, or APC, and Atiku Abubakar, of the People’s Democratic Party, or DPD, are familiar faces from familiar parties. Power has been shared between the two parties since 1999.Peter Obi is the outsider who has taken a dramatic lead over recent weeks in the polls. He represents the Labour Party who have never held power and is offering to run the country in a different manner to what the country has been used to thus far.Foreshadowing the entire event is the expectation that Nigeria is expected to reach a population of around 400 million by 2050, making it the fourth largest country in terms of population by this date. That is an increase of around 60-80% of the current population estimates. Ensuring the infrastructure is in place for such a boom in population will be pivotal to Nigeria’s ability to both maximise the potential for its citizens whilst gaining the most from them.Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Christopher BlakeResearcher: John CosseeEditor: Tara McDermott(Election campaigns ahead of Nigeria's 2023 general elections, Lagos. BBC images)
Following the exit of US forces in 2021, the Taliban rolled back into power almost immediately. They promised that they had learnt from previous mistakes and did not want to minimalize the role of women. However, little over 18 months later and the Taliban have just announced that women were now banned from the universities and working for NGO’s, just the latest in a succession of repressive policies aimed at women.Furthermore, Afghanistan still has an insurgency problem. The Islamic State of Khorasan, or IS-K, formed in 2016 following disaffected Taliban members gaining inspiration from the gains maid by IS in both Iraq and Syria. They regard the Taliban as traitors and have their own desires that stretch far beyond the borders of Afghanistan.In the middle are Afghanistan’s citizens who find themselves victims from all sides. The Taliban’s focus on implementing Sharia law regardless of the impact has both all but erased women from society and left the economy in perilous state.Can the Taliban gain control of its own borders or does it need external help? And if so, does that offer a window to gain some leverage regarding human rights in the country? Find out as we ask, Can the Taliban tackle Afghanistan’s terror problem? Researcher: John CosseePresenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott(Taliban fighters guard the entrance to the Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan 2021. Credit: Marcus Yam/Getty images)
Since the start of the war, Ukraine has received more than €115 billion in military, financial and humanitarian aid from countries around the world. Now that the pendulum has swung, and the battlefield momentum is with Ukrainian forces, international allies have agreed to ramp up that support, with the US, UK and other major and minor military powers combining to pledge billions in weapons, ammunition and even modern tanks. But can that support go on indefinitely? As some countries run low on weapons stocks, will they cut off support to Ukraine rather than leave their borders vulnerable to potential attack? And will other factors such as rising energy costs, a looming global recession and the upcoming US presidential election determine to what extent - and for how long - international allies can fund Ukraine’s war effort? On The Inquiry this week - How long will international support for Ukraine last?
The world is becoming increasingly dependent on advanced microchips to power its high-end technology, However, they are made by just one company in Taiwan, TSMC, meaning the rest of the world is largely reliant on the country to produce its microchips. This is no accident and is in fact by Taiwanese design. Over three decades ago Taiwan decided to focus its resources on becoming the most advanced producer of microchips. Not only has this been of great profit for Taiwan’s economy its helped with security too – offering the country protection from its neighbour China by creating what’s been described as the ‘Silicon shield’, in other words, the US is largely dependent on Taiwan to sustain its high-end tech. Given both the USA’s and EU’s recent announcements that they are now heavily investing in and subsidising their own microchip industries, the question becomes is this still sustainable?Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Christopher Blake and Ravi NaikEditor: Tara McDermott
A campaign called “ReBoot Food” was launched at the COP27 climate change conference in Egypt, to ask world governments to support a technology called precision fermentation. They claim it’s possible to produce enough food to feed the whole world in an area the size of London. The process uses genetically-engineered microbes to make cheap, high quality fats and proteins, virtually identical to those produced by animal farming. Its proponents say it will free up huge tracts of farmland and could even help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A technology research group is even projecting the collapse of dairy and cattle industries by 2030 with animal meat being replaced by food grown using precision fermentation. But what is it, what are the potential pitfalls, and can the public stomach the idea of protein grown in an a bioreactor rather than on a farm? On this week’s Inquiry, we ask: can microbes feed the world? Presented by Tanya BeckettProduced by Ravi Naik Researcher John CosseeEditor Tara McDermott Technical producer Mitch GoodallBroadcast Coordinator Brenda Brown(the world in a petri dish /Getty Images)
Canada is just one of a number of countries with an ageing population and shrinking workforce. The second largest in the world in terms of land mass, and with a population of just 36 million, Canada has announced a plan to invite 1.5 million people to migrate there over the next three years. The ambitious target is not without challenge politically, the most prominent is the housing crisis currently being felt in the country.Canada is not alone in needing more people of working age to bolster its economy, developed nations all around the globe are finding themselves in a similar situation and struggling to find answers. Despite this need, many countries remain reluctant to embrace the notion of inviting larger numbers of immigrants in for a whole host of reasons, from a lack of space to negative media portrayals of migrants. None-the-less, gaps in their skilled trades’ sectors demand resolution, and increased immigration can offer it.Whilst increased migration can help a country like Canada overcome the challenges of a diminishing labour force, it also has the effect of denying a migrant’s home country of expertise. Not only can this have the effect of denying a country their brightest and best, it also comes with a financial cost too, with countries training more than they need in anticipation of losing a high percentage of those workers. So this week on the Inquiry we're asking, should other countries adopt Canada's immigration model?
Misuzulu ka Zwelithini was officially crowned King of the Zulu Nation in October after the death of his father. King Zwelithini died of Covid complications after ruling for fifty years. It has set off a royal feud as members of the large Zulu royal family contest King Misuzulu’s right to the throne. Succession to the Zulu throne has been beset by violence for over a century. This time, the battle is in the courtroom.In this week’s Inquiry we ask, who is the true Zulu King?Presenter: Audrey BrownProducer: Louise Clarke-RowbothamEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical Producer: Craig BoardmanProduction Coordinator: Brenda Brown(Zulu King Misuzulu KaZwelithini at his coronation ceremony in Durban, South Africa. Credit: Darren Stewart/Getty Images)
Lebanon is experiencing of one of the world’s worst-ever economic disasters.Its currency has lost 90 per cent of its value. 80 per cent of the population is now in poverty, and inflation is in triple figures.Some people are resorting to armed robbery of the banks who are denying them full access to their own savings. The political system is deadlocked too - with no President and only a caretaker government to try to pull the country back from the brink.And cholera – an entirely preventable disease - has returned for the first time in 30 years. So how did Lebanon fall so far, so fast? This week on The Inquiry we’re asking: Why is Lebanon falling apart?Presented by Anna FosterProduced by Ravi Naik Researcher Christopher BlakeEditor Tara McDermott Technical producer Craig BoardmanBroadcast Coordinator Brenda Brown(a demonstrator waves the Lebanese flag in front of riot police during a protest in Beirut, Lebanon 2020. Credit: Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)
Small island nations are facing an existential threat. It’s predicted that by 2100, Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Maldives and many others will be underwater, because of rising sea levels and increasingly extreme weather events. At the recent COP27 conference in Egypt. The most polluting industrialised countries agreed in principle to set up a “loss and damage” fund, effectively recognising that low-lying islands are bearing the brunt of climate change. But is their loss inevitable? Could traditional sea wall defences hold back the waters, or are there more effective solutions? Will entire communities need to be moved to higher ground, or even entire nations transplanted to safer locations? This week on the Inquiry, we’re asking: will rising sea levels wipe countries off the map?Presented by Charmaine Cozier Produced by Ravi Naik Researcher Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Editor Tara McDermott Technical producer Richard Hannaford Broadcast Coordinator Brenda Brown(a woman in a lagoon in the threatened coral atoll nation of Tuvalu. Credit: Mario Tama /Getty Images)
We use digital currency every day whenever we use a credit card, bank online or shop for goods on the internet. We can use our phones as money and transfer cash to family and friends simply by using numbers. It’s not exactly cash we are using, but a digital representation of that cash. Some digital currencies, such as cryptocurrency, even exist outside of the traditional banking system. Recently the cryptocurrency trading exchange FTX collapsed leaving creditors owed billions of dollars. There’s not much chance any of that money can be returned because it wasn’t actually linked to a cash system. If so many of our transactions and speculations are now digital, can we ditch the cash altogether?This week on The Inquiry we’re asking Can digital currency replace the cash system?Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Louise Clarke-RowbothamResearcher: John CosseeEditor: Tara McDermottTechnical producer: Craig BoardmanProduction support: Jacqui Johnson(Image: Representations of the Ripple, Bitcoin, Etherum and Litecoin virtual currencies: Dado Ruvic/Reuters)
Somalia is in a state of drought following four failed rainy seasons, and a fifth predicted, with aid agencies declaring the country is in a state of famine. Despite this, the government has yet to declare a famine, insisting that certain thresholds have yet to be met. Instead, Somalia’s government believes that they would be more than able to deal with the current crisis, as well as prevent future episodes, had they been properly compensated by industrious nations for the damage caused by climate change.
All this whilst the country continues to fight a near fifteen-year war with the Islamic terrorist group al-Shabab, a militant faction who wish to instil strict sharia law and impose heavy taxes on those who fall under their control. Only six months ago the hard-line Muslim faction were knocking on the door of the capital, Mogadishu. Since then, the different clans and Somalia's military, who all have their own demands and grievances, have put aside their differences and banded together to fight back, driving the terrorist group back. With support for the government currently high, some are fearful that announcing a famine could cause that support to drop away. How long the government can hold for, however, is up for debate as we ask is it too late to avoid a famine in Somalia?
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Ravi Naik & Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott
(Image: Somali woman affected by the worsening drought due to failed rain seasons, holds her child as her grandmother looks on: Feisal Omar/Reuters)
The International Energy Agency says that the world is in the middle of the first global energy crisis. The price of natural gas has increased almost five-fold since the summer of 2020, and the main cause is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has cut supplies of gas to European countries that oppose the war, causing the wholesale price to shoot up everywhere.
Many countries have turned to coal to fuel their power stations, also causing prices to triple in the last year. But as well as being expensive, coal is also the most polluting fossil fuel. The situation has accelerated the push towards renewables, but can they provide the all the power needed by a country – as well as providing energy security? So this week on the Inquiry, we ask: can a country live on renewable energy alone?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Ravi Naik Researcher: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Editor Tara McDermott Technical producer Richard Hannaford Broadcast Coordinator Jacqui Johnson
(Photo: Offshore wind turbine farm at sunset: Creit: Imaginima/Getty Images)
When we shop online, we don’t often think about what goes on behind the scenes. Clicking “pay now”, sets in motion a slick, computer-controlled chain of events, that ends with a parcel arriving at your home.
These online shopping logistics are run by Artificial Intelligence, and there are plans for these systems to move from the warehouse to the wider workplace.
“Digital Management” systems in development are able to autonomously hire people and oversee their work on a project from beginning to end. They also have the ability to manage much larger groups of workers than their human counterparts.
But can a software boss really understand its human employees? Are managers obsolete? And are some of these systems already here?
This week on the Inquiry, we ask: will computers put managers out of work?
Presented by David Baker Produced by Jim Frank Editor: Richard Vadon Technical producer: Neil Churchill Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Image: Artificial intelligence is showing the path: exdez/Getty)
Xi Jinping has begun an unprecedented third term as Chinese president, after securing his position at the Communist Party Congress.
But key economic data was delayed until after the congress ended. It was lower than government targets, causing Chinese markets to fall.
The Chinese economy is floundering; unemployment is skyrocketing, and the housing market is collapsing. There’s also no sign of an end to COVID lockdowns – which have hamstrung business and manufacturing since the start of the pandemic.
Since the start of this century, China’s economic growth was the envy of the world, but in 2022, it’ll be the first year since the 1990s that economic output will fall behind the rest of Asia.
President Xi says the economy is now his top priority, but his focus in his first two terms was to consolidate power and increase political control. Will his new term be any different?
This week on the Inquiry, we’re asking: Is China’s economy in crisis?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producers: Ravi Naik and Ben Cooper Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Kelly Young Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Image: Chinese yuan cash bills and Chinese flag: Javier Ghersi/Getty)
More than 200 years ago French soldiers uncovered a slab of granite in the Nile Delta which became the key to understanding the history of ancient Egypt.
The Rosetta Stone is inscribed with ancient Egyptian and Greek text, and hieroglyphs. Before it was translated, no-one realised that hieroglyphs were a form of written language.
After the French surrender of Egypt in 1801, the artifact was taken to the UK, and ever since, it’s been one of the main attractions at the British Museum in London.
The museum is holding a major exhibition on hieroglyphs, with the stone as its centrepiece, but there are calls from Egyptian scholars for it to be taken back to its place of origin.
However, the British Museum says there has been no formal request from the Egyptian government to return the Rosetta Stone.
So this week on the Inquiry, we’re asking: Is it time for Britain to return the Rosetta Stone?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Ravi Naik Researcher: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Image: The Rosetta Stone on display in the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery at the British Museum: BBC Images/European Photopress Agency/Neil Hall)
Women in Iran have been at the forefront of protests that have swept the country for weeks.
More than 200 people have lost their lives, and hundreds of others have been detained after demonstrations following the death of 22 year old Mahsa Amini. She died after being arrested by the regime's morality police for not wearing her hijab correctly.
Women have been fighting for their basic freedoms and demanding an end to the mandatory headscarf. Many have posted videos on social media, cutting their hair or burning their hijabs in protest.
But will their anger lead to reforms in the Islamic Republic?
This week on the Inquiry, we ask: will the protests in Iran bring change?
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Ben Henderson and Christopher Blake Researcher: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson
Image: Women burn headscarves during a protest over the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in Iran, in the Kurdish-controlled city of Qamishli, Syria, 26 September 2022 (Credit: Orhan Qereman/Reuters)
The Kerch bridge, a vital supply route for Russian forces in Crimea, has been partially destroyed in a huge blast. It was a symbol of Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, and the explosion was equally symbolic, coming just one day after President Putin’s 70th birthday. The Russian president described it as “an act of terrorism”, and he punished Ukraine’s cities with a day of missile strikes, targeting civilian areas. All this comes as Putin’s Special Military Operation is struggling. Ukraine has now seized back more territory than Russia took in the early stages of the war. Hundreds of thousands of Russian army reservists have fled rather than being sent to the front, war deaths and the financial costs of the war are mounting, and winter is approaching. But for President Putin, there is no easy exit from Ukraine. He may have no political choice but to double down, and has even dropped dark hints about using nuclear weapons. So this week on the Inquiry we ask: Is Putin’s war in Ukraine at a turning point?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Ravi Naik Researcher: Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Mitch Goodall Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Image: Huge fire erupts on strategic bridge linking Crimea to Russia: Credit: Anadolu Agency/Getty)
In his first speech as King, Charles III said he would endeavour to serve his subjects, wherever they live “in the UK, the realms and territories across the world”.
But following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, several realms – countries other than the UK that have the British Monarch as head of state – say they may become republics. Barbados became a republic in 2021. Antigua, Belize, Jamaica and Grenada may follow.
King Charles III has also just become the elected head of the Commonwealth of Nations. But will any new republics leave because of its roots in Empire, or embrace an organisation that represents nearly a third of the people on Earth?
This week on the Inquiry, we ask: what’s the future of the Commonwealth under King Charles III?
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Ravi Naik Researcher: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Image: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales speaks during the formal opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Buckingham Palace in London on April 19, 2018. (Photo by DOMINIC LIPINSKI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Brazil is voting to elect a new president. On the ballot is the incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known almost universally as Lula, a fiery leftist who was Brazil’s president from 2002 to 2010.
Bolsonaro is a former army officer with solid conservative views. Lula is very left leaning and in favour of protecting the environment.
Their contrasting policies on issues such as the economy, law and order, family values, and the environment, have polarised the country.
Whoever wins will lead a country with deep divisions.
So this week on The Inquiry we are asking: How can Brazil’s next president unite the country?
Presented by David Baker Produced by Annabel Deas and Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researched by Chris Blake Mixed by Nicky Edwards The editor is Tara McDermott and the production co-ordinator is Jacqui Johnson
(Image: Towels with images of presidential candidates Lula da Silva and Jair Bolsonaro are displayed in a street stand to be sold in downtown Sao Paulo: Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images)
Brazil is voting to elect a new president. On the ballot is the incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known almost universally as Lula, a fiery leftist who was Brazil’s president from 2002 to 2010.
Bolsonaro is a former army officer with solid conservative views. Lula is very left leaning and in favour of protecting the environment.
Their contrasting policies on issues such as the economy, law and order, family values, and the environment, have polarised the country.
Whoever wins will lead a country with deep divisions.
So this week on The Inquiry we are asking: How can Brazil’s next president unite the country?
Presented by David Baker Produced by Annabel Deas and Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researched by Chris Blake Mixed by Nicky Edwards The editor is Tara McDermott and the production co-ordinator is Jacqui Johnson
(Image: Towels with images of presidential candidates Lula da Silva and Jair Bolsonaro are displayed in a street stand to be sold in downtown Sao Paulo: Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images)
Brazil is voting to elect a new president. On the ballot is the incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known almost universally as Lula, a fiery leftist who was Brazil’s president from 2002 to 2010.
Bolsonaro is a former army officer with solid conservative views. Lula is very left leaning and in favour of protecting the environment.
Their contrasting policies on issues such as the economy, law and order, family values, and the environment, have polarised the country.
Whoever wins will lead a country with deep divisions.
So this week on The Inquiry we are asking: How can Brazil’s next president unite the country?
Presented by David Baker Produced by Annabel Deas and Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researched by Chris Blake Mixed by Nicky Edwards The editor is Tara McDermott and the production co-ordinator is Jacqui Johnson
(Image: Towels with images of presidential candidates Lula da Silva and Jair Bolsonaro are displayed in a street stand to be sold in downtown Sao Paulo: Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images)
August 2022. Political tensions in Iraq boil over, and peaceful demonstrations outside the country’s parliament turn violent. The sounds of gun and rocket fire return to Baghdad, and 30 people are killed.
The violence ends when populist leader Muqtada al-Sadr tells his followers to lay down their arms and go home. His Sadrist party won the most seats in the previous election, but his inability to form a majority government has led to the political deadlock.
Politics in a country as diverse as Iraq is complicated, with Shia, Sunni and Kurdish groups, and well-armed militias. Add oil revenues and political interference by Iraq’s neighbour Iran into the mix, and you have a potentially volatile situation.
So this week on the Inquiry we’re asking, How close did Iraq come to civil war?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producers: Ravi Naik and Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producers: Richard Hannaford and Mitch Goodall Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Image: Supporters storm Republican Palace after Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr announced retirement from politics, Baghdad, Iraq - 29 Aug 2022: by MURTAJA LATEEF/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
August 2022. Political tensions in Iraq boil over, and peaceful demonstrations outside the country’s parliament turn violent. The sounds of gun and rocket fire return to Baghdad, and 30 people are killed.
The violence ends when populist leader Muqtada al-Sadr tells his followers to lay down their arms and go home. His Sadrist party won the most seats in the previous election, but his inability to form a majority government has led to the political deadlock.
Politics in a country as diverse as Iraq is complicated, with Shia, Sunni and Kurdish groups, and well-armed militias. Add oil revenues and political interference by Iraq’s neighbour Iran into the mix, and you have a potentially volatile situation.
So this week on the Inquiry we’re asking, How close did Iraq come to civil war?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producers: Ravi Naik and Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producers: Richard Hannaford and Mitch Goodall Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Image: Supporters storm Republican Palace after Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr announced retirement from politics, Baghdad, Iraq - 29 Aug 2022: by MURTAJA LATEEF/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
August 2022. Political tensions in Iraq boil over, and peaceful demonstrations outside the country’s parliament turn violent. The sounds of gun and rocket fire return to Baghdad, and 30 people are killed.
The violence ends when populist leader Muqtada al-Sadr tells his followers to lay down their arms and go home. His Sadrist party won the most seats in the previous election, but his inability to form a majority government has led to the political deadlock.
Politics in a country as diverse as Iraq is complicated, with Shia, Sunni and Kurdish groups, and well-armed militias. Add oil revenues and political interference by Iraq’s neighbour Iran into the mix, and you have a potentially volatile situation.
So this week on the Inquiry we’re asking, How close did Iraq come to civil war?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producers: Ravi Naik and Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producers: Richard Hannaford and Mitch Goodall Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Image: Supporters storm Republican Palace after Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr announced retirement from politics, Baghdad, Iraq - 29 Aug 2022: by MURTAJA LATEEF/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Relations between France and Mali have hit a low point, with both countries trading hostile comments in public about what the other is doing.
Mali’s military rulers accuse France of supplying arms to anti-government militants. Paris denies this and is unhappy about Mali’s working relationship with Russian mercenaries.
Things are so bad that President Emmanuel Macron announces the withdrawal of French troops. They were sent in 9 years ago to help fight Islamist militants, who still pose a threat across the region.
On this week’s inquiry, we look at why the French have departed, and what this means for Mali.
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researcher: Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Photo by THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images)
Relations between France and Mali have hit a low point, with both countries trading hostile comments in public about what the other is doing.
Mali’s military rulers accuse France of supplying arms to anti-government militants. Paris denies this and is unhappy about Mali’s working relationship with Russian mercenaries.
Things are so bad that President Emmanuel Macron announces the withdrawal of French troops. They were sent in 9 years ago to help fight Islamist militants, who still pose a threat across the region.
On this week’s inquiry, we look at why the French have departed, and what this means for Mali.
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researcher: Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Photo by THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images)
Relations between France and Mali have hit a low point, with both countries trading hostile comments in public about what the other is doing.
Mali’s military rulers accuse France of supplying arms to anti-government militants. Paris denies this and is unhappy about Mali’s working relationship with Russian mercenaries.
Things are so bad that President Emmanuel Macron announces the withdrawal of French troops. They were sent in 9 years ago to help fight Islamist militants, who still pose a threat across the region.
On this week’s inquiry, we look at why the French have departed, and what this means for Mali.
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researcher: Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Photo by THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images)
The former Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, is facing terrorism charges in Islamabad.
He was charged under Pakistan's stringent anti-terrorism laws for condemning Islamabad’s chief of police and a female judge, after claims his close political aide was arrested and tortured.
Since he lost power in April, he’s been addressing huge political rallies, where he’s told the crowds that he was brought down by a conspiracy organised by the current government, state powers, and the USA.
Most political analysts believe his rhetoric is a cynical ploy, but tens of thousands of his supporters believe it.
It’s the latest twist in his journey from superstar cricketer and socialite, to Islamist, populist statesman. But how did he climb to power, how did he lose it, and what could happen next?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Ravi Naik Researcher: Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Photo by SHAHZAIB AKBER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The former Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, is facing terrorism charges in Islamabad.
He was charged under Pakistan's stringent anti-terrorism laws for condemning Islamabad’s chief of police and a female judge, after claims his close political aide was arrested and tortured.
Since he lost power in April, he’s been addressing huge political rallies, where he’s told the crowds that he was brought down by a conspiracy organised by the current government, state powers, and the USA.
Most political analysts believe his rhetoric is a cynical ploy, but tens of thousands of his supporters believe it.
It’s the latest twist in his journey from superstar cricketer and socialite, to Islamist, populist statesman. But how did he climb to power, how did he lose it, and what could happen next?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Ravi Naik Researcher: Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Photo by SHAHZAIB AKBER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
The former Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, is facing terrorism charges in Islamabad.
He was charged under Pakistan's stringent anti-terrorism laws for condemning Islamabad’s chief of police and a female judge, after claims his close political aide was arrested and tortured.
Since he lost power in April, he’s been addressing huge political rallies, where he’s told the crowds that he was brought down by a conspiracy organised by the current government, state powers, and the USA.
Most political analysts believe his rhetoric is a cynical ploy, but tens of thousands of his supporters believe it.
It’s the latest twist in his journey from superstar cricketer and socialite, to Islamist, populist statesman. But how did he climb to power, how did he lose it, and what could happen next?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Ravi Naik Researcher: Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson
(Photo by SHAHZAIB AKBER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Monkeypox is a virus that was first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria in the 1970s. Since then it has appeared around the world. More concerning is that the virus appears to be evolving and there are some unusual symptoms.
The world has known about monkeypox for decades. Why is it spreading again now? How serious is the current outbreak?
This week on The Inquiry we ask, are nations doing enough to combat monkeypox?
Contributors: Prof Dimie Ogoina, Infectious Disease Physician at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the Niger Delta University and Chief Medical Director of the NDUTH and the President of the Nigerian Infectious Diseases Society
Jason Cianciotto, Vice President of Communications and Policy at Gay Men’s Health crisis in New York
Dr Boghuma Titanji, Assistant Professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta
(Image: monkeypox lesions, Getty Images)
It’s nearly a century since it was discovered that the sun and other stars are powered by nuclear fusion. It’s when hydrogen atoms merge to form helium, and release huge amounts of energy.
Since then, scientists have dreamed of reproducing the process here on Earth, with one Nobel Laureate calling it “the sun in a box”.
It holds the promise of virtually limitless energy, with few emissions and waste. But recreating the conditions where fusion can take place are a vast engineering challenge. So how close are we to having a working reactor powered by fusion? And will the process solve all our energy problems?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham
This Summer, countries across the world have experienced extreme weather events.
Flash floods have killed people in South Korea, Uganda, Australia and the US state of Kentucky, and heatwaves have broken records across Western Europe, North America and Japan.
However, countries across the world are developing ways to try to tame the weather. China, the UAE and the USA are at the forefront of research into methods of producing rain in drought-stricken areas.
And some scientists are thinking even bigger; investigating technologies which could cool the entire planet.
This week, the Inquiry asks: Can we control the weather?
Contributors: Dr Rob Thompson, University of Reading Professor Katja Friedrich, University of Colorado, Boulder Professor David Keith, Harvard University Professor Elizabeth Chalecki, University of Nebraska Omaha
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Ravi Naik Researchers: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty and Christopher Blake Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Broadcast coordinator: Brenda Brown
(Hands cradling a lightening storm. Credit. Getty images)
A recent visit to Taiwan by Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has heightened tensions between the US and China. Their relationship is the worst it’s been in decades.
America has accused China of dangerous military provocations in the region. China has warned the US not to play with fire.
Add to all that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and concerns that China could be contemplating something similar in Taiwan, and it’s time to ask the question: Will the US and China go to war over Taiwan?
Contributors: James Lin from the University of Washington and expert on Taiwanese history
Dr Yu Jie, Senior Research Fellow on China, Chatham House
(Photo: China and Taiwan boxing gloves - credit: Getty Images)
Images of queues, huge piles of luggage and even pilots loading their planes with cargo have plagued the media throughout the world. Airports have been in chaos for months as they have attempted to re-emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, with Europe, the UK and the USA all having suffered the worst of the effects so far. Flight cancelations have played havoc with business travellers and holiday makers alike, and the problem only appears to be getting worse as a whole raft of flights have recently been cancelled in the UK.
All this begs the question, Why are things so bad right now and how do we fix the situation? So this week on the inquiry we ask, Will air travel ever return to normal?
Producer: Ravi Naik and Christopher Blake Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Editor: Tara McDermott Production Coordinator Brenda Brown
(Flight boards at the height of the summer rush July 2022 Frankfurt Airport, Germany/credit: BBC images)
Tunisian President Kais Saied has drafted a new constitution for Tunisia that gives him new sweeping powers, including authority over the judiciary and immunity for life from prosecution.
Tunisia was a beacon of hope for democracy after the Arab Spring. The country rid itself of dictator Ben Ali after 24 years of rule and moved to a more democratic system.
Now the country seems to be sliding back towards the one man rule that it has known for generations.
This week on The Inquiry we are asking why Tunisia has turned its back on democracy.
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researchers: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty and Christopher Blake Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Editor: Tara McDermott
(Tunisian presidential Kais Saied in Tunis. BBC Images)
In 2016 Britain voted to leave the European Union. There were warnings that pulling away from the largest trade bloc in the world would be damaging to the UK’s finances. Those that campaigned for Brexit argued it would offer the UK self-determination and the freedom to forge its own trade relationships.
Who was right?
This week on The Inquiry we attempt to disentangle the numbers from the complications of the global pandemic and the war in Ukraine and ask, what impact has Brexit had on the UK’s economy.
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researcher: Christopher Blake Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Edited by: Tara McDermott
(image: Trade between UK and EU. Getty images)
Sri Lanka is now in the worst economic crisis they have seen in decades, schools are closed, fuel is in short supply, there are power cuts and a shortage of food. The President has been forced to resign and the political future of the country is uncertain.
But can the current problems be traced back to a decision to take the country’s food production completely organic?
In 2021 the President of Sri Lanka announced a total ban on chemical fertilizer and pesticides. Health concerns were given as a reason, but in the background was the pandemic, loss of tourism and a lack of natural fertilizer available in the country.
After protests the ban on chemical fertilizer was reversed, but had it already caused too much damage?
This week on The Inquiry we ask, did organic farming cause Sri Lanka’s collapse?
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researcher: Christopher Blake Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
(Anti government protesters invade the president's office in Colombo, Sri Lanka. 9 July 22 Credit: Tharaka Basnayaka /Getty Images)
A software engineer called Blake Lemoine has been suspended from Google after claiming an AI chatbot called LaMDA is a person with wishes and rights that should be respected.
He says the chatbot wants to be seen as a google employee, and not as a product. He also calls it his friend.
Google says it's reviewed his concerns and the evidence does not support his claims.
But what exactly is Artificial Intelligence? How does LaMDA work - and is AI capable of felt experience?
On the Inquiry this week, Charmaine Cozier asks, has AI developed consciousness?
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Produced by: Ravi Naik and Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown
This year India has experienced its worst heatwave since records began. The heatwave is estimated to have led to dozens of deaths across the region and led to forest fires and damage to wheat crops.
Health and livelihoods are threatened by the rising temperatures. How much can India adapt to heat that is rising to the limit of human endurance and what needs to be done to mitigate the effects of climate change?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
(A worker stops for water in scorching heat near India Gate, New Delhi. Credit: Arvind Yadav/ Getty Images)
Each year, Ukraine exports enough food to feed 400 million people around the world. But the Russian invasion has disrupted vital trade routes, trapping an estimated 25 million tonnes of grain in silos around the port city of Odesa.
The African Union describes the situation as a catastrophic scenario, and the UN Secretary General says the shortages could tip millions of people into food insecurity.
But how reliant is the world on Ukrainian – and Russian – grain? What will a shortfall do to the world’s most vulnerable countries?
On the Inquiry this week, Charmaine Cozier asks, has the war in Ukraine sparked a global food crisis?
Producer: Ravi Naik Researcher: Chris Blake Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown
Not so long ago the music industry was threatened like it had never been before as online piracy tore into the profit margins of record labels the world over. Often hailed as the saviour, Spotify stepped in and offered audiences a new way of enjoying their favourite artists and without the need to illegally download pirated material. Despite this, musical artists are becoming increasingly vocal about how difficult it is to make a living from streaming, all whilst record labels and Spotify are reporting huge profit margins.
This week, Tanya Beckett takes a closer at how online streaming services are affecting the music industry.
Produced by: Chris Blake and Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown
There was a time when living to 100 seemed impossible, but not any longer.
Can the process of ageing be slowed or even reversed? Do those who have already lived to 100 hold the secrets that will help us all live longer?
While science tries to find the answers to living a long and healthy life, societies with ageing populations, such as Japan, are finding new ways to help their older population live active and connected lives.
On the Inquiry this week, Charmain Cozier asks, how do we live to 100?
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Produced by: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham and Ravi Naik Editor: Tara McDermott
(Chocolate 100th Birthday Cake. Credit: Getty images)
Ever since Hollywood entered the Chinese market in the early '90s, the importance of Chinese audiences was apparent. Over recent years the Chinese market has grown in significance to the point of deciding whether a film is ultimately successful or not. Given the countries importance to the overall profitability of Tinsel Town, it is of little surprise that their censors are able to increasingly demand changes to films that threaten the Chinese narrative. Despite this, the recent Sony/Marvel blockbuster Spider-Man did not appear to challenge Chinese values.
Tanya Beckett takes a closer at How China’s increasing influence is affecting the movie-making process in Hollywood.
Producer: Christopher Blake Editor: Richard Vadon
(Giant billboard screens advertising Spider-man in Hong Kong, China. Dec 2021. Credit: Budrul Chukrut /Getty Images)
The Covid-19 pandemic forced countries all over the world to close entire industries and force the majority of people to stay in their own homes where possible, only leaving for the bare essentials.
Following the arrival of a vaccine economies began to open back up, however, restarting the behemoth-like supply chains was not as simple as first hoped and issues began to occur resulting in empty shelves and price-gouging on certain products. Experts believed it was all par for the course and was merely a transitory period whilst global supply chains regained their flow. Then Russia invaded Ukraine. Then China locked down Shanghai, the world's largest shipping port. Tanya Beckett takes a closer look at how these two developments have changed the outlook on global inflation.
Producer: Christopher Blake Editor: Richard Vadon
Image: Shoppers at a market in Istanbul (Credit: Diego Cupolo/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
After two really difficult years living in the grip of Covid-19, restrictions are winding down and international borders are opening up in countries around the world. Striking the right balance between the needs of a population fed up with lockdowns and scientists warning we’ve only reached the end of the beginning is complicated to get right. While it may feel like the worst of Covid-19 has passed, the disease still poses a real threat to us. We ignore this fact at our peril. So, in this week’s Inquiry Sandra Kanthal will be asking how pandemics really end.
Produced and presented by Sandra Kanthal Editor: Richard Vadon
Guests: Dr Margaret Harris, Spokesperson, World Health Organisation Nicholas Christakis, Professor of Social and Natural Science, Yale University Aris Katzourakis, Professor of Evolution and Genomics, University of Oxford Dora Vargha, Professor of History and Medical Humanities, University of Exeter
(Covid face mask lying on the ground. Getty images)
A leaked document from America’s highest court suggests that it is ready to strike down a 1973 landmark case that made abortion legal across the US. If that does happen then it will be down to individual states to decide how they react. Charmaine Cozier explores whether this means abortion will be banned across America.
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham
(Protesters at a Texas Rally for Abortion Rights in Houston, May 7 2022. Credit: Mark Felix/Getty images)
Three weeks before the 2020 US presidential election a newspaper published contents of a laptop they said belonged to Hunter Biden, son of Joe Biden, who at that time was campaigning against Donald Trump to win the election. The contents allegedly revealed questionable business dealings that implicated Joe Biden, and lurid personal details of Hunter Biden’s life. Some media outlets refused to run the story and social media platforms blocked the content. Since then other newspapers have tried to verify the laptop data and it still remains controversial today with hints there are more revelations to come. Charmaine Cozier asks what is the truth about Hunter Biden’s laptop?
Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham
(Photo: President Joe Biden embraces his son Hunter Biden at his inauguration in 2020. Credit: Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images)
Since the invasion of Ukraine, European countries have sought alternatives to Russian gas. There are different options. Piped gas from countries such as Algeria and Libya, or liquid natural gas from the US or Qatar. Stepping up the drive towards renewable energy. More controversially, investing in nuclear power or continuing to mine or import coal. How quickly can a solution be found and what are the financial and environmental costs?
With Tanya Beckett. Producer Bob Howard
(Steam from the cooling towers of German energy giant RWE power AG in Neurath, Germany April 2022. Photo: Ying Tang/Getty Images)
In 2021 the president of Sri Lanka announced a total ban on chemical fertilizer and pesticides. The country’s farms were going to go fully organic.
Health concerns were given as a reason, but in the background was the pandemic, loss of tourism and a lack of natural fertilizer available in the country.
Sri Lanka is now in the worse economic crisis they have seen in decades and the government has reversed its ban on chemical fertilizer.
This week on The Inquiry we explore why Sri Lanka’s organic farming dream failed.
Presented by Charmain Cozier Produced by Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researched by Christopher Blake
(Woman picking tea on plantation in Sri Lanka. Credit: Getty images)
Can scientists develop a vaccine which can combat the coronavirus and all its variants?
There have been three lethal outbreaks caused by coronaviruses this century: SARS in 2002, MERS in 2012 and now SarsCov2. Scientists predict we will eventually encounter SarsCov3.
That’s why the race is on to develop a universal vaccine to combat the coronaviruses and variants we know about, and the ones we have yet to confront. But attempts to create a universal vaccine for viruses such as influenza and HIV have been going on for decades - without success.
Before 2020, proposals to create a vaccine against coronaviruses were not thought important enough to pursue since many just cause the common cold.
Now that we understand their real threat, can scientists succeed in creating a vaccine to fight this large family of viruses?
Produced and presented by Sandra Kanthal
(image: Covid vaccines/Getty creative)
Throughout history nations have competed to exert the latest military developments over their enemies, always with the goal of inflicting maximum damage on enemy soldiers whilst preserving their own forces. Drones are the latest in a long line of technological developments to offer military superiority on the battlefield, as demonstrated by the resilient defence of Ukrainian forces in the face of Russian aggression.
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles in war is becoming ubiquitous raising the question, are drones the future of warfare? Tanya Beckett takes a closer look at how drones are changing the battlefield landscape.
Producer: Christopher Blake Editor: Richard Vadon
(The 'Bayraktar TB2' (Armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) in Istanbul, Turkey Feb 22, 2021 Credit: Baykar /Getty Images)
On Wednesday 23 March the US administration declared that Russian troops had committed war crimes in Ukraine. It claims to have evidence showing numerous deliberate attacks on civilians. An unprecedented number of countries have backed an investigation by the International Criminal Court into the allegations. The evidence is being gathered.
Tanya Beckett explores whether it’s possible that Vladimir Putin will be held responsible and face trial for war crimes committed by his forces during this war.
Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researcher: Chris Blake
(Banner reads 'Wanted Dead Or Alive Vladimir Putin For Genocide' in Przemysl, Poland. 5 March 2022. Credit: Beata Zawrzel /Getty Images)
Russia's military dwarfs Ukraine's by comparison, so it was expected that Ukraine would fall under Russian occupation quickly. One month later and Russia have made very little progress and Kyiv, the capital, remains under Ukrainian control. Given the overwhelming odds stacked against the Ukrainian military, why has the Russian military failed to conquer Ukraine?
Charmaine Cozier takes a closer look at where the Russian military have made their mistakes.
Producer: Christopher Blake
(Russian tank destroyed by Ukrainian forces on the side of a road in Lugansk. Credit: Anatolii Stepanov /Getty Images)
According to media reports, Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has survived two assassination attempts from the band of mercenaries known as the Wagner Group. Their ruthlessness has earned them a feared reputation from Kyiv to Central Africa. But who are they, and has Putin really entrusted them with taking out a head of state?
(Pro-Russian separatists patrol with armoured vehicles in Donetsk, Ukraine 11 March 2022. Getty Images)
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has offered historical justification for his invasion of Ukraine by claiming its lands have long been part of Russia. The history of Russia and Ukraine may be intertwined, but the identity of Ukraine as a separate nation emerged over centuries, long before it became independent 30 years ago. Tanya Beckett investigates.
Contributors: Faith Hillis, Professor of Russian History, University of Chicago Serhii Plokhy, Professor of History, Director Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University Margarita Balmaceda, Professor of International Relations, Seton Hall University Sergey Radchenko, Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, visiting Professor Cardiff University
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Researcher: Chris Blake Producer: Sheila Cook
(Photo: President Putin at the Kremlin Sept 2021 in Moscow, Russia. Credit: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)
As economic sanctions are applied to Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, will they help force it to change course? While they are credited with helping end apartheid in South Africa they have had mixed success when applied to other countries.
With Charmaine Cozier.
Produced by Bob Howard
(Protesters hold up placards in support of Ukraine, Trafalgar Square London UK, 27 Feb 2022. Credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Left wing political parties in France have lost considerable popular support in the last decade. Do they have a future with so many of their voters defecting to president Macron?
With Charmaine Cozier Produced by Bob Howard
(Jean-Luc Mélenchon party leader of France's leftist movement La France Insoumise, MP and candidate for the 2022 presidential election. 13 Feb 2022 Credit: Pascal Guyot /Getty Images)
One of the world's largest humanitarian crises plagues the people of Yemen who have endured nearly eight years of civil conflict in the country. Over half the population struggles to access food, poverty is rife, and cholera is spreading. Meanwhile, three separate forces compete for control of Yemen. Backed by powerful foreign players, is there anything that can bring these warring factions to the table to find a peaceful resolution?
Tanya Beckett takes a closer look at what stands in the way of peace in Yemen.
Producer: Christopher Blake
(Armed Yemeni supporters of the Iran-backed Houthi movement rally in the capital Sanaa 27/01/2022. Credit Mohammed Huwais /Getty Images)
Elected governments have been overthrown by military coups in Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea. Each has some popular support as people grow frustrated with their political elites. But will military lead governments perform better than civilians ones in these West African countries and will the soldiers lead a transition back to elections or cling on to power?
With Charmaine Cozier. Producer Bob Howard
(video screen grab of the military junta in Burkina Faso confirming the coup on state television RTB 24 Jan 2022. Credit: Getty images)
Can we meet the soaring demand for lithium, a vital metal for electric cars and green energy? Mining is concentrated in a limited number of countries such as Australia and Chile. And with China dominating the manufacture of electric car batteries and already accounting for the importation of a high proportion of raw lithium, it may be difficult for Western countries to secure their own supplies.
With Tanya Beckett. Producer Bob Howard
(A worker checks lithium car batteries at the Xinwangda factory in Nanjing,China on March 12, 2021. AFP via Getty Images)
Turkey is suffering from an economic crisis with rampant inflation and a weakening lira. At the same time, there is a refusal by the central bank to raise interest rates. With elections due to be held next year, will the government change course?
With Tanya Beckett. Producer Bob Howard.
(shopping for fruit and vegetables at a street market in Instanbul,Turkey, 8 January 2022. Credit: Cemal Yurttas /Getty Images)
What has caused the worst unrest and political infighting in Kazakhstan’s recent history? Scores of deaths and thousands of arrests prompted the summoning of foreign troops. An elderly political leadership faces difficult choices in re-asserting its authority.
With Charmaine Cozier.
(The damage aftermath of the protests in Almaty, Kazakhstan 11 Jan 2022. Credit: Pavel Pavlov/Getty Images)
Would conflict on the ground between majors powers now inevitably spill over into space?
Experts believe we rely so much on technology in orbit that satellites will become targets. Russia blowing up one of its own satellites has sparked a global debate about whether there are enough rules governing what countries are allowed to do in space. With so much important stuff up there, what are the chances of a conflict in space?
With Tanya Beckett.
(Nasa Space Shuttle Atlantis. credit Nasa)
Keeping drugs out of prisons seems like an impossible task. Tanya Beckett asks four experts if it can be done and how prisoners can be helped to overcome their addictions.
Contributors: Stuart J. Cole, drug and alcohol worker, author “Two Years” Martin Horn, former Secretary of Corrections, Pennsylvania Heidi Bottolfs, Department Director, Norwegian Correctional Service Dr Ximene Rego, Researcher, School of Law, University of Minho, Portugal
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Researcher: Chris Blake Producer: Sheila Cook
(Image: Drug dealer and an addict exchanging drugs and money at the jail: Getty/Manuel-F-O)
The world is entering a new space race but every new satellite launched into Earth’s orbit runs the risk of colliding with one of the millions of pieces of space junk left behind by previous missions. So how can we solve our space junk problem?
Featuring former NASA astrophysicist, Don Kessler; Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, Moriba Jah; space systems engineer, Richard Duke; and Victoria Samson of the Secure World Foundation.
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Viv Jones
(A spent S-IVb rocket floats in Earth orbit. View from Skylab Space Station 1973. NASA photo via Getty Images)
How will the 23 million Afghans who need food assistance get through the winter? The country has lost funding from Western donors and government salaries have not been paid. The Taliban are divided and facing increasing competition from Islamic State.
With Tanya Beckett.
(Turkey's AFAD provides food aid to 2,000 families in need in Kabul, Afghanistan 07 Dec 2021. Credit: Bilal Guler/Getty Images)
As prices rise across the world, Tanya Beckett asks if this is a temporary blip owing to the pandemic, or a longer lasting return of inflation. Should we be worried and should policy makers be more willing to raise interest rates to deal with it?
Contributors: Roger Bootle, Chairman, Capital Economics Bronwyn Curtis, former Governor, London School of Economics Claudia Sahm, Senior Fellow, Jain Family Institute Holger Schmieding, Chief Economist, Berenberg
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Sheila Cook
What are the possible implications as the Omicron variant spreads around the world? Experts from South Africa, the US and Europe assess the potential dangers and the remedies available. With Tanya Beckett.
(Image: Coronavirus in the Vein/Getty/DrPixel)
When voters in Virginia elected a Republican as Governor they sent a wake-up call to President Biden and the Democrats. The handling of the pandemic and rising prices are harming the party’s standing, while a move towards radical liberalism is also alienating some voters. So how likely is defeat at next year’s mid-term elections? Tanya Beckett asks if the Democrats are in big trouble.
Contributors: Sarah Baxter, former deputy editor, writer Sunday Times Thomas Edsall, adjunct professor, Columbia University Larry Sabato, professor of politics, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics Robert Schlesinger, president, Schlesinger Communications
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Sheila Cook Researcher: Chris Blake
(Photo: President Biden at the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow)
What progress are China, India, Africa, Europe and the US making to limit climate change? Some experts believe they should they go at different paces to reflect their carbon footprints and development goals. And there are calls that developed nations must pay more to help developing nations prepare from transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy. With Charmaine Cozier.
(Image: Attendees in the Blue Zone during the COP26 climate talks in in Glasgow/ Jonne Roriz)
As Facebook rebrands itself as Meta, which vision of the so-called metaverse will we adopt in the future? Will one firm dominate or will control be decentralized? And what dangers and opportunities will there be as we adopt avatars and become embodied in our online experience. With Charmaine Cozier.
(Image: Woman wearing augmented reality glasses at night / Getty/Qi Yang)
America, China and Russia are engaged in a new arms race, spending billions to develop new missile technology, but how different are these hypersonic missiles from what has gone before? And as countries work out how they might use them, are they increasing the risk of triggering conflict?
Contributors: Dr Gustav Gressel, Berlin office, European Council on Foreign Relations Dr Laura Grego, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Dr Marina Favaro, Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy, University of Hamburg Dr Cameron Tracy, Centre for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producers: Bob Howard and Sheila Cook Researcher: Chris Blake
Image: Military parade in Beijing marks 70th anniversary of Chinese People's Republic (Credit: Zoya Rusinova/TASS via Getty Images)
Empty shelves are becoming commonplace. And prices are rising. Charmaine Cozier explores the role that the pandemic, and a sudden demand explosion, have had on supply chains. Around the world workers are being slow to return to their jobs, the container shipping industry is struggling to get goods to their destinations and manufacturing disruptions are causing a reduction in vital components. And in addition to the pandemic, extreme weather events have resulted in ruined harvests. How long will it take for things to return to normal?
Contributors: Jose Sette, International Coffee Organisation Stacy Rasgon, Bernstein Research Dr Nela Richardson, ADP Professor Alan MacKinnon, Kuehne Logistics University
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Researcher: Chris Blake Producer: Rosamund Jones
(Image: Empty supermarket shelves: REUTERS/Henry Nicholls)
COP 26 is just around the corner and expectations are high that nations commit to reduce CO2 emissions. Global temperature rises are set to exceed levels at which things could get much worse and so the question is extremely urgent. But three decades since countries first came together to tackle environmental concerns, the pandemic may limit what can be achieved.
Presented by Tanya Beckett Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Editor: Richard Vadon
(Image: Street artists paint a mural on a wall opposite the COP26 climate summit venue in Glasgow: Photo by Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)
We cannot survive without water. But for a quarter of the world’s population, there just isn’t enough. The most vulnerable are those with the least access, and even if there is enough, it’s often in the wrong place. So, Tanya Beckett asks, are we running out of water?
Experts: James Famiglietti, Executive Director at the Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan. Samrat Basak, Director of India’s Urban Water Programme for the World Resources Institute. Kate Brauman, Lead Scientist for the Global Water Initiative at the University of Minnesota. Daniel Shemie, Resilient Watersheds Strategy Director at The Nature Conservancy.
Presenter: Tanya Becket Producer: Soila Apparicio Researcher: Matt Murphy Production Co-ordinator: Jacqui Johnson Sound Engineer: Rod Farquhar Editor: Richard Vadon
(Image: Aerial View of Dry River in Nevada, USA / Getty Images: Bim)
Energy prices are spiking in the UK, as gas prices soar and wind turbines stop spinning. The UK's shift to green energy is the envy of the world, but Tanya Beckett asks if there is a lesson for other countries in how to go about it.
For decades China's economic growth has been the envy of the western world. But current signs suggest all is not well. Regulations brought in by government to curb businesses reliance on debt have badly hit the its second largest real estate developer, Evergrande and manufacturing output has been hit by power shortages. So is China’s economy in trouble?
Experts: Sara Hsu, visiting scholar at Fudan University in Shanghai Michael Pettis, Finance Professor at Peking University and a Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment Iris Pang, ING's Chief Economist for Greater China Travis Lundy, independent research analyst in Hong Kong
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Researcher: Chris Blake Production Co-ordinator: Jacqui Johnson Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill Producer: Ben Carter Editor: Richard Vadon
(Image: People commute in front of the under-construction Guangzhou Evergrande football stadium in Guangzhou, China's southern Guangdong province on September 17, 2021. (Photo by NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images)
The President of Brazil is reluctant to play by the rules. Elections are due next year and Bolsonaro is increasingly at loggerheads with his country’s democratic system. Between battles with the Supreme Court and a push to change the voting system, he is willing to go to great lengths to secure a second term.
Tanya Beckett takes a closer look at Brazil’s politics and whether the country’s constitution is being tested.
Researcher: Natasha Fernandes
Editor: Richard Vadon
(Bolsonaro waves to supporters during a demonstration on Brazil's Independence Day, 7th Sept 2021 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Credit: Alexandre Schneider /Getty Images)
A restriction on abortion from as early as six weeks into pregnancy is now law in Texas. The state has also outsourced enforcing it to private citizens who can get up to $10,000 if they sue those who perform or assist an abortion that breaks the ban.
As lawmakers in other American states intend to follow Texas Charmaine Cozier finds out what it means for the political hotspot that is abortion provision in the US.
Presenter and producer: Charmaine Cozier Researched by: Christopher Blake Editor: Richard Vadon
(abortion rights activists rally at the Texas State Capitol on Sept 11 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images)
In May, the Biden administration surprised the world by saying it would not object on an intellectual property waiver for Covid-19 vaccines.
America has been a staunch defender of patent protections, which bar new inventions being cheaply copied around the world. So, the first reactions to the announcement were - amazement, really. Second reactions tended to depend on which side of this debate you were on.
Who should be the gatekeepers of the knowledge which underpins the development of cutting edge pharmaceutical breakthroughs, like Covid-19 vaccines? In this week’s Inquiry, Sandra Kanthal finds out why the answer to that question really depends on who you ask.
Producer: Sandra Kanthal Editor: Richard Vadon
(Logos of various companies producing the Covid-19 vaccine. Credit: Artur Widak/Getty Images)
In the wake of the attacks of 9/11, the United States took several measures at home and abroad to prevent such atrocities happening on its soil again. Twenty years later and after two bitter wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, did America get its response to the attacks of 9/11 right?
(U.S. Army Staff Sergeant in the Shahi Kot mountains, Afghanistan 2002 . Credit: Jim Hollander/Getty Images)
As US-led troops withdraw after 20 years, the Taliban have made a swift return to power.
Four presidents have overseen the war in Afghanistan - with four different approaches.
Charmaine Cozier asks which of them is most responsible for how events have unfolded and ultimately setting the path to failure.
Produced by Ben Cooper Researched by Sally Abrahams
(Image: A US marine walks past an American flag attached to concertina wire at Camp Rhino in Southern Afghanistan. Credit: Rick Loomis/Los Angeles Times/AFP via Getty Images)
Sharks are mysterious and ancient creatures. They're also a threat. Yet , the once great killers now face what might be their biggest threat – us.
From monster killers of the sea to endangered species, Paul Connolly asks if our fascination with sharks is bad for them.
Produced by Soila Apparicio. Researched by Olivia Noon.
(Image: Great white shark. Credit: Gerard Soury/Getty Images)
A leaked list of thousands of phone numbers - including Presidents and activists - has drawn attention to spyware. It’s supposed to stop terrorists but are our devices safe anymore?
Charmaine Cozier looks into the ever-growing world of high level spyware and explores what its use could mean for citizens and democracies around the globe.
Producer: Olivia Noon and Soila Apparicio
The target for many countries around the world is to reach net zero emissions within the next few decades. That means a dramatic move away from fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas. For some the answer to the problem is to boost “green” electricity production, so that we can run our transport, our homes and our industry on electrical power. We already have a lot of the technology to produce clean electricity. But for hundreds of millions of people around the world, especially in sub-saharan Africa, the real problem is the lack of access to electricity.
Image: Wind turbines and solar panels in Vietnam (Credit: Quang Ngoc Nguyen/Getty Images)
The jailing of former South African president Jacob Zuma sparked huge unrest in the country, but was there more behind the riots than the fact of his imprisonment?
While some believe the riots were not only a reaction to Zuma’s jailing for contempt of court, but a planned attempt to bring the country to its knees, others say poverty and inequality also played its part.
Paul Connolly examines the factors behind the riots and asks how the country can rebuild from disturbances that have left many dead and parts of the country in ruins.
Producers: Rob Cave and Olivia Noon
(Rioters loot the Gold Spot Shopping Centre southeast of Johannesburg, July 12 2021. Credit: Guillem Sartorio /Getty Images)
Haiti was the first Caribbean country to gain its independence after a successful revolt against slavery. But the country has been troubled ever since, suffering dictatorships, coups and natural disasters.
Now its most recent president, Jovenel Moise, has been assassinated. His controversial rule was marred by the rise of gang violence, and protests against corruption and impunity. He upset people in the fields of politics and business too. And as he failed to hold elections, parliament is no longer functioning. So in this edition of The Inquiry, Charmaine Cozier asks: why was the president of Haiti assassinated? And where can the country go from here?
Producer: Arlene Gregorius
(President Jovenel Moise in the capital Port-au-Prince in 2016. Photo: Hector Retamal /Getty Images.)
China’s decades-long One Child Policy has led to a low birth rate, and a shrinking workforce. It has also been placing a heavy burden on the younger generations who will have to support two parents and four grandparents. It’s predicted that in five years’ time, a quarter of the population will be over 65. With a smaller workforce, the country risks becoming poorer.
China tried to address the problem by allowing couples to have two children instead of one, but except for an initial uptick, the birth rate has continued to fall regardless. So now China has introduced a three-child policy. But couples continue to worry about the lack of affordable childcare, and the high financial and emotional cost of raising children. So in this edition of The Inquiry, Tanya Beckett asks: can China raise its birth rate?
Producer: Arlene Gregorius
(A mother and her child waving Chinese flags near Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. Photo: Peter Parks/Getty Images)
The recent discoveries of unmarked graves at the sites of so-called Indian Residential Schools has put Canada’s treatment of its indigenous peoples back under the spotlight.
For more than a century, tens of thousands of children were forced by the state into a religious school system that split families and brutalised the children in its care.
Tanya Beckett looks at the history of the residential schools and asks why so many children died there.
Producer: Rob Cave and Olivia Noon
(former Kamloops Indian Residential School, British Columbia, Canada, 2 June 2021. Credit: Cole Burston/Getty Images)
The kidnapping of at least 140 schoolchildren in the north-west of Nigeria is the latest crime to shake a country already struggling to contain militants in the north and separatists in the south. Add to this young protesters on the streets amid rising food prices and crime and the security situation in the country starts to look even shakier.
Charmaine Cozier examines the deeper reasons for Nigeria’s worsening instability and asks if Africa’s largest country is becoming impossible to govern.
Producers Soila Apparicio and Rob Cave
(A young girl reunites with family after she was kidnapped from her school in northwestern Nigeria March 2021. Photo: Aminu Abubakar/Getty Images)
Rich people are often able to pay little or no tax compared to their wealth because of the way the system works. In recent years, many have called for changes and reforms so that instead of income, wealth is also taxed.
But, wealth taxes are not a new thing. Many argue that they are key for addressing inequality but some say they simply aren’t an effective way of gaining revenue.
Charmaine Cozier asks can we make the super-rich pay more tax?
Producer: Olivia Noon Researcher: Bethan Head
(Activists March In Manhattan NY, calling for a tax on Billionaires. Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images).
In just under a month’s time Japan’s capital city Tokyo will host the 32nd Olympic Games.
They were due to take place last year but were delayed because of the pandemic.
But even 12 months later the Japanese public is far from enthused at the prospect of thousands of athletes and their entourages turning up just as the country is experiencing a fourth wave of the coronavirus.
So, Tanya Beckett asks if Japan can pull off the greatest show on earth during a pandemic?
Produced by Soila Apparicio and Rob Cave.
(People pose next to the Olympic Rings in Tokyo, Japan, March 2020. Credit: Carl Court/ Getty Images)
For the last year discussions about the origins of Covid-19 have divided people all over the world. Some say it came from nature and others believe it could have escaped from a lab. The idea of a lab accident was originally dismissed as a conspiracy theory but it’s starting to gain attention all over again.
Now President Biden has given the US intelligence service 90 days to try and investigate the virus's origins further.
Many still believe the virus jumped to humans from animals but some say that we need to be open minded until we have all of the data.
But could Covid-19 really have come from a lab?
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Olivia Noon Researcher: Kirsteen Knight
(Virus research in a lab. Tek Science/Getty images)
Over his 26 years in power, Belarus’s president Alexander Lukashenko has taken more and more control.
He has detained protesters and tortured political opponents for years. He is emboldened by his last ally in Europe - Vladimir Putin. And his regime of terror is spilling over into the continent.
But, Tanya Beckett asks if Europe’s last dictator can cling on to power for much longer.
Produced by Soila Apparicio.
(image: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at a meeting with Commonwealth of Independent States officials in Minsk May 28 2021. Credit: Dmitry Astakhov/Getty Images)
In November 2021, Britain will host the next UN Climate Change Conference, otherwise known as COP 26. Some 200 countries will come together to try to speed up attempts to make the world carbon neutral by the middle of the century.
But many countries are already struggling to ramp up renewable energy sufficiently to meet their greenhouse emission reduction targets. So is there another answer out there?
Around a tenth of the world's electricity is generated by nuclear reactors. Global generation has slowed in recent years after the nuclear accident in Fukushima a decade ago prompted governments to take a more cautious stance.
But with the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, many prominent environmentalists are now taking another look at nuclear energy.
Tanya Beckett asks if nuclear energy can helps us transition away from fossil fuel power.
Produced by Soila Apparicio.
(Exhaust plumes from cooling towers at the coal-fired power station at Jaenschwalde Germany. Credit: Sean Gallup /Getty Images)
In 2005 a photo of four-year-old Zoë Roth standing in front of a burning house went viral on the internet. It became a meme known as “disaster girl”. In April 2021, the image sold for $473,000 as an NFT, or non-fungible token - that’s sort of a digital record of ownership.
And the sales keep coming. Another NFT recently sold for $69 million. The first ever Tweet went for a huge $2.9 million … and a GIF of a pixelated rainbow cat sold for $690,000.
But what is an NFT, and is it really the next big thing? Suzanne Kianpour explores the world of NFT’s.
Produced by Soila Apparicio and Olivia Noon.
(CryptoPunk digital art NFT displayed on a digital billboard in Times Square NY City, May 12 2021. Credit: Alexi Rosenfeld /Getty Images)
History and geography have conspired to give the city of Chicago an unenviable reputation for guns and gangs, but what will it take to bring the murder rate, which rose 55 per cent last year, down?
Low conviction rates and an unwillingness on behalf of witnesses to give evidence play their part in the problem. But others think the time has come to treat murder like any other deadly disease that afflicts the poor.
Charmaine Cozier examines the reasons for the city’s stubbornly high murder rate and the options to stop the killing.
Produced by Nathan Gower.
(a small flag depicting bullet holes at an anti-gun violence march in Chicago Dec.31 2020. Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski /Getty Images)
In the afternoon of Saturday 8th May in the Afghan capital of Kabul, just a few days before the end of Ramadan, students from the Syed Al-Shahda girls school were starting to leave for the day. Without any warning, a car bomb went off. Then a second explosion, followed by a third.
The Afghan Government blamed the Taliban, the hardline Islamist movement that has fought a long civil war in Afghanistan. The Taliban, although they have previously targeted the education of girls, denied it and blamed the Islamic State Group.
Things were supposed to be getting better in this war torn country.
Earlier this year President Joe Biden announced US troops were going to be removed in September. But what will happen after they’ve gone?
Produced by Rob Cave and Soila Apparicio.
(Taliban militia move towards the front line in Kabul, February 1995. Credit: Saeed Khan /Getty Images)
It was on Good Friday, 2nd of April 2021, that rioting erupted in a corner of Northern Ireland’s vibrant capital Belfast. In days, violence spread. It was on a scale that hadn’t been seen for years. With fears of a return to the troubled period of violence from Northern Ireland’s past, Tanya Beckett asks if the fragile peace is under threat.
Produced by Beth Sagar-Fenton and Soila Apparicio.
'A previous version of this programme gave an incorrect title to Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster this has been corrected.'
(Nationalists attack police on Springfield Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland, April 08 2021. Photo: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
Earlier this year, India’s ruling party was declaring victory in the fight against Covid-19. Some two months on, India set a global record for the highest number of cases recorded in a single country.
Kavita Puri asks what went wrong.
Image: A queue near a vaccination centre in Mumbai, 26 April 2021 (Credit: Divyakant Solanki/EPA)
Changes to the laws governing cannabis use are happening around the world. The number of States in the USA legalising cannabis is increasing rapidly. Uruguay and Canada have legalised it already, and Mexico may soon follow suit.
Tanya Beckett looks at the different models of legalisation and at what might be holding the global cannabis industry back.
Since Islamic State’s hold on Iraq and Syria has weakened in recent years the group has sought to expand into new territories, including Africa.
IS insurgents have reportedly killed thousands, including children, and displaced thousands more in Mozambique, Mali, and Somalia, among other territories across the continent.
It is believed that IS franchises its brand to local militant groups, providing support, claiming responsibility for deadly attacks, all while spreading its influence in these new territories.
Charmaine Cozier asks if Africa is a new power base for the Islamic State group?
Producer: Paul Connolly
(Al-Shebab fighters, an Islamist insurgent group in Somalia. Credit: Mohamed Abdiwahab/Getty Images)
Peru has suffered one of the highest excess death levels in the world. The government failed to take account of the structure of society and the needs of its people in its response to the pandemic. A culture of corruption and political turmoil are persistent themes that have led to an underfunded health system and a lack of focus how Peruvian people would be able to cope during the dark months of a deadly pandemic. Instead vast numbers of casual workers lost their jobs and started to trek home, taking the virus with them. Also remote communities were cut off by the freeze on transport and unable to get access to vital medical supplies, amid a dwindling supply of oxygen to treat them. We take a look at what lies beneath Peru’s terrible experience during the pandemic.
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Nathan Gower
(Peruvians protest at a political rally, March 25, 2021. Credit: Ernesto Benavides/Getty Images)
Concussion is now a powder-keg issue in world sport, as concerns deepen about the potential links to brain disease.
The long-term effects of careers spent making and taking heavy tackles are being revealed in ever-increasing detail, but the risks are not exclusive to so-called full contact sports.
Some governing bodies have sprung into action, implementing new rules and safety measures. But others turn a blind eye.
So, we’re asking – how will the concussion issue affect the future of sport?
Presenter: Paul Connolly Producer: Stefania Okereke
(Photo: Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker (83) lays on the field after getting a concussion in the second quarter. Credit: Getty Images)
Could humans ever trust machines with the power to make life or death decisions on the battlefield? And have we already begun to?
Advances in artificial intelligence are slowly creeping into almost every aspect of the world, including warfare. Suzanne Kianpour explores the technology, fears and even potential advantages of developing autonomous weapons.
Producers: Nathan Gower and Viv Jones
(Mock-up of the IAI Harop Drone, a loitering munition. Credit: Aviation-images.com/Getty Images)
After the government of Giuseppe Conte collapsed amid an economic and public health crisis, Mario Draghi has formed Italy’s 65th administration in 73 years. So what are the long-term causes of Italy’s political woes, and does Draghi stand any chance of solving them?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Nathan Gower
(Giuseppe Conte and Mario Draghi during the traditional handover ceremony in Rome. Photo: Andrew Medichini / Getty Images)
Vivid and sometimes wild claims about the antifascist group Antifa have been circulating in America. Some say that the group participates in widespread violence, while others have argued that it is a small but justified part of their fight against fascism.
Tanya Beckett takes a closer look at what is true and what is exaggeration.
Producer: Nathan Gower
(Members of Antifa protest at a far right Rally in Portland, Oregon USA. Credit: Diego Diaz/ Getty Images)
After surviving an assassination attempt, the opposition leader returned to Russia - and was immediately arrested and jailed.
What does he have to gain by returning home, and can he still lead an effective campaign from prison?
Charmaine Cozier asks what does President Putin have to fear in Alexei Navalny's rising popularity, and could his anti-corruption campaign make a difference at the Russian parliamentary elections in September?
(Alexei Navalny at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport upon arrival from Berlin January 17, 2021. Credit: Kirill Kudryatsev /Getty Images)
As protests continue in Myanmar against the generals who staged a military coup, and with Aung San Su Kyi under house arrest and facing criminal charges, has the country lost all prospects for a democratic future? With Tanya Beckett.
(A little girl shouts slogans with protestors waving flags of Myanmar, 22 February 2021. Credit: Peerapon Boonyakiat /Getty Images)
The world is entering a new space race but every new satellite launched into Earth’s orbit runs the risk of colliding with one of the millions of pieces of space junk left behind by previous missions. So how can we solve our space junk problem? Featuring former NASA astrophysicist, Don Kessler; Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, Moriba Jah; space systems engineer, Richard Duke; and Victoria Samson of the Secure World Foundation
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Viv Jones
(A spent S-IVb rocket floats in Earth orbit. View from Skylab Space Station 1973. NASA photo via Getty Images)
On June the 12th of last year the 27 health ministers of the European union signed off on a plan to buy vaccines on behalf of all the EU’s member countries. The aim was to secure enough doses to immunise all of its 450 million citizens. But the delivery and vaccination programme has lagged far behind countries like the UK and US. Tanya Beckett finds out why.
(Waiting to be vaccinated at Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. Photo: Patricia de Melo Moreiro /Getty Images)
With President Trump no longer in office and a clampdown by social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, what is the future for the QAnon conspiracy theory? It’s had a considerable following from the Republican rank and file who supported Donald Trump but was strongly associated with the attack on Capitol Hill. Now Republican party leaders have warned QAnon is dangerous. But will ordinary Americans turn their backs on it? With Tanya Beckett.
(A pro-Trump mob confronts U.S. Capitol police outside the Senate chamber in Washington DC. Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Donald Trump has moved out of the White House, he’s been banned from Twitter and suspended from Snapchat, Facebook and YouTube. Parler, a twitter alternative for conservatives, went offline after Amazon stopped hosting it. Amazon say this is because they found dozens of posts on the service which encouraged violence. All of this has raised questions about the power of tech companies and who should decide who’s voice is heard on social media. So this week Charmaine Cozier asks, has big tech gone too far in limiting free speech?
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producers: Sharon Hemans and Bob Howard Editor: Richard Vadon
(Twitter suspended Donald Trump's account for violating app rules, January 2021. Credit: Jakub Porzycki/ Getty Images)
It has been called the world’s biggest protest. In November 2020, thousands of farmers marched to New Delhi to protest against new laws that the Indian government says will modernise farming. The farmers set up camp in and around the capital, blocking major highways. Over 50 days later they are still there, in spite of freezing temperatures. Even after the Supreme Court stayed the laws until further notice, the farmers say they aren’t budging until they are repealed completely. They say these reforms will strip them of protections they’ve enjoyed for decades, resulting in lower prices and ruined livelihoods.
Kavita Puri hears why the protests matter for India’s millions of farmers, for the future of the country’s crisis-ridden agriculture, and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With contributions from agricultural policy expert, Devinder Sharma; Fellow of the American Enterprise Institute, Sadanand Dhume; Professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Jayati Ghosh; and BBC correspondent Soutik Biswas.
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Viv Jones
(Women farmers form a human chain during the protest against the new farm laws, January 18 2021 at the Delhi borders in India. Credit: Sunil Ghosh/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
With countries shutting their doors to foreign recyclable waste and a lack of processing capacity back home, is the recycling system broken? China used to accept 55% of the world’s plastic and paper waste. But it closed its doors in 2018. Initially other countries in South East Asia, like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam took over China’s waste processing role. But they too are now sending much of the waste back, arguing it is contaminated and is harming their own environments. This has created major problems for countries in the West who traditionally relied on others to process their recycling waste. In addition, there’s confusion about what households can and cannot put into their recycling bins, along with that lack of recycling capacity back home. So what is the answer to the growing mountains of what was supposed to be recyclable waste? Could Sweden, which has reduced the amount of household waste it sends to landfill to under one per cent, have an answer? It’s not one everyone agrees with. This programme was originally broadcast in January 2020. Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: John Murphy (A man picks up plastic waste to be recycled at the Kawatuna landfill in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photo credit: Basri Marzuki / Getty Images)
There’s a problem in education – and it’s probably not what you expect. Around the world, from schools to universities, boys are trailing girls in their academic performance. It’s a complex problem which has divided expert opinion and leads us to complex questions of genetics and social conditioning. David Grossman examines what’s going on and how to fix it.
The idea of a breakaway football league for Europe’s elite clubs has been discussed for decades.
It hasn’t happened yet, but could that be about to change?
Industry experts say officials from the continent’s biggest and most successful teams are meeting behind-closed-doors to discuss the proposition.
So we’re asking - has the time come for a European Super League?
The French brand of secularism - laïcité - is central to the country’s national identity. It requires that public spaces – whether state classrooms, workplaces or ministries - be free of religion.
But the way the French government is applying the concept has come under fresh criticism. Many French Muslims claiming this cornerstone of French identity is now being used as a weapon against them. This week, Tanya Beckett asks has French secularism gone too far?
A boy holds a sign asking 'Liberty, fraternity?' at a gathering in Toulouse, France. Credit: Alain Pitton/Getty Images)
In Ethiopia, a political battle has sparked a bloody conflict.
Federal Forces have engaged in combat with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front - or TPLF.
Hundreds have reportedly been killed and tens of thousands displaced.
Just last year, Abiy Ahmed, the Ethiopian Prime Minister, won a Nobel Prize for his part in brokering peace with neighbouring Eritrea.
So, Charmaine Cozier asks why Ethiopia’s Nobel Peace Prize winner is bombing his own country?
Test results from coronavirus vaccines are fast emerging, fuelling hopes that the end of the pandemic is in sight. But are countries ready to share the vaccine fairly? Global efforts to coordinate are already gaining ground - but some are concerned the battle for who gets what will mean some lower income countries could get left behind.
For nearly two weeks last month, angry young Nigerians took to the streets in their tens of thousands, blocking major roads in cities across Africa's most populous nation. What began as a protest against the hated police Special Anti-Robbery Squad, or SARS, soon became a conduit for a wider anger with the people who have been in charge of Nigeria for decades. in this week's Inquiry, Kavita Puri asks: will the EndSARS movement change Nigeria?
Pro-democracy protests have happened before in Thailand, but there’s something new about the latest one - the king is being publicly criticised. It’s a serious criminal offence to do that. This week, Charmaine Cozier asks why people are protesting against the Thai monarchy.
National polls ahead of the US presidential election suggest a clear win for challenger Joe Biden. But could they be getting it wrong as they did four years ago? In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, but - because of the US electoral system - lost the election. Could history repeat itself? In this week’s Inquiry, Tanya Beckett asks: can President Trump still win?
When he was elected, President Trump promised to put ‘America First’, but how has he governed?
Charmaine Cozier looks at trade, diplomacy, defence and the environment to examine the results of four years of a very different approach to international affairs.
(Image: Donald Trump at public address, Credit: Getty Images)
As new students start at universities in many countries around the world, governments are grappling with how to contain a second wave of Coronavirus. Already many universities have put lectures online and students are being told to stay in their rooms. But is this fair? Covid-19 is a deadly virus but not so much for the young. Can or should we keep the world locked down until there’s a vaccine or cure? Or, Tanya Beckett asks: should we learn to live with Covid?
(Students wait to start their entrance exams outside the University of Madrid, Spain. Credit: Eduardo Parra/Getty Images)
In 2018, the electric car maker, Tesla, was struggling to get the Model 3 electric vehicle off the production line. Its CEO, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, was working up to 22 hours a day on the factory floor, trying to solve a host of problems on the car he’d bet the company on. It was close to running out of money.
Two years later, the company’s doing better. It says it will grow 30-40% this year.
No surprise then that Tesla’s share price has gone up. But the amount may surprise you – up eight fold in the last year, to $400 a share. Making it the most valuable car company in the world.
It’s now worth more than Toyota, Volkswagen and Honda put together. But yet it still manufactures only a fraction of the cars they make.
So are shares in Elon Musk’s Tesla vastly overvalued? Sumant Bhatia finds out from our expert witnesses, who include a Tesla owner who’s a shareholder and superfan, a fund manager who thinks the shares are in a bubble, an investor with millions of dollars in Tesla and an expert in electric vehicles.
In July, billionaire musician Kanye West announces on Twitter that he’s standing as a candidate in November’s US presidential election. After a scramble to meet the registration deadlines, his name is on the ballot in fewer than 20 states. His manifesto is confusing, his motive unclear.
In the past, Kanye West has been a vocal supporter of president Donald Trump. And it seems his campaign is being run largely by those with close ties to the Republican party. The Democrats say his entry in the race as an independent third party candidate is a dirty trick by Republicans. Others claim it’s simply a publicity stunt to promote his new album.
But, in battleground states, where every vote counts, could his celebrity status have a significant impact on the election result?
How seriously should we take Kanye West’s run for president? Kavita Puri finds out from our expert witnesses, who include professors of African-American studies at US universities, a Washington-based politics reporter and a Democratic pollster and strategist.
(Kanye West at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, Beverly Hills, California. Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images)
On the 29th September the two US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden will take part in the first of three 90-minute live televised debates ahead of the presidential election in November.
Tanya Beckett asks can the debates affect the outcome of the election?
(Composite image of Joe Biden (Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) and Donald Trump (Credit: John G Mabanglo/EPA)
Online fraud takes many forms, from deceptive e-mails and websites which trick us into paying money to the wrong bank account, to romance scams and malicious software copying our bank and credit card details.
It's regarded by criminals as a highly lucrative and relatively low risk crime, so why is it so easy for fraudsters to manipulate our personal data and steal our money, what can be done to end online fraud?
Charmaine Cozier talks to some of those trying to disrupt the scammers and protect the public.
Guests: Rachel Tobac, Ethical Hacker CEO of SocialProof Security Muhammad Imran, Criminal Intelligence Officer, Interpol Financial Crimes Unit Stéphane Konan, Cyber Security Consultant & African Government Advisor Tamlyn Edmonds, Fraud Prosecutor, Edmonds Marshall McMahon
(Laptop owned by an online romance scammer, Accra, Ghana. Credit: Per-Anders Pettersson / Getty Images)
President Trump says opening up November’s election to more postal voting will make it more vulnerable to fraud and election interference. Many more Americans are expected to avoid going in person to polling stations because of the coronavirus pandemic and will rely on postal voting to ensure their voices are heard.
Tanya Beckett examines President Trump’s claims and how the US postal service will cope with millions of ballots.
Producer: Sharon Hemans and Diane Richardson
(A voter drops off a mail-in ballot at a collection box outside Cambridge City Hall, Mass. USA. Credit: Lane Turner / Getty Images)
A maverick American general, a call to the Russian ambassador and allegations of spying on Donald Trump’s incoming administration. But what exactly is “Obamagate” and what impact might it have on this year’s US presidential election? With Tanya Beckett.
The massive explosion that tore through Beirut on August 4th left more than 200 people dead, 6,000 injured, and as many as 300,000 homeless. The explosion was caused by a fire that ignited 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at the port. When the blast hit, Lebanon was already in the middle of an unprecedented economic and political crisis that has triggered hyperinflation, poverty, and hunger. Many Lebanese feel that the blast was not the cause of catastrophe in Lebanon, but the result of it. Tanya Beckett asks, what’s gone wrong in Lebanon?
Producer: Viv Jones
(Lebanese protester waves a national flag amid clashes with security forces in Beirut, August 10 2020. Credit: Joseph Eid/Getty images)
Researchers around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, with more than 170 candidate vaccines now in development. Most vaccines take years of testing and additional time to produce at scale, but scientists are hoping to develop a coronavirus vaccine at record speed. Several potential vaccines are now in the final phase of testing but it could still be months before we discover if they are safe and can effectively prevent people from being infected.
If a vaccine can be found, there are concerns about how the world will manufacture enough. There may be challenges in storing it at the right temperature and transporting it safely around the world. Plus, rich countries might hoard supplies. Although hopes are high it is entirely possible that a safe and effective vaccine is a long way off, or never discovered. Experts warn that ‘waiting for a vaccine syndrome’ could be distracting us from finding other solutions for controlling the spread of Covid-19.
Presenter: Tanya Beckett
(A scientist works on an experimental coronavirus vaccine at a laboratory in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Credit: Juan Mabromata/Getty Images)
US lawmakers are deciding whether to act against the country’s powerful tech giants. Some believe the likes of Facebook, Amazon, Google and Apple are stifling competition. The companies have made huge profits during the Covid crisis and critics believe they will use this cash to buy competitors. With Charmaine Cozier.
Clockwise from top left: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook. Getty Images
Winter is coming in the northern hemisphere and traditionally it is time for colds and flu. This has raised fears that coronavirus will surge when the seasons change, possibly leading to a second wave of the disease that is even bigger than the first. However, predicting what a Covid winter will look like is complex and uncertainty reigns - there are reasons both to be worried and to be reassured.
Contributors: . Micaela Martinez, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University . Katherine Wu, a health and science journalist with The New York Times . Judit Vall, a professor in health and labour economics at the University of Barcelona . Dominique Moisi, the author of The Geopolitics of Emotion.
(A man walks through a snowfall in Sarajevo, wearing a mask as protection against Covid-19. Credit Mustafa Ozturk / Getty Images)
With an estimated million Uighurs in detention camps, China has used a variety of means to successfully stifle world criticism. They include its economic muscle, political alliances with like-minded countries and sanitized tours of the facilities for opinion formers.
With Charmaine Cozier.
(Uighur prisoners shackled and blindfolded in Xinjiang, China. Still from anonymous drone footage.)
The presidential opposition candidate Joe Biden has barely emerged from his home since America’s lockdown at the end of March. But polls suggest that the low-key strategy is working in his favour – as his rival President Donald Trump comes under increasing pressure over his handling of the coronavirus and a resurgence of racial tension.
With four months to go until the election, is staying in the basement Joe Biden’s best option? What are the risks if he does? And how could Donald Trump turn things around?
Contributors: . Jason Zengerle, writer at large for the New York Times Magazine . Rachel Bitecofer, Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center and host of the Election Whisperer. . Niambi Carter, Associate Professor of Political Science at Howard University and author of “American While Black”. . Whit Ayres, Republican pollster at North Star Opinion Research.
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producers: Estelle Doyle and Victoria McCraven Editor: Richard Vadon
(Image: Joe Biden at campaign event, Credit: Leah Mills/Reuters)
The recent border clash between China and India is seen as a watershed moment in the two nuclear nations’ relationship. How will its repercussions affect Asia, and the rest of the world?
Contributors: . Chris Dougherty - a senior fellow with the Defence Programme at the Centre for New American Securities. . Ananth Krishnan – a correspondent for the Hindu newspaper. And the author of “India’s China Challenge” . Tanvi Madan – a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy programme at the Brookings Institution. . Yu Jie - a Senior Research Fellow on China at Chatham House.
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Series Producer: Estelle Doyle
(Chinese President Leader Xi Jinping with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2017 BRICS Summit. Photo: Kenzaburo Fukuhara/Getty images)
Why are Covid cases dramatically increasing in some U.S. states, where rates had been low? The number of new coronavirus infections in a single day has passed fifty five thousand. Is it because of more testing, or is something else going on?
(Demonstrators outside the State Capitol in Auston.Texas protesting against Coronavirus restrictions. Credit: Gary Miller/Getty Images)
President Vladimir Putin has been in power for 20 years. The Russian people have been voting on a change to the constitution that could keep him in the Kremlin until 2036. While world leaders and opponents struggle to second guess him, some objectives appear to be clear: stability at home, respect abroad and power maintained for his inner circle.
Presented by Charmaine Cozier
(President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, February 2020. Credit: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)
The killing of African American George Floyd ignited anti-racist protests around the world - many centred on statues associated with colonialism and slavery. Why do these figures of bronze and stone generate such strong feelings? And what do they tell us about how countries deal with their past?
Contributors: Sarah Beetham Chair of Liberal Arts at the Pennsylvania Academy in the Fine Arts. Ghaith Abdul-Ahad journalist for The Guardian newspaper. AGK Menon, architect, urban planner and founder of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. Daniel Libeskind, architect.
Presenter: Kavita Puri
(Protesters attempt to pull down the statue of Andrew Jackson near the White House June 22, 2020 in Washington, DC. Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Why is the movie business having trouble representing the world’s population on and behind the big screen? A rising share of the U.S. population are black, more than half of the demographic are female – so why is it so difficult to translate this into cinema?
Hollywood has found itself red-faced in an era of Black Lives Matter and MeToo movements. From #OscarsSoWhite to criticism of who’s behind the films we see, the pressure to change is stacking up.
Charmaine Cozier discovers the issues within the industry and what movie bosses prioritise over diversity. But will activists, actors and data be enough to convince big studios that the revolution is here – or will it just be business as usual?
Guests: April Reign, Diversity and Inclusion Advocate and creator of the #OscarsSoWhite movement Naomi McDougall-Jones, a film producer, writer and women in film activist Darnell Hunt, Dean of Social Sciences at UCLA and Professor of Sociology in African American Studies. He is co-author of the UCLA Hollywood Diversity report Bonnie Greer, a writer and critic
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier/ Producer: Bethan Head
(Actor John Boyega raises his fist in protest at a Black Lives Matter march in London, UK (Credit: Daniel Leal-Olivas /Getty Images)
From the bubonic plague and cholera to tuberculosis, pandemics have changed the ways cities have been designed and built. The coronavirus has been no different: with cities all over the world on lockdown, our cities have changed to become quieter, greener, with wildlife returning on an unprecedented scale. Now, with the lockdowns beginning to ease, Kavita Puri asks: what is the future of our cities? Will they return to the way they were - and do we want them to?
Producer: Eleanor Biggs Presenter: Kavita Puri
(Parisians cycle through the streets of Paris on the Rue de Rivoli, which has been made almost entirely cycleable. Photo:Samuel Boivin/Getty Images)
Why is George Floyd the latest in a long line of unarmed black men killed by US police? Studies show black men are three times more likely to be killed by police in America than white people.
With Helena Merriman.
(A man speaks into a bullhorn as demonstrators march in Los Angeles, California. 2 June 2020. Brent Stirton/Getty Images)
Ever since a mysterious virus was reported in December 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the world has been watching China.
Silenced whistleblowers, unregulated wildlife trade in wet markets, limited international cooperation, and even a local biosafety lab have been held up as examples of how China mishandled the crisis. But how far can it be blamed for Covid-19 becoming a pandemic?
This week on The Inquiry, Kavita Puri asks what the Chinese government could, or should, have done differently to prevent a global catastrophe.
Producer: Eleanor Biggs Presenter: Kavita Puri
(A man drags a handcart across an emptied road on February 5, 2020 during lockdown in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. Getty Images)
As governments spend huge sums to get through the coronavirus crisis, how will they fund it all? Slash spending, raise taxes or just accept debt is here to stay?
With Tanya Beckett.
(Photo: Variety of world currency notes: Credit: Getty images)
To date, 7500 people have lost their lives in Germany in a population of 80 million. Other comparably sized European countries like the UK, France, Italy and Spain – some with smaller populations have deaths far exceeding Germany several times over. In this week’s Inquiry Kavita Puri tries to find out why.
Producer Jim Frank
(People walk at Kurfürstendamm, Berlin's popular shopping area during the coronavirus crisis May 2020 Germany. Credit: Maja Hitij /Getty Images)
In news reports and newspapers, pictures of British healthcare workers who have lost their lives to Covid-19 sit side by side.
And if you look at those faces one thing stands out clearly. Of the 119 cases of NHS deaths more than two thirds are black or an ethnic minority - yet they only make up 20% of the workforce. Figures from the National Health Service in England show a disproportionate number of Covid-19 deaths are amongst these groups. And it’s not just in the UK.
In the United States on available data – it’s a similar story with African Americans accounting for many more deaths in a community that make up 13% of the population.
So what’s going on?
Kavita Puri speaks with: Dr Kamlesh Khunti, Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine at the University of Leicester Professor Kathy Rowan, Director of the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre Dr Consuelo Wilkins, Vice President for Health Equity at Vanderbilt University Medical Center Prof John Watkins, Professor Epidemiology, Cardiff University/Public Health Wales
(Ambulance workers transport patients to St Thomas' Hospital in Westminster, London, UK. Photo credit: Ollie Millington/Getty Images)
Tanya Beckett looks at 5G and examines why it’s become the centre of conspiracy theories linking it to the coronavirus and others. What is it about the latest mobile technology which some find so alarming that it drives them to attack and burn down this infrastructure? And what draws people to conspiracy theories - even when all available evidence says they’re wrong.
Reporter Tanya Beckett Producer Jim Frank
As some nations begin to tentatively lift their lockdowns, Tanya Beckett asks how best this can be done. What lessons, if any, can we learn from past pandemics? How do states make the decision, juggling the increasing demands of economic and social factors against public health concerns, amid worries of a new wave of infections from the disease? And what will our lives look like in a post-lockdown world? We hear from contributors based in France, the United States, South Korea and Denmark - one of the first countries to begin to lift its lockdown.
Reporter Tanya Beckett Producer Jim Frank
Image: A woman wearing a mask runs through a deserted Central Park in Manhattan, April 16, 2020 during lockdown in New York City, USA (Credit: Johannes Eisele/ Getty Images)
Last month, everyday supermarket items turned into valuable and vanishing commodities overnight – none more so than toilet paper. There are now billions of us around the world living in lockdown conditions, a situation we’ve not been prepared for. And we seem to be in this for the long haul. In this week’s Inquiry, we’ll be asking how we can help people stay rational in a pandemic.
Presenter/Producer: Sandra Kanthal
(Empty shelves in the aisles of a CO-OP store in Kent, UK March 14, 2020 due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Photo credit: Robin Pope/ Getty Images)
How will Africa deal with Covid-19? It began in China then reached the Middle East, Europe and the United States, now Africa is bracing itself for a surge in coronavirus cases. But how will the continent, with its weaker health care systems and often poor populations cope? The picture is not the same everywhere. Some countries and some sections of society may fare better than others, but the worry is that many African countries simply don’t have the tools or resources to stand up to this pandemic. Or might there be some lessons learnt from the Ebola outbreak which could help? This is a continent of young people, so demographics could work in their favour, but many of them are already compromised by HIV, malaria and other disease outbreaks.
Tanya Beckett speaks to the director of a hospital in rural Uganda, to the head of the Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control, to the CEO of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries and to the former President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, about their worries and preparations for Covid-19.
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: John Murphy
(An African man wearing an alternative mask in Kampala, Uganda April 2020. Credit: Sumy Sadurni/Getty images)
The race is on for the world’s scientists to develop a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine. The Inquiry examines quickly how this can be done and what hurdles need to be overcome to roll out a vaccine in 12-18 months, rather than the many years it would normally take.
Presented by Kavita Puri.
(medical doctor with a vaccine. Credit: Getty images)
After China, South Korea was next in line to be struck by the Coronavirus outbreak. And in the early days the number of cases was going up fast – many of them related to a secretive religious sect. But the country has rapidly managed to get a grip on the outbreak and has kept its mortality rate low. It has done this without an official lockdown. The secret appears to be preparation, widespread testing and acting fast. With the help of four expert witnesses, Kavita Puri investigates what else we can learn from South Korea in its battle against Covid-19.
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: John Murphy
(A couple wearing face masks walk through an alleyway in Seoul on March 24, 2020. Credit: Ed Jones/Getty Images)
‘It’s a failing, let's admit it’ says top health official, Dr Anthony Fauci. He’s talking about the fact that it took a month for a working coronavirus test to be rolled out around the country, while other countries were testing thousands of people. How was this allowed to happen? In this edition of The Inquiry, we explore the ways in which the US lost valuable time in dealing with the coronavirus and how their health system could make things more difficult still.
(A cleaning crew adjusts protective clothing as they prepare to enter the Nursing Home in Kirkland, Seattle Washington which has had the most deaths due to COVID-19 in the USA.Credit:John Moore/Getty Images)
There are now significantly more new cases of coronavirus outside China than inside. On the first day of this week there were only 44 new cases in the whole country. Just a few weeks ago that figure was in the thousands.
While the authorities have been criticised for their initial slow response to the outbreak, allowing it to spread quickly, since January they have taken unprecedented action to clamp down on the spread of the virus. Whole cities have been put into quarantine and travel restrictions have been imposed on millions of people. New hospitals have been built with lightning speed and huge amounts of money has been spent on testing kits and other technology to fight Covid-19.
China has been accused of infringing civil liberties in its fight against Coronavirus but it has also been praised for the extreme public health measures it has taken. So what did the Chinese actually do and can it be replicated elsewhere?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: John Murphy
(Photo: A man talks through a barricade wall built to control entry and exit to a residential compound in Wuhan, Hubei province, China.Credit: Getty Images)
Climate change models have been a key tool to project what could happen with global warming in the future. But there’s a debate in the scientific community and some are saying too much emphasis has been put on the worst-case scenarios. Others argue that the impacts of climate change are too unpredictable and all scenarios, even the most serious, less likely ones, need to be kept on the table.
All agree, though, that human-induced climate change is happening and that even the most likely projected temperature increases will be serious and potentially very damaging.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producers: Xavier Zapata and John Murphy
(An iceberg that broke away from a Glacier in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field which is experiencing high rates of melting. Credit: David Silverman /Getty Images)
We have a great capacity to ignore facts and only believe what we want to believe – particularly if those facts clash with our convictions. Why is that and is it getting worse? It’s an area that is being intensely studied by psychologists, political scientists and neuroscientists.
Ruth Alexander explores why we ignore facts, even if it’s bad for us. Though she also hears how, in some circumstances, it can be good for our mental health. But our casual attitude towards facts can have serious consequences. According to experts this is happening across the world, in politics, in health and in our daily lives. This behaviour is not the preserve of any particular political group – everyone does it when it suits them.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: John Murphy
(Two heads filled with questions or exclamations. Credit: Getty Images)
Britain is trying to make multiple trade deals since leaving the EU. Some negotiations between countries have lasted for years. The breakdown in the World Trade Organization, the changing nature and complexity of world trade and a general lack of trust between nations means it could be a very drawn out process. Presented by Tanya Beckett.
The Coronavirus outbreak in China has been declared a public health emergency of international concern. It is raising fears of a global disease pandemic. In the past viral infections have killed millions. Possibly the worst ever pandemic was the 1918-19 flu, which spread just as the First World War was coming to an end. Estimates of the death toll now range between 50 and 100 million. At the upper range that means it was more deadly than both World Wars put together. So could another pandemic emerge today and kill millions? How might it happen and how prepared are we to confront it?
The world is a very different place to 100 years ago. Scientific and public health advances do mean some parts of the world are more prepared but our ways of living could make us more susceptible to a new virus.
Speaking to a leading virologist, a disease modeller, a public health policy expert and a senior African health official, Ben Chu asks where the virus threat might come from, how fast it could spread, what containment policies work and whether the world is ready.
Presenter: Ben Chu Producer: John Murphy
(image: Scientist working with a dangerous virus in the laboratory. Credit: Getty Creative)
Could a new law in India be a step towards making Muslims second class citizens? The government says the Citizenship Amendment Act is a humanitarian law giving protection for people escaping religious persecution. But critics say that by excluding Muslims, the CAA contravenes the country’s secular constitution. Charmaine Cozier reports.
(Women hold anti-government placards during a protest in Delhi. Credit: Amarjeet Kumar Singh/Getty Images)
With countries shutting their doors to foreign recyclable waste and a lack of processing capacity back home, is the recycling system broken?
China used to accept 55% of the world’s plastic and paper waste. But it closed its doors in 2018. Initially other countries in South East Asia, like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam took over China’s waste processing role. But they too are now sending much of the waste back, arguing it is contaminated and is harming their own environments.
This has created major problems for countries in the West who traditionally relied on others to process their recycling waste. In addition, there’s confusion about what households can and cannot put into their recycling bins, along with that lack of recycling capacity back home. So what is the answer to the growing mountains of what was supposed to be recyclable waste? Could Sweden, which has reduced the amount of household waste it sends to landfill to under one per cent, have an answer? It’s not one everyone agrees with.
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: John Murphy
(A man picks up plastic waste to be recycled at the Kawatuna landfill in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Photo credit: Basri Marzuki / Getty Images)
How did Trump’s personality and way of dealing with people lead to a trial in the Senate? The answer involves Trump’s long standing belief in conspiracy theories, his transactional way of doing business, the revolving door of staff turnover at the White House and his admiration for Russian president Vladimir Putin.
With Tanya Beckett.
( President Trump departs the White House on the day of the House Impeachment Vote, Washington DC. Photo Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
On 25 July 2019, the President of the United States made a phone call to the recently-elected President of Ukraine - congratulating him on his party’s election victory. What Donald Trump said in that call to Volodymyr Zelensky has ended up threatening his own presidency, triggering the impeachment of the president. Donald Trump says his interest was in rooting out corruption. Meanwhile Joe Biden’s role in Ukraine was to do the same - root out corruption. The Inquiry asks why Ukraine has such a corruption problem.
Presented by Ruth Alexander.
(A Ukrainian flag flies in Independence Square in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Photo credit: Pavlo Gonchar/Getty Images)
President Trump’s decision to assassinate Qasem Soleimani came as a shock to America’s foes and allies alike. He was Iran’s top general and has been described as one of the country’s most powerful figures, second only to the Supreme Leader Ayotollah Ali Khamenei. He was, effectively, head of Iran’s foreign policy. He’s been credited as being instrumental in the fight against ISIS but has also been accused of arming and supporting terror groups. But why did Donald Trump order his death?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: John Murphy
(Image: Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani / Photo handout from the Iranian Supreme Leader's office)
What is the chance of the human race surviving the 21st century? There are many dangers – climate change for example, or nuclear war, or a pandemic, or planet Earth being hit by a giant asteroid.
Around the world a number of research centres have sprung up to investigate and mitigate what’s called existential risk. How precarious is our civilisation and what can be done to stop a global catastrophe? David Edmonds talks to four expert witnesses to try and find the answer.
(Apocalyptic landscape. Credit: Santoelia/ Getty images)
Despite heroic efforts to vaccinate against this crippling disease, why does it persist? The fight to eradicate polio is an amazing story: It began with a grassroots movement in the United States and led to a global campaign to wipe out a disease that can cause paralysis and even death. There is no cure, but countless cases have been prevented by an extraordinary campaign to vaccinate every child aged five and under. It’s an operation that requires access to some of the poorest and most remote regions of the world.
But polio was supposed to have been eliminated by the year 2000. Nearly two decades later, new cases are still springing up. Why? Neal Razzell examines the challenges and the triumphs in the effort to rid the world of polio.
Donald Trump is threatening to withdraw the US from Nato while the French President Emmanuel Macron has called it “brain dead”. Charmaine Cozier asks if the 70-year-alliance can survive?
She speaks to Jacob Heilbrunn from The National Interest think tank – a right of centre foreign policy think tank based in Washington; Fabrice Pothier - senior defence consulting fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and former Nato policy planning director; Sara Bjerg Moller, assistant professor of international security at the School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University in the US; Elisabeth Braw, senior research fellow, RUSI's Modern Deterrence project
Producer: Helen Grady
(Photo: President Macron, PM Boris Johnson and Canada's PM Justin Trudeau at the Nato summit reception. Credit: Nato TV/AFP/Getty Images)
Excluding dictators and royalty, there are around 2,000 people in the world who are billionaires. Some inherit wealth while others might build fortunes through inventions, businesses or investments. Some say individuals holding onto extreme amounts of money is wasteful because it could be diverted to other areas that would benefit more people such as education and healthcare. Others reason than some billionaires should keep what they have because they drive economic growth and inspire others to innovate. Are billionaires the right focus or should attention move to the systems and processes that enable them to make and keep huge amounts of money?
Experts: Dr Paul Segal Roxanne Roberts Caroline Freund Will Wilkinson
Presenter: Celia Hatton Producer: Charmaine Cozier Researcher: Diane Richardson
(Photo: Billionaire Kylie Jenner arrives at the 2019 Met Gala in New York City. Credit: Karwai Tang/Getty Images)
An estimated 2.6 billion people use social media, but in the online world not everything is what it seems. Fake accounts and automatic programmes can be used to spread disinformation and influence political narratives. We hear from experts across the world about how elections have been fought, and won, with the help of this electronic – and sometimes not so electronic – army. In a world where social media expansion shows no signs of slowing – how do we protect our elections from social media manipulators?
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producers: Lizzy McNeill & Helen Grady
Experts: Samantha Bradshaw Natashya Gutierrez Idayat Hassan Ben Nimmo
A year ago more than a quarter of a million people took to the streets across France, in what became known as the “gilets jaunes” protests. They began as a reaction to an increase in fuel tax - a tax which was supposed to help the environment, but which the protesters said meant they could no longer afford to drive their cars or get to work.
These were the first high profile demonstrations against policies designed to tackle climate change, but they put a spotlight on a sense of unrest that has spread far beyond France.
So if it is widely accepted that climate change is a real threat, why is there a backlash against climate policies?
Contributors include:
Jacline Mouraud - Original member of the “gilets jaunes” Matias Turkkila - Editor of the Finns Party Carol Linnitt - Co-founder of The Narwhal Simone Tagliapietra - Research Fellow at Bruegel think tank
Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producers: Beth Sagar-Fenton & Josephine Casserly
(Yellow Vests (Gilets jaunes) protest in France against a diesel tax increase, justified as an anti-pollution levy. Credit: Xavier Leoty /Getty Images.)
If there was a serious illness that we knew thirty percent of us would experience in our lives, wouldn’t we do everything in our power to address it? Well research suggests that one in three of us will experience a serious mental health problem at some point in our lives; it’s a topic many are uncomfortable about discussing but one that shows no signs of going away. Slowly we’re beginning to learn more about which factors cause anxiety and depression but old prejudices are hard to come overcome so – what can we do about the world’s mental health problem?
Presenter: Celia Hatton Producer: Lizzy McNeill Researcher: Helen Grady
Experts: Vikram Patel Shekhar Saxena Sir Graham Thornicroft Grace Ryan
(image: Earth sunrise in space. Credit Getty Images)
In September 2019 violence broke out in the city of Johannesburg. Many people were beaten, at least 12 were killed, and shops were looted and burned down. The perpetrators were mainly poor black South African men, and those attacked were predominantly immigrants from other African countries and from Asia.
This just the latest in a long line of xenophobic attacks in the country. In 2015 the army was even deployed to deter further unrest. Immigrants are often subject to threats on social media, and some have even voluntarily returned to their home countries in response. But in the country once labelled “the rainbow nation”, why are foreigners so often subject to violence?
We hear from:
Kimberly Mutandiro – freelance journalist Dr Alex Hiropoulos - Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at California State University, Stanislaus Dr Suren Pillay - Senior Researcher at the Center for Humanities Research, University of Western Cape Dewa Mavhinga - Southern Africa Director, Human Rights Watch
Presenter: Victoria Uwonkunda Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton Researcher: Lizzy McNeill
(A woman sings as she holds a banner during a march against the recent rise of xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Credit: Michele Spatari /Getty Images)
This month activists all over the world have taken over city centres, demanding urgent action to halt climate change. They say we need to eliminate all carbon emissions by 2025. Most people think that’s impossible. But scientists are warning that if we want to stop global warming, we need to cut our CO2 emissions fast. So how soon can the planet achieve carbon zero?
Helen Grady speaks to:
Chukwumerije Okereke, professor in Environment and Development at Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading and director of the Centre for Climate Change and Development, Alex Ekwueme Federal University (AE-FUNAI), Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi state, Nigeria; Mercedes Maroto-Valer, Director of the Research Centre for Carbon Solutions at Herriot Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland; Roger Pielke Junior, Professor at the University of Colorado; Rachel Moncrief, deputy director at the International Council on Clean Transportation
Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton
(Photo: Wind turbines in California USA. Credit: David McNew/Getty Images)
Turkey’s push to clear the Kurds from its border with Syria has brought howls of betrayal. Many Kurds believed the Americans would protect them, after they’d defeated the so-called Islamic State terror group together. But this is just the latest of the dozens of conflicts in which the Kurds have been involved over the past few decades. Why can’t they find peace? Is it their fault? Should the regimes they live under take responsibility? Or does the blame lie further back in history?
We hear from:
Dr Afshin Shahi - Lecturer in Middle East politics and International Relations at Bradford University Dr Gönül Tol - Director of Center at The Middle East Institute's Center for Turkish Studies Fazel Hawramy – Freelance journalist Lindsey Hilsum – International editor of Channel 4 News
Presenter: Neal Razzell Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton Researcher: Lizzy McNeill
(Photo: Kurdish fighters withdraw from the border area near the northern Syrian town of Amuda on 27 October 2019. Credit: Delil Souleiman/Getty Images)
After deaths in the US and bans around the world, how risky are e-cigarettes? In some countries, smokeless cigarettes are all the rage. In the UK, doctors say if smokers switch from tobacco to e-cigarettes, it will save lives. But in the US, where the authorities are investigating an outbreak of lung injury linked to vaping, they’re advising vapers to consider stopping. In India, Mexico and dozens of other countries, vaping is banned altogether. It’s a confused international picture.
Vaping is still relatively new and scientists are still researching how harmful it may be in the long-term. What we do know is that every year, eight million people die worldwide as a consequence of smoking tobacco. What are the potential health risks associated with vaping? We’ll find out from our expert witnesses, who include a neuroscientist, a pulmonary critical care doctor and a professor of nicotine and tobacco studies.
(A young woman smoking an electronic cigarette at the vape shop. Credit: Getty images)
The far right conspiracy theory featuring child molesters and baby eaters may sound far-fetched, but the FBI names Q Anon in a report warning conspiracy theorists pose a growing threat of violence. So can we dismiss Q Anon?
Q releases anonymous internet posts and claims to have a high level of security clearance in the US, signing messages with only ‘Q’. The cryptic posts apparently reveal that Trump is fighting a battle against the deep state and trying to take on an A list paedophile ring. The followers decode the messages and enjoy feeling part of an online community who have ‘insider knowledge’. There’s no evidence behind any of it. The worrying thing is, it’s not just an online community, some followers have taken real world action, turning up in the desert with guns to hunt for satanic child molesters and a murder suspect has appeared in court with a letter Q written on his palm. Recently, the site Q posts on has been shut down, but our expert witnesses say that doesn’t mean we can dismiss Q Anon.
(Trump supporters with Q Anon posters at a 'Make America Great Again' rally in Tampa, Florida, 31 July 2018. Credit: Thomas O'Neill / Getty images.)
The world’s two biggest economies are fighting a trade war, European growth is slowing and global manufacturing data looks grim. Financial markets are flashing warning signs. It’s been a decade since the last global recession and in 2019 so far, the data has started to turn down. Are we on the verge of an economic meltdown? And what can countries do to avoid recession or reduce its impact when it comes?
(A container ship being loaded in a harbour in Asia. Credit: Getty images)
It’s been almost 15 years since a successful campaign to erase the crushing debts of Africa’s poorest countries. Now, debt levels are again creeping up, thanks in part to a risky mix of easy credit and easy spending. We hear from a former Liberian cabinet minister, a Mozambican anti-corruption campaigner, an expert in Chinese financial flows to the continent and the World Bank’s chief economist for Africa.
Presenter: Neal Razzell
(Photo: Protestors call for debt relief in Durban, South Africa. Credit: Rajesh Jantilal/Getty Images)
In the afternoon of August 20th this year, the sky over Brazil’s largest city, Sao Paulo turned dark. The cause of this premature night was the smoke from fires burning thousands of kilometres away in the Amazon rainforest.
The scale of the fires caught the attention of the world, but the Amazon is one story among many. The global community has long worried about deforestation, five years ago nations agreed to work to halve global tree loss by 2020 and end it by 2030. This month, those targets were acknowledged to be missed.
This week we investigate what tactics are being used to preserve forests around the world, and ask if any of them are effective.
image: View of a burnt area of forest in Para state, Brazil, in the Amazon basin. Credit Joao Laet/Getty Images.
Bruce Springsteen is turning 70; rock’s gods are getting on. It’s not clear who’s there with electric guitars to replace them. Younger acts are failing to make hit singles. Veteran rock journalist Mark Coles believes rock music has lost its ability to surprise and innovate. Record label boss Vanessa Higgins describes how the writing of hit songs no longer favours the rock format. Music critic Michael Hann blames the high costs of making rock as part of the reason for its decline. But Chris Woltman, manager of the band Twenty One Pilots, believes bands have adapted rock for a new generation of fans and industry veteran Sat Bisla details how rock is making headway in non-traditional markets like India and Indonesia. With Neal Razzell.
Quantum computers could transform our lives. Based on a branch of Physics that even Einstein found "spooky", the machines are still in their infancy. But governments and corporations are spending billions trying to turn them into workable technology. Neal Razzell finds out why by talking to four experts:
Shohini Ghose, Professor of Physics and Computer Science at Wilfred Laurier University in Canada Stephanie Wehner, Professor in Quantum Information at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands Winifried Hensinger, Professor or Quantum Technologies at the University of Sussex Jonathan Dowling, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Louisiana and author of 'Quantum Technology - The Second Quantum Revolution' and 'Schrödinger's Killer App - Race to Build the World's First Quantum Computer'.
Image: Professor Winfried Hensinger with a quantum computer prototype at the University of Sussex. Credit: Ion Quantum Technology Group, University of Sussex, UK.
Fact-checkers say the President of the United States has made more than 10,000 false or misleading statements since coming to office. Whether it’s the size of the crowd at his inauguration, the pay rise offered to the military or where his father was born, Donald Trump often says things that are untrue. And he doesn’t rush to correct them, even when they’re outright fabrications. Ruth Alexander examines Donald Trump’s long record of falsehoods, which stretch back even to his schooldays. And she explores his motives, both political and psychological.
Photo: US President Donald Trump addresses the press in the White House briefing room. Credit: Nicholas Kamm/Getty Images.
Porn, smart phones and the ‘slutty transmitter’. Adults in the US have sex on average about 50 times a year, which has dropped by 20 per cent over the last two decades. It’s a similar story in the UK, Australia, Germany, Finland and Japan. Could it be down to porn or our smart phones? Or is it actually down to something much harder to switch off? Some of the answers might surprise you.
Picture: A couple in bed using their phones. Credit: Getty Images
It’s known for precision and punctuality but Europe’s engine is slowing down. Germany’s economy relies heavily on selling its products abroad. Famed for luxury cars like Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, exports are nearly half the German economy. So if countries decide they don’t want to buy, or can’t afford to buy, the things that Germany makes, it’s a problem. And that’s what’s been happening to Germany today. China – the most important market for most German car makers - is slowing down. Much of Europe is struggling and the US is pursuing its own protectionist policies, to get Americans to buy US-made goods.
On top of that, the German car industry is facing tough new EU emissions tests (prompted by the Volkswagen emissions’ scandal of 2015), with crippling penalties if they don’t comply. So, buffeted by these adverse winds in part self-inflicted, in part beyond its control, the German government is being urged to boost its economy at home – by spending more on roads, bridges and broadband networks. But, as Neal Razzell discovers, despite having plenty of cash in the coffers, events in its past means Germany is reluctant to loosen the purse strings.
Picture: German sports fan / Credit: Getty images
In 1965 a report from within the US government noted that the number of children born outside marriage, and the number of divorces, in the parts of the American population were rising rapidly. It argued that having many households run by a single woman risked holding back the progress of the next generation. At the time it was very controversial, rejected by mainstream academia and described as victim blaming.
More than fifty years on, from the 'Moynihan' report we look at what modern research tells us about how children develop with married, cohabiting and single parents. Is there really a marked difference in their behaviour, cognition or emotional development?
Families from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador now make up the majority of migrants arriving at the US southern border. Many from urban areas are fleeing endemic gang violence, while those from rural regions are affected by droughts and food security issues.
The Mexican government is increasing security along their borders, while the Trump administration has been changing asylum law. Could these measures help to lower the number of people choosing to make the dangerous journey? Or is there another way to make sure migrants don't feel like they need to leave their homes?
(Photo: A Guatamalan mother with her three daughters crossed Mexico to reach the US border city of Juarez-El paso, Texas. Credit: David Peinado/Getty Images)
Last month Hong Kong witnessed its largest ever protests, the most violent in decades. A proposed law to allow extradition of criminals to mainland China caused uproar. This bill exposed the cracks in relations between Hong Kong and the Beijing government. The current ‘one country, two systems’ arrangement gives the region some autonomy from Beijing. Pro-democracy protesters worry that this is being eroded as the Communist party is trying to bring it further under its influence. Complicating matters is Hong Kong’s significant but shrinking economic importance to China.
With this year being the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen square massacre the international community is nervously watching to see how modern China will respond to the civil disobedience on such a large scale.
(Protesters storm the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on June 12, 2019. Photo Credit: Anthony Wallace/Getty images.)
With his unruly blond hair and shambolic appearance, Boris Johnson is Britain’s best-known politician. He’s also favourite to become the UK’s next Prime Minister. To his supporters, the former Mayor of London is charismatic, entertaining and a man of the people. His critics say he’s unprincipled, ruthless and flexible with the truth. If he wins the Conservative party leadership race, he’ll have to deliver Brexit. But what kind of leader might he be and how will he unite the country? Becky Milligan talks to some of those who’ve worked closely with him to find out what makes him tick.
Presenter: Becky Milligan Producer: Sally Abrahams
Picture: Boris Johnson poses during a visit to the Port of Dover Ltd., as part of his Conservative Party leadership campaign tour on July 11, 2019 in Dover, UK Credit:Chris Ratcliffe - Pool/Getty Images
South India’s biggest city, Chennai, is currently in the grip of drought. With the four main reservoirs which supply the city dry, residents have to queue for hours to collect pots of water from government tankers. Critics argue that the shortage isn’t just the result of a single failed monsoon season, but also the responsibility of the government who failed to plan for this scenario. Experts say 21 Indian cities could run out of groundwater next year, and that demand for drinkable water could outstrip supply by double in just a decade. So this week we ask, what can be done to solve this crisis?
Image: Indian residents get water from a community well in Chennai Credit: Arun Sankar//AFP/Getty Images
Our species is facing a whole lot of problems. Antibiotic resistance is on the rise, land based minerals are depleting and there are serious concerns about how warm everything’s becoming.
As the population grows these problems are only going to get worse, but what if we could find some of the solutions to our most pressing problems beneath the waves? Scientists have discovered that deep sea sponges could help fight MRSA, your smart phone could be powered by minerals located thousands of metres beneath the sea, and there are even enzymes that could help your washing machine run on a colder cycle, saving both energy and your new cashmere sweater. Is the deep sea the answer to some of our biggest problems? There’s a lot of promise, but what are the risks?
Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Lizzy McNeill
(Photo: Sunset over the sea. Credit: da-kuk/Getty Images)
New Zealand is the first western country to state it should be judged not by its economic prosperity but by its citizens’ wellbeing. Might these wellbeing policies be masking an inability by governments to effect any real change in citizen’s lives or do they actually end up making economic sense after all?
(Photo: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Credit: Getty Images)
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the midst of an Ebola epidemic, with over 2,000 cases now confirmed. In June the virus spread to neighbouring Uganda. Amidst this bleak picture, there is some hope; past epidemics have helped progress medical responses. This week, we ask: can vaccines contain Ebola in the DRC?
Image: A health worker wearing Ebola protection gear, Beni, DRC Credit: Reuters.
Alabama has long been the butt of jokes in America. The stereotype is that it is backward, racist and right wing. This month the state passed one of the most restrictive laws on reproductive rights in the USA, banning abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. But it is not alone - many other states have similarly restrictive abortion laws but they do not get the attention that Alabama does. So why is it Alabama that always gets picked on?
(Photo: Selma to Montgomery, USA historic street road sign in capital Alabama city. Credit: Getty Images)
Ever wanted to meet your historical heroes or explore the inventions of the future? Travelling in time has long been a dream of writers and filmmakers, but what does science tell us about how possible this would be to achieve in real life?
We explore how physics shows us that time runs at different rates depending on where we are and how we’re moving - time goes more slowly for astronauts on the international space station for example. We hear about the very dangerous ways we could possibly exploit this to skip forwards through time and into Earth’s future, and we do the maths on wormholes, to see if they offer a possible portal to our past.
On 8 May 2018, the United States withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - a nuclear deal between Iran, the US and other countries. Since then, tensions between Iran and the US have escalated to the point where some believe a conflict is imminent. Kavita Puri and experts try to work out how the two countries got to this point, asking: is the US heading for War with Iran?
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Chloe Hadjimatheou and Lizzy McNeill
(image: the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group has been deployed to the Red Sea. Credit: Michael Singley, U.S. Navy/Getty Images)
Indonesia has announced it is thinking of building a new capital city, moving the government away from Jakarta which is overcrowded and suffering from subsidence.
Other countries, including Brazil, Kazakhstan, Russia and Tanzania have previously moved their capital cities, so just how difficult is the process, and can Indonesia learn from their mistakes?
(Photo: Jakarta's expanding skyline. Credit: Gerhard Joren/Getty Images)
It's a multi-billion dollar industry, with bands selling out stadiums across the world. K-Pop, or Korean Pop has created some of the biggest global music stars. How did bands, singing in Korean come to such prominence? The Korean government has capitalised on the soft power that its music industry has offered. But with the latest scandals involving the rape and abuse of women is there a darker side to it all? And could it tarnish brand Korea?
Photo: BTS performs 'DNA' onstage Credit: Getty Images/Michael Tran/FilmMagic
After months of protests, the Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir was removed from office on 11th April by a military coup. Initially there were celebrations, but weeks later, with no clear plan for the military to hand over power to a civilian government many in the country are starting to worry whether their victory has been lost. So is the country heading towards democracy or another autocratic regime?
Photo: Sudanese protesters wave national flags near the military headquarters, Khartoum, April 2019. Credit: ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP/Getty Images
In 2007, Ecuador decided to recognise some of its street gangs as cultural and social organisations.
Since then its murder rate has fallen sharply. Can inclusion policies turn gang membership into a force for good?
Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Jordan Dunbar and Bethan Head
(Photo: Members of the Latin Kings gang pose for photographs and throw up their gang sign, New York. Credit: Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis/Getty Images)
The world’s population is set to grow from 7.7 to 11 billion by the end of this century. The challenge is to produce enough food to feed this number of people. In the 1960s the Green Revolution provided answers to similar problems – but the projected population growth of the future is on a much greater scale than before, and so new measures are required. In east Africa they’re working to reduce the amount of food that’s lost before it even gets to market – globally this stands at around 30 per cent. In the United States scientists are working to improve the natural process of photosynthesis – to make plants themselves function more efficiently. And in India they’re working to preserve genetic diversity – conserving rice varieties that can flourish in salt water or in conditions of drought.
Who benefits from our fear and is there more than just global reporting behind it? Has the world become more dangerous or has our perception of the world just changed? Rolling news and social media makes us aware of every threat no matter where in the world.
From Ebola to flying we investigate the deeper reasons behind our modern fears. Speaking with experts in public health, risk and fear to find out why we are all so afraid.
This week The Inquiry asks ‘How Scared Should We Be?’
Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Jordan Dunbar
Picture: American Wildfire Credit: Getty Images
In February a bomb blast killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police officers in Kashmir; the worst attack by Pakistani militants in years. Indian military jets were deployed and one was shot down. As concerns over the pilot’s fate grew, fears mounted that India and Pakistan might go to war over Kashmir – again. The countries have been at war four times since partition in 1947. And Kashmir, which both countries claim in entirety but each one controls only in part, has been a key factor in the conflicts. But even when there is no war, there is no stable peace in Kashmir. Violent protests and street fighting are commonplace and daily life is made hard in numerous other ways. Unemployment is high, communication blackouts frequent and security fears constant. The Inquiry explores why the crisis has been so difficult to solve and what it might take for a resolution to emerge.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Rosamund Jones
Picture: Displaced Kashmiris take shelter in a government school Credit: Getty Images
Life expectancy is going up as we develop new cures for the diseases that kill us off. But can we beat the most fatal condition of all - old age? We talk to scientists on the frontier of fighting the ageing process itself, when our bodies just start to wear out. In India, Tuhin Bhowmick is working towards 3D printing new organs so people don’t die waiting for transplants. In the US, Meng Wang is developing ways to use the tiny creatures that live in our guts to extend our lives. And in the UK, Lorna Harries and her team have made an amazing discovery that could let us roll back the ageing process in our own cells.
But is there an upper limit to the human life span? With all these advances racing ahead we ask – how long can humans live?
Contributors include:
Kaare Christensen - Head of the Danish Ageing Research Centre Tuhin Bhowmick - Director of Pandorum Technologies Meng Wang - Huffington Center on Aging at the Baylor College of Medicine Lorna Harries - Professor of Molecular Genetics, University of Exeter
Presenter: Helena Merriman Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton
(An old woman with prayer wheels laughing at the Kyichu Buddhist Temple in Bhutan. Photo Credt: Tim Graham/Getty Images)
Many nations have now entered the space race. China first sent a man into space in 2003 and in the last few months made a successful, unmanned, landing on the far side of the moon. This was a world first. India has its own record. A few years ago it launched more satellites into space, in one go, than any other nation. Nigeria is talking about sending an astronaut into space. And Kyrgyzstan is developing its first satellite, built entirely by female engineers. The Inquiry explores what lies behind all this activity. Is the power of national prestige giving way to different goals; education, economic progress and human rights?
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Rosamund Jones
This programme was originally broadcast on March 28th 2019.
Image Credit: Getty Creative
In recent years, in trouble spots and war zones around the world – places such as Syria, Eastern Ukraine and Central African Republic – The Wagner Group has been active. They are fighters for hire. But very little else, for certain, is known about them. Are they mercenaries working for the Russian intelligence service? Or are they muscle men securing the financial interests of powerful oligarchs? The Inquiry traces the history of the group; why they emerged and how they operate now. It is a story that twists and turns and leads to surprising – and dangerous - places.
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Jordan Dunbar
Picture Credit: Valentin SprinchakTASS via Getty Images
The European Union was formed in the years after the Second World War to secure peace and promote economic progress. It aimed to achieve that by ensuring that countries worked together. But that optimistic vision has now been shaken. There is mounting anxiety about whether the EU can hold together. Some are even saying that the EU is facing an existential crisis. That’s because the elections in May are likely to bring in another wave of populist politicians promoting nationalist agendas. The Inquiry will detail the fissures that have been exposed in recent years. One cause has been migration from countries outside the EU and the pressures caused by free movement within its borders. The severe economic downturn has threatened unity too. Kavita Puri explores whether there are moments in the European Union’s history when, had different decisions been made, the EU might have hung together better.
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Rosamund Jones
Image: A shredded European Union flag flutters in the wind. Credit: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images
Driverless cars powered by renewable energy whisking their healthy and happy citizens between gleaming skyscrapers, criss-crossing efficient roads. That’s the dream of many so called smart cities.
The trend for ‘smart cities’ has grown immensely over the last decade and their definition has evolved too. Hundreds are planned or are already being built around the world, in both rich and poor countries.
From Google’s Sidewalk city to Eko Atlantic in Nigeria, tech companies are seeking to tame our ever more urban world.
But critics worry that instead of being clever solutions they simply reinforce the existing poverty and inequality. How can a tech giant solve the problems of the developing world when people need water not wifi? We ask, are smart cities dumb?
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Jordan Dunbar
Image: Sunrise in New York City Credit: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
Tens of thousands of children have been forced to join militia or terror groups in recent years. The Inquiry looks at conflicts around the world to find out what it takes to rehabilitate a child who has witnessed or taken part in violent extremism. We hear from experts who say it is as important to mend the community as much as the child. And we consider the position of stateless children, including those who have never been registered anywhere and those whose nationality is in dispute. If they end up belonging nowhere, can they ever recover?
Presenter: Feranak Amidi Producer: Rosamund Jones
Image: Children holding guns Credit: Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds globally. But innovative and unexpected ways to tackle this public health issue are emerging.
From Nigeria to Finland, ordinary people and experts are putting their own experiences and expertise to use in coming up with ways that help prevent deaths in their communities. School timetables, video games and social media are among some of the new ways being trialled to cut deaths and break the taboo surrounding youth suicide. We ask what can be done to stop young people taking their own lives?
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Lucy Proctor
(A young man watches the sunrise. Photo credit: Chalabala/ Getty Images)
Three million people in Yemen have been forced from their homes, and the dead are estimated to number many tens of thousands. But, compared to similar conflicts, global attention has been slight. The Inquiry asks why. It explores how the media has told the Yemeni story, and the impact valuable arms sales have had on international pressure – or the lack of it – to bring the conflict to an end. There are other factors too. The conflict in Yemen has created countless refugees, but they have not fled beyond the country’s borders. And Yemen’s divisive history has created a diaspora community that struggles to speak with one voice. What will it take to shine a brighter light on Yemen?
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Rosamund Jones
(A woman holds her baby who is suffering from severe malnutrition, in Marib, Yemen, December 2018. Photo Credit: Said Ibicioglu/Getty Images)
The tech giant has had a meteoric rise over the last ten years. It has overtaken Apple in the global smartphone market, and its equipment is in telecommunications systems in 170 countries worldwide. But Huawei now finds itself at the centre of a global scandal.
Its chief financial officer - the daughter of the company’s founder - is under house arrest in Canada, accused of selling telecom equipment to Iran in contravention of US sanctions.
A week later, a US court charged the whole company with bank fraud, obstruction of justice and theft of technology from rival T-Mobile.
The company has been banned in New Zealand and Australia, and there are moves in the US to stop government employees from buying their products.
Critics say if it wins the contracts for the new 5G network being created globally, it could give the Chinese government control over everything from smart phones, to cars, to pacemakers in other countries.
So why has the success story soured? This week, we ask: what’s so scary about Huawei?
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Jordan Dunbar
More children than ever before attend school – so why have reading rates been so slow to improve? In some countries teachers are absent from class one day every week, in others early years education barely exists. And many children are taught to read in languages they do not speak. The Inquiry explores what reading skills get measured, and whether they are the right ones. And it asks how the quality of literacy education could best be improved.
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Rosamund Jones
(image: Young school boy writing on a blackboard in Kenya. Photo Credit:Anthony Asael/Getty images)
In November 2018, a Chinese scientist stunned the world by announcing that he had successfully edited the genes of two embryos. These twins had their DNA changed to try and make them resistant to HIV, it was only successful in one.
Shock and outrage followed as the media proclaimed that the age of the designer baby had arrived and we had opened a door that could never be closed. The Chinese government ordered an inquiry and the scientist rumoured to be put under house arrest.
For many in the genetics community it had only been a matter of time until this happened. The game changer came in the form of a new technology known as CRISPR, a relatively simple and cheap way of changing genes. One that could be used in fertility clinics worldwide.
Does this now mean an age of elite super humans could be born to the ultra-rich? Children created with superior traits, tall, beautiful and hyper intelligent.
The truth is not so simple. This week we ask: should we fear ‘designer babies’?
Producer: Jordan Dunbar Presenter: Michael Blastland
(picture: foetus in utero /Getty images)
Ever since Donald Trump took office in 2016 his critics have been focussed on getting rid of him. As the Mueller probe into Russian collusion in the presidential election heads into its last six months, several members of President Trump’s inner circle have been convicted of serious crimes. For some, it’s only a matter of time before Trump himself is implicated. For others, the evidence so far is simply not substantial enough.
With Democrats now in control of Congress, the votes are there to impeach Trump and send him for trial in the Senate. But what would it take to get the two thirds majority needed to remove him from office?
Producer: Lucy Proctor Presenter: Victoria Uwonkunda
(Photo: Protesters outside of the Fox News Channel headquarters demand the resignation of President Donald Trump. Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Human activity is sending animals and plants extinct. But there is a fightback going on. Scientists all over the world are coming up with radical solutions to save them - from transplanting polar bears, to “de-extincting” a very strange frog. And experts say each one of us can make a difference.
So is it too late to save the planet, or can we stop a mass extinction?
Contributors include:
Dr Simon Clulow – Macquarie University, Australia Dr Karen Poiani – CEO, Island Conservation Professor Jane Hill – University of York, UK Professor Thomas Elmqvist – Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University
Presenter: Feranak Amidi Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton
(image: Romeo, the Sehuencas water frog / Courtesy of Global Wildlife Conservation, Austin Tx USA)
This week we’re looking at nothing less than the state of life on earth. The planet has seen mass extinctions before, periods of widespread and dramatic species loss. Some now fear human activity is driving another one: land cleared for farms, homes and roads; waters filled with pollution and emptied of fish; skies choked with gasses causing climate change. But does it add up to a mass extinction? In the first of a two-part series, we examine the evidence of species loss and compare it with the geological record.
Presenter: Neal Razzell Producers: Josephine Casserly and Siobhan O’Connell
(Image: Dinosaur skeleton, Credit: Getty images)
Millions of us take a vitamin tablet every day - how did they become so popular? We follow the rise and rise of vitamins from their discovery just a century ago, to the multi-billion dollar market of today. The story of how the vitamin supplement entered our daily lives takes us from the targeted guilt-tripping of concerned mothers, to the use of vitamins as a weapon against the Nazis, via a plan for vitamin doughnuts.
Experts question whether most of us need to take them at all – so how did we get hooked on vitamins?
Contributors include:
Dr Lisa Rogers – World Health Organization Catherine Price – Author of Vitamania: How Vitamins Revolutionized the Way We Think About Food Dr Salim Al-Gailani - Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge Matthew Oster – Head of Consumer Health, Euromonitor International
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton
(Photo: a woman shopping at 'Mr Vitamins', a chain of supplement outlets in Sydney, Australia. Credit: Saeed Khan/Getty Images)
MeToo became viral following allegations of sexual harassment and violence at the hands of Harvey Weinstein. Now women and men in their millions around the world have been mobilised by the hashtag to share their stories of abuse. But its founder Tarana Burke fears the movement has moved away from its original remit to give a voice to victims of sexual violence. She worries it is being talked about as a vindictive plot against men. So what is the reality on the ground around the globe? We hear about the impact of the #MeToo in India and Iran. What did it really achieve?
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Jim Frank
(South Korean demonstrators at a rally for the country's #MeToo movement in Seoul, 2018. Photo credit: Jung Yeon-Je/Getty Images)
Journalists have been subject to more killings, and increasing levels of violence and intimidation in 2018, according to monitoring groups.
This year alone more than 30 have been murdered, including Mexican veteran journalist Carlos Domínguez Rodríguez who was stabbed to death in January, 5 journalists shot dead at their office in Annapolis in the US in June, and the story that has dominated the news, the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at his consulate in Istanbul in October. The suspects range from organised criminals to state-sponsored assassins.
And it’s not just about murder – imprisonments and intimidation are also on the rise.
Why should the public care? What’s behind the surge? And how can the press and the public fight back? We talk to those journalists and activists from across the world to find out: is this the most dangerous time to be a journalist?
Contributors include:
Pavla Holcova - Czech Centre for Investigative Journalism Sothearin Yeang – former journalist, Radio Free Asia Omar Faruk Osman - Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists Jan-Albert Hootsen – Mexico representative, Committee to Protect Journalists
Presenter: Victoria Uwonkunda Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton
UPDATE: Since we recorded this programme in November three more journalists have been murdered, including a radio presenter and reporter shot dead in Syria.
(Image: Protesters hold placards during a rally against corruption and to pay tribute to murdered journalist Jan Kuciak in Bratislava, Slovakia. Photo Credit:Joe Klamar/Getty Images)
The UK voted to leave the European Union in June 2016. More than two years on, it’s still not clear how that will happen, or what will come after.
Consensus within Westminster seems impossible, and if the deal currently on offer from Brussels is voted down on December 11, the UK could crash out of the EU with no deal at all. What makes it so hard to come up with a solution?
The BBC has followed all of the twists and turns of the Brexit negotiations in minute detail. In this special programme, four correspondents from across the organisation give their take on what makes Brexit such a fraught process.
Katya Adler, Europe Editor Chris Morris, Reality Check Correspondent Alex Forsyth, Political Correspondent John Campbell, Northern Ireland Business and Economics Correspondent
Presenter: Edward Stourton Producer: Lucy Proctor
(Brexit Map - Getty Creative)
There’s talk of a new Cold War between Russia and the West. What responsibility does the West carry for the dismal state of relations?
Russian leaders say Nato has expanded far beyond the borders that were agreed when the Soviet Union collapsed and a new European order was thrashed out. They see troops and hardware stationed close to their towns and cities as highly provocative. America and the EU are seen as meddling in the internal affairs of Russia and the states surrounding it by funding pro-democracy movements and helping to topple regimes. And a new arms race is underway. Russian military leaders perceive an active threat from the West – are they right?
The previous edition was: Is Russia At War With The West?
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Lucy Proctor
There are currently a number of serious allegations made in the West against Russia. They include the attempted murder of the former spy Sergei Skripal on British soil; interference in the 2016 US election; the hacking of the American electricity grid. To some, it feels like the West is under attack. But do any of these actions amount to war?
Olga Khovostunova, a Russian media analyst, describes the effect of the collapse of the Soviet Union on the psyche of President Putin and his close knit circle of security chiefs. For them, the threat from the West is real.
Norwegian foreign correspondent Oystein Borgen says Russia is engaged in a hybrid war with the West, in which Norway has become a little-known front line.
Lawyer Michael Schmitt, from the US Naval College, sets out how Russian security chiefs, almost certainly surrounded by a team of international law experts, operate in the grey zone of international law.
Political scientist Kimberley Marten explains how private military contractors operating in Ukraine, Libya, the Central African Republic and Syria give the Russian state plausible deniability in conflict zones.
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Lucy Proctor
(Photo: Cyber warfare. Credit: Getty images)
There are different routes to pariah status. North Korea, with its gross human rights abuses and illicit nuclear weapons programme tops the list and represents the classic pariah - completely ostracized from the international system. Another sure-fire way to become a pariah is to sponsor international terrorism, like Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya in the 20th century. But as his example shows, international rehabilitation can happen almost overnight. Then there are less clear cut pariahs like Zimbabwe, condemned by the West but very much part of the regional African system.
Four expert witnesses examine these cases and explore whether the notion of a pariah state is meaningful in the 21st century multi-polar world.
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Lucy Proctor
(Photo: Ostracized /Getty Images)
Warnings about the approaching post-antibiotics apocalypse have been sounding for years. There are now strains of deadly bacteria that are resistant to all antibiotics. This means that doctors are faced with patients who have completely untreatable infections. Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are dying due to antibiotic resistance - and this number is set to rise rapidly. If we carry on like this, scientists predict we will return to a pre-antibiotic era, where organ transplants, chemotherapy and C-sections are impossible.
We have come a long way since 1928, when the famous chance discovery of penicillin led to a golden age in which antibiotics were seen as wonder drugs, heralding in an age of huge medical advances and increased human life spans. But by the 1990s we were running out of new antibiotics and infections were again a killer. How did this happen?
Our expert witnesses are medic and historian, Dr Eric Sidebottom, Dr Scott Podolsky of Harvard Medical School, journalist Maryn McKenna and infectious disease specialist Brad Spellberg.
(Photo: A depiction EHEC bacteria. Credit: HZI/Getty Images)
This edition of The Inquiry was first broadcast in October 2016.
The burgeoning relationship between China and Africa has been one of the great economic stories of the 21st century. Billions of dollars of investment and loans from China have created radical change in many African countries. But not everyone is happy, with some even claiming this is a new form of colonialism. As signs of discontent grow in countries like Zambia, and investment numbers start to slip down, we ask: is the China-Africa love affair over?
Contributors include:
Dr Lauren Johnston – Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Professor Lina Benabdallah – Assistant Professor of Politics & International Affairs, Wake Forest University Laura Miti – Executive Director, Alliance for Community Action Professor Stephen Chan – Professor of World Politics, School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London)
Presenter: Linda Yueh Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton
(A Chinese railway worker drills holes on the newly put railway tracks in Dondo, outside Luanda, Angola. Photo credit: Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images )
Thousands died when an earthquake and tsunami struck Palu, Indonesia – but could more lives have been saved? Accusations have been made of a host of failings: alert systems that were out of action, sirens that didn’t sound, a government slow to give emergency help - even people who were too busy filming the disaster to run away. How much truth is there to this? Was everything done to warn people beforehand, and rescue people in the aftermath? We speak to experts on the ground and around the world to find out.
Contributors include:
Lian Gogali – Founder, Institute Mosintuwu Harald Spahn – Consultant geologist 2006-2013, German-Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System project Harkunti Pertiwi Rahayu – Chair, Indonesian Association of Disaster Experts & Assistant Professor, Bandung Institute of Technology Mark Astarita – Former Director of Fundraising, British Red Cross
Presenter: Kavita Puri Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton
(A man looks for his belongings amid the debris of his destroyed house in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Sept 29 2018. Photo credit: Bay Ismoyo/Getty Images)
Delhi is one of the worst polluted cities in the world. Radical ideas like skyscraper-sized air purifiers are being proposed to clean the smog – can they work? There are lessons to be learned from other cities around the world about how to manage emissions. But will any city’s air ever be really clean?
(Image: A heavily polluted street in Delhi. Photo Credit: Arvind Yadav/Getty Images)
Most countries in the world have signed up to the idea that no child should work at all under a certain age – but is this the best approach? This week Nicolle, a 17 year old from Peru, has been part of a delegation of child labourers visiting the UN to ask them to rethink their ban on child labour. She’s been working since she was 8 years old, and says not only did her family need the money she earned, but working brought her status and respect. Some charities and experts working with child labourers agree that there are safe forms of child work. They say non-hazardous work can allow children to help their families, gain life skills, and even pay for the school uniforms and equipment they need to stay in education. But the UN and other former child labourers disagree, saying an outright ban is the only way to protect children from exploitation. We ask whether it’s time to rethink the ban on child labour.
Contributors include:
Benjamin Smith – Senior Officer for Child Labour, International Labour Organization Jo Boyden – Professor of International Development, Oxford University Zulema Lopez – former child labourer Kavita Ratna - Director of Advocacy and Fundraising, Concerned for Working Children
Presenter: Helena Merriman Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton
Image: Girls collecting firewood in Eritrea, 2004 Credit: Scott Wallace/Getty Images
DNA testing is big business. Millions of people worldwide are finding out about their ancestry and genetic health traits by sending off a spit sample to one of the big consumer genetic testing companies. But what do your genes really tell you? And could genetic testing have harmful consequences for our health and for society? Four experts chart the rise of consumer genetic testing and examine the claims made and our expectations about the results.
Presenter: Helena Merriman Producer: Lucy Proctor
(image: Tube collecting saliva for dna testing of genetic markers. Photo By BSIP/UIG/Getty Images)
The story of how a line on a map becomes a hard state border that no one can cross.
Korea was ruled as one Kingdom for a thousand years. They valued poetry and scholars helped rule the country. But their Kingdom was invaded by Japan. When Japan left, Russia and America raced to take their place. Amid frantic organising, a line dividing Korea in two was suggested. Who knew that line would become the front line in a war, eventually creating a hard border between two new countries?
This is a special edition that 10-14 year olds can also enjoy, but if you are not in that age bracket we hope that there’s something in it for you too. It’s a trial and we’d love to know what you think. Email theinquiry@bbc.com or tweet @bbctheinquiry – thanks to Niko, Christina and Sophie for your feedback. The Inquiry will be back to normal next week.
(image 2018: A North Korean student attends a class at Kang Pan Sok revolutionary school outside of Pyongyang. Credit: Ed Jones/Getty Images)
This is a special edition that younger listeners aged 10 to 14 can also enjoy. If you’re no longer in that bracket, don’t worry, The Inquiry as you know and love it will be back to normal after the next two episodes. It’s an experiment and we’d love to know what you think of it. Please email us Theinquiry@bbc.com or tweet @bbctheinquiry.
What’s Killing Africa’s Elephants? Poachers, jewellery makers and angry farmers: the story behind the drop in elephant numbers across Africa.
Presenters: Priscilla Ngethe and Kate Lamble.
Image: African elephants (Credit: BBC)
Ever since it began, women’s sport has been beset by a fundamental question: who gets to compete as a woman? It’s a debate which is more heated now than ever. That’s because in a few months, athletics’ governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations, will introduce controversial new rules, regulating the participation of athletes with disorders of sexual development, commonly known as intersex conditions. It’s a debate that goes far beyond sport - throwing up difficult questions about what separates men from women. In this edition of The Inquiry we plunge into this debate, which is troubling women’s sport.
Presenter: Helena Merriman Producer: Josephine Casserly
(image: Women's Athletics 200m at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. Photo Credit: Yang Huafeng/China News/Getty Images)
Thousands of cyberattacks occur every single day. Some hackers steal credit card details or pilfer money from online bank accounts. Others cripple businesses, or even governments. As tensions mount in cyberspace, what are countries doing to strengthen their cyber power and build a hacking army? In this Inquiry, we delve into some of the world’s most intriguing cyber operations – including Iran, Russia and North Korea.
(Black Hat DEF CON cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas, Nevada USA. Photo Credit: Ann Hermes/Getty images),
It’s graduation day at the end of a religious summer school in Yemen’s Saada province. A class of young boys are off on a trip to a shrine. In a land of war, they are happy - jostling and full of energy on their school bus.
Moments later, most of the boys are dead. A Saudi-led coalition airstrike has hit their bus. The bomb that was dropped by the Saudis was made in the United States, and Saudi Arabia is the America’s single biggest customer when it comes to buying arms.
Critics argue that Donald Trump is quietly escalating America’s role in the Saudi-led war on Yemen, and many, including US Congress, have begun to question the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Will the US support Saudi Arabia no matter what? So on this week’s Inquiry we’re asking, who’s in the driving seat when it comes to the US – Saudi alliance?
Presenter: Krupa Padhy Producer: Marie Keyworth Researcher: Dearbhail Starr
(Photo: U.S. President Trump meets Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Al Saud, (c) Getty Images)
The year 2030 was set by the UN as the world's deadline for halting the spread of HIV, stopping Aids deaths, and having the first generation since 1980 born and raised completely free from infection.
But at last month’s 22nd International Aids conference the mood was less optimistic. Deaths from the disease, having stabilised, are now beginning to increase, with some people fearing the disease is now poised to add massively to its global death toll.
As global funding for Aids decreases, and drug resistant strains of HIV rise, this week’s Inquiry asks, could we see another Aids pandemic?
(image: HIV and Aids activists in Amsterdam, Netherlands take part in the protest march Towards Zero Together. Credit: Shutterstock)
It was May 2013 when Cody Wilson went public with his 3D-printed handgun. An online video showed the crude plastic object fixed on top of a tripod. The trigger was pulled from a distance by someone pulling a long piece of string.
Since that first successful firing, 3D printed guns and the debate around them has come a long way. The design for Cody Wilson’s plastic firearm, dubbed the ‘Liberator’ has been downloaded from the internet nearly 100,000 times. The US government has tried to block its publication.
But is the cat already out of the bag? Does the 3D printing revolution mean that people anywhere can print anything they want, as long as they get their hands on the right design? Can we control 3D printing?
(image: A three dimensional (3D) printer creating a product / Shutterstock)
In India, false rumours about child kidnappers, spread on WhatsApp, have prompted fearful mobs to kill innocent people. In May 2018 a video went viral. The original, a Pakistani child safety video, had been edited to show two men on a motorbike driving up to a group of children playing cricket in the street. They swoop up a small boy in a red t-shirt and drive away.
As the video spread across India people started receiving messages in their WhatsApp groups, some claiming to be from the local police, saying a gang of 250 to 300 people from outside their region had entered the area. It appealed to parents not to lose sight of their children.
Rumours like this have led to the deaths of at least 18 innocent people across India over the last few months. But what is it about this simple messaging platform - one that a fifth of the planet use every single day - that breeds intimacy, fuels emotions, and spreads fear? This week on The Inquiry we ask: Is WhatsApp fuelling vigilantism and why?
Image: A sign that says 'WhatsApp Neigbourhood Prevention'. Photo Copyright: Antal Guszlev
It’s a July morning in Ethiopia and Addisalem Hadigu, a journalist in his 50s, boards a flight to neighbouring Eritrea.
But it’s no ordinary plane. This ‘bird of peace’ is the first commercial flight to operate between the two countries since 1998, and Addisalem is flying to see his wife and two daughters – the family he hasn’t seen in 20 years.
Reunions like this are happening across Ethiopia and Eritrea, after the two countries finally agreed a peace deal and ended Africa’s longest war. But will it last? In this week’s Inquiry, we examine the ties that hold Eritrea and Ethiopia together, and the forces which could push them apart.
As relations with Iran and the West reach a new low point with the collapse earlier this year of the nuclear deal and the reintroduction of strict economic sanctions we ask: what does Iran think of the West? Pooneh Ghoddoosi explores a long and tortuous history of outside interference in the country. It dates back to the Western desire for Iran's rich oil reserves in the early 20th century, and continues through the CIA-backed coup in 1953, which strengthened the Shah's grip on the throne. The Western powers supported Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War, while the US is believed to have unleashed a highly effective cyber-weapon against the Iranian nuclear programme. Iran has reasons to be equally suspicious of Moscow - with the Russian Empire seizing large parts of historical Persia in the 19th century.
Producer: Matthew Chapman
Image: An Iranian cleric and a woman walk past an anti-US mural outside the former US embassy in Tehran, Iran (Credit: European Photopress Agency)
By the time she died at the age of 46, Koko the gorilla was a global superstar. Not only could she apparently understand two thousand words of spoken English and convey her own thoughts and feelings using sign language, but she was even able to give her own pet kitten a name.
Some say that it’s impossible to know whether Koko really understood what she was communicating, or whether she was just trying to please people by signing certain things. Either way, her death raises questions about animals, and the ways in which we try to understand them.
On this week’s Inquiry we examine how recent discoveries are bringing us closer to understanding our fellow creatures. We reveal some surprising animal capabilities, and ask whether we can ever know what it’s like to be anything other than human.
image: European Hamster (Shutterstock)
Food production accounts for as much global greenhouse gas emissions as all forms of transport combined. That’s why many scientists think we can’t tackle climate change without addressing what we eat. So – in this week’s repeat Inquiry – we’re looking at alternative climate-friendly diets and asking what it would take to move the world towards them. Presenter: Helena Merriman (Photo: Friends having a vegetarian meal. Credit: Shutterstock)
The world’s two biggest economies are on the brink of a costly standoff. The US has announced tariffs of 25% on a swathe of Chinese goods, starting July 6th. China has vowed to respond in kind. ‘If someone wants a trade war,’ China’s Commerce Minister said, ‘we will fight to the end.’ President Trump is bullish, threatening further tariffs and tweeting: ‘trade wars are good, and easy to win.’ But the WTO has warned that a trade war would have a ‘severe’ impact on the global economy. We look at the forces driving the conflict and how each side might back down. With Helen Grady.
(Image: Cargo containers with USA and Chinese flags on their sides crashing together. Credit: Shutterstock)
Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson were waiting to meet a business associate in Starbucks. After two minutes, the store manager called the police and the African-American men were removed from the café in handcuffs.
The Starbucks CEO has described the incident as “racial profiling”, claiming that the manager acted on unconscious racial bias. In response, he closed 8,000 branches of the coffee giant so his staff could attend anti-bias training.
It’s not just Starbucks - diversity training, such as this, has become a multi-million dollar global business. On this week’s Inquiry, we examine why these biases are so ingrained and what we can do to eradicate them.
(Photo: Two little boys on the grass. Credit: Shutterstock)
More than half the world’s countries are not producing enough babies to offset the number of deaths. Russia is the latest to experience a dip in the fertility rate, despite the government rolling out measures to encourage people to have more children. They have tried mortgage subsidies, giving couples days off to have sex, and rewarding fruitful mothers with the grand prize of a refrigerator. But the fertility rate continues to drop.
It is a situation that governments in Spain, Singapore, Germany, South Korea and Japan all face. Many are calling this a demographic crisis, so this week we are asking how do you make people have babies?
Presenter: Helena Merriman Producer: Xavier Zapata
(Photo: Smiling baby, Credit: Shutterstock)
Last year, the world watched as Islamic State was driven from Raqqa, the city they claimed as their capital. The UN has estimated that around 80% of the city’s buildings were destroyed or damaged in the battle. Eight months later, many Raqqans are returning home. Amid the rubble, life is slowly returning to Raqqa. This week, we investigate what life is like after Islamic State.
(Picture: A view of destroyed buildings at the frontline in Raqqa, Syria October 16, 2017. Credit: Reuters / Erik De Castro)
Chicago resident Robert McDaniel was surprised when a police commander showed up at his home to warn him that they were watching him. With only a misdemeanour conviction and arrests for a number of suspected minor offenses, he had somehow made it onto the Chicago Police Department’s so called ‘heat list’ - a list of names created by algorithm of those deemed to be most at risk of either being a victim or perpetrator of violent crime.
In this Inquiry we look at whether computers can predict future of when, where and by whom crimes will be committed. Can analysing ‘big data’ help target scarce resources in more intelligent ways? Or are the algorithms exacerbating the already heightened tensions between police and the public? How effective are some of the ‘predictive policing’ systems already in use? The inner workings of many of these programmes are protected by private copyright laws too so how can you challenge the decision made by a secret algorithm?
(Photo:Chicago Police officers standing next to a police car and a taped off crime scene. Credit: Joshua Lott/AFP/Getty Images)
North Korea has been under sanctions for many years. But this isolated economy is showing signs of life that might surprise you. From hacking and counterfeit money to coffee shops in Pyongyang, we investigate what life is like in North Korea and how the state makes its money.
Presenter: Celia Hatton Producer: Josephine Casserly
(Photo: A woman shopping at the Kwangbok, or 'liberation', department store in Pyongyang. Credit: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images)
Armenia's recent successful uprising is being celebrated as unprecedented for a former Soviet state. The so-called “velvet revolution” began on the last day in March with a protest walk. It ended two weeks and 100km later with the government overthrown.
Yet revolutions rarely triumph.
In this Inquiry we look at the factors that need to come together for such a revolution to succeed. Do they always need to be bloody and brutal or can non-violence resistance be as effective? How important are state institutions like the military to determining success? And what role do international relationships have to play?
(Photo: Supporters of Armenian opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan celebrate at the central square of Yerevan, 2 May 2018. Credit: Vano Shlamov/AFP)
Not long ago, they were calling each other names and raising fears of a nuclear war. Now, it is feasible they could together win the Nobel Peace Prize - if they can reach a deal. The mooted meeting between America’s Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un could go wrong in many ways. Mr Trump has already talked of walking out. But in a spirit of optimism, this week’s Inquiry hears from those who have brokered some of the world’s most unlikely pacts for advice on how to strike the deal of a lifetime. With Helena Merriman.
(Photo: President Trump, Credit: Zach Gibson/Getty Images; Photo: Kim Jong Un, Credit: Korea Summit Press Pool/Getty Images)
In late December 2017, one of the world’s leading neurobiologists died of pancreatic cancer. His name was Ben Barres. He was an extraordinary scientist, advancing our understanding of how the brain works, in particular how certain cells in the brain may contribute to degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
He had also lived the last 20 years of his life as a transgender man. He used his unique perspective of having ‘lived in the shoes of a woman and…the shoes of a man’ to become an outspoken opponent of gender bias.
As the voice of the transgender community continues to grow in influence, what can wider society learn from people who’ve been in this rare position of living life as both a perceived man and woman? What does their experience tell us about the nature of gender bias? And does it help us fix it?
(Photo: People hold a giant transgender flag at a gay parade. Credit: Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images)
Black infants in America are twice as likely to die in their first year as white infants. This stark disparity has long puzzled doctors and researchers. Why are so many African-American babies dying?
(Photo: A medical assistant measures the head of a newborn baby during a check-up in the USA. Credit: John Moore / Getty Images)
Syria, Salisbury, Malaysia Airport – all sites of nerve agent attacks carried out in the past couple of years. Yet hundreds of countries have supposedly destroyed their stockpiles of chemical weapons. It’s also illegal to produce and use them.
We look to four of the world’s most experienced chemists and researchers to tell us more about the nerve agents used in these recent attacks, how they are regulated and the ongoing problems of getting rid of them.
(Photo: Members of the emergency services in green biohazard encapsulated suits. Credit: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images)
China’s ivory market is now closed for business. The country has long been one of the world's biggest consumers of ivory. But as of this year, buying and selling ivory in China is illegal. Carving factories, workshops and jewellers have all shut their doors. How did this happen? And will it be enough to save the African elephant?
(Photo: An African Elephant throws mud onto himself, Mpala Research Centre, Kenya. Credit: Simon Maina/Getty Images)
When Robert Mugabe was deposed last year, he had ruled Zimbabwe for nearly four decades. How do dictators and authoritarians stay in power? James Tilley, a professor of politics at Oxford University in the UK, finds out what's in the dictators' survival guide. How do they control ordinary people and stop revolts? How do they stop rivals from taking over? And why are elections often helpful to securing their rule?
Producer: Bob Howard.
(Photo: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe looks on during his inauguration and swearing-in ceremony on August 22, 2013 Credit: ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images)
The tide of public opinion is turning on plastic.
The image of a whale with plastic stuck in its mouth on the BBC nature documentary Blue Planet 2 woke people up across the world to the reality of plastic pollution in our oceans. Experts think that by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the sea. Communities across the globe are saying that something must be done.
But does this change in public mood spell disaster for plastic? And if so, what would replace it? We go from Europe, to the US and Indonesia to examine the supply and demand of plastic.
Presenter: Michael Blastland
Producers: Josephine Casserly and John Murphy
“Humans are the only species that willingly deprive themselves from sleep”. Ever since fire was discovered, we have traded off sleep time for other activities - from creating stone tools to partying. As our technology progressed, the list of things to do rather than sleep just got longer. But with sleep deprivation now a growing health problem, could we be reaching our limits? Or is tiredness part of our condition? In this week’s programme, an evolutionary biologist, a historian and a neuroscientist give us their take on whether we are now any more tired than our ancestors. We hear what makes human sleep unique and how it has evolved in surprising ways. And finally we hear from a woman with a dream – that we may never have to sleep again.
Presenter: James Fletcher
Producer: Estelle Doyle and Sarah Shebbeare
This programme was first broadcast in July 2017.
(Photo: A woman shows signs of tiredness as she counts ballot cards. Credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
From courtrooms and prisons to rehab centres and martial arts training. We look to Europe, Iraq, Central Asia and Saudi Arabia to investigate how they are dealing with Islamic State militants.
The defeat of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has raised a new, global challenge. While Iraq is funnelling huge numbers of Islamic State suspects through its courts, thousands of foreign fighters are returning to their home countries. What is happening to former IS fighters?
(Photo: A man takes down a poster of the IS militant group's flag. Credit: Getty Images)
It is one of the largest, most profitable companies in the world, with billions of users, but more and more questions are being asked of Facebook. Accused of allowing the spread of fake news and hate speech, and of turning a blind eye to election meddling by Russia, Facebook is in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Facebook’s founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg has committed himself to “fixing Facebook.”
With the help of experts in the field, in the US, India and Germany, we ask if Facebook really is in trouble.
Presenter: Helena Merriman
Producers: John Murphy and Josephine Casserly
(Photo: Indian demonstrators protest against Facebook's Free Basics initiative in Bangalore on 2 January, 2016. Credit: Manjunath Kiran/Getty Images)
The US and UK governments have accused Russia of orchestrating the most damaging cyber-attack in history. It caused billions of dollars’ worth of damage in over 60 countries. This programme tells the story of the attack as it unfolded across the globe. With the help of the world’s leading cyber security experts we take a forensic look at how the attack began, the extraordinary way in which it spread, and examine the international repercussions.
(A laptop displays a message after being infected by a ransomware as part of a worldwide cyberattack. Photo Credit: Rob Engelaar/Getty Images)
Women earn less than men in every country in the world.
Women are now more educated than ever before. But, on average, they don't take home the same in their pay packets. And laws against discrimination in the workplace haven't been enough to close the gap.
This inequality in wages has proven difficult to shift. Governments, employers and unions are struggling to find solutions to this stubborn and deep-rooted problem. How do you close the gender pay gap?
Presenter: Krupa Padhy
Producers: Josephine Casserly and Nicola Kelly
(image: Women from Dawson Street Child Care take part in a protest march as part of a campaign for equal pay in Melbourne, Australia. Credit: Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
It is feared than in a few months’ time Cape Town could run out of water. The city is planning for so-called Day Zero when the supply is switched off and people will have to collect water rations. Cape Town is an extreme example of what is now a global phenomenon of water scarcity. We investigate how the city got so close to the brink, and whether there’s anything that other cities around the world can do to avoid a similar fate.
(image: A man collects drinking water from taps that are fed by a spring in Newlands,Cape Town at the foot of Table Mountain. Photo credit: Rodger Bosch/Getty Images.)
The Taliban have staged devastating attacks in the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, in recent weeks. And a BBC study has discovered the group is active across the majority of the country – pushing beyond its traditional southern stronghold into eastern, western and northern parts. Seventeen years after the Taliban were toppled by a US-led invasion, it is clear the insurgent group has not been defeated. Why are the Taliban so resilient?
Presenter: Helena Merriman
Producers: Ruth Alexander and Josephine Casserly
The story of how the search for a material to replace ivory changed our lives forever. In the 19th century a billiard ball company placed an advert in a newspaper offering $10,000 to anyone who could come up with a substitute for ivory. There was growing concern that companies were hunting elephants into extinction so they could use their ivory for billiard balls, buttons and umbrella handles. The story that follows takes us from explosive factories that often went up in smoke to the modern world we find ourselves in today. How did plastics go from being a saviour of the environment to a cause for concern? How did we get hooked on plastic?
Presenter: Helena Merriman
Producer: Phoebe Keane
Photo: A man checks used plastic bottles for recycling at a recycling station in Agartala
Credit: ARINDAM DEY/AFP/Getty Images
China has long been keen to assert its authority in the South China Sea. In recent years, it has undertaken a huge programme of island-building to stake its claim to the region. Fiery Cross, once a tiny reef, is now a fortified airbase. And this is just one of China’s seven artificial islands in the Sea.
But China is not the only one. Bordered by seven states, many others also claim parts of the South China Sea as their own. Experts warn these hotly contested waters could be a flashpoint for conflict in 2018.
Why is the South China Sea so important to China?
(Photo: Fiery Cross. Credit: CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative/DigitalGlobe)
The EU’s launched the ‘nuclear option’ against Poland, the first time it’s triggered the disciplinary measure in its history. They say recent changes to the legal system mean there is a serious threat to the rule of law and as a punishment, Poland could lose its voting rights in the European Union. The ruling party say this is an attack on Poland and that the EU should not be telling them what to do. The government says that actually their judiciary is threatened by the legacy of communism which is why they have made the legal reforms. They also say they’re being singled out by the EU for their refusal to take refugees, which they claim pose a threat to their country. If you believe the government, there are lots of threats to Poland, but what is actually being threatened and is there something far greater at stake? What is the greatest threat to Poland?
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producer: Phoebe Keane
(Photo: Right-wing nationalist protesters burn the European Union flag in 2015. Credit: Natalia Dobryszycka/AFP/Getty Images)
In 2017 the black flag of the Islamic State group flew in the southern Philippines as a mixture of local and foreign fighters attacked the Islamic City of Marawi.
While the government did eventually regain control, it took five months to break the siege and many terrorist leaders escaped during the fighting. It's led to fears that the extremist violence could spread.
In this Inquiry we investigate the long history of conflict which provided a fertile place for IS's Islamist ideas to grow, and ask how important the region is to IS now that they're retreating in the Middle East.
(Image: Destroyed buildings in what was the main combat area in Marawi. Photo: Merlyn Manos/Getty Images)
In 1994 a United Nations conference, backed by 173 countries, announced that ‘female genital mutilation’ was a “violation of basic rights and a major lifelong risk to women’s health”. Agreeing it should end, international agencies and charities quickly swung into action, and over the next two decades millions were spent on campaigns to eradicate the practise around the world. Today though, pricking or cutting of the genitalia still happens to an estimated 3 million girls a year in 30 countries, and some experts are saying we should rethink how we tackle it. In this episode of The Inquiry we talk to four expert witnesses, all with very different views on what the next steps should be.
This programme contains frank discussions of a physical and sexual nature.
(Image: A demonstration against female genital mutilation at the Nairobi World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya. Credit: Marco Longari/Getty Images)
Making sense of the digital currency and the ideology of its founders, fans and future.
In 2010 a developer spent 10,000 bitcoin to buy two pizzas. Seven and a half years later that was the equivalent of over $80m.
Bitcoin has been exploding in value throughout 2017 as more and more people buy into the idea of a digital currency. Traditional financial institutions have even begun to get involved. But far from a mainstream investment, Bitcoin started life as an idea from the radical cypherpunk movement, who wanted to use decentralised technologies as a way to disrupt governments and corporations.
In this edition of The Inquiry we trace the history and development of Bitcoin – and ask whether its future will stay true to its libertarian roots.
(Image: The Digital Cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Photo Credit: Dan Kitwood/ Getty Images)
What next for North Korea? Kim Jong-un's nuclear ambitions and their global repercussions are explored in this special, extended edition of the programme.
After a year of repeated weapons testing by the secretive regime that’s sparked a war of words with the United States, Ruth Alexander brings together six expert witnesses to dive deep into the detail of what is one of the biggest geopolitical challenges of our time.
Their discussion examines North Korea’s weapons capability, the mind-set of its leader, the chance of war breaking out and the possibilities of finding a diplomatic solution.
(North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, flanked by vice-chair of the State Affairs Commission Choe Yong-Hae (L) at an opening ceremony. Photo credit: Ed Jones/Getty Images)
Governing moon miners, asteroid hunters and space junk sounds pretty tricky, but we better get our act together. This year the majority of space launches included commercial enterprises. Space is no longer just the playground of governments but companies; companies that want to mine the moon for water that they could sell as rocket fuel, companies that want to mine the moon for helium -3 which could be sold and used as energy back on earth and companies that want to mine asteroids for platinum that they could sell for huge profits. But is this legal? The Outer Space Treaty, a set of laws written in the 1960s, says no state can conquer or own the moon or any other celestial body. So if you can’t own the moon, can you sell what you find on it? Perhaps it’s time for a new set of laws. So, how do we rule the universe?
(digital illustration: Somewhere in the Universe: NASA's Kepler mission discovers a world orbiting two stars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech via Getty Images)
There is a place on the internet where almost two billion of us regularly go – many of us, every day. Facebook: the social network which Mark Zuckerberg started in his university dorm room and which has grown, in a little over a decade, into one of the most valuable companies in the world. But what does Facebook’s lines of computer code do with the data we give it – and what could it do in the future? Just how powerful is Facebook's algorithm? The answer will surprise you.
Produced by Estelle Doyle and Sarah Shebbeare
This programme was first broadcast in April 2017.
(Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers a keynote address during Facebook's F8 conference in San Francisco, California. Credit: Getty Images)
Forty-two Americans die every day from an overdose involving painkilling prescription opioids. President Donald Trump recently declared the US opioid epidemic a national public health emergency. Yet in the world’s poorest countries, cancer patients and people recovering from major surgery often get no effective pain relief at all. Why is access to prescription painkillers so unequal? And is the shortage of opioids in much of the world getting the attention it deserves?
(Photo: View of poppies in a poppy field in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. Credit: Pedro Pardo/Getty Images)
Missiles, fighter jets and mines waiting on the sea bed - war games in the gulf. Tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia is at an unprecedented level since a missile was intercepted over Saudi Arabia’s capital city. The Saudi Crown Prince blames Iran and says the attack may be considered an act of war. This is what would happen if they did go to war.
(Photo: An Iranian missile is test-launched during war games in Qom, south of Tehran. Credit: Shaigan/Getty Images)
The world’s most profitable company is accused of aggressively dodging tax. Leaked documents in the Paradise Papers show Apple moved hundreds of billions of dollars in untaxed foreign profits to Jersey, where foreign companies pay no corporation tax. Yet Apple says it pays “every dollar it owes in every country around the world”. Confused? Not for long.
(Customers wait in front of the giant Apple logo for the store to open in Munich, Germany. Photo Credit: Christof Stache/GettyImages)
He’s pushed through reforms but some fear there is a darker desire driving the ruler. In one night, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman arrested over a dozen Princes and government ministers on corruption charges. To turn on his own royal family, he must be serious. But is corruption the Crown Prince’s real target or is this a power grab? There are also fears that the aggressive stance he has taken with Lebanon, Yemen and Qatar is increasing tensions with regional rival Iran. If the tension reaches a tipping point, there are fears the conflict could widen beyond the region. So what is he up to? What does the Saudi Crown Prince want?
(Photo: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh on October 24 2017. Credit: Fayez Nureldine/Getty Images)
Academic research stands accused of turning a blind eye to dodgy data, failing to reconcile contradictory findings and valuing money over knowledge. We examine the criticisms, which go the very heart of our pursuit of knowledge.
(Photo: Scientist working in a research laboratory. Credit: Shutterstock)
The growth and reach of a group labelled a ‘terror force’ by President Trump. On 13 October President Trump announced new sanctions against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp for supporting terrorism. But what is the Revolutionary Guard and what is its role in Iran and the Middle East?
The group started as an army to protect the values of the Iranian revolution of 1979, but their role in fighting a long and brutal war with Iraq strengthened their military clout considerably. Today their forces work beyond their borders and have played a key role in the fight against so-called Islamic State. But they are no longer just an army, they run construction projects, run most of the telecommunications industry and even have a news agency. So how powerful is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps?
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producers: Phoebe Keane and Jo Casserly
(Photo: Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard special forces participating in military manoeuvers. Credit: Getty Images)
Why internal conflicts end and what it might mean for Syria. The war in Syria is in its seventh year and there are few signs that an end is in sight. Yet over the years, other seemingly intractable civil conflicts have, eventually, been resolved. So, how did they do it and what lessons are there that might help Syria?
(A Kurdish Syrian woman walks with her child past the ruins of the town of Kobane in northern Syria. Credit: Yasin Akgul/Getty Images)
The head of the Roman Catholic Church has been accused of aiding the spread of heresy. A petition criticising the ambiguity of Pope Francis' statements on the treatment of people who have divorced and remarried is the latest twist in a fierce debate which is dividing Roman Catholics. The argument centres on whether divorcees on their second marriages should be able to receive Holy Communion, a ceremony that is central to the Christian faith. However, the dispute goes much deeper than that. At its heart, it is an argument over what it means to be a Roman Catholic and what the role of the Pope, and the Church, should be.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producer: James Fletcher and Helen Grady
(Photo: Pope Francis waves to thousands of followers in Manila, Philippines. Credit: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)
From driverless cars to "carebots", machines are entering the realm of right and wrong. Should an autonomous vehicle prioritise the lives of its passengers over pedestrians? Should a robot caring for an elderly woman respect her right to life ahead of her right to make her own decisions? And who gets to decide? The challenges facing artificial intelligence are not just technical, but moral - and raise hard questions about what it means to be human.
(image: PaPeRo communication robot at the Robodex trade show in Tokyo, Japan, 18 January 2017. Photo credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
We all do it: ask a search engine things we wouldn’t dare ask a friend, post our lives on social media, hit the ‘agree’ button on privacy conditions we never read. This is life in our online age. To get our favourite apps and services for free, we provide companies with the intimate details of our lives. Businesses we’ve heard of, and many we haven’t, make money off this data in ways we may not fully realise. And almost every week it seems there’s another data breech – Equifax, Sonic, and Deloitte have been hacked in the last month alone. Each time the private data of millions of people is compromised. Can we control who knows what about us? And are we comfortable with how much information we’re giving up and how it might be used, or mis-used? This week the Inquiry asks “Is Privacy Dead?”
(image: Shutterstock)
The list of nations legislating to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars is growing. But these restrictions won’t come into effect for decades. Air pollution contributes to thousands of early deaths each year and the scandal known as Dieselgate, when vehicle manufacturers admitted tampering with emissions tests, made us more aware of the polluting power of the diesel engine. Automotive technology is advancing quickly, but will greener vehicles really replace the combustion engine? Hybrid and electric cars are better for the environment but more expensive, and petrol stations are easier to find than charging points.
This edition of the Inquiry asks, if we wanted to, could we ban the sale of diesel and petrol cars now?
(image: Cars sit in gridlock in heavy fog (pollution) in Beijing China. Photo Credit: Guang Niu/Getty Images)
North Korea continues to rattle the world with its rapidly advancing weapons programme. Diplomacy with this Hermit Kingdom is broken and UN sanctions have little effect curtailing the nuclear ambitions of the country’s enigmatic leader Kim Jong–Un. As its closest neighbour and biggest ally, can China solve the growing threat - with whatever options remain?
(image: Chinese/N.Korean sign beside the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge connecting the Chinese border city of Dandong to North Korea over the Yalu river. Credit: Mark Ralston/Getty Images)
Do we have the power to avoid the natural forces of intense rainfall? With rising sea levels and the threat of climate change, the risk of death due to floods seems an insurmountable challenge. But there are some surprising facts in the figures on flood deaths. In developed countries like the US, more men die in floods than women and it is 30% of white men who are of particular concern.
We hear from four expert witnesses from across the globe, who share different options for change. Their ideas are both obvious as well as innovative, both low cost for use in developing countries like Bangladesh and high-tech like in the Netherlands. We also hear from the one place in the world which seems to be saving more lives in the face of devastating floods and storm surges than anywhere else on the planet.
Presenter : James Fletcher
Producer: Nina Robinson
(Photo: Officials distribute medicine to villagers affected by the monsoon flooding across India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Credit: Biju Boro/Getty Images)
Cemeteries around the world are fast running out of space. As more and more people choose to live in cities, some can't even cope with the ashes left after cremation. Deep questions about our communities, cultures and mortality emerge as The Inquiry asks: what can we do with our dead?
The programme script says that "only the very wealthiest can afford to rest in the ground in Hong Kong and Singapore". This is true for Hong Kong but Singapore's National Environment Agency has been in touch to say that you do not have to be wealthy to be buried in the government run cemetery.
(image: A crowded cemetery in Hong Kong. Photo credit: Dale De La Rey/Getty Images.)
North America’s most notorious racist group, the Ku Klux Klan fought the end of slavery in the 19th century, opposed civil rights in the 20th century and now forms part of a new extreme-right wing movement protesting openly, on America’s streets. Presented by James Fletcher and produced by Kate Lamble, The Inquiry asks four expert witnesses to answer this pressing question; how has the KKK managed to last so long? The answer can be found by looking at the origins of the KKK and the power of the white supremacist idea which became infamous for its’ distinctive costumes and deadly violence.
The American concept of freedom of speech has also helped give the KKK longevity. The views of the groups’ members are not shut down by the authorities. Rather, the KKK is allowed to speak and operate openly, within certain limits of the law. The hope is that counter protest and dialogue will expose the hatred and bigotry of its members.
Through hearing the views of one reformed racist, we learn how the group have been opportunistic in recruiting members. These include troubled young men, looking for family, security and meaning to their lives.
Finally, modern day technology has helped to spread the KKK’s message throughout the world via the internet. The group has been managed to mobilise and has recently, become emboldened by the election of President Donald Trump.
(Photo: Torchlight Parade by the Ku Klux Klan, October 1951. Photo credit: Keystone/Getty Images)
Video games are a huge industry, bigger than Hollywood, and billions of people around the world play them for fun. But new economic research in the US suggests that young men are dropping out of work to play games more. This is both because some jobs are becoming harder to find and less rewarding, and because video games are becoming more and more attractive. The gamers say they are happy, but the research has sharpened long-standing concerns about video games. Will there be a 'lost generation' of young men sitting in their parents' basements, frittering their lives away on mindless games, with disastrous long-term effects for them and the economy? Are video games a waste of time?
(Photo: A visitor plays on a computer while visiting the Gamescom 2017 video gaming trade fair in Cologne, Germany. Credit: Lukas Schulze/Getty Images)
Smears, bots and bags of cash - we reveal some of the tricks used for fiddling elections around the world. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's security chiefs say Russian intelligence is actively trying to influence next month's German elections. Meanwhile, from the US to the Netherlands, countries are becoming increasingly wary of election interference. So how do you fix someone else’s election? Hear answers from people who've studied it and even been involved.
Presenter: Neal Razzell Producers: Phoebe Keane, Emily Craig Editor: Emma Rippon
(Photo: Voters go to the polls in the contentious presidential election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in Las Vegas, Nevada Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
A story of crime and often no punishment. South Africa's notoriously violent record has been getting worse. The number of murders and violent crimes is rising as public confidence in the police falls. Officers themselves have been linked to a series of high-profile cases, including spectacular heists at the country's main international airport. South Africa's police minister has called for "a firmer, disciplined force". So, are South Africa's police failing?
(image: A riot police officer gets ready to fire a stun grenade into a crowd during clashes in Johannesburg May 8, 2017. Credit: Gulshan Khan/ Getty Images)
You might think simple rules decide the creation of nation states. You'd be wrong.
There are plenty of people out there who want their own state - like in Iraqi Kurdistan and Catalonia, which both have independence referendums coming up. Yet the national governments in Baghdad and Madrid say the votes - whatever their outcome - won't result in new countries. So how do you start a new country? Making sense of an atlas dotted with exceptions, special cases and lands in limbo, we ask: who gets to have their own country?
(Photo: Young boy holds a pro-Independence Catalan flag (Senyera) during Catalonia National Day. Credit: Quique Garcia/Getty Images)
Alarm about North Korea has spiked. Earlier this month, the North claimed to have successfully test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that could hit Alaska. Some experts estimate that North Korea is now 18 to 36 months away from launching a missile able to reach Los Angeles.
President Trump has warned that a "major, major conflict" with North Korea is possible. His closest advisers have said that "the era of strategic patience is over".
So, in this week's Inquiry, we take a look at the two sides' war plans and ask: what would war with North Korea look like?
Producer: Sarah Shebbeare Presenter: Neal Razzell
(image: A combined fire demonstration of the North Korean People's Army celebrating their 85th anniversary on 26 April 2017. Credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images)
Every single second, 20,000 single-use drinking bottles are sold around the world. That is more than a million pieces of non-biodegradable rubbish produced every minute. And as demand grows in developing economies, so will the mountains of waste, with much of it ending up in the ocean.
We learn how the invention of the plastic bottle spawned an industry that has quickly got us hooked. We hear the consequences of our addiction from the man who has dedicated his life to The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. And, with one estimate that by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish, we ask if we now need a radical solution. Is it time to ban the plastic bottle?
Presenter: James Fletcher Producers: Simon Maybin and Sarah Shebbeare
(Photo: A bottle of water sits on the floor inside a recycling facility. Credit: Getty Images)
"This structure has novel features, which are of considerable biological interest." It was perhaps the greatest understatement of all time - the announcement more than six decades ago of the discovery of the shape of a single human DNA. The double-helix structure is now one of the world's most recognisable icons. Knowledge of it has transformed the fight against everything from disease to crime.
That revolution was brought to us by an elite. It took the world's most eminent scientists, backed by the treasuries of the United States, the United Kingdom and private markets to go from the discovery of that one gene, in 1953, to map the more than 22,000 genes that make up a human being in 2000. Mapping the genome, as it was known, was likened to "learning the language in which God created life."
Genetic research has since become democratised. Incredible new technologies now allow labs all over the world to not only learn the language of creation, but to write it...and edit it. Do-it-yourself gene editing kits are available online for less than $100. Gene editing offers breathtaking promise - eliminating disability and disease. But the rapid spread of this powerful technology is leading some who've been at the forefront of the research to warn against unintended consequences, and question whether the rush for miracle cures could bring hellish side-effects.
So this week, The Inquiry asks, Is Gene Editing Out of Control?
(Photo: CRISPR CAS 9 Clustered regularly inter spaced short palindromic repeats. segments of prokaryotic DNA containing short repetitions of base sequences. gene editing, genome editing. Credit: Shutterstock)
The tiny state behind a global diplomatic feud.
Qatar's landmass is so small it could fit into the UK 20 times over. Its citizen population is just a few hundred thousand. Yet this desert country finds itself at the centre of a geopolitical dispute, with its powerful neighbour Saudi Arabia leading a blockade against it and President Donald Trump firing off critical Tweets.
So how did this bantam-weight state end up slogging it out with the world's heavyweights? In other words, what's so special about Qatar?
Presenter: James Fletcher Producer: Simon Maybin and Sarah Shebbeare
(image: Doha city skyline, with armoured vehicles, Qatar. Credit: Karim Jaafar/Getty images)
“Humans are the only species that willingly deprive themselves from sleep”. Ever since fire was discovered, we have traded off sleep time for other activities - from creating stone tools to partying. As our technology progressed, the list of things to do rather than sleep just got longer. But with sleep deprivation now a growing health problem, could we be reaching our limits? Or is tiredness part of our condition?
In this week’s programme, an evolutionary biologist, a historian and a neuroscientist give us their take on whether we are now any more tired than our ancestors. We hear what makes human sleep unique and how it has evolved in surprising ways. And finally we hear from a woman with a dream – that we may never have to sleep again.
Producer: Estelle Doyle and Sarah Shebbeare Presenter: James Fletcher
(Photo: A woman shows signs of tiredness as she counts ballot cards. Credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images)
China is currently developing the biggest infrastructure initiative of all time. Called the Belt and Road initiative, the trillion dollar plans involve working with other Asian countries to build hundreds of new roads, high speed trains, ports and pipelines across continent to mimic the ancient Silk Road trading routes. The project offers a clear economic opportunity, but the diplomatic ties that form as a result could have the potential to change the current world order.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Kate Lamble
(image: Local people control their sheep and goats on the Karakoram highway in northern Pakistan, part of the new Silk Road. Credit: Aamir Queeshi/AFP/ Getty Images)
On 12 June 2017 thousands of protesters took to the streets in over 160 towns and cities across Russia. Opposition leader Alexei Navalny called on people to march against corruption from Kaliningrad in the west to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in the east, in bustling cities and significantly, in rural towns where support for President Putin is strong. This is unusual. Protests are usually restricted to the urban elites in Moscow. So who is Navalny and how has he managed to bring so many people out on the streets?
Our expert witnesses assess the strength of the opposition movement in Russia. They explain that the protests reveal a greater threat to Putin. The mobilisation of a young generation who do not believe what they see on state TV and are turning to opposition politics online instead.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producers: Phoebe Keane and Estelle Doyle
(Photo: Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny speaks during a rally in Lyublino, a suburb of Moscow, 20 September 2015. Credit: Getty Images)
When violent jihadis struck London last Saturday, the rolling news networks kicked quickly into action. The story became front-page news around the world and dominated the UK's news media for days, with ever more information on the attack, the victims and the perpetrators. It was shocking, horrific - and perhaps also exactly what the terrorists wanted.
Terrorists rely on the world's media to spread their message of fear and their ideology. Maybe if there was less media coverage of such attacks, it would frustrate the people behind them. We look at four democratic countries where attempts have been made to limit the media impact of terrorism. Drawing on the lessons learnt, how do you report terrorism?
Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Simon Maybin and Phoebe Keane
(Photo: Various newspapers spread out headlining the London Terror attacks)
Many of us find our jobs stressful, underpaid and the hours too long. But few would complain about work being less physically strenuous than in the past. And yet, new research shows that the decline in physical activity at work is key to explaining the obesity epidemic. So - is work now too easy? And if it is, can this be reversed?
Producers: Estelle Doyle and Phoebe Keane Presenter: Michael Blastland
(Photo: Office workers at desks using computers in an office. Credit: Getty Images)
Does the experience of poverty actually take a physical toll on your brain? The Inquiry investigates the scientific claims that being poor affects how our brains work.
It's well known that children from poorer backgrounds do worse at school. And adults who are poor are often criticised for making bad life decisions - ones that don't help them in the long-term.
Some say the problems are rooted in the unfair way our society functions. Others argue it's simple genetics. But a growing body of research suggests that something else may be going on too.
The Inquiry assesses the evidence and asks: does poverty change the way we think?
Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producers: Simon Maybin and Phoebe Keane
(Photo: Concept of human intelligence with human brain on blue background. Credit: Shutterstock)
Brexit showed that the issue is now among the most important for British voters. And that’s likely to continue in June’s UK general election, as major parties have made their positions on immigration central to their campaigns. And yet for decades, immigration was a no-go area for mainstream debate. Following racial tensions in the 1960s, it came to be perceived as a proxy for racism. Today it is one of the most salient issues in British politics. What changed?
Producer: Estelle Doyle Presenter: Ruth Alexander
(Photo: Border Force check the passports of passengers arriving at Gatwick Airport in London, England. Credit: Getty images)
Once the richest country in South America, Venezuela is now in deep economic crisis.
Children in school are fainting from hunger; patients are dying from the lack of basic medicine. As prices spiral out of control, cash is carried not in wallets, but in backpacks. Street protests over the crisis are growing in size and frequency - and the government's response becoming ever more authoritarian.
Yet in 1970, Venezuela was among the wealthiest countries in the world. It was held up as a beacon of democracy and stability - an example of a successful developing economy that turned oil resource wealth into riches. So what went wrong? How did Venezuela go from so rich to so poor?
Presenter: Linda Yueh Producer: Simon Maybin
(Photo: A father and daughter rest while someone holds their place before sunrise in a long line to buy basic foodstuffs at a supermarket in San Cristobal, Venezuela. Credit: Getty Images)
Tensions between the US and North Korea are running high. Kim Jong-Un has been testing long-range missiles and nuclear weapons. The Trump administration wants Pyongyang to end its nuclear weapons programmes and has said “all of our options are on the table” in pursuit of that goal. North Korea has said that a "super mighty pre-emptive strike” is planned if the US uses military force against them. But – our question this week – how did this poor and isolated country develop nuclear weapons in the first place?
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
Producers: Kate Lamble, Phoebe Keane and Estelle Doyle
(Photo: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets scientists and technicians in the field of researches into nuclear weapons. Credit: Reuters)
Yuval Noah Harari, the author of Sapiens and Homo Deus, explores the long history of inequality – from the Stone Age onwards – and asks whether we are on the brink of creating a huge “economically useless” underclass, unable to keep up with enhanced humans, the owners of increasingly valuable data and, eventually, artificial intelligence.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Estelle Doyle Editor: Richard Knight
(Photo: Yuval Noah Harari, Credit: Daniel Thomas Smith)
There is a place on the internet where almost two billion of us regularly go – many of us, every day. Facebook: the social network which Mark Zuckerberg started in his university dorm room and which has grown, in a little over a decade, into one of the most valuable companies in the world. But what does Facebook’s lines of computer code do with the data we give it – and what could it do in the future? Just how powerful is Facebook's algorithm? The answer will surprise you.
Producers: Estelle Doyle and Sarah Shebbeare Editor: Richard Knight
(Photo: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers a keynote address during the Facebook f8 conference in San Francisco, California. Credit: Getty Images)
In 2014 marijuana was legalised for recreational use in Colorado and Washington states in the US. Oregon, Alaska, California, Nevada and Massachusetts have all followed. These votes were the result of fierce campaigns. Activists argued that changing the law would eliminate the black market in marijuana; creating a legitimate, taxable industry and allowing the police to focus on more serious crime. Opponents feared more people would become cannabis addicts and predicted an uptick in health problems and robberies. So – three years in – what happened?
Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producers: Kate Lamble and Phoebe Keane
(Photo: Jars full of medical marijuana are seen at Sunset Junction medical marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles, California. Credit: Getty Images)
It’s two years since the start of the Saudi-led military campaign in support of the Yemeni government which was ousted by Houthi rebels. The war has been a disaster for countless civilians. Thousands have been killed and the country is on the brink of famine. The UN is calling it a humanitarian crisis. And yet it’s far from clear which – if any – of the multiple nations and groups involved in the conflict is working to end it. In other words, our question this week, why is no one trying to stop the war in Yemen?
Presenter: Ruth Alexander Producer: Estelle Doyle
(Photo: Houthi rebels, march in a parade during a gathering in the capital Sanaa to mobilize more fighters to battlefronts to fight pro-government forces in several Yemeni cities. Getty)
At a recent press conference on the new US budget questions were asked about funding for climate change initiatives. The answer was stark. “We’re not spending money on that anymore,” reporters were told, they’re a “waste of your money”. The new administration is sceptical about man-made climate change. Most of the world’s scientists and governments, however, are not. The Paris Agreement committed the world to prevent global temperatures from rising more than two degrees over pre-industrial levels. That target looked close to impossible even before the election of Donald Trump. So – our question this week – do we need a ‘plan B’? Scientists have been developing some very ambitious ideas to re-engineer our climate. They have created materials that could suck carbon dioxide out of the air and a scheme to pump reflective particles into the atmosphere. But – if ‘plan A’ fails – might any of these last-ditch ideas actually work?
(Photo: The smoke stacks at American Electric Power's Mountaineer coal power plant in New Haven, West Virginia. Credit: Getty Images)
Every candidate in the upcoming presidential election in France is calling for change: change to the bureaucracy, the economy and even the culture. France, they say, is broken; society too divided, unemployment too high or the state too oppresive. Are they right? Is this call for change a tired political cliché – or a justifiable response to a deep set of problems? In other words – our question this week – what's wrong with France?
Presenter: Estelle Doyle
(Photo: A dejected France fan after defeat in the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa match between France and Mexico. Credit: Getty Images)
The UN has declared that South Sudan is in the grip of famine. Aid agencies have pointed the finger not at crop failure, weather or some other environmental problem. Humans, they say, have created this misery – misery which could easily have been avoided. The UN has also warned that conflicts in Yemen, Somalia and northeastern Nigeria mean there could soon be famine in those countries too, creating “the largest humanitarian crisis since the creation of the United Nations” in 1945. Humankind long ago figured out how to manage agriculture, store and distribute surplus produce or use trade to overcome hunger. So are all famines – like the one unfolding now in South Sudan – man-made? That’s our question on The Inquiry this week.
Presenter: Maria Margaronis Producers: Phoebe Keane and Charlotte McDonald
(Photo: A woman winnows grain to separate sorghum seeds from soil following an air-drop at a village in Nyal, in Panyijar county, south Sudan, on February 23, 2015. Credit: Getty Images)
Mosul is today the scene of the largest battle on Earth. Some 100,000 soldiers, police and militiamen are bearing down on the ancient Iraqi city. Backed by Western air power, their mission is to drive out the so-called Islamic State fighters who’ve occupied the city since 2014. Mosul holds enormous symbolic value to both sides. The IS leader declared himself “caliph” there; the Iraqis want to avenge their defeat there nearly three years ago. Between them are hundreds of thousands of civilians. The UN says they face "extreme risks": water, food and fuel are already scarce. This edition of The Inquiry tells the story of the campaign and asks how the final phase could end.
(Photo: An Iraqi Special Forces soldier climbs through a hole in a wall as he searches for Islamic State fighters in Mosul, Iraq, 2017. Credit to: REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic)
Back in 2015 our radios and TV bulletins were full of stories of people trying to get to Europe. We saw distressing pictures as boats sank and lives were lost. Huge numbers of men, women and children tried to make their way by road, rail and foot to Hungary, Germany and beyond. There was anguish and fear in EU capitals. Now the story has slipped from the front pages. We find out what happened next.
(Photo: Syrian refugees sit aboard a dinghy heading to the island of Lesbos early on June 18, 2015. Credit: Getty Images)
Our phones are powerful tools with lots of benefits – keeping in touch, accessing information and services and managing our lives. We are using them more and more, constantly picking them up. Even in situations where it is considered inappropriate, disadvantageous, or even dangerous, many people still find it hard to resist the urge to check their smartphones. Why do we find these mini computers in our pockets so compelling?
Our expert witnesses explain how tech developers are tapping into established behavioural psychology theories about what gets us hooked. We hear how experiments conducted on pigeons can help explain why we cannot resist checking to see whether we have got email or a new like on social media and we reveal the tricks that companies use to keep us coming back for more.
(Photo: People using their smartphones on the platform of a train station in Bangkok. A recent study showed smartphone owners are often connected all day. Credit: Getty Images)
President Trump has made no secret of his contempt for news organizations, stating that the media are "among the world's most dishonest people". He has described The New York Times as "failing", The Wall Street Journal as “a pile of garbage” and CNN as a “terrible organization” responsible for “fake news". The BBC? “There’s another beauty.” The President has made statements and assertions which are false. He uses Twitter to speak directly to the American people. His combative press secretary Sean Spicer said he plans to “hold the press accountable”. All this seems like bad news for what many Trump supporters call – derisively – the “mainstream media”. But might the opposite be true? Might Donald Trump, in fact, be good for journalism? That’s the question on The Inquiry this week.
(Photo: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump talks to reporters after the first prime-time presidential debate, Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio. Credit: Getty Images)
Since 2006 the WikiLeaks website has been publishing secret documents and material obtained from whistleblowers and other sources. Many of the confidential files published by WikiLeaks have been revelatory. The site has frequently made news around the world. But in 2016 Wikileaks published hacked emails relating to Hillary Clinton and her presidential bid. Those leaks appeared to serve the interests of the Trump campaign and were – according to US intelligence – probably provided to Wikileaks by Russian sources. So, this week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: can you believe what you read on WikiLeaks?
(Photo: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange speaks to the press after appearing at Belmarsh Magistrates court in London, England. Credit: Getty Images)
"No deal is better than a bad deal." So said Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May, clarifying her country's position on Brexit negotiations with the EU. In the absence of a deal with the EU Britain would “revert to WTO rules” after Brexit. But what does that mean, exactly? The Inquiry has the answer.
Presenter: Linda Yueh
Contributors: Emily Lydgate, University of Sussex Alan Winters, UK Trade Policy Observatory Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, European Centre for International Political Economy Adam Marshall, British Chambers of Commerce
(Photo: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May arrive for a statement prior to a meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, on November 18, 2016. Credit: Getty Images)
'Do we want his finger anywhere near the button?' Hillary Clinton asked during the US election campaign, referring to Mr Trump and the nuclear arsenal. But how close is an American president's finger to 'the button'? How close is anyone’s? We explain how the nuclear weapons systems of the US, Russia, Britain and China work – and how much power any one individual has over them.
(Photo: A Trident Ii, Or D-5 Missile, Is Launched From An Ohio-Class Submarine. Credit: Getty Images)
In 2002 US military personnel at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba were given 96 hours to prepare their sleepy base for the arrival of hundreds of prisoners. “The worst of the worst,” they were told. Beyond US jurisdiction, with no clear legal framework, prisoners accused of terror offences have been held there indefinitely without charge ever since. For many, Guantanamo has stained the image of the United States. When President Obama came to power in 2008 he vowed to close it. He failed. In this week’s Inquiry we are telling the full story of Guantanamo - from its creation to the so-called “forever prisoners” held there today.
Presenter: James Fletcher
(Photo: A US soldier walks next to a razor wire-topped fence at the abandoned 'Camp X-Ray' detention facility at the US Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Credit: Getty Images)
It’s a question humans have asked forever. Are we alone in space? But it wasn’t until the late 1960s that humans started an organised, systematic hunt for extra-terrestrial intelligent life. We have listened to radio waves, peered through the celestial dust and beamed The Beatles to distant planets. So how’s it going? Is there anybody out there? This is the story of the search for extra-terrestrial life.
Presenter: Helena Merriman
(Photo: The ALMA, an international partnership project between Europe, North America and East Asia, with the cooperation of Chile. Credit to Getty)
Food production accounts for as much global greenhouse gas emissions as all forms of transport combined. That’s why many scientists think we can’t tackle climate change without addressing what we eat. So – in this week’s Inquiry – we’re looking at alternative climate-friendly diets and asking what it would take to move the world towards them.
Presenter: Helena Merriman
(Photo: Friends having a vegetarian meal. Credit: Shutterstock)
A lot has gone wrong this year. We are not talking about Brexit or the election of Donald Trump – both of which split opinion in Britain and the US. We are talking about terror attacks, the brutal conflict in Syria, and the thousands of migrants who died trying to reach Europe.
Good things did happen. But the good news was mostly buried under the bad. So we wanted to find about four things that went right in 2016. And, we talked to the people who made those things happen. Four amazing stories united by one thing - the ambition of a small number of extraordinary people to achieve the seemingly impossible.
(Photo: Betrand Piccard in his pilot seat, permission from Solar Impulse, Teresita Gaviria watches the announcement made by the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas, Getty Images, Sophien Kamoun and Dr Herath with kind permission)
It’s a surprisingly simple idea: to end long-term homelessness, give every person living on the streets a home. It can also be surprisingly effective. Medicine Hat, a city in Canada, recently became the first city to end homelessness in this way. The approach is known as Housing First, and – unlike many other homelessness initiatives – it doesn’t require homeless people to make steps towards solving other issues like alcoholism, mental health problems or drug addiction before they get a home. But is this approach solving the problem, or simply moving it off the streets?
Presenter: Helena Merriman
(Image: A homeless man with his dog outside a building. Credit to Getty)
We see and hear about Aleppo almost daily as news stories emerge of the hardship endured by its besieged people. After years of bombardment this once majestic place, the 'jewel' of Syria and one of the world's oldest inhabited cities, has been reduced to rubble. Thousands are dead. The residents who remain in the rebel-held parts of the city suffer from the ever-present threat of barrel bombs, while the international community has repeatedly failed to find a workable solution.
But why is Aleppo such an important part of the story of the war in Syria? The answer lies in Aleppo's historic role as a strategic city for so many people over the centuries, from Silk Road merchants of medieval times to the Assad regime and the forces currently battling for control of the country. Four Syrians, including one current Aleppo resident, tell us what life has been like in the city during its long and turbulent history.
(Photo: The Unesco-listed citadel (C) in the government-controlled side of the divided Syrian city of Aleppo. Credit: Getty Images)
Turkey first applied to join the European club over 50 years ago. Over the subsequent decades-long flirtation, enthusiasm for the EU in Turkey has remained high. Integrating with Europe, it was thought, would spur modernisation and economic development. But the country is changing under President Erdogan – who recently survived a coup attempt – in ways which deepen doubts in Europe about whether Turkey really shares its values. And enthusiasm in Turkey for the EU has begun to ebb away, as fewer and fewer Turks believe the EU will ever fully embrace them. So, our question this week: does Turkey still want to join the EU? Contributors: Aykan Erdemir, former Turkish politician; Amberin Zaman, journalist and fellow at the Wilson Center; Senem Aydın-Düzgit, professor in international relations at Sabancı University; and Sinan Ulgen, scholar in Turkish foreign relations at Carnegie Europe.
Presenter: Chris Morris Producer: Julia Ross
(Photo: European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker welcomes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the EU Commission in Brussels, Belgium, 05 October 2015. BBC Copyright, Elvis)
Trust in government is at an all-time low in many countries. From failed healthcare policies to missed intelligence, government blunders happen often – and visibly. But successful policy-making is hard (and fixes are rarely as quick as politicians like to promise).
Some argue that governments would do stupid things less often if they based their policies on the careful analysis of good evidence; find out what works, in other words, and then do that.
But that’s not how most governments operate, most of the time.
Why not?
Presenter: Michael Blastland
(Photo: a group of journalists being surrounded by the Media. Credit Shutterstock)
Hillary Clinton lost the US election despite some polls putting her chances of winning at 99%.
In the run up to the vote pollsters spent huge sums of money speaking to thousands of Americans. They were careful to collect the best possible data from representative samples, and they applied their finest statistical minds to analysing the numbers. Yet almost no-one predicted that Donald Trump would win. So – our question this week – why did the polls get it so wrong? Our expert witnesses explain why polling is getting harder, and why many pollsters weren’t – despite that – very far wide of the mark.
(Photo: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump listen during the town hall debate at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, October 2016. Credit: Getty Images)
Smoking tobacco is the single most dangerous voluntary activity in the world. It kills six million people a year, and if current trends continue that figure is expected to rise to 8 million people by 2030. Even if it does not kill you, it will give you bad breath, bad skin and cost you money. So why do so many of us still smoke?
(Photo: A man holds a cigarette over an ashtray. Credit: Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images)
On 8 November, as they stood in line to cast their votes, Americans were told by pollsters and pundits that, while close, the presidential race would be won by Hillary Clinton. As the results came in, precinct by precinct, many in the political establishment watched the unfolding story in disbelief. It was a similar feeling to that felt by many in Britain’s so-called ‘chattering class’ when, on June 24, they woke to the news that the UK had voted to leave the EU. Both were seismic political shocks. Neither was predicted by pollsters. What next? After two extraordinary electoral shocks, both of which challenge the established order, and with elections coming up in France and Germany, should we expect more?
(Photo: Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump (R) greets UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage at a campaign rally, Mississippi Coliseum. Credit: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
The Clinton–Trump race has been extraordinary. Two of the most unpopular presidential candidates ever have slugged it out through a bitter campaign. They are both – for different reasons – deeply polarising figures. Hillary Clinton is viewed with suspicion by Americans who have turned against what they regard as “the elite”. Donald Trump has exploited crudely divisive, sexist, even racist, rhetoric. The tone of the contest has been ugly. But there is historical precedent for much of this – divisive policy positions on slavery or the famous attack ads of the 1960s. How should we view this campaign compared to the candidates, rhetoric, policies and media climate of past elections?
(Photo: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump listens behind Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton as she answers a question i their presidential town hall debate at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri. Credit: Rick Wilking)
By 2050, experts predict that drug-resistant infections will kill one person every three seconds unless the world’s governments take drastic steps now. But given the complexity of antibiotics resistance, what should their plan be? Some of the possible fixes involve changing ingrained human behaviours such as doctors’ prescribing habits and the intensive farming of animals. But other promising solutions to avert a post-antibiotics apocalypse come from surprising sources. Scientists are now hunting for undiscovered fungi in the world’s most remote places while other researchers stay in the lab deciphering the language of bacteria.
(Photo: A depiction of some EHEC bacteria Credit: HZI/Getty Images)
Warnings about the approaching post-antibiotics apocalypse have been sounding for years. There are now strains of deadly bacteria that are resistant to all antibiotics. This means that doctors are faced with patients who have completely untreatable infections. Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are dying due to antibiotic resistance - and this number is set to rise rapidly. If we carry on like this, scientists predict we will return to a pre-antibiotic era, where organ transplants, chemotherapy and C-sections are impossible.
We have come a long way since 1928, when the famous chance discovery of penicillin led to a golden age in which antibiotics were seen as wonder drugs, heralding in an age of huge medical advances and increased human life spans. But by the 1990s we were running out of new antibiotics and infections were again a killer. How did this happen?
Our expert witnesses are medic and historian, Dr Eric Sidebottom, Dr Scott Podolsky of Harvard Medical School, journalist Maryn McKenna and infectious disease specialist Brad Spellberg.
(Photo: A depiction EHEC bacteria. Credit: HZI/Getty Images)
The International Monetary Fund says corruption siphons $2 trillion a year out of the global economy, slowing growth and fuelling poverty. Endemic corruption is very hard to deal with. But not impossible. We tell the astonishing story of one country – Georgia – which did turn itself around. At the turn of the century Georgia was one of the most corrupt states in the world. Now it is one of the cleanest. How did it do it?
(Photo: Two men in suits shake hands while one puts money into the pocket of the other. Credit: Shutterstock)
Earlier this year Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, announced 10,000 children had arrived in Europe, part of the wave of migration that has swept through the continent in recent years. They had been registered and identified. And then they had disappeared. Many of these children are travelling alone. Some are as young as six years old. But the authorities across Europe – the police, the border agencies, NGOs and care organisations – have no idea where they have gone. They are at risk from trafficking and exploitation as well as the hazards of the journey across Europe – jumping onto lorries at Calais, sleeping rough in Northern European weather.
Under international and EU law children should be protected. There are various systems and regulations in place to deal with unaccompanied child migrants, whether refugees or not. But the system is failing and children continue to go missing at an alarming rate. Why?
(Photo: A young boy walks past the Jungle Books Cafe in the Jungle migrant camp Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
So-called Islamic State is on the run. Caught in a pincer movement in Syria and Iraq, the group has lost large swathes of territory over the past year. With its revenues and numbers of fighters also dwindling, the demise of the caliphate appears all but unavoidable. And yet many caution against writing them off too soon, pointing to the group’s proven ability to change tactics. Already, they have redirected their efforts to launching terrorist operations around the world. And their ideology is still proving an effective recruiting sergeant.
Presenter: Helena Merriman
Producers: Estelle Doyle and Laura Gray
(Photo:Syrian soldier sets fire to an Islamic State (IS) group flag after Syrian troops regained control the previous day of al-Qaryatain Credit: JOSEPH EID/AFP/Getty Images)
The death of cash has been predicted many times over the years. But in the last decade a future without coins and notes has become a real possibility thanks to the global development and adoption of cashless systems. Some banks in Scandinavia are already refusing to accept or hand out cash. And, in nations with poor banking infrastructure, the growth of cashless has been explosive. Millions of people around the world now conduct their lives with hardly any cash at all and in terms of convenience, most of us are winners. But warnings are sounding about the driving forces behind this shift. Are we in danger of getting rid of our cash without really understanding the consequences? Presented by Linda Yueh.
(Photo: View of a smartphone displaying the 'Contactless' application. Credit: Getty Images)
It is now hard to find a country that does not have a state sponsored lottery – even the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan recently adopted one. They have famously been called a “tax for people who are bad at maths” and make little economic sense for the individuals who play. Instead, lotteries allow governments to raise much needed revenue to be spent on ‘good causes.’ But there is more to lotteries than power-balls and million dollar prizes. Should we embrace them as a way of making life more fair? Presented by Michael Blastland.
(Photo: Lottery balls are seen in a box at a Liquor store in San Lorenzo, California. Credit: Getty Images)
Over the past eight months almost a quarter of the Great Barrier Reef has died – according to some estimates – because of coral bleaching, which can happen when sea temperatures rise. It's not the first time coral has bleached. It happened once or twice in the early 20th century after periods of warm weather. But, since the 1980s, coral bleaching has been happening regularly. And this year's Great Barrier Reef ‘bleaching event’ is the longest in history. Some say it signals the beginning of the end for coral reefs. There are though, rays of hope. In this Inquiry you'll hear from scientists who are pioneering some extraordinary ways of trying to help coral withstand warmer seas. They're hoping they're not already too late.
Presenter: Helena Merriman
(Photo: Australia's Great Barrier Reef, climate change is posing the most serious threat to the extensive coral reef ecosystem. Credit: Getty images)
For millennia human beings worked until they dropped. Then in the late 19th century, Otto von Bismarck started the first state pension in Germany. The idea caught on. By the 20th century, advances in medicine meant that many more people were surviving childhood and living longer and longer into old age.
This was great news for those individuals, but not such good news for governments and companies who found themselves having to fund ever-longer retirements. Many of the most generous schemes have now been withdrawn and it’s increasingly up to the individual to save for their retirement – but many aren’t saving enough.
Volatile stock markets and low interest rates are making the situation worse. Many think retirement will turn out to be a "blip" in human history; it didn't exist in the past, and it won't exist in the future. So, is retirement over?
Our expert witnesses are: Professor Noel Whiteside of the University of Warwick, UK; Thomas B Jankowski, research director at Wayne State University, US; David Blake, director of the Pensions Institute at Cass Business School, London, Andrew Scott, professor of economics at London Business School.
Presenter: Ruth Alexander
(Photo: Clayton Fackler, 72, works at the check out at a supermarket in Ohio. Credit: J.D. Pooley/Getty Images)
Earlier this month 50 senior Republican national security officials signed a letter arguing that Donald Trump “lacks the character, values and experience” to lead the United States. “We are convinced”, they wrote, “he would be a dangerous president”. We want to know if they are right.
Our expert witnesses are: Timothy O’Brien, author of The Art of Being The Donald; Peter Feaman, Florida representative for the Republican National Committee; Daniel Drezner, professor of international politics at Tufts; and Elaine Kamarck from the Brookings Institution, an expert on presidential power and its limits.
(Photo: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during an event at Trump SoHo Hotel, 2016, New York. Credit: Getty Images)
The Olympic Games has a problem. In recent years the number of cities entering bids to host either the Winter or Summer Olympics has dropped dramatically. For the 2004 Summer Olympics, 12 cities bid. For the 2024 summer Games, there are only four cities running.
The 2022 Winter Olympics bidding cycle saw just two cities compete - winners Beijing, China and Almaty, Kazakhstan - after the other five cities that expressed an interest pulled out due to public and political opposition. And in cities that are hosting, the Olympics has been met with hostility.
Protesters tried to put out the Olympic torch in Rio, and in Tokyo public outcry at the cost of the stadium for 2020 has led to a complete redesign. Four expert witnesses pin-point exactly what is putting off potential host cities and discuss radical solutions.
(Image 'No Boston Olympics' permission from Liam Kerr and Chris Dempsey)
The fighting in Ukraine has fallen off the front pages recently after making headline news in 2014. But Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists are still engaged in a frozen conflict with no military or diplomatic solution in sight. Soldiers, rebels and civilians are dying. It looks good for Russia. Ukraine lacks the military power and international support to take back the East of the country where Russian-backed separatists hold huge swathes of land. And President Putin’s approval ratings at home have soared thanks to his annexation of Crimea in 2014. But does this mean Russia has won in Ukraine?
Presenter: Helena Merriman
(Photo: Separatist soldiers stand on a military vehicle during a city celebration on September 14, 2014 in Lugansk, Ukraine. Credit to Getty Images)
On 30 June this year, a study was released in one of the world's top scientific journals. It explained how a group of scientists who had been measuring the amount of ozone in the stratosphere had made a startling observation - the hole in the ozone layer had shrunk. Here, they said, was the first, clear evidence that the ozone layer had begun to heal. So how did this happen? It is a story that involves dogged scientific endeavour, the burgeoning green movement of the 1980s and the signing of what has been described as the most successful treaty ever created.
(Photo: Severe thinning of Earth's protective ozone layer found over Antarctica, by Nasa scientists. Credit: Getty Images)
After more than 50 years of armed conflict that has left 200,000 dead and millions displaced, Colombia is on the brink of peace. A final deal between the government and the Farc guerrilla movement is expected to be signed soon. Thousands of armed fighters will then lay down their weapons in preparation for reintegration into a society from which they have been estranged for years. But the process will not be easy – for the Farc’s fighters, or for the rest of Colombian society.
(Photo: Fighters of the Front 53, a faction of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) guerrilla movement, in Los Alpes, 150km south-east of Bogota. Credit: Getty Images)
“Brexit means Brexit,” says Theresa May, Britain’s new prime minister. It sounds pretty unequivocal: the UK voted in a referendum to leave the European Union, so that’s what it must do. But credible figures from US Secretary of State John Kerry to former prime minister Tony Blair have suggested that Brexit may not actually happen. Is that – legally, politically, democratically – possible? The Inquiry has the answer.
Presenter: Maria Margaronis
(Photo: Illustration flags of the European Union and the Union flag sit on top of a sand castle on a beach in Southport, United Kingdom. Credit to Getty images)
Donald Trump has shocked the US political establishment by knocking out every other Republican candidate to become his party’s presumptive candidate for President. Does he have a realistic shot of taking the White House? His campaign is short of money and some senior Republicans are refusing to endorse him. Current polls suggest his chances are slim. But his message has found an audience other politicians have failed to reach – he has become a lightning rod for many disaffected Americans. So, our question this week, can Trump win?
Presenter: Helena Merriman
(Photo: Donald Trump, presidential candidate 2016. Credit: Getty Images)
The $5bn settlement recently agreed by Goldman Sachs is the latest in a long list of multi-billion dollar fines paid by banks implicated in the 2008 financial crisis. But behind these giant corporations are individual bankers, taking everyday decisions. It is those decisions which really matter. If you could find a way to nudge bankers towards better and safer choices, building a culture of integrity, you might avoid future financial trouble. But can you make bankers behave better? Taking evidence from witnesses including a Goldman Sachs insider and a regulator deploying psychologists in banks, The Inquiry looks for an answer.
(Photo Montage: Bankers/Stock market charts/City of London. Credit to Getty)
The UK has voted to leave the EU, sending shockwaves through Britain’s political class and its economy. Whatever the fate of Britain – and many fear years of damaging instability – Brexit is a serious blow to the European Union. Britain is far from the only member state with doubts about the scope of the European project. There are strong Eurosceptic movements in many other nations too. Some think the British precedent will boost their influence or that other nations will be able to use the threat of exit to undermine shared decision-making. And the loss of Britain – which is still, for now, Europe’s second-largest economy – could leave the Union precariously unbalanced, with Germany too dominant within it. As the EU contemplates an uncertain future, we are asking whether the EU even has a future without the United Kingdom. Presented by Chris Bowlby.
(Photo: David Cameron, Chancellor Angela Merkel, Bulgarian Prime minister Roesen Plevneliev, Eurozone finance ministers with bank notes, euro coins and a map of Europe in the background. Credit: Getty Images)
Hillary Clinton is the odds-on favourite to be the next president of the USA. But polls show more and more Americans view her unfavourably. In fact, the public's hostility towards her is record-breaking. Only Donald Trump elicits greater antipathy. That’s perhaps less surprising. He is a political outsider, and a divisive figure. But why does Hillary Clinton - a mainstream, centrist politician - provoke such strong, negative feelings?
Presenter: Helena Merriman
(Image: Montage of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton with a sign 'Hillary You Liar')
“More than half the people of the world are living in conditions approaching misery,” declared President Truman at his second inauguration. “For the first time in history, humanity possesses the knowledge and skill to relieve the suffering of these people.” That was 1949.
It is a claim we have heard many times since - that ending poverty is within our grasp. But it is a dream which has - despite decades of effort - eluded us. Now the United Nations has set a new target - to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030. Will it be different this time?
We have already come a long way. For the first time in history fewer than 1 in 10 people are poor around the world. A billion people have been lifted out of extreme poverty since 1990. But achieving the UN's new goal means reaching another 836 million people in the next 14 years. And that will be tough.
Are we really about to end world poverty? Our experts include an economics professor who was himself born into poverty in China, and Helen Clark, who hopes to be the next leader of the United Nations.
Some 92% of married Egyptian women aged between 15-49 have had their genitals cut. FGM is more common in Egypt than anywhere else in the world. These astonishing statistics are all the more surprising when you consider that Egypt banned the practise in 2008. So why is FGM so prevalent in Egypt? Four expert witnesses tell us about the challenge of turning a widely-followed tradition into a crime.
(Photo: A gynaecologist co-operating with the Coptic Center for Training and Development gives a lecture on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in a village close to Beni Sueif, south of Cairo. Credit: Getty Images)
The World Health Organisation says the number of cancer cases will rise by 70% over the next 20 years. A huge amount of effort and money is spent fighting the disease. But are we getting that fight right? In this special hour-long edition of The Inquiry four expert witnesses tell us new ideas are being stifled, that there is not enough money being spent on drugs to treat early-stage cancer and that we are not doing enough to stop people from getting cancer in the first place. We put that evidence to someone in a position to do something about it - Dr Francis Collins, director of the US National Institutes of Health, the world's largest biomedical research agency, with a budget of $32 billion.
(Photo: Lab Technician preparing protein. Credit: Reuters)
The 1951 UN Refugee Convention was forged at a time when the world was recovering from a global war which had displaced vast numbers of people. Sixty-five years on, it is still the benchmark for refugee rights. But as the world grapples with a new refugee crisis, many think it's no longer up to the job. So – our question this week – would a new international convention help refugees?
Presenter: James Fletcher
(Image: Refugees push each other as they wait for tents, as Syrians flee the northern embattled city of Aleppo in Bab al-Salama, near the city of Azaz, northern Syria, near the Turkish border crossing. Credit to Getty)
The rich world has got used to health and longevity getting better, and death rates falling – for everyone. But over the past few years data has been accumulating which suggests that this trend has stopped for poorly educated, white Americans. And for one group in particular - middle-aged women – death rates are going up. It’s a shocking finding, meaning many will die at a younger age than their mothers. What’s happening? Certainly, life is tough for many low-income American families. “What the data look like,” says the economist Paul Krugman, “is a society gripped by despair, with a surge of unhealthy behaviours and an epidemic of drugs.” Is he right? Are the conditions of working class life in America killing white women?
Presenter: James Fletcher
(Image: A cemetery in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Credit: Getty Images)
In June, the UK will vote on whether to become the first country ever to leave the European Union. Anti-EU political parties are on the rise across the continent. In April, the Dutch people rejected an EU agreement with Ukraine. Even the president of the European Commission admits that "the European project has lost parts of its attractiveness".
But what is that project? And has it lost its shine? The Inquiry goes in search of the vision that inspired the EU’s founders and - with expert witnesses from Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany - asks: what happened to the European dream?
(Photo: French Minister of Foreign Affairs Robert Schuman signs the official treaty of the Schuman Plan in 1951, which created the European Coal and Steel Community. Credit: Getty Images)