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The Inquiry

BBC World Service

The Inquiry gets beyond the headlines to explore the trends, forces and ideas shaping the world.

news news commentary

All Episodes

24:47

Will the protests in Iran bring change?

The Inquiry ·

2022/10/20

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

24:07

Is Putin’s war in Ukraine at a turning point?

The Inquiry ·

2022/10/13

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

22:58

What’s the future of the Commonwealth under King...

The Inquiry ·

2022/10/06

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

24:19

How can Brazil’s next president unite the country?

The Inquiry ·

2022/09/29

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

24:21

How close did Iraq come to civil war?

The Inquiry ·

2022/09/22

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

24:27

Why did the French leave Mali?

The Inquiry ·

2022/09/15

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

24:17

What next for Imran Khan?

The Inquiry ·

2022/09/08

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

24:21

Are nations doing enough to combat monkeypox?

The Inquiry ·

2022/09/01

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

24:14

Will nuclear fusion solve our energy problems forever?

The Inquiry ·

2022/08/25

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

24:37

Can we control the weather?

The Inquiry ·

2022/08/18

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

22:58

Will the US and China go to war over Taiwan?

The Inquiry ·

2022/08/11

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

24:47

Will air travel ever return to normal?

The Inquiry ·

2022/08/04

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

24:32

Why did Tunisia turn its back on democracy?

The Inquiry ·

2022/07/28

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

24:07

What impact has Brexit had on the UK’s economy?

The Inquiry ·

2022/07/21

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

23:59

Did organic farming cause Sri Lanka’s collapse?

The Inquiry ·

2022/07/14

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

24:12

Has AI developed consciousness?

The Inquiry ·

2022/07/07

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,

24:15

Is India becoming too hot to live in?

The Inquiry ·

2022/06/30

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

22:58

Has the war in Ukraine sparked a global food crisis?

The Inquiry ·

2022/06/23

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

24:14

Is Spotify killing the music industry?

The Inquiry ·

2022/06/16

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

24:17

How do you live to be 100?

The Inquiry ·

2022/06/09

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

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