Start tilbuddet

The Inquiry

The Inquiry

Af
- BBC World Service

0 Anmeldelser: 0
Afsnit: 563
Gns. varighed: 24M
Sprog: Engelsk
Format
Kategori: Fakta

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

Episodes

Can Benin win back its diaspora?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 States Ana Lucia Araujo, Professor in the Department of History at Howard University, United States Dr Leonard Wantchekon, Founder and President of the African School of Economics Tonya Lewis Lee, filmmaker and entrepreneur Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Daniel Rosney Researcher: Maeve Schaffer Technical producer: Nicky Edwards Production Co-ordinator: Hattie Valentine Editor: Tom Bigwood (Photo: Ciara receiving citizenship of Benin. Credit: Government of Benin)
563
|
26M
Can Gen Z shape a new Nepal?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, Nepal Prof Sreeradha Datta, International Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University, Haryana, India Dr Rumela Sen, Lecturer and Faculty Director, Master’s in International Affairs programme, Columbia University, USA Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Maeve Schaffer Production Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley Technical Producer: James Bradshaw Editor: Tom Bigwood (Photo: Anti government protest in Kathmandu. Credit: Sunil Pradhan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
562
|
25M
Is Trump building a crypto economy?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 US Francine McKenna, Lecturer at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, US Will Grant, BBC's Mexico, Central America and Caribbean correspondent Gillian Tett, Provost of King's College, Cambridge, UK Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producers: Ben Henderson and Matt Toulson Researcher: Evie Yabsley Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey (Photo: President Donald Trump displays the GENIUS Act on 18 July 2025. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)
561
|
25M
Why are more people getting Lyme disease?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, Scotland Dr Armin Alaedini, Chief Scientific Officer, Global Lyme Alliance Dr Gábor Földvári, research group leader, Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Evolution, Budapest, Hungary Dr Alessandra Luchini, Professor, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, USA Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producers: Jill Collins and Emma Forde Researcher: Maeve Schaffer Technical producer: Richard Hannaford Production Coordinator: Tammy Snow Editor: Tara McDermott (Photo: Tweezers removing a forest tick from human body. Credit: rbkomar/Getty Images)
560
|
23M
Why does Mexico owe the US water?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, USA Dr 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’Donoghue Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Maeve Schaeffer Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey Editor: Tom Bigwood {Photo: The Rio Grande River and surrounding land that divides the USA and Mexico. Credit: Daniel Slim/Getty Images)
559
|
23M
Is it time to copyright your face?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 Snow Editor: Louise Clarke (Photo: Digital human head. Credit: imaginima/Getty Images)
558
|
24M
Is time up for TikTok in the US?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 Sydney Anupam Chander, Professor of Law and Technology at Georgetown University Isabella Wilkinson, Research Fellow in the Digital Society Initiative at Chatham House Presenter: David Baker Producer: Matt Toulson Researcher: Maeve Schaffer Editor: Louise Clarke Technical Producer: James Bradshaw Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey (Photo: TikTok message announcing a ban. Credit: NurPhoto/Getty Images)
557
|
22M
Is Japan moving to the right?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 Crawley Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Evie Yabsley Technical producer: Craig Boardman Production management assistant: Liam Morrey Editor: Tara McDermott Image credit: Reuters via BBC Images
556
|
23M
Can Indonesia afford free lunches?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 Indonesia Julia Lau, Senior Fellow and Coordinator, Indonesia Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore Dr Suman Chakrabarti, Associate Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit, International Food Policy Research Institute, New Delhi, India Bhima Yudhistira, Executive Director, Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS), Indonesia Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Vicky Farncombe Researcher: Maeve Schaffer Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey Image Credit: Dimas Rachmatsyah via Getty Images
555
|
26M
How are drones changing the landscape of modern warfare?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
554
|
24M

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

Nyd den ubegrænsede adgang til tusindvis af spændende e- og lydbøger - helt gratis

Lyt og læs så meget du har lyst til
Opdag et kæmpe bibliotek fyldt med fortællinger
Eksklusive titler + Mofibo Originals
Opsig når som helst

DK - Details page - Device banner - 894x1036

Cover for Can Benin win back its diaspora?

Læs mere

Investor Relations

Tilgængelighedserklæring

Udforsk

Mofibo Originals

Brugbare links

Indløs gavekort

Indløs kampagnekode

Sprog og region

Dansk
Danmark

Følg os

Privatlivspolitik