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BBC World Service

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

The Inquiry

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.

So, this week on The Inquiry we’re asking, ‘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, France
Kathleen Doherty, Former United States Ambassador to Cyprus, USA

Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Maeve Schaffer
Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Technical Producer: James Bradshaw
Editor: Tom Bigwood

(Photo: A United Nations worker rides bike through the UN Buffer Zone. Credit: Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Is Cyprus moving closer to reunification?

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, Ireland
Inés San Martín, Vice President of Communications, The Pontifical Mission Societies, New York, USA
Christopher 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, USA
Elise Ann Allen, Senior Correspondent for Crux, Author ‘Leo XIV: Citizen of the World, Missionary of the 21st Century’, Rome, Italy 

Presenter: William Crawley
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Maeve Schaffer
Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey
Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
Editor: Tom Bigwood

(Photo: Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican in May 2025. Credit: Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images)

Is the new Pope woke?

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 Cozier
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Maeve Schaffer
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
Production 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)

Is the world ready for more climate migration?

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?

Contributors
Katharine 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 States
Cristina 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 India
Liberal Seburikoko, deputy CEO at Ethical Tea Partnership, based in Rwanda

Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Maeve Schaffer
Sound engineer: Craig Boardman
Production management assistant: Liam Morrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood

(Photo: Lady drinking tea. Credit: Redhead pictures/Getty Images)

Is trouble brewing for the worldwide tea industry?

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, USA
Dr 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 Cozier
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Maeve Schaffer 
Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
Editor: Tom Bigwood 

(Photo: United Nations Security Council meeting. Credit: Reuters/BBC Images)

Is the UN Security Council still relevant?

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)

Can Benin win back its diaspora?

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)

Can Gen Z shape a new Nepal?

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)

Is Trump building a crypto economy?

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)

Why are more people getting Lyme disease?

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)

Why are more people getting Lyme disease?

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