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BBC World Service · News

The Inquiry

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

Episodes

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How did music megatours become such a money spinner?

30 Dec 2025
23m
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This episode of "The Inquiry" explores the financial dynamics of music megatours, questioning how they've become such significant money-spinners in the music industry. The episode features insights from multiple experts, discussing the shift from record sales to touring as a primary revenue source due to the digital ag...

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Will there ever be a single global language?

23 Dec 2025
24m
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This episode of The Inquiry on the BBC World Service, hosted by Daniel Rosney, explores the question of whether there will ever be a single global language. The podcast features four expert witnesses who discuss various aspects of language, including the constructed language Esperanto, the dominance of English as a lin...

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How can Nigeria stop its kidnap crisis?

16 Dec 2025
24m
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In "The Inquiry," Tanya Beckett and expert witnesses delve into Nigeria's escalating kidnap crisis, triggered by the 2014 Chibok school abduction. Factors such as ungoverned spaces, economic downturns, and the proliferation of weapons contribute to the rise of both financially and religiously motivated kidnappings. Pro...

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Is it last orders for the wine industry?

09 Dec 2025
24m
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In this episode of The Inquiry, Charmaine Cozier and four expert witnesses explore the challenges facing the global wine industry. Factors such as declining consumption in major wine-drinking countries due to changing lifestyles and health awareness, the impact of extreme weather events on harvests, and trade issues li...

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Will Australia’s social media ban start a global trend?

02 Dec 2025
24m
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The Inquiry podcast from the BBC World Service explores whether Australia's social media ban for under-16s will start a global trend. The podcast features insights from experts like Terry Flew, Sonia Livingstone, Lisa Given, and Jessica Galissaire, who discuss the reasons behind the ban, its potential impact, and the c...

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Is Cyprus moving closer to reunification?

25 Nov 2025
24m
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"The Inquiry" podcast explores the complex issue of Cyprus reunification, presenting perspectives from four expert witnesses. The discussion covers the historical division of the island, past failed attempts at reunification like the Annan Plan, and the current political landscape, including the election of a new Turki...

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Is the new Pope woke?

18 Nov 2025
23m
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The Inquiry podcast explores whether the new Pope Leo XIV is "woke," examining the term's meaning and its implications within the Catholic Church. The discussion contrasts Pope Francis's perceived progressive stance with Pope Benedict XVI's more traditional views, while also considering Catholic social teaching as a po...

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Is the world ready for more climate migration?

11 Nov 2025
23m
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In this episode of The Inquiry from the BBC World Service, Charmaine Cozier explores the question of whether the world is ready for increased climate migration. The episode features insights from Amali Tower, founder of Climate Refugees, who discusses the increasing displacement of people due to both sudden-onset event...

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Is trouble brewing for the worldwide tea industry?

04 Nov 2025
23m
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The BBC World Service's "The Inquiry" podcast episode, hosted by Tanya Beckett, explores the challenges facing the worldwide tea industry. Featuring insights from Katharine Burnett of the Global Tea Institute, Christina Larrea from the International Institute for Sustainable Development, Harki Sidhu of the Rainforest A...

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Is the UN Security Council still relevant?

28 Oct 2025
22m
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The podcast episode "Is the UN Security Council Still Relevant?" from the BBC World Service's "The Inquiry," hosted by Charmaine Cozier, explores the relevance and effectiveness of the UN Security Council in the 21st century. The episode features insights from international law professor Devika Hovell, International Cr...

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Can Benin win back its diaspora?

21 Oct 2025
23m
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In this episode of The Inquiry, Tanya Beckett explores Benin's initiative to offer nationality to descendants of enslaved people, examining the historical context of the transatlantic slave trade and its impact on West Africa. The discussion features insights from Dr. Bayo Holsey on the role of the Kingdom of Dahomey, ...

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Can Gen Z shape a new Nepal?

14 Oct 2025
23m
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In this episode of The Inquiry from the BBC World Service, Charmaine Cozier and four expert witnesses explore the question, "Can Gen Z shape a new Nepal?" The episode begins with a hypothetical scenario of political unrest in Nepal in September 2025, led by Gen Z, triggered by corruption and nepotism. The discussion co...

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Is Trump building a crypto economy?

07 Oct 2025
23m
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The BBC World Service's "The Inquiry," hosted by Tanya Beckett, explores whether Donald Trump is building a crypto economy. The podcast investigates the origins of Bitcoin and its underlying blockchain technology, highlighting early problems such as unregulated exchanges and collapses like Mt. Gox and FTX. It examines ...

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Why are more people getting Lyme disease?

30 Sep 2025
22m
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This episode of "The Inquiry" from the BBC World Service explores the increasing prevalence of Lyme disease. Host Charmaine Cozier and four expert witnesses discuss the history, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme disease, as well as the impact of climate change and human behavior on its spread. They address the challenge...

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Why does Mexico owe the US water?

23 Sep 2025
22m
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This episode of "The Inquiry" from the BBC World Service explores the water dispute between the United States and Mexico, focusing on why Mexico owes the US water under an 80-year-old treaty. The podcast features insights from multiple experts, including political scientists and water resource scientists, who discuss t...

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Is it time to copyright your face?

16 Sep 2025
22m
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The podcast "The Inquiry" explores the increasing threat of deepfakes and the legal and ethical challenges they pose. Tanya Beckett and four expert witnesses discuss Denmark's proposed law to extend copyright protection to individual likenesses, potentially allowing people to control the digital replication of their fa...

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Is time up for TikTok in the US?

09 Sep 2025
22m
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The Inquiry podcast explores the potential ban of TikTok in the U.S. due to national security concerns. The podcast features insights from legal and digital culture experts, discussing the motivations behind potential bans, TikTok's impact on the information ecosystem and advertising revenue, and the challenges of bala...

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How much of a threat is satellite warfare?

03 Sep 2025
22m
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‘Is Japan moving to the right?’

26 Aug 2025
23m
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The Inquiry podcast explores whether Japan is moving to the right, examining the recent rise of the far-right Sanseito party. The podcast analyzes the historical context of Japanese politics since the post-World War II constitution, the dominance of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and the factors contributing to th...

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Can Indonesia afford free lunches?

19 Aug 2025
22m
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The Inquiry podcast explores whether Indonesia can afford its ambitious free school lunch program, a key initiative by President Prabowo Subianto to combat malnutrition and foster a "Golden Indonesia." The program aims to nourish over 80 million children but faces challenges due to Indonesia's vast archipelago, inequal...

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