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The Inquiry: Daily Summaries Delivered
by BBC World Service
The Inquiry gets beyond the headlines to explore the trends, forces and ideas shaping the world.
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- 2 days ago24 min
Can we live with extreme heat?
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? On this week’s Inquiry we’re asking, ‘Can we live with extreme heat?’Contributors: 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, IPPC Working Group II, professor of urban climate, Singapore Management University Diana Liverman, professor of geography, University of Arizona, Tuscon, 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 Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Amelia Cox Technical Producer: Cameron Ward Production Co-ordiantor: Phoebe Lomas Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey Editor: Tom Bigwood
- 1 weeks ago24 min
Can the illicit gold trade be stopped?
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, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Can the illicit gold trade be stopped?’Contributors: 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 Louis Maréchal, senior advisor on minerals & extractives, OECD, Paris, France. Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Amelia Cox Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Cameron Ward Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey(Photo: Gold nugget and gold coins. Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
- 2 weeks ago24 min
Are we closer to gene therapy for sickle cell disease being accessible?
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. This week on The Inquiry, we're asking: Are we closer to gene therapy for sickle cell disease being accessible?Contributors 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 Professor Baba Inusa, consultant paediatrician in the School of Life Course & Population Sciences at King's College London, UKPresenter: Daniel Rosney Producer: Matt Toulson Researcher: Evie Yabsley Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical producer: Cameron Ward Production management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey(Photo: Cell lines are prepared in a laboratory in Maryland, US. Credit: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)
- 3 weeks ago24 min
Is Kenya serious about ending femicide?
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 to continue to march in protest and the country waits to see if President Ruto will implement the task force recommendations. So, on The Inquiry this week we’re asking, ‘Is Kenya serious about ending femicide?’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, Kenya. Consuelo Corradi, professor of sociology, Lumsa University, Rome, Italy Antonia Sodonon, UN Women country representative, Kenya Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Evie Yabsley Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Toby James Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey(Photo: March in Nairobi against femicide in 2024. Credit: Daniel Irungu/BBC Images
- Jun 30, 202624 min
Can the New World Screwworm be stopped?
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, on The Inquiry this week, we’re asking ‘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, UK Dr 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, USA Rui 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 Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Amelia Cox Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey(Photo: New World Screwworm poster. Credit: Joel Angel Juarez/Getty Images)
- Jun 23, 202623 min
Is technology ruining sport?
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?This week on The Inquiry we’re asking, ‘Is technology ruining sport?’Contributors Carlo de Marchis, independent advisor 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, USPresenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Evie Yabsley Researcher: Amelia Cox Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey(Photo: VAR check. Credit: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
- Jun 16, 202623 min
Can Brussels crack the gender pay gap?
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, UK Marianne Bertrand, professor of economics, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, US Adamnesh Bogale, head of gender, African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET), Ghana Marina Tverdostup, economist, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, AustriaPresenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Evie Yabsley Researcher: Amelia Cox Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Toby James Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey(Photo: A woman typing. Credit: BBC)
- Jun 9, 202624 min
Why does Ebola keep coming back?
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? This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: “Why does Ebola keep coming back?”Contributors: Syra Madad, infectious disease epidemiologist at the Harvard Belfer Centre, US Hypolite Muhindo Mavoko, professor of tropical medicine at the University of Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo Amanda Rojek associate professor of health emergencies at the University of Oxford, UK Julienne Anoko, risk communication and community engagement officer at the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, KenyaPresenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Matt Toulson Researcher: Amelia Cox Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Production management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey(Photo: Ebola awareness banner in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Credit: GLORDY MURHABAZI/Getty Images)
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