World Questions

What does the left wing Social Democratic Party's narrow victory mean for Finland?

World Questions comes to Ethiopia at a crucial time in the country’s history. Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has initiated a series of unprecedented reforms in his first year in office. He's made peace with Eritrea, freed 60,000 political prisoners, unbanned opposition groups and appointed women to half his cabinet. The BBC’s Jonathan Dimbleby is joined by a panel of leading Ethiopian politicians in a debate led by questions from the audience.

As European leaders meet to discuss Britain’s request for more time to leave the European Union, a special edition of Europe, Have Your Say with Chloe Tilley joins radio stations throughout Europe to hear what people are making of the Brexit dilemma.

Victor Gao, a senior Chinese commentator and former interpreter for Deng Xiaoping, joins Susan Thornton, a former U.S. diplomat, Parag Khanna, a strategic global analyst, and Alvin Yeung, a pro-democracy politician from Hong Kong. The discussion revolves around the cooling Chinese economy and its impact on global trade. They dive into the complexities of the US-China trade war, the implications of the Belt and Road Initiative, and the challenges of Hong Kong's autonomy amidst protests. The panel debates China's global image and long-term ambitions in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape.

The deep divisions of Brexit Britain are explored with a raucous London audience and an expert panel. A further referendum? The Prime Minister's withdrawal deal? How has voting to leave the European Union affected Britain’s standing in the world? BBC World Questions is in the capital to debate some of the contentious issues that are still dividing the UK.

Following a popular and peaceful uprising last year, the country’s new Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, won over 70% of the vote at recent elections. He says his political bloc will now lead an economic revolution that will help pull many of its people out of poverty. How will the new government deliver this transformation? Will it balance growth and investment with environmental concerns? And what will drive Armenia’s foreign policy goals?

Some believe Europe is more divided than ever. After years of austerity and migration, populists are on the rise in countries like Italy, framing politics as a battle between ordinary voters and a corrupt European ‘establishment’. But the continent is also divided over how to move forward in a world where rising economic powerhouses threaten to dominate. Zeinab Badawi and her panel - Hugh Bronson from Germany’s AFD party, Marta Grande from Italy’s 5Star Movement, Anna Maria Corazza Bildt from the European People’s Party and Pauline Bock, a French journalist and political commentator - take questions from an audience in Rome about the future of the continent.

The cannabis industry, reparations for slavery, how to tackle the fourth highest murder rate in the world: World Questions is in Jamaica to debate the big issues of a country which despite its problems has a host of successes in fields as diverse as academia, athletics, literature and reggae music.

Brazil’s burning issues are discussed with an audience of Brazilians at the Cultura Inglesa in São Paulo. Jonny Dymond and a panel of leading politicians and commentators tackle the recent election of President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, the environment, racism and crime.

India’s key issues are hotly debated with a Delhi audience at the British Council’s HQ. Anu Anand and a panel of leading politicians and commentators tackle jobs, pollution, fake news and the controversy over spending $430m building the world’s tallest statue.