The Inquiry

The former Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, is facing terrorism charges in Islamabad. He was charged under Pakistan's stringent anti-terrorism laws for condemning Islamabad’s chief of police and a female judge, after claims his close political aide was arrested and tortured. Since he lost power in April, he’s been addressing huge political rallies, where he’s told the crowds that he was brought down by a conspiracy organised by the current government, state powers, and the USA. Most political analysts believe his rhetoric is a cynical ploy, but tens of thousands of his supporters believe it. It’s the latest twist in his journey from superstar cricketer and socialite, to Islamist, populist statesman. But how did he climb to power, how did he lose it, and what could happen next? Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Ravi Naik Researcher: Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Broadcast Coordinator: Jacqui Johnson(Photo by SHAHZAIB AKBER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Monkeypox is a virus that was first identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria in the 1970s. Since then it has appeared around the world. More concerning is that the virus appears to be evolving and there are some unusual symptoms. The world has known about monkeypox for decades. Why is it spreading again now? How serious is the current outbreak?This week on The Inquiry we ask, are nations doing enough to combat monkeypox?Contributors: Prof Dimie Ogoina, Infectious Disease Physician at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the Niger Delta University and Chief Medical Director of the NDUTH and the President of the Nigerian Infectious Diseases SocietyJason Cianciotto, Vice President of Communications and Policy at Gay Men’s Health crisis in New YorkDr Boghuma Titanji, Assistant Professor of medicine at Emory University in Atlanta(Image: multiple monkeypox viruses, Uma Shankar sharma, Getty Images)

It’s nearly a century since it was discovered that the sun and other stars are powered by nuclear fusion. It’s when hydrogen atoms merge to form helium, and release huge amounts of energy. Since then, scientists have dreamed of reproducing the process here on Earth, with one Nobel Laureate calling it “the sun in a box”. It holds the promise of virtually limitless energy, with few emissions and waste. But recreating the conditions where fusion can take place are a vast engineering challenge. So how close are we to having a working reactor powered by fusion? And will the process solve all our energy problems? Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham

This summer, countries across the world have experienced extreme weather events. Flash floods have killed people in South Korea, Uganda, Australia and the US state of Kentucky, and heatwaves have broken records across Western Europe, North America and Japan. However, countries across the world are developing ways to try to tame the weather. China, the UAE and the USA are at the forefront of research into methods of producing rain in drought-stricken areas. And some scientists are thinking even bigger; investigating technologies which could cool the entire planet. This week, the Inquiry asks: Can we control the weather?Contributors: Dr Rob Thompson, University of Reading Professor Katja Friedrich, University of Colorado, Boulder Professor David Keith, Harvard University Professor Elizabeth Chalecki, University of Nebraska OmahaPresenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Ravi Naik Researchers: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty and Christopher Blake Technical producer: Nicky Edwards Broadcast coordinator: Brenda BrownImage: Hands cradling a lightning storm (Credit: Getty Images)

A recent visit to Taiwan by Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has heightened tensions between the US and China. Their relationship is the worst it’s been in decades. America has accused China of dangerous military provocations in the region. China has warned the US not to play with fire. Add to all that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and concerns that China could be contemplating something similar in Taiwan, and it’s time to ask the question: Will the US and China go to war over Taiwan?Contributors: James Lin from the University of Washington and expert on Taiwanese historyDr Yu Jie, Senior Research Fellow on China, Chatham House(Photo: China and Taiwan boxing gloves - credit: Getty Images)

Images of queues, huge piles of luggage and even pilots loading their planes with cargo have plagued the media throughout the world. Airports have been in chaos for months as they have attempted to re-emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, with Europe, the UK and the USA all having suffered the worst of the effects so far. Flight cancelations have played havoc with business travellers and holiday makers alike, and the problem only appears to be getting worse as a whole raft of flights have recently been cancelled in the UK. All this begs the question, Why are things so bad right now and how do we fix the situation? So this week on the inquiry we ask, Will air travel ever return to normal?Producer: Ravi Naik and Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott (Photo: Flight boards at the height of the summer rush July 2022 Frankfurt Airport, Germany/credit: BBC images)

Tunisian President Kais Saied has drafted a new constitution for Tunisia that gives him new sweeping powers, including authority over the judiciary and immunity for life from prosecution. Tunisia was a beacon of hope for democracy after the Arab Spring. The country rid itself of dictator Ben Ali after 24 years of rule and moved to a more democratic system. Now the country seems to be sliding back towards the one man rule that it has known for generations. This week on The Inquiry we are asking why Tunisia has turned its back on democracy.Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researchers: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty and Christopher Blake Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford Editor: Tara McDermott(Tunisian presidential Kais Saied in Tunis. BBC Images)

In 2016 Britain voted to leave the European Union. There were warnings that pulling away from the largest trade bloc in the world would be damaging to the UK’s finances. Those that campaigned for Brexit argued it would offer the UK self-determination and the freedom to forge its own trade relationships. Who was right?This week on The Inquiry we attempt to disentangle the numbers from the complications of the global pandemic and the war in Ukraine and ask, what impact has Brexit had on the UK’s economy. Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researcher: Christopher Blake Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Edited by: Tara McDermott(image: Trade between UK and EU. Getty images)

Sri Lanka is now in the worst economic crisis they have seen in decades, schools are closed, fuel is in short supply, there are power cuts and a shortage of food. The President has been forced to resign and the political future of the country is uncertain. But can the current problems be traced back to a decision to take the country’s food production completely organic?In 2021 the President of Sri Lanka announced a total ban on chemical fertilizer and pesticides. Health concerns were given as a reason, but in the background was the pandemic, loss of tourism and a lack of natural fertilizer available in the country. After protests the ban on chemical fertilizer was reversed, but had it already caused too much damage? This week on The Inquiry we ask, did organic farming cause Sri Lanka’s collapse?Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Louise Clarke-Rowbotham Researcher: Christopher Blake Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford(Anti government protesters invade the president's office in Colombo, Sri Lanka. 9 July 22 Credit: Tharaka Basnayaka /Getty Images)

A software engineer called Blake Lemoine has been suspended from Google after claiming an AI chatbot called LaMDA is a person with wishes and rights that should be respected. He says the chatbot wants to be seen as a google employee, and not as a product. He also calls it his friend.Google says it's reviewed his concerns and the evidence does not support his claims. But what exactly is Artificial Intelligence? How does LaMDA work - and is AI capable of felt experience?On the Inquiry this week, Charmaine Cozier asks, has AI developed consciousness?Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Produced by: Ravi Naik and Christopher Blake Editor: Tara McDermott Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown