The Inquiry

When voters in Virginia elected a Republican as Governor they sent a wake-up call to President Biden and the Democrats. The handling of the pandemic and rising prices are harming the party’s standing, while a move towards radical liberalism is also alienating some voters. So how likely is defeat at next year’s mid-term elections? Tanya Beckett asks if the Democrats are in big trouble. Contributors: Sarah Baxter, former deputy editor, writer Sunday Times Thomas Edsall, adjunct professor, Columbia University Larry Sabato, professor of politics, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics Robert Schlesinger, president, Schlesinger Communications Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Sheila Cook Researcher: Chris Blake (Photo: President Biden at the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow)

What progress are China, India, Africa, Europe and the US making to limit climate change? Some experts believe they should they go at different paces to reflect their carbon footprints and development goals. And there are calls that developed nations must pay more to help developing nations prepare from transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy. With Charmaine Cozier. (Image: Attendees in the Blue Zone during the COP26 climate talks in in Glasgow/ Jonne Roriz)

As Facebook rebrands itself as Meta, which vision of the so-called metaverse will we adopt in the future? Will one firm dominate or will control be decentralized? And what dangers and opportunities will there be as we adopt avatars and become embodied in our online experience. With Charmaine Cozier.(Image: Woman wearing augmented reality glasses at night / Getty/Qi Yang)

America, China and Russia are engaged in a new arms race, spending billions to develop new missile technology, but how different are these hypersonic missiles from what has gone before? And as countries work out how they might use them, are they increasing the risk of triggering conflict? Contributors: Dr Gustav Gressel, Berlin office, European Council on Foreign Relations Dr Laura Grego, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Dr Marina Favaro, Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy, University of Hamburg Dr Cameron Tracy, Centre for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford UniversityPresenter: Tanya Beckett Producers: Bob Howard and Sheila Cook Researcher: Chris BlakeImage: Military parade in Beijing marks 70th anniversary of Chinese People's Republic (Credit: Zoya Rusinova/TASS via Getty Images)

Empty shelves are becoming commonplace. And prices are rising. Charmaine Cozier explores the role that the pandemic, and a sudden demand explosion, have had on supply chains. Around the world workers are being slow to return to their jobs, the container shipping industry is struggling to get goods to their destinations and manufacturing disruptions are causing a reduction in vital components. And in addition to the pandemic, extreme weather events have resulted in ruined harvests. How long will it take for things to return to normal? Contributors: Jose Sette, International Coffee Organisation Stacy Rasgon, Bernstein Research Dr Nela Richardson, ADP Professor Alan MacKinnon, Kuehne Logistics University Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Researcher: Chris Blake Producer: Rosamund Jones (Image: Empty supermarket shelves: REUTERS/Henry Nicholls)

COP 26 is just around the corner and expectations are high that nations commit to reduce CO2 emissions. Global temperature rises are set to exceed levels at which things could get much worse and so the question is extremely urgent. But three decades since countries first came together to tackle environmental concerns, the pandemic may limit what can be achieved. Presented by Tanya Beckett Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Editor: Richard Vadon(Image: Street artists paint a mural on a wall opposite the COP26 climate summit venue in Glasgow: Photo by Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

We cannot survive without water. But for a quarter of the world’s population, there just isn’t enough. The most vulnerable are those with the least access, and even if there is enough, it’s often in the wrong place. So, Tanya Beckett asks, are we running out of water?Experts: James Famiglietti, Executive Director at the Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan. Samrat Basak, Director of India’s Urban Water Programme for the World Resources Institute. Kate Brauman, Lead Scientist for the Global Water Initiative at the University of Minnesota. Daniel Shemie, Resilient Watersheds Strategy Director at The Nature Conservancy.Presenter: Tanya Becket Producer: Soila Apparicio Researcher: Matt Murphy Production Co-ordinator: Jacqui Johnson Sound Engineer: Rod Farquhar Editor: Richard Vadon(Image: Aerial View of Dry River in Nevada, USA / Getty Images: Bim)

Energy prices are spiking in the UK, as gas prices soar and wind turbines stop spinning. The UK's shift to green energy is the envy of the world, but Tanya Beckett asks if there is a lesson for other countries in how to go about it.

For decades China's economic growth has been the envy of the western world. But current signs suggest all is not well. Regulations brought in by government to curb businesses reliance on debt have badly hit the its second largest real estate developer, Evergrande and manufacturing output has been hit by power shortages. So is China’s economy in trouble?Experts: Sara Hsu, visiting scholar at Fudan University in Shanghai Michael Pettis, Finance Professor at Peking University and a Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment Iris Pang, ING's Chief Economist for Greater China Travis Lundy, independent research analyst in Hong KongPresenter: Charmaine Cozier Researcher: Chris Blake Production Co-ordinator: Jacqui Johnson Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill Producer: Ben Carter Editor: Richard Vadon(Image: People commute in front of the under-construction Guangzhou Evergrande football stadium in Guangzhou, China's southern Guangdong province on September 17, 2021. (Photo by NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images)

The President of Brazil is reluctant to play by the rules. Elections are due next year and Bolsonaro is increasingly at loggerheads with his country’s democratic system. Between battles with the Supreme Court and a push to change the voting system, he is willing to go to great lengths to secure a second term. Tanya Beckett takes a closer look at Brazil’s politics and whether the country’s constitution is being tested. Researcher: Natasha Fernandes Editor: Richard Vadon(Bolsonaro waves to supporters during a demonstration on Brazil's Independence Day, 7th Sept 2021 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Credit: Alexandre Schneider /Getty Images)