The Inquiry BBC World Service

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

He is accused of forcibly deporting children from Ukraine to Russia after the invasion last year.

The Kremlin does not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC and denies war crimes.

But is this a symbolic move and is it realistic that Putin will actually be arrested and stand trial?

This week on The Inquiry we’re asking, will Putin be prosecuted for war crimes in Ukraine?

Contributors:
Klaus Rackwitz, Director of the International Nuremberg Principles Academy
Patrycja Grzebyk, Professor at the University of Warsaw
Rachel Denber, Deputy director for Europe and Central Asia at Human Rights Watch
Gerry Simpson, Professor of Law at the London School of Economics

Presented by Tanya Beckett
Produced by Louise Clarke-Rowbotham
Edited by Tara McDermott
Mixed by Richard Hannaford

Deaths on American roads are at a 20 year high. More than 46,000 people lost their lives in vehicle collisions last year alone. That’s up a tenth on the year before and the numbers are on a par with those killed by gun violence. Or, the equivalent of a plane crash every day.

It’s a tragedy for everyone involved and there’s an untold cost for families, but there’s also a financial cost. It’s estimated that the cost to the economy runs into billions of dollars.

Why are America’s roads so dangerous?

This episode was presented by Tanya Becket, produced by Louise Clarke-Rowbotham, researched by John Cossee and mixed by Kelly Young. The production co-ordinator is Brenda Brown and the editor is Tara McDermott.

On the 7th December 2022, President Pedro Castillo attempted to dissolve Peru's Congress. His attempted self-coup ended almost as quickly as it began, having been denounced by his own party, the military and the police. He was arrested as he tried to make his way to Mexico, and currently awaits trial.

His running mate and vice president, Dina Boluarte, has assumed power in his stead. However, prior to Castillo’s attempt to gain complete control, Boluarte had already been expelled from the party, after publicly rejecting its ideology, and defected to the opposition. This has left Peruvians angry, especially as she originally intended to see out the rest of the term until 2026.

Thousands of disillusioned Peruvians gathered in protest all over the country, at first demanding the release of Castillo, and latterly, for the resignation of Presidential Boluarte and constitutional reform. They have been met by a fierce and brutal response.

At least 60 Peruvians have lost their lives in the protests, and a further 1000 or more have suffered injury. Still the protests continue. Can Peru sort out its political problems?

Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Christopher Blake
Researcher: John Cossee
Editor: Tara McDermott
Production Co-ordinator: Brenda Brown

Image: Peru's President Pedro Castillo after his swearing-in ceremony in Lima, Peru, 28 July 2021. (Credit: Reuters/Angela Ponce)

Just over 100 years ago the island of Ireland was partitioned. It created an independent catholic free state in the South and a majority protestant one in the northeast called Northern Ireland that remained a part of the United Kingdom.

For many catholics and nationalists the goal of a united Ireland remains. For most protestants and unionists the division has been key to preserving their British identity.

But the demographics are changing in Northern Ireland. The most recent census show catholics outnumbering protestants for the first time, though still short of being the overall majority.

There’s also been a rise in support for Sinn Fein, the political party that supports a united Ireland.

Any question about whether Northern Ireland remains part of the UK or becomes part of a united Ireland would have to be put to the people in a referendum, or border poll.

In this episode of The Inquiry we ask, will there be a united Ireland?

Presented by Gary O’Donoghue.

(map / Getty images)

It’s a year since President Putin launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russia currently holds areas in the South and East of Ukraine including Donetsk and Luhansk but the Ukrainian army, helped militarily by its allies, has regained control over key towns and large swathes of land.

Russia is also thought to have lost 20,000 soldiers in the conflict.

But it is reinforcing its ranks with hundreds of thousands of new conscripts, and experts suggest Russia may be positioning fighter jets and gathering troops on the border for a renewed land offensive.

So we’re asking - What is Putin’s plan now for Ukraine?

The owner of Facebook - Meta - is reinstating Donald Trump’s account after a two-year suspension. The former US president was suspended from Facebook and Instagram after his posts were deemed to have encouraged the Capitol riots in 2021. In a statement Meta's president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, said a review found Mr Trump's accounts were no longer a risk to public safety. Donald Trump pointed out that Facebook was in financial trouble and probably needed him back for the money it can raise.

Daily user numbers for Facebook grew to an average of two billion in December 2022 - about a quarter of the world's population. The bigger-than-expected growth helped drive new optimism about the company, which has been under pressure as its costs rise and advertising sales drop.

Where does the social media giant go from here? Does it have a future and clear direction of travel? How did it become so big? How does it work now and what does it do with our data? Also, when has it gone wrong and what are its challenges now?

This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: is everything okay at Facebook?

Presented by Charmaine Cozier

Researcher John Cossee
Producer Simon Coe
Editor Tara McDermott
Technical producer Richard Hannaford
Broadcast Coordinator Brenda Brown

(Facebook symbol. Image credit: Dado Ruvić /Reuters)