The Inquiry BBC Podcasts

Six months into Israel’s war in Gaza and with no sign of a ceasefire or breakthrough in securing the release of the 130 hostages, as yet unaccounted for, pressure is mounting on Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
There have been widespread protests in Tel Aviv and across Israel. There have been calls both from home and abroad for an early election to be called. And Israel’s greatest ally, the United States has sharpened its rhetoric in the past few weeks over Israel’s conduct of the war, with President Biden now saying that he believes Benjamin Netanyahu is making ‘a mistake’ in his handling of it.
For his part, the Israeli Prime Minister looks set to continue with his military offensive and has shown no indication so far that he is willing to step down or call an early election.
So, on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘How secure is Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership?’
Contributors:
Professor David Tal, the Yossi Harel Chair in Modern Israel Studies, University of Sussex, UK
Natan Sachs, Director of the Centre for Middle East Policy, The Brookings Institution, Washington DC, USA
Aaron David Miller, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington DC, USA
Professor Tamar Hermann, Senior Research Fellow, The Israel Democracy Institute, Jerusalem
Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Jill Collins
Editor: Tara McDermott
Technical Producer: Cameron Ward
Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Image credit: Reuters via BBC Images

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease which can lead to loss of mobility and vision. Almost 3 million people worldwide are affected by it. There is no cure, but attempts are being made to accelerate the healing process with treatments to restore what the disease has damaged.
At the same time, scientists have recently discovered a link between MS and a common virus that the majority of us carry in our bodies. It had been known for years that there was a link between Multiple Sclerosis and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). But then, a study finally proved the link.
Now, trials are underway on potential vaccines against EBV and scientists are hopeful that this could be a gateway to preventing MS.
This week on the Inquiry we are asking: Are we close to a breakthrough for Multiple Sclerosis?
Contributors:
Tim Coetzee, Chief Advocacy, Services & Science Officer for the National MS Society, US
Tjalf Ziemssen, Professor of Clinical Neuroscience and Head of the Multiple Sclerosis Center and Neuroimmunological Laboratory, University Clinic Carl-Gustav Carus, Germany
Jeffrey Huang, Associate Professor of Biology, Georgetown University, US
Claire Shannon-Lowe, Associate Professor in Virology, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy at the University of Birmingham, UK
Production team:
Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Ajai Singh
Editor: Tara McDermott
Studio Manager: Hal Haines
Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Image Credit: Shidlovski\Getty

For centuries chocolate has had a global appeal, the key ingredient of this confectionery is derived from the dried and fully fermented seed of the Theobroma cacao, whose origins began in northern Amazonia. From this tree, both cocoa solids and cocoa butter can be extracted to form the basis of chocolate.
Today, it’s the West African countries of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana that produce the bulk of the world’s supply of cocoa beans. But in recent years hotter temperatures and shifts in rainfall patterns have impacted cocoa harvests particularly in this region. And now the global price of this key ingredient has roughly doubled since the start of last year, fuelling concern that demand could outweigh supply.

Cocoa farming itself is mainly small scale and these farmers are at the bottom end of the value chain when it comes to profits. But whilst many of the major chocolate manufacturers do invest in the industry, with support for improved planting and harvesting techniques, farming sustainably is just one of a number of challenges that these small farmers face.
So on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Is climate change impacting chocolate production?’
Contributors:
Dr Katie Sampeck, British Academy Global Professor of Historical Archaeology, University of Reading, England
Philip Antwi-Agyei, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
Steffany Bermúdez, Policy Advisor, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Canada
Yunusa Abubakar, Project Manager, International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO), Côte d’Ivoire
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Matt Toulson
Editor: Tara McDermott
Technical Producer: Hal Haines
Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Image by grafvision via Getty Images

In February this year, El Salvador's president Nayib Bukele won re-election with nearly 85% of the vote. His flagship policy after he came to power in 2019 has been the mass arrest of thousands of alleged gang members, mainly young men.
It is estimated that over 100,000 people are now behind bars as part of his crime crackdown. The round-ups have been hugely popular with El Salvador's people as it has improved security and neighbouring countries are taking note.
But critics say following Bukele's approach could threaten democracy, not just in El Salvador but across the continent.

So on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking: Will neighbouring countries follow El Salvador's lead on crime?
Contributors:
Carlos Dada, director of El Faro, an online newspaper based in El Salvador
Katherine Saunders-Hastings, a lecturer in Latin American Studies at the University of London's Institute of the Americas.
Will Freeman, Fellow for Latin American Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York.
Monica Pachon , a political scientist and professor at the University of the Andes in Bogotá, Colombia.
Presenter: David Baker
Producer: Farhana Haider
Journalism Researcher: Matt Toulson
Editor: Tara McDermott
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Production Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley and Liam Morrey
Image Credit:
Alex Peña / Stringer via Getty Images

More than half of the world’s population currently lives in cities, and by 2050, the UN estimates that figure will rise to nearly 7 in 10 people. The world is also getting hotter, with heatwaves and wildfires becoming increasingly common.
So how can we deal with the dual challenges of increasing urbanisation and extreme weather caused by climate change? Perhaps we should look downwards.
For millennia, humans have taken refuge underground from the elements, predators and from war. Even today, bomb shelters exist under major cities like Beijing and Seoul. Many cities across the world have subway systems for easy transportation – and some are integrated seamlessly with below-ground business and shopping centres.
But what are the future challenges for urban planners and architects in this subterranean space, and how can we overcome the social stigma against those who live underground?
This week on the Inquiry, we ask: is our future underground?
Contributors:
Martin Dixon, trustee of Subterranea Britannica, a society devoted to the study and investigation of man-made and man-used underground places.
Jacques Besner, architect and urban planner; co-founder and general manager of Associated Research Centres for Urban Underground Spaces.
Antonia Cornaro co-chair of ITACUS, the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association's Committee on Underground Space.
Professor Clara Irazábal, Director of the Urban Studies and Planning Program at the University of Maryland, USA.
Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Ravi Naik
Editor: Tara McDermott
Researcher: Matt Toulson
Production Coordinators : Janet Staples & Liam Morrey
Photo by BEHROUZ MEHRI via Getty Images

The Mexican government has won its appeal to bring a civil lawsuit against a number of American gun companies. Mexico, which has extremely restrictive gun laws, claims that the ‘deliberate’ business practices of these US firms results in the illegal flow of firearms into Mexico, contributing to the gun crime violence in the country. They are now seeking as much as ten billion dollars in compensation.
The gun companies, which include some of America’s oldest established names in the firearms business, deny any wrongdoing. Since 2005, these companies have being granted immunity from prosecution under the ‘Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act’. This law protects the firearms manufacturers and dealers from being held liable when crimes have been committed with their products. But Mexico’s argument is that PLCAA, as it’s also known, only applies within the United States and therefore doesn’t protect the companies from liability.
It’s a case which is also resonating with other Latin American countries who have been impacted by illegal gun trafficking from the United States. Some of these countries have supported Mexico’s claims in the courts. And they will be watching closely to see if Mexico’s lawsuit, the first by a sovereign state, can set a precedent.
So on this week’s Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Can Mexico win its battle with US gun companies?’
Contributors:
Ioan Grillo, journalist and author focusing on Organised Crime, Mexico
Adam Winkler, Cornell Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law, California, USA
Robert Spitzer, Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Political Science, SUNY Cortland; Adjunct Faculty Member, College of William and Mary School of Law, USA
Dr. León Castellanos-Jankiewicz, Senior Researcher, Asser Institute for International and European Law; Academic Supervisor, International Law Clinic on Access to Justice for Gun Violence, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Jill Collins
Journalism Researcher: Matt Toulson
Editor: Tara McDermott
Technical Producer: Cameron Ward
Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey

Image: Reuters via BBC Images