In the decade that followed the Great Financial Crisis, inflation rates remained low and steady, and in some cases even threatened to turn negative, as economies around the world struggled to recover.This era came to an abrupt end in recent years following the double economic shocks of the COVID pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Many central banks and senior policymakers were caught on the back foot as inflation rates soared to levels not seen for nearly half a century in some countries.Although rates have since come down from those highs, they’re still proving tricky to completely get under control, causing concern among some observers.This week on The Inquiry, we explore what inflation is and where it comes from, what’s been happening in recent years, and what the outlook might be.Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Ben Cooper
Researcher: Katie Morgan
Technical producer: Richard Hannaford
Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Editor: Tara McDermottContributors:
Stephen D. King, author and Senior Economic Advisor at HSBC
Vicky Pryce, Chief Economic Advisor at the Centre for Economics and Business Research
Marieke Blom, Chief Economist and Global Head of Research at ING
Manoj Pradham, author and Chief Economist at Talking Heads Macroeconomics
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23:00
Why is China building the world’s biggest dam?
China has approved the construction of what will become the world’s largest hydropower dam in Tibet. Located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo river, it could generate three times more energy than the Three Gorges Dam – also built by China - and currently the worlds’ biggest.
This Inquiry examines how important hydropower is for China’s economy, whether it will meet its climate goals and whether this new dam is a “safe project that prioritises ecological protection” as China claims. We look at how it’ll be built, and why some in neighbouring countries have concerns. Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Vicky Carter
Researcher: Katie Morgan
Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Technical producer: Craig Boardman
Editor: Tara McDermottContributors:
Brian Eyler, Director of the Energy, Water and Sustainability Programme at the Stimson Center, Washington DC
Neeraj Singh Manhas, special advisor for South Asia at the Parley Policy Initiative, South Korea & Subject Matter Expert at the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, HQ IDS, Ministry of Defence, Government of India
Prof Mark Zeitoun, Director General of the Geneva Water Hub and professor of Water Diplomacy at the Geneva Graduate Institute, Switzerland
Prof Cecilia Tortajada, Social and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Glasgow, Adjunct senior research fellow Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, SingaporeImage credit: China News Service via Getty Images
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23:01
What next for Syria?
In December 2024, the decades-old Assad regime in Syria fell following 13 years of brutal civil war.The Islamist rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, seized power in the capital Damascus, having co-ordinated a lightning offensive along with other opposition forces across the country.This week on The Inquiry, we examine how recent events led to the current situation, who the main players are vying for control, and the many challenges facing both the new government and the Syrian people. Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Ben Cooper
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Technical producer: Toby James
Editor: Tara McDermottContributors:Tim Eaton, Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham HouseDr Rahaf Aldoughli, Middle East and North African Studies at Lancaster UniversityDavid Schenker, Director of the Arab politics programme at the Washington Natasha Hall, Middle East programme at the Center for Strategic and International StudiesImage Credit: ABDULAZIZ KETAZ via Getty Images
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22:59
Is fake alcohol a global threat?
Drinks with toxic ingredients have been linked to deaths and poisonings in Turkey, Laos and India in 2024. Fake alcohol is unrecorded and unregulated alcohol that hasn’t been registered in official statistics for sales, production or trade. The range of unrecorded alcohol includes alcohol smuggled across borders, counterfeit alcohol and homemade brew. This week of The Inquiry we look at how toxic and widespread fake alcohol is. What are the health risks of drinking contaminated alcohol? Bootleg alcohol is big business for criminals, are governments doing enough to combat the illicit alcohol trade?Presenter: Charmaine CozierProducer: Vicky Carter
Researcher: Katie Morgan
Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey
Technical producer: Toby James
Editor: Tara McDermottContributors:
Dr. Monica Swahn, alcohol epidemiologist and professor at the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services at Kennesaw State University in the USA, currently based in Uganda.
Dr Dirk Lachenmeier, food chemist and toxicologist, director of department of plant-based foods at CVUA Karlsruhe, an official control laboratory, Germany.
Piotr Stryszowski, senior economist at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and head of the Working Party on Countering Illicit Trade (WP-CIT), France.
Jeff Hardy, Director General of Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade, USA.
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22:59
Are we close to a cancer vaccine?
Cancer is a disease that will affect 1 in 5 people in our lifetime, and it’s estimated that around 20 million people worldwide will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in 2025.But how might a vaccine help in the treatment of cancer?Numerous trials began testing the viability of cancer vaccines in 2024, including one for melanoma and another for lung cancer. With all the promise that these new cancer vaccine trials bring for cancer patients, we explore the different ways in which vaccines could work within the body, and how the time at which future vaccines are administered may vary according to the cancers they are targeting.This week on the Inquiry we’re asking: Are we close to a cancer vaccine?Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Katie Morgan
Production Coordinator: Tim Fernley
Editor: Tara McDermott
Studio Director: Craig Boardman Contributors: Meredith McKean, director of Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research for Sarah Cannon Research Institute at Tennessee OncologySamra Turajlic, Chief Investigator of translational studies into melanoma and kidney cancer at the Francis Crick Institute and Professor at the Institute of Cancer Research Eduardo Vilar-Sanchez, professor in the department of Clinical Cancer Prevention at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterPatrick Ott, Clinical Director at Melanoma Disease Center at the Dana-Farber Institute
Ireland