World Questions

By BBC World ServiceNews

World Questions episodes

November 08, 2025 Greenland
President Trump is considering a variety of options – including military ones – to take control of Greenland. But what do Greenlanders think? Is Greenland up for sale?
In this programme, politicians and the public debate independence, sovereignty, mining of rare earth minerals and Inuit human rights – some of the challenges facing the autonomous territory of Greenland.
A former Danish colony, Greenland is the world’s largest island with a population of just 57,000 people. Jonny Dymond chairs a panel of leading politicians from Denmark and Greenland to debate the future of this fascinating Arctic region – and take some tough questions from the public.
The panel:
Naaja Nathanielsen – Minister of Industry, Raw Materials, Mining and Energy – Greenlandic Parliament.
Louise Elholm - MP in the Danish Parliament. Venstre party spokeswoman on Greenland.
Kuno Fencker – MP in the Greenlandic Parliament – opposition Naleraq party.
Ulrick Pram Gad – Senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies.
Producer: Helen Towner
Sound engineers: Nathan Chamberlain, Denis O’Hare and Joe Lawrence
(Photo: People protest under the slogan, "Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people", in Nuuk. Credit: Reuters)
49 min
October 11, 2025 Peru
This South American country has escaped from poverty and paramilitary violence that once threatened the state itself; huge reserves of natural resources have helped boost the economy. But political instability and high crime threaten those hard-won gains, sparking mass protests across the country. President Dina Boluarte was reckoned to be one of the world’s most unpopular heads of state. The programme was recorded on 7th October before her removal by Congress. Jonny Dymond is joined by a panel of leading politicians taking questions from an audience at the Teatro Ricardo Blume in the country’s capital Lima.
The Panel:
Mercedes Araoz: Former Prime Minister of Peru, Professor of International Economy, University of the Pacific
Sigrid Bazán: Congresswoman (Nuevo Perú), former President of the Labour Commission
Tarcila Rivera Zea: Founder of the Centre for Indigenous Cultures of Peru, former member of the UN Permanent Forum of Indigenous Issues
Diana Gonzales: Congresswoman (Avanza País), Vice Chair of the Energy and Mines Committee
Producer: Charlie Taylor
(Photo: Protesters clash with police in Peru. Credit: Reuters)
49 min
September 15, 2025 Greece
Fixing Greece’s declining population is now the Government’s top priority, so how should it solve the crisis? Is the country at risk of being ruined by tourism? And could migrants from abroad help boost the Greek economy?
Jonny Dymond is joined by a panel of leading politicians and analysts taking questions from a large and lively audience at the Megaron Concert Hall in the country’s capital, Athens.
The panel:
Sofia Zacharaki: Minister of Education
Pavlos Yeroulanos: MP, PASOK
Xenia Kounalaki: Journalist, Kathimerini newspaper
Yiannis Koutsomitis: European Affairs Analyst
Producer: Helen Towner
(Photo: Students in central Athens demonstrate against a new educational reform. Credit: Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP via Getty Images)
49 min
July 14, 2025 Serbia
Is there a lack of democracy in Serbia? Can the current student-led protests topple the Government? Will this Balkan country ever join the European Union?
Allan Little chairs a panel of leading Serbian politicians and analysts who face tough questions from across the nation.
The panel:
Marko Djuric: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Serbian Progressive Party
Borko Stefanovic: Deputy Leader, Freedom and Justice Party
Danica Ilic: Journalist
Filip Balunovic: Research fellow, University of Belgrade
Producer: Helen Towner
(Image: Protestors converge in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, in March 2025 in the largest of a series of recent anti-corruption demonstrations. Credit: Andrej Isakovic/AFP via Getty Images)
49 min
June 14, 2025 Malaysia
Should there be affirmative action to get more women to the top of the media? How about a law to make politicians keep their promises? Jonny Dymond chairs a diverse panel fielding questions from a passionate audience in Kuala Lumpur, as they critique their own laws on freedom of speech.
The Panel:
Senator Dr Fuziah Salleh: Secretary General of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Deputy Minister for Domestic Trade and Cost of Living
Dr Tricia Yeoh: Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Nottingham Malaysia’s School of Politics and International Relations
Wan Ahmad Fayhsal: MP, Bersatu Party and Opposition Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs
Dr Vilashini Somiah: Head of the Gender Studies Programme, Universiti Malaya
Producer: Charlie Taylor
(Photo: Morning view of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia with the Petronas Towers. Credit: Jackyenjoyphotography/Getty Images)
49 min
April 13, 2025 Canada
Sky-high tariffs, a federal election and US threats to annex their country: Canadians have a lot of issues to address.
Jonny Dymond hosts a debate with leading politicians and people putting questions from across six time zones. Should Canada have an independent nuclear deterrent? Can it join the EU? What about housing, immigration and the climate impact on Canada’s extraordinary environment?
It’s a deeply felt discussion as some Canadians voice a sense of betrayal from their closest ally.
The Panel:
Heather McPherson: Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, New Democratic Party
Stéphane Bergeron: Former Foreign Affairs and International Trade Spokesperson, Bloc Quebecois
Kate Harrison: Conservative Strategist and Vice Chair of Summa Strategies
Nathaniel Erskine-Smith: Minister of Housing, Liberal Party
Presenter: Jonny Dymond
Producer: Charlie Taylor
(Photo: Protest in Toronto against Donald Trump's rhetoric about Canada becoming the 51st state of the USA. Credit: Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
49 min
March 08, 2025 India
India is the world’s most populous nation, it has a young population and dynamic growth rates – yet problems persist.
This debate, from the country’s technology capital, Bengaluru, tackles pressing issues such as IT workers’ rights, the city’s struggling infrastructure, and the national situation for religious minorities.
The discussion is led by questions from the audience and chaired by Jonny Dymond.
The panel:
Surabhi Hodigere: BJP spokeswoman
Kumar Naik: MP for the opposition INC Party
T.V. Mohandas Pai: Chairman, Aarin Capital Partners
Rashmi Choudhary: Vice President of Karnataka’s IT Employees Union (KITU)
Dhanya Rajendran: Journalist, The News Minute
Producer: Helen Towner
Engineers: Ian Mitchell and Joe Lawrence
(Photo: Traffic congestion in Bengaluru. Credit: Namas Bhojani/Bloombeon via Getty Images)
49 min
February 08, 2025 Lithuania
It is the NATO frontline, but three years after the invasion of Ukraine, Lithuanians worry their country could be next. Defence spending is rising fast, NATO has committed a permanent brigade and Lithuanians are organising themselves into rifle clubs and citizen defence forces. The rights of minorities, US designs on Greenland and relations with Denmark all feature as Jonny Dymond and a high power panel debate Lithuania’s biggest issues at the Palace of the Grand Dukes in Vilnius.
The panel:
Eugenijus Sabutis: Minister of Transport and Communications and Member of the Seimas for the Social Democrat
Ingrida Šimonytė: Former Prime Minister and Member of the Seimas for the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats
Ignas Vėgėlė: Former Presidential Candidate and Member of the Seimas for Farmers and Greens Union
Andrius Tapinas: Journalist, Author and Founder of Freedom TV
Presenter: Jonny Dymond
Producer: Charlie Taylor
(Photo: Military parade in Vilnius commemorating the restoration of Lithuanian Armed Forces. Credit: Flavijus/Getty Images)
49 min
January 14, 2025 Australia
Soaring house prices, the rights of indigenous people, healthcare and knife crime – just some of the issues raised in this debate about the future of Australia. Jonny Dymond is joined by a panel of leading politicians and commentators who take questions from across this vast nation.
The panel:
Katy Gallagher: Minister for Finance, Labour Party
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young: Green Party
John Pesutto: Liberal Party
Alexandra Smith: Sydney Morning Herald newspaper
Producer: Helen Towner
(Photo: Sydney Opera House against the backdrop of the Sydney CBD skyline. Credit: Manfred Gottschalk/Getty Images)
49 min
December 14, 2024 South Africa
Gangsterism, immigration, economic inequality, land reform and whether the historic prison of Robben Island could be turned into a luxury resort: World Questions is in Cape Town to debate issues raised by South Africans thirty years after democracy came to their nation.
Crime is rampant, six out of ten young people are without a job and housing is still a massive issue but this year, elections returned a grand coalition of multiple parties who are working together for the first time.
Jonny Dymond presents from the Homecoming Centre in Cape Town’s District Six, a place where a multi-race community is returning after forced eviction during the apartheid years. He is joined by a panel from the coalition and opposition and a Cape Town audience.
The panel:
Solly Malatsi: MP, Democratic Alliance. Minister for Communications and Digital Technologies
Naledi Chirwa: Economic Freedom Fighters. Delegate in South Africa’s Upper House, the National Council of Provinces
Khalid Sayed: MPP, African National Congress. Leader of the Opposition in Western Cape Provincial Parliament
Ashley Sauls: MP, Parliamentary Leader of the Patriotic Alliance Party in the National Assembly
Producer: Charlie Taylor
Image: Aerial view of Cape Town and Table Mountain (Credit: Peter Titmuss/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
49 min