The Inquiry

This year, technology has more influence in officiating sports than ever before.At the men's World Cup, the role of virtual assistant referee technology (VAR) has been extended to include two more on-pitch scenarios while in tennis, umpires use electric line calling systems (ELC) to make final decisions.Both bits of kit aim to improve the accuracy. It’s become easier to consider match-defining moments through these tracking and review systems’ specialised cameras. But, this information takes human officials valuable time to analyse.Football fans criticise VAR for this reason, saying it delays match momentum. Top ranking tennis players Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev have also complained as these systems are not yet infallible. If technology is as imperfect as a human referee or umpire and can interrupt the fan experience too, why do elite sports rely on it?This week on The Inquiry we’re asking, ‘Is technology ruining sport?’Contributors Carlo de Marchis, independent advisor in sports and media technology in ItalyDr Otto Koblinger, former sports scientist, Munich Technical University, Germany and senior data manager, Saudi Pro LeagueProfessor Odilon Roble, sport philosopher and psychoanalyst, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), BrazilMatt Moore, associate dean, University of Kentucky’s college of social work, USPresenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Evie Yabsley Researcher: Amelia Cox Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey(Photo: VAR check. Credit: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

The 2026 men’s football World Cup will be the biggest ever staged. For the first time, 48 teams will compete, playing more than 100 matches across North America.But the expanded scale comes at a cost. Ticket prices are far higher than at the last World Cup in Qatar. With matches also spread across the US, Mexico and Canada, attending the tournament is becoming unaffordable for many global fans.FIFA says higher revenues will be reinvested to grow the game worldwide and has released some lower-priced tickets for dedicated supporters, but some fan groups say this isn’t going far enough. This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: Is the 2026 World Cup an own goal?Contributors: Dr Christina Philippou, associate professor in sport finance at the University of Portsmouth, UK Dr Victor Matheson, professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, US Dr Johan Rewilak, associate professor of sport management at Loughborough University, UK Miguel Delaney, chief football writer, The Independent newspaper in the UKPresenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Matt Toulson Researcher: Evie Yabsley Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Cameron Ward Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey(Photo: FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed during the FIFA World Cup 2026. Credit: Pool/Getty Images)

Bangladesh will hold a national election in February, after years of political turmoil and the ousting of long-time leader Sheikh Hasina. Her rule of more than a decade delivered strong economic growth but was also accompanied by tighter political control and repeated confrontations with protesters.Sheikh Hasina’s party, the Awami League, has been banned. This has brought renewed focus on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s leader Tarique Rahman, who is the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, as well as several emerging challengers.Following years of unrest, the vote is seen as a test of whether Bangladesh can move towards political stability.This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: What does the national election mean for the future of Bangladesh?Contributors: Shaheen Mamun, Executive Director of the Jargoron Foundation, London, UK Zia Chowdhury, journalist, Dhaka, Bangladesh Rounaq Jahan, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue, Dhaka, Bangladesh Constantino Xavier, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, New Delhi, India Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Matt Toulson Researcher: Evie Yabsley Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Cameron Ward Production Management Assistant: Liam MorreyThis programme has been updated since the original broadcast.(Photo: A woman casting her ballot during the 2024 national election in Bangladesh. Credit: Ahmed Salahuddin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Iran has been shaken by protests on a scale not seen since its 1979 revolution. Demonstrations that began in the country’s capital over the state of the economy have spread to multiple cities, with wider calls for political change.The government has called the demonstrations "riots" backed by the nation’s enemies.Thousands have been killed.For some, the scenes bring back memories of the uprising that toppled the monarchy more than four decades ago. Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last monarch, has emerged as a figure that could challenge the existing order.This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Is history repeating itself in Iran?’Contributors: Naghmeh Sohrabi, modern Middle East historian, director for research at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University, United States Azadeh Kian, author of ‘Rethinking Gender, Ethnicity and Religion in Iran’, emerita professor of sociology and gender studies at the University of Paris Cité, France Sara Bazoobandi, non-resident research fellow at the Institute for Security Policy of Kiel University, Germany Siavash Ardalan, BBC Persia senior reporter, United KingdomPresenter: Daniel Rosney Producer: Megan Lawton Technical producer: James Bradshaw Editor: Tom Bigwood Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey(Photo: Car on fire on a street in Iran. Credit: WANA/Reuters/BBC Images)

Kenya is facing rising public discontent over allegations of political corruption, economic stagnation and a shortage of good quality jobs, particularly for the country’s Gen Z. One of the government’s flagship responses is an ambitious push into digital outsourcing. It argues that call centres, coding work and other IT-enabled services can position the country as a global hub and generate a million new jobs within five years.The model has worked before in countries such as India and the Philippines, but the global landscape is shifting. Advances in artificial intelligence are already transforming the very roles Kenya hopes to attract, raising questions about whether this strategy can deliver long-term employment at scale.Tanya Beckett asks whether Kenya’s vision for digital outsourcing can provide stability and opportunity for the country.This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: Can Kenya answer the call for employment?Contributors Joy Kiiru, senior lecturer at the Department of Economics and Development Studies at the University of Nairobi, KenyaMarcus Larsen, professor at the Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, DenmarkDeepa Mani, faculty member and deputy Dean for academic programmes at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, India Boaz Munga, research consultant at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, Nairobi, Kenya Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Matt Toulson Researcher: Evie Yabsley Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Craig Boardman Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey(Photo: President of Kenya William Ruto. Credit: Luis Tato/Getty Images)