World Questions

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 PartyPresenter: Jonny Dymond Producer: Charlie Taylor

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

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. Panellists: • 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 Presented by Jonny Dymond Producer: Charlie Taylor

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, Labor Party Senator Sarah Hanson-Young: Green Party John Pesutto: Liberal Party Alexandra Smith: Sydney Morning Herald newspaper

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.

Democracy, the deepening polarisation of politics, race relations and President Macron’s grip on power – all are up for debate as Jonny Dymond is joined by a panel of leading French politicians who take questions from the public.The panel: Eléonore Caroit: National Assembly Deputy, Renaissance Fabrice Leggeri: Member of the European Parliament, National Rally Danièle Obono: National Assembly Deputy, France Unbowed Florence Faucher: Professor of Political Science, Science Po UniversityProducer: Helen Towner

Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female President takes office while protests still rage over changes to the constitution. World Questions explores the challenges she faces with a sharply divided panel facing questions from around the country. Does scrapping the national police force and putting the army on the street, mean a safer Mexico? Will forcing the country’s judges to fight for election loosen the grip of the drug cartels? Is it time to ban bullfighting for good? What is the future for relations with the USA? Jonny Dymond presents a deeply felt debate from a country undergoing change.The Panel Arturo Avila, Spokesperson for the governing Morena Party in the Chamber of Deputies Denise Dresser, writer and Professor of Political Science at Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico Vanessa Ramero, independent legal consultant and analyst Jorge Triana, former deputy leader of PAN, the largest opposition party in the Chamber of DeputiesAudio updated on 15 October 2024

With less than a month until the election, the BBC’s flagship political debate programme Question Time broadcasts from the key swing state of Pennsylvania. The programme hears directly from American voters as they get the chance to put their questions to a panel of politicians and prominent figures, holding them to account on the topics which matter most as they prepare to go to the polls. On the panel, Republican and Democratic members of Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives, Martina White and Malcolm Kenyatta; the British-American political commentator Mehdi Hasan; Bryan Lanza, who’s an adviser to presidential candidate Donald Trump; and the BBC North American correspondent, Anthony Zurcher.Chaired by Fiona Bruce, the debate was recorded at the National Constitution Centre in Philadelphia on 9 October 2024.

Mass migration, employment and opportunities, democracy, joining the EU and widespread corruption. Just some of the issues debated by a public audience in the Albanian capital, Tirana. Jonny Dymond chairs the discussion with a panel of leading politicians and civil society activists.The panel: Lavdrim Krashi: MP for the governing Socialist Party Lulzim Basha: Leader of the Euro Atlantic Democrats Edlira Cepani: Lawyer and human rights activist Fiori Hoxhaj: Youth and women’s campaigner

Nomadic life and climate change, air pollution and endemic corruption - Mongolia’s economy has tripled in size since becoming a democracy thirty years ago and the sudden growth has brought many challenges. It is a nation of sweeping grassland pastures and an ever-growing Gobi desert, sealed between Russia to its north and China to its south. Such large autocratic neighbours bring a sense of threat to this fledgling democratic nation. All those issues and more are raised by the public and debated by a panel of politicians at the moment a new coalition government is being formed. Presented by Jonny Dymond at the Chinggis Khaan Museum in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar.The panel: Bulgantuya Khurelbaatar: Deputy Speaker of the State Great Hural (Parliament), MP for the Mongolian People’s Party and former Minister for Labour and Social Protection Jargalan Batbayar: Chairwoman of the Democratic Women's Union and MP for the Democratic Party Munkhnaran Bayarlkhagva: Independent Analyst, formerly of the National Security Council of Mongolia Munkhdul Badral Bontoi: Citizens' Representative of Sukhbaatar District Council and former Parliamentary Candidate for the HUN PartyProducer: Charlie Taylor