The Documentary Podcast

Football rarely stops in Turkey, but when two earthquakes causes tens of thousands to die in the south-east region of the country early in 2023, even the passionately followed Super Lig top division is suspended. Hatayspor - a team from the league - loses its star player Christian Atsu to the rubble of a collapsed building. Its home city of Antakya is all but wiped from the map. A year later, football writer James Montague travels to his home nation of Turkey to tell the story of the indomitable club's improbable, and symbolic fight to survive in the aftermath of the disaster.

It is one of the most bizarre crimes of our times. Con men posing as police officers are forcing Chinese students to fake their own kidnapping. Elaine Chong reports on the extremes to which criminals will go to make money from their victims. The scammers trick Chinese people studying abroad into believing that they are wanted for crimes back in their homeland, and that they must hand over large sums of money to avoid repercussions for them or their family. When the students can no longer meet the escalating demands they are told to fake their own kidnapping so the fake police can seek a ransom from their relatives back in China.

In a new exhibition Wendy breaks conventions, painting on walls and installing herself in the gallery, becoming part of the art. Wendy Sharpe is an multi-award winning Australian artist working on a new exhibition Spellbound for the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney. In this exhibition she breaks all the rules, by painting directly onto walls, hanging works upside down or touching and installing not only her studio in this museum, but also herself, as she paints a mural directly on the wall in front of the public. Regina Botros joins her as she works towards this immersive, labyrinth-like exhibition, where the lines between art and artist are blurred.

In a coastal region of eastern Kenya at least one elderly person is being killed every week – in the name of witchcraft. There are violent attacks on people accused of being witches across much of Africa. But, according to human rights groups, the seventy or so murders every year in Kilifi County are about more than fear of the supernatural. For Assignment, Njeri Nwangi from BBC Africa Eye investigates the real motives behind these brutal attacks and the impunity that enables them. She meets victims, relatives and perpetrators. Listeners might find some of the details in this programme upsetting.

Archive: ‘Witches’ Burnt in Kenya, NTD News

The BBC’s Yogita Limaye speaks to Kavita Puri, the creator and presenter of Three Million, to explore how the series was made, and how she went about tracking down eye-witnesses to the Bengal Famine of 1943. They are joined by author and historian Srimanjari and ‘memory collector’ Sailen Sarkar, who recorded testimonies of the very last survivors of the famine. Together they explore the legacy of the Bengal famine, and why its memory is still so fraught today. A special episode recorded with an audience at the India International Centre in New Delhi.

A virtual tour of Brazil's giant ravines, the radio shows helping Maasai people to protect their land and a real life Squid Game in South Korea: how BBC journalists around the world are finding new and engaging ways to cover climate change stories. Featuring Carol Olona and Shin Suzuki, Caroline Mwende and Suhnwook Lee.

Produced by Alice Gioia and Caroline Ferguson.

(Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich)

Like many countries, Kenya is struggling with a cost of living crisis and how to balance the books. The government’s answer was a plan to raise taxes, in what was called the Finance Bill, and this created a spark for protests across the country. According to estimates by the state-funded rights commission, 39 people have been killed in those demonstrations. Parliament was set on fire and hundreds were arrested. Many of those protesters are in their 20s, from what is known as Generation Z. Ultimately, President Ruto said he would not go ahead with tax increases, and he would listen to the country’s youth - but the protests continue. Host James Reynolds brings together several Gen Z protesters to discuss what is making them so angry.

In a bonus episode of The Global Story podcast - A historic loss for the conservatives ushers in a new era in British politics.

The Global Story brings you one big story every weekday, making sense of the news with our experts around the world. Insights you can trust, from the BBC World Service. For more, go to bbcworldservice.com/globalstory or search for The Global Story wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

On Thursday, voters in the UK delivered a decisive political verdict. Keir Starmer became the new Prime Minister, as the Labour party won a landslide victory. The Conservatives, who have run Britain for 14 years, suffered the worst election defeat in their long history. So, who is Keir Starmer? And can his party deliver the change the people voted for?

Lucy Hockings speaks to Rob Watson - the BBC World Service's UK Political Correspondent. He explains how the Labour majority will command a huge majority in the House of Commons, but not necessarily the same level of support among the public.

This episode was made by Richard Moran, Alix Pickles, Peter Goffin and Eleanor Sly. The technical producers were Ricardo McCarthy. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Sepharad is the Hebrew word for Spain and Jews who trace their ancestry there are called Sephardic Jews. Five hundred years ago they were expelled from Spain. Their exile created new communities stretching from Brazil to Amsterdam to Istanbul and today, Israel. It is a culture filled with food and songs of longing for a homeland. Michael Goldfarb goes on a journey from the past to the present in search of Sepharad.

In many countries around the world, trying to take your own life is still a criminal offence. People who have attempted suicide are often put in prison and deep-rooted religious beliefs and cultural attitudes are often behind the criminalisation laws. Journalist Ashley Byrne looks into Malawi where people face jail sentences of up to two years and Bangladesh and Kenya who have been arrested, beaten up and faced problems rebuilding their lives. Ashley (whose partner tried to take his own life twice) also speaks to mental health specialists in countries which have recently changed the law like Singapore and Pakistan. He hears how despite decriminalisation stigma around suicide prevails.