TRT World Podcasts

Is this the final FIFA World Cup for the two GOATs? – closing a rivalry that shaped modern football. We explore their careers, their longevity, records, public image, philanthropy and the legacy they leave behind Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Afzal Ahmed

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the biggest ever, with 48 teams and 104 matches across three nations. Why is co-hosting becoming more common, and how are hosts using football to advance business, tourism, diplomacy and national ambition? Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Afzal Ahmed

Planted following the Nakba, millions of pine trees are now succumbing to fire and drought as the indigenous olive tree and others begin to reclaim their roots Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Afzal Ahmed

From Ukraine to Gaza to Iran, the old system of purchased protection is under pressure. This episode explores why sustainable security now depends less on military spending and more on resilience, alliances, industrial depth and strategic flexibility Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Afzal Ahmed

Türkiye’s first overseas deep-sea drilling mission in Somalia could reshape not just energy markets, but geopolitics in the Horn of Africa. How did Türkiye build the capacity to get here? And can Somalia turn oil into long-term stability? Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Afzal Ahmed

Türkiye’s month-long Mediterranean Lycian Way hiking trail’s real magic isn’t defined by its turquoise lagoons, ancient ruins, or cliff-top views—it’s the quiet, life-changing personal transformation that unfolds with every step Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Afzal Ahmed

Israel’s new death penalty law is seen by critics as deepening the apartheid system in place for decades - reinforcing legal inequalities that privilege Jewish citizens while targeting Palestinians, prompting widespread international condemnation Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Afzal Ahmed

A historic UN vote reignited a long-standing debate: should former slave-trading nations apologise and pay reparations? We explore the Transatlantic Slave Trade’s lasting impacts and why calls for justice persist yet still resisted Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Afzal Ahmed

The East India Company once ruled British India with its own army and tax system. Centuries later, its revived luxury brand has gone bankrupt. We explore how a trading firm became an empire in its own right and reshaped global capitalism. Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

At the height of global attention on the release of the Epstein files, the spotlight abruptly shifted as the US-Israeli war on Iran began. Was its timing a coincidence or a calculated diversionary war move? Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

After WWII, world leaders were largely off limits in conflict. But the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has raised a troubling question: has the global taboo on targeting leaders collapsed, and what might it mean for the world? Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

Ramadan in Gaza once meant crowded mosques, lantern-lit streets and family laughter. But after years of genocidal war, tens of thousands dead and a fragile ceasefire, the holy month arrives amid rubble, grief, and hunger Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

After the US announced the release of all government files related to UFOs and extraterrestrial life, global curiosity has reignited. From Roswell to Area 51, what do we actually know about life beyond Earth, and what remains pure speculation? Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

Political uncertainty is shaking global markets. In turbulent times, investors turn to gold. But why does it thrive during a crisis? This episode explores gold’s role as a safe haven, an inflation hedge, and a symbol of trust when confidence erodes Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

As artificial intelligence drives global demand for computing power, tech giants are hitting hard limits on Earth - from immense strain on power grids to soaring water use. Now, a radical idea is gaining momentum: moving data centres into orbit Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

Bangladesh heads to the polls for the first time since longtime leader Sheikh Hasina’s fall in 2024. After decades of coups, dynastic rivalry and authoritarian rule, analysts see the vote as a possible democratic reset Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

Türkiye is building a space launch facility in Somalia, aiming to overcome global launch bottlenecks and gain strategic autonomy in orbit as the space economy heads towards a projected $1.8 trillion future Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

Palestinian psychiatrist Dr. Samah Jabr reflects on mental health under occupation, where trauma is ongoing and safety is never guaranteed. She challenges Western models of care and explores agency, collective healing, and resistance in Palestine.

Iran’s protests began with economic collapse but quickly turned into a deeper challenge to political legitimacy. Unfolding after war, amid elite fractures and foreign pressure, they signal a more fragile and uncertain phase ahead. Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

For centuries, Istanbulites have believed that four sacred figures watch over the Bosphorus. From dawn prayers to ship horn salutes, their tombs form a spiritual map that continues to shape daily life in the mega-city Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

Around the world, teenagers and even adults are turning to AI chatbots as if they were therapists. Why are people turning to AI for emotional support and why are experts warning that this illusion of empathy poses a danger. Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

When historians look back at 2025, AI may stand out as the year’s defining global force. It quietly embedded itself into power, economies and everyday workflows. We explore the five shifts that stopped AI being the future - and became the present. Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

Software underpins everything from hospitals to global air travel, yet a single glitch can ripple worldwide. In this episode, we discuss how interconnected systems amplify risk and what organisations can do to stop failures becoming systemic crises.

Renewed fighting along the Thai–Cambodian border has displaced hundreds of thousands and revived a dispute rooted in colonial-era maps and contested history. In this episode, we discuss why ceasefires keep collapsing and how nationalist narratives shape public opinion. Host/Producer: Ezgi Toper Guest: Dr. Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi Craft Editor: Nasrullah Yilmaz Production Team: Afzal Ahmed, Ahmet Ziya Gumus, Mucteba Samil Olmez, Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

This episode dives into the escalating rift between the United States and South Africa after US President Donald Trump skipped the G20 summit in Johannesburg and moved to bar Pretoria from attending next year’s summit in Miami. Host/Producer: Ezgi Toper Guest: Grace Kuria Kanja Craft Editor: Nasrullah Yilmaz Production Team: Afzal Ahmed, Ahmet Ziya Gumus, Mucteba Samil Olmez, Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

A young African man’s lifelong phobia of buttons reveals how ordinary objects can become overwhelming prisons and why phobias remain some of the most misunderstood human fears Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

This episode breaks down how Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro was convicted for attempting to overturn Brazil’s 2022 election and explores what his imprisonment means for the country’s political future. Host/Producer: Ezgi Toper Guest: Luqman Nieto Craft Editor: Nasrullah Yilmaz Production Team: Afzal Ahmed, Ahmet Ziya Gumus, Mucteba Samil Olmez, Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

What if we stopped posting on social media? Episode Description: Is disconnecting the real key to happiness? This episode explores the shift from the fear of missing out to the joy of missing out, revealing how stepping away from social media can reduce stress and help us reconnect with real life Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Türkiye for the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea highlights the often forgotten key Anatolian roots of Christianity and its lasting global influence Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

Reporting directly from COP30 in Belém, Brazil, this episode details the deadlocks over fossil fuel phase-outs and the unfulfilled $1.3 trillion climate finance gap for the Global South Host/Producer: Ezgi Toper Guest: Mikail Malik Craft Editor: Nasrullah Yilmaz Production Team: Afzal Ahmed, Ahmet Ziya Gumus, Mucteba Samil Olmez, Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

India is building up its military presence in the Siliguri Corridor along the Bangladesh border amid shifting regional alliances, and strategic concerns. We explore what’s happening, why it matters, and what it means for the region. Host: Nasra Omar Bwana Guest: Umer Bin Ajmal Craft Editor: Nasrullah Yilmaz Production Team: Ezgi Toper, Afzal Ahmed, Mucteba Samil Olmez, Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

The capture of Sudan’s Al Fasher by the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) marks a dark turning point in the war, unleashing a wave of atrocities that aid groups call a “true genocide.” Host/Producer: Ezgi Toper Guests: Dr. Abdel Malik Elnaeem, Mohammed Alfaki Craft Editor: Nasrullah Yilmaz Production Team: Afzal Ahmed, Ahmet Ziya Gumus, Mucteba Samil Olmez, Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

The Hejaz Railway used to transport pilgrims, merchants, and soldiers from Damascus to Medina. Today, Türkiye, Syria, and Jordan are reviving this line. What does this reconnection mean in a world dominated by air travel? Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

Turkish athletes are reaching historic heights, from para-sports to volleyball, from gymnastics to shooting. With thousands of medals collected, and viral stars like Yusuf Dikec capturing the world, Türkiye is living through a golden era. Host/Producer: Afzal Ahmed Craft Editor: Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

Zohran Mamdani’s historic rise to become New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee highlights a new era of politics backed by authenticity, digital engagement and generational change. We explore how identity, grassroots organising, and social media has catapulted his campaign. Host/Producer: Ezgi Toper Guest: Mikail Malik Craft Editor: Nasrullah Yilmaz Production Team: Afzal Ahmed, Ahmet Ziya Gumus, Mucteba Samil Olmez, Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

As Tanzania heads to the polls, music once again takes centre stage. From independence anthems to Bongo Flava beats, artists have long shaped the nation’s political rhythm, but has the tune changed? Host/Producer: Ezgi Toper Guests: John Kitime, Edward Qorro Craft Editor: Nasrullah Yilmaz Production Team: Afzal Ahmed, Ahmet Ziya Gumus, Mucteba Samil Olmez, Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

After a decade of building infrastructure through projects like the Belt and Road Initiative, China is now shifting focus from bricks to influence. From giving up the benefits of developing country status at the WTO to launching a new visa program, Beijing is signalling a new phase of its rise. In this episode we look into China’s next phase in refining its global role. Host/Producer: Ezgi Toper Guest: Abhishek Bhaya Craft Editor: Nasrullah Yilmaz Production Team: Afzal Ahmed, Ahmet Ziya Gumus, Mucteba Samil Olmez, Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

The Nobel legacy endures, but its moral authority continues to be tested by politics, biases and shifting definitions of “peace”. In this episode, we hand out controversy badges of our own. Host/Producer: Ezgi Toper Craft Editor: Nasrullah Yilmaz Production Team: Afzal Ahmed, Ahmet Ziya Gumus, Mucteba Samil Olmez, Khaled Selim Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

After two years of Israel’s war on Gaza, the decades-old hasbara PR machine is cracking and how TikTok helped a new generation see through the lies. Producer/Narrator: Ezgi Toper Craft Editor: Nasrullah Yilmaz Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

We spoke to people from the peaceful American village of Palestine in Illinois, which shares a name with the historical Palestine in the Middle East. Despite the shared name, the difference in experiences and perspectives between the two places is striking. Producer/Narrator: Ezgi Toper Craft Editor: Burak Bayram Executive Producer: Nasra Omar Bwana

China has announced it will no longer claim developing-country benefits at the World Trade Organisation. In this episode, we explore what the change means, why Beijing made the move now, and how it could affect the balance of global trade.

Europe’s recent recognition of Palestine marks a historic, long-overdue acknowledgment of Palestinian statehood, but critics warn that without concrete action, it remains largely symbolic. This episode looks at its meaning amid Israel’s war on Gaza.

The Moon is no longer a symbol for exploration; it is now the site of a new race for nuclear power. As nations and companies plan reactors to fuel lunar bases and mining, questions arise: who will control the Moon’s resources, and what risks lie ahead for space cooperation? Article by Kazim Alam https://www.trtworld.com/article/7702e0d064f8

In this episode we explore how oil, China, and geopolitics may be driving US actions in Venezuela far more than President Trump’s narco-trafficking claims, and what this means for regional stability and Venezuelan citizens.

From Gen Zs to Rihanna to kidults, a toothed toy named Labubu has become a global craze. But behind the blind boxes and unboxing videos lies something deeper: identity, belonging, and China’s growing cultural soft power.

When Nepal’s government banned 26 social media platforms overnight, it triggered protests that toppled the government in just two days. This episode speaks to Nepalis on the ground about how anger over corruption and inequality boiled over. What comes next for a country now led by its youth?

From career paths to romantic choices, your name may influence your life more than you think. This Aloud episode explores how science links names to personal and professional outcomes, revealing surprising biases and behavioural patterns

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence is changing who holds power at work. In this episode, we look at what this shift means for jobs, education, and inequality around the world.

One year after an Israeli sniper killed Turkish-American human rights activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the occupied West Bank, her husband Hamid Ali shares her story and their ongoing pursuit of justice. Host: Ezgi Toper Guest: Hamid Ali

In an era where billions of people are connected online and seemingly have friends, loneliness is paradoxically on the rise. This episode explores the hidden cost of hyperconnectivity, the difference between digital and real-world friendships, and why physical presence is irreplaceable