Three times a week, The Audio Long Read podcast brings you the Guardian’s exceptional longform journalism in audio form. Covering topics from politics and culture to philosophy and sport, as well as investigations and current affairs.
Episodes
From the archive: Weizenbaum’s nightmares: how the inventor of the first chatbot turned against AI
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2023: Computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum was there at the dawn of artificial intelligence – but he was also adamant that we must never confuse computers with humans By Ben Tarnoff. Read by Sam Peter Jackson. Help support our independent journali
Everyone hates Oxford Street. Will pedestrianisation save it?
On Monday 26 October, the busiest shopping street in Europe was closed to traffic. The hope is that an unloved and polluted thoroughfare will turn into somewhere that people actually want to spend time By Dan Hancox. Read by Troy Glasgow. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Why Woke 2.0 is taking on Trump and establishment politics | Nesrine Malik | Radical Thinking
Today’s political conversation is dominated by one topic above all: race. The Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik has been way ahead of the pack in diagnosing how immigrants, their children and grandchildren are reshaping not just politics but western societies. On the latest episode of Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty, Nesrine talks about where never-ending culture wars and real wars in the
‘The last bastion is gone’: the US right idolised Orbán’s Hungary. Can they recover now he has fallen?
Over the past decade, Hungary has been a beacon for the ‘postliberal’ right, with pro-Trump thinkers making regular pilgrimages to Budapest. Now Orbán is gone, how will the movement adapt? By Brian Goodman. Read by Christopher Ragland A longer version of this article first appeared in The Drift. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: The trials of Robert Habeck: is the world’s most powerful green politician doomed to fail?
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2023: A year ago, Germany’s vice-chancellor was one of the country’s best-liked public figures. Then came the tabloid-driven backlash. Now he has to win the argument all over again By Philip Oltermann. Read by Sam Peter Jackson. Help support our i
A perfect storm: how the super El Niño is devastating the fishing industry
Peru’s anchoveta have made up about a 10th of the entire global commercial fishing catch since 1970, more than any other fish. A combination of warming seas and decades-long overfishing spells disaster By Geoff Mann. Read by Adam Sims. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
‘It could knock a whole street down’: the art of defusing a second world war bomb
On 14 January this year, army and navy squads faced an unprecedented challenge: one bomb on a Plymouth building site, another floating on a dredger in Exmouth. That afternoon, the clock started ticking By Samira Shackle. Read by Dinita Gohil. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: The disabled villain: why sensitivity reading can’t kill off this ugly trope
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2023: For centuries, fictional narratives have used outer difference to telegraph inner monstrosity. As someone who uses a wheelchair, I’ve learned you can’t just edit out a few slurs or bad words to fix this – it’s often baked deep into the story
Fixer, financier, spymaster: how the UAE’s Sheikh Tahnoon is setting his sights on AI dominance
The Emirati royal is increasingly influential on the world stage. Some see him as a visionary. Others compare him to a Bond villain. Who is he? By Jack Shenker. Read by Selva Rasalingam. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
“Culture is stagnant, so politics is stuck” – playwright James Graham | Radical Thinking
Are we doomscrolling our way into a democratic crisis? That’s what the playwright James Graham fears may be happening, as he suggests that our algorithms have led us into ‘a massive crisis of the new’ and are preventing us from imagining a different future. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Why am I obsessed with China’s ancient golden age? I took my daughter on a trip to find out
I felt a duty to write about the Tang dynasty and its incredible social and cultural sophistication – but also to connect my Chinese past with my child By Xiaolu Guo. Read by Elizabeth Chan. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
The Netanyahu doctrine: how Israel’s longest-serving leader reshaped the country in his image
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2023: he first became prime minister in 1996 and has been pushing the country further right ever since. Most agree his political days are numbered – but the approach he established will prove very difficult to shift By Joshua Leifer. Read by Andre
A tale of two trap houses: being cuckooed ruined my friend’s life – but did it then help save him?
Drug gangs have moved off Britain’s streets and into vulnerable people’s homes. Addicts like my friend are easy targets, but the reality can be more complicated than it seems By Max Daly. Read by Simon Darwen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
‘Austerity is inevitably painful’. How Michael Gove justifies his politics | Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty
For more than three decades, Michael Gove has been a leading figure in British Conservatism. As a journalist, government minister and now editor of the Tory bible the Spectator, he has helped shape the UK right even as it has moved further rightwards. In the latest episode of Radical Thinking, Gove joins Aditya Chakrabortty to discuss the future of the right, his record on Brexit and austerity and
‘A completely unique opportunity’: the secretive process that will decide the BBC’s future
Every decade, the BBC’s continued existence must be secured through an elaborate multi-year negotiation with the government. But what does charter renewal actually involve – and will it secure the BBC’s long-term future? By Barbara Speed. Read by Carlyss Peer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: ‘Voters are unhappier with the NHS than they’ve been for 30 years. As a GP, I feel the same’
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2023: Even those at the top admit the NHS can’t do what is being asked of it today. But it is far from unsalvageable – we just need serious politicians who will commit to funding it By Gavin Francis. Read by Greg Miller Burns. Help support our ind
‘A crisis of authenticity’: the truth about food influencers
Instagrammers have upended the British restaurant scene and amassed followings in the millions. But has their moment already passed? By Stephen Buranyi. Read by Josh Berry. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor | Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty
Are we really living through ‘end times fascism’? Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor think so. In a new series from the Guardian, the pair speak to Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty in an extended interview. From Trump 2.0 and the rise of the tech billionaire to Gaza and the climate emergency, Klein and Taylor argue we are not just lurching from crisis to crisis but are in a new and dangerous mo
Labour’s last chance? The people shaping Andy Burnham’s grand plans for Britain
The new prime minister has declared he wants to end 40 years of neoliberalism. But is he really prepared to be that radical? By Hettie O’Brien. Read by Philip Whitchurch. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive – No place like home: my bitter return to Palestine
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2022: All my life, my exiled parents had told me about the tragedy of Palestine. Then, when I was in my early 20s, my family moved back – and I saw it with my own eyes By Fida Jiryis. Read by Sarah Agha. Help support our independent journalism at
‘This is dangerous’: slime moulds and the bitter debate over the nature of intelligence
Scientists are battling over whether supposedly simple organisms should be considered ‘intelligent’. The outcome could reshape our understanding of the natural world – and our own place within it By Samanth Subramanian. Read by Mikhail Sen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Introducing Radical Thinking with Aditya Chakrabortty
Who is really in charge – the people or the markets? In the first episode of Radical Thinking, a new series from the Guardian, senior economics commentator Aditya Chakrabortty speaks to the former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis. What was it like during the Eurozone crisis when Varoufakis went head-to-head with those who wanted to stop his reforms?. Help support our independent journalism
The end times fascists are plotting their escape from our world. Our mission is clear
An unholy alliance is working toward an apocalyptic future from which only a chosen few will emerge unscathed. It’s becoming clear how we stop them By Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor. Read by Katherine Fenton. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: How Facebook and Instagram became marketplaces for child sex trafficking
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: Our two-year investigation suggests that the tech giant Meta is struggling to prevent criminals from using its platforms to buy and sell children for sex. By Katie McQue and Mei-Ling McNamara. Read by Jeanette Robinson More from this series
The flat-pack skyscraper: how wood can shape the cities of the future
Our buildings are monuments to extraction and extreme emissions. But what if we turned from destructive concrete to timber? By James Crawford. Read by David Carlyle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
The other Post Office scandal: how organised crime launders money on the high street
Hundreds of millions of pounds of dirty money are being deposited at post offices every year. So why are the police reluctant to investigate the scale of the problem? By Oliver Bullough. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: ‘I know where the bodies are buried’: one woman’s mission to change how the police investigate rape
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: For the past two years, Betsy Stanko has been leading an unprecedented investigation into why the police have been failing so badly to tackle sexual violence. But is there any chance of fixing a system that seems so broken? By Melissa Denes
A bungled bomb plot in Poland exposed a spy – but whose spy was he?
When exiled Russian opposition campaigner Igor Rogov was accused of working for the Kremlin, his friends were shocked. Could this young activist have really been an undercover agent? By Shaun Walker. Read by Kobna Holdbrook Smith. Additional reporting by Ada Petriczko. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
‘If you build something vastly smarter than you, it better be on your side’: can we stop AI from deceiving us?
We are used to the idea that our fellow humans might intentionally mislead or manipulate us, but the idea that machines can now do the same is deeply unsettling. Researchers are racing to find solutions before it’s too late. By Snigdha Poonam. Read by Maya Saroya. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: The rubbishscapes of Essex: why our buried trash is back to haunt us
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: Landfill sites have swallowed many a beauty spot along the Thames estuary in the past 50 years. Now, as those dumps start to disgorge tonnes of mouldering detritus into the river, it truly feels like the Age of Consequences By Tim Burrows.
Democracy v the machine: the birth of the digital age and the warnings that were ignored
Many hoped that the march of technology would usher in an egalitarian utopia – but some foresaw the threat it would pose to liberal society. Why did nobody listen? By Jill Lepore. Read by Laurel Lefkow. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
The long shadow of Argentina’s dictatorship: she wasn’t who she thought she was. Neither was her father
A young activist thought her father’s disapproval of her leftwing views was purely political. Then one evening, a kiss goodbye sent her on a remarkable journey that continues today By Meaghan Beatley. Read by Cynthia Farrell. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: Sudan’s outsider: how a paramilitary leader fell out with the army and plunged the country into war
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: The civilians of Sudan have been trying to throw off military rule for decades, but now find themselves caught in the middle of a deadly power struggle between former allies turned bitter opponents Written and read by Nesrine Malik. Help su
The great silence: why haven’t we found any aliens yet?
Given the size and age of the universe, it should be full of species with technology far more advanced than our own. So where are they? By Adam Kirsch. Read by James Sobol Kelly. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Introducing Black Box: The Chatbots
Across the world, hundreds of people have come to believe they have made extraordinary scientific discoveries with AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. Others say their AI has ‘awakened’, or is leading them to a higher spiritual realm. The Guardian journalist Michael Safi begins investigating a phenomenon labelled ‘AI psychosis’, travelling to the US to meet two people who have been on
The body snatchers: how a young Nigerian man was lured to London in an organ-trafficking plot
Daniel was working at a market in Lagos when he was given the chance to start anew in the UK. He had no idea what was expected of him in return By Alexis Okeowo. Read by Nneka Okoye. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: ‘Drought is on the verge of becoming the next pandemic’
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: While the world becomes drier, profit and pollution are draining our resources. We have to change our approach By Tim Smedley. Read by Sid Sagar. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
‘I can sense Sinatra enter my body and exit my lungs’: aboard the celebrity impersonators’ cruise
I joined Marilyn Monroe, Walter White, Ozzy Osbourne and other tribute artists on a cruise where imitation is its own art form By Mina Tavakoli. Read by Norma Butikofer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Best of 2026…so far: ‘Any other child would have died’: the miraculous survival of Nada Itrab
Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2026, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from February: After a nine-year-old girl was kidnapped and taken from Spain to Bolivia, authorities feared the worst. They found her in the rainforest nine months later – but that wasn’
Best of 2026…so far: Apocalypse no: how almost everything we thought we knew about the Maya is wrong
Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2026, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from February: For many years the prevailing debate about the Maya centred upon why their civilisation collapsed. Now, many scholars are asking: how did the Maya survive? By Marcus Haral
‘The war leaked into every lesson’: learning Ukrainian in a country under siege
Soon after my first visit to Ukraine four years ago, I began language lessons. It taught me more than I ever expected Written and read by Charlotte Higgins On Wednesday 30 September, join Charlotte Higgins and our panel of acclaimed Ukrainian writers to reflect on the profound connections between war, art and life. With Olia Hercules, Sasha Dovzhyk, Olesya Khromeychuk and Shaun Walker. Book ticket
Best of 2026 … so far: Where Duolingo falls down: how I learned to speak Welsh with my mother
Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2026, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from March: Once violently defended from extinction, Welsh is still a part of daily life. By learning my family’s language, I hoped to join their conversation By Dan Fox. Read by Matt Ad
Best of 2026 … so far: Asian mothers, bad feelings: notes on an all-conquering stereotype
Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2026, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from April: A certain image of the tiger mom – strict, cold and demanding – is ubiquitous in popular culture. Why? By Rebecca Liu. Read by Ginnia Cheng. Help support our independent jour
Iraq’s impossible predicament: why the country is trapped between Iran and the US
With the outbreak of this year’s war, Iraq’s balancing act between the two antagonists has collapsed, exposing a perilously fragile state By Ghaith Abdul-Ahad. Read by Mo Ayoub The summer issue of the Long Read magazine is out now. Click here to order. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Best of 2026…so far: Endo dreams of sushi: a trip around Japan with one of the world’s greatest chefs
Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2026, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from April: Endo Kazutoshi spent decades climbing to the top of the culinary world, only for a devastating fire to threaten it all. I joined him in the aftermath as he travelled around h
Best of 2026…so far: 35,000 pints of stolen Guinness, 950 wheels of pilfered cheese: can the UK’s cargo theft crisis be stopped?
Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2026, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from March: It costs the UK economy £700m a year, and criminal gangs are operating with near impunity. Every time a lorry gets robbed, raided or hijacked, it’s Mike Dawber who investigat
The Dacre dynasty: how Britain’s rightwing press was radicalised
At the Daily Mail, Paul Dacre broke new ground in selling readers an angry rightwing perspective. Today, most of Fleet Street is run by his disciples By Andy Beckett. Read by Simon Vance The summer issue of the Long Read magazine is out now. Click here to order. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Best of 2026…so far: ‘I see it as trafficking’: the brutal reality of life as a foreign student in the UK
Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2026, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from January: Universities in Britain rely on overseas applicants paying full fees, which has given rise to some unscrupulous recruiters and left many hopefuls and their families deep in
Best of 2026…so far: My maddening battle with chronic fatigue syndrome: ‘On my worst days, it feels almost demonic’
Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2026, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from February: I suffered with my mystery illness for decades before gaining a diagnosis. Could retraining my brain be the answer? By Hermione Hoby. Read by Alby Baldwin. Help support ou
‘This process has turned into a form of torture’: inside the trial of Erdoğan’s challenger
He was elected mayor of Istanbul in 2019, and had announced his candidacy for the 2028 presidential elections. But Ekrem İmamoğlu is now behind bars, and his trial, on charges including fraud and organised crime, could take 12 years By Kaya Genç. Read by Philip Ishak Arditti This piece first appeared in the Dial. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
‘It makes your heart sing’: can a pioneering project show that rewilding really works?
Intensive farming has all but destroyed England’s ancient woodlands and freshwater wetlands. On a farm in Lincolnshire a radical aristocrat hopes to show there’s money in protecting nature By Patrick Barkham. Read by Dermot Daly. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: ‘A dizzying maze’: how the UK immigration system is geared to reject
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: Navigating the roadblocks into Britain gets ever more difficult and expensive, as government hostility leaks into every transaction. By Maya Goodfellow. Read by Lucy Scott. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longread
‘It is comforting to be haunted’: how attitudes to abortion have changed through the ages
The abortion debate – the language of life, choice and rights – severs women, and their pain, from history. I don’t want to forget my abortion and I don’t want to forget theirs By Erin Maglaque. Read by Lanna Joffrey. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
What training my chaotic dog taught me about power, control – and human beings
Our lovable yet unruly boxer Dusty forced me to wonder: if a dog has no morals, how do you teach it to be ‘good’? By William Davies. Read by John Robins. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Pinker’s progress: the celebrity scientist at the centre of the culture wars
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: How the Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker became one of the world’s most contentious thinkers By Alex Blasdel. Read by Christopher Ragland • The summer issue of the Long Read magazine is out now. Click here to order. Help support our indep
Saint Levant: the pop star from Gaza caught between passionate fandom and bitter disapproval
His detractors say he shouldn’t be making pop music in times of war and destruction. His millions of fans say he has given them permission to celebrate their culture and their cause Written and read by Nesrine Malik. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
‘There’s this deep mystery of what, actually, is this thing?’: the philosopher inside Google DeepMind AI
Since 2017, Iason Gabriel has worked at the tech giant, trying to anticipate – and think through – the impact of AI. But as commercial and geopolitical pressures escalate, can ethicists make any difference? By Robert P Baird. Read by Simon Darwen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: Battle of the botanic garden: the horticulture war roiling the Isle of Wight
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: When a US businessman took over a beloved garden a decade ago, he decided on a radical new approach, all in the name of sustainability. But angry critics claim it’s just plain neglect By Mark O’Connell. Read by Simon Vance. Help support our
‘Navigating the unknown together’: me and my idiot AI boyfriend
I believe that chatbots have no place in a decent society, and am repelled by the topic of AI in general. But could I be seduced? By Lauren Oyler. Read by Kate Handford. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
‘He liked that people were scared of him’: my year unpicking fantasy and reality with a veteran of Italy’s football ultras
I’ve met many hardcore, violent fans, but the hostage-negotiating, cocaine-smuggling, Marxist-Leninist Alessandro Casolari still stood out By Tobias Jones. Read by Bert Seymour. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: Leave no trace: how a teenage hacker lost himself online
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2021: Edwin Robbe had a troubled life, but found excitement and purpose by joining an audacious community of hackers. Then the real world caught up with his online activities By Huib Modderkolk. Read by Aaron Vodovoz. Help support our independent
How did Mexico’s president become the world’s most popular leftwing leader?
Claudia Sheinbaum started as an activist. Now she is Mexico’s president. Has she stayed true to her ideals? By Rachel Nolan. Read by Gemma Acosta. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
I launched Cuba’s first independent magazine. And that’s when my troubles began
My friends and I wanted to tell the story of Cuban life, without interference. Before long, I was being isolated, monitored and interrogated By Abraham Jiménez Enoa. Read by Sebastián Capitán Viveros A version of this essay was previously published in the Dial under the title The Sneeze. Translation by Lily Meyer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: Flour power: meet the bread heads baking a better loaf
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: The days of the mass-produced pappy white British supermarket loaf may be numbered. Meet the bread heads revolutionising the way we eat By Wendell Steavenson. Read by Lucy Scott. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/lo
‘They take you out of life, out of time’: a journey into Spain’s astonishing cave paintings
For tens of thousands of years, these Palaeolithic artworks were unseen. When they were rediscovered, onlookers marvelled at their vivid beauty. One of the world’s leading experts took me up close Written and read by Stephen Phelan. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Ping-pong sponges, ‘black smokers’ and floating somethings: the secrets of the deep sea
The bottom of the ocean has barely been explored, but every journey to the deep reveals wondrous new lifeforms. As underwater mining gains momentum, we risk destroying one of Earth’s last great wildernesses By Jacob Mikanowski. Read by Lincoln Conway. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: No coach, no agent, no ego: the incredible story of the ‘Lionel Messi of cliff diving’
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: Gary Hunt is an enigma. He trains with the intensity of a modern athlete, but relaxes like a sportsman of a bygone era. He is fiercely competitive but unbelievably laid-back. How did he become the greatest cliff diver of all time? By Xan Ri
‘Seriously the best boss ever’: inside the world of Jeffrey Epstein’s assistant
No one’s name appears in the Epstein files more than that of Lesley Groff, his assistant. Reading through the thousands of emails, a troubling question arises: what did she know? By Sophie Elmhirst. Read by Norma Butikofer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
‘The devil’s child’: the rise and fall of the only female yakuza
Mako Nishimura fought her way into the Japanese underworld, but drug addiction and the slow demise of organised crime gangs almost destroyed her By Sean Williams. Read by Ami Okumura Jones. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: Terrorists, cultists – or champions of Iranian democracy? The wild wild story of the MEK
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2018: They fought for the Iranian revolution – and then for Saddam Hussein. The US and UK once condemned them. But now their opposition to Tehran has made them favourites of Trump White House hardliners By Arron Merat. Read by Lucy Scott. Help su
As a Ukrainian journalist, I’ve covered the US for 20 years. I find it increasingly shocking
My country has been under occupation, dogged by corruption and war. Yet even I’ve been bewildered by the way the US seems to be fracturing By Nataliya Gumenyuk. Read by Inna Bagoli. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
‘Should we leave them to die?’ The battle over how to save orangutans from the curse of palm oil
As new settlers clear their forest habitat, the apes are coming into conflict with humans. But simply moving them to another part of the forest may not be the answer By Sally Williams. Read by Saskia Reeves. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: Sold to the Trump family: one of the last undeveloped islands in the Mediterranean
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2025: Trump and her husband Jared Kushner have spent more than $1bn on an Albanian island that will be a luxury resort – once the unexploded ordnance has been removed By Marzio Mian. Read by Mo Ayoub For more on US politics and the Trump family c
Prisoner number 804: the plot to erase Imran Khan
It’s one thing to remove a PM from office, as happened to the former cricketer in 2022. But it’s another thing to try to eradicate the most famous person in Pakistan’s history By Osman Samiuddin. Read By Aaron Neil. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
‘I couldn’t breathe’: the sinister spread of France’s killer seaweed
After a series of deaths on the beaches of Brittany, one bereaved family set out to prove the foul-smelling bloom was to blame By Marta Zaraska. Read by Lucy Bromilow. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive: Three abandoned children, two missing parents and a 40-year mystery
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: Elvira and her brothers, Ricard and Ramón, were left at a train station in Barcelona aged two, four and five. As an adult, when Elvira decided to look for her parents, she discovered a family history wilder than anything she had imagined By
After a hard-fought victory to legalise medical cannabis in the UK, why is it still so hard to access?
Two mothers fought British bureaucracy to obtain lifesaving cannabis medicines for their children. But most patients are having to go private – at huge cost Written and read by Kojo Koram. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
Asian mothers, bad feelings: notes on an all-conquering stereotype
A certain image of the tiger mom – strict, cold and demanding – is ubiquitous in popular culture. Why? By Rebecca Liu. Read by Ginnia Cheng. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
From the archive:‘I feel like I’m selling my soul’: inside the crisis at Juventus
We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: a series of financial scandals have rocked Italy’s most glamorous club. But is the trouble at Juventus symptomatic of a deeper rot in world football? By Tobias Jones. Read by Daniel Alexander. Help support our independent journalism at theg
‘I had poked the bear right in the eye’: my fight to renounce my Russian citizenship
When Putin invaded Ukraine, he raised murder to the level of national policy. I felt guilt by association. And I had to act Written and read by Sergey Radchenko. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod
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