From the archives – Karachi vice: inside the city torn apart by killings, extortion and terrorism – podcast

We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors.This week, from 2015: Amid the mayhem that has turned parts of Karachi into no-go zones, reporters risk their lives to make sense of a crime wave that is virtually an insurgency• Read the text version here Continue...

12h

How coronavirus is widening the UK gender pay gap

The pandemic has been disastrous for women’s economic progress. But inequality was baked into the system long before lockdown. By Linda ScottWho would have predicted that on the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, British women would be back in the home, up to their ears in dishes, dinners and nappies, watching their careers evaporate as the pay...

1d

My four miscarriages: why is losing a pregnancy so shrouded in mystery? – podcast

After losing four pregnancies, Jennie Agg set out to unravel the science of miscarriage. Then, a few months in, she found out she was pregnant again – just as the coronavirus pandemic hit• Read the text version here Continue reading...

2d

How a small Spanish town became one of Europe's worst Covid-19 hotspots – podcast

In the northern region of La Rioja, one medieval town has suffered a particularly deadly outbreak. And in such a tight-knit community, suspicion and recrimination can spread as fast as the virus. By Giles Tremlett• Read the text version here Continue reading...

5d

What's wrong with WhatsApp

As social media has become more inhospitable, the appeal of private online groups has grown. But they hold their own dangers – to those both inside and out.In the spring, as the virus swept across the world and billions of people were compelled to stay at home, the popularity of one social media app rose more sharply than any other. By late March, usage...

6d

From the archives: The clean, green and slightly bonkers world of CBeebies

We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors.This week, from 2016: CBeebies isn’t just a channel, it’s a culture – and as a new parent you have little choice but to surrender to it. By Sophie Elmhirst• Read the text version here Continue reading...

1w

'You have to take action': one hospital cleaner’s journey through the pandemic

After years of outsourcing, many essential staff work for the NHS without receiving its benefits. In one London hospital, the fight is on for a better deal. By Sophie ElmhirstOn 9 February, a cold, damp Sunday, an Uber pulled up to University Hospital Lewisham in south-east London and dropped off a woman who had recently returned from China. The woman...

2w

How Hong Kong caught fire: the story of a radical uprising – podcast

Hong Kong used to be seen as cautious, pragmatic and materialistic. But in the past year, an increasingly bold protest movement has transformed the city. Now, as Beijing tightens its grip, how much longer can the movement survive? By Tania Branigan and Lily Kuo• Read the text version here Continue reading...

2w

The power of crowds – podcast

Even before the pandemic, mass gatherings were under threat from draconian laws and corporate seizure of public space. Yet history shows that the crowd always finds a way to return. By Dan Hancox• Read the text version here Continue reading...

2w

Party and protest: the radical history of gay liberation, Stonewall and Pride

A police raid on a gay bar in New York led to the birth of the Pride movement half a century ago – but the fight for LGBTQ+ rights goes back much further than that. By Huw LemmeyIn early July 1969, a US soldier stationed in Long Bình, Vietnam, opened his army newspaper and came across an article that would change his life. Among the stories of the ongoing...

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