Inside the airline industry's meltdown – podcast

Coronavirus has hit few sectors harder than air travel, wiping out tens of thousands of jobs and uncountable billions in revenue. While most fleets were grounded, the industry was forced to reimagine its future. By Samanth Subramanian Continue reading...

14h

The contested legacy of the anti-fascist International Brigades

In the 1930s, thousands of men and women around the world enlisted to fight fascism in Spain. Many survivors went on to play a key role in the fight against the Nazis – but, in some cases, later became powerful servants of brutal regimesVirgilio Fernández del Real sent his last testament via WhatsApp on 28 November 2019. I opened the video to see him...

1d

From the archives: The prison where murderers play for Manchester United – podcast

We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives and bringing you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors.This week, from 2015: Luzira was once the most notorious prison in Uganda. Now it’s home to what is surely the world’s most elaborate prison football league – and a model for the transformative power of the beautiful...

2d

'I have been quiet for 50 years': standing up against sexual abuse at Celtic Boys Club

Many of the perpetrators have been jailed for their crimes. Now a number of survivors and their families claim that officials at Celtic knew about the sexual abuse and did nothingGordon Woods was an unlikely candidate to play for Celtic football club, since he came from the other side of Glasgow’s sectarian soccer divide. Born into a Protestant family,...

3d

How one man spent 34 years in prison after setting fire to a pair of curtains – podcast

David Blagdon’s long-term detention has been described as ‘barbaric’. Whatever his disastrous personal choices, the system failed him repeatedly. By Mark Olden Continue reading...

4d

The disruption con: why big tech’s favourite buzzword is nonsense – podcast

How one magic word became a way of justifying Silicon Valley’s unconstrained power. By Adrian Daub Continue reading...

1w

‘Machines set loose to slaughter’: the dangerous rise of military AI

Autonomous machines capable of deadly force are increasingly prevalent in modern warfare, despite numerous ethical concerns. Is there anything we can do to halt the advance of the killer robots?The video is stark. Two menacing men stand next to a white van in a field, holding remote controls. They open the van’s back doors, and the whining sound of...

2w

From the archives: Time, gentlemen: when will the last all-male clubs admit women? – podcast

We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives and bringing you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors.This week’s article: The Garrick Club in London is preparing for a bitter struggle over whether to admit women members. How long can the British establishment fend off modernity? By Amelia Gentleman Continue reading...

2w

How maverick rewilders are trying to turn back the tide of extinction

A handful of radical nature lovers are secretly breeding endangered species and releasing them into the wild. Many are prepared to break the law and risk the fury of the scientific establishment to save the animals they loveIn a beautiful meadow filled with wildflowers and birdsong, a man of late middle age wearing a faded camouflage sun hat knelt beside...

2w

How rescuing drowning migrants became a crime – podcast

The Iuventa ran hundreds of missions to save migrants from drowning off the coast of Libya. But after Europe cracked down on migration, its crew found themselves facing prosecution. By Daniel Trilling Continue reading...

2w