The great abandonment: what happens to t...

Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2025, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from January: doctors are pushing the limits of science and human ... Show More

The tiny, astonishingly wealthy country has become a major player on the world stage, trying to solve some of the most intractable conflicts. What’s driving this project? By Nesrine Malik. Read by Sulin Hasso. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod 

Every Wednesday and Friday in August we will publish some of our favourite audio long reads of 2025, in case you missed them, with an introduction from the editorial team to explain why we’ve chosen it. This week, from June: with his brilliant mind and impeccable credentials, it’ ... Show More

Helen Pidd grew up in Morecambe, and life in seaside towns has only got harder since she was a teenager. She went back to find out why. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus 

What is life like with – and after – long Covid? Helen Pidd reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus 

Biodiversity writer Phoebe Weston hears from farmers on the west coast of Scotland who claim they are losing hundreds of lambs a year in a case of rewilding gone wrong. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus 

Doberman puppies remain missing in the aftermath of a tragic Colorado homicide. Two veteran astronauts remain stranded in space as the world works to bring them back to Earth safely. China discovers a way to generate water on the moon. Next question: Would you pay to have sunligh ... Show More

Alex Holder loves her new life in Lisbon but has become increasingly uneasy that people like her might be damaging the cities they love. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus 

This week, Jordan Erica Webber talks to Kate Eichhorn about her new book The End of Forgetting: Growing up with Social Media, which explores the dangers facing young people who may find it difficult to distance themselves from their pasts, long into the future. Help support our i ... Show More

Why are Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore staying onboard the International Space Station much longer than planned? Richard Luscombe reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus 

Why do authors see Meta’s AI model as a threat to their livelihoods? Ella Creamer reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus 

The COVID 19 Pandemic has changed our lives. Some say forever. Investigative journalist Adam Shand speaks to experts in their fields to explore what might be our new norm. A vaccine may help us return to normal but is Australia still vulnerable to the next viral pandemic? It’s gl ... Show More

There is a parallel world which operates under different rules and benefits those with money and power. That’s the argument made by the journalist Atossa Araxia Abrahamian in her new book The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the world. She traces the rise of a freeports, charter ci ... Show More