Best Khartoum Podcasts (2024)

1
10 years of the long read: ‘All that we had is gone’: my lament for war-torn Khartoum (2023) 39:41

30m ago39:41

39:41

As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2023: Since Sudan’s capital was engulfed by violence in April, life there has been all but destroyed. As we tried to get family members to safety, the ruination of my former home bec…

1
Revisited: Two poems, four years in detention: the Chinese dissident who smuggled his writing out of prison 32:07

11m ago32:07

32:07

My poems were written in anger after Tiananmen Square. But what motivates most prison writing is a fear of forgetting. Today I am free, but the regime has never stopped its war on words. By Liao Yiwu Because of industrial action taking place by members of the National Union of Journalists at the Guardian and Observer this week, we are re-running an…

1
10 years of the long read: Ukraine’s death-defying art rescuers (2024) 48:36

34m ago48:36

48:36

As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2024: When Putin invaded, a historian in Kyiv saw that Ukraine’s cultural heritage was in danger. So he set out to save as much of it as he could. By Charlotte Higgins. Help support …

1
A new nuclear arms race is beginning. It will be far more dangerous than the last one 33:05

34m ago33:05

33:05

With Putin’s threats in Ukraine, China’s accelerated weapons programme and the US’s desire for superiority, what will it take for leaders to step back from the brink? By Jessica T Mathews. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Revisited: Too much stuff: can we solve our addiction to consumerism? 30:47

2h ago30:47

30:47

Alarmed by the rising tide of waste we are all creating, my family and I decided to try to make do with much less. But while individual behaviour is important, real change will require action on a far bigger scale. By Chip Colwell Because of industrial action taking place by members of the National Union of Journalists at the Guardian and Observer …

1
The scandal of food waste – and how we can stop it 25:52

6d ago25:52

25:52

Every informed observer agrees that food waste and loss must be reduced if we are to feed all humans. What’s stopping us? By Julian Baggini. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
‘I couldn’t cry over my children like everyone else’: the tragedy of Palestinian journalist Wael al-Dahdouh 47:23

26m ago47:23

47:23

After his wife and two of his children were killed in Gaza, Al Jazeera journalist Wael al-Dahdouh became famous around the world for his decision to keep reporting. But this was just the start of his heartbreaking journey. By Nesrine Malik. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
10 years of the long read: Seven stowaways and a hijacked oil tanker: the strange case of the Nave Andromeda (2022) 47:40

1d ago47:40

47:40

As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2022: In October 2020 an emergency call was received from a ship in British waters. After a full-scale commando raid, seven Nigerians were taken off in handcuffs – but no one was eve…

1
A cool flame: how Gaia theory was born out of a secret love affair 31:32

36m ago31:32

31:32

Scientist James Lovelock gave humanity new ways to think about our home planet – but some of his biggest ideas were the fruit of a passionate collaboration. By Jonathan Watts. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
‘You tried to tell yourself I wasn’t real’: what happens when people with acute psychosis meet the voices in their heads? 47:45

43m ago47:45

47:45

In avatar therapy, a clinician gives voice to their patients’ inner demons. For some of the participants in a new trial, the results have been astounding. By Jenny Kleeman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
10 years of the long read: The disastrous voyage of Satoshi, the world’s first cryptocurrency cruise ship (2021) 42:03

6d ago42:03

42:03

As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2021: Last year, three cryptocurrency enthusiasts bought a cruise ship. They named it the Satoshi, and dreamed of starting a floating libertarian utopia. It didn’t work out. By Sophi…

1
The cement company that paid millions to Isis: was Lafarge complicit in crimes against humanity? 52:12

1h ago52:12

52:12

The French cement giant started operating in Syria just before the civil war erupted. When Islamic State took over the region, Lafarge paid them protection money so it could keep trading. The consequences are still playing out. By Samanth Subramanian. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
Journalist or Russian spy? The strange case of Pablo González 48:12

22d ago48:12

48:12

As a Spanish reporter, Pablo González charmed his way into Russian opposition circles and covered Putin’s wars. Then, in 2022, he was arrested on suspicion of espionage. Many former associates now believe that he betrayed them. By Shaun Walker. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
10 years of the long read: The invisible city: how a homeless man built a life underground (2020) 44:49

7d ago44:49

44:49

As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2020: After decades among the hidden homeless, Dominic Van Allen dug himself a bunker beneath a public park. But his life would get even more precarious. By Tom Lamont. Help support …

1
Has poppymania gone too far? 30:03

15d ago30:03

30:03

Over the past 20 years, the symbol of remembrance for the war dead has become increasingly ubiquitous – and a culture of poppy policing has grown with it. By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
Slash and burn: is private equity out of control? 37:15

6d ago37:15

37:15

From football clubs to water companies, music catalogues to care homes, private equity has infiltrated almost every facet of modern life in its endless search to maximise profits. By Alex Blasdel. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
10 years of the long read: Hand dryers v paper towels: the surprisingly dirty fight for the right to dry your hands (2019) 43:20

8d ago43:20

43:20

As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2019: For a century, the humble paper towel has dominated public toilets. But a new generation of hand dryers has sparked a war for loo supremacy. By Samanth Subramanian. Help suppor…

1
Hidden traces of humanity: what AI images reveal about our world 40:05

10d ago40:05

40:05

As generative AI advances, it is easy to see it as yet another area where machines are taking over – but humans remain at the centre of AI art, just in ways we might not expect. By Rachel Ossip. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
The other British invasion: how UK lingo conquered the US 31:45

1M ago31:45

31:45

It used to be that Britons would complain about Americanisms diluting the English language. But in fact it’s a two-way street. By Ben Yagoda. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
The Juba Peace Agreement (2020): A New Chapter for Sudan? 44:04

1M ago44:04

44:04

Can a peace agreement reshape a nation emerging from three decades under a dictatorship? After the fall of Omar al-Bashir, the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) of 2020 was unveiled with high hopes of correcting past failures. This agreement sought more than just an end to conflict—it aimed to completely transform how Sudan is governed. What sets the JPA …

1
10 years of the long read: Why Silicon Valley billionaires are prepping for the apocalypse in New Zealand (2018) 43:38

1M ago43:38

43:38

As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2018: How an extreme libertarian tract predicting the collapse of liberal democracies – written by Jacob Rees-Mogg’s father – inspired the likes of Peter Thiel to buy up property acr…

1
‘Places to heal, not to harm’: why brutal prison design kills off hope 28:37

25d ago28:37

28:37

From razor-wire fences and crumbling cells to no windows and overcrowding, conditions in most jails mean rehabilitation is a nonstarter. Here’s how we can create better spaces for prisoners. By Yvonne Jewkes. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
The trial of Björn Höcke, the ‘real boss’ of Germany’s far right 47:36

2M ago47:36

47:36

As leader of the AfD’s most radical faction, he is infamous in Germany and his critics have long accused him of using language that echoes the Nazis. This year, a court put that question to the test. By Alex Dziadosz. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
10 years of the long read: How the sandwich consumed Britain (2017) 43:11

28d ago43:11

43:11

As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2017: The world-beating British sandwich industry is worth £8bn a year. It transformed the way we eat lunch, then did the same for breakfast – and now it’s coming for dinner. By Sam …

1
‘For me, there was no other choice’: inside the global illegal organ trade 33:08

2M ago33:08

33:08

I spoke to dozens of people – from ‘donors’ to brokers – to find out how this exploitative trade thrives on chaos and desperation. By Seán Columb. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

501
How oligarchs took on the UK fraud squad – and won 1:09:56

1M ago1:09:56

1:09:56

It began as a routine investigation into a multinational called ENRC. It became a decade-long saga that has rocked the UK’s financial crime agency. Now new documents illuminate a case that has rewritten UK law and is set to end with a huge bill handed to taxpayers. By Tom Burgis. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpo…

1
10 years of the long read: Man v rat: could the long war soon be over? (2016) 40:41

2M ago40:41

40:41

As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2016: Rats spread disease, decimate crops and very occasionally eat people alive. For centuries, we have struggled to find an effective way of controlling their numbers. Until now… B…

1
Morality and rules, and how to avoid drowning: what my daughters learned at school in China 34:10

2M ago34:10

34:10

Our twins spent two years at primary school in Chengdu. Their lessons featured alarming cautionary tales and stories of Chinese superiority, but there was fun and irreverence, too. By Peter Hessler. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

601
The shapeshifter: who is the real Giorgia Meloni? 47:33

1M ago47:33

47:33

She’s been called a neo-fascist and a danger to Italy. But she has won over many heads of Europe, including the UK prime minister. Should we be worried? By Alexander Stille. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
10 years of the long read: Farewell to America (2015) 41:15

2M ago41:15

41:15

As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2015: After 12 years in the US, Gary Younge is preparing to depart – as the country’s racial frictions seem certain to spark another summer of conflict. By Gary Younge. Help support …

1
The cocaine kingpin’s wildest legacy: what can be done with Pablo Escobar’s marauding hippos? 34:00

1M ago34:00

34:00

The Colombian drug lord’s exotic menagerie fell apart after his death, and now wild hippos are breeding out of control. By Joshua Hammer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
‘Like a cheese grater raking across my nipple’: why I kept trying to breastfeed for so long 28:27

2M ago28:27

28:27

My commitment to breastfeeding exclusively was related to shame. If I couldn’t do it, I felt I would be letting the baby down. By Niamh Campbell. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
10 years of the long read: Is this the end of Britishness? (2014) 43:15

2M ago43:15

43:15

As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors. This week from 2014: A shared history of 300 years could be washed away if Scotland votes for independence. What was the complex identity the United Kingdom created – and should we mourn its loss? …

1
Special Edition: 10 years of the Guardian Long Read 29:53

2M ago29:53

29:53

To celebrate 10 years of The Long Read we gathered together the team who launched it to take you behind the scenes. Helen Pidd is joined by editor David Wolf, deputy editor Clare Longrigg, and former editor and founder of the Long Read Jonathan Shainin.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
Strange and wondrous creatures: plankton and the origins of life on Earth 27:12

2M ago27:12

27:12

Without plankton, the modern ocean ecosystem – the very idea of the ocean as we understand it – would collapse. Earth would have no complex life of any kind. By Ferris Jabr. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
No god in the machine: the pitfalls of AI worship 33:13

2M ago33:13

33:13

The rise of artificial intelligence has sparked a panic about computers gaining power over humankind. But the real threat comes from falling for the hype. By Navneet Alang. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
From the archive: The unravelling of a conspiracy: were the 16 charged with plotting to kill India’s prime minister framed? 39:20

2M ago39:20

39:20

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: In 2018, Indian police claimed to have uncovered a shocking plan to bring down the government. But there is mounting evidence that the initial conspiracy was a fiction – and the accused are …

1
The Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (2011): Justice on Hold 45:25

3M ago45:25

45:25

Imagine a courtroom where the world's most heinous crimes are supposed to be judged, yet only petty thieves stand trial. What happens when a peace agreement promises justice but delivers amnesty? This episode peels back the layers of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur of 2011, revealing the high stakes and hidden maneuvers behind an ambitious—an…

1
On board the Creed cruise: the unfathomable return of the ‘worst band of the 90s’ 32:39

2M ago32:39

32:39

I took a cruise with thousands of fellow lunatics to find out how this much-mocked rock band became so beloved. By Luke Winkie. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
A Chinese-born writer’s quest to understand the Vikings, Normans and life on the English coast 31:32

2M ago31:32

31:32

Perhaps a foreigner knows more about their adopted land than the locals, because a foreigner feels more acutely the particularities of a new environment. By Xiaolu Guo. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
From the archive: The invention of whiteness: the long history of a dangerous idea 54:07

2M ago54:07

54:07

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: Before the 17th century, people did not think of themselves as belonging to something called the white race. But once the idea was invented, it quickly began to reshape the modern world. By …

1
Ukraine’s death-defying art rescuers 44:00

3M ago44:00

44:00

When Putin invaded, a historian in Kyiv saw that Ukraine’s cultural heritage was in danger. So he set out to save as much of it as he could. By Charlotte Higgins. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
As a former IDF soldier and historian of genocide, I was deeply disturbed by my recent visit to Israel 1:04:27

2M ago1:04:27

1:04:27

This summer, one of my lectures was protested by far-right students. Their rhetoric brought to mind some of the darkest moments of 20th-century history – and overlapped with mainstream Israeli views to a shocking degree. By Omer Bartov. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
From the archive: Death on demand: has euthanasia gone too far? 39:54

2M ago39:54

39:54

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: Countries around the world are making it easier to choose the time and manner of your death. But doctors in the world’s euthanasia capital are starting to worry about the consequences. By Ch…

1
‘A diagnosis can sweep away guilt’: the delicate art of treating ADHD 34:03

2M ago34:03

34:03

For children with ADHD, getting the help they need depends on being correctly diagnosed. As a doctor, I have seen how tricky and frustrating a process that can be. By Jack Goulder. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

1
The Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement (2006): Buried Treasure or Failed Promise? 33:41

2M ago33:41

33:41

Did you know that Sudan has a history of conflict beyond Darfur and North-South wars? In this episode, we shine a light on the often-overlooked Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement of 2006. Join Heba Bawaieh and Dr. Paul Williams as they unravel the complexities of this forgotten conflict, exploring its root causes, the promises made, and the lasting impa…

1
The Abuja Peace Agreement (2006): Darfur's Broken Promise? 37:56

2M ago37:56

37:56

In this episode, hosts Heba Bawaieh and Dr. Paul Williams journey to the heart of the Darfur Peace Agreement of 2006, also known as the Abuja Agreement. Together, they unravel the complexities of this agreement, exploring the unintended consequences of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the fragmentation of rebel groups, the Sudanese governmen…

1
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (2005): A Critical Juncture in Sudan's History 32:38

3M ago32:38

32:38

In this episode, we continue our examination of Sudan's historical peace agreements with a focus on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005. This agreement aimed to end the long-standing civil conflict between northern and southern Sudan, following the shortcomings of the 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement. Hosted by Heba Bawaieh and featuring Dr. Paul R…

1
From the archive – ‘A merry-go-round of buck-passing’: inside the four-year Grenfell inquiry 51:05

3M ago51:05

51:05

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some notable pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: Five years after the fire that killed 72, the inquiry is nearing a close. Over 300 days of evidence, what have we learned about the failings that led to disaster? By Robert Booth. Help suppo…

1
The Khartoum Peace Agreement (1997): Perfect on Paper, Problematic in Practice? 32:20

3M ago32:20

32:20

At first glance, the 1997 Khartoum Peace Agreement appeared to be a perfect solution to Sudan's enduring civil war, promising peace and unity. But was it truly effective? Join host Heba Bawaieh with experts Dr. Paul Williams and Professor Milena Sterio as they peel back the layers of this seemingly ideal agreement to reveal the underlying complexit…

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