AJ Longreads

Pakistan's Christians have long been marginalised and pushed into sewer cleaning work. Now, some are fighting back.

Written by Saad Zuberi.

Read by Laura Lockwood.

In Berlin, comedians from Ukraine and Russia share the same stage as an outlet for their grief and anger about the war.

Written by Verena Hoelzl.

Read by Richard Martin.

How a flourishing underground subculture is providing a welcome escape from the realities of war.

Written by Nils Adler.

Read by Xzavian Wrushen.

Partners caught on different sides of the yearlong conflict reflect on how it has affected their relationships.

Written by Pearly Jacob.
Read by Emma Jones. 

Despite the dangers of war, many winemakers have continued to operate, buoyed by growing demand for local wines.

Written by Nils Adler.

Read by Pete Ferrand. 

After fleeing the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, the former head of a girls' school in Kabul tries to make a new life in Canada.

Written by Mellissa Fung.

Read by Laura Lockwood. 

In Taliban's Afghanistan, Hazara cousins, both blast victims who loved to read and learn, inspire an outdoor library - and new readers.

Written by Ruchi Kumar. 

Read by Erica Sand. 

As clandestine networks form to support women, they look to Central America for a road map -- and a warning.

This story was written by Delaney Nolan and read by Annie M Dylan.

Reporting for this story was supported by the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Reproductive Rights Reporting Fund.    

Widely used in construction for decades, the aftermath of asbestos exposure has been a death sentence for many in the United Kingdom. 

Written by Katharine Quarmby.

Read by Richard Martin. 

This article is part of a wider cross-border investigation, Asbestos: The Lethal Legacy, led by Investigative Reporting Denmark, edited by Katharine Quarmby, and made in collaboration with journalists from Knack in Belgium, Tygodnik Powszechny and Reporters’ Foundation in Poland, Ostro in Croatia and Slovenia, Investigative Reporting Project Italy, De Groene Amsterdammer in The Netherlands, Grupo Merca2 in Spain, Al Jazeera in the UK and TV2 Nord in Denmark. The investigation is supported by Journalismfund.eu.

Sifting through waste to find and sell scraps of cloth and recyclables use to be enough for Gunja and Chand to support their family. Now they're earning less because of a series of lockdowns and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Written by Suparna Sharma.

Read by Laura Lockwood.