In February, a gang of armed men took a North Korean official hostage and demanded that he defect. When he refused, their plan fell apart, and they fled. Who were they, and why did they risk everything on this wild plot? By Giles Tremlett. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Inside the bizarre, bungled raid on North Korea's Madrid embassy

The Audio Long Read podcast is a selection of the Guardian’s long reads, giving you the opportunity to get on with your day while listening to some of the finest journalism the Guardian has to offer, including in-depth writing from around the world on immigration, crime, business, the arts and much more

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Four years on from the start of the pandemic, the drama may have subsided but the lingering effects go on. Are we suffering from political long Covid? By David Runciman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Rage, waste and corruption: how Covid changed politics

Linguistic diversity on Earth is far more profound and fundamental than previously imagined. But it’s also crumbling fast. By Ross Perlin. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Disappearing tongues: the endangered language crisis

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 2020: A drone sighting caused the airport to close for two days in 2018, but despite a lengthy police investigation, no culprit was ever found. So what exactly did people see in the Sussex sky? By Samira Shackle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From the archive: The mystery of the Gatwick drone

The prevalence of sickle cell disease is changing how Nigerians date, marry and plan their lives. And as genetic testing becomes more common, prospective parents across the world will face similar questions. By Krithika Varagur. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

‘What’s the worst that could happen?’: Love in the sickle cell capital of the world

The ocean’s depths are not some remote alien realm, but are in fact intimately entangled with every other part of the planet. We should treat them that way. By James Bradley. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Inside the bizarre, bungled raid on North Korea's Madrid embassy

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