Best Switzerland Current Affairs Podcasts (2025)

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‘I am not who you think I am’: how a deep-cover KGB spy recruited his own son 49:36

8h ago49:36

49:36

For the first time, the man the KGB codenamed ‘the Inheritor’ tells his story By Shaun Walker. Read by James Faulkner. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: What lies beneath: the truth about France’s top serial killer expert 58:12

2d ago58:12

58:12

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: An intrepid expert with dozens of books to his name, Stéphane Bourgoin was a bestselling author, famous in France for having interviewed more than 70 notorious murderers. Then an anonymous c…

1
‘Why would he take such a risk?’ How a famous Chinese author befriended his censor 39:25

4d ago39:25

39:25

Online dissent is a serious crime in China. So why did a Weibo censor help me publish posts critical of the Communist party? By Murong Xuecun. Read by Zhang Wang Li. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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The mystery of the nameless girl found dead in a Spanish border town 38:52

9d ago38:52

38:52

On a summer morning in 1990, the body of a young woman appeared in a small town close to the frontier. For those who saw her, finding her identity became an obsession that would last 30 years By Giles Tremlett. Read by Luis Soto. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: Food fraud and counterfeit cotton: the detectives untangling the global supply chain 45:32

11d ago45:32

45:32

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: Amid the complex web of international trade, proving the authenticity of a product can be near-impossible. But one company is taking the search to the atomic level By Samanth Subramanian. Re…

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From acid house to ancient rites: Jeremy Deller’s enormous, collaborative, unsellable art 38:24

13d ago38:24

38:24

The artist Jeremy Deller can’t really draw or paint. Instead of making things, he makes things happen. And later this year, he is planning to unleash a bacchanalian festival that will be his most daring public artwork yet By Charlotte Higgins. Read by Richard Coyle. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

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What happens when the US declares war on your parents? The Black Panther Cubs know 51:32

16d ago51:32

51:32

The Black Panthers shook America awake before the party was eviscerated by the US government. Their children paid a steep price, but also emerged with unassailable pride and burning lessons for today By Ed Pilkington. Read by Chiké Okonkwo. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

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From the archive: The last phone boxes: broken glass, cider cans and – amazingly – a dial tone 32:20

18d ago32:20

32:20

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 2022: Five million payphone calls are still made each year in the UK. Who is making them – and why? By Sophie Elmhirst. Read by Emma Powell. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.…

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Many life-saving drugs fail for lack of funding. But there’s a solution: desperate rich people 29:52

20d ago29:52

29:52

Each year, hundreds of potentially world-changing treatments are discarded because scientists run out of cash. But where big pharma or altruists fear to tread, my friend and I have a solution. It’s repugnant, but it will work By Alexander Masters. Read by Tom Andrews. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

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In search of the South Pacific fugitive who crowned himself king 47:44

23d ago47:44

47:44

Noah Musingku made a fortune with a Ponzi scheme and then retreated to a remote armed compound in the jungle, where he still commands the loyalty of his Bougainville subjects By Sean Williams. Read by Simon Darwen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: ‘I pleaded for help. No one wrote back’: the pain of watching my country fall to the Taliban 30:06

25d ago30:06

30:06

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: As the fighters advanced on Kabul, it was civilians who mobilised to help with the evacuation. In the absence of a plan, the hardest decisions fell on inexperienced volunteers, and the stres…

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The real Scandi noir: how a filmmaker and a crooked lawyer shattered Denmark’s self-image 47:41

27d ago47:41

47:41

The Black Swan follows a repentant master criminal as she sets up corrupt clients in front of hidden cameras. But is she really reformed – and is the director up to his own tricks? By Samanth Subramanian. Read by David Bateson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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Kahane’s ghost: how a long-dead extremist rabbi continues to haunt Israel’s politics 46:37

30d ago46:37

46:37

A violent fanatic and pioneer in bigotry, Meir Kahane died a political outcast 35 years ago. Today, his ideas influence the very highest levels of government By Joshua Leifer. Read by Kerry Shale. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: The great betrayal: how the Hillsborough families were failed by the justice system 49:04

1M ago49:04

49:04

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: After 32 years of establishment lies, media smears, inquests, trials and retrials, the families of the Hillsborough dead have yet to see anyone held accountable By David Conn. Read by Gavin …

1
My mother, the racist 32:03

1M ago32:03

32:03

She spent her life in northern France doing exhausting, back-breaking work – and yet she turned her anger against people who had done no wrongs to her. But as much as I couldn’t stand her rants, I was forced to accept her as she was By Didier Eribon. Read by Mark Noble. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

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The reluctant collaborator: surviving Syria’s brutal civil war – and its aftermath 50:15

1M ago50:15

50:15

At 18, Mustafa was told his only way out of prison was to join the regime forces. After 14 years, his past as one of Assad’s fighters could get him killed By Ghaith Abdul-Ahad. Read by Mo Ayoub. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: Votes for children! Why we should lower the voting age to six 33:49

1M ago33:49

33:49

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: The generational divide is deforming democracy. But there is a solution By David Runciman. Read by Andrew McGregor. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

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The Rainham volcano: a waste dump is constantly on fire in east London. Why will no one stop it? 38:55

1M ago38:55

38:55

Under Arnolds Field, tonnes of illegally dumped waste have been burning for years, spewing pollution over the area. Locals fear for their health – and despair that no one seems willing to help By William Ralston. Read by Sam Swainsbury. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

1
It came from outer space: the meteorite that landed in a Cotswolds cul-de-sac 29:30

1M ago29:30

29:30

Meteorite falls are extremely rare and offer a glimpse of the processes that formed our world billions of years ago. When a space rock came to an English market town in 2021, scientists raced to find as much out as they could By Helen Gordon. Read by Sasha Frost. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

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From the archive: ‘The treeline is out of control’: how the climate crisis is turning the Arctic green 36:32

2M ago36:32

36:32

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 2022: In northern Norway, trees are rapidly taking over the tundra and threatening an ancient way of life that depends on snow and ice By Ben Rawlence. Read by Christien Anholt. Help support our i…

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Lost Cells, Ep.6: The Canaries 42:47

2M ago42:47

42:47

Send us a text This is the final episode of 'Lost Cells', a short investigative podcast series. The production is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche, and Studio Ochenta. This gripping investigative podcast series has been uncovering the human stories behind the promises an…

1
Holidays in hell: summer camp with Russia’s forgotten children 24:48

2M ago24:48

24:48

At the rural orphanage where I volunteered, the place resembled a Dickensian workhouse. The staff’s main tools were antipsychotics and violence. The experience gave me a window into Putin’s Russia By Howard Amos. Read by Harry Lloyd. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

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The savage suburbia of Helen Garner: ‘I wanted to dong Martin Amis with a bat’ 38:39

2M ago38:39

38:39

Over 50 years, she has become one of the most revered writers in Australia. Is she finally going to get worldwide recognition? By Sophie Elmhirst. Read by Nicolette Chin. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: Is society coming apart? 42:36

2M ago42:36

42:36

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: Despite Thatcher and Reagan’s best efforts, there is and has always been such a thing as society. The question is not whether it exists, but what shape it must take in a post-pandemic world …

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Lost Cells, Ep.5: In Limbo 28:23

2M ago28:23

28:23

Send us a text Over the next two episodes, we're proud to present 'Lost Cells', a short investigative podcast series. The production is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche, and Studio Ochenta. This gripping investigative podcast series uncovers the human stories behind the …

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The Coventry experiment: why were Indian women in Britain given radioactive food without their consent? 38:13

2M ago38:13

38:13

When details about a scientific study in the 1960s became public, there was shock, outrage and anxiety. But exactly what happened? By Samira Shackle. Read by Dinita Gohil. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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My life as a prison officer: ‘It wasn’t just the smell that hit you. It was the noise’ 27:16

2M ago27:16

27:16

I saw first hand how prisons are having to use segregation units for acutely mentally ill inmates who should not be in prison at all Written and read by Alex South. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: The revolt against liberalism: what’s driving Poland and Hungary’s nativist turn? 37:27

2M ago37:27

37:27

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: For the hardline conservatives ruling Poland and Hungary, the transition from communism to liberal democracy was a mirage. They fervently believe a more decisive break with the past is neede…

1
Lost Cells, Ep.4: The Hunt 28:47

2M ago28:47

28:47

Send us a text Over the next three episodes, we're proud to present 'Lost Cells', a short investigative podcast series. The production is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche, and Studio Ochenta. This gripping investigative podcast series uncovers the human stories behind th…

1
‘The ghosts are everywhere’: can the British Museum survive its omni-crisis? 38:48

2M ago38:48

38:48

Beset by colonial controversy, difficult finances and the discovery of a thief on the inside, Britain’s No 1 museum is in deep trouble. Can it restore its reputation? By Charlotte Higgins. Read by Diveen Henry. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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Turkey said it would become a ‘zero waste’ nation. Instead, it became a dumping ground for Europe’s rubbish 31:00

2M ago31:00

31:00

When China stopped receiving the world’s waste, Turkey became Europe’s recycling hotspot. The problem is, most plastics can’t be recycled. And what remains are toxic heaps of trash By Alexander Clapp. Read by Philip Arditti. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: The end of Atlanticism: has Trump killed the ideology that won the cold war? 38:52

2M ago38:52

38:52

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 2018: The foreign policy establishment has been lamenting its death for half a century. But Atlanticism has long been a convenient myth By Madeleine Schwartz. Read by Kelly Burke. Help support our…

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Lost Cells, Ep.3: The Program 17:24

2M ago17:24

17:24

Send us a text Over the next four episodes, we're proud to present 'Lost Cells', a short investigative podcast series. The production is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche, and Studio Ochenta. This gripping investigative podcast series uncovers the human stories behind the…

1
Signature moves: are we losing the ability to write by hand? 30:22

2M ago30:22

30:22

We are far more likely to use our hands to type or swipe than pick up a pen. But in the process we are in danger of losing cognitive skills, sensory experience – and a connection to history By Christine Rosen. Read by Laurel Lefkow. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

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‘Here lives the monster’s brain’: the man who exposed Switzerland’s dirty secrets 31:34

2M ago31:34

31:34

Inspired by Che Guevara, Jean Ziegler has spent the past 60 years exposing how Switzerland enabled global wrongdoing. His enemies accuse him of treason By Atossa Araxia Abrahamian. Read by Lanna Joffrey. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: ‘In my 30 years as a GP, the profession has been horribly eroded’ 25:07

2M ago25:07

25:07

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 2022: As I finished the final house calls of my long career in general practice, it struck me how detached I am from my patients now – and that it was not always like this. Where did we go wrong, …

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Lost Cells, Ep.2: Seeds of Hope 21:12

2M ago21:12

21:12

Send us a text Over the next five episodes, we're proud to present 'Lost Cells', a short investigative podcast series. The production is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche, and Studio Ochenta. This gripping investigative podcast series uncovers the human stories behind the…

1
Massacre in the jungle: how an Indigenous man was made the public face of an atrocity 32:31

3M ago32:31

32:31

In 2004, 29 people were killed by members of the Cinta Larga tribe in Brazil’s Amazon basin. The story shocked the country – but the truth of what happened is still being fought over By Alex Cuadros. Read by Felipe Pacheco. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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Israel and the delusions of Germany’s ‘memory culture’ 34:03

3M ago34:03

34:03

Germany embraced Israel to atone for its wartime guilt. But was this in part a way to avoid truly confronting its past? By Pankaj Mishra. Read by Mikhail Sen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: One drug dealer, two corrupt cops and a risky FBI sting 41:22

3M ago41:22

41:22

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 2017: Davon Mayer was a smalltime dealer in west Baltimore who made an illicit deal with local police. When they turned on him, he decided to get out – but escaping that life would not prove as ea…

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Lost Cells, Ep.1: The Promise 27:03

3M ago27:03

27:03

Send us a text Over the next six episodes, we're proud to present 'Lost Cells', a short investigative podcast series. The production is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast made in collaboration with Piz Gloria Productions, Futur Proche and Studio Ochenta. This gripping investigative podcast series uncovers the human stories behind the p…

1
Innit innit boys and Super Eagles: how Nigerian Londoners found their identity through football 26:46

3M ago26:46

26:46

For the children of the Nigerian diaspora, displaced by war and split between two worlds, footballers from John Fashanu to Jay-Jay Okocha were a first glimpse of themselves in Britain’s mainstream. Written and read by Aniefiok Ekpoudom. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

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The mysterious novelist who foresaw Putin’s Russia – and then came to symbolise its moral decay 34:30

3M ago34:30

34:30

Victor Pelevin made his name in 90s Russia with scathing satires of authoritarianism. But while his literary peers have faced censorship and fled the country, he still sells millions. Has he become a Kremlin apologist? By Sophie Pinkham. Read by Olga Koch. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod…

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From the archive: Was it inevitable? A short history of Russia’s war on Ukraine 46:12

3M ago46:12

46:12

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 2022: To understand the tragedy of this war, it is worth going back beyond the last few weeks and months, and even beyond Vladimir Putin. By Keith Gessen. Read by Andrew McGregor. Help support our…

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Lost Cells is out now! 3:12

3M ago3:12

3:12

Send us a text Please sign up for the latest episode SWI swissinfo.ch's new podcast tells the story of the families affected by a private stem cell banking scandal with Switzerland at its heart. Subscribe for free to our new podcast ‘Lost Cells’ wherever you get your podcasts. Episode one is released on February 18, 2025. Listen to this new podcast…

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The loudest megaphone: how Trump mastered our new attention age 33:18

3M ago33:18

33:18

The old model of political debate is over, and spectacle beats argument every time. How did we get here? By Chris Hayes. Read by Adam Sims. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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How a young Dutch woman’s life began when she was allowed to die 38:32

3M ago38:32

38:32

At the last minute, Zoë decided to call off her euthanasia. But how do you start over after you’ve said all of your goodbyes? By Stephanie Bakker. Read by Micky Overman. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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From the archive: The knackerman: the toughest job in British farming 33:22

3M ago33:22

33:22

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: Between accidents, disease and bad weather, farm animals are prey to so many disasters that dedicated professionals are called out to dispose of the casualties. It’s a grim task, and one tha…

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‘Bring me my tariffs’: how Trump’s China plan was 40 years in the making 31:35

3M ago31:35

31:35

Both Xi Jinping and Donald Trump’s political careers were shaped by their formative experiences in the 1980s – and, above all, their encounters with Japan. By Andrew Liu. Read by Vincent Lai. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

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Tokyo drift: what happens when a city stops being the future? 32:31

3M ago32:31

32:31

Tokyo remains, in the world’s imagination, a place of sophistication and wealth. But with economic revival forever distant, ‘tourism pollution’ seems the only viable plan. By Dylan Levi King. Read by Kenichiro Thomson. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpodBy The Guardian

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Switzerland Current Affairs Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen