The Slow Newscast

The Observer

The Slow Newscast from The Observer takes the news slowly. We investigate, and every week we focus on stories that really matter in the UK and around the world. From wars in Ukraine and Gaza through to true crime and injustice and real life mysteries, The Slow Newscast team is devoted to narrative investigations covering some of the biggest topics of the day.

Who are the people biohacking themselves in a quest for immortality? Or the man taking on an entire nation in the high seas to protect whales? And what happened when humanity's most distant messenger fell silent? From a newsroom with a different approach to journalism these are the stories we tell.

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427 episodes
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Episodes427

Newest first

Dec 9, 2025 · 32 min
My boy Gianni Infantino and Trump
Gianni Infantino is the most powerful man in world football but in the run up to the 2026 men's World Cup, his relationship with US president Donald Trump has grown very friendly. It's led to questions whether Infantino still has football's best interests at heart. Reporter: Rory Smith Producer: Ada Barumé Artwork: Lola Williams Sound Design: Dominic Delargy Editor: Jasper Corbett Subscribe to The Observer today and get access to: Our podcasts before anyone else A daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a week Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword Recipes for every occasion Free tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online Click here to subscribe today for just £1 for your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 2, 2025 · 23 min
Inside the Treasury
The chancellor’s budget was supposed to be a gamechanger, but turned out to be an exercise in political survival. This is the story of how Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves took on a radical budget. Reporter: Rachel Sylvester Producers: Jonathan Lewis and Matt Russell Sound design: Dominic Delargy Artwork: Lola Williams Editor: Jasper Corbett To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 25, 2025 · 29 min
What's Left?
When Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana announced a new political party this summer, it had all the ingredients to be a big success. But a summer of disarray has seen them overtaken by a rival on the left. What happened?
Nov 18, 2025 · 27 min
Deep Water
Three years ago, travel writer Lydia Gard discovered freediving. An extreme and beautiful sport defined by one objective: to dive as deep as you can on one single breath. It soon became a calling. Then, she stumbled on a darker side of the sport. Rumours that a group of top divers were doping to go deeper. So she decided to investigate. Reporter - Lydia Gard Producer - Gary Marshall. Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella Sound design - Rowan Bishop Podcast artwork - Lola Williams Fact checking - Poppy Bullard, Katie Gunning, Amalie Sortland, Madeleine Parr & Jess Swinburne Executive producer - Basia Cummings To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 11, 2025 · 28 min
William: The reluctant prince
With Prince Harry in effective exile and Andrew disgraced, the Royal family is smaller than ever before and at a potential crisis point. Prince William has already signalled his intention to be a different kind of monarch to King Charles. But can the monarchy survive, and what is its purpose? Reporter: Rachel Sylvester Producer: Madeleine Parr Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorp Sound design: Dominic Delargy Editor: Jasper Corbett To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 4, 2025 · 25 min
Epping: A very English uprising
Over the summer, Epping, a small town on the outskirts of London became the scene of mass protests. featuring hundreds of people. Noisy and occasionally violent, the demonstrations attracted crowds from around the country and plenty of media attention. But what really happened in Epping and what does it tell us about where the right in Britain is heading? To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 28, 2025 · 29 min
Among the settlers on Gaza's border
Just outside Gaza is a small settlement of Israelis hoping to enter and settle inside Gaza. They may be a fringe movement, but their voice holds a powerful sway within Israel's cabinet. Could they influence the terms of a future peace plan for Gaza? Reporter: Oliver Marsden Producer: Poppy Bullard and Matt Russell Artwork: Lola Williams Sound design: Dominic Delargy Editor: Jasper Corbett To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 21, 2025 · 44 min
Trolled: Brigitte Macron
The French President and the First Lady of France are taking American right wing commentator Candace Owens to court in Delaware over bizarre claims the First Lady is transgender and the President is part of a CIA-backed mind-control programme, among many other conspiracy theories. But how much are the French President and the First Lady risking in doing so? Reporter: Stephen Armstrong Producer: Ada Barumé Artwork: Lola Williams Sound design: Dominic Delargy Executive Producer: Matt Russell Editor: Jasper Corbett To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 14, 2025 · 34 min
The shakedown: Donald Trump vs the media
Donald Trump has launched four lawsuits against major media organisations for up to $15 billion over the past year. This is the story of Trump's war on the media and the people driving it. Reporter: Giles Whittell Producer: Jonathan Lewis Artwork: Lola Williams Sound design: Dominic Delargy Editor: Matt Russell To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 6, 2025 · 39 min
Gaza's Deadly Aid
Since May, almost 900 Palestinians are reported to have been killed in the vicinity of aid checkpoints. So what exactly has happened at these aid sites? Reporter: Ruth Michaelson Producer: Madeleine Parr Artwork: Jon Jones & Lola Williams Sound design: Dominic Delargy Editors: Jasper Corbett & Matt Russell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 30, 2025 · 31 min
An uncivil war inside Unite
Unite was once the biggest trade union in Britain, and the largest funder of the Labour Party. In the past its reputation has come under scrutiny. Four years after its first female leader was elected on a promise of restoring trust… it remains mired by in-fighting. In our podcast called “An uncivil war inside Unite”, which was released on 30 September 2025, we failed to convey Unite’s position that it is in good financial health and that the submission of its accounts has been delayed by a re-audit of the 2021 filing involving the Birmingham project which was overseen by the previous leadership regime. We apologise for this omission Reporter: Jon Ungoed-Thomas Producer: Jonathan Lewis Sound design: Dominic Delargy Art work: Lola Williams Editor: Jasper Corbett To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 25, 2025 · 4 min
Introducing ... We Have Notes
The week in culture, annotated. Writer and journalist Liv Little and Observer critic Miranda Sawyer get notes from editors all the time - now it’s their turn to hand them out. Every Wednesday morning, Liv and Miranda weigh in on the latest cultural happenings, from reality TV meltdowns and art house films, to gallery openings and TikTok trends. Smart, funny, and full of sharp observations. We Have Notes is culture with commentary. To listen to We Have Notes click HERE Let’s chat! Send us your voice notes! @WeHaveNotes_Pod on Instagram @WeHaveNotes_Pod on TikTok wehavenotes@observer.co.uk via email Watch the full episode on YouTube - HERE Hosts: Liv Little and Miranda Sawyer Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Producer: Casey Magloire Artwork: Lola Williams and Blythe Walker Sibthorp Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 23, 2025 · 40 min
Contagion: RFK Jr’s war on public health
Insiders tell the story of how the US Health Secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, has hollowed out the Center for Disease Control putting the whole world at risk in the event of another pandemic. Reporter: Stephen Armstrong Producer: Ada Barumé Sound design: Dominic Delargy Art work: Lola Williams Editor: Jasper Corbett To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 16, 2025 · 40 min
The match: My sister and her new DNA
What happens when you get new blood and new DNA from a complete stranger? This is the story of a woman whose own features began to change following a stem cell transplant. Reporter: Eva Wiseman Producer: Matt Russell Sound design: Dominic Delargy Artwork: Lola Williams Editor: Jasper Corbett Commissioning editor: Matt Russell To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 9, 2025 · 41 min
The immortality bros: the new frontiers of health
A city in Honduras is home to a start-up selling experimental gene therapies for $25,000 a dose. Now, those radical ideas are reaching the United States. What happens when biohacking leaves libertarian fringes… and reaches Capitol Hill? Reporter: Patricia Clarke Producer: Madeleine Parr Sound design: Dominic Delargy Artwork: Lola Williams Executive Producer: Matt Russell Editor: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 2, 2025 · 28 min
The diva and the dictator: opera at war
Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Anna Netrebko was the biggest opera star in a generation. Since the war, due to past support for Vladimir Putin, she has effectively been boycotted by theatres around the world. Except, this autumn, she’ll be headlining the Royal Opera House’s new season. Reporters: Vanessa Thorpe, Nina Kuryata and Lauren Crosby Medlicott Producer: Jonathan Lewis Artwork: Lola Williams Sound design: Dominic Delargy Editor: Matt Russell To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 26, 2025 · 35 min
The great British honey scandal
For nearly a decade beekeepers around the world have been saying that there’s something very wrong with the honey industry. Prices are down, and so is production, but there’s more honey being sold than ever before. So what exactly is in that jar in your kitchen cupboard? An investigation by The Observer reveals a global honey fraud that begins in China and ends with allegations of adulterated jars on UK supermarkets shelves Reporter: Jon Ungoed-Thomas Producer: Ada Barumé Artwork: Lola Williams Sound design: Dominic Delargy Executive Producer: Matt Russell To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 19, 2025 · 40 min
The mother and the gangs
The number of teenage boys killed on our streets has more than doubled in a decade. This is the story of a mother trying to stop it, while dealing with grief and anger for her son. Reporter: Francisco Garcia Producer: Matt Russell Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorp Editor: Jasper Corbett To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 12, 2025 · 36 min
Signal failure: Who killed HS2?
HS2 should have been a symbol of engineering excellence. Instead half of it has been scrapped and it's still running £50 billion over budget. This is the story of how Britain’s largest infrastructure project became its biggest scandal. Reporter: Stephen Armstrong Producer: Jonathan Lewis Artwork: Lola Williams Sound design: Dominic Delargy Editor: Jasper Corbett This episode is sponsored by The Life of Chuck. Join us across the UK for a preview screening on Wednesday 13 August, before it hits cinemas nationwide on 20 August. Find the locations and book now at SEEITFIRST.COM and enter the code CHUCK. To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 5, 2025 · 30 min
A lonely death on Jersey
As a tax haven Jersey has a reputation for welcoming the wealthy with open arms, but how does it treat other kinds of immigrants? Jane Kiiti came from Kenya to work in Jersey’s hotels for more than twenty years. Her death raises questions about the conditions migrant workers face and whether the island is doing enough to prevent their exploitation. You can read Orlando Crowcroft's article 'The never-ending fear that haunts Jersey's troubled migrant workers' here. Reporter: Orlando Crowcroft Producer: Ada Barumé Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorpe Sound design: Dominic Delargy Editor: Jasper Corbett This episode is sponsored by The Life of Chuck. Join us across the UK for a preview screening on Wednesday 13 August, before it hits cinemas nationwide on 20 August. Find the locations and book now at SEEITFIRST.COM and enter the code CHUCK. To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content head to our website observer.co.uk Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.