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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
  • Updated Yesterday

Episodes427

Newest first
  • Mar 18, 2025 · 43 min

    The hunt for the 100ft wave

    Surfing’s ultimate barrier is the 100 foot wave. In Dec 23-year-old Alo Slebir is rumoured to have surfed a 108 foot wave. The problem is no one can agree how big the wave actually was. Reporter: Claudia Williams Producer: Ada Barumé Sound design: Karla Patella Artwork: Lola Williams Executive Producer: Matt Russell Editor: Jasper Corbett To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Mar 11, 2025 · 35 min

    Are we alone?

    Donald Trump promised to release classified files about extraterrestrials. But even if they disappoint the millions of people hoping to find proof of existence of aliens, there is a growing belief in the scientific community that it is only a matter of time before proof of life outside our solar system is found. Reporter: Giles Whittell Producer: Matt Russell Sound design: Dominic Delargy Artwork: Lola Williams Editor: Jasper Corbett To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more 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.

  • Mar 4, 2025 · 48 min

    Trump's Dealmaker: Steve Witkoff and Gaza

    A week before Donald Trump's inauguration, a real estate mogul flew to Jerusalem to meet Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Within days, a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was agreed. What happened that weekend and how influential was the businessman in the diplomatic negotiations? Reporter: Donald Macintyre Producer: Matt Russell Sound design: Tom Burchell Artwork: Lola Williams Editor: Jasper Corbett Slow Newscast Executive Producer: Matt Russell To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more 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.

  • Feb 25, 2025 · 38 min

    Lucky Boy

    Gareth spent years believing he was a lucky boy. He was the 14-year-old who got the attention of the attractive young science teacher. Decades later, he wants the truth to come out about the damage it’s caused him. But his story is not straight forward.

  • Feb 18, 2025 · 28 min

    Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman | The lawsuit

    Last year we published a podcast series called Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman. Five women accused the best-selling fantasy author Neil Gaiman of sexually assaulting them. Neil Gaiman denied the allegations. It was a complicated and difficult story which shone a light on the nature of consent within an existing relationship. Now, one of those women has filed a lawsuit in the United States against both Neil Gaiman and his estranged wife, Amanda Palmer. She explains why. Neil Gaiman continues to deny the allegations and says he has ‘never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.’ Reporter: Rachel Johnson Producer: Katie Gunning Sound design: Dominic Delargy Artwork: Lola Williams Editor: Jasper Corbett Executive Producer for the Slow Newscast: Matt Russell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Feb 11, 2025 · 32 min

    The Rwanda plan: How to waste £700m

    The flagship policy for several Prime Ministers became the Rwanda plan. But three years, four Prime Ministers and £715 million later, the policy is dead and never really got off the ground. This is how so much money was spent on so little. Reporter: Catherine Neilan Producer: Ada Barume Sound design: Dominic Delargy Artwork: Lola Williams Editor: Jasper Corbett Slow Newscast Executive Producer: Matt Russell To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more 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.

  • Feb 4, 2025 · 42 min

    F**k it, release ‘em all: Trump and the Jan 6ers

    For more than two years, Special Counsel Jack Smith investigated allegations of President Trump’s election fraud. His investigation ended last month – not with a trial, but a dense report. Why has nobody paid attention? Reporter: Stephen Armstrong Producer: Claudia Williams Executive producer: Matt Russell Editor: Jasper Corbett Artwork: Lola Williams To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more 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.

  • Jan 30, 2025 · 48 min

    Goodbye mum: the ruthless fight for child custody

    One of the most difficult questions facing a judge in the family court is which parent should have custody of a child. To help them answer that, judges rely on independent experts to provide an impartial voice in the court. But what happens when the objectivity of those experts is questioned? This is the story of how the family courts have failed some of the children it exists to protect. Reporters: Louise Tickle and Hannah Summers Additional reporting: Paul Bradshaw, Serena Cesaro, William Jarrett and Tom Wall Producer: Matt Russell Artwork: Lola Williams Editor: Jasper Corbett An investigation by Tortoise in partnership with The Bureau of Investigative Journalism To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more 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.

  • Jan 21, 2025 · 39 min

    Rogue Russia: Nuclear poker

    In October 2022, the course of Russia's war in Ukraine changed. Nuclear war seemed on the horizon. But how close did we really get to nuclear war? This is the story of those six days in October.

  • Jan 14, 2025 · 42 min

    Rogue Russia: Agents of mayhem

    Last October, the head of MI5 said Russia was on a mission to cause "sustained mayhem" on European streets. It's hard to spot at first, but it is there in plain sight. This is the unpredictable, violent world of the modern Russian intelligence services

  • Jan 7, 2025 · 40 min

    Jordan Peterson and the making of man

    Jordan Peterson is a controversial figure, but he is also a man with a long-standing appeal to a particular demographic. What does his popularity tell us about a possible crisis in young men today?

  • Dec 31, 2024 · 19 min

    Finding my voice

    Xavier Greenwood’s childhood memories are dominated by a speech impediment and a thick accent. But was it all in his head?

  • Dec 24, 2024 · 21 min

    The final bow: David Bowie's last act

    David Bowie's last months were spent fulfilling one final ambition: staging a musical based around his songs. They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes. Zelda Perkins not only met hers, she produced the musical he staged in his dying days

  • Dec 17, 2024 · 44 min

    The immortality bros: The business of living forever

    Earlier this year, the anti-death influencer Bryan Johnson travelled to a libertarian free zone on a remote Caribbean island, to receive experimental gene therapy administered by a company called Minicircle. This is the story of biohacking – on steroids.

  • Dec 10, 2024 · 33 min

    Killing hope: Iran's mind wars

    The fall of Assad in Syria is a disaster for Iran. Is this the moment when Iran’s pro-democracy movement breaks through? This is the story of one activist’s 25 year fight against the Islamic regime in Iran, a story of courage and despair.

  • Dec 3, 2024 · 30 min

    Stuck in space

    In June 2024, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore went into space. It was expected to last just over a week. Instead, by the time they'll return, it'll have been more than eight months. This is the story of how and why.

  • Nov 26, 2024 · 41 min

    My AI girlfriend: a cure for loneliness

    Replika is the chatbot that can text you, flirt with you, and promises to love you unconditionally. But who are users really handing their hearts , and their data, to?

  • Nov 19, 2024 · 44 min

    Operation Asshole: Paul Watson's whale war

    Out on the high seas, Paul Watson became a hero and pariah of the environmental movement. Now he sits in a remote prison. How should we treat the radicals willing to go to extremes to protect the planet?

  • Nov 12, 2024 · 29 min

    Elon: A star is born

    When Donald Trump declared victory in the US presidential election, he told an adoring crowd that "a star is born". He was referring to Elon Musk. What does it mean for those in Musk's orbit?