app_store_button

google_play_button

DK - Details page - Device banner - 894x1036

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst 

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.

Subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription:

 • Early access, bonus content and ad-free listening to our podcasts
 • 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

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Slow Newscast

After a spate of paranormal sightings in 1970s London, debate raged over the existence of a vampire in Highgate Cemetery. Fifty years on, the legend has been taken on by a new generation, fuelled by the world’s longest-running online feud

Reporter: Francisco Garcia

Producer: Poppy Bullard

Sound Design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Blythe Walker-Sibthorpe

Editor: Matt Russell

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My father, the vampire hunter

After a 2025 mass shooting on Florida State University’s campus, investigators found a year’s worth of chat history between the shooter and ChatGPT. MotherJones’ Mark Follman has been investigating what the chat log reveals about the shooter and the chatbot and examines how AI responds when faced with severe warning signs and where the responsibility lies when something goes wrong.

Note: This story discusses suicide and violence.

Mark Follman's reporting can be found here: https://www.motherjones.com/media/2026/08/openai-chatgpt-fsu-mass-shooting-chat-logs/

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does a mass shooter’s chatbot history reveal?

Rupert Lowe is the MP for Great Yarmouth, and the leader of Restore Britain, a right-wing political party which launched in February this year. So, how did the leader of such a young, fringe party end up appearing as a guest on the world’s most popular podcast? And what does it tell us about how the far-right works? 

Reporter: Poppy Bullard

Producers: Amalie Sortland and Ada Barume

Sound Design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lucy Stevenson

Editor: Matt Russell 

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ctrl Alt Restore

Nigel Farage has been re-elected as MP for Clacton. But that also means a Parliamentary investigation into Farage resumes. So what's next for Reform and their leader? 
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What next for Reform and Nigel Farage?

When Peter Mandelson was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the United States over his links with Jeffrey Epstein people wondered how he ever got appointed in the first place.

Eventually Keir Starmer’s government was forced to publish more than a thousand pages of emails, messages and letters which reveal how Peter Mandelson was appointed, vetted and cleared to become the UK’s most influential diplomat.

What emerges from those documents, is a story about who wields power in Britain today, how it works and how we conduct our politics.

The Observer’s Ada Barumé tells the story of a political farce that begins with the appointment of Peter Mandelson and ends with the resignation of Keir Starmer.

All four episodes are now available to listen to for subscribers to the Observer.

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Mandelson files

On Thursday 30th July, an avalanche hit the world's twelfth highest mountain. Ten experienced climbers were caught by it, among them one of the world's most famous and experienced mountaineers Nirmal Purja. Is the world of mountaineering becoming more dangerous?
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is mountaineering getting more dangerous?

﻿When World Cup Winner Phil Vickery retired in 2010, he thought his toughest physical battles were behind him. Today, like hundreds of former players, he lives with memory loss and the looming threat of brain trauma – and he’s demanding answers. And across the world, more and more people are looking towards one man in particular.

Reporters: Ben Coles and Jonathan Lewis

Producer: Jonathan Lewis

Artwork: Lucy Stevenson

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Executive producer: Jasper Corbett

Credits: ITV, BBC, Dodge Woodall, ABC News

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hard knocks: the cost of courage

What are companies extracting British spring water, companies like Coca Cola and Nestle, paying for that water? The answer is extraordinary. And with the threat of nationalisation, what does the future hold for our water companies? In other words, what is our water worth?
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who owns our water?

How a mislaid phone led to a nightmare of fake reviews and claims of antisemitism. When Ali, a restaurateur, realised his mobile’s security had been breached and that random things were missing from his flat, he began to feel uneasy. Was he being targeted for his politics or his personal life? And more importantly, who could stop it?

Credits:

Reporter - Eva Wiseman

Producer - Matt Russell

Sound design - Dominic Delargy

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One-star review: A stolen year

In early 2025, Reform hosts a fundraiser at private member’s club Oswald’s. In attendance are many of the men whose deep pockets line the party’s accounts.

Reporter - Cat Neilan

Series Reporter/Producer - Poppy Bullard

Narrative Producer - Matt Russell

Sound Design - Dominic Delargy

Artwork - Blythe Walker Sibthorpe

Producer for Goalhanger - India Dunkley

Executive Producer for Goalhanger - Tom Whiter

Executive Producer for the Observer - Jasper Corbett

Clips: GB News, Xenia Tchoumi, Spears Magazine, Sky News Australia, Reform UK

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bankrolling Farage: Who Funds Reform? Episode two: The Money Men

With a leadership election on the horizon, there are discussions among the backbenches about how potential contenders might look to reshape and re-energise the UK's growth. The Observer's political editor Rachel Sylvester speaks with economics editor Ben Zaranko about what the various approaches might look like.
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How might Labour's new leaders grow the UK?

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

Other podcasts you might like ...