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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 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.

The Slow Newscast

In a small town in north Wales, an alleged theft at a local estate agents plants the seeds for a global blockbuster. To listen to episode two, just search for Tortoise Investigates wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 13th January.

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 

Credits:

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

Additional reporting - James Urquhart

Producer - Matt Russell

Music supervision & sound design - Karla Patella

Artwork - Lola Williams

Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett

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

The Walkers: The real Salt Path

Donald Trump is facing an unexpected fallout as one of his most loyal supporters has resigned from Congress and turned against him. With divisions widening after the attack on Venezuela, is there a split in the broader MAGA movement?

Reporter: Stephen Armstrong

Producers: Madeleine Parr and Jonathan Lewis

Artwork: Lucy Stevenson

Editor: Matt Russell

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

Donald Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene: The MAGA divorce

One of the stories in 2025 that seemed to capture the British public's attention was the trial for the men accused of cutting down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree. In this audio essay, Andrew Hankinson explores who those men are...and what might have motivated them.
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sycamore Gap: felling of a tree

Like many public institutions across the UK, the Guildhall school of music has had to reckon with a past where abuse by staff was either ignored or dismissed. So when a second former student came forward to tell The Observer's Vanessa Thorpe their story, this time from the 1990s, how would the institution respond?

Reporter: Vanessa Thorpe

Producer: Ada Barumé 

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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

A reckoning at the Guildhall School of Music

David Walliams has been dropped by his publisher over alleged ‘inappropriate’ behaviour.

A spokesperson for Walliams said that the author had never been informed of any allegations raised against him nor was he given the opportunity to respond to questions about them. He strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately.

Walliams came to prominence starring alongside Matt Lucas in the TV series Little Britain which ran from 2003 - 2006. Critics though accused the comedy show of trading in stereotypes and casual racism. And some of that is evident in Walliam’s children’s books too. 

This episode was first published on 23rd May 2023.

Reporter: Claudia Williams

Producer: Matt Russell

Sound design: Tom Burchell

Editor: Basia Cummings

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

Archive: Beastly: The stories of David Walliams

In October reporter Hilary Andersson was selected to witness an execution by lethal injection in Oklahoma. Her assignment led her to the case of Tremane Wood, who had spent more than two decades on death row. This is the story of what happens to a man as he waits to die.

Reporter: Hilary Andersson

Producer: Jonathan Lewis

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.

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

Killing time: Part 2

In October reporter Hilary Andersson was selected to witness an execution by lethal injection in Oklahoma. Her assignment led her to the case of Tremane Wood, who had spent more than two decades on death row. This is the story of what happens to a man as he waits to die.

Reporter: Hilary Andersson

Producer: Jonathan Lewis

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound Design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: Jasper Corbett 

Subscribe to The Observer today: https://observer.co.uk/subscribe 

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.

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

Killing time: Part 1

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.

My boy Gianni: Infantino and Trump

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.

Inside the Treasury

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?

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

What's Left?

Sweet Bobby is a new series by Tortoise. Kirat is a successful local radio presenter. Online she’s contacted by a man she vaguely knows called Bobby, and they start chatting. Slowly, they become close… and she’s reeled in to a scam of epic proportions...
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing: Sweet Bobby

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