The Slow Newscast

Ceri Thomas revisits the appalling case of Peter Sullivan, jailed for 38 years for a murder he did not commit and offered no apology when finally released. Why does the court work so slowly? Why is it allowed to mark its own homework, and why is it so resistant to reform?  Reporter: Ceri Thomas Producer: Katie Gunning Artwork: Lucy Stevenson Sound design: Dominic Delargy Editor: Matt Russell...

Meta and YouTube were found liable earlier this year in a social media addiction trial and ordered to pay out $6 million in damages. Could this be a blueprint for how to avoid history repeating itself with AI? Host: Alexi Mostrous Producer: Amalie Sortland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, a YouTuber attempted to reach an uncontacted tribe on the remote island of North Sentinel, an area that is out of bounds for everyone else on the planet. His bid for content may have been audacious, and illegal, but it’s just the latest in a long line of misguided foreigners attempting to make contact. But do these individuals represent the greatest threat to the tribe? And what do we a...

A businessman from Tunbridge Wells is accused of leading a double life. He’s secretly recorded planning a brutal attack with ice picks on behalf of the Chinese state. His story takes a dramatic turn with a high-stakes escape.  To enjoy the Slow Newscast ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription. You’ll get access to: This series and al...

American citizens are recruited to carry out Beijing’s dirty work on home soil. A Florida correctional officer poses as an art dealer, exposing the murky world of transnational repression and China’s shadow war. This is part two of a three part series. To listen to all episodes today, and enjoy the Slow Newscast ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual...

Alexi goes in search of the “long arm” of the Chinese state following a series of attacks and bounties on British soil. He uncovers a coordinated campaign of fear that has left dissidents feeling unsafe in the UK – and asks what British authorities are doing to protect them.  This is Part One of a three part series. To listen to all episodes today, and enjoy the Slow Newscast ad-free, subscri...

Every year babies are abandoned by their parents. Following a long reporting project exploring the story of one foundling on a search for her biological parents, Alexi Mostrous asks, 'why do mothers abandon babies?'. To try and make sense of these complicated, often hidden stories, he's joined by the series reporter Lucy Greenwell and the series' producer Katie Gunning. Subscribe to Observer+ on A...

Foundling is a six-part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer. This is episode 1 - On the verge Journalist Lucy Greenwell goes in search of Jess following rumours and unanswered questions about where she was born and who gave birth to her.  To listen to the rest of the series, just search for Tortoise Investigates wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to Observer+ on...

Last week, the New York Times ran an experiment that has far-reaching implications, especially for book lovers. It asked readers to compare five pairs of writing samples — one written by AI, the other by a well-known author — and choose which they preferred. AI was chosen much of the time. So, can AI actually write good literature? Book Prize judge Erica Wagner, The Observer's book editor Tom Gatt...

America's war against Iran has revealed plenty of gunslinging, provocative rhetoric from the US defence secretary Pete Hegseth. But is there much to learn about America's aims in Iran from Trump's self-described 'secretary of war'? Reporter/Producer: Alexi Mostrous and Ada Barumé Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorp Sound design: Dominic Delargy Editor: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

Genetic testing start ups are a booming industry in America. Behind the headlines of 'designer babies' are companies tapping into disputed science, facing accusations that this is a pathway to eugenics. So what does the story of one company in particular tell us about this new field of fertility and science? Reporters: Madeleine Parr and Matt Russell Producers: Madeleine Parr and Matt Russell Addi...

Alexi sits down with the reporter of this week’s Slow Newscast, Francisco Garcia, to talk about one stop in particular on the road to Putin’s frontline, the Orthodox Church. How did a young man from Dunblane end up converting to this ancient form of Christianity? And why are so many young men converting to the Orthodox Church? Producer: Ada Barumé Executive Producer: Matt Russell Hosted on Acast....

Jay Fraser was born and raised in Dunblane. Then, after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he signed up to fight...for Russia, not Ukraine. Now he and others who have followed similar paths tell their story of how they ended up on the frontline for Putin. Reporter: Francisco Garcia Producers: Gary Marshall and Matt Russell Artwork: Lucy Stevenson Sound design: Dominic Delargy Editor: Jasper Corbett...

Stephen Miller is the United States Homeland Security Advisor. But the vague sounding title belies his immense influence with Donald Trump behind the scenes. He’s better understood as the architect of some of the US’s most audacious recent policies - the capturing of Venezuelan President Maduro, the rollout of ICE enforcement through communities, and a threat to capture Greenland. So what can he t...

The Epstein Files are wreaking havoc across British institutions; first the Royal family and now, the government. Peter Mandelson was sacked as US Ambassador in September over his links to the billionaire paedophile, but the latest tranche of documents show the pair were closer than anyone previously knew. What did their relationship look like? And did it give Jeffrey Epstein access to the heart o...

The dating app Bumble built its identity on a promise: women make the first move. In this episode, The Observer uncovers a legal campaign by men’s rights activists that helped dismantle that premise. Correction: A previous version of this episode stated that the Los Angeles Angels baseball case settled for $500,000. That case did not settle and was dismissed in court. It was a separate case involv...

There are over a thousand oil tankers at sea that are helping finance Russia's war in Ukraine in plain sight. And they're not just trading in sanctioned oil, they're sabotaging the very infrastructure we all rely on. The UK and EU know about them, they pass right by our coasts, but so far have been unable to stop them at any sort of scale. This is the story of a shadow ship, sailing its way t...

Rachel hears the shocking story of “Patient A”, who explains that patients are at risk too. Her testimony raises more questions about the way sexual misconduct cases are handled in healthcare, as victims — both doctors and patients — call for change. Reporter: Rachel Sylvester Producer: Gary Marshall Artwork: Lola Williams Sound Design: Dominic Delargy Editor: Jasper Corbett  Subscribe to The...

This week Brooklyn Beckham publicly cut ties with his parents David and Victoria Beckham. Its exposed a rift in the family that seemingly dates back at least to Brooklyn's wedding. More than two years ago, Brooklyn Beckham married the actress Nicola Peltz in a wedding that did not go smoothly. Nicola Peltz's billionaire father, Nelson Peltz, filed a lawsuit against two wedding planners demanding a...

When an esteemed transplant surgeon is found to have sexually harassed a number of his female colleagues — sometimes in the middle of operations — the General Medical Council recommends that he be struck off the medical register. But that is not what happens. Rachel Sylvester discovers that the case of James Gilbert, isn't a shocking one-off. In fact, it is symptomatic of a much wider problem in s...

From next week, our Investigations Editor Alexi Mostrous – the man behind Sweet Bobby, Who Trolled Amber and Elon’s Spies – will take over as the new host of the Slow Newscast, and he wants to hear from you.  If there are particular types of stories you’d like us to cover more often, or if you have thoughts on what we do well, or could do better, please let us know. You can email us on studio...

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...

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...

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.

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: J...