The Slow Newscast

This is the story of how and why a small Central European country became the epicenter of global conservatism. It’s the tale of two men…and what happens when we ignore the powerful forces behind a government.  Reporter: David Aaronovitch Producer: Jonathan Lewis Artwork: Lola Williams Sound Design: Dominic Delargy Editor: Jasper Corbett Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early ac...

This is the story of how a boxing match helped solve a 50-year art world mystery. And how, when a man named Ted wades in to stop a mugging in Soho, it leads to a most unlikely life-altering friendship with an artist who makes him, or his picture, immortal.  Reporter: Stephen Smith Producer: Katie Gunning Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorpe Sound Designer: Dominic Delargy Editor: Jasper Corbett T...

We are partnering with the podcast Drilled, to share something extra with you this week so that we can continue to bring our listeners brilliant investigations on The Slow Newscast and across The Observer audio network. You can discover more at https://observer.co.uk/listen . This season, Drilled follows reporter Alleen Brown through a legal trial that will change the course of activism in th...

Liz Truss was the UK’s shortest serving prime minister, but since leaving office she’s continued to buck the trend. Post premiership, she’s become one of the most vocal among her peers.  What has driven her into the arms of the populist right? And what does it tell us about the state of the party she has left behind?  Reporter: Philip Collins Producer: Ada Barumé Artwork: Lola Willi...

In the UK, a person is reported missing every 90 seconds. But how in a society of internet, phones and social media is it so easy to go missing? This is the story of two men...and how sometimes people don't even realise they've gone missing. Reporter: Francisco Garcia Producer: Matt Russell Sound design: Dominic Delargy Artwork: Lola Williams Editor: Jasper Corbett To find out more about The Obser...

The police have an increasingly bad reputation when it comes to dealing with violence against women and girls. Forces in England and Wales say they’re trying to fix that, but its track record within its own ranks paints a very different picture. This is the story of three women with one shared experience- being a police officer whose own institution can’t help them escape the abuse of their p...

A bunker. A scenario. A group of former senior ministers, military chiefs and other experts. Russia knows our weaknesses – but do you? Sky News' security and defence editor Deborah Haynes presents The Wargame. From Sky News and Tortoise, it imagines how a Russian attack on the UK could play out... and how military chiefs and politicians might try to defend the country. Episodes will be released we...

What happens when the business interests and private passions of one of the world’s richest men collide with the world’s most powerful man? This is the story of Jeff Bezos...and Donald Trump. Reporter: Stephen Armstrong Producer: Katie Gunning Sound design: Dominic Delargy Artwork: Lola Williams Editor: Jasper Corbett To find out more about The Observer: Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts...

After thirteen years, Jamie Vardy is leaving Leicester City. His time at the club is an example of not one, but two underdogs succeeding against the odds. Could anything like this happen again in the Premier League? 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   If you want to get...

Tesla saw their stock price soar with President Trump's election. But since January, it has come plummeting back down. Has Musk crashed Tesla? Reporter: Giles Whittell Producer: 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 web...

The radical climate protest group Just Stop Oil delighted supporters and infuriated opponents in equal measure. But then the government began to crack down on them. So where are they now? Reporter: David Taylor Producer: 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...

The brutal circumstances of Sara Sharif’s death were described by the judge that sent her killers to prison as torture. But when it emerged that the two adults who murdered her were granted parental responsibility by a family court judge four years earlier, the finger of blame began to wander. Who could have saved Sara Sharif?  Reporter: Louise Tickle Producer: Ada Barumé Artwork: Lola Willia...

Police officers aren’t allowed to strike or join a trade union. They rely instead on an organisation called the Police Federation to represent their interests. It’s a surprisingly powerful body that ultimately affects the way all of us are policed. This is the story of how it lost its way.  Reporter: John Simpson Producer: Katie Gunning Sound design: Dominic Delargy Artwork: Blythe Walker Sib...

North Korean troops are in combat, likely for the first time since the Korean war in the 1950s. Not in Korea, but in Europe. Because last summer Ukraine launched a surprise offensive in Kursk, Russia. Since then, Russia have retaken most of the land taken. To do so, Russia looked towards North Korea. This is the story of Kursk...and how North Korea came to play a potentially key role in the war. R...

Manchester United is a club used to success. But it is languishing in the league and saddled with debt. This is the story of how one of the world's most successful football clubs fell apart. Reporter: Xavier Greenwood Producer: Xavier Greenwood Sound design: Dominic Delargy Artwork: Lola Williams Editor: Jasper Corbett To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app – for a listening ex...

Earlier this year the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, wrote about a group of people he called zealots. And he identified one man in particular who the Prime Minister claimed was costing the country its future. But maybe he's saving it? This is the story of that man, the so-called zealots, and a prime minister who wants to take them on. Reporter: Katie Gunning Producer: Matt Russell Sound design: Dom...

Donald Trump has ordered the federal government to scrap its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and corporate America has supposedly followed suit. But this has someone else's fingerprints all over it. This is the story of how one man tried to kill an idea. Reporter: Stephen Armstrong Producer: Ada Barumé Sound design: Karla Patella Artwork: Lola Williams Editor: Jasper Corbett To find out...

Memecoins started as a fad. A niche but fun way to bet on the longevity of internet trends. But then, days before his second inauguration, Donald Trump launched his own, $TRUMP… and changed the game. The value soared as supporters piled in, before crashing when his wife, Melania Trump, also released one. Amid the mayhem, one early buyer of the coin walked away with $109 million. The path to findin...

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 fi...

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:...

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...

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. Now, decades later, he wants the truth to come out about the damage it’s caused him. But his story is not straight forward.  Reported and produced by: Chloe Hadjimatheou and Gary Marshall Sound design: Hannah Varrall Podcast artwork: Lola Williams Executive pr...

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 th...

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: Ma...

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...