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The Slow Newscast — News
The Slow Newscast

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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Recipes for every occasion

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Copyright: © 2019-2020 Tortoise Media

Latest Episodes:

Duped and deployed: the Kenyans fighting for Russia Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Kenyan men are leaving their country for work – and ending up on the frontlines of Russia’s war in Ukraine. This is the story of the recruiters, the promises and the poverty that keeps the pipeline moving.

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How I fell in love with a Russian spy Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Stephanie Arcanjo spent three years building a life with her boyfriend, Eric. One day he vanished, and the police came knocking. Only then would she learn his true identity, and that their life together was a lie.

Basia Cummings speaks to Sao Paolo based reporter Oliver Basciano about Stephanie and hears her side of the story.

Oliver Basciano's reporting can be found at https://observer.co.uk/contributor/oliver-basciano

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

Careless Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

Nkechi Simms is a successful actor who’s had parts in Top Boy and BBC comedy PRU. Outwardly life is good and at 26 she’s got everything going for her. But this hasn’t always been the case. When she was 12 Nkechi’s mother handed her over to Camden Council and she was placed in foster care. Now she wants to find out what happened to her and why. The only way she can do this is by getting hold of her care records. But that’s easier said than done. And will those records answer her questions?

Careless is a 4 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.

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Reported by Ashley John-Baptiste and Madeleine Parr

Produced and written by Madeleine Parr

Sound design by Simon Panayi

Artwork by Jon Hill

The editor is Jasper Corbett

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How Ivanka Trump enraged all of Albania Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

What links a rare breed of flamingo and government corruption? In Albania, plans to redevelop Sazan, the country's biggest island, and disrupt the wildlife that lives there, caused protests. When it emerged that it was Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka who was behind the development, the protests became about not just than just wildlife, but about the way the country is run. Andrew Anthony visited the country to find out more.

Host: Basia Cummings

Reporter: Andrew Anthony

Producer: Poppy Bullard

Executive Producer: Matt Russell

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

The trials of Ben Stokes Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

In Ben Stokes, England cricket created a star....and quickly lost control of that star. This is the story of how a maverick genius built and broke the team he created.

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What made Syrians fight for revolution? Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

What drove Syrians to rise up and overthrow a brutal dictator? ‘Days of Love and Rage’ by Anand Gopal is an intimate account of how one town in Syria joined a revolution. The book took him 8 years to report and write.

The Observer’s Basia Cummings and Chloe Hadjimatheou, reporter of the We Call Her Emma podcast series about Asma al-Assad, talk to Gopal about how Syrians took politics into their own hands while facing threats from their own government and then ISIS.

Anand Gopal's reporting on Syria and ISIS can be found here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/03/18/the-open-air-prison-for-isis-supporters-and-victims

His book, Days of Love and Rage, can be found here: https://www.plutobooks.com/product/days-of-love-and-rage/

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“I will never judge you”: A grandmother’s promise Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

Ten years ago Kim Edwards and her boyfriend, Lucas Markham, who were both 14 at the time, stabbed Kim’s mother and Kim’s younger sister to death. They were both sentenced to life in prison and became the youngest, and among the most notorious, double murderers in Britain. For the first time Kim’s grandmother, Maxine Follows, tells her side of the story, and questions how the criminal justice system treats children.

Reporter: Katie Glass

Producer: Ada Barume

Sound Design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lucy Stevenson

Executive Producer: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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

The teacher, the school, and the myth of the 'Lucky Boy' Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

In the late 1980s 14-year-old Gareth had a sexual relationship with his 27-year-old chemistry teacher, Sally-Anne Bowen. His friends told him at the time that he was a ‘lucky boy’. Last week Sally-Anne Bown was convicted of seven counts of indecent assault. The Observer’s podcast series ‘Lucky Boy’ played a part in the case.

Basia Cummings is joined by Chloe Hadjimatheou, who reported the story, to discuss the conviction of Sally-Anne Bowen.

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Paolo Zampolli: Trump’s matchmaker Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

Paolo Zampolli, the Italian modelling agent who introduced Donald Trump to his future wife, Melania, has gone from the 1990s fashion world to the very top of the Trump administration, joining the small circle of loyalists Trump likes to keep close to advance his brand and influence. It is a story about how power works at the White House and how the distinction between private interests and public office are increasingly blurred.

Reporter: Stephen Armstrong

Producer: Jonathan Lewis and Amalie Sortland

Sound Design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Emma O’Neill

Editor: Matt Russell

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

Why is electroconvulsive therapy still used? Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

Is ECT therapy safe? Postcode prescribing leaves patients at mercy of psychiatric opinions. Jessica Rawnsley has been investigating what this means for patients

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

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