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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.

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

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A daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a week

Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword

Recipes for every occasion

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Copyright: © 2019-2020 Tortoise Media

Latest Episodes:

Broken ranks: civil war in the police fed Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

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 Sibthorp

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

Ad: Go to www.incogni.com/slownewscast for your exclusive discount.

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

North Korea's war in Europe Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

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.

Reporter: Claudia Williams

Producer: Matt Russell

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett and Ceri Thomas

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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.

How to ruin a football club Apr 15, 2025

Show notes

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 experience curated by our journalists

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Nimby Nation Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

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: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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.

Die, die, DEI Apr 01, 2025

Show notes

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 more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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.

The $Trumpcon Mar 25, 2025

Show notes

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 finding out who profited from $TRUMP goes through Argentina, where a young and naive entrepreneur called Hayden Davis attempted to pull off a similar stunt with the backing of the nation’s libertarian president, Javier Milei. But while Trump seemed to get away with it, Davis is now facing calls to be arrested.

This episode offers a rare glimpse into a murky world full of get-rich-quick schemes, flashy personalities and cut-throat deals. It also carries a warning: what happens when unregulated crypto assets become a core part of the US economy?

Reporter: Patricia Clarke and Barney Macintyre

Producer: Patricia Clarke

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editors: Jasper Corbett and Ceri Thomas

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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.

The hunt for the 100ft wave Mar 18, 2025

Show notes

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 find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more 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.

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

Are we alone? Mar 11, 2025

Show notes

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: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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.

Trump's Dealmaker: Steve Witkoff and Gaza Mar 04, 2025

Show notes

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: Jasper Corbett

Slow Newscast Executive Producer: Matt Russell

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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.

Lucky Boy Feb 25, 2025

Show notes

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 producer: Basia Cummings

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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.

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