Podcast
The Slow Newscast
Hosted by The Observer · EN
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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54episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Hard knocks: the cost of courage
3d ago00:40:46Tap to summarizeWhen World Cup Winner Phil Vickery retired in 2010, he thought his toughest physical battles were behind him. Today, like hundreds of former players, he lives with memory loss and the looming threat of brain trauma – and he’s demanding answers. And across the world, more and more people are looking towards one man in particular.Reporters: Ben Coles and Jonathan LewisProducer: Jonathan LewisArtwork: Lucy StevensonSound design: Dominic DelargyExecutive producer: Jasper CorbettCredits: ITV, BBC, Dodge Woodall, ABC News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Who owns our water?
1w ago00:25:20Tap to summarizeWhat are companies extracting British spring water, companies like Coca Cola and Nestle, paying for that water? The answer is extraordinary. And with the threat of nationalisation, what does the future hold for our water companies? In other words, what is our water worth? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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One-star review: A stolen year
1w ago00:38:30Tap to summarizeHow a mislaid phone led to a nightmare of fake reviews and claims of antisemitism. When Ali, a restaurateur, realised his mobile’s security had been breached and that random things were missing from his flat, he began to feel uneasy. Was he being targeted for his politics or his personal life? And more importantly, who could stop it?Credits:Reporter - Eva WisemanProducer - Matt RussellSound design - Dominic Delargy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Bankrolling Farage: Who Funds Reform? Episode two: The Money Men
2w ago00:37:08Tap to summarizeIn early 2025, Reform hosts a fundraiser at private member’s club Oswald’s. In attendance are many of the men whose deep pockets line the party’s accounts.Reporter - Cat NeilanSeries Reporter/Producer - Poppy BullardNarrative Producer - Matt RussellSound Design - Dominic DelargyArtwork - Blythe Walker SibthorpeProducer for Goalhanger - India DunkleyExecutive Producer for Goalhanger - Tom WhiterExecutive Producer for the Observer - Jasper CorbettClips: GB News, Xenia Tchoumi, Spears Magazine, Sky News Australia, Reform UK Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Bankrolling Farage: Who Funds Reform? Episode one: The Missing Millions
2w ago00:27:09Tap to summarizeIn 2019, Nigel Farage leads the Brexit Party to victory in the European Elections. But there’s a mystery at the heart of the party’s accounts. Reporter - Cat NeilanSeries Reporter/Producer - Poppy BullardNarrative Producer - Matt RussellSound Design - Dominic DelargyArtwork - Blythe Walker SibthorpeProducer for Goalhanger - India DunkleyExecutive Producer for Goalhanger - Tom WhiterExecutive Producer for the Observer - Jasper CorbettClips: Reform UK, BBC, The Times, House of Commons Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Have England failed again?
3w ago00:25:08Tap to summarizeAnother heartbreak for England in the World Cup, but does the tournament tell us anything about the nation's mentality? Rory Smith reveals the stories and moments that have stuck with him from six weeks on the road in America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Fire on the mountain: Mistaken identity
3w ago00:40:12Tap to summarizeAdemola Adedeji was wrongfully identified as a gang member and jailed for conspiracy to commit GBH. This is the story of how a nine second clip from a rap video upended his life.Reporter: Ciaran TraceyProducer: Matt RussellArtwork: Lucy StevensonSound design: Dominic Delargy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Who is the man behind Syria's war crimes dossier?
4w ago00:32:06Tap to summarizeCaesar and Sami risked everything to show the world what was truly going on in Syria after the 2011 revolution. The Caesar files are a collection of tens of thousands of photos documenting human rights abuses and torture in Syria under the dictator Bashar al-Assad. They have become the cornerstone of Syrian war crime prosecutions around the world.This is the story of the one of the most remarkable and daring collections and the courageous men behind it. A collection which may not just steer the course of international justice, but will serve as a permanent historical archive of a horrifying legacy for Syrians. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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We call her Emma
Jul 700:43:08Tap to summarizeWhen the Arab Spring reached Syria in 2011, Bashar al-Assad's regime showed itself for what it really was: a brutal force, willing to capture and kill ordinary Syrians demanding change. And in all the years that a war raged on, Asma stood by her husband. She seemingly ignored the desperate pleas to stop her husband from killing his own people. But what did she really know about the atrocities her husband’s government was carrying out? And what choices did she really have? Some people allege that she actually assisted the regime and cashed in on the war, that she herself is a war criminal. Others say she tried to run away but was trapped, held hostage by a regime who threatened her life and her children. So, who is the real Asma...or Emma as she was known?We call her Emma is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.Reporter - Chloe HadjimatheouProducer - Gary MarshallSound design - Karla PatellaPodcast artwork - Lola Williams & Eliza BournerExecutive producers - Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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After 250 years is America at a crossroads?
Jul 200:23:45Tap to summarizeThe US celebrates 250 years of independence from the British Crown on 4th July. Accusations have flown that Trump has used the anniversary to celebrate himself, not the country. So what does it tell us about Trump’s place within America…and is it really that unusual?Ada Barumé is joined by the Observer’s Americans, Erica Wagner and Evan Moffitt to discuss this moment in US history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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