Shows / The Slow Newscast
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…
Episodes
The Slow NewscastBurnham's do no harm budget
The Chancellor has delivered the first budget of Andy Burnham's premiership. But what does it reveal about their vision for the UK? Hosted on Acast. See…
The Slow NewscastSpiral
When The Observer’s Technology Editor, Patricia Clarke began investigating a new phenomenon initially dubbed ‘AI psychosis’, she found lives upended by long…
The Slow NewscastThe 30-Year veteran photographer attacked by settlers
Last week, a group of West Bank settlers attacked Palestinian farmers and veteran Washington Post photographer, Heidi Levine, who was there to cover the annual…
The Slow NewscastChrist is King: the far right and God
In September 2025, religious leaders in the UK got a shock: protests at Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom rally were carrying crosses, and waving signs with…
The Slow NewscastHow an innocent man was put on death row
For decades, Paul Skalnik made a living telling police and prosecutors that other prisoners had confessed to crimes. The former police turned con artist and…
The Slow NewscastBones and all: the trade in human remains
Britain’s cultural institutions are wrestling with what to do with the human remains in their collections. But as they reckon with the ethical ramifications…
The Slow NewscastThe Fixer: The life of Len McCluskey | Ep 2
The former Unite boss says the police investigation into alleged corruption during his tenure will clear his name after years of accusations. But whether it…
The Slow NewscastThe Fixer: The life of Len McCluskey | Ep 1
The former Unite boss says the police investigation into alleged corruption during his tenure will clear his name after years of accusations. But whether it…
The Slow NewscastThe rivalry that spawned the weight-loss jab race
James Tapper, The Observer's Science editor and a weight-loss jab user, tells the story of his journey using the weight-loss drugs. A journey that along with…
The Slow NewscastDuped and deployed: the Kenyans fighting for Russia
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…
The Slow NewscastHow I fell in love with a Russian spy
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…
The Slow NewscastCareless
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…
The Slow NewscastHow Ivanka Trump enraged all of Albania
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…
The Slow NewscastThe trials of Ben Stokes
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…
The Slow NewscastWhat made Syrians fight for revolution?
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…
The Slow Newscast“I will never judge you”: A grandmother’s promise
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…
The Slow NewscastThe teacher, the school, and the myth of the 'Lucky Boy'
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…
The Slow NewscastPaolo Zampolli: Trump’s matchmaker
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 Slow NewscastWhy is electroconvulsive therapy still used?
Is ECT therapy safe? Postcode prescribing leaves patients at mercy of psychiatric opinions. Jessica Rawnsley has been investigating what this means for…
The Slow NewscastMy father, the vampire hunter
After a spate of paranormal sightings in 1970s London, debate raged over the existence of a vampire in Highgate Cemetery. Fifty years on, the legend has been…
The Slow NewscastWhat does a mass shooter’s chatbot history reveal?
After a 2025 mass shooting on Florida State University’s campus, investigators found a year’s worth of chat history between the shooter and ChatGPT…
The Slow NewscastCtrl Alt Restore
Rupert Lowe is the MP for Great Yarmouth, and the leader of Restore Britain, a right-wing political party which launched in February this year. So, how did the…
The Slow NewscastWhat next for Reform and Nigel Farage?
Nigel Farage has been re-elected as MP for Clacton. But that also means a Parliamentary investigation into Farage resumes. So what's next for Reform and their…
The Slow NewscastThe Mandelson files
When Peter Mandelson was sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the United States over his links with Jeffrey Epstein people wondered how he ever got appointed in…
The Slow NewscastIs mountaineering getting more dangerous?
On Thursday 30th July, an avalanche hit the world's twelfth highest mountain. Ten experienced climbers were caught by it, among them one of the world's most…
The Slow NewscastHard knocks: the cost of courage
When 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…
The Slow NewscastWho owns our water?
What are companies extracting British spring water, companies like Coca Cola and Nestle, paying for that water? The answer is extraordinary. And with the…
The Slow NewscastOne-star review: A stolen year
How 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…
The Slow NewscastBankrolling Farage: Who Funds Reform? Episode two: The Money Men
In 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…
The Slow NewscastBankrolling Farage: Who Funds Reform? Episode one: The Missing Millions
In 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…
The Slow NewscastHave England failed again?
Another 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…
The Slow NewscastFire on the mountain: Mistaken identity
Ademola 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…
The Slow NewscastWho is the man behind Syria's war crimes dossier?
Caesar 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…
The Slow NewscastWe call her Emma
When 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…
The Slow NewscastAfter 250 years is America at a crossroads?
The US celebrates 250 years of independence from the British Crown on 4th July. Accusations have flown that Trump has used the anniversary to celebrate…
The Slow NewscastWasteland: the rubbish gangs
Criminal gangs have turned Britain's waste system into a goldmine and transformed pockets of the countryside into toxic wastelands. But how do you hide an…
The Slow NewscastAre heatwaves the new norm?
Each year new temperature records are threatened to be broken. But the UK seems to respond not with innovative adaptation, but with shock. Why? Ada Barumé is…
The Slow NewscastThe Burnham Identity
Following Keir Starmer's resignation, Andy Burnham is now in prime position to become the UK's next prime minister. So what does he stand for? Hosted on Acast…
The Slow NewscastFrank Cottrell Boyce on modern childhood
This week we’re speaking to Frank Cottrell Boyce, the children’s laureate, who has spent two years visiting schools, libraries, and communities to discover…
The Slow NewscastPepped-up: the secret world of peptides
Ordinary people are turning to illegally produced peptides in the hopes of a beauty quick fix. How are these shady black market drugs slipping through the…
The Slow NewscastK2: Killer Mountain
A Sherpa was left for dead on Everest at the end of the climbing season. Stranded for almost a week thousands of metres up in extreme conditions, he survived…
The Slow NewscastOnline grooming: a mother's story
Children are being caught in a global grooming pandemic. This is the story of a mother whose daughter was one such victim. Reporter: Rachel Sylvester Producer…
The Slow NewscastThe Henry Nowak case
The death of student Henry Nowak has shocked the country and sparked riots in Southampton. Ada Barume is joined by the Observer’s Whitehall Editor Cat Neilan…
The Slow NewscastOn trial: oil and war crimes
Senior executives of Swedish firm Lundin Oil stand accused of complicity in war crimes. The case against them took more than a decade to come to trial, and the…
The Slow NewscastAnthropic co-founder Jack Clark: What does the future of AI look like?
Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark joins The Observer to reveal why he believes there is a chance we will see human-level AI by 2028. From how AI is already…
The Slow Newscast'Social media is killing our kids'
Last year in the UK, a fifth of people arrested for terrorism offences were under 18. Counter-terrorism experts warn that outlawing social media for children…
The Slow NewscastHow might Labour's new leaders grow the UK?
With a leadership election on the horizon, there are discussions among the backbenches about how potential contenders might look to reshape and re-energise the…
The Slow NewscastDoped Up!
For decades, doping has hid in the shadows of elite sports. Now, for the first time, it’s out in the open. The Enhanced Games promises a new era of…
The Slow NewscastNigel Farage and the five million pound gift: what's wrong with that?
It was recently revealed by The Guardian that before he stood to be an MP in 2024, Nigel Farage received a £5 million gift from billionaire Christopher…
The Slow NewscastLively vs Baldoni: Inside Hollywood’s PR machine
Blake Lively’s legal action against Justin Baldoni was settled just two weeks before it was due to go to trial. But the legal documents filed by both sides…
The Slow NewscastHow could the elections define the UK?
The elections look set to create ominous headlines for Labour. In the locals they could see massive losses across the country. But in Wales and Scotland voters…
The Slow NewscastDjokovic in exile
Novak Djokovic has long been Serbia’s most successful athlete, and perhaps most famous citizen. But as political conflicts such as youth protests have…
The Slow NewscastA mother's loss: The case of Tarryn Baird
Alexi is joined by the Observer's national news editor, Claudia Williams to discuss the case of Tarryn Baird. Last week, her husband, Christopher Trybus was…
The Slow NewscastFreud’s missing Bacon
In 1988, a painting by Lucian Freud of his one-time friend Francis Bacon was stolen from a Berlin art gallery. It’s now worth £20 million. This week, Steve…
The Slow NewscastCan Starmer survive the Mandelson fallout?
This week, there’s one story dominating the headlines: the Peter Mandelson scandal and whether it spells the end for Keir Starmer’s troubled premiership. What…
The Slow NewscastTen to midnight: Iran's nuclear arms race
According to United States and Israel, there's 460 kilograms of enriched uranium that Iran are just ten days away from turning into weapons grade nuclear bomb…
The Slow NewscastIs this the end of Orban's influence?
After sixteen years of rule in Hungary, Viktor Orbán has been voted out of office. But in that time, he’s built a deep-rooted network of soft power through…
The Slow NewscastUnjust: How the Court of Appeal failed an innocent man
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…
The Slow NewscastCan we be saved from AI?
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…
The Slow NewscastFrontier Men: The Forbidden Island
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…