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 NewscastThe Sacklers: Getting away with it
The Sackler family made billions from the opioid painkiller OxyContin, which played a significant part in the opioid epidemic. The Sacklers have been blamed…
The Slow NewscastPanic in the Boardroom
A year ago the Confederation of British Industry was at the centre of a media storm and a crisis at the organisation quickly ensued. Members left in droves…
The Slow NewscastBrace, brace: Boeing's hard landing
Boeing once ruled the skies. Now they find themselves in the middle of a scandal, without public trust and their reputation in free-fall. This is the story of…
The Slow NewscastZaporizhzhia: Ukraine's nuclear front
In the early days of the invasion, Russia took over Europe's biggest nuclear power station. For two years, Zaporizhzhia's nuclear plant has been under Russian…
The Slow NewscastHong Kong's billionaire rebel
At his height Jimmy Lai was a newspaper owner and tycoon who loved to cause trouble. But he’s been behind bars for more than a thousand days with no end in…
The Slow NewscastPutin's murders: The full Stalin - episode 3
Shortly before Vladimir Putin was reelected for a fifth term as Russia’s president he eliminated his last possible rival for power, Alexei Navalny, who was…
The Slow NewscastPutin's murders: Follow the money - episode 2
Shortly before Vladimir Putin was reelected for a fifth term as Russia’s president he eliminated his last possible rival for power, Alexei Navalny, who was…
The Slow NewscastPutin's murders: A culture of political murder - episode 1
Shortly before Vladimir Putin was re-elected for a fifth term as Russia’s president he eliminated his last possible rival for power, Alexei Navalny, who was…
The Slow NewscastDangerous games: Red Bull's killer PR
The energy drink company has built a billion-dollar brand promoting extreme sports like BASE jumping. Who’s responsible when it goes wrong? To find out more…
The Slow NewscastThe State of Netanyahu: The Failure - episode 3
Benjamin Netanyahu has arguably shaped his country's image more than anyone else in the world. But his actions have put at risk Israel's relationship with its…
The Slow NewscastThe State of Netanyahu: The Magician - episode 2
To get the full series now, download the Tortoise app. Benjamin Netanyahu has arguably shaped his country's image more than anyone else in the world. But his…
The Slow NewscastThe State of Netanyahu: Mr Right - episode 1
To get the full series now, download the Tortoise app. Benjamin Netanyahu has arguably shaped his country's image more than anyone else in the world. But his…
The Slow NewscastBroking Bad
Modern brokerage firms in the City are an echo of another age. Not just because they still rely on people - rather than technology - to facilitate trade, but…
The Slow NewscastAnna Wintour: The last Editor
Anna Wintour is one of the most important people in fashion. She is arguably one of the world's most influential and powerful people. A brand in her own right…
The Slow NewscastWho Trolled Amber?
To listen to episode two follow the Tortoise Investigates feed. To get the full series now, download the Tortoise app. What comes to mind when you think of…
The Slow NewscastA hidden hell: the prison for children
In a town in Kent, there is a place where vulnerable and volatile boys are locked away for "days on end", where weapons are widespread and living conditions…
The Slow NewscastThe trials of Alexei Navalny
This episode was first published in March 2022. In early 2021 Alexei Navalny and his wife, Yulia Navalnaya returned to Russia where a year earlier he had been…
The Slow NewscastAckman: A billionaire’s war on woke
Bill Ackman, a billionaire hedge fund manager, campaigned successfully to topple Harvard’s first black leader, Claudine Gay, in a row over anti-semitism. But…
The Slow NewscastMarked men
When a man in Birmingham died unexpectedly last year, a question was asked: was he assassinated? At first, it sounds unbelievable, but as the story unfolds the…
The Slow NewscastBetrayal: Alex and Nicola - episode 2
The two most charismatic leaders in a generation took Scotland to the brink of independence. But when Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon's powerful partnership…
The Slow NewscastBetrayal: Alex and Nicola
The two most charismatic leaders in a generation took Scotland to the brink of independence. But when Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon's powerful partnership…
The Slow NewscastMurdoch: The other hacking story
Paul Caruana Galizia investigates a new dimension to the phone hacking story; allegations that Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper group hacked phones not for tabloid…
The Slow NewscastFrom Lizzo to Beckham: My life according to… Me
From Harry and Meghan to David Beckham and Lizzo, our TV screens are awash with celebrity documentaries like never before. But what story are they telling –…
The Slow NewscastThe Biden Operation
It may be a re-fight of the 2020 elections, but in this year's US presidential elections, the stakes feel much higher. And that's got a lot of Democrats…
The Slow NewscastEight years hard Labour: episode 6 - Do you really want to go out on a knight like this?
Jeremy Corbyn’s time as Labour leader is up. The party faces an uphill battle to mount a credible challenge to the Conservative majority at the next election…
The Slow NewscastEight years hard Labour: episode 5 - The Revolution Defeated
Parliament can’t find a way through the Brexit labyrinth. Jeremy Corbyn’s position is as muddy as ever. Keir Starmer, now Shadow Brexit Secretary, openly…
The Slow NewscastEight years hard Labour: episode 4 - Jeremy and the Jews
An old Facebook comment from Jeremy Corbyn resurfaces. The Labour leader is forced to to explain why he publicly supported a graffiti artist accused of…
The Slow NewscastEight years hard Labour: episode 3 - Oh Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn faces an unexpected general election, called by Theresa May. Against the odds Labour does better than expected, although it’s still not the…
The Slow NewscastEight years hard Labour: episode 2 - The chicken coup
Murmurings of discontent grow among some Labour MPs. The blame the Brexit referendum result on Jeremy Corbyn’s half hearted campaigning efforts. They launch a…
The Slow NewscastEight years hard Labour: episode 1 - Jez we can
In 2015 Labour is back in opposition after another election defeat. The party needs a new leader. It chooses Jeremy Corbyn, a long serving left-wing MP who’s…
The Slow NewscastMotherland
The story of motherhood is strangely absent from a lot of literature. After her own experience of childbirth, Catherine Nixey takes on millennia of canonical…
The Slow NewscastThe poet's window
Arifa Akbar lost her sister far too young. She died from a 19th century illness in a 21st century hospital. Arifa’s journey through grief takes her to Rome…
The Slow NewscastHelen versus Sam: The battle for OpenAI
Former OpenAI board member Helen Toner calls herself an “effective altruist”. That philosophical movement fuelled the firing and rehiring of Sam Altman last…
The Slow NewscastAssad: The rubble king
President Assad has won the war in Syria and to consolidate his power he’s demolishing opposition neighbourhoods in order to create a shiny new Syria - one in…
The Slow NewscastUnforgivable: Boris Johnson and Covid’s second wave
From the middle of Sep 2020 to the end of October, Boris Johnson’s government dithered and delayed the decision over a second national lockdown. This is the…
The Slow NewscastEight years' hard Labour
This is the inside story of two revolutions in the Labour party in eight short years. From the takeover by the far left under Jeremy Corbyn to the election of…
The Slow NewscastWalter's War: An English gentleman
To listen to the full series subscribe to the Tortoise Investigates feed. It’s London, 2012. Oliver is a dashing diplomat. Charlie is a young graduate trying…
The Slow NewscastSneakered: Adidas, Yeezy & Kanye
The deal between Kanye West and Adidas was no ordinary celebrity endorsement. Now under renewed scrutiny after West’s outrageous behaviour, how can one…
The Slow NewscastThe lottery winner
Paul Caruana Galizia investigates how a lucrative contract to run the UK’s National Lottery was awarded to a company whose Czech billionaire owner retains…
The Slow NewscastThe shadow: Hamas's hidden commander
Mohammed Deif – thought to be the mastermind behind Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7th - hasn’t been seen for 20 years and no one’s even sure if he’s still…
The Slow NewscastDr Anti-Vax: The fall
A British doctor sparks a global health panic about the safety of vaccines. But even though his work is discredited, he lights a fire that becomes the modern…
The Slow NewscastMr Right: Paul Marshall and the battle for The Telegraph
The Telegraph is for sale for the first time in a generation. The new owner will become one of the most influential people on the right in Britain. Who will…
The Slow NewscastKiller mountain: Abandoned on K2
It’s been a dangerous year in the world of extreme mountaineering. Has the focus on record-breaking gone too far? For the premium Tortoise listening…
The Slow NewscastTrump and Rudy: A bare-knuckle romance - episode 3
Twenty years ago, Rudy Giuliani was “America’s mayor”. Now he’s been indicted, along with Donald Trump, for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election…
The Slow NewscastTrump and Rudy: A bare-knuckle romance - episode 2
Twenty years ago, Rudy Giuliani was “America’s mayor”. Now he’s been indicted, along with Donald Trump, for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election…
The Slow NewscastTrump and Rudy: A bare-knuckle romance - episode 1
Twenty years ago, Rudy Giuliani was “America’s mayor”. Now he’s been indicted, along with Donald Trump, for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election…
The Slow NewscastBlue light: one woman's story of policing on the frontline
For years, Claire McEnery was the most senior woman in the Lancashire police force. With that seniority came exposure to the best – and worst – of life, but…
- The Slow Newscast
Introducing... Trendy
Welcome to Trendy, the new weekly show from Tortoise. Britain’s top pollster, Sir John Curtice, and former Downing Street advisor, Rachel Wolf, explore the key…
- The Slow Newscast
William and Murdoch: the prince and the press baron
Earlier this year, when the media went into a frenzy about the rift between the royal brothers and the publication of Harry's book Spare Paul Caruana Galizia…
- The Slow Newscast
Boris’s Baroness: The mysterious rise of Charlotte Owen
From intern to baroness in seven years, Charlotte Owen’s entry to the House of Lords has left even friends scratching their heads in wonder. Her elevation…
- The Slow Newscast
Attack of the Killer Whales
Humans think of themselves as the world’s apex predator. But what happens when another powerful carnivore threatens us in a place where they are the masters?…
- The Slow Newscast
Putin v Prigozhin: A story of mutiny and death
In late June, Yevgeny Prigozhin marched on Moscow with a small army of mercenaries. Exactly two months later, he was dead. This is the story of what really…
- The Slow Newscast
Spotted: snooker’s fight against match fixing
In June a scandal erupted that threatened the future of snooker after ten elite players were banned for match fixing. It all starts in a small snooker hall in…
- The Slow Newscast
Sick river: saving the Brent
Cities are where the battle to save planet earth will be won and lost. But it is not the urban environment that matters, but our relationship with nature…
- The Slow Newscast
Johnny Depp: the great uncancelling
In 2017 the MeToo movement swept through Hollywood. Some men, such as Harvey Weinstein, went to prison. Others who were accused of sexual misconduct and…
- The Slow Newscast
The death of Kellie Sutton
A family's six-year fight for a pioneering legal decision. Will an inquest jury conclude, for the first time, that a woman who took her own life was actually…
- The Slow Newscast
Genocide hunters: on the trail of a mass murderer
For almost three decades, one of the world's most wanted men had stayed at large. Earlier this year, he was finally caught. This is the story of how a small…
- The Slow Newscast
Three doors down
In May this year David Boyd was found guilty of the brutal murder of seven year-old Nikki Allan in 1992. Why did it take the police thirty years to find Boyd…
- The Slow Newscast
The News Meeting with Basia
Slow Newscast host Basia Cummings is in the editor's chair for this episode of The News Meeting. The podcast where three journalists each pitch the one story…
- The Slow Newscast
Modern family: I had my dead son’s baby at 68
Spanish celebrity Ana Obregón shocked the world when she announced that she had a child via surrogate, using a donor egg and the sperm of her deceased son. Her…