A bull run for defence firms looks to be over, before the cash-strapped governments’ rearmament rhetoric has translated into higher spending

This weekend, European leaders were scrambling to prevent US President Donald Trump from forcing Ukraine to sign a peace deal widely viewed as favourable to Russia.   Host: Casey Magloire  Writer & Producer: Amalie Sortland Episode Photography: Sofia Fenton Executive producer: Matt Russell

Trump and Putin are daring each other to restart live nuclear weapons tests. It would be bad for both of them

A Russian spy ship has directed lasers at Royal Air Force pilots monitoring its movements near UK waters. What is President Vladimir Putin trying to achieve with this latest provocation? Scotland has qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1998. Can this rare moment of sporting joy help unite the nation? Meanwhile, councils are weighing up the sale of youth and community centres. What consequences could these closures have for local communities?   Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer's Assistant Sports Editor, Jessica Hayden, Data and Graphics reporter, Becky Pinnington, and Contributing Editor on National Security, Bernard Gray, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day.    Get your ticket for the News Meeting Live HERE    **We want to hear what you think! Email us at: newsmeeting@observer.co.uk  Follow us on Social Media:  @ObserverUK on X  @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky    Host: Giles Whitell   Producer: Amalie Sortland   Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore    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  

Tests of the ‘storm petrel’ appear to be in response to latest sanctions

On Wednesday, European leaders gathered in Copenhagen to confront a growing threat: Russian drone incursions in European airspace.    Writer & Producer: Amalie Sortland Episode Photography: Joe Mee Executive producer: Rebecca Moore  

The UK’s new armaments director may have to learn to say no to expensive procurement programmes

What does the sacking of Peter Mandelson mean for Keir Starmer? Does Vladimir Putin want war with NATO? Is the UK at risk of an uptick in political violence? Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer's Jessica Hayden, Katie Gunning and Bernard Gray as they each try to pitch the top story of the day.  

In a speech this week, George Robertson echoed other analysts’ views that UK is in conflict with the Kremlin

Pete Hegseth’s speech to 800 military officers may have seemed surreal, but was chilling in what it might mean for the future rules of warfare

Report calls for overhaul of how MoD awards contracts, at a time when tensions are rising in Europe

The spy show returns to our screens this week and, in the real world, the new C settles in

Netanyahu wanted to kill Hamas leadership. Cratering the ceasefire process may be enough for him

Norway’s £10bn order for Type 26 frigates marks a new era for British shipyards

History shows that haste could spark a brutal, bloody conflict in a region that has already suffered far too much

It’s inconceivable that no one who got the email raised the alarm, writes former UK national armaments director

It took 18 months to raise the alarm over a ministry of defence data leak which named 19,000 Afghans and more than 100 members of the special forces and spies. Why did it take so long?

The UK military is woefully short of the weapons needed to make it a lethal force in the face of an enemy attack

Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to buy nuclear-capable F-35A jets ignores the threadbare state of the UK’s defences