Emma is a high achieving, middle class girl from west London. She seems destined for a successful career in banking and a comfortable British life. Until she makes a decision that will come to define her. In 2001 Emma marries Bashar al-Assad - the now infamous dictator of Syria. In the early days, people inside and out of Syria dared to hope. Alongside his beautiful, progressive wife, Bashar promised to modernise the country. But when the Arab Spring reached Syria in 2011, Bashar'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 Emma?

The British barrister, the Netanyahu arrest warrant and the sexual assault case that could destroy the International Criminal Court

There are 19 seasons of Tortoise Investigates available ad free to Observer subscribers. Start listening today.  

According to the 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 material. The story of Iran's nuclear arms race is less clear than they make it appear though. It's a tale of espionage, assassinations, and a high-stakes game of bluff.

The human rights lawyer is working from her London home with opposition leaders on a legal framework for a new Iran. But the exiled judge and Nobel laureate fears she is still in danger from the regime

In this episode we discuss the US and Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend. How did the situation unfold and what are the wider ramifications for the region?   Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer's International Editor Steve Bloomfield, Narrative Editor Chloe Hadjimatheou and Middle East expert and author Jotam Confino.    Subscribe to our newsletters HERE for a wide array of digital stories and columns straight from The Observer newsroom.   Listen to Chloe Hadjimatheou's Slow Newscast documentary on ‘The hunt for Iran's next Supreme Leader' 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 Whittell    Producer: Amalie Sortland   Executive Producer: Casey Magloire   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 Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

When Lara Feigel tried to write about family law’s harsh treatment of mothers, the very same legal system tried to shut her down

Family of Amir Hossein Ghaderzadeh say the teenager was sentenced to hang after taking part in sweeping anti-government demonstrations

The dramatic story of the twists and turns in the long journey – via the Welsh seaside and rural France – to uncover Raynor Winn’s true story

The Salt Path was the supposed bestseller debut book by Raynor Winn, selling millions worldwide. So when two more sequels came along with increasingly bold claims on reversing a terminal illness, why did the publisher Penguin not question it more?  Chloe also goes on the hunt for Raynor Winn's fourth  book…her true debut written years before The Salt Path. Credits: Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou Producer - Matt Russell Artwork - Observer design with acknowledgements to Angela Harding Music supervision - Karla Patella Sound design - Tom Burchell Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett

At a motorway service station, Chloe meets someone close to Raynor Winn who's nervous about coming forward. It turns out she's another character from The Salt Path…and she's Raynor Winn's niece. And she's not turned up empty handed…   Credits: Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou Producer - Matt Russell Artwork - Observer design with acknowledgements to Angela Harding Music supervision  and sound design - Karla Patella Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett

In the aftermath of her initial investigation, Chloe hears from a close family member of Moth's. The story is one of deep divides…and another theft. But it takes her one step closer to understanding who Moth and Raynor Winn really are. Credits: Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou Producer - Matt Russell Artwork - Observer design with acknowledgements to Angela Harding Music supervision - Karla Patella Sound design - Rowan Bishop Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett

In a small town in north Wales, an alleged theft at a local estate agents plants the seeds for a global blockbuster.   Credits: Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou Additional reporting - James Urquhart Producer - Matt Russell Artwork: Observer design with acknowledgements to Angela Harding Music supervision & sound design - Karla Patella Narrative editor - Gary Marshall Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett

With question marks now raised over how The Salt Path began, Chloe Hadjimatheou starts to track down other characters from the book. Did Raynor Winn and Moth ever walk the path the way they claimed? Credits: Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou Additional reporting - James Urquhart Producer - Matt Russell Music supervision & sound design - Karla Patella Artwork - Observer design with acknowledgements to Angela Harding Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett  

Moth is suffering from a rare and terminal illness: corticobasal degeneration. Life expectancy rarely extends beyond eight years. But almost two decades after his diagnosis, Moth is still defying the odds. Has he discovered the secret to a medical miracle? Credits: Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou Producer - Matt Russell Sound design - Rowan Bishop Fact checking - Madeleine Parr Music supervision - Karla Patella Artwork - Observer design with acknowledgements to Angela Harding Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett

When the television cameras come to a heritage cider farm in Devon, Moth and Raynor Winn take centre stage. Within weeks, they vanish. The farm's owner, their friend, is left to piece together the disparity between what he'd witnessed…and what Raynor Winn had written about. Credits: Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou Additional reporting - James Urquhart Producer - Matt Russell Artwork - Observer design with acknowledgements to Angela Harding Sound design - Karla Patella Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett

Raynor Winn's memoir The Salt Path was a bestseller and literary phenomenon with millions of people captivated by this true story of financial ruin, terminal illness, and healing through nature. Raynor Winn has since published two more books and The Salt Path has been adapted for the big screen, starring Jason Isaacs and Gillian Anderson. At its heart it is a simple tale, of a couple embarking on a 630 mile trek in the face of stark adversity. When faced with nothing, they chose to walk. Then Chloe Hadjimatheou received a tip-off that the memoir may not be the "unflinchingly honest" account it claimed to be. And it led her to ask: how far can you bend the truth before it begins to break?

The Salt Path author’s relatives reveal that she took money from her mother and her in-laws, leaving them struggling to pay the rent. And her niece shares a letter in which Winn appears to admit being ‘addicted’ to theft

Twenty thousand documents from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have been released. Could emails referencing Donald Trump divide his loyal MAGA base? Has a No. 10 briefing warning backbenchers about a possible coup exposed a vulnerability in Keir Starmer's leadership? And Donald Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for $1 billion, but is that even possible?   Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer's Alexi Mostrous, Chloe Hadjimatheou and Poppy Bullard, as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the day.