The government auction has boosted renewables but questions remain over bills and connectivity

It has been a busy year! The Epstein files were released, Prince Andrew is no longer a prince, The Lionesses won the Euros and Ozempic has taken hold of Hollywood. And they are just a few non-Donald Trump related headlines.   Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer's Jeevan Vasagar, Poppy Bullard and Jessy Parker Humphreys, as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the year.    **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: Casey Magloire    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 Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists  

As thousands of households are still without water in Kent and Sussex, South East Water may face cross-examination over pattern of failures

The exceptional Category 5 hurricane that struck Jamaica was made four times more likely by human-induced climate change.   Host: Ada Barume Writer: Jeevan Vasagar  Producer: Amalie Sortland Episode Photography: Sophia Fenton Executive producer: Rebecca Moore

People in Kent and Sussex have been left collecting water to flush their toilets as regulator launches two investigations into South East Water

The storm caused widespread damage in Jamaica and is making its way to Cuba; is climate change to blame for its power? What - or who - is behind Donald Trump's obsession with Venezuela? Is it good news that a cargo ship has made it through the North East Passage for the first time?   Jeevan Vasagar is joined by the Observer's Erica Wagner, Jessica Hayden and Chloe Hadjimatheou as they pitch their top stories of the day, live from the Observer newsroom.   

Trump has had it out for the Fed chair for months

Do new oil projects in the Gulf of Mexico signal the end of an international consensus on climate change? Will the Home Office's new plans to curb protests backfire? Six months on from the Supreme Court ruling, why are the public expected to police each other's gender? Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer's Jeevan Vasagar, Ada Barumé and Evan Moffitt as they pitch their top stories of the day.   

Now Venezuelan oil is on the table, the firm faces tough decisions before its new CEO arrives

Why are there calls to return British art like the original Winnie-the-Pooh doll from America to the UK? Trump and Zelensky have finally signed the US-Ukraine mineral deal, but who is the real winner? With wedding season approaching, what lengths are people willing to take to look slimmer on the big day? Rebecca Moore is joined by Jeevan Vasagar, James Tapper and Vanessa Thorpe, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.

Chemical synthesis of the breakthrough drugs creates lakes of hazardous solvents that are set to grow as Wegovy pills hit the market. Now a UK startup is exploring a biological solution

The Norwegian CEO of the world’s largest sovereign wealth is confident we don’t face a crisis to rival the dotcom crash

The world is more resilient to disaster but disasters have become all too frequent

City firms, banks and even smaller companies buoyed by focus on growth measures, with the FTSE close to an all-time high

As the Earth approaches its tipping points, Pacific islanders are applying to become climate refugees

Petro-states are blamed for weakening agreement as conference in Brazil comes to a disputed close, reports climate editor Jeevan Vasagar

Missed decarbonisation targets, high prices and political uncertainty are seeing Labour’s bid to make the nation a clean utility ‘superpower’ drift off into the ether

The cost of cleaning it up could exceed the yearly budget for the local council

Cop30 needs to deliver clear plans for quicker and steeper reductions

Apollo Global’s deal to buy 50% of the Hornsea 3 wind farm is latest sign of sector’s growing interest in energy transition

The Covid pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis have all pushed the climate crisis onto the political back burner

As world leaders gather in Brazil in the wake of record temperature rises, some progress has been made on renewables

The US will be the ghost at the feast as nations gather for a summit that has never been more urgent in the wake of Hurricane Melissa

New research finds that human-driven climate change made the storm’s violent wind speeds even worse

Chevron wins fight for US oil company against ExxonMobil and chance to drill in new region