The story of the Duncan siblings illustrates the huge disparities built into student loans over the years since 2009

Why are Britain and its European allies backing the conclusion that the Kremlin poisoned Alexei Navalny? What's driving a growing measles outbreak in London? And why is the UK's top military official framing rearmament as a moral necessity?   Jasper Corbett is joined by The Observer's Hannah Schuller, Phoebe Davis and Francisco Garcia as they  battle it out to see who can pitch the story that should lead the news.   Please come and see us at the next The News Meeting Live on Thursday, the 26th of February: https://observer.co.uk/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-8    **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: Jasper Corbett   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

New data reveals England had the most expensive public higher education cost per year of OECD countries

Will captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro get a fair trial in the US? Who is driving American foreign policy? How would Trump's supporters view a military campaign?   Jasper Corbett is joined by The Observer's Washington Correspondent Hugh Tomlinson, Reporter Phoebe Davis, and lawyer Robert McWhirter as they give their assessment on the situation in Venezuela.    **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: Jasper Corbett   Producer: Poppy Bullard   Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett   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  

After multiple years of significant financial issues, the craft beers specialist could be sold off

Qian Zhimin has been dubbed the cryptoqueen after UK Police discovered she had approximately £5 billion of stolen investments. But how was she caught?  Host: Ada Barumé Writer: Casey Magloire Producer: Amalie Sortland  Reporters: Poppy Sebag-Montefiore and Phoebe Davis  Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Matt Russell 

The Marsh Family from Kent joins Billy Bragg and Bruce Springsteen in releasing songs about Minnesota

Who is responsible for breaking the ceasefire in Gaza? How might the Louvre heist thieves get away with selling jewels belonging to Napoleon's wife? Does Virginia Giuffre's memoir shed new light on the allegations against Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and  Prince Andrew? Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer's Phoebe Davis and Stephen Armstrong, and the journalist and author Pete Apps, as they pitch their top story of the day.  

Lawyer for the convicted serial killer has called the police bodycam footage of her home arrest an invasion of privacy

Will the US ban a safe and legal abortion pill? Is the Met Police full of Freemasons? Can Labour take control of the narrative on immigration? Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer's Francisco Garcia, Serena Cesareo and Phoebe Davis as they pitch their top story of the day.  

Gender-critical charity says the fight goes on after high court challenge fails in the latest battle over single-sex spaces

Will Afghanistan get the aid it needs? Is China the new America when it comes to globalisation? Could a lawsuit from a dark corner of the internet affect the Online Safety Act? Rebecca Moore is joined by Observer reporters Stephen Armstrong, Phoebe Davis and Bex Sander as they pitch their stop stories of the day.  

From John Williams to Beyoncé, here are the best five hits according to the academy – and our critic

How did a baseless claim that the first lady of France is a man become one of the world's biggest conspiracy theories?  

Emotions run high in Crowborough as locals claim they were ‘gaslit’

Is it wrong for the government to ask police to release information on the ethnicity and immigration status of crime suspects? As countries gather for the UN plastics summit, just how much of our lives are contaminated by plastic? Who is the YouTuber behind the misinformation campaign targeting France's First Lady?

Pinterest predicts gen Z and millennials will seize on the ‘romanticised’ and ‘writerly’ aesthetic seen in the new film

Matthew Drapper was subjected to an exorcism to rid him of the “demonic possession” of homosexuality. 

Based on a hit novel about opponents on the ice, the explicit series Heated Rivalry is already inspiring Queer as Folk-type adulation in the US, and faces-off in the UK next month

Will the conspiracy theories about Jeffrey Epstein divide Trump from his MAGA supporters? Can British culture accept genetically modifying embryos to prevent serious diseases? And why have we only just learned of the data breach involving Afghan refugees? Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer's Head of Audio Jasper Corbett, reporter Phoebe Davis and producer Poppy Bullard.

British man accuses social media and AI bosses of being ‘sociopathic in their unwillingness to be held accountable’

Are Britain and France on the cusp of yet another agreement over small boats? Could the Texan floods have been prevented? Can women trust the justice system? Rebecca Moore is joined by Observer reporters Phoebe Davies and Serena Cesareo, and the journalist and author Jenny Evans, whose book Don’t Let It Break You, Honey details her experience being assaulted by a high profile figure, and her subsequent fight to find out why details of her ordeal made it into the tabloids. You can buy Don’t Let It Break You, Honey HERE **Join us at the News Meeting Live: LIVE from the Observer Newsroom on Tuesday 29th July - with ITV News presenter Charlene White. Follow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky Host: Rebecca Moore, Executive Producer Producer: Poppy Bullard Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett, Head of Audio 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 If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

As the City of London says it will continue to ‘vigorously’ contest pressure to ban transgender swimmers from the Ladies’ Pond, the row over inclusivity shows little sign of ending

Around 200,000 people attended Budapest pride, defying Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ban on the event. Why did Pride become the focus of anti-government protests?

Calls for tighter controls as maternity staff report pressure from management to work longer hours

What links Elon Musk’s business ties in South Africa to the US president’s attack on Cyril Ramaphosa? Will AI hit women in the workforce hardest? And could the case of Adriana Smith - a brain-dead pregnant woman being kept alive because she’s pregnant - reshape abortion laws in states like Georgia? Giles Whittell is joined by writer and journalist Marisa Bate, along with Observer reporters Stephen Armstrong and Phoebe Davis, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.

More than 150 people took to the streets demanding for something to be done to stop the hate after a spate of racially aggravated rapes

In recent years, an increasing number of women - including Nicola Packer - have been investigated and put on trial for illegally ending their pregnancy.

Move to wrap up Operation Raise the Colours as Reform-led Nottinghamshire local authority commits to unfurl £75,000 of union jacks

Tristan Tate is far less well-known than his notorious brother, Andrew. New evidence suggests he holds a central role in their alleged criminality.

Low care ratings at maternity wards across the country have put immense strain on a small number of units

Top-flight teams and experts are ‘weaponising’ periods for better play and to tackle stigma

Online sellers have started promoting weight-loss treatments that are yet to receive clinical approval

Network of well-funded bodies backs cases in UK after JD Vance’s challenge on buffer zones outside abortion clinics

“Miracle” that climate reporter survived five days in poor weather conditions with little food and no water