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

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 

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

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.  

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

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.  

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

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.  

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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.

The Suffolk festival – with its crowdpleasing lineup and a Euros screening – was a masterclass in building a joyous, multigenerational event

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

The largest protest in Budapest since the fall of the communism has left Hungary’s prime minister on perilous ground

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?

Ending a pregnancy will no longer carry the threat of prosecution after first major law change in a generation

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.

New UK police guidance suggests officers can check menstrual-cycle tracking apps after pregnancy loss

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

Law requires legally dead pregnant woman to be kept alive until end of her pregnancy in two months

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

New national guidance suggests officers look for menstrual tracking apps or abortion drugs

In 2020, Nicola Packer had an abortion - then was arrested and put on trial. Now, found not guilty, she hopes she will be the last woman in history prosecuted under England’s archaic law

Giuffre’s suicide has revealed the cost of justice for Jeffrey Epstein’s victims

Tristan Tate is far less well known than his notorious elder sibling, Andrew. But new evidence suggests he holds a central role in their alleged criminality