Hack of government agency has left lawyers with hours of extra red tape and forced them to turn down clients

Now into her 52nd day of refusing to eat, the jailed Palestine Action protester Qesser Zuhrah is in mortal danger   Reporter: John Simpson   Writer: Poppy Bullard   Producer: Poppy Bullard   Host: Ada Barume   Episode photography: Joe Mee   Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore  

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  

China has started construction of what will become the world's largest hydropower dam in Tibetan territory.    Writer: Jonathan Lewis   Producer: Poppy Bullard   Host: Andrew Butler   Episode photography: Joe Mee   Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore  

Will European countries decide to give billions of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine? What did we learn about Trump's White House from Vanity Fair's 11 months of reporting? How should the government respond to the Palestine Action hunger strikers?   Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer's Senior Producer Katie Gunning, Data and Graphics Editor Katie Riley, and Data Reporter Hannah Schuller as they battle it out for the top story of the day.    Find the team's must reads: All Cock, No Wok   **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: Poppy Bullard   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  

On Tuesday the government passed a bill which it's calling the biggest overhaul of workers' rights in decades.   Writer: Poppy Bullard with additional reporting from Ada Barume   Producer: Poppy Bullard   Host: Ada Barume   Episode photography: Joe Mee   Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore  

At least 15 people have been killed after two men opened fire on a crowd gathered for Chanukah celebrations, near Bondi Beach in Australia.

Last week the Health Secretary announced a review into the rising rates of ADHD and Autism, as well as other mental health conditions.    Writer: Poppy Bullard   Producer: Poppy Bullard   Host: Ada Barume   Episode photography: Joe Mee   Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore  

As of yesterday, millions of Australian children under the age of 16 are now banned from using the social media platforms including X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.   Reporter: Patricia Clarke   Writer: Poppy Bullard   Producer: Poppy Bullard   Host: Casey Magloire   Episode photography: Joe Mee   Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore  

As the Ukrainian President meets European leaders, Russia has ramped up its attacks on major infrastructure, and last week it claimed it had captured the key strategic city of Pokrovsk.    Writer: Poppy Bullard   Producer: Poppy Bullard   Host: Ada Barume    Episode photography: Sofia Fenton   Executive Producer: Matt Russell  

Vantara claims to house more than 150,000 animals - that's 15 times the size of London Zoo.   Writer: Jonathan Lewis   Producer: Poppy Bullard   Host: Casey Magloire   Episode photography: Sofia Fenton   Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore  

Will the next men's football World Cup be the most politically tense in history? Did we learn anything from the latest round of peace talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump's envoys? Is overdiagnosis of conditions like Autism and ADHD leading to worse outcomes for neurodiverse people?   Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer's Ideas and Comment Editor Alex O'Connell, Deputy Sports Editor Andrew Butler, and journalist and author Julia Ioffe as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day.    Buy Julia Ioffe's book from the Observer Bookshop: Motherland   **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: Rebecca Moore   Producer: Poppy Bullard   Executive Producer: Matt Russell   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  

The Observer's data team has found that the United Arab Emirates  is vying to position itself as a key player in the industry, by looking towards the developing world.    Reporter: Hannah Schuller   Writer: Poppy Bullard   Producer: Poppy Bullard   Host: Ada Barume   Episode photography: Sofia Fenton   Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore  

Justice Secretary David Lammy wants to introduce reforms to the justice system as part of a wider plan to tackle unprecedented delays in the court system.    Host: Ada Barumé Writer: Poppy Bullard Producer: Amalie Sortland Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore  

A recent survey by the Key Cities group found that 60% of their member councils - which include places like Bath, Hull and Medway in Kent - were planning on selling off things like shopping arcades and social clubs to pay for the rising costs of social care.   Host: Ada Barume Writer: Becky Pinnington and Poppy Bullard Producer: Madeleine Parr Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive producer: Matt Russel

Why did Prime Minister Keir Starmer decide to defend himself and the Chancellor over last week's budget? Rightwing activist and regular GB News contributor Lucy White claimed Commons deputy speaker Nusrat Ghani should not be allowed in the house because she was born in Pakistan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked President Isaac Herzog for a pardon in his corruption cases. Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer's Whitehall editor, Cat Neilan, senior researcher, Serena Cesareo, and producer Poppy Bullard, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day.  Find the team's Must Reads: The Observer's Global AI Index: https://observer.co.uk/data/global-ai **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 Producers: Rebecca Moore & Gary Marshall 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

Will the shooting of two National Guards in Washington DC change US politics forever? Should the UK roll out screening for prostate cancer? Did Chancellor Rachel Reeves miss an opportunity to gear up the economy for growth?   Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer's Cat Neilan, Steve Bloomfield and James Tapper, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day.    Find the teams Must Reads: Less WFH, more Lime, slower buses   **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: Rebecca Moore   Producer: Poppy Bullard   Executive Producer: Matt Russell   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  

In the budget Chancellor Rachel Reeves outlined a series of measures aimed at bringing living costs down. But each of those measures must be paid for by taxes elsewhere.    Writer: Poppy Bullard   Producer: Poppy Bullard   Host: Ada Barume   Episode photography: Joe Mee   Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore   

David Lammy has proposed scrapping jury trials in England and Wales for all but the most serious offences. Paramount Global has obtained exclusive streaming rights to the UEFA Champions League - a move that could redefine how football fans follow the sport in the future. Revelations that MAGA-supporting accounts on X are operated from countries like North Macedonia, Pakistan and Poland raise concerns about foreign-driven influence and its impact on political discourse.   Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer's Head of Investigations Alexi Mostrous, sports reporter Jessy Parker Humphreys, and journalist, author, and presenter Jenny Kleeman as they compete to pitch the day's top stories.   While we've wrapped up our live editions of The News Meeting for 2025, keep checking https://observer.co.uk/our-events if you'd like to join us at recordings in 2026.   **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 and Poppy Bullard   Executive Producers: Matt Russell and 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  

In the weeks since the ceasefire was agreed, more than 300 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and more than 600 injured, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.    Host: Ada Barumé Writer: Poppy Bullard Producer: Amalie Sortland Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Matt Russell

Did international tourists go on “sniper safaris” to Sarajevo during the siege in the mid-nineties? Why do some campaigners want to halt the new medical trial into the use of puberty blockers? What lies behind renewed efforts to find a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia?   Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer's Stephen Armstrong, Bex Sander and Francisco Garcia, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day.    **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: Rebecca Moore   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 Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists