The tech firm’s court loss might have been avoided if the internal body had been able to do its job

Why did President Donald Trump postpone his deadline to strike Iranian power plants? How is the Iran war impacting the cost of living in the UK? And is there a pattern to anti-semitic attacks in the UK?    To battle out who can pitch the story that should lead the news, Jasper Corbett is joined by The Observer reporter Stephen Armstrong, producer Ada Barumé and Head of Data and Graphics, Katie Riley.   Come along to the next The News Meeting LIVE, right in our newsroom, this Thursday at 6:30 pm! Get your ticket at observer.co.uk/our-events.    **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

It may also end up being an expensive, failed experiment

Why is President Donald Trump asking NATO for help in the Iran war? What's going to happen with the hundreds of thousands who are displaced in Lebanon? And what is the Labour government going to do about the nearly one million young people who are out of work?    To battle out who can pitch the story that should lead the news, Jasper Corbett is joined by The Observer reporters Stephen Armstrong, Hannah Schuller and Bex Sander.   **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

A merger with Paramount could make next year’s ceremony look very different

How and why is the war in Iran impacting oil prices? What do we know about the new supreme leader of Iran? And how damaging will Keir Starmer's fracturing relationship with President Donald Trump prove to be?   To battle out who can pitch the story that should lead the news, Jasper Corbett is joined by The Observer reporters Poppy Bullard, Stephen Armstrong and Serena Cesareo.   Listen to ‘Stephen Miller's America' episode on the Slow Newscast 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: 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

Axel Springer’s surprise gazumping of DMGT puts its Europhile chief executive in charge of the right-wing stalwart

Stephen Miller is the United States Homeland Security Advisor. But the vague sounding title belies his immense influence with Donald Trump behind the scenes. He's better understood as the architect of some of the US's most audacious recent policies - the capturing of Venezuelan President Maduro, the rollout of ICE enforcement through communities, and a threat to capture Greenland. So what can he tell us about what America will do next?   Credits:  Reporter: Stephen Armstrong Reporter/Producers: Madeleine Parr, Poppy Bullard, Jonathan Lewis Sound design: Dominic Delargy Artwork: Lucy Stevenson Executive Producer: Matt Russell Editor: Jasper Corbett Subscribe to The Observer today and get access to: Our podcasts before anyone else A daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a week Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword Recipes for every occasion Free tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online Click here to subscribe today for just £1 for your first month.  

Never mind Olivia Dean and Lola Young, the big winners at the Brit awards were the same as they always are – the industry bosses

How is the Trump administration defending the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents? Why was Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham blocked from running as MP? And what role will Trump's new Board of Peace play in Gaza?   Jasper Corbett is joined by The Observer reporters Stephen Armstrong and Serena Cesareo, and producer Poppy Bullard to battle out 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 2 9th of January: https://observer.co.uk/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-7    **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: 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 Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalist

Staff fear the Ellisons, the billionaire owners of Paramount, will make changes to please Donald Trump

How can we tell what's really happening on the ground in Iran? Why are murder rates falling in London? And are ICE agents immune from legal accountability?   Jasper Corbett is joined by The Observer reporters Hannah Schuller, Stephen Armstrong and Serena Cesareo to battle out 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 29th of January: https://observer.co.uk/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-7    **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: Katie Gunning   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  

The bid to buy Warner Brothers is under way, and feels like the beginning of the end. Whatever happens when the credits roll, it spells bad news for Tinseltown

Donald Trump is facing an unexpected fallout as one of his most loyal supporters has resigned from Congress and turned against him. With divisions widening after the attack on Venezuela, is there a split in the broader MAGA movement?

In a new podcast, The Observer takes a closer look at one of the Trump administration’s most divisive figures

Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros. - including its film and television studios, HBO Max, and HBO - is set to have major ripple effects on both TV and cinema. Meanwhile, the Kremlin is applauding the Trump administration's newly released national security strategy. Why is Moscow welcoming it? A border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is turning deadly. How are natural resources fuelling the tension?   Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer reporters Hannah Schuller and Stephen Armstrong, and Senior Writer 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: Giles Whittell   Producer: Amalie Sortland   Executive Producers: Rebecca Moore & 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 journalist

German news giant Axel Springer is backing Efune’s offer but his right-wing stance may scupper success

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  

The network appears to have fallen into a pattern of anticipatory obedience

In 2026, the UK government will decide whether to end terrestrial TV. Host: Katie Gunning Writer: Stephen Armstrong Producer: Amalie Sortland Episode Photography: Joe Mee Executive producer: Matt Russell

Reduction in plurality of views is just one of the culture secretary’s concerns about Lord Rothermere’s proposal

Which international peacekeeping forces might be present in Gaza, and what will their role be? Is the fact that kids on free school meals do worse in their GCSEs a symptom of a failed state? Does the Amazon outage show that the internet is too reliant on a small number of companies?   Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer's Stephen Armstrong, Bex Sander and Ruth Michaelson as they pitch their top story of the day.   

A flurry of letters from anxious staff. Owner Jeff Bezos at Paris Fashion Week, his publisher at the Super Bowl. Then the devastating 8.30am Zoom call. Here’s how two weeks of turmoil gutted one of America’s leading newspapers

The French President and the First Lady of France are taking American right wing commentator Candace Owens to court in Delaware over bizarre claims the First Lady is transgender and the President is part of a CIA-backed mind-control programme, among many other conspiracy theories. But what are the First Lady and French President risking in doing so?

Last week 300 of the paper’s journalists lost their jobs, apparently sacrificed to owner Jeff Bezos’s plan to keep Donald Trump happy. Now, the paper’s CEO is out

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.  

The Puerto Rican artist was one of dozens of musicians to criticise the administration at Sunday’s Grammys

The US government says it has agreed a deal which would see a portion of TikTok owned by US investors.    Writer: Stephen Armstrong Producer: Poppy Bullard Host: Ada Barume Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore  

Few tickets have been shifted, despite a $75m outlay

Could Tiktok become MAGA-tok? What are the implications of recognising a Palestinian state? Should Rwanda be hosting an international cycling competition? Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer's Stephen Armstrong, Bex Sander and Serena Cesareo as they pitch their top stories of the day.  

As the fourth series draws to a close, The Observer’s Stephen Armstrong sat down with executive producer Lewis Thurlow to find out how they pick the perfect cast

Insiders tell the story of how the US Health Secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, has hollowed out the Center for Disease Control putting the whole world at risk in the event of another pandemic. 

Declining ad revenues explain the cannibalisation of the London publication’s online offering, leaving a team of just 25 to put out the paper

With young people in Nepal using social media sites like Discord to organise protests, are we witnessing the South Asian Spring? How influential is Elon Musk in British politics following his message to the Unite the Kingdom protestors? And how did the Assad regime systematically steal hundreds of children from their families?    Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer's Patricia Clarke, Chloe Hadjimatheou and Stephen Armstrong, as they each try to pitch the top story of the day.  

The twists of the latest show have astonished even the man who picks the mix of personalities who enter the castle

For the first time in decades, American Vogue, the leading fashion publication, has a new editorial head succeeding Anna Wintour, often regarded as the most powerful woman in the industry. Who is the new woman in charge?    Writer: Stephen Armstrong Producer: Amalie Sortland Episode Photography: Joe Mee Executive producer: Jasper Corbett

The company’s bold $83bn bid for Warner Bros Discovery is not its only angle on growing its film production. It has also been on a vodcast buying spree

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.  

The Sleaford Mods frontman on therapy, exercise and sobriety

Will Zelensky find any success with Trump, in the wake of the Alaska Summit? What does the militarisation of Washington DC tell us about America's political direction? And why are MPs making TikToks?  Rebecca Moore is joined by the Financial Times' Working It Editor Isabel Berwick, Plus The  Observer's Katie Riley and Stephen Armstrong, as each try to pitch the top story of the day.