Tax breaks, US politics and new planning laws attract a host of celebs

How did a British man end up being charged for allegedly filming Iranian missiles in Dubai? A tranche of new files raise questions about what the Labour government knew about Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein before appointing him UK ambassador to the US. What could the files mean for Keir Starmer's future as Prime Minister? And why is the Edinburgh International Festival facing backlash?   To battle out who can pitch the story that should lead the news, Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer's Arts and Media Editor Vanessa Thorpe, news reporter Jon Ungoed-Thomas and Assistant Sports Editor Jess Hayden.   **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 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

In London, a city rocked by antisemitic hate crimes, an artist with a history of praising Hitler has been chosen to perform at a summer music festival. Why?

How did the seizure of a Russian oil tanker unfold? Is President Trump's crypto-profeteering a bigger scandal than Watergate? And with the United States turning 250, is this a time to reflect on the UK-US special relationship?    Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer's Vanessa Thorpe and James Tapper, plus special guest - the host of The Making of Musk: Understood, Jacob Silverman. Today they battle it out to see who can pitch the story that should lead the news. You can find Understood wherever you get your podcasts, and here: https://link.mgln.ai/NewsMeetingxMoM 

A judging panel led by Phil Redmond will be looking for signs of a strong local identity and lots in the way of arts and heritage

Like many public institutions across the UK, the Guildhall school of music has had to reckon with a past where abuse by staff was either ignored or dismissed. So when a second former student came forward to tell The Observer's Vanessa Thorpe their story, this time from the 1990s, how would the institution respond?  

White wanted his Brittany home turned into an artists’ residence. Now it may be sold on the open market

Why are so many prisoners being released from prison by mistake? What happens if Arts Council England goes under? And what can the Democrats learn from Mamdani's New York City mayoral election victory? Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer's Deputy Sports Editor, Andrew Butler, Arts and Media Editor, Vanessa Thorpe, and reporter Jon Ungoed-Thomas as they pitch their top stories of the day. Must Reads: Days of wine and noses: the life of a critic: https://observer.co.uk/style/food/article/days-of-wine-and-noses-the-life-of-a-critic **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: Amalie Sortland Executive Producers: Matt Russell and Poppy Bullard 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 bowler-hatted adventurer is heading for the big screen. Alfie and Dogger may follow. Why are our childhood heroes back in vogue?

As more and more people turn to AI for news, how should journalists fight back and protect the human by-line? Will Donald Trump's cosy relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino allow him to dictate which cities the World Cup will be held in the US? Will the British Museum win its £3.5 million battle to keep a rare gold Tudor Heart pendant?   Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer's Alex O'Connell, Vanessa Thorpe and Jessy Parker Humphreys, as they pitch their top story of the day.  

The late, great Anglo-Portuguese artist’s son Nick Willing is preserving her legacy – and her cast of grotesques. He shows us his mother’s idiosyncratic studio

Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine Anna Netrebko was the biggest opera star in a generation. Since the war, due to past support for Vladimir Putin, she has effectively been boycotted by theatres around the world. Except, this autumn, she'll be headlining the Royal Opera House's new season.  

Performers argue the grant disparities are classist – but there are no simple divisions in music

Why did the case to prosecute rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs fail? Who’s to blame for Rachel Reeve’s terrible week? Should kids be taught to read faster? Giles Whittell is joined by a trio of Observer reporters. Cat Neilan is the Whitehall Editor, Vanessa Thorpe is the Media and Arts reporter and Stephen Armstrong, who has been covering the Diddy trial for the paper. **Join us at the News Meeting Live: LIVE from the Observer Newsroom on Tuesday 29th July - with Charlene White and Kehinde Andrews Follow us on Social Media: @ObserverUK on X @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky Listen to Stephen’s episode of the Sensemaker about the Diddy Trial here https://tinyurl.com/ysz3s2dy Host: Giles Whittell, deputy editor-in-chief at The Observer 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 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

It is ironic that it has taken more than 150 years for Harriet Taylor Mill to be credited, given that one of her husband’s most famous books is called The Subjection of Women

If the book is good, do we care if it was written by AI? Should we be concerned by the distribution of aid in Gaza by non-UN services? A team of British climbers recently reached Everest’s summit in just five days after using xenon gas to boost performance. Does this kind of enhancement challenge traditional ideas of mountaineering achievement? Giles Whittell is joined by author, political adviser, and foreign policy specialist Chloe Dalton along with the Observer’s Claudia Williams and Vanessa Thorpe, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.

The dissident artist is to spend 24 hours in a life-sized replica of the space where he was detained for 81 days by the Chinese regime

Why cinema is leaning heavily on the appeal of screening hit television shows.

As a new musical based on the comedian’s songs readies for its premiere in a theatre renamed in her honour, its writer Tom MacRae explains why she still captivates, a decade after her death

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.

‘There’s a whole new level of fear and adrenaline’ says nominee Nina Gold, whose credits include Star Wars, Conclave and Game of Thrones

Despite the festival’s American theme and the threat of protests over its continued controversial sponsorships, the virtuoso violinist in charge is defiant in saying the EIF will be “even more outstanding”.

The late writer’s legacy is being continued by the likes of Suzie Miller, James Graham and Ava Pickett – all nominated ahead of next month’s ceremony

Internal BBC emails show how a project that may have shed light on the broadcaster’s negotiations with the royal household was quietly shelved

The breakout star of the Brits has achieved her success at pace, and there looks to be a glossy Dean-summer ahead

Weronika Gęsicka has often toyed with fraudulent details in her art. Now a new exhibition of her photographs “create a disturbing blend of the familiar and the improbable”

The sketchbooks of Leonora Carrington, auctioned off to buyers worldwide, have been reassembled for a Freud Museum exhibition

Thought to be due in part to ambitious expansion plans, the deficit is being used to justify the introduction of entrance fees at other venues

Hamnet, which boasts strong women as both star and director, is tipped for glory at this year’s awards

The Harvard professor believes that Silicon Valley’s business model must be outlawed. Her new film about Molly Russell explains why