The Slow Newscast

Alexi is joined by the Observer's national news editor, Claudia Williams to discuss the case of Tarryn Baird. Last week, her husband, Christopher Trybus was cleared of driving her to kill herself. Where does a grieving mother who spent 10 years searching for answers go from here?  

In 1988, a painting by Lucian Freud of his one-time friend Francis Bacon was stolen from a Berlin art gallery. It's now worth £20 million. This week, Stephen Smith goes in search of the lost art.

This week, there's one story dominating the headlines: the Peter Mandelson scandal and whether it spells the end for Keir Starmer's troubled premiership. What does this episode tell us about Starmer himself and why has the Epstein scandal had so much political impact in the UK?

According to the United States and Israel, there's 460 kilograms of enriched uranium that Iran are just ten days away from turning into weapons grade nuclear bomb material. The story of Iran's nuclear arms race is less clear than they make it appear though. It's a tale of espionage, assassinations, and a high-stakes game of bluff.

After sixteen years of rule in Hungary, Viktor Orbán has been voted out of office. But in that time, he's built a deep-rooted network of soft power through think-tanks, universities and media organisations. As the new Prime Minister Péter Magyar seeks to assert his own identity and vision for Hungary, will Orbanism's influence cause him problems?   Slow Newscast Extra:  Host: Ada Barumé Producer: Amalie Sortland Executive Producer: Matt Russell   Illiberal land: Hungary's empire of ideas Reporter: David Aaronovitch Producer: Jonathan Lewis Artwork: Lola Williams Sound Design: Dominic Delargy Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett

Ceri Thomas revisits the appalling case of Peter Sullivan, jailed for 38 years for a murder he did not commit and offered no apology when finally released. Why does the court work so slowly? Why is it allowed to mark its own homework, and why is it so resistant to reform?  Reporter: Ceri Thomas Producer: Katie Gunning Artwork: Lucy Stevenson Sound design: Dominic Delargy Editor: Matt Russell Subscribe to The Observer today: https://observer.co.uk/subscribe  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 Subscribe today for just £1 for your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meta and YouTube were found liable earlier this year in a social media addiction trial and ordered to pay out $6 million in damages. Could this be a blueprint for how to avoid history repeating itself with AI?

Last year, a YouTuber attempted to reach an uncontacted tribe on the remote island of North Sentinel, an area that is out of bounds for everyone else on the planet. His bid for content may have been audacious, and illegal, but it's just the latest in a long line of misguided foreigners attempting to make contact. But do these individuals represent the greatest threat to the tribe? And what do we as a planet stand to lose if contact is made?

A businessman from Tunbridge Wells is accused of leading a double life. He's secretly recorded planning a brutal attack with ice picks on behalf of the Chinese state. His story takes a dramatic turn with a high-stakes escape.     Further listening:  China's shadow war: The dissidents | Episode One China's shadow war: The Americans | Episode Two

American citizens are recruited to carry out Beijing's dirty work on home soil. A Florida correctional officer poses as an art dealer, exposing the murky world of transnational repression and China's shadow war.     Further listening:  China's shadow war: The dissidents | Episode One China's shadow war: Ice picks in suburbia | Episode Three

Alexi goes in search of the “long arm” of the Chinese state following a series of attacks and bounties on British soil. He uncovers a coordinated campaign of fear that has left dissidents feeling unsafe in the UK – and asks what British authorities are doing to protect them.    Further listening:  China's shadow war: The Americans | Episode Two China's shadow war: Ice picks in suburbia | Episode Three

Every year babies are abandoned by their parents. Following a long reporting project exploring the story of one foundling on a search for her biological parents, Alexi Mostrous asks, 'why do mothers abandon babies?'. To try and make sense of these complicated, often hidden stories, he's joined by the series reporter Lucy Greenwell and the series' producer Katie Gunning.

Foundling is a six-part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer. This is episode 1 - On the verge Journalist Lucy Greenwell goes in search of Jess following rumours and unanswered questions about where she was born and who gave birth to her.  To listen to the rest of the series, just search for Tortoise Investigates wherever you get your podcasts. Credits:  Reporter - Lucy Greenwell Producer - Katie Gunning Original theme music - Tom Kinsella Sound design and additional music - Rowan Bishop Podcast artwork - Blythe Walker Sibthorp Narrative editor - Gary Marshall  Editor - Jasper Corbett  

Last week, the New York Times ran an experiment that has far-reaching implications, especially for book lovers. It asked readers to compare five pairs of writing samples — one written by AI, the other by a well-known author — and choose which they preferred. AI was chosen much of the time. So, can AI actually write good literature? Booker Prize judge Erica Wagner, The Observer's books editor Tom Gatti, and author Ada Barumé discuss

America's war against Iran has revealed plenty of gunslinging, provocative rhetoric from the US defence secretary Pete Hegseth. But is there much to learn about America's aims in Iran from Trump's self-described 'secretary of war'?   Reporter/Producer: Alexi Mostrous and Ada Barumé Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorp Sound design: Dominic Delargy Editor: Jasper Corbett

Genetic testing start ups are a booming industry in America. Behind the headlines of 'designer babies' are companies tapping into disputed science, facing accusations that this is a pathway to eugenics. So what does the story of one company in particular tell us about this new field of fertility and science?  

Alexi sits down with the reporter of this week's Slow Newscast, Francisco Garcia, to talk about one stop in particular on the road to Putin's frontline, the Orthodox Church. How did a young man from Dunblane end up converting to this ancient form of Christianity? And why are so many young men converting to the Orthodox Church? Producer: Ada Barumé Executive Producer: Matt Russell

Jay Fraser was born and raised in Dunblane. Then, after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he signed up to fight...for Russia, not Ukraine. Now he and others who have followed similar paths tell their story of how they ended up on the frontline for Putin. Read more here

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.  

The Epstein Files are wreaking havoc across British institutions; first the Royal family and now, the government. Peter Mandelson was sacked as US Ambassador in September over his links to the billionaire paedophile, but the latest tranche of documents show the pair were closer than anyone previously knew. What did their relationship look like? And did it give Jeffrey Epstein access to the heart of the British government?   Reporters: Ada Barume and Poppy Bullard   Producer: Poppy Bullard   Sound design: Dominic Delargy   Editor: Jasper Corbett