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The Slow Newscast

The Slow Newscast

By: The Observer
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The Slow Newscast from The Observer takes the news slowly. We investigate, and every week we focus on stories that really matter in the UK and around the world. From wars in Ukraine and Gaza through to true crime and injustice and real life mysteries, The Slow Newscast team is devoted to narrative investigations covering some of the biggest topics of the day.


Who are the people biohacking themselves in a quest for immortality? Or the man taking on an entire nation in the high seas to protect whales? And what happened when humanity's most distant messenger fell silent? From a newsroom with a different approach to journalism these are the stories we tell.


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© 2019-2020 Tortoise Media Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • We call her Emma

    We call her Emma
    Jul 7 2026

    When the Arab Spring reached Syria in 2011, Bashar al-Assad's regime showed itself for what it really was: a brutal force, willing to capture and kill ordinary Syrians demanding change. And in all the years that a war raged on, Asma stood by her husband. She seemingly ignored the desperate pleas to stop her husband from killing his own people.


    But what did she really know about the atrocities her husband’s government was carrying out? And what choices did she really have? Some people allege that she actually assisted the regime and cashed in on the war, that she herself is a war criminal. Others say she tried to run away but was trapped, held hostage by a regime who threatened her life and her children.


    So, who is the real Asma...or Emma as she was known?


    We call her Emma is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.


    To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.


    Or subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.


    Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

    Producer - Gary Marshall

    Sound design - Karla Patella

    Podcast artwork - Lola Williams & Eliza Bourner

    Executive producers - Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    43 mins
  • SNC Extra: 250 years on, America at a crossroads

    SNC Extra: 250 years on, America at a crossroads
    Jul 2 2026

    The US celebrates 250 years of independence from the British Crown on 4th July. Accusations have flown that Trump has used the anniversary to celebrate himself, not the country. So what does it tell us about Trump’s place within America…and is it really that unusual?


    Ada Barumé is joined by the Observer’s Americans, Erica Wagner and Evan Moffitt to discuss this moment in US history.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    24 mins
  • Wasteland: the rubbish gangs

    Wasteland: the rubbish gangs
    Jun 30 2026

    Criminal gangs have turned Britain's waste system into a goldmine and transformed pockets of the countryside into toxic wastelands. But how do you hide an 11,000 tonne illegal dump in plain sight?


    Reporters: Jeevan Vasagar and Jonathan Lewis

    Producer: Jonathan Lewis

    Sound design: Dominic Delargy

    Artwork: Lucy Stevenson

    Executive producer: Matt Russell

    Editor: Jasper Corbett

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
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All stars
Most relevant
well researched and interesting episodes, can someone be on the biase side sometimes. But we'll worth listening to expand your world

Great podcast

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Some people have a lot of money to spend on their very successful wedding and are still unhappy with the result. That's it. That's the story. Now you don't have to listen to it and can listen to one of the other Slow News podcasts that actually has content. If I could give the 'story' zero stars I would.

A story about people with a lot of money.

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