The Slow Newscast

In a small town in north Wales, an alleged theft at a local estate agents plants the seeds for a global blockbuster. To listen to episode two, just search for Tortoise Investigates wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to the entire series on Tuesday 13th January.To find out more about The Observer:Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free contentHead to our website observer.co.uk Credits:Reporter - Chloe HadjimatheouAdditional reporting - James UrquhartProducer - Matt RussellMusic supervision & sound design - Karla PatellaArtwork - Lola WilliamsExecutive Producer - Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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?Reporter: Stephen ArmstrongProducers: Madeleine Parr and Jonathan LewisArtwork: Lucy StevensonEditor: Matt Russell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the stories in 2025 that seemed to capture the British public's attention was the trial for the men accused of cutting down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree. In this audio essay, Andrew Hankinson explores who those men are...and what might have motivated them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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?Reporter: Vanessa ThorpeProducer: Ada Barumé Artwork: Lola WilliamsEditor: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Walliams has been dropped by his publisher over alleged ‘inappropriate’ behaviour.A spokesperson for Walliams said that the author had never been informed of any allegations raised against him nor was he given the opportunity to respond to questions about them. He strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately.Walliams came to prominence starring alongside Matt Lucas in the TV series Little Britain which ran from 2003 - 2006. Critics though accused the comedy show of trading in stereotypes and casual racism. And some of that is evident in Walliam’s children’s books too. This episode was first published on 23rd May 2023.Reporter: Claudia WilliamsProducer: Matt RussellSound design: Tom BurchellEditor: Basia Cummings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.