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398 episodes

Can Starmer survive the Mandelson fallout?
22/04/2026 | 21 mins.
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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ten to midnight: Iran's nuclear arms race
21/04/2026 | 34 mins.
According to 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.

Credits:
Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou
Producer - Matt Russell
Sound Design - Dominic Delargy
Artwork - Blythe Walker Sibthorp
Editor - Jasper Corbett
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Is this the end of Orban's influence?
16/04/2026 | 41 mins.
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
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Unjust: How the Court of Appeal failed an innocent man
14/04/2026 | 31 mins.
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

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Can we be saved from AI?
09/04/2026 | 28 mins.
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?

Host: Alexi Mostrous
Producer: Amalie Sortland

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About The Slow Newscast

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.Subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription: Early access, bonus content and ad-free listening to our podcastsA daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a weekPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordRecipes for every occasionFree tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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