The News Meeting

A Russian spy ship has directed lasers at Royal Air Force pilots monitoring its movements near UK waters. What is President Vladimir Putin trying to achieve with this latest provocation? Scotland has qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1998. Can this rare moment of sporting joy help unite the nation? Meanwhile, councils are weighing up the sale of youth and community centres. What consequences could these closures have for local communities?Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Assistant Sports Editor, Jessica Hayden, Data and Graphics reporter, Becky Pinnington, and Contributing Editor on National Security, Bernard Gray, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day. Get your ticket for the News Meeting Live HERE **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 WhitellProducer: Amalie SortlandExecutive Producer: Rebecca Moore 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 Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Cat Neilan, Whitehall editor at The Observer, Bex Sander, data-savvy reporter, and Serena Cesareo, policy analyst, as they dive into pressing headlines. They discuss Shabana Mahmood's tough asylum reforms and debate whether Denmark's approach could work in the UK. Topics include the influence of smugglers and social media on migration patterns, and if the reforms are politically motivated. Additionally, they tackle the implications of releasing the Epstein files in the GOP and UK ties to Bangladesh's political turmoil.

In this discussion, Alexi Mostrous, Head of Investigations at The Observer, dives into the political fallout from the release of 20,000 documents connected to Jeffrey Epstein, questioning if they could fracture Trump’s loyal base. Chloe Hadjimatheou, Narrative editor at The Observer, analyzes Trump’s controversial $1 billion lawsuit against the BBC over a Panorama edit. Poppy Bullard, a producer focused on UK politics, explores challenges facing Keir Starmer, debating whether a recent briefing indicates vulnerability in his leadership.

Join Andrew Butler, Deputy Sports Editor at The Observer, as he dissects Zohran Mamdani's groundbreaking New York mayoral win and its implications for the Democratic Party. Vanessa Thorpe explores the potential crises facing Arts Council England and how funding changes could reshape cultural landscapes. Jon Ungoed-Thomas reveals alarming trends in wrongful prisoner releases, detailing the procedural failures and rising crisis in the justice system. Each guest tackles urgent issues that intertwine politics, culture, and societal accountability.

Will there be any voter suppression in Tuesday’s US elections? Why did a British university prevent one of its academics from researching human rights abuses in China? Are Sudan’s rebels using British-made equipment on the  battlefield?Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Data and Graphics editor, Katie Riley, Senior Audio Producer Katie Gunning, and Senior Researcher Serena Cesareo as they pitch their top stories of the dayMust Reads:She Was Ready To Have Her 15th Child. Then The Felony Charges Began.The Great Ghosting ParadoxThe Cocaine Kingpin Living It Large In DubaiAssata Shakur Obituary**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 WhitellProducer: Poppy BullardExecutive Producer: Jasper CorbettTo 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 Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do we do with the knowledge that climate change made Hurricane Melissa worse? Why was there such a deadly police raid in Brazil? And why isn’t hospice care treated as an essential part of healthcare? Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Data and Graphics editor, Katie Riley, and reporters James Tapper and Rachael Healy, as they pitch their top stories of the day.Must Reads:Some People Can’t See Mental ImagesPolitical Beliefs Dating App ExperimentPremiere League**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 MooreProducer: Amalie SortlandExecutive Producer: Matt RussellTo 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 Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this engaging discussion, Erica Wagner, Deputy Comment Editor at The Observer, explores the impact of climate change on Hurricane Melissa and its record strength. Jessica Hayden, Assistant Sports Editor, shares harrowing details about the storm's devastation in Jamaica and its long-term humanitarian effects. Investigative reporter Chloe Hadjimatheou delves into U.S. military actions near Venezuela, questioning political motives and influences. Together, they tackle pressing issues of climate, geopolitics, and media ethics in a rapidly changing world.

Which international peacekeeping forces might be present in Gaza, and what will their role be? Is the fact that kids on free school meals do worse in their GCSEs a symptom of a failed state? Does the Amazon outage show that the internet is too reliant on a small number of companies?Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Stephen Armstrong, Bex Sander and Ruth Michaelson as they pitch their top story of the day. You can listen to We Have Notes HEREMust Reads:West End GirlLily Allen On Marriage, Motherhood And Her Music Comeback**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 MooreProducer: Poppy BullardExecutive Producer: Gary MarshallTo 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 Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guests Ivo Daalder, a former US ambassador to NATO, Ari Shapiro, an NPR journalist, and Jessica Hayden, assistant sports editor at The Observer, dive into the complex dance between Trump and Putin. They explore the implications of recent sanctions on Russian oil and whether Trump's actions are geared toward winning a Nobel Prize. The conversation takes a turn as they examine the controversial demolition of the East Wing of the White House, with discussions around costs and what this might signal about presidential power. Additionally, they tackle troubling revelations about police misconduct in the UK.

Who is responsible for breaking the ceasefire in Gaza? How might the Louvre heist thieves get away with selling jewels belonging to Napoleon’s wife? Does Virginia Giuffre’s memoir shed new light on the allegations against Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and  Prince Andrew?Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Phoebe Davis and Stephen Armstrong, and the journalist and author Pete Apps, as they pitch their top story of the day.You can buy Pete’s book Homesick HEREMust Reads:Among Portland Protests, it’s Frogs and Sharks and Bears, Oh My!We Found That More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.Sustainability by Numbers**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 MooreProducer: Poppy BullardExecutive Producer: Jasper CorbettTo 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 Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.