The Iranian leader said the water problem in the capital “cannot be solved” and has suggested evacuating the city’s nearly ten million residents. Iran and Egypt, two countries that criminalise homosexuality, were picked to play the World Cup’s Pride Match in Seattle. And some councils are now regularly paying more than £250,000 a year to support children with special educational needs.

Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer reporters Jon Ungoed-Thomas and Jessy Parker Humphreys, and Fronts Editor Evan Moffitt, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day. 

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 

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Host: Rebecca Moore

Producer: Amalie Sortland

Executive Producer: Gary Marshall

To find out more about The Observer:

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Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros. - including its film and television studios, HBO Max, and HBO - is set to have major ripple effects on both TV and cinema. Meanwhile, the Kremlin is applauding the Trump administration’s newly released national security strategy. Why is Moscow welcoming it? A border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is turning deadly. How are natural resources fuelling the tension?

Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer reporters Hannah Schuller and Stephen Armstrong, and Senior Writer Francisco Garcia, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day. 

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 

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Host: Giles Whittell

Producer: Amalie Sortland

Executive Producers: Rebecca Moore & Jasper Corbett

To find out more about The Observer:

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Will the next men’s football World Cup be the most politically tense in history? Did we learn anything from the latest round of peace talks between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s envoys? Is overdiagnosis of conditions like Autism and ADHD leading to worse outcomes for neurodiverse people?

Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Ides and Comment Editor Alex O’Connell, Deputy Sports Editor Andrew Butler, and journalist and author Julia Ioffe as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day. 

Buy Julia Ioffe’s book from the Observer Bookshop:

• Motherland

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 

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Host: Rebecca Moore

Producer: Poppy Bullard

Executive Producer: Matt Russell

To find out more about The Observer:

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Why did Prime Minister Keir Starmer decide to defend himself and the Chancellor over last week’s budget? Rightwing activist and regular GB News contributor Lucy White claimed Commons deputy speaker Nusrat Ghani should not be allowed in the house because she was born in Pakistan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked President Isaac Herzog for a pardon in his corruption cases.

Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Whitehall editor, Cat Neilan, senior researcher, Serena Cesareo, and producer Poppy Bullard, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day. 

Find the team’s Must Reads:

• The Observer’s Global AI Index

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 

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Host: Giles Whittell

Producer: Amalie Sortland

Executive Producers: Rebecca Moore & Gary Marshall

To find out more about The Observer:

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Will the shooting of two National Guards in Washington DC change US politics forever? Should the UK roll out screening for prostate cancer? Did Chancellor Rachel Reeves miss an opportunity to gear up the economy for growth?

Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Cat Neilan, Steve Bloomfield and James Tapper, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day. 

Find the teams Must Reads:

• Less WFH, more Lime, slower buses

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 

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Host: Rebecca Moore

Producer: Poppy Bullard

Executive Producer: Matt Russell

To find out more about The Observer:

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David Lammy has proposed scrapping jury trials in England and Wales for all but the most serious offences. Paramount Global has obtained exclusive streaming rights to the UEFA Champions League - a move that could redefine how football fans follow the sport in the future. Revelations that MAGA-supporting accounts on X are operated from countries like North Macedonia, Pakistan and Poland raise concerns about foreign-driven influence and its impact on political discourse.

Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Head of Investigations Alexi Mostrous, sports reporter Jessy Parker Humphreys, and journalist, author, and presenter Jenny Kleeman as they compete to pitch the day’s top stories.

While we’ve wrapped up our live editions of The News Meeting for 2025, keep checking https://observer.co.uk/our-events if you’d like to join us at recordings in 2026.

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Host: Giles Whittell

Producer: Amalie Sortland and Poppy Bullard

Executive Producers: Matt Russell and Rebecca Moore 

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

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Did international tourists go on “sniper safaris” to Sarajevo during the siege in the mid-nineties? Why do some campaigners want to halt the new medical trial into the use of puberty blockers? What lies behind renewed efforts to find a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia?

Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Stephen Armstrong, Bex Sander and Francisco Garcia, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day. 

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 

Follow us on Social Media: 

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Host: Rebecca Moore

Producer: Poppy Bullard

Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

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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: [email protected] 

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Host: Giles Whitell

Producer: Amalie Sortland

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore 

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

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The Home Secretary has announced a raft of tough immigration controls to make the UK a less attractive destination for illegal migrants. The former Prime Minister of Bangladesh was sentenced to death, how is the UK connected to alleged corruption in her regime? And why does President Donald Trump suddenly want to release the Epstein files?

Rebecca Moore is joined by The Observer’s Cat Neilan, Bex Sander and Serena Cesareo, as they battle it out to pitch the top stories of the day. 

Listen to our Londongrad podcast series HERE

Get your ticket for the News Meeting Live HERE 

**We want to hear what you think! Email us at: [email protected] 

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Host: Rebecca Moore

Producer: Amalie Sortland

Executive Producer: Katie Gunning

To find out more about The Observer:

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Twenty thousand documents from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have been released. Could emails referencing Donald Trump divide his loyal MAGA base? Has a No. 10 briefing warning backbenchers about a possible coup exposed a vulnerability in Keir Starmer’s leadership? And Donald Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for $1 billion, but is that even possible?

Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Alexi Mostrous, Chloe Hadjimatheou and Poppy Bullard, as they battle it out and 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: [email protected] 

Follow us on Social Media: 

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Host: Giles Whitell

Producer: Casey Magloire 

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore 

To find out more about The Observer:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Head 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.