The Epstein Files are wreaking havoc across British institutions; first the Royal family and now, the government. Peter Mandelson was sacked as US Ambassador in September over his links to the billionaire paedophile, but the latest tranche of documents show the pair were closer than anyone previously knew. What did their relationship look like? And did it give Jeffrey Epstein access to the heart of the British government?

Reporters: Ada Barume and Poppy Bullard

Producer: Poppy Bullard

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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The dating app Bumble built its identity on a promise: women make the first move. In this episode, The Observer uncovers a legal campaign by men’s rights activists that helped dismantle that premise.

Correction: A previous version of this episode stated that the Los Angeles Angels baseball case settled for $500,000. That case did not settle and was dismissed in court. It was a separate case involving the Oakland Athletics baseball team that settled for $500,000. This episode has been updated.

Reporter: Patricia Clarke

Producer: Jonathan Lewis

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorp

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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There are over a thousand oil tankers at sea that are helping finance Russia's war in Ukraine in plain sight. And they're not just trading in sanctioned oil, they're sabotaging the very infrastructure we all rely on. The UK and EU know about them, they pass right by our coasts, but so far have been unable to stop them at any sort of scale. This is the story of a shadow ship, sailing its way through sanctions, sabotage and subterfuge.

Credits: 

Reporter/Producer: Matt Russell

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Executive Producer: Gary Marshall

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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Rachel hears the shocking story of “Patient A”, who explains that patients are at risk too. Her testimony raises more questions about the way sexual misconduct cases are handled in healthcare, as victims — both doctors and patients — call for change.

Reporter: Rachel Sylvester

Producer: Gary Marshall

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound Design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: Jasper Corbett 

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

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

This week Brooklyn Beckham publicly cut ties with his parents David and Victoria Beckham. Its exposed a rift in the family that seemingly dates back at least to Brooklyn's wedding.

More than two years ago, Brooklyn Beckham married the actress Nicola Peltz in a wedding that did not go smoothly. Nicola Peltz's billionaire father, Nelson Peltz, filed a lawsuit against two wedding planners demanding a refund. The Observer's Claudia Williams in this episode of the Slow Newscast asked the question: what happens when you treat a wedding like a billion-dollar business deal? 

This episode was first published on 28th March 2023

Reporter: Claudia Williams

Producer: Imy Harper

Sound design: Sam Mbatha

Editor: Basia Cummings

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When an esteemed transplant surgeon is found to have sexually harassed a number of his female colleagues — sometimes in the middle of operations — the General Medical Council recommends that he be struck off the medical register. But that is not what happens.

Rachel Sylvester discovers that the case of James Gilbert, isn't a shocking one-off. In fact, it is symptomatic of a much wider problem in surgery.

Reporter: Rachel Sylvester

Producer: Gary Marshall

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound Design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: Jasper Corbett 

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From next week, our Investigations Editor Alexi Mostrous – the man behind Sweet Bobby, Who Trolled Amber and Elon’s Spies – will take over as the new host of the Slow Newscast, and he wants to hear from you. 

If there are particular types of stories you’d like us to cover more often, or if you have thoughts on what we do well, or could do better, please let us know.

You can email us on [email protected]

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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:

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Head to our website observer.co.uk 

Credits:

Reporter - Chloe Hadjimatheou

Additional reporting - James Urquhart

Producer - Matt Russell

Music supervision & sound design - Karla Patella

Artwork - Lola Williams

Executive Producer - Jasper Corbett

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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 Armstrong

Producers: Madeleine Parr and Jonathan Lewis

Artwork: Lucy Stevenson

Editor: Matt Russell

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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 Thorpe

Producer: Ada Barumé 

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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