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The News Meeting
Each episode Tortoise editors are joined by three guests to decide what should lead the news.
Latest episode

705. Why are Trump and the Pope feuding?
25:56||Ep. 705Pope Leo has publicly criticised President Trump’s actions in Iran, but what does this mean for the Christian MAGA followers caught in the middle? Is the UK government divided over defence spending? And how consequential is the end of Victor Orban’s grip on Hungary, following his sweeping election defeat? Jeevan Vasagar is joined by The Observer’s Cat Neilan, John Simpson and Stephen Armstrong as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the day. **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: Jeevan VasagarProducer: Casey Magloire Executive Producer: Matt Russell and Jasper Corbett 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 Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
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704. How dangerous is Anthropic’s new AI?
32:18||Ep. 704Why does the Artemis II mission around the moon matter? Are concerns around Anthropic’s new AI model Mythos justified? And who has the upper hand in the ceasefire agreement between the US-Israel and Iran?Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s technology reporter, Patricia Clarke, reporter Phoebe Davis and Deputy Comment Editor, Erica Wagner, to decide the top story of the day.**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 Whittell Producer: Amalie SortlandExecutive 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 Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
703. Antisemitism and the return of Kanye West
31:35||Ep. 703What can NASA's latest rocket launch teach us about our bodies? Is shared house ownership worth it? And what does the return of Kanye West tell us about our relationship with musicians?Jeevan Vasagar is joined by Jessica Hayden, The Observer’s assistant sports editor; Ada Barumé, producer; and Phoebe Davis, reporter, to see who can pitch the top story of the day. **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: Jeevan VasagarProducer: Jonathan LewisExecutive 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 Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsJoin our events – observer.co.uk/our-events
702. How did a woman sue Meta and Google and win?
35:22||Ep. 702What does AI chatbots have to do with violence against women and girls? Why have Meta and Google been found liable for social media addiction? And could Nigel Farage's visit to Ipswich Town's Portman Road be the start of Reform’s relationship with football?Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s technology reporter, Patricia Clarke, deputy sports editor, Andrew Butler, and data reporter, Hannah Schuller, to see who can pitch the top story of the day. **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 Whittell Producer: Amalie SortlandExecutive Producer: Casey MagloireTo 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 Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
701. Who’s behind the arson attack on Jewish charity ambulances?
29:20||Ep. 701Why did President Donald Trump postpone his deadline to strike Iranian power plants? How is the Iran war impacting the cost of living in the UK? And is there a pattern to anti-semitic attacks in the UK? To battle out who can pitch the story that should lead the news, Jasper Corbett is joined by The Observer reporter Stephen Armstrong, producer Ada Barumé and Head of Data and Graphics, Katie Riley.Come along to the next The News Meeting LIVE, right in our newsroom, this Thursday at 6:30 pm! Get your ticket at observer.co.uk/our-events. **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: Jasper CorbettProducer: Amalie SortlandExecutive Producer: Casey MagloireTo 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 Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
700. Does the US have plans for Cuba?
20:17||Ep. 700Why has a recent blackout in Cuba sparked questions about a potential conflict with the US? How concerned should we be about the spread of meningitis? And why did Kenya introduce menstrual leave for workers? Jeevan Vasagar is joined by The Observer’s Evan Moffit, Elaine McCallig and James Tapper as they battle it out and pitch the top stories of the day. **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: Jeevan VasagarProducer: Casey Magloire Executive Producer: Matt Russell 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 Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists
699. What’s behind the mass displacement of people in Lebanon?
27:44||Ep. 699Why is President Donald Trump asking NATO for help in the Iran war? What’s going to happen with the hundreds of thousands who are displaced in Lebanon? And what is the Labour government going to do about the nearly one million young people who are out of work? To battle out who can pitch the story that should lead the news, Jasper Corbett is joined by The Observer reporters Stephen Armstrong, Hannah Schuller and Bex Sander.**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: Jasper CorbettProducer: Amalie SortlandExecutive Producer: Casey MagloireTo 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 Observer app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists