As tensions rise between the two nuclear powers and US remains noticeably missing from the world stage, who will be the guarantor of peace between India and Pakistan? What does the new US-UK trade deal tell us about the new world order? Elon Musk is stepping away from Doge, was his time in government a success or costly failure?

Jess Winch is joined by author Quinn Slobodian and The Observer’s Rebecca Moore and Jasper Corbett, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.

**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 13th May HERE

Purchase Quinn’s book ‘Hayek's Bastards: The Neoliberal Roots of the Populist Right’ HERE

Read more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories HERE

• He injected himself with snake venom hundreds of times. His blood could ‘revolutionize’ snakebite treatment

Follow us on Social Media:

• @ObserverUK on X
• @theobserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
• @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky

Host: Rebecca Moore, executive producer at Tortoise

Producer: Casey Magloire

Executive Producers: Rebecca Moore and Matt Russell

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

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

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

Why are there calls to return British art like the original Winnie-the-Pooh doll from America to the UK? Trump and Zelensky have finally signed the US-Ukraine mineral deal, but who is the real winner? With wedding season approaching, what lengths are people willing to take to look slimmer on the big day?

Rebecca Moore is joined by Jeevan Vasagar, James Tapper and Vanessa Thorpe, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.

**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April HERE

Listen to James Tapper’s Sensemaker episode, 'The Down sides of weightloss drugs’ HERE

Read more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories here:

• Number of children playing recorder halves in a decade
• Paul Mescal headlines National Theatre’s bold new season as Stormzy debuts for ground-breaking collaboration
• Slow news: Cumbria tortoise found a mile from home nine months after going missing

Follow us on Social Media:

• @ObserverUK on X,
• @theObserveruk on Instagram and TikTok
• @theobserveruk.bsky.social‬ on bluesky

Host: Rebecca Moore, executive producer at Tortoise

Producer: Casey Magloire

Executive Producers: Rebecca Moore and Jasper Corbett

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

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact hello@tortoisemedia.com

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

What do councils do with the money they get from renting public spaces out for festivals? How will the Supreme Court’s ruling on the definition of a woman impact our day-to-day lives? And North Korea has confirmed it sent troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine.

Giles Whittell is joined by Rebecca Moore, Chloe Hadjimatheou and Miranda Sawyer as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.

**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April here: https://observer.co.uk/our-events/the-news-meeting-live

Get in touch and let us know what you think should lead the news. Send a voice note to newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com

Follow us on Social Media:

• @tortoise on IG and X,
• @tortoisemedia on tiktok
• @tortoisemedia.bsky.social on bluesky

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

Host: Giles Whittell

Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com

Producer: Casey Magloire

Executive Producer: Matt Russell

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

Donald Trump has failed to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, how frustrated is he with Russia’s latest round of attacks on Kyiv? Ofcom published its news set of rules tech firms must comply with - or else. And how have the devastating attacks in Kashmir reignited tensions between India and Pakistan?

Giles Whittell is joined by Rebecca Moore, Stephen Armstrong and Cat Neilan, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.

**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2

Get in touch and let us know what you think should lead the news. Send a voice note to newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com

Read more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories here:

• The ‘Profound’ Experience of Seeing a New Color
• A Roman Gladiator and a Lion Met in Combat. Only One Walked Away

Follow us on Social Media:

• @tortoise on IG and X,
• @tortoisemedia on tiktok
• @tortoisemedia.bsky.social on bluesky

Host: Giles Whittell

Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com

Producer: Casey Magloire

Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett

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

What does the government’s takeover of the Scunthorpe steelworks mean for the future of UK industry? Why is a bin strike in Birmingham exposing deep cracks in Britain’s social fabric? And who’s paying the price for Trump’s cuts to US foreign aid?

Rebecca Moore is joined by Katie Gunning, Stephen Armstrong and NPR’s Lauren Frayer as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.

**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2

Get in touch and let us know what you think should lead the news. Send a voice note to newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com

Read more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories here:

• US blocks Canadian access to cross-border library
• Batman and Robin costumed police make arrests
• Katy Perry kisses the ground as she leaves capsule

Listen to Stephen’s Slow Newscast episode, 'DIE, DIE, DEI’ here: lnk.to/8NMCoV

Listen to Lauren’s report on the impact of US aid cuts in Syria here: https://www.npr.org/2025/04/14/nx-s1-5342255/how-trumps-cuts-to-u-s-foreign-aid-have-hobbled-syrias-war-crimes-investigations

Follow us on Social Media:

• @tortoise on IG and X,
• @tortoisemedia on tiktok
• @tortoisemedia.bsky.social on bluesky

Host: Rebecca Moore, executive producer at Tortoise

Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com

Producer: Casey Magloire

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore and Jasper Corbett

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

A few hours before he announced a 90-day pause on tariffs, the president posted “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT” on social media. Why has this led to accusations he manipulated the market for his own gain? The popularity of companion AI chatbots is rapidly increasing, but what safety nets are in place to protect young people? How have Big Law firms in America reacted to Trump 2.0?

Rebecca Moore is joined by Hashi Mohamed, Patricia Clarke and Katie Riley, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.

**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2

Get in touch and let us know what you think should lead the news. Send a voice note to newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com

Read more about the team’s guilty pleasure news stories here:

• Did Scientist really bring back the Dire Wolf?
• Who is joining Katy Perry and Gayle King in space?
• Bulgarian footballer honoured with minute’s silence … despite not being dead

Listen to Patricia’s Slow Newscast episode, 'My AI Girlfriend’ here: lnk.to/MyAIGirlfriend

Follow us on Social Media:

• @tortoise on IG and X,
• @tortoisemedia on tiktok
• @tortoisemedia.bsky.social on bluesky

Host: Rebecca Moore, executive producer at Tortoise

Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com

Producer: Casey Magloire

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore

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

The United Nations says 15 medics have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, could this mark a turning point in how the West responds to the war? Is Keir Starmer right to suggest Donald Trump’s tariffs spell the end of globalisation? And with trillions wiped off global markets, will the President retreat from his punchy new policy?

Giles Whittell is joined by Jasper Corbett, Chloe Hadjimatheou and Cat Neilan, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.

**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2

Listen to Chloe’s episode of the Sensemaker here: lnk.to/sensemaker

Get in touch and let us know what you think should lead the news. Send a voice note to newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com

Follow us on Social Media:

• @tortoise on IG and X,
• @tortoisemedia on tiktok
• @tortoisemedia.bsky.social on bluesky

Host: Giles Whittell, deputy editor at Tortoise

Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com

Producer: Casey Magloire

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore

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

Will President Trump’s global tariff hike force countries to forge new alliances beyond the US? What is the government’s plan to tackle the problems involving young boys in Netflix’s Adolescence? And why are doctors sounding the alarm over the return of Victorian-era diseases?

Jess Winch is joined by the Observer’s Rebecca Myers, along with Jasper Corbett and Stephen Armstrong from Tortoise, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.

**Join us at the next edition of the News Meeting Live on Tuesday 29th April here: https://www.tortoisemedia.com/our-events/the-news-meeting-live-2

Get in touch and let us know what you think should lead the news. Send a voice note to newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com

Follow us on Social Media:

• @tortoise on IG and X,
• @tortoisemedia on tiktok
• @tortoisemedia.bsky.social on bluesky

Host: Jess Winch, news editor at Tortoise

Email: newsmeeting@tortoisemedia.com

Producer: Casey Magloire

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore

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