The News Meeting

Is Ayatollah Khamenei becoming increasingly isolated? Who’s got Donald Trump’s ear in the decision to strike Iran? How can we find out what’s happening on the ground in Gaza?

Jess Winch is joined by the Observer’s Head of Audio Jasper Corbett, journalist Rana Rahimpour and the author of Prisoners of Geography, Tim Marshall, as they battle it out for the top story of the day. 

**Join us at the News Meeting Live: 

Could the latest developments in Iran and Israel end the Cold War of the Middle East? Why has it taken 40 years to start the process of identifying the bodies of 800 unknown babies in Ireland? And will President Trump’s MAGA support base buy into his family’s latest venture? 

Rebecca Moore is joined by the Observer’s managing editor Jess Winch, NPR’s Lauren Frayer and co-host of Good Bad Billionaire Zing Tsjeng, as they bat...

In this special episode of The News Meeting, Jess Winch is joined by Jerusalem-based reporter Noga Tarnopolsky, along with The Observer’s Chloe Hadjimatheou and Stephen Armstrong. Together, they unpack the Middle East conflict through the perspectives of America, Israel and Iran.

**Join us at the News Meeting Live: 

• LIVE from the Observer Newsroom on Tuesday 17 June - with Zing Tsjeng and NPR’s Lauren Frayer 
• LIV...

OpenAI’s Sam Altman self-publishes chat GPT’s water and energy consumption for the first time, but how can tech companies continue to expand in a more sustainable way? How will RFK Jr’s appointment of known anti-vaxers to the CDC panel shape vaccination policy in the US? And are generational labels a problematic myth? 

Following Israeli strikes on Iran, The Observer’s Chloe Hadjimatheou and Jess Winch discuss the latest dev...

What’s behind the president’s decision to deploy the National Guard in response to protests over immigration raids? Is Greta Thunberg’s journey aboard the detained Madleen flotilla the most effective way to highlight the plight of Gazans? And how should we tackle the soaring water use of AI?

Giles Whittell is joined by The Observer’s Katie Gunning, Jon Ungoed-thomas and Serena Cesareo, as they battle to pitch the top story of th...

Why has the American Evangelical leader Johnnie Moore been chosen to chair the Gaza Humanitarian Fund? How will slipping data collection standards in the US undermine critics of the Trump administration? What is the rationale behind President Donald Trump’s latest travel ban placed on 12 countries? 

Giles Whittell is joined by journalist Anu Anand, along with The Observer’s Katie Riley and Jasper Corbett, as they battle to ...

In his stark new film on the fishing industry, David Attenborough warns we're "almost out of time" to save the oceans. Are Nigel Farage’s calls to change UK abortion laws the start of a new culture war? And with Thames Water in crisis, should the government step in?

James Harding is joined by Pod Save the UK’s Coco Khan, along with The Observer’s Basia Cummings and Miranda Sawyer, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day...

The UK government’s new Strategic Defence Review says it’s time for British citizens to step up. In southern Gaza, the Red Cross says 21 people were “declared dead on arrival” at a field hospital after an incident near an aid distribution centre. And could Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web change the face of modern warfare?

Giles Whittell is joined by Media Storm’s Mathilda Mallinson along with The Observer’s Cat Neilan and Jaspe...

If the book is good, do we care if it was written by AI? Should we be concerned by the distribution of aid in Gaza by non-UN services? A team of British climbers recently reached Everest’s summit in just five days after using xenon gas to boost performance. Does this kind of enhancement challenge traditional ideas of mountaineering achievement?

Giles Whittell is joined by author, political adviser, and foreign policy specialist ...

What links Elon Musk’s business ties in South Africa to the US president’s attack on Cyril Ramaphosa? Will AI hit women in the workforce hardest? And could the case of Adriana Smith - a brain-dead pregnant woman being kept alive because she’s pregnant - reshape abortion laws in states like Georgia?

Giles Whittell is joined by writer and journalist Marisa Bate, along with Observer reporters Stephen Armstrong and Phoebe Davis, as ...

Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper’s book, Original Sin alleges that officials working for Biden’s administration tried to keep what they describe as the president’s mental decline hidden. Is the media guilty of sensationalising Cassie Ventura’s testimony and the trial involving Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs? Why are changes to the fisheries policies between the EU and UK causing such a fuss?

Giles Whittell is joined by Anu Anand, Stephen Armst...

Why did Bradley Wiggins seek advice from disgraced former cyclist Lance Armstrong to help him recover from cocaine addiction? What does the indictment of a US judge tell us about President Trump’s plans to take on the judiciary? How is a law from the 1800s being used to criminalise women who have abortions in 2025? 

Jess Winch is joined by Marie Le Conte, Rowan Moore and Andrew Butler, as they battle to pitch the top story ...

Is youth mobility on the cards for Labour’s post-Brexit plan with Europe? Why is it so hard to record incidents of spiking? How will Labour’s immigration plan affect international students and higher education? 

Giles Whittell is joined by Rebecca Myers, Katie Riley and Cat Neilan, as they battle to pitch the top story of the day.

**Join us at the News Meeting Live

• LIVE from Hay Festival on Thursday 29th May - with Ch...

How will Labour’s immigration legislation affect the UK’s care sector? What are the potential conflicts of interests if Trump accepts a jet from Qatar? The Indian Premier League is set to return after the competition was suspended amid rising tension in Kashmir, but what does this tell us about India's power in international cricket? 

Rebecca Moore is joined by Orwell Prize winning Pete Apps, alongside The Observer’s Patric...

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 Corb...

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.

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 o...

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.

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 Meetin...