Sensemaker

The judges had to decide what the words ‘man’, ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ meant in the Equality Act. They decided that they referred to biological sex. It will have an effect on how trans people access services and single-sex spaces.Writer: Jess SwinburneProducer: Katie GunningPhotography: Joe MeeExecutive Producer: Rebecca MooreThe Sensemaker from The Observer - one story every day to make sense of the world.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 Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalistsIf 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

Since December 2024, a run of scientific papers has illustrated AI’s capacity for deception. Deep learning pioneer Yoshua Bengio says the consequences could be existential.Writer: Patricia ClarkeProducer: Ada BaruméHost: Tomini BabsPhotography: Joe MeeExecutive Producer: Rebecca Moore

North Korean soldiers are fighting and dying in combat in Ukraine. Ukrainian intelligence estimates about 60% of the shells fired by the Russian army were provided by North Korea. What does it say about Vladimir Putin that he had to turn to Kim Jong Un for help?Writer: Matt Russell with additional reporting by Nina Kuryata and Claudia Williams.Producer: Rebecca MooreHost: Tomini BabsPhotography: Joe MeeExecutive Producer: Rebecca Moore

Young adults are swapping nightclubs for run clubs. The number of 20-29 year olds registering for the London marathon is up  86 per cent in the past three years.Writer: Andrew ButlerProducer: Serena CesareoHost: Tomini BabsEpisode photography: Alex JonesExecutive Producer: Rebecca Moore

For many Catholics Pope Francis will be remembered as a man determined to overthrow tradition, challenge privilege and speak up for those who were not heard. But he became head of the Catholic church at a time when the institution was plagued by widespread accusations of sexual abuse. For the victims of catholic priests, did he deliver justice?  Writer: Stephen Armstrong  Producer: Matt Russell Host: Tomini Babs Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore

The world’s richest university is mounting the first serious fightback against the Trump administration. Who will blink first?  Writer: Stephen Armstrong Producer: Casey Magloire Host: Casey Magloire Episode photography: Alex Jones Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore 

If your ‘for you page’ is suddenly full of dieting tips and before and after pictures, you might be on the receiving end of a resurgence of ‘thin-spiration’ on social media. But what’s behind this comeback? And who is being impacted? Writer: Ada BaruméProducer: Casey MagloirePhotography: Roisin SavageExecutive Producer: Rebecca Moore

The standoff between Birmingham’s bin workers and the council is entering its fifth week as the latest pay offer was rejected. The Unite union says the dispute could spread to other areas of the country. . Writer: Jess SwinburneProducer: Casey MagloirePhotography: Roisin SavageExecutive Producer: Rebecca Moore

MPs were recalled to Westminster early on Saturday and passed an emergency legislation that allowed the UK government to seize control of British Steel, after its Chinese owner appeared to threaten closure. How did we get here? And why has steel-making in the UK become an issue of national security? Writer: Serena CesareoProducer: Casey MagloireHost: Tomini BabsEpisode photography: Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore