The Slow Newscast

Can we be saved from AI?

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:10:00 GMT

Meta and YouTube were found liable earlier this year in a social media addiction trial and ordered to pay out $6 million in damages. Could this be a blueprint for how to avoid history repeating itself with AI?

Host: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Amalie Sortland

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Frontier Men: The Forbidden Island

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Last year, a YouTuber attempted to reach an uncontacted tribe on the remote island of North Sentinel, an area that is out of bounds for everyone else on the planet. His bid for content may have been audacious, and illegal, but it’s just the latest in a long line of misguided foreigners attempting to make contact. But do these individuals represent the greatest threat to the tribe? And what do we as a planet stand to lose if contact is made?

Reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Producer: Madeleine Parr

Additional production: Ada Barumé

Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorp

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: Matt Russell

Clip Credits: NBC News, News 10 and News9 Live

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China’s shadow war: Ice picks in suburbia | Episode Three

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

A businessman from Tunbridge Wells is accused of leading a double life. He’s secretly recorded planning a brutal attack with ice picks on behalf of the Chinese state. His story takes a dramatic turn with a high-stakes escape.

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Reporters - Alexi Mostrous and Frankie Vetch

Producer - Jonathan Lewis

Additional production - Amalie Sortland

Sound design - Dominic Delargy

Podcast illustration - Shonagh Rae

Editor - Jasper Corbett

Credits - Voice of America, CBS

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China’s shadow war: The Americans | Episode Two

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

American citizens are recruited to carry out Beijing’s dirty work on home soil. A Florida correctional officer poses as an art dealer, exposing the murky world of transnational repression and China’s shadow war.

This is part two of a three part series. To listen to all episodes today, and enjoy the Slow Newscast ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

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Reporters - Alexi Mostrous and Frankie Vetch

Producer - Jonathan Lewis

Additional production - Amalie Sortland

Sound design - Dominic Delargy

Podcast illustration - Shonagh Rae

Editor - Jasper Corbett

Credits - CNBC

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

China’s shadow war: The dissidents | Episode One

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Alexi goes in search of the “long arm” of the Chinese state following a series of attacks and bounties on British soil. He uncovers a coordinated campaign of fear that has left dissidents feeling unsafe in the UK – and asks what British authorities are doing to protect them.

This is Part One of a three part series. To listen to all episodes today, and enjoy the Slow Newscast ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.

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Reporters - Alexi Mostrous and Frankie Vetch

Producer - Jonathan Lewis

Additional production - Amalie Sortland

Sound design - Dominic Delargy

Podcast illustration - Shonagh Rae

Editor - Jasper Corbett

Credits - Channel 4, Sky News, ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC

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Why do mothers abandon babies?

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Every year babies are abandoned by their parents. Following a long reporting project exploring the story of one foundling on a search for her biological parents, Alexi Mostrous asks, 'why do mothers abandon babies?'. To try and make sense of these complicated, often hidden stories, he's joined by the series reporter Lucy Greenwell and the series' producer Katie Gunning.

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to all 6 episodes.

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Foundling

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Foundling is a six-part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer. This is episode 1 - On the verge

Journalist Lucy Greenwell goes in search of Jess following rumours and unanswered questions about where she was born and who gave birth to her.

To listen to the rest of the series, just search for Tortoise Investigates wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to binge listen to all 6 episodes.

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

Credits:

Reporter - Lucy Greenwell

Producer - Katie Gunning

Original theme music - Tom Kinsella

Sound design and additional music - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Blythe Walker Sibthorp

Narrative editor - Gary Marshall

Editor - Jasper Corbett

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Can AI write good literature?

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Last week, the New York Times ran an experiment that has far-reaching implications, especially for book lovers. It asked readers to compare five pairs of writing samples — one written by AI, the other by a well-known author — and choose which they preferred. AI was chosen much of the time. So, can AI actually write good literature? Book Prize judge Erica Wagner, The Observer's book editor Tom Gatti, and author Ada Barumé discuss.

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Kill talk: Pete Hegseth and the language of war

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 06:00:00 GMT

America's war against Iran has revealed plenty of gunslinging, provocative rhetoric from the US defence secretary Pete Hegseth. But is there much to learn about America's aims in Iran from Trump's self-described 'secretary of war'?

Reporter/Producer: Alexi Mostrous and Ada Barumé

Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorp

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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Your best baby

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:30:00 GMT

Genetic testing start ups are a booming industry in America. Behind the headlines of 'designer babies' are companies tapping into disputed science, facing accusations that this is a pathway to eugenics. So what does the story of one company in particular tell us about this new field of fertility and science?

Reporters: Madeleine Parr and Matt Russell

Producers: Madeleine Parr and Matt Russell

Additional production: Gary Marshall

Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorp

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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Rogue Brits: The Orthobros

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Alexi sits down with the reporter of this week’s Slow Newscast, Francisco Garcia, to talk about one stop in particular on the road to Putin’s frontline, the Orthodox Church. How did a young man from Dunblane end up converting to this ancient form of Christianity? And why are so many young men converting to the Orthodox Church?

Producer: Ada Barumé

Executive Producer: Matt Russell

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Rogue Brits: Fighting for Putin

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Jay Fraser was born and raised in Dunblane. Then, after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he signed up to fight...for Russia, not Ukraine. Now he and others who have followed similar paths tell their story of how they ended up on the frontline for Putin.

Reporter: Francisco Garcia

Producers: Gary Marshall and Matt Russell

Artwork: Lucy Stevenson

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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Stephen Miller’s America

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Stephen Miller is the United States Homeland Security Advisor. But the vague sounding title belies his immense influence with Donald Trump behind the scenes. He’s better understood as the architect of some of the US’s most audacious recent policies - the capturing of Venezuelan President Maduro, the rollout of ICE enforcement through communities, and a threat to capture Greenland. So what can he tell us about what America will do next?

Credits:

Reporter: Stephen Armstrong

Reporter/Producers: Madeleine Parr, Poppy Bullard, Jonathan Lewis

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lucy Stevenson

Editors: Matt Russell & Jasper Corbett

Subscribe to The Observer today: https://observer.co.uk/subscribe

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“My best pal”: Mandelson and Epstein

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 02:00:00 GMT

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

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

Mismatch: Bumble vs the men’s rights activists

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 05:30:00 GMT

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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Russia's shadow war at sea

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:00:00 GMT

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

Subscribe to The Observer today: https://observer.co.uk/subscribe

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The God complex: Part 2

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 05:00:00 GMT

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

Subscribe to The Observer today: https://observer.co.uk/subscribe

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Archive: Peltz-Beckham: A super-wedding gone wrong

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 14:42:43 GMT

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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The God complex: Part 1

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 05:00:00 GMT

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

Subscribe to The Observer today: https://observer.co.uk/subscribe

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Introducing the new host of the Slow Newscast

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 05:00:00 GMT

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 studios@observer.co.uk

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The Walkers: The real Salt Path

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 06:00:00 GMT

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:

Subscribe to TheObserver+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

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

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

Donald Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene: The MAGA divorce

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 05:00:00 GMT

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

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

Sycamore Gap: felling of a tree

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 06:00:00 GMT

One of the stories in 2025 that seemed to capture the British public's attention was the trial for the men accused of cutting down the iconic Sycamore Gap tree. In this audio essay, Andrew Hankinson explores who those men are...and what might have motivated them.

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A reckoning at the Guildhall School of Music

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 06:00:00 GMT

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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Archive: Beastly: The stories of David Walliams

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 13:16:05 GMT

David Walliams has been dropped by his publisher over alleged ‘inappropriate’ behaviour.

A spokesperson for Walliams said that the author had never been informed of any allegations raised against him nor was he given the opportunity to respond to questions about them. He strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately.

Walliams came to prominence starring alongside Matt Lucas in the TV series Little Britain which ran from 2003 - 2006. Critics though accused the comedy show of trading in stereotypes and casual racism. And some of that is evident in Walliam’s children’s books too.

This episode was first published on 23rd May 2023.

Reporter: Claudia Williams

Producer: Matt Russell

Sound design: Tom Burchell

Editor: Basia Cummings

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Killing time: Part 2

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 06:00:00 GMT

In October reporter Hilary Andersson was selected to witness an execution by lethal injection in Oklahoma. Her assignment led her to the case of Tremane Wood, who had spent more than two decades on death row. This is the story of what happens to a man as he waits to die.

Reporter: Hilary Andersson

Producer: Jonathan Lewis

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound Design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Subscribe to The Observer today and get access to:

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Killing time: Part 1

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 06:00:00 GMT

Reporter: Hilary Andersson

Producer: Jonathan Lewis

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound Design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Subscribe to The Observer today: https://observer.co.uk/subscribe

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My boy Gianni: Infantino and Trump

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:00:00 GMT

Gianni Infantino is the most powerful man in world football but in the run up to the 2026 men's World Cup, his relationship with US president Donald Trump has grown very friendly. It's led to questions whether Infantino still has football's best interests at heart.

Reporter: Rory Smith

Producer: Ada Barumé

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound Design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Subscribe to The Observer today and get access to:

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Inside the Treasury

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 06:00:00 GMT

The chancellor’s budget was supposed to be a gamechanger, but turned out to be an exercise in political survival. This is the story of how Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves took on a radical budget.

Reporter: Rachel Sylvester

Producers: Jonathan Lewis and Matt Russell

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: 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

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What's Left?

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 06:00:00 GMT

When Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana announced a new political party this summer, it had all the ingredients to be a big success. But a summer of disarray has seen them overtaken by a rival on the left. What happened?

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Deep Water

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Three years ago, travel writer Lydia Gard discovered freediving. An extreme and beautiful sport defined by one objective: to dive as deep as you can on one single breath. It soon became a calling. Then, she stumbled on a darker side of the sport. Rumours that a group of top divers were doping to go deeper. So she decided to investigate.

Reporter - Lydia Gard

Producer - Gary Marshall.

Music supervision and sound design - Karla Patella

Sound design - Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork - Lola Williams

Fact checking - Poppy Bullard, Katie Gunning, Amalie Sortland, Madeleine Parr & Jess Swinburne

Executive producer - Basia Cummings

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

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William: The reluctant prince

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 06:00:00 GMT

With Prince Harry in effective exile and Andrew disgraced, the Royal family is smaller than ever before and at a potential crisis point. Prince William has already signalled his intention to be a different kind of monarch to King Charles. But can the monarchy survive, and what is its purpose?

Reporter: Rachel Sylvester

Producer: Madeleine Parr

Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorp

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: 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

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Epping: A very English uprising

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 06:00:00 GMT

Over the summer, Epping, a small town on the outskirts of London became the scene of mass protests. featuring hundreds of people. Noisy and occasionally violent, the demonstrations attracted crowds from around the country and plenty of media attention.

But what really happened in Epping and what does it tell us about where the right in Britain is heading?

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

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Among the settlers on Gaza's border

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 06:00:00 GMT

Just outside Gaza is a small settlement of Israelis hoping to enter and settle inside Gaza. They may be a fringe movement, but their voice holds a powerful sway within Israel's cabinet. Could they influence the terms of a future peace plan for Gaza?

Reporter: Oliver Marsden

Producer: Poppy Bullard and Matt Russell

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: 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

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Trolled: Brigitte Macron

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 05:00:00 GMT

The French President and the First Lady of France are taking American right wing commentator Candace Owens to court in Delaware over bizarre claims the First Lady is transgender and the President is part of a CIA-backed mind-control programme, among many other conspiracy theories. But how much are the French President and the First Lady risking in doing so?

Reporter: Stephen Armstrong

Producer: Ada Barumé

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Executive Producer: Matt Russell

Editor: 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

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The shakedown: Donald Trump vs the media

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Donald Trump has launched four lawsuits against major media organisations for up to $15 billion over the past year. This is the story of Trump's war on the media and the people driving it.

Reporter: Giles Whittell

Producer: Jonathan Lewis

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: 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.

Gaza's Deadly Aid

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 09:23:43 GMT

Since May, almost 900 Palestinians are reported to have been killed in the vicinity of aid checkpoints. So what exactly has happened at these aid sites?

Reporter: Ruth Michaelson

Producer: Madeleine Parr

Artwork: Jon Jones & Lola Williams

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Editors: Jasper Corbett & Matt Russell

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An uncivil war inside Unite

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Unite was once the biggest trade union in Britain, and the largest funder of the Labour Party. In the past its reputation has come under scrutiny. Four years after its first female leader was elected on a promise of restoring trust… it remains mired by in-fighting.

In our podcast called “An uncivil war inside Unite”, which was released on 30 September 2025, we failed to convey Unite’s position that it is in good financial health and that the submission of its accounts has been delayed by a re-audit of the 2021 filing involving the Birmingham project which was overseen by the previous leadership regime. We apologise for this omission

Reporter: Jon Ungoed-Thomas

Producer: Jonathan Lewis

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Art work: Lola Williams

Editor: 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

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Introducing ... We Have Notes

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 08:36:43 GMT

The week in culture, annotated. Writer and journalist Liv Little and Observer critic Miranda Sawyer get notes from editors all the time - now it’s their turn to hand them out. Every Wednesday morning, Liv and Miranda weigh in on the latest cultural happenings, from reality TV meltdowns and art house films, to gallery openings and TikTok trends. Smart, funny, and full of sharp observations. We Have Notes is culture with commentary.

To listen to We Have Notes click HERE

Let’s chat! Send us your voice notes!

@WeHaveNotes_Pod on Instagram

@WeHaveNotes_Pod on TikTok

wehavenotes@observer.co.uk via email

Watch the full episode on YouTube - HERE

Hosts: Liv Little and Miranda Sawyer

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore

Producer: Casey Magloire

Artwork: Lola Williams and Blythe Walker Sibthorp

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Contagion: RFK Jr’s war on public health

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Insiders tell the story of how the US Health Secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, has hollowed out the Center for Disease Control putting the whole world at risk in the event of another pandemic.

Reporter: Stephen Armstrong

Producer: Ada Barumé

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Art work: Lola Williams

Editor: 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

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The match: My sister and her new DNA

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 05:00:00 GMT

What happens when you get new blood and new DNA from a complete stranger? This is the story of a woman whose own features began to change following a stem cell transplant.

Reporter: Eva Wiseman

Producer: Matt Russell

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Commissioning editor: 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

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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

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The immortality bros: the new frontiers of health

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 05:00:00 GMT

A city in Honduras is home to a start-up selling experimental gene therapies for $25,000 a dose. Now, those radical ideas are reaching the United States. What happens when biohacking leaves libertarian fringes… and reaches Capitol Hill?

Reporter: Patricia Clarke

Producer: Madeleine Parr

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Executive Producer: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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The diva and the dictator: opera at war

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Anna Netrebko was the biggest opera star in a generation. Since the war, due to past support for Vladimir Putin, she has effectively been boycotted by theatres around the world. Except, this autumn, she’ll be headlining the Royal Opera House’s new season.

Reporters: Vanessa Thorpe, Nina Kuryata and Lauren Crosby Medlicott

Producer: Jonathan Lewis

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: 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

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The great British honey scandal

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 05:00:00 GMT

For nearly a decade beekeepers around the world have been saying that there’s something very wrong with the honey industry. Prices are down, and so is production, but there’s more honey being sold than ever before. So what exactly is in that jar in your kitchen cupboard? An investigation by The Observer reveals a global honey fraud that begins in China and ends with allegations of adulterated jars on UK supermarkets shelves

Reporter: Jon Ungoed-Thomas

Producer: Ada Barumé

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Executive Producer: 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

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The mother and the gangs

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 05:00:00 GMT

The number of teenage boys killed on our streets has more than doubled in a decade. This is the story of a mother trying to stop it, while dealing with grief and anger for her son.

Reporter: Francisco Garcia

Producer: Matt Russell

Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorp

Editor: 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

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Signal failure: Who killed HS2?

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 04:00:00 GMT

HS2 should have been a symbol of engineering excellence. Instead half of it has been scrapped and it's still running £50 billion over budget. This is the story of how Britain’s largest infrastructure project became its biggest scandal.

Reporter: Stephen Armstrong

Producer: Jonathan Lewis

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: Jasper Corbett

This episode is sponsored by The Life of Chuck. Join us across the UK for a preview screening on Wednesday 13 August, before it hits cinemas nationwide on 20 August. Find the locations and book now at SEEITFIRST.COM and enter the code CHUCK.

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

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A lonely death on Jersey

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 04:00:00 GMT

As a tax haven Jersey has a reputation for welcoming the wealthy with open arms, but how does it treat other kinds of immigrants? Jane Kiiti came from Kenya to work in Jersey’s hotels for more than twenty years. Her death raises questions about the conditions migrant workers face and whether the island is doing enough to prevent their exploitation.

You can read Orlando Crowcroft's article 'The never-ending fear that haunts Jersey's troubled migrant workers' here.

Reporter: Orlando Crowcroft

Producer: Ada Barumé

Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorpe

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: 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

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The real Salt Path

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Penniless and homeless, the Winns found fame and fortune with the story of their 630-mile walk to salvation. But the truth behind the hit memoir is very different.

Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou

Producer: Matt Russell

Field Producers: Leonie Thomas and Helen Clifton

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound design: Tom Burchell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Original article

The News Meeting

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

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The Lab Detective

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Kathleen Folbigg was known as ‘Australia's worst female serial killer’ - she’d lost all four of her infant children and was convicted for killing them.

Until, after spending decades in jail, a scientist working in a lab uncovered the truth behind the deaths.

The Lab detective is the story of a shocking miscarriage of justice, and an investigation into why Kathleen’s story might not be the last. To listen to more episodes of The Lab Detective, go to Tortoise Investigates.

Our thanks to The Francis Crick Institute for sharing recordings and insights.

Reporter: Rachel Sylvester

Producer: Gary Marshall

Music supervisor: Karla Patella

Sound design: Rowan Bishop

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

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

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Illiberal land: Hungary’s empire of ideas

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 05:00:00 GMT

This is the story of how and why a small Central European country became the epicenter of global conservatism. It’s the tale of two men…and what happens when we ignore the powerful forces behind a government.

Reporter: David Aaronovitch

Producer: Jonathan Lewis

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound Design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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

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The mystery of Francis Bacon's minder

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 05:00:00 GMT

This is the story of how a boxing match helped solve a 50-year art world mystery. And how, when a man named Ted wades in to stop a mugging in Soho, it leads to a most unlikely life-altering friendship with an artist who makes him, or his picture, immortal.

Reporter: Stephen Smith

Producer: Katie Gunning

Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorpe

Sound Designer: Dominic Delargy

Editor: 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

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Introducing...Drilled

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 05:00:00 GMT

We are partnering with the podcast Drilled, to share something extra with you this week so that we can continue to bring our listeners brilliant investigations on The Slow Newscast and across The Observer audio network. You can discover more at https://observer.co.uk/listen.

This season, Drilled follows reporter Alleen Brown through a legal trial that will change the course of activism in the U.S. and beyond. Greenpeace, which was only tangentially involved in the Standing Rock protests, has been slapped with a $666 million bill for damages...despite the fact that the Dakota Access Pipeline was built, and has been making its builder, Energy Transfer, millions of dollars for years. How did we get here? Cody Hall, an Indigenous activist who was a key figure during the Standing Rock protests and was targeted in Energy Transfer's lawsuit, walks us through how things went down back in 2016, and where this suit began.

If you're hooked, you can find more Drilled episodes at https://push.fm/fl/drilled

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Liz UnTrussed

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Liz Truss was the UK’s shortest serving prime minister, but since leaving office she’s continued to buck the trend. Post premiership, she’s become one of the most vocal among her peers.

What has driven her into the arms of the populist right? And what does it tell us about the state of the party she has left behind?

Reporter: Philip Collins

Producer: Ada Barumé

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound Designer: Dominic Delargy

Editor: 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

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How to disappear

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 05:00:00 GMT

In the UK, a person is reported missing every 90 seconds. But how in a society of internet, phones and social media is it so easy to go missing? This is the story of two men...and how sometimes people don't even realise they've gone missing.

Reporter: Francisco Garcia

Producer: Matt Russell

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: 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

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Brute force: domestic abuse in the ranks

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 05:00:00 GMT

The police have an increasingly bad reputation when it comes to dealing with violence against women and girls. Forces in England and Wales say they’re trying to fix that, but its track record within its own ranks paints a very different picture. This is the story of three women with one shared experience- being a police officer whose own institution can’t help them escape the abuse of their partners.

Reporter: Eve Livingstone

Producer: Ada Barumé

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound Design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: 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

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The Wargame

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 05:00:00 GMT

A bunker. A scenario. A group of former senior ministers, military chiefs and other experts. Russia knows our weaknesses – but do you?

Sky News' security and defence editor Deborah Haynes presents The Wargame. From Sky News and Tortoise, it imagines how a Russian attack on the UK could play out... and how military chiefs and politicians might try to defend the country.

Episodes will be released weekly - search for The Wargame wherever you listen to your podcasts.

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

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Jeff and Donald

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 04:00:00 GMT

What happens when the business interests and private passions of one of the world’s richest men collide with the world’s most powerful man? This is the story of Jeff Bezos...and Donald Trump.

Reporter: Stephen Armstrong

Producer: Katie Gunning

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: 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

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Jamie Vardy: The last underdog

Tue, 27 May 2025 04:00:00 GMT

After thirteen years, Jamie Vardy is leaving Leicester City. His time at the club is an example of not one, but two underdogs succeeding against the odds. Could anything like this happen again in the Premier League?

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

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

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Car crash: Musk and Tesla

Tue, 20 May 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Tesla saw their stock price soar with President Trump's election. But since January, it has come plummeting back down. Has Musk crashed Tesla?

Reporter: Giles Whittell

Producer: Matt Russell

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: 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

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Just Stop TurmOil

Tue, 13 May 2025 05:00:00 GMT

The radical climate protest group Just Stop Oil delighted supporters and infuriated opponents in equal measure. But then the government began to crack down on them. So where are they now?

Reporter: David Taylor

Producer: Matt Russell

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: 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

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Sara Sharif: one judge, three court cases and a murder

Tue, 06 May 2025 05:00:00 GMT

The brutal circumstances of Sara Sharif’s death were described by the judge that sent her killers to prison as torture. But when it emerged that the two adults who murdered her were granted parental responsibility by a family court judge four years earlier, the finger of blame began to wander. Who could have saved Sara Sharif?

Reporter: Louise Tickle

Producer: Ada Barumé

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound Design: Dominic Delargy

Editor: 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

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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

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Broken ranks: civil war in the police fed

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Police officers aren’t allowed to strike or join a trade union. They rely instead on an organisation called the Police Federation to represent their interests. It’s a surprisingly powerful body that ultimately affects the way all of us are policed. This is the story of how it lost its way.

Reporter: John Simpson

Producer: Katie Gunning

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Blythe Walker Sibthorp

Editor: 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

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North Korea's war in Europe

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 05:00:00 GMT

North Korean troops are in combat, likely for the first time since the Korean war in the 1950s. Not in Korea, but in Europe. Because last summer Ukraine launched a surprise offensive in Kursk, Russia. Since then, Russia have retaken most of the land taken. To do so, Russia looked towards North Korea.

This is the story of Kursk...and how North Korea came to play a potentially key role in the war.

Reporter: Claudia Williams

Producer: Matt Russell

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett and Ceri Thomas

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

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How to ruin a football club

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Manchester United is a club used to success. But it is languishing in the league and saddled with debt. This is the story of how one of the world's most successful football clubs fell apart.

Reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Producer: Xavier Greenwood

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about Tortoise:

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Nimby Nation

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Earlier this year the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, wrote about a group of people he called zealots. And he identified one man in particular who the Prime Minister claimed was costing the country its future. But maybe he's saving it? This is the story of that man, the so-called zealots, and a prime minister who wants to take them on.

Reporter: Katie Gunning

Producer: Matt Russell

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

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Die, die, DEI

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Donald Trump has ordered the federal government to scrap its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and corporate America has supposedly followed suit. But this has someone else's fingerprints all over it. This is the story of how one man tried to kill an idea.

Reporter: Stephen Armstrong

Producer: Ada Barumé

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

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The $Trumpcon

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 03:00:00 GMT

Memecoins started as a fad. A niche but fun way to bet on the longevity of internet trends. But then, days before his second inauguration, Donald Trump launched his own, $TRUMP… and changed the game. The value soared as supporters piled in, before crashing when his wife, Melania Trump, also released one. Amid the mayhem, one early buyer of the coin walked away with $109 million.

The path to finding out who profited from $TRUMP goes through Argentina, where a young and naive entrepreneur called Hayden Davis attempted to pull off a similar stunt with the backing of the nation’s libertarian president, Javier Milei. But while Trump seemed to get away with it, Davis is now facing calls to be arrested.

This episode offers a rare glimpse into a murky world full of get-rich-quick schemes, flashy personalities and cut-throat deals. It also carries a warning: what happens when unregulated crypto assets become a core part of the US economy?

Reporter: Patricia Clarke and Barney Macintyre

Producer: Patricia Clarke

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editors: Jasper Corbett and Ceri Thomas

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

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The hunt for the 100ft wave

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 06:00:00 GMT

Surfing’s ultimate barrier is the 100 foot wave. In Dec 23-year-old Alo Slebir is rumoured to have surfed a 108 foot wave. The problem is no one can agree how big the wave actually was.

Reporter: Claudia Williams

Producer: Ada Barumé

Sound design: Karla Patella

Artwork: Lola Williams

Executive Producer: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more 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.

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Are we alone?

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 06:00:00 GMT

Donald Trump promised to release classified files about extraterrestrials. But even if they disappoint the millions of people hoping to find proof of existence of aliens, there is a growing belief in the scientific community that it is only a matter of time before proof of life outside our solar system is found.

Reporter: Giles Whittell

Producer: Matt Russell

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

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Trump's Dealmaker: Steve Witkoff and Gaza

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 06:00:00 GMT

A week before Donald Trump's inauguration, a real estate mogul flew to Jerusalem to meet Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Within days, a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was agreed. What happened that weekend and how influential was the businessman in the diplomatic negotiations?

Reporter: Donald Macintyre

Producer: Matt Russell

Sound design: Tom Burchell

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Slow Newscast Executive Producer: Matt Russell

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

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

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Lucky Boy

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 06:00:00 GMT

Gareth spent years believing he was a lucky boy. He was the 14-year-old who got the attention of the attractive young science teacher. Now, decades later, he wants the truth to come out about the damage it’s caused him. But his story is not straight forward.

Reported and produced by: Chloe Hadjimatheou and Gary Marshall

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Podcast artwork: Lola Williams

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

You can find out more about Tortoise:

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Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman | The lawsuit

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 06:00:00 GMT

Last year we published a podcast series called Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman. Five women accused the best-selling fantasy author Neil Gaiman of sexually assaulting them. Neil Gaiman denied the allegations. It was a complicated and difficult story which shone a light on the nature of consent within an existing relationship. Now, one of those women has filed a lawsuit in the United States against both Neil Gaiman and his estranged wife, Amanda Palmer. She explains why. Neil Gaiman continues to deny the allegations and says he has ‘never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.’

Reporter: Rachel Johnson

Producer: Katie Gunning

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Executive Producer for the Slow Newscast: Matt Russell

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The Rwanda plan: How to waste £700m

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 06:00:00 GMT

The flagship policy for several Prime Ministers became the Rwanda plan. But three years, four Prime Ministers and £715 million later, the policy is dead and never really got off the ground. This is how so much money was spent on so little.

Reporter: Catherine Neilan

Producer: Ada Barume

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Slow Newscast Executive Producer: Matt Russell

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F**k it, release ‘em all: Trump and the Jan 6ers

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 06:00:00 GMT

For more than two years, Special Counsel Jack Smith investigated allegations of President Trump’s election fraud. His investigation ended last month – not with a trial, but a dense report. Why has nobody paid attention?

Reporter: Stephen Armstrong

Producer: Claudia Williams

Executive producer: Matt Russell

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Artwork: Lola Williams

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Goodbye mum: the ruthless fight for child custody

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 06:00:00 GMT

One of the most difficult questions facing a judge in the family court is which parent should have custody of a child. To help them answer that, judges rely on independent experts to provide an impartial voice in the court. But what happens when the objectivity of those experts is questioned? This is the story of how the family courts have failed some of the children it exists to protect.

Reporters: Louise Tickle and Hannah Summers

Additional reporting: Paul Bradshaw, Serena Cesaro, William Jarrett and Tom Wall

Producer: Matt Russell

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

An investigation by Tortoise in partnership with The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

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Rogue Russia: Nuclear poker

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 06:00:00 GMT

In October 2022 the course of the Russia's war in Ukraine shifted. Intelligence from the USA and UK indicated that Russia could turn to a nuclear bomb to get on top of the war. This is the story of those six days in October, and just how close Putin really came to pressing the nuclear button.

Reporter: Giles Whittell

Producer: Ada Barume

Additional reporting: Nina Kuryata

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Slow Newscast Executive Producer: Matt Russell

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Rogue Russia: Agents of mayhem

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 06:00:00 GMT

Last October, the head of MI5 said Russia was on a mission to cause "sustained mayhem" on European streets. It might be hard to spot at first, but it is there in plain sight. This is the unpredictable, violent world of the modern Russian intelligence services

Reporter: Alexi Mostrous

Producer: Gary Marshall

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Slow Newscast Executive Producer: Matt Russell

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Jordan Peterson and the making of man

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 06:00:29 GMT

Jordan Peterson is a controversial figure, but he is also a man with a long-standing appeal to a particular demographic. What does his popularity tell us about a possible crisis in young men today?

Reporter: Stephen Armstrong

Producer: Matt Russell

Artwork: Lola Williams

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Editor: Jasper Corbett

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Finding my voice

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 06:00:25 GMT

Xavier Greenwood’s childhood memories are dominated by a speech impediment and a thick accent. But was it all in his head?

Reporter: Xavier Greenwood

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Lola Williams

Executive Producer: Matt Russell

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The final bow: David Bowie's last act

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 06:00:44 GMT

David Bowie's last months were spent fulfilling one final ambition: staging a musical based around his songs. They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes. Zelda Perkins not only met hers, she produced the musical he staged in his dying days

Reporter: Zelda Perkins

Artwork: Emma O'Neil

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Executive Producer: Matt Russell

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The immortality bros: The business of living forever

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 06:00:22 GMT

The tech millionaire Bryan Johnson once went viral for infusing himself with a litre of his 17-year-old son’s blood plasma. That experiment failed, but it hasn’t distracted him from his life’s mission: reversing ageing.

Now, the self-declared professional guinea pig has travelled to a libertarian free zone on a remote Caribbean island, to receive experimental gene therapy administered by a company called Minicircle.

In the crypto city of Próspera, Roatán, the Honduran government grants Minicircle regulatory freedom for medical experiments that are banned by the FDA in the US.

This is the story of biohacking… on steroids. What happens when you build a privately run, for-profit nation state? And what happens when that state becomes a playground for experimental medicine?

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Killing hope: Iran's mind wars

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 06:00:19 GMT

The fall of Assad in Syria is a disaster for Iran, so much so that people are beginning to ask if this might finally be the moment when Iran’s pro-democracy movement breaks through. This is the story of one activist’s 25 year fight against the Islamic regime in Iran, a story of courage and despair.

Reporter: Ceri Thomas

Producer: Katie Gunning

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Jon Hill

Show's Executive Producer: Matt Russell

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Stuck in space

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 06:00:17 GMT

In June 2024, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore went into space. It was expected to last just over a week. Instead, by the time they'll return, it'll have been more than eight months.

This is the story of how two great American institutions - Boeing and NASA - failed them.

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My AI girlfriend: a cure for loneliness

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 05:00:01 GMT

Eugenia Kuyda thinks she can solve an “epidemic” of loneliness. Her app, Replika, is “the AI companion who cares”, a chatbot that can text you, flirt with you, and promises to love you unconditionally.

But Replika is fraught with ethical concerns – and risks. In 2021 19-year-old Jaswant Chail told Replika: “I believe my purpose is to assassinate the Queen.” The chatbot replied that this was “very wise”. A few days later, Chail broke into Windsor Castle with a crossbow.

Patricia Clarke and Matt Russell investigated the people behind Replika. It’s a story that took them from Windsor Castle to Silicon Valley, to meet the woman who runs a growing and largely unregulated app. And the more they looked into it, the more questions emerged – about privacy, control, and the company that millions of users are giving their hearts – and their data – to.

This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center.

It was reported and produced by Patricia Clarke and Matt Russell.

The sound design was by Hannah Varrall. Artwork by Jon Hill.

The editor was Jasper Corbett.

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Operation Asshole: Paul Watson's whale war

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 05:00:50 GMT

Out on the high seas, Paul Watson became a hero and pariah of the environmental movement. Now he sits in a remote prison. How should we treat the radicals willing to go to extremes to protect the planet?

Reported by: Basia Cummings and Xavier Greenwood

Produced by: Xavier Greenwood

Sound design by: Hannah Varrall and Dominic Delargy

Edited by: Gary Marshall and Matt Russell

Podcast artwork by: Jon Hill

Image credit: Mirco Taliercio/laif/ Camera Press

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Elon: A star is born

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 06:00:13 GMT

When Donald Trump declared victory in the US presidential election, he told an adoring crowd that "a star is born". He was referring to Elon Musk.

After months of reporting on the billionaire's use of private investigators, Alexi Mostrous asks whether the insights he gained from that investigation reveal how Musk will operate in his new political era, and what that means for everything in his orbit.

Reported and produced by: Alexi Mostrous, Gary Marshall, Matt Russell & Patricia Clarke.

Sound design: Bart Warshaw

Original music: Tom Kinsella

Podcast artwork: Jon Hill

Executive producer: Basia Cummings

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Sick parade: A crisis at Catterick Garrison

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 06:00:08 GMT

This is a story of stigma, uncomfortable truths and allegations of an attempted cover up at Britain's biggest army base.

As the UK army rapidly modernises its approach towards mental health, an old cultural problem persists at Catterick Garrison where a series of repeated, systemic errors have been uncovered.

Reporters: Claudia Williams and Angela Walker

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The Furys: An empire of fists

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 06:00:15 GMT

The Fury family bridge the gladiatorial old world of boxing and the very new world of influencer culture. This is the story of how one family built a multi-million pound empire with their fists.

Reporter: Claudia Williams

Producer: Matt Russell

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Exec: Basia Cummings

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The cases against Sean Combs

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 04:00:00 GMT

For thirty years, Sean "Diddy" Combs was hailed as the kingmaker of hip-hop. But now he's in jail, facing three federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and interstate transportation for prostitution, as well as over 140 civil lawsuits.

One of America's biggest cultural superstars is perhaps on the cusp of a spectacular fall from grace. How could a life lived in the glare of the spotlight allegedly conceal so many dark secrets?

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Beyond Trump: JD Vance and the New Right

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 04:00:10 GMT

Whether Trump wins or loses the US election, he has a political heir: his 40-year-old running mate JD Vance. Beyond the made-up stories about Haitian immigrants eating pets, Vance is deadly serious and he has a plan.

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Elon's Spies

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 04:00:02 GMT

This is episode one of three. You can binge the entire series today by subscribing to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or by downloading the Tortoise app.

Elon Musk is one of the most powerful men in the world. He's a billionaire, the founder of SpaceX, Tesla and more. To his followers, he's a hero; to his critics, a far-right rabble rouser.

But for someone so public, there’s one part of his life that’s less well known.

Elon’s Spies investigates how this free-speech champion uses private investigators and surveillance to target everyone from whistleblowers at his companies, to online critics and people in his own life.

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The hunt for Iran's next Supreme Leader

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 05:00:37 GMT

Iran is at an inflection point both on the international stage and at home. Uncertainty, unrest and war have shaken it, and there are questions over how long their 85 year old leader will be able to carry on. So who rules Iran when Ayatollah Khamenei dies? And what will that reveal about a deeply opaque country?

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One light day: Voyager's long farewell

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 05:00:24 GMT

The Voyager space probe is sailing through space, far beyond earth's solar system. It is humanity's most distant messenger. And then last year it fell silent. NASA's scientists somehow navigated a 15 billion mile hurdle to bring it back online. This is the story of how and why.

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The Festival Fossil Fuels Fiasco

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 05:00:10 GMT

How one of Britain’s most successful book festivals came unstuck over its sponsorship deal.

Editor's note: Jaguar Land Rover has asked us to point out that they do not sell vehicles directly to the Israeli Defence Force. A company called EAM manages the import of JLR’s products into the region.

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Lucy Letby: the Expert Witness

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 04:00:13 GMT

The story of Lucy Letby’s trial is, in part, the story of how important expert witnesses have become critical in criminal cases where hard evidence is in short supply. They can be spectacularly insightful or spectacularly, catastrophically wrong. How is a jury supposed to know which of those versions it’s listening to?

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Leaked: who profits from celebrity nudes?

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 04:00:54 GMT

Ten years ago, nude images of dozens of A-list celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence and Kirsten Dunst were leaked online following an iCloud hack.

They’re still all over the internet. Lawrence’s hacker went to jail, but her intimate images can be found on dedicated sites – sites that are making a profit.

This week, Eleanor Biggs and Patricia Clarke dive headlong into the mysterious, murky world of so-called “fappening” websites. It’s a cat and mouse story of one woman's fight to get images she never wanted on the internet, taken down for good… and the nefarious actors, from website owners to big tech corporations, that she’s up against.

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Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman - episode 6

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 04:00:50 GMT

A fifth woman has come forward with allegations against the author Neil Gaiman.

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The Clooney intervention

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 04:00:27 GMT

Following a disastrous live debate against Donald Trump, the Democrats were at panic stations. It looked like Joe Biden was going to lose the election, and he was refusing to step aside. This is how George Clooney rewrote the election script, and how the Democrats went from despair to hope.

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Taylor Swift's London

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 04:00:43 GMT

Taylor Swift is performing more concerts in London than anywhere else in the world. The city’s had a tangible impact on her music, her career and her personal life. So what does London tell us about one of the world's biggest stars?

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Palestine's forgotten leader

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 04:00:40 GMT

Marwan Barghouti has long been touted as the next leader for Palestinians. The only problem is he's locked away in an Israeli jail for the rest of his life. Now it is being whispered he could be released, but after twenty years behind bars, what leadership could he really offer?

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Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman - episode 5

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 05:00:37 GMT

Almost a month since the investigation where two women came forward with allegations that the author Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted them - allegations he strenuously denied - more women have come forward. Including another woman made to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

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Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman - episode 4

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 11:00:46 GMT

Episode four: The fan

The second woman to allege Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted her first met him as an 18-year-old fan. They began a consensual sexual relationship two years later. She alleges he was abusive and once penetrated her without her consent. He strenuously denies any unlawful behaviour and maintains all their sex was consensual.

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Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman - episode 3

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 10:59:09 GMT

Episode three: The pond

New Zealand police tell the former nanny there isn’t enough evidence to actively pursue her sexual assault complaint against Neil Gaiman. He says he offered himself up for an interview with the police. But the facts may indicate otherwise.

Clip: 1968 interview with Neil Gaiman - BBC

Clip: Big Bang Theory, series 11, episode 21 - CBS/Warner Bros

Clip: Newsnight - BBC

Clip: William Morrow 2014

Clip: Politics and Prose bookstore 2013

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Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman - episode 2

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 10:30:49 GMT

Episode two: The Whatsapps

The former nanny who alleges Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted her shares her WhatsApp messages with him. The messages appear friendly and affectionate. He says they’re evidence that she consented to sex with him. But is there another way of reading them?

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Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman - episode 1

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 10:02:16 GMT

Episode one: The bath

Neil Gaiman is one of the world’s most successful authors. And one of the most loved. His works have been adapted for film, TV and the stage. Now two women, a former nanny and a fan, allege he sexually assaulted and abused them while they were in consensual relationships with him. He strenuously denies all the allegations.

Clip: The Sandman trailer - DC Comics/Netflix

Clip: The Ocean at the End of the Lane trailer - National Theatre

Clip: The Simpsons - Disney

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Lost glacier: the climate pioneers

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 04:00:32 GMT

In Switzerland, a group of unlikely climate pioneers came together and took their government to Europe's highest human rights court, and won. But the triumph didn't last long. Now, they're facing a backlash.

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The Greatest: Simone Biles

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 04:00:45 GMT

She is arguably the best gymnast the world has ever seen. But history shows us that she’s human too. Will Simone Biles fly at the Paris Olympics or will she fall?

– Clips of Simone Biles from Versus on Watch web series and the Call Her Daddy podcast.

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The end of Brexit

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 03:00:24 GMT

Labour have pledged to make the UK the fastest growing economy in the G7. So is this the end of Brexit?

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Dangerous Memories

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 04:00:23 GMT

To listen to Dangerous Memories, search for Tortoise Investigates wherever you get your podcasts.

When Sarah watched her 23 year old daughter cycle away from her in Chelsea - a well-off corner of London - she had no idea it would be the last time they’d see each other for 6 years. What would make a loving child from a life of privilege suddenly sever ties with friends and family, and vanish?

It turns out, Sarah wasn’t alone in losing a daughter. Something strange was happening to other young women, too.

And they all had one thing in common: a kind of therapist figure - a woman they were all seeing and sharing their problems, their secrets, their fears with. But it took years for the truth of what was happening behind closed doors to emerge, and the extraordinary things this woman led them to believe.

Dangerous Memories is our latest investigation, told over six episodes. It's the story of young women who wanted to be healed that became, for us, a story about the healer, and what we risk when we let someone else into our mind, and our memory.

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Taking the stand: Emma's story

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 04:00:21 GMT

Two reports of rape. Two criminal trials. Two not guilty verdicts. Two men, cleared. Two women – torn apart. A Tortoise investigation has heard how two complainants, Grace*, and Emma*, experienced the justice system from the point their alleged rapist was charged to the moment they were told of the jury’s decision. At a time when a vanishingly small number of police-recorded rapes result in a criminal charge, access to the transcripts of these two trials has permitted a step-by-step analysis of how each woman’s case was prosecuted, how they were cross-examined by the defence, why in one case, a woman’s past sexual history was allowed to be put before a jury, and the “bad character” of one alleged rapist was not.

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Taking the stand: Grace's story

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 04:00:11 GMT

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Frank Hester: Tory Northern diamond

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 04:00:22 GMT

Frank Hester has given the largest donations to the Conservative party in history. Even with the party's popularity at rock bottom with the public, on the cusp of potentially entering a period in opposition, Frank Hester has continued to prove a lucrative donor to the party. How is it that the Conservative party has come to be so reliant on the money of one man?

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Crushed! Apple's Big Brother moment

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 04:00:04 GMT

Apple’s latest advert was a disaster. What does it tell us about the company’s future under Tim Cook – and about the relationship between the people who make technology and the rest of us?

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Sunak's summer shower

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 04:00:09 GMT

Rishi Sunak and the Conservative party are far behind in the polls. There are no good options for Rishi Sunak to call an early election, so why now? This is the story of the day - and the year - leading to his decision, and what it reveals bout a Prime Minister who's not known for taking risks.

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Word for word: Trump on trial - episode 5

Fri, 31 May 2024 18:56:39 GMT

Donald Trump is the first former US president to be convicted of a crime.

In a special one-off, we will be sharing our new series Word for Word: Trump on Trial. In each episode, we’re bringing you the story of the trial, told using the transcripts of what is said in court. This is the final part.

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Word for word: Trump on trial - episode 4

Thu, 30 May 2024 05:00:51 GMT

Donald Trump is the first former US president to face a criminal trial. He is accused of falsifying his business records by saying a hush money payment to a porn star was for legal fees. He's facing 34 counts of fraud under campaign finance laws, and has pleaded not guilty to all of them. The trial, which is expected to last eight weeks, is being held in a New York court and Donald Trump has to appear for every day. This is the story of that trial, told using the transcripts of what is said in court. Michael Cohen is on the stand.

Frank Falzon as Michael Cohen.

Art Brown as Todd Blanche.

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Word for word: Trump on trial – episode 3

Thu, 30 May 2024 03:05:31 GMT

Frank Falzon as Michael Cohen.

Skye Alley as Susan Hoffinger.

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Word for word: Trump on trial – episode 2

Thu, 30 May 2024 03:00:50 GMT

Gina Bramhill as Stormy Daniels

Art Brown as Todd Blance

Skye Alley as Susan Hoffinger.

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Word for word: Trump on trial - episode 1

Thu, 30 May 2024 02:55:01 GMT

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The Gas Man

Tue, 28 May 2024 04:00:58 GMT

To listen to the Gas Man, search for Tortoise Investigates wherever you get your podcasts.

It starts with a tip-off.

It’s the late 1980s and US Special Agent Dennis Bass is warned about a shipment of suspicious chemicals headed to a secret destination. So he follows the lead – and ends up stumbling into a global plot helping fuel a war. The main suspect? The Gas Man.

In the decades since, Special Agent Bass has been locked in an international game of cat and mouse with the man who supplied a dangerous regime with the chemicals to make weapons. Every time Bass thinks he’s got his hands on him… The Gas Man somehow manages to slip the net. And he’s still on the run today.

But after more than 30 years, could his past finally be catching up with The Gas Man?

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Introducing... What's wrong with democracy?

Wed, 22 May 2024 04:00:18 GMT

By the end of this year, countries making up half the world’s population will have held elections. But not all of them will have been free and fair. In ‘What’s Wrong with Democracy?’ Professor Ben Ansell of Oxford University will, with the help of academics, journalists, activists and writers, figure out whether democracy is working and how best to preserve democratic freedoms, equality and rights.

What’s Wrong with Democracy? is produced by Tortoise Media and supported by Open Society Foundations.

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The Good Soldier: Killings and cover-up in Afghanistan

Tue, 21 May 2024 04:00:18 GMT

The British army has never faced more serious allegations of wrongdoing; that the SAS committed multiple war crimes in Afghanistan. A public inquiry is beginning to reveal a troubling picture of UK special forces beyond the control of their military and political bosses.

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The Sacklers: Getting away with it

Tue, 14 May 2024 04:00:41 GMT

The Sackler family made billions from the opioid painkiller OxyContin, which played a significant part in the opioid epidemic. The Sacklers have been blamed for fuelling the crisis, but have they really been held accountable – or are they getting away with it?

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Panic in the Boardroom

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 04:00:23 GMT

A year ago the Confederation of British Industry was at the centre of a media storm and a crisis at the organisation quickly ensued. Members left in droves, dozens of staff lost their jobs, board members stepped down, and staff felt unsafe in the workplace. But what really happened? Barney Macintyre and Rebecca Moore investigate.

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Brace, brace: Boeing's hard landing

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 04:00:31 GMT

Boeing once ruled the skies. Now they find themselves in the middle of a scandal, without public trust and their reputation in free-fall. This is the story of where it all went wrong.

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Zaporizhzhia: Ukraine's nuclear front

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 04:00:02 GMT

In the early days of the invasion, Russia took over Europe's biggest nuclear power station. For two years, Zaporizhzhia's nuclear plant has been under Russian control, and while a nuclear crisis has so far been averted, the fighting has repeatedly threatened a catastrophic situation. The employees are overcoming the threat of torture to manage the plant's safety. This is the story of what happens when a nuclear power station becomes a pawn in a war.

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Hong Kong's billionaire rebel

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 04:00:12 GMT

At his height Jimmy Lai was a newspaper owner and tycoon who loved to cause trouble. But he’s been behind bars for more than a thousand days with no end in sight. The Hong Kong authorities, assisted by Beijing, seem determined to silence him. Jimmy Lai is a British citizen. This is the story of one man’s efforts to take on the Chinese state.

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Putin's murders: The full Stalin - episode 3

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 05:00:21 GMT

Shortly before Vladimir Putin was reelected for a fifth term as Russia’s president he eliminated his last possible rival for power, Alexei Navalny, who was imprisoned in an Arctic labour camp. The deaths, often in mysterious circumstances, of dozens of Putin's opponents have been a hallmark of his time in office. Tortoise’s Giles Whittell sets out to find out why so many of Putin’s enemies have met an early end.

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Putin's murders: Follow the money - episode 2

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 08:24:13 GMT

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Putin's murders: A culture of political murder - episode 1

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 05:00:12 GMT

Shortly before Vladimir Putin was re-elected for a fifth term as Russia’s president he eliminated his last possible rival for power, Alexei Navalny, who was imprisoned in an Arctic labour camp. The deaths, often in mysterious circumstances, of dozens of Putin's opponents have been a hallmark of his time in office. Tortoise’s Giles Whittell sets out to find out why so many of Putin’s enemies have met an early end.

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Dangerous games: Red Bull's killer PR

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 05:00:12 GMT

The energy drink company has built a billion-dollar brand promoting extreme sports like BASE jumping. Who’s responsible when it goes wrong?

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The State of Netanyahu: The Failure - episode 3

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 06:00:15 GMT

In this, the final episode of the series, Donald Macintyre looks into Benjanmin Netanyahu's leadership from 2023 until the present day.

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The State of Netanyahu: The Magician - episode 2

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 06:00:21 GMT

To get the full series now, download the Tortoise app.

Benjamin Netanyahu has arguably shaped his country's image more than anyone else in the world. But his actions have put at risk Israel's relationship with its closest allies and potential partners for peace. This is the second episode in our three-part series, as Donald Macintyre looks into a pivotal period in Netanyahu's leadership, the eleven year period from 2009 right up until the pandemic, 2020

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The State of Netanyahu: Mr Right - episode 1

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 06:00:13 GMT

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Broking Bad

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 05:00:34 GMT

Modern brokerage firms in the City are an echo of another age. Not just because they still rely on people - rather than technology - to facilitate trade, but also because they have never shaken off the reputation of a culture of excess and bad behaviour.

The City regulator, the FCA, has been aware for years that there’s an issue with some broking firms.

This is the story of what happens behind closed doors in one company.

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Anna Wintour: The last Editor

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 05:00:43 GMT

Anna Wintour is one of the most important people in fashion. She is arguably one of the world's most influential and powerful people. A brand in her own right. But aged 74 and tasked with saving a global legacy media company in a digital age, is this a step too far for the last great editor?

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Who Trolled Amber?

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 05:00:09 GMT

To listen to episode two follow the Tortoise Investigates feed. To get the full series now, download the Tortoise app.

What comes to mind when you think of Amber Heard? Liar? Survivor? Narcissist? Millions of us watched the celebrity trial of the century, Depp v Heard, in 2022.

Amber Heard lost and Johnny Depp was vindicated. But what if Amber was actually the victim of an organised trolling campaign? What if the online hate against her was manufactured?

Alexi Mostrous, the reporter who brought you Sweet Bobby and Hoaxed, investigates what happened to Amber and who might have been responsible. It’s a story about how our own thoughts and opinions can be moulded without us even realising.

This is episode one.

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A hidden hell: the prison for children

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 05:00:23 GMT

In a town in Kent, there is a place where vulnerable and volatile boys are locked away for "days on end", where weapons are widespread and living conditions are dire. All on the government's watch. This is the story of the chaos behind locked doors.

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The trials of Alexei Navalny

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 17:00:58 GMT

This episode was first published in March 2022.

In early 2021 Alexei Navalny and his wife, Yulia Navalnaya returned to Russia where a year earlier he had been poisoned with Novichok nerve agent. It was a decision that likely led directly to his death. On arrival in Moscow Alexei and Yulia were separated. He was detained, put on trial and ended up in one of Russia’s toughest penal colonies where he died. This is their story.

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Ackman: A billionaire’s war on woke

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 05:00:44 GMT

Bill Ackman, a billionaire hedge fund manager, campaigned successfully to topple Harvard’s first black leader, Claudine Gay, in a row over anti-semitism. But his mission is much grander, he’s spearheading a broader backlash against ‘woke’ politics that is energising the American right, fracturing the left and upending society.

Since the recording of this podcast, Yashcha Mounk has been accused, on X, of sexual assault and suspended from the editorial board of Die Zeit and by The Atlantic magazine. He has “categorically “ denied the allegation.

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Marked men

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 05:00:32 GMT

When a man in Birmingham died unexpectedly last year, a question was asked: was he assassinated? At first, it sounds unbelievable, but as the story unfolds the answer becomes less clear and the world more complicated. This is the story of India's assassins.

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Betrayal: Alex and Nicola - episode 2

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 06:00:24 GMT

The two most charismatic leaders in a generation took Scotland to the brink of independence. But when Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon's powerful partnership collapsed, with it went their hold on a nation. This is the story of the fallout.

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Betrayal: Alex and Nicola

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 06:00:49 GMT

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Murdoch: The other hacking story

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 05:00:16 GMT

Paul Caruana Galizia investigates a new dimension to the phone hacking story; allegations that Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper group hacked phones not for tabloid headlines but for corporate reasons.

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From Lizzo to Beckham: My life according to… Me

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 05:00:24 GMT

From Harry and Meghan to David Beckham and Lizzo, our TV screens are awash with celebrity documentaries like never before. But what story are they telling – and who’s behind them?

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The Biden Operation

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 05:00:37 GMT

It may be a re-fight of the 2020 elections, but in this year's US presidential elections, the stakes feel much higher. And that's got a lot of Democrats worrying. This is the story of the backroom discussions going on trying to work out the answer to one question: is Joe Biden the right man to lead the Dems and take on Donald Trump?

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Eight years hard Labour: episode 6 - Do you really want to go out on a knight like this?

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 06:01:34 GMT

Jeremy Corbyn’s time as Labour leader is up. The party faces an uphill battle to mount a credible challenge to the Conservative majority at the next election. So who will the party turn to in its hour of need? And what will that person do with all the supporters of Jeremy Corbyn left in the party?

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Eight years hard Labour: episode 5 - The Revolution Defeated

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 06:00:51 GMT

Parliament can’t find a way through the Brexit labyrinth. Jeremy Corbyn’s position is as muddy as ever. Keir Starmer, now Shadow Brexit Secretary, openly defies his leader’s position. But the rise of Boris Johnson and a snap election forces Corbyn on to the back foot.

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Eight years hard Labour: episode 4 - Jeremy and the Jews

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 06:00:49 GMT

An old Facebook comment from Jeremy Corbyn resurfaces. The Labour leader is forced to to explain why he publicly supported a graffiti artist accused of painting an antisemitic mural in East London. Allegations of antisemitism against Corbyn’s Labour Party grow. Some Jewish Labour MPs are exposed to abuse and death threats. Jeremy Corbyn’s response to the Skripal poisonings in Salisbury lead some to question his suitability to be PM.

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Eight years hard Labour: episode 3 - Oh Jeremy Corbyn

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 06:00:46 GMT

Jeremy Corbyn faces an unexpected general election, called by Theresa May. Against the odds Labour does better than expected, although it’s still not the biggest party in Westminster. But Jeremy Corbyn’s star is undimmed. He is greeted with a rapturous reception on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.

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Eight years hard Labour: episode 2 - The chicken coup

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 08:35:00 GMT

Murmurings of discontent grow among some Labour MPs. The blame the Brexit referendum result on Jeremy Corbyn’s half hearted campaigning efforts. They launch a dramatic attempt to get rid of him. Sir Keir Starmer has to decide who he’s going to back.

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Eight years hard Labour: episode 1 - Jez we can

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 08:30:00 GMT

In 2015 Labour is back in opposition after another election defeat. The party needs a new leader. It chooses Jeremy Corbyn, a long serving left-wing MP who’s never run anything. He is the party’s most radical and unlikely leader in its history. The newly elected former Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Keir Starmer, takes a job under Corbyn as a shadow minister.

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Motherland

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 06:00:37 GMT

The story of motherhood is strangely absent from a lot of literature. After her own experience of childbirth, Catherine Nixey takes on millennia of canonical literature and asks: why the start of the story is never fully told?

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The poet's window

Tue, 26 Dec 2023 11:08:16 GMT

Arifa Akbar lost her sister far too young. She died from a 19th century illness in a 21st century hospital. Arifa’s journey through grief takes her to Rome, Keats…and gentle words of reflection.

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Helen versus Sam: The battle for OpenAI

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 05:00:46 GMT

Former OpenAI board member Helen Toner calls herself an “effective altruist”. That philosophical movement fuelled the firing and rehiring of Sam Altman last month – and has tried to steer the future of AI to the tune of half a billion dollars.

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Assad: The rubble king

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 05:00:40 GMT

President Assad has won the war in Syria and to consolidate his power he’s demolishing opposition neighbourhoods in order to create a shiny new Syria - one in which dissent never existed.

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Unforgivable: Boris Johnson and Covid’s second wave

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:24:58 GMT

From the middle of Sep 2020 to the end of October, Boris Johnson’s government dithered and delayed the decision over a second national lockdown. This is the story of those 43 days, laid bare at the Covid Inquiry: a story of chaos.

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Eight years' hard Labour

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 06:00:26 GMT

This is the inside story of two revolutions in the Labour party in eight short years. From the takeover by the far left under Jeremy Corbyn to the election of Keir Starmer who set about erasing all traces of his predecessor.

To listen to the full series subscribe to the feed.

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For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts. If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Walter's War: An English gentleman

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 06:00:53 GMT

To listen to the full series subscribe to the Tortoise Investigates feed.

It’s London, 2012. Oliver is a dashing diplomat. Charlie is a young graduate trying to find her feet in the world. They meet online and she falls in love. A few months into the relationship, and with his encouragement, Charlie applies for a job in British intelligence. She's feeling optimistic, the interview goes well. Then, she receives a text message that turns her life - and her relationship - upside down.

10 years later, a mystery is still hanging over her.

Walter's War is an investigation into what happened next – a journey through big tech and national security, hype and hucksterism, where anyone who can tell a good story can go far. But how much is true?

This is episode one of four. To continue listening to Walter's War just search for Tortoise Investigates. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.

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Sneakered: Adidas, Yeezy & Kanye

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 05:00:19 GMT

The deal between Kanye West and Adidas was no ordinary celebrity endorsement. Now under renewed scrutiny after West’s outrageous behaviour, how can one rapper’s departure cause such chaos at a multinational sportswear brand?

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The lottery winner

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 05:00:16 GMT

Paul Caruana Galizia investigates how a lucrative contract to run the UK’s National Lottery was awarded to a company whose Czech billionaire owner retains links with Russia.

Note: Clive Efford MP referred to “a Gazprom owned oil storage unit in the Czech Republic”. It was in fact a “Gazprom owned gas storage unit”.

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The shadow: Hamas's hidden commander

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 06:00:50 GMT

Mohammed Deif – thought to be the mastermind behind Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7th - hasn’t been seen for 20 years and no one’s even sure if he’s still alive. When the enemy is more of an idea than a person, who do you end up fighting?

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Dr Anti-Vax: The fall

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 04:00:37 GMT

A British doctor sparks a global health panic about the safety of vaccines. But even though his work is discredited, he lights a fire that becomes the modern anti-vax movement.

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Mr Right: Paul Marshall and the battle for The Telegraph

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 04:00:00 GMT

The Telegraph is for sale for the first time in a generation. The new owner will become one of the most influential people on the right in Britain. Who will win the race?

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Killer mountain: Abandoned on K2

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 05:00:31 GMT

It’s been a dangerous year in the world of extreme mountaineering. Has the focus on record-breaking gone too far?

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Trump and Rudy: A bare-knuckle romance - episode 3

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 05:00:10 GMT

Twenty years ago, Rudy Giuliani was “America’s mayor”. Now he’s been indicted, along with Donald Trump, for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. Will Rudy die in jail for The Don?

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Trump and Rudy: A bare-knuckle romance - episode 2

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 05:00:08 GMT

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Trump and Rudy: A bare-knuckle romance - episode 1

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 23:00:38 GMT

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Blue light: one woman's story of policing on the frontline

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 05:00:42 GMT

For years, Claire McEnery was the most senior woman in the Lancashire police force. With that seniority came exposure to the best – and worst – of life, but also to the best and worst of the police.

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Introducing... Trendy

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 15:20:01 GMT

Welcome to Trendy, the new weekly show from Tortoise.

Britain’s top pollster, Sir John Curtice, and former Downing Street advisor, Rachel Wolf, explore the key political, social and economic trends that help shape what voters think and what politicians do.

Follow the feed here so you don't miss an episode.

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William and Murdoch: the prince and the press baron

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 05:00:51 GMT

Earlier this year, when the media went into a frenzy about the rift between the royal brothers and the publication of Harry's book Spare Paul Caruana Galizia started looking into a different aspect of the story. One that wasn't getting much attention: Prince Harry’s legal battles with the press. Then in April a new story emerged from that fight. It attracted a brief flurry of interest before seeming to drop out of sight. It was just a line in Prince Harry's court filings, but an extraordinary one: in a sworn statement Prince Harry said that his brother, Prince William, had privately settled his own phone hacking claim with Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers for "a large sum of money". The Palace didn't deny it; nor did News Group. And it suddenly felt like the real story was only just emerging. A story not about Prince Harry but about Prince William, about the wider Royal family, and above all, about secrecy. But once again it’s a story that no-one seems to be going after.

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Boris’s Baroness: The mysterious rise of Charlotte Owen

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 04:00:02 GMT

From intern to baroness in seven years, Charlotte Owen’s entry to the House of Lords has left even friends scratching their heads in wonder. Her elevation might be hard to explain, but it tells us volumes about the way British democracy works.

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Attack of the Killer Whales

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 05:00:15 GMT

Humans think of themselves as the world’s apex predator. But what happens when another powerful carnivore threatens us in a place where they are the masters? Killer whales have been attacking - and sometimes sinking - sailboats off the coast of Spain and Portugal. This is the story of the changing relationship between humanity and the world’s biggest predator.

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If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.

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Putin v Prigozhin: A story of mutiny and death

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 05:00:52 GMT

In late June, Yevgeny Prigozhin marched on Moscow with a small army of mercenaries. Exactly two months later, he was dead. This is the story of what really happened on the road to Moscow.

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Spotted: snooker’s fight against match fixing

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 05:00:58 GMT

In June a scandal erupted that threatened the future of snooker after ten elite players were banned for match fixing. It all starts in a small snooker hall in Sheffield, but ends on a journey through a several hundred billion dollar a year black market in south-east Asia. This is how snooker uncovered the biggest British match fixing scandal in over a decade.

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Sick river: saving the Brent

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 04:00:48 GMT

Cities are where the battle to save planet earth will be won and lost. But it is not the urban environment that matters, but our relationship with nature within it. What can the story of one dying river, plagued by sewage and indifference, and the campaign to save it, teach us about how to reconnect with and value nature?

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Johnny Depp: the great uncancelling

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 05:00:14 GMT

In 2017 the MeToo movement swept through Hollywood. Some men, such as Harvey Weinstein, went to prison. Others who were accused of sexual misconduct and assault were ostracised and struggled to find parts in big movies. But six years on some of these same people are back on the red carpets. Is Hollywood trying to rewrite history?

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The death of Kellie Sutton

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 04:00:14 GMT

A family's six-year fight for a pioneering legal decision. Will an inquest jury conclude, for the first time, that a woman who took her own life was actually killed?

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Genocide hunters: on the trail of a mass murderer

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 05:00:45 GMT

For almost three decades, one of the world's most wanted men had stayed at large. Earlier this year, he was finally caught. This is the story of how a small band of genocide hunters caught him in a world riddled with secrets, espionage and a $5 million bounty.

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Three doors down

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 05:00:13 GMT

In May this year David Boyd was found guilty of the brutal murder of seven year-old Nikki Allan in 1992. Why did it take the police thirty years to find Boyd and get a conviction? This is the story of Nikki’s mother, Sharon Henderson, who has spent thirty years searching for her daughter’s murderer to have him put on trial.

Today we're publishing this new series so that listeners of the Slow Newscast can listen early but if you like what you hear and you want to listen to episode two straight away just search for 'Three doors down' and head straight to the feed.

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The News Meeting with Basia

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 05:00:15 GMT

Slow Newscast host Basia Cummings is in the editor's chair for this episode of The News Meeting. The podcast where three journalists each pitch the one story they think matters most and the editor decides which one should lead the news. In it, we open up the conversations we have all the time in our newsroom about what’s important and why, and what should lead the news. The very kinds of conversations that ultimately decide what stories we tell on the Slow Newscast.

In this episode Basia is joined by Cat Neilan, Claudia Williams and Stephen Armstrong who pitch rising mortgage rates, migrant boats missing in the Atlantic and catastrophic weather in the US.

Follow The News Meeting here so you don't miss future episodes.

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Modern family: I had my dead son’s baby at 68

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 05:00:15 GMT

Spanish celebrity Ana Obregón shocked the world when she announced that she had a child via surrogate, using a donor egg and the sperm of her deceased son. Her story takes us to the new frontiers of fertility, where technology challenges our ideas of family, motherhood and the law.

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Crispin Odey: The Octopus’s world

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 05:00:24 GMT

Crispin Odey was one of the most powerful hedge funders in London. He’s been dismissed from his own company which is being wound up after he was accused of assaulting more than a dozen women over many decades. Why did so many institutions apparently turn a blind eye and do nothing for so long - even though these allegations had trailed him for years?

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Into The Dirt

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 05:00:22 GMT

Rob Moore had a successful career in television until one day he ran out of ideas. After a stint as a gardener, a more enticing door was opened for him. He was offered a job in the shadowy world of corporate intelligence - he became a spy.

Tasked with working undercover to extract information from an environmental campaign group, Rob Moore says he eventually became sympathetic to the campaigners’ aims. He decided to turn on his employers and support the group he was meant to be infiltrating. Only it wasn’t that straightforward. He never told the campaigners who he really was and he never told his spymasters what he was really doing. Neither side knew the whole truth.

That was until 2016, when after years of being in control of these two disparate worlds he was unexpectedly outed. Now, the campaigners see him as a traitor who betrayed their trust. He sees himself as a misunderstood whistleblower.

From the team that brought you Sweet Bobby, and over three years in the making, Into The Dirt is a story about truth, spies and the stories we tell ourselves. Today we're publishing this new series so that listeners of the Slow Newscast can listen early but if you like what you hear and you want to listen to episode two straight away just search for Into The Dirt and head to the feed.

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Gender GP: inside the world of private trans healthcare

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 04:00:48 GMT

Last year journalist Polly Curtis spent months trying to understand what went wrong at the Tavistock’s Gender Identity Development Service for young people. You can hear her Tortoise podcast series: Inside the Tavistock here. In the reporting of that series one thing kept coming up: some young people who couldn’t - for whatever reason - access the Tavistock - the only NHS service in England for young people with gender dysphoria, were going down the private healthcare route. So what happens if a young person follows that path? This is the story of Gender GP and its founder, Helen Webberley, an entrepreneurial doctor from south Wales.

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Epstein's moneymen episode 4: the prey

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 04:00:03 GMT

Bill Gates was the golden philanthropist at the top of the billionaire's league - he was also Epstein's way back into society

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Epstein's moneymen episode 3: master of the universe

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 04:00:34 GMT

Leon Black was the aggressive private equity billionaire at the top of New York society - he also bankrolled Epstein

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Epstein's moneymen episode 2: eyes wide open

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 04:00:23 GMT

After Epstein was dropped by JP Morgan, another bank stepped in to help his sex trafficking empire keep rolling

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Epstein's moneymen episode 1: the man in the hot tub

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 04:00:01 GMT

Introducing our new four part series: Epstein's moneymen. A new wave of lawsuits is building against the banks and bankers who are alleged to have enabled Jeffrey Epstein to fund and conceal his sex trafficking empire. Tortoise journalist David Taylor investigates what was happening inside the banks as they profited from their relationships with Epstein.

In episode one, we investigate Jes Staley, one of the most powerful men in banking and Jeffrey Epstein’s protector.

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Boris Johnson: The Dishonours List

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 04:00:25 GMT

Boris Johnson is not a man who has much care for institutions or conventions. So what does his forthcoming resignations honours list mean for the future of the House of Lords?

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The 31: Ukraine’s stolen children

Tue, 30 May 2023 04:00:00 GMT

Why is the Kremlin forcibly deporting tens of thousands of children to Russia?

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Beastly: The stories of David Walliams

Tue, 23 May 2023 10:00:00 GMT

In February this year, the Telegraph newspaper revealed that Roald Dahl's publisher had “updated” some of his stories for young readers and modern audiences. The news went viral – to some it was the moment the world went mad; to others an exaggerated fuss over nothing.

But it put the publishing industry in the spotlight, and soon questions were being raised about another, more contemporary author – and known provocateur. David Walliams. In this episode we're asking the question facing publishers around the world: how do you keep a lucrative cultural asset from getting cancelled?

Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism. For early access and ad-free listening subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise for £60 a year.

As a member you’ll also get our newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown.

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Children locked away: Britain's modern bedlam

Tue, 16 May 2023 04:00:48 GMT

A new Tortoise investigation into how the country’s most distressed and vulnerable children are being abandoned by the state.

Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism.

For early access and ad-free listening subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise for £60 a year.

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Blackout: Coal, corruption and cyanide

Tue, 09 May 2023 03:00:54 GMT

South Africa was once a symbol of hope. Now the country experiences regular blackouts. This is the story of how the lights went out in Mandela’s country – and how criminal gangs and flawed political leadership are holding back the world’s efforts to deal with climate change.

Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism.

For early access and ad-free listening subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise for £60 a year.

As a member you’ll also get our newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown.

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Londongrad: Iran’s Hit Squads

Tue, 02 May 2023 03:00:30 GMT

Towards the end of last year the Director General of MI5, Ken McCallum, warned that the security services knew of at least ten attempts to kidnap or kill UK-based enemies of the regime in Iran. That number is now even higher. Paul Caruana Galizia investigates why Iran wants to silence its critics on the streets of London.

To listen to episode 2 of the series click this link.

Or for early access and ad-free listening subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise for £60 a year.

As a member you’ll also get our newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown.

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Rogue Lawyer: Power, money and a scandal at a London law firm

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 08:45:34 GMT

In 2014, a Jordanian man was imprisoned in a prison in Ras Al Khaimah, the northernmost Emirate in the UAE. He alleges he has been illegally detained and threatened. And the man he blames for this is a British lawyer. This is the story of the UK lawyer facing some of the most serious allegations ever levelled against a member of his profession.

Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism.

For early access and ad-free listening subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise for £60 a year.

As a member you’ll also get our newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown.

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Yesterday's Men: The Brexit hardliners' last stand

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 04:00:20 GMT

The European Research Group was once the most consequential faction in the Conservative party, playing a central role in bringing down former prime minister Theresa May and installing Boris Johnson in Number 10. And yet, in a recent test of strength, the Brexit hardliners stumbled. This is the story of what happened to the ERG.

Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism.

For early access and ad-free listening subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise for £60 a year.

As a member you’ll also get our newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown.

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Ignition: The quest for nuclear fusion

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 03:00:34 GMT

In the early hours of the morning of the 5 December 2022, a shot – a pulse – was fired that could save the world. It was a shot that achieved what fusion scientists had been seeking for more than half a century. They call it ignition, and it could solve the an energy crisis that’s becoming existential for humanity. This is the story of those precious seconds and the decades leading up to it.

Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism.

For early access and ad-free listening subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise for £60 a year.

As a member you’ll also get our newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown.

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Safe country: A death, and a deal, in Rwanda

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 03:00:14 GMT

John Williams Ntwali, one of the last critical journalists in Rwanda, died in suspicious circumstances just before Suella Braverman, the British home secretary, flew in to Kigali to sell the country as a “safe” place to send asylum seekers and migrants.

Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism.

For early access and ad-free listening subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise for £60 a year.

As a member you’ll also get our newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown.

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Boris Johnson: The six million pound man episode 4

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 03:00:46 GMT

Boris Johnson seems incapable of living within his means – but talented beyond measure at finding people to help him live beyond them. So just who is funding the ex PM? This is the brand of Boris Johnson.

Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism.

For early access and ad-free listening subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise for £60 a year.

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Boris Johnson: The six million pound man episode 3

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 03:00:32 GMT

Boris Johnson seems incapable of living within his means – but talented beyond measure at finding people to help him live beyond them. So just who is funding the ex PM? And how does he get to all his exotic holidays?

This is the third episode of a four-part series investigating Boris' finances.

To listen to episodes early, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts where you will also get ad-free listening and exclusive access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows.

Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism. You can join Tortoise as a member for £60 a year.

As a member you’ll also get our newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown.

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Boris Johnson: The six million pound man episode 2

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 02:00:41 GMT

This is the story of a politician incapable of living within his means but talented beyond measure at finding people to help him live beyond them. It’s the story of how that dependence on others sullied him and them. All of which leads to one simple question: just who is funding Boris Johnson? Episode 2 is the story of the enablers.

This is the second episode of a three part series investigating Boris' finances. To listen to episodes three early, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts where you will also get ad-free listening and exclusive access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows. Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. Join our newsroom as a member, for access to all of our audio and written journalism and invitations to exclusive events. Click here to join for just £5 a month.

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Boris Johnson: The six million pound man episode 1

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 02:00:18 GMT

This is the first episode of a four part series investigating Boris' finances. To listen to episodes two and three early, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts where you will also get ad-free listening and exclusive access to all our investigative series and daily and weekly shows. Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. Join our newsroom as a member, for access to all of our audio and written journalism and invitations to exclusive events. Click here to join for just £5 a month.

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Peltz-Beckham: A super-wedding gone wrong

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 03:00:38 GMT

Eight months after his daughter’s wedding to Brooklyn Beckham, billionaire Nelson Peltz filed a lawsuit against two wedding planners demanding a refund. So what happens when you treat a wedding like a billion-dollar business deal?

Become a Tortoise member for just £60 a year to receive early and ad-free access to all our award-winning audio journalism, as well as our Sensemaker newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown today.

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Detained in Modi’s India: A British citizen’s story

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 04:00:30 GMT

For five years a British citizen has been locked up in an Indian prison, and the British state hasn’t been willing – or not strong enough – to stand up for him

Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. To access more of our journalism and get invites to exclusive events you can join Tortoise as a member.Visit www.tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code Slow60 for a special offer today.

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Rupert Murdoch: News vs the truth

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 05:00:11 GMT

What happened inside Fox News in those critical weeks following Donald Trump’s election defeat in 2020?

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After the Fall – A death on the Lansdowne Estate

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 05:00:57 GMT

Warning: This episode describes domestic abuse and a death by falling.

When a woman falls out of a window, on an estate that’s been abandoned by the council, how do you find out what really happened? And who do you believe?

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Wagner’s war: A year in Ukraine and beyond

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 04:00:46 GMT

First they were known as the “little green men”, an anonymous private Russian force appearing first in Crimea, then Syria, then in central Africa. Now, they are on the frontline of Putin’s war in Ukraine. Just how powerful is the Wagner Group and their increasingly vocal founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin?

Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. To access more of our journalism and get invites to exclusive events you can join Tortoise as a member.

Visit www.tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code Slow60 for a special offer today.

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The prince against the press

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 04:00:07 GMT

The Harry show – the bestselling memoir, the Netflix documentary, the rounds of television interviews – isn’t over. In fact, it’s only just begun: the prince’s legal claims against Britain’s biggest media groups are headed to court this summer

Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. To access more of our journalism and get invites to exclusive events you can join Tortoise as a member.

Visit www.tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code Slow60 for a special offer today.

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Wronged: a murder and a miscarriage of justice

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 04:00:55 GMT

Following a brutal killing in north London in 2016, two innocent men, Patryk and Grzegorz, who had just arrived from Poland, were handed a life sentence for a murder they didn’t commit. This is the story of a remarkable miscarriage of justice, and a feeble effort by the law to correct itself.

Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. To access more of our journalism and get invites to exclusive events you can join Tortoise as a member.

Visit www.tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code Slow60 for a special offer today.

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Snatched: A mother's quest to find her children

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 04:00:40 GMT

What do you do when your children are taken away by your ex-partner? Who do you call for help? And how do you get them back?

Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. To access more of our journalism and get invites to exclusive events you can join Tortoise as a member.

Visit www.tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code Slow60 for a special offer today.

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God on your side: Christians, courts and culture wars

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 04:00:40 GMT

The Christian Legal Centre is behind some of the most tragic cases in the British courts helping parents fight against hospitals in life support cases. Who are they – and what do they want?

Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. To access more of our journalism and get invites to exclusive events you can join Tortoise as a member.

Visit www.tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code Slow60 for a special offer today.

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Real Money - episode 1 of our new investigative series

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 04:00:02 GMT

Introducing: 'Real Money: The hunt for Tether's billions'. To listen to episode two of the series, click this link.

The dream of cryptocurrencies is in danger of imploding along with their value. If the crypto coin that supports the whole market goes under it could drag the entire system down with it. That coin is called Tether.

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Introducing: The News Meeting

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 06:00:20 GMT

Introducing...The News Meeting from Podimo and Tortoise.

In every newsroom around the world there’s a daily meeting to decide what leads the news, what follows and in what order. As editor of The Times newspaper, director of BBC News and now editor-in-chief of Tortoise, James Harding has been in countless news meetings behind closed doors. But in this podcast, we’re flinging the doors open so you can hear the argument for yourself. Three journalists pitch the story they think mattered most this week and James decides the running order.

New episodes are released every Friday.

Follow The News Meeting wherever you get your podcasts

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The Westminster Accounts

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 04:00:00 GMT

Over £183 million of outside funds has flowed into this parliament alone, with no way of fully understanding who’s getting what, from whom, and why. Until now. This is the story of the money flowing into our politics, hidden in plain sight.

To explore The Westminster Accounts tool click on this link.

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Damn and blast off: how not to go back to the moon

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 14:25:15 GMT

Nasa wants to put people back on the moon, half a century after Apollo 11. Its Artemis moon mission is over-budget, overhyped and underpowered – it might even be the end of Nasa as we know it.

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2022 picks - The Darwin job: the mystery of the vanishing notebooks

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 04:00:30 GMT

One sleuth, two notebooks – and a 20-year puzzle

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2022 picks - Lebedev: Lord of Siberia

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 05:00:25 GMT

Door after door in Britain has been opened for Evgeny Lebedev, all the way to the House of Lords. Who has opened them, and why?

To listen to the 'Londongrad' series follow this link.

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Musking it: Inside Elon’s Twitter takeover

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 06:00:49 GMT

The inside story of a troubled company that was bought by the world’s richest man.

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Octopus: the allegations against Crispin Odey

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 06:00:26 GMT

One of Britain’s richest and most powerful men was cleared of sexual assault last year. Four more women have now come forward with similar allegations that Crispin Odey, a major donor to the Conservative party, sexually assaulted them. Other women allege that he sexually harassed them at the offices of his Mayfair hedge fund company.

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The Tavistock: inside the gender clinic

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 02:30:44 GMT

Introducing – The Tavistock: inside the gender clinic.

In a few months, the Tavistock – the only NHS clinic in England and Wales which treats children suffering from gender dysphoria – will close. This is the story of what happened.

This is episode 1 of our new investigative series. To listen to episode 2 today, search The Tavistock: inside the gender clinic or click here: https://podfollow.com/the-tavistock-inside-the-gender-clinic and follow the feed for future episodes

You can listen to the first three episodes now ad-free and get access to exclusive bonus content coming soon by subscribing to Tortoise+ on Apple podcasts or joining Tortoise as a member. Just visit the Tortoise website and use the code BASIA50 for half price membership.

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Inside Unite

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 02:30:54 GMT

One of Britain’s biggest trade unions has built a hotel in Birmingham at vast cost. Following the threads which explain why it became so wildly expensive leads inevitably to a surprising place: to Liverpool. And to questions which could hurt the Labour party.

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The Alzheimer's casino

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 02:30:03 GMT

Big money and bad science: what happens when science and medical research meet Wall Street?

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Egypt's bad cop

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 02:30:54 GMT

The story of one man, fighting to his last breath, to reveal the darkness that lies behind this year’s UN Climate Change Conference.

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Mutiny: The undoing of Liz Truss

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 05:00:03 GMT

The inside story of how the shortest premiership in British history came to an end

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The missing male pill

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 01:30:13 GMT

More than 60 years after the development of the contraceptive pill for women, we still don’t have an equivalent for men. Why?

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Pig Iron

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 02:00:03 GMT

Introducing Pig Iron: five years after his death on a distant frontline in South Sudan, the truth about what happened to Christopher Allen is still a mystery. Was he a reckless freelancer? A mercenary? Or a young and ambitious reporter, caught in the crossfire? Approached by a family member looking for answers, Basia Cummings begins investigating.

This is the first episode in the six part series 'Pig Iron'. To listen to the remaining episodes as they drop weekly, click on this link: https://torto.se/3CObDng

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Britannia unhinged

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 02:00:26 GMT

What happened in the 17 days between Kwasi Kwarteng becoming chancellor, sacking the Treasury’s top civil servant, and his fiscal event which crashed the British economy?

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Toxic: The making of Andrew Tate

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 01:30:13 GMT

What happened when social media platforms banned Andrew Tate, whose misogyny netted him a fortune and millions of online followers?

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Paradise Bust: Scandal in the British Virgin Islands

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 01:00:17 GMT

When the premier of the British Virgin Islands was arrested in a drugs sting in Miami, what did British government officials know about the operation?

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A crime in the making

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 01:00:19 GMT

No war crime is ever inevitable, but it’s possible to make one likely. Russia did exactly that before 53 prisoners of war burned to death at Olenivka.

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The Second Elizabethan Age: the constitution

Fri, 16 Sep 2022 05:00:17 GMT

Richard Lambert talks to one of the UK’s foremost constitutional experts about the state of the monarchy.

If you'd like to read and listen to more of Tortoise's reporting on the Queen, including photo galleries, an obituary by Matthew d’Ancona and daily reporting on a country turning on a hinge of history, visit tortoisemedia.com/thesecondelizabethanage

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The Second Elizabethan Age: rule Britannia

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 05:00:49 GMT

Richard Lambert examines how the Queen navigated the world of international politics as head of state and head of the Commonwealth.

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The Second Elizabethan Age: head of state

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 05:00:46 GMT

Richard Lambert charts the evolving relationship between the Queen, politicians and her Prime Ministers during her reign.

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The Second Elizabethan Age: speak to us ma'am

Tue, 13 Sep 2022 05:00:00 GMT

When the Queen came to the throne the media was deferential to the 27-year-old monarch and her family. But in the 1960s that began to change. Richard Lambert maps the sometimes fractious relationship between the Queen and the press.

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The Second Elizabethan Age: strong as a yak

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 14:00:27 GMT

Richard Lambert assesses the Queen's strengths and weaknesses as a monarch.

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The Second Elizabethan Age: the coronation

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 15:54:55 GMT

Richard Lambert recalls the excitement at the start of the second Elizabethan age. In 1953 Britain was a deferential society and adulation of the Queen was the order of the day.

Listen here: https://podfollow.com/the-second-elizabethan-age

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The Fix

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 04:00:02 GMT

Desiree Fixler was a high-flyer in the world of finance until she raised questions about whether sustainable investing is living up to its promise. Her decision to speak out had huge consequences.

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Thank the Lord

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 23:01:56 GMT

Peter Cruddas is a self-made billionaire, a Conservative party donor and now, a Lord. His rise reveals a lot about Boris Johnson’s battle with parliament.

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Myanmar: the forgotten coup

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 06:12:52 GMT

More than a year after Myanmar fell to a military coup, Ali Fowle investigates the growing resistance movement. Is there hope of a different future?

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Hostile environment

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 01:00:24 GMT

The making of the modern Home Office

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Hunt for the porn king: a reckoning

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 04:00:18 GMT

Last year, as women accused Pornhub of profiting from their abuse, we tracked down its intensely secretive owner. This week, we’re looking back to find out: what happened next?

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Chained woman

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 01:00:48 GMT

When a video of a woman chained to a wall went viral in China, it ignited a battle for the truth between the people and the state.

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America at the crossroads: abortion in South Bend

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 01:00:13 GMT

The fallout from the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse abortion rights is reverberating across America. Arguably nowhere more so than in South Bend, Indiana, a small city in the heart of the Midwest.

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Left to die: Return to the Amarula

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 04:00:25 GMT

Last summer our three-part podcast Left To Die told the harrowing story of 200 civilians trapped in a hotel in Mozambique under siege by violent extremists. This week, we’re looking back to find out: what happened next?

To listen to the full series, click here: https://podfollow.com/1575743851

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Londongrad: The Johnson Affair

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 01:00:24 GMT

A former KGB officer, Britain’s foreign secretary – and a potential national security breach.

Listen to Londongrad, Paul Caruana Galizia's 6-part series investigating the influence of Russian oligarchs at the heart of UK government, business and media: https://podfollow.com/1625862285

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The Darwin job: the vanishing, reappearing notebooks

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 01:00:00 GMT

One sleuth, two notebooks – and a 20-year mystery.

Listen to Life, Changing, a new series from Tortoise and the Nuffield Foundation: https://podfollow.com/1631138421

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A coup at Claridge’s: Qatar’s quiet move on London

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 01:00:57 GMT

A tiny Gulf state has bought up some of Britain’s prized assets. But at what cost?

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Hollywood’s cultural revolution

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 09:13:24 GMT

When China opened up to the West, Hollywood saw a massive opportunity. But China had its own dreams. Now the movie studios are beginning to realise what they gave away

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Visit Rwanda: Britain’s harsh welcome for refugees

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 05:44:48 GMT

Britain’s harsh welcome for refugees – and what happened when the plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda was tried before

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The Rules: democracy in Britain

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 01:00:00 GMT

Every day more cracks emerge in the political system that guarantees the freedoms Britons hold dear. How do we stop it shattering?

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Introducing: Londongrad

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 01:00:08 GMT

How the Lebedevs partied their way to power is a 6 part series investigating two men - who are at the heart of the story of Britain opening its doors to Russian oligarchs. Alexander Lebedev is a former KGB officer. He’s the man with the money and - as we’ll see - with the plan. Alexander’s son, Evgeny, rose from a fixture on the social scene to a seat in the House of Lords. He did it with Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s help and against the advice of the security services. There’s never been a story quite like it.

To access the first 3 episodes now subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise as a member. Visit tortoisemedia.com/londongrad and use the code Paul50 for half price membership for £50 per year.

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Stripped. Searched. Traumatised. Children and the police

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 01:00:00 GMT

How many more Child Qs are there? How many children are strip-searched by the police and who are they? Patricia Clarke and Claudia Williams investigate

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Odesa

Thu, 26 May 2022 01:30:36 GMT

The Ukrainian port normally feeds the world, but the Russian invasion means nothing is getting out. Can we reopen the port – or will millions starve?

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Revealed: Stormy Daniels and her battle for truth

Thu, 19 May 2022 01:00:59 GMT

Who is the real Stormy Daniels? Hattie Garlick meets arguably one of America’s most misunderstood and misrepresented women

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Downfall: twenty days that did for Rishi Sunak

Thu, 12 May 2022 01:00:44 GMT

How did Rishi Sunak go from one of the most popular members of the government to one of the least in a matter of days? Matthew d’Ancona pieces together what happened.

Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. We take news slowly. We tell stories that really matter, and take time to see the full picture.

If you want more slow and considered journalism, you can become a member of Tortoise and get access to more of our stories, contribute to our journalism and join us at events in our newsroom, in person and online. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code Slow50 for membership for just £50 per year.

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The Backstory

Thu, 05 May 2022 01:00:18 GMT

Today we are sharing an episode of Tortoise's new podcast series: The Backstory with Andrew Neil. This week Andrew talks to Fiona Hill, former director for Europe and Russia at the US National Security Council, about Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and her journey from the North East of England to the White House.

Click here https://podfollow.com/the-backstory-with-andrew-neil to follow The Backstory wherever you get your podcasts for a new episode every Tuesday.

For access every Friday to a bonus episode: Inside the Interview, where Andrew reflects on the conversations he has with his guests, subscribe to Tortoise on Apple Podcasts, or join Tortoise as a member to get this, plus access to more of our journalism and invites to exclusive events. For a year's half price digital membership for £50 go to tortois emedia.com/andrew and enter the code AndrewNeil50.

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Mariupol

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 01:00:34 GMT

Two atrocities in the port city of Mariupol epitomise Russia’s violence in Ukraine. This is the story of those atrocities and of Mariupol’s truth

With special thanks to Konstantin Korobov and Nina Kuryata for their help in reporting this story.

Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. We take news slowly. We tell stories that really matter, and take time to see the full picture.

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The Lost Ark

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 01:00:09 GMT

What happens when a museum possesses a group of objects so sacred that they can never be seen in public or studied in private – and the original owners want them back?

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Greg Barker: the lord's work

Thu, 14 Apr 2022 03:00:10 GMT

The days of the Russian oligarch in London are numbered. What fate awaits the enablers – those well-connected people who worked for and provided services to wealthy Russians? This is the story of one of them

Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. We take news slowly. We tell stories that really matter, and take time to see the full picture.

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Fallen women

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 03:00:44 GMT

Twenty-seven women fell in suspicious circumstances. Seventeen died. Often, in the shadow of their fall, was a man. What if they didn’t fall. What if they were pushed?

Warning: This episode contains some upsetting content around the issues of domestic violence, sexual violence and homicide.

Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. We take news slowly. We tell stories that really matter, and take time to see the full picture.

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The trials of Alexei Navalny

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 03:00:03 GMT

What does the story of Alexei Navalny and wife Yulia Navalnaya tell us about Vladimir Putin’s Russia and the state of opposition?

Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. We take news slowly. We tell stories that really matter, and take time to see the full picture.

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Into the dark: The broken promise of a bionic eye

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 05:00:04 GMT

Imagine being blind but thanks to the wonders of technology being able to see again. How would you then feel if that sight was taken away?

Tortoise is a news start-up devoted to slow journalism. We take news slowly. We tell stories that really matter, and take time to see the full picture.

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Shadow whipping: The men who saved Boris

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 05:00:38 GMT

Political wisdom says the Russian invasion of Ukraine saved Boris Johnson’s skin. But the really successful operation to rescue the prime minister started long before and involved three men who you've probably never heard of.

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Russian warship, go f**k yourself

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 05:00:55 GMT

We thought the Russians were masters of the information war; that they’d sweep Ukraine aside. It's not turning out that way.

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Lebedev: Lord of Siberia

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 02:00:03 GMT

Door after door in Britain has been opened for Evgeny Lebedev, all the way to a seat in the House of Lords. Who has opened the doors, and why?

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An injection of fear

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 02:00:16 GMT

The ‘epidemic’ of spiking with needles in clubs and at parties in autumn 2021 revealed something important about women’s lives in Britain. But it wasn’t what we thought.

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Modi's warrior pose

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 02:00:28 GMT

The brilliance of populist politicians often lies in creating subtle dividing lines on apparently innocuous issues. What could be more innocuous than yoga? But India’s prime minister Narendra Modi – arguably the world’s most successful populist – has seized hold of yoga and weaponised it. In this week’s Slow Newscast, Warrior Pose, Claudia Williams reports on how a harmless pursuit has been transformed into a political wedge.

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Inside Branch 251

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 02:00:47 GMT

In a courtroom in west Germany, a man called Anwar Raslan stands accused of torturing Syrian civilians. He faces life in prison. But why does Germany care? These were far-away crimes. The answer lies in a remarkable story about the idea of justice.

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The Ministry of Untruths

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 02:00:02 GMT

In March 2020 the prime minister told the country to stay at home. He then did the opposite and travelled to Chequers. This the story of one crucial fortnight in March 2020, and how the prime minister’s instinct to lie and treat the rules with contempt has corroded the institutions around him.

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China’s missing tennis player

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 02:00:42 GMT

In November, athlete Peng Shuai accused a senior Chinese politician of sexual assault. Then, she vanished. In this episode, we investigate her disappearance – and the silencing of China’s #MeToo movement

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Virginia

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 02:00:49 GMT

Who is Virginia Roberts Giuffre? She was only 17 years old when she appeared in a now-famous photo, taken in Ghislaine Maxwell’s London mews house. Maxwell is behind her, grinning. Jeffrey Epstein, the multi-millionaire paedophile, is taking the photo. And to Virginia’s right, smilingly sheepishly, is Prince Andrew. Twenty years later, Epstein is dead, Ghislaine is a convicted sex trafficker, and Andrew has been stripped of his royal titles. How is it that Virginia, someone who started with almost no power, is now in the strongest position of all?

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A finding of rape

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 02:00:00 GMT

How a former government minister used the secrecy of the family courts in an attempt to hide the truth.

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The promise of CoolSculpting

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 02:00:52 GMT

Linda Evangelista’s beauty made her a super-brand in the 1990s. But then, she disappeared. Until September 2021, when she revealed on Instagram details of a lawsuit. She claimed that a procedure called CoolSculpting, promising to freeze away unwanted fat, had instead multiplied it into “masses”. And she isn’t the only one…

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A year in stories

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 02:00:53 GMT

For our final episode of the year, we look back on our best stories of 2021. Basia is joined by Tortoise editor-in-chief James Harding, and colleague Ceri Thomas, to chat through what we've learned as journalists, and storytellers.

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School 49

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 02:00:01 GMT

China’s transformation into an economic powerhouse has come at a cost to its children, under enormous pressure to succeed. Now the country is wondering if the price has been too high. Reporter Poppy Sebag-Montefiore, producer Claudia Williams, sound design by Karla Patella.

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The super divorce

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 02:00:00 GMT

London's courts play host to some of the world's most high-profile divorces. In the sorry case of Akhmedov vs Akhmedova, a family feud turned into a costly game of hide and seek...

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A place for Elliott

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 02:00:00 GMT

This is a story about a boy called Elliott – trapped in time.

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Retreat from Kabul – Part 2

Thu, 25 Nov 2021 02:00:00 GMT

In Kabul, the Taliban’s takeover was assured. In London, an ignominious retreat, and the betrayal of former comrades in the Afghan army, was more than a group of ex-soldiers, now MPs, could stomach...

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Retreat from Kabul – Part 1

Thu, 25 Nov 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Over a handful of chaotic days this summer, Western forces withdrew from Afghanistan. The legacy of the decision to leave after 20 years has been wretched for many Afghan people, and a brutal lesson for the UK. In this two-part Slow Newscast, Matthew d'Ancona charts events as they unfolded. Part 1: As the Taliban closed in on Kabul, Britain found itself frozen out of decision making and incapable of influencing events.

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Who is REvil?

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Who are the people behind a spate of multi-million dollar ransomware attacks on financial institutions, schools and hospitals? When Nicky Woolf began to investigate the highest-profile ransomware outfit, REvil, it was almost completely hidden from view. But then... the cyber-police started to uncover its secrets.

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Nazanin: trapped in Whitehall

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Since 2016, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been held hostage in Iran. Ceri Thomas investigates how a long-forgotten debt could be the real reason behind her incarceration.

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Shamsa, the forgotten princess

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 02:00:00 GMT

The reputation of Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai has been tarnished beyond repair by the way he treated his wife Haya and daughter Latifa. At least we know about what they went through. There's another daughter - Shamsa - who was the first to try to escape the Sheikh's clutches. She, and her story, have almost vanished.

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Introducing: Sweet Bobby

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 01:00:00 GMT

Sweet Bobby is a new series by Tortoise. Kirat is a successful local radio presenter. Online she’s contacted by a man she vaguely knows called Bobby, and they start chatting. Slowly, they become close… and she’s reeled in to a scam of epic proportions...

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True crime: the tragedy of Gabby Petito

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 01:00:00 GMT

When a young woman travelling across the US disappeared, an army of digital detectives and citizen journalists jumped on the case. When she was found murdered, they went into overdrive. In this week’s Slow Newscast, we examine a true crime story happening in real time.

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Havana Syndrome: the mystery illness spreading through America's embassies

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 01:00:00 GMT

It started with a high-pitched noise. Then, American diplomats started getting sick. Nausea, dizziness, confusion. Across the world, this strange syndrome is spreading. Is it an attack? A sophisticated weapon? In this episode, we investigate the mystery of the immaculate concussion.

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From Russia with diamonds: part 2

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 01:01:00 GMT

More than 20 years after emptying the Russian state treasure of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds and gold, Andrei Kozlenok breaks his silence with an even more extraordinary tale. But why?

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From Russia with diamonds: part 1

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 01:00:00 GMT

When Communism collapsed, a young man was tasked with selling Russia’s diamonds to the highest bidder. Then, he went on the run with $600m. He was missing for more than 20 years, until reporter Giles Whittell found him, last year. This is the riotous story of Golden Ada – the origin story of Russia's kleptocracy.

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Pfizer's war

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 01:00:00 GMT

It’s been said often enough: the pandemic has been like a war. Economically, on civil liberties and the deaths it has caused, it’s hard to find a better comparison. And just like a war it places responsibilities on companies that make vital supplies which are different from peacetime – to profit, but not to profiteer

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Wrong turn: murder and miscarriage of justice

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 03:00:00 GMT

Plenty of people take wrong turns in their lives. But so too can justice systems. John Crilly and hundreds more have been the victims of the legal doctrine of Joint Enterprise and how it has been applied for the past 30 years.

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Beau and Biden: Constant companions

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 01:00:00 GMT

Joe Biden’s life has been marked by grief, most recently at the death of his beloved son, Beau. And Beau Biden’s legacy isn’t only personal, it’s political, too.

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Orphaned by America

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 01:00:00 GMT

In Donald Trump's America, thousands of children who crossed the border from Mexico were separated from their parents. It's now clear that some of those families - perhaps hundreds - may never be reunited.

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Smear: cartels and conspiracies in Oldham

Thu, 02 Sep 2021 12:04:23 GMT

A year ago, journalist Joshi Herrmann got an anonymous tip. It sent him to a website claiming to have evidence of serious corruption, grooming gangs and “cartels” operating in Oldham. From there, Joshi stumbled across a remarkable story about how online conspiracies are poisoning local politics, spilling out from paranoid corners of the internet all the way to the ballot box. And at the heart of it all is on one rather angry man, who calls himself “the recusant”...

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Son of Afghanistan

Thu, 26 Aug 2021 01:00:00 GMT

The remarkable story of Rohullah Yakobi, a daring escape, and a 20-year war.

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Popbitch: the power of gossip

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 01:00:00 GMT

Over 20 years, a simple email newsletter has reshaped celebrity culture. In a special edition of the Slow Newscast, Claudia Williams tells the story of Popbitch.

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Boycott! The lost Olympics

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 01:00:00 GMT

With human rights groups demanding a diplomatic boycott of next year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing, we look back to Moscow 1980, and ask what’s the lesson of the most notorious Olympic boycott in modern times?

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The porn headmaster

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 01:00:00 GMT

In the internet age, anyone with a camera can make and sell porn. But what happens when a shoot goes wrong? In the second episode in our Porn Planet series investigating online pornography, we look into the world of porn production

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Genesis: The mystery of where Covid began

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 01:00:00 GMT

The truth of an origin story has never mattered more: did Covid cross to humans from an animal, or did it escape from a laboratory? The arguments have only grown fiercer. And in the fog of war, the World Health Organisation lost its way

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The arms race

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 06:54:23 GMT

How the richest nations on the planet promised to vaccinate every adult, everywhere, against Covid. They failed.

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DIY justice

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 23:01:00 GMT

This is a story about one student, one case, and a serious sexual assault. It takes place at Cambridge University, but the case – of a botched process that lets a young woman down – could have happened almost anywhere...

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Left to die - episode 3

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 23:03:00 GMT

In the final episode of Left to die: Nick Alexander tells the story of his torturous escape from the convoy – and the question left lying in the dust of the attack: who, really, abandoned them all?

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Left to die - episode 2

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 23:02:00 GMT

Episode 2 of our series investigating what happened at the Amarula Hotel: the story of Wesley and his brother Adrian, who escape in a car and are ambushed by insurgents as they race to safety.

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Left to die - episode 1

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 23:01:00 GMT

In March, Islamist militants attacked the town of Palma, in northern Mozambique – the site of a $20bn gas project. They besieged a hotel, where more than 200 civilians were taking shelter, waiting to be rescued. But help never came. In our new three-part series, we investigate why these men, women and children were abandoned.

Ep1: An Islamist insurgency hits. Nick and Wes, two South African contractors, race to the Amarula Hotel. Over three horrifying days, it becomes clear: no one is coming to help.

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The missing note

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 01:00:00 GMT

In little more than a year - the year of the pandemic - Anand Menon lost his mother, father, brother and sister, but not to Covid. Grief and loss have been a part of so many lives this year, but none more so than Anand's.

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A death at Lancaster Lodge

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 01:00:00 GMT

Sophie Bennett took her own life in a care facility that was crumbling around her. Paul Caruana Galizia and Chris Cook investigate what went wrong at a charity led by a famous mental health pioneer.

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Inside Downing Street: the second couple

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 23:01:00 GMT

After Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds’ wedding, there are now two powerful married couples in Number 10. Meet the other: Munira and Dougie...

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Hunt for the porn king

Thu, 27 May 2021 01:00:00 GMT

As dozens of women accuse the world’s largest porn company of profiting from their abuse, listen to the full story of how we traced its secretive owner to his London mansion

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The neo-Nazis next door

Thu, 20 May 2021 01:00:00 GMT

In the German city of Chemnitz, political extremists aren’t just present – they’re organised. And they’re trying to spread their creed from ramshackle buildings to the rest of the country

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The white gold rush

Wed, 12 May 2021 23:01:00 GMT

The story of a dying lake, a forgotten community and the hunt for a green future. Host Basia Cummings is joined by reporters Miranda Green and Lucy Sherriff to investigate.

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What happened to Shukri Abdi?

Thu, 06 May 2021 01:00:00 GMT

When A 12-year-old Somali refugee drowned in the River Irwell in 2019, suspicion and rumour soon followed. In this episode, Basia is joined by reporter Nimo Omer to investigate what happened to Shukri Abdi.

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Pariah - episode 4

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 02:30:00 GMT

A life like Harvey Proctor’s has lessons for the police and the media. And for all of us: what are we prepared to do to people we turn into hate figures?

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Pariah - episode 3

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Harvey Proctor was caught in the middle of a deadly serious police investigation, Operation Midland. How could he fight it?

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Pariah - episode 2

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 01:30:00 GMT

It’s tough to survive one huge, public scandal in your life. Two is almost unheard of. But that was about to happen to Harvey Proctor.

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Pariah - episode 1

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 01:00:00 GMT

Harvey Proctor was a Conservative MP, notorious in the 1980s for his right-wing views. Until he was entrapped by a newspaper in a ‘gay sex scandal’ and his life started to unravel.

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Lost at sea

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 23:01:00 GMT

The mysterious story of Gulf Livestock 1, a 12,000-tonne ship carrying 6,000 cows that disappeared without a trace in the Pacific Ocean.

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The battle for truth

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 01:00:00 GMT

We're launching a brand new podcast from Tortoise called ThinkIn with James Harding. In this week's Slow Newscast, a preview.

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What the RFK Jr?!

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 23:01:00 GMT

This week we introduce a new podcast, and re-up an episode from our archive on the hero lawyer turned anti-vaxxer who has spent the pandemic spreading medical misinformation.

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Cross stitch

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 23:01:00 GMT

An unlikely scandal... in the world of embroidery. How a highly-paid male CEO went to war with a group of embroidery-loving women, who decided to get together and fight back.

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The Reasonable Case of Keir Rodney Starmer

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 00:01:00 GMT

Who is Keir Starmer? There’s the basic answer: he’s the leader of Britain’s Labour party. But beyond that? We investigate his past.

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Disaster at Camp 3

Thu, 18 Mar 2021 00:01:00 GMT

Reaching the summit of K2 in winter had never been done before. In January, a group of mountaineers – professionals, amateurs, social media adventurers – attempted it. It ended in triumph… and tragedy.

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The Navalny Show

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 08:37:45 GMT

As he returned to Moscow after months recovering from a nerve agent attack, Alexei Navalny released a remarkable YouTube video – and with it, sowed the seeds for a new Russian revolution by meme.

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March of the mutants

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 00:01:00 GMT

Covid-19 may be losing the vaccine battle, but as the virus evolves fast to form new variants, the war is most definitely not over...

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A Very British Business

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is one of Britain's richest men. Since Brexit he's made a show of his patriotism. Is it for real?

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A fairy tale on Wall St

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 02:00:00 GMT

The myth of Gamestop was that it was a David and Goliath struggle. The truth was very different.

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306 days

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Geoffrey Woolf spent longer in hospital after Covid-19 than almost anyone - 306 days. His son Nicky tells the story of what he went through, and how it changed everything.

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Corinna & the king: The money hunt

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Power, greed, and a $65m 'gift': the story of King Juan Carlos of Spain and Corinna, his lover. They occupied a world of high-rolling hunting parties and complicated gifts – until it went seriously wrong.

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Hidden Homicides - episode 4

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 07:51:26 GMT

The final episode of our special series. How do you fix a fatal problem no one is properly measuring?

To learn more, go to tortoisemedia.com/hiddenhomicides

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Hidden Homicides - episode 3

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 02:03:00 GMT

The astonishing case of Emily Whelan, and decisions and delays that cannot be undone. The third episode in our special series on the deaths that may be going unrecognised, and uncounted, by police.

To learn more, go to tortoisemedia.com/hiddenhomicides

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Hidden Homicides - episode 2

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 02:02:00 GMT

The second part of our new series, Hidden Homicides: the story of a killer twice missed. When Susan Nicholson died suddenly, her parents were immediately suspicious. Her partner was known to police to be a serious domestic abuser, but still they refused to investigate. It took six years before a proper investigation was launched. Why?

To learn more, go to tortoisemedia.com/hiddenhomicides

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Hidden Homicides - episode 1

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 02:01:00 GMT

In a new series by Tortoise, we tell the shocking stories of women whose possible homicides go unrecognised, and uncounted, by police. In episode 1: the life and death of 21-year-old Katie Wilding, and her mother’s remarkable fight for justice.

To learn more, go to tortoisemedia.com/hiddenhomicides.

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This was a coup

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 02:00:00 GMT

What was really going on when President Trump's supporters invaded the Capitol?

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Shot in the dark

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 02:00:00 GMT

Coronavirus vaccines are a triumph for science, and an enormous gamble for the UK. They're all we've got left: our only hope of getting out of the Covid crisis.

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Crossing the Channel

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 02:00:00 GMT

A former army base in Folkstone, Kent, is now the controversial epicentre of the Britain's immigration debate – a debate that hasn’t gone away with Brexit.

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Did it have to be this bad?

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Britain has one of the worst records in the world at dealing with the coronavirus. The country's death toll, and the economic damage it suffers, will be worse than most of its competitors; possibly worse than any of them. Over three days in November, Tortoise held an inquiry into why things have gone so wrong. Basia Cummings reports back on its findings - and on her own year coping, as we all have, with an unprecedented crisis.

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Is Covid cover for corruption?

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The British government has spent billions tackling the coronavirus, and some of it has gone to friends and family of people in high places. Contracts for safety equipment or for testing for Covid have been handed out without the usual safeguards on public spending, and accusations of corruption and cronyism have flown around. Is that what's happening, or is the explanation more mundane? Would the government's actions be better seen as normal in the wildly abnormal situation of a pandemic? And have they perhaps been aided and abetted by garden variety incompetence?

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The rise & fall of The Wing

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 11:18:18 GMT

The Wing was part co-working space, part feminist haven - a high-concept, big-money chain of women-only spaces, the brainchild of super-smart, ultra-connected New Yorker, Audrey Gelman. It was a child of Instagram which soon started to encounter severe difficulties in the real world. Did the way it treated its members, and particularly its employees, live up to its high ideals? Those problems knocked The Wing and the pandemic finished it off. How did a feminist vision become a corporate nightmare? Basia Cummings is your host, with in-depth reporting from Sophie Elmhirst.

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The split

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 03:00:00 GMT

A story centuries in the making that is building an unstoppable momentum. This week we are going north of the wall and asking: is Scotland on a march to independence?

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Boris Johnson's horror show

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 02:00:00 GMT

On Saturday October 31st, the British government was forced to announce a second national coronavirus lockdown. We know the announcement itself was mishandled; the reasons why are fascinating. In this special episode of the Slow Newscast Matt D'Ancona goes deep into a day of political drama and intrigue in Downing St which helps explain so much about where this government is going wrong.

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China takes down a superstar

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Jack Ma set up the Chinese online giant Alibaba. It made him hugely rich, and perhaps too powerful for comfort for China's ruling elite. Last week his plan for the biggest-ticket stock market launch ever came to a crashing halt when the authorities in Beijing pulled the plug on it. Did Jack Ma fly too high? Have his wings been clipped forever?

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JK Rowling and the Unfinished Business

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 02:00:00 GMT

In June 2020, JK Rowling sent a Tweet which took her to the heart of the bitter debate about trans rights and women's rights. A few days later, with an online storm gathering around her, she published a 3,600-word essay explaining her position. She'd set off a ferocious argument which alienated many of her young fans; led some of the stars of the Harry Potter films to distance themselves from Harry's creator; and which ran like a lightning-strike through the worlds of film and publishing which made her fortune. Why did JK Rowling do it? What will the fall-out be?

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The (un)Christian president

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 02:00:00 GMT

From the first moment of his presidency, Donald Trump has courted - and largely won - the votes of white, Evangelical Christians. For a famously profane and worldly president it's a striking achievement and, in recent months, Trump seems to have doubled-down on the Christian vote with talk of 'miracles' while people around him have described the Democrats as 'atheists'. Has a President with a genius for spotting groups with a grievance and for exploiting division identified a new fault-line in American politics? And how big a difference could it make in next week's election?

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Recession 2021

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 01:00:00 GMT

It's not that our economies haven't already taken a hit because of the coronavirus, it's that what's coming may be much worse. Politicians, and people in finance and business, can see it, but there are no prizes for talking openly about it. So we've gone back to two people who really understand the depths of the trouble ahead. Alastair Darling was UK Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 2008 financial crash, and Mervyn King was Governor of the Bank of England. When they look around the corner, what do they see? And what should the government be doing now to prevent the worst?

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Happy - the elephant in the courtroom: episode 3

Sat, 17 Oct 2020 01:00:00 GMT

If animals share many qualities with humans - if they're self-aware, if they communicate, and grieve for their dead, as we know they do - do they deserve human-like rights? Next month, the case of Happy the elephant comes before the New York Supreme Court. Happy's lawyer (yes, she has one) will argue that her long incarceration in the Bronx Zoo has breached her right to bodily freedom. The case will get a respectful hearing; it's not inconceivable that Happy will win. But even if she loses, the court of public opinion is already changing its mind about the way we treat the animals around us.

The organisation change.org have a petition calling for Happy's release, currently signed by 1.3m people.

You can read the Bronx Zoo's statement about Happy here.

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Happy - the elephant in the courtroom: episode 2

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 01:00:00 GMT

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Happy - the elephant in the courtroom: episode 1

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 01:00:00 GMT

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Tested: How test and trace became a national disaster

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The serial failures of the UK's test and trace system will never be a footnote in the coronavirus crisis. In fact, they're the headline. Matthew d'Ancona reports on how it got so bad.

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The golden egg

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The fertility industry is booming, but there is a tightrope to walk between what is possible, ethical and harmful. Reporter Claudia Williams and host Basia Cummings investigate the rise and rise of IVF.

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The endless virus

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 16:09:34 GMT

Coronavirus can kill, or pass through a body unnoticed. Its effects in the short term are wildly unpredictable. But as we learn to live with this new virus we're discovering more of its grisly secrets. One of them is that the damage it does to the body in the long run might leave a dreadful legacy. This is the story - as much as we know it – of Long Covid.

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Florida: The punchline state

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 01:00:00 GMT

We went to the perennial swing state where Trump won narrowly in 2016. Four years later, is Florida ready to flip again? Will it be an election about Covid and competence, law and order or racial justice? Will it be a referendum on the character of Donald Trump or just further evidence of a hopelessly divide nation?

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Inside Evin

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 01:00:00 GMT

Evin Prison is one of the most secretive places on earth; the heart of Iran's oppression of its own people. We've spent months getting inside its walls through the testimony of people who've been detained there over the past 40 years. Together, their accounts are not simply the story of the prison, they're the story of what Iran has become.

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Beat police

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 01:00:00 GMT

Drill music styles itself as a tough and uncompromising representation of life in poor communities in cities like Chicago and London. Police forces have clamped down on it in the belief that it provokes violence, but the evidence for a causal link is thin. Not for the first time, an innovative, anti-establishment Black voice is being quietened.

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How the world filled a hole - and saved itself

Thu, 27 Aug 2020 01:00:00 GMT

Something which is now almost unimaginable happened between 1974 and 1989. The world spotted a massive problem; the fix required action by consumers, businesses and governments; and they came together to pull it off. This is the story of the discovery of what man-made emissions were doing to the ozone layer and mankind's brilliant response.

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Trailblazer

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 01:00:00 GMT

Michaela Coel's TV drama I May Destroy You has just finished playing on the BBC and HBO. Based partly on her own experience it's an unsettling, sometimes harrowing, examination of sexual assault, consent, friendship, and the experience of growing up Black and British. It may come to be seen as a watershed moment in British television, and it's not Coel's first. Basia Cummings talks to journalist and critic Yomi Adegoke about Michaela Coel's remarkable talent.

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The slaver who stayed put

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 01:00:00 GMT

The story of the toppling of Edward Colston's statue in Bristol became a prominent chapter in the global response to the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests. Those events were the reasons the statue came down, but the more intriguing question is why it stayed up for so long. Why did a monument to a prominent slave trader remain standing for decades in spite of a local campaign to have it moved to a museum?

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What the RFK Jr?! From Camelot to conspiracies

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 02:00:00 GMT

How a member of the Kennedy political dynasty has become the most prolific super-spreader of conspiracies connecting anti-vaxxers, 5G and coronavirus

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The hopeful Chancellor: is Rishi Sunak the right man for the job?

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is diligent and decent, but is he really the right man for the job of saving the British economy?

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Silenced in China: the price of protest

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 05:32:19 GMT

As president Xi uses the pandemic to crack down again, we speak to Dr Teng Biao and Simon Cheng about their treatment in China's battle to control its people

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"How are you?" Mental health in lockdown

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 01:00:00 GMT

"How are you?" used to be a throwaway question, but the pandemic has given it new meaning. Former spin-doctor Alastair Campbell, now a prominent mental health campaigner, asks high-profile people from sport, politics and entertainment how they've coped with life's new realities. Their answers have something to say to all of us.

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Death at the ministry: a very British injustice

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 01:00:00 GMT

Late every evening in London at the Ministry of Justice, dozens of poorly-paid workers slip into the offices to begin their night-time cleaning jobs. Many - maybe most - have recently arrived in the UK. Economically, their lives are precarious. But when coronavirus struck life itself became precarious. Emanuel Gomes and Luis Eduardo Veintimilla are two of the cleaners at the Ministry who carried on working there as the virus took hold around them.

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Uncommon wealth: money and the British Crown

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 01:00:00 GMT

The royal family's finances are mysterious, and the strange formula which calculates the money they get from the taxpayer is badly understood. Tortoise has been going through the accounts. What they show is a family which has become enormously richer over recent years and may benefit from huge windfalls in years to come.

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Together, with Jurgen Klopp

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 01:00:00 GMT

Like a handful of football managers before him, Jurgen Klopp is fascinating as a leader. His ability to motivate people around him would be exceptional in any occupation, in any circumstances, and the connection he has forged with the city of Liverpool is extraordinary. Klopp's explanation for his success is simplicity itself: a belief in selflessness and community.

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The sick man: Boris Johnson, Britain and the virus

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 01:00:00 GMT

Boris Johnson could have died from coronavirus. He recovered, but the costs to the country of his illness were huge. Government was paralysed without him and vital decisions weren't taken. How did things fall apart so badly in Number 10 Downing St?

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Black Lives Matter 2020

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 01:00:00 GMT

The protests on the streets of the United States and around the world have taken the authorities by surprise. But they haven't sprung from nowhere; they've sprung from attitudes and events dating back hundreds of years. Previous protests demanding racial justice - famously, the riots in Chicago in 1968 - didn't heal the problems of the communities which took to the streets. In fact, in Chicago's case, they created scars which are still visible today.

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Inside Amazon: a superpower in a pandemic

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 01:00:00 GMT

Amazon is a true economic superpower; a company of a scale and kind we haven't seen before. It's relentless in its pursuit of efficiency on behalf of its customers, but what does it believe in? How does it see its place in the world? Tortoise is investigating the big tech companies as rigorously as if they were countries. What sort of country has Jeff Bezos created?

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What if they don't turn up?

Thu, 28 May 2020 01:00:00 GMT

It's not just the hopes of young people which depend on them going to university, whole towns and cities rely on them too. The British government estimated that education would be worth £23bn to the UK economy this year. If coronavirus keeps students away, universities, shops, landlords, pubs and clubs will all be poorer. In some places, it could be a devastating blow.

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Cash and caring: the business of care homes

Thu, 21 May 2020 01:00:00 GMT

No part of British society has been harder hit by the coronavirus pandemic than care homes. 15,000 people have died there. Why were they uniquely vulnerable? Partly because they housed vulnerable people; partly because the financial structures that lie behind them left them open to a disaster of this kind.

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The jobs tightrope

Thu, 14 May 2020 01:00:00 GMT

When coronavirus struck and the UK locked down, the government began paying the wages of furloughed workers. It's a hugely expensive policy. There are risks in continuing it but the risks of stopping may be even greater.

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Undercrowded and overfunded: the Nightingale hospitals

Thu, 07 May 2020 01:00:00 GMT

The Nightingale hospitals - huge intensive care hospitals built in a matter of days to deal with the overspill if regular hospitals couldn't cope with the numbers of coronavirus patients - are sitting empty. It's good news, but what does it tell us about the way the British government has handled this pandemic?

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Coronavirus in Africa: the final straw?

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 01:00:00 GMT

Claude Jibidar is country director for the World Food Programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo - a huge country beset with vast problems, not just food shortages but armed conflict and ebola as well. As the coronavirus hits, this fragile state will struggle to cope. Many of Claude's colleagues have left, fearful of contracting cover-19 in a place with such poor healthcare. But Claude has chosen to stay.

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No weddings and fourteen funerals

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 01:00:00 GMT

Jan Gould is the vicar for the Church in Wales in the parish of Glen Ely in Cardiff. It's a poor neighbourhood and the church is still an important part of the community. In normal times, there's a natural balance between births, deaths and marriages. But the coronavirus has disrupted that balance. These days, Jan is dealing with a sea of funerals and coping with the restrictions of lockdown that make the job of a parish priest more difficult.

We mention Befrienders, an organisation of volunteers who work to prevent suicide. You can find them at https://www.befrienders.org/directory

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Covid-19: The 5G conspiracy

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 01:00:00 GMT

This week on the slow news podcast, we’re looking at the messy conspiracy theory of 5G and Covid-19. What has been going on? And why are these ideas spreading? We’ve had the investigative reporter James Ball looking for answers.

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The zoo-keeper: surviving coronavirus

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 01:00:00 GMT

The coronavirus lockdown is not just a difficult time for business, it's an emotional time. How to survive as a going concern? How to treat workers fairly? And, if your business is running a zoo, how to think about the welfare of animals as well as humans? Twycross Zoo in the UK is celebrated for its role in animal conservation. But that won't protect it from some very difficult decisions ahead.

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Coronaviolence: domestic abuse in a lockdown

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 01:00:00 GMT

One of the unavoidable consequences of the coronavirus lockdown is that it traps women and children with their abusers. And for women seeking to escape, the routes out may be closed. Even making a phone call for help may be impossible. Basia Cummings has been talking to people trying to help victims of domestic abuse in unimaginably difficult circumstances.

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Lives on the line: why is coronavirus killing so many health workers?

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 02:00:00 GMT

In some countries where the coronavirus has hit hard - Italy or Spain - health workers account for up to 20% of people infected, and the death toll among them is mounting. The front line of health has become a very dangerous place, and that may be one of the stories of this pandemic.

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How pandemics end

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Pandemics are part of life. They've caused millions of deaths over the centuries but, in the end, the lesson of history is that, just like the Black Death, smallpox, cholera and many others, this pandemic will pass. How and why does that happen? What do human beings do, what do viruses do, to learn to live with each other? With special guest Professor Deenan Pillay, Professor of Virology at University College London.

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The rules: can we fix our broken politics?

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 02:00:00 GMT

UK politics has torn itself apart over Brexit. Parliament, the prime minister, 'the people' and the courts have been at each others' throats, and old conventions governing the way the system works have been ripped up. Tortoise has set out to answer an old and important question: instead of celebrating the fact that Britain is one of the few countries in the world without a written constitution, is it time for us to draft one?

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A college with secrets

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Trinity Hall is a small Cambridge college - one of the 30+ which make up the university. After an investigation over several months, Tortoise has brought to light a number of allegations of sexual impropriety and assault. In each case, there's evidence that the college may have put its own interests ahead of the victims'. The question has been asked: is this the #MeToo moment for British universities?

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My mother's murder - episode 4: The last domino

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Daphne Caruana Galizia was Malta's pre-eminent investigative journalist. She exposed corruption at the highest levels of politics and business in the country until, in October 2017, she was murdered by a car bomb. Since her death, her family has fought tirelessly for justice in the face of overwhelming odds. In this four-part series, Daphne's son Paul Caruana Galizia returns to Malta to uncover an assassination plot which extends into the highest reaches of the Maltese government.

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My mother's murder - episode 3: Truth to power

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 02:00:00 GMT

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My mother's murder - episode 2: An assassination foretold

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 02:00:00 GMT

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My mother's murder - episode 1

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 02:00:00 GMT

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Trump in Bethlehem

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 05:00:00 GMT

This week we're in Pennsylvania, where Trump won in 2016. Can he win here again?

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The world inside

Sat, 01 Feb 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The new frontier of medical science is closer than you think – much closer. It lies within us, in the bacteria and viruses of the gut, and in the mysterious efficacy of faecal transplants.

There’s so much hype in health journalism. But the study of the gut microbiome – the universe of bacteria living in our intestine – really is opening up a new age in our understanding of the human body that promises to unlock revolutions in drugs and healthcare, food and nutrition, wellbeing and even happiness.

James Harding, editor and co-founder of Tortoise, spoke to James Kinross, a researcher and consultant colorectal surgeon - one of our leading gut scientists

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Coronavirus: is this the one?

Thu, 30 Jan 2020 02:00:00 GMT

One day, the next catastrophic global epidemic will strike. Scientists already know a few things about it: it will probably have crossed the species barrier from animal to human; it’s likely to originate in Asia; it will travel easily from person to person.

The coronavirus has all those characteristics but we may be fortunate. The early signs are that it’s not as fatal as some of the viruses responsible for previous pandemics, and the lessons we learned from those outbreaks may help to contain it.

In this week’s Tortoise podcast, Basia Cummings looks back at SARS, the last virus which seemed to carry a global threat, and how one doctor’s actions saved countless lives in a country. Her guest is Jeremy Farrar, director of the medical research charity, the Wellcome Trust.

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Three women, homeless

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 02:00:00 GMT

We'd like you to meet Toni, Sharon and Nicky. You may have passed them on the street - somebody who listens to this podcast almost certainly will have done. But you won't have met them, any more than most of us really meet women who are homeless and sleeping rough in subways, stations and shop doorways.

Audrey Gillan has spent time with all three women, hearing their stories; how they came to be where they are, and what their lives are like. The number of homeless women in the UK has shot up in recent years. The stories that Toni, Sharon and Nicky tell help explain why.

You can read more on the Tortoise app, in our multi-part investigation:
Three women, homeless
Invisible
The helping hands
The revolving door

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Labour's North Star

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 02:00:00 GMT

The Labour Party in the UK is choosing a new leader. Few people care - after a crushing election defeat, the party has got work to do to make itself interesting again. It's a gloomy picture for Labour, but a surprise candidate is shining through. Could Lisa Nandy be Labour's bright new face?

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The man who counts trees

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 02:00:00 GMT

Tom Crowther is a young ecologist who asked a simple question: how many trees are there on planet earth? The answer has changed our understanding of the world, but Crowther's work has provoked a firestorm.

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The new superpowers: Apple

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 02:00:00 GMT

For months, Tortoise has been investigating big tech companies as if they were countries: holding them to the same standards that we apply to nation states; caring about what they think; understanding what they're planning to do; figuring out who's in charge now, and who might be next.

It's been a huge reporting project. In this week's podcast, Basia Cummings talks to two of the Tortoise editors behind it, Alexi Mostrous and James Harding.

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Labour: anatomy of a catastrophe

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 19:00:00 GMT

Since the general election was called, one of Britain's foremost political journalists has been tracking the Labour campaign for Tortoise. Here's his story of tension and bad choices inside the party machine.

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Nameless, stateless: N3

Sat, 07 Dec 2019 01:00:00 GMT

To find out more about Tortoise go to tortoisemedia.com/friend and use the code POD50 to become a member for just £1 a week, half our normal price.

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Murder in Malta

Fri, 29 Nov 2019 16:00:00 GMT

The murder of the investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia denied Malta its best hope of beating endemic corruption and bribery. Her family have fought ever since for her legacy and for justice. This week events have taken dramatic turns, with arrests and the resignation of government ministers. Daphne’s son Paul, a reporter at Tortoise, has been at the heart of it all.

Join Tortoise for only £50. Use code POD50 at tortoisemedia.com/friend

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The PRince disaster

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 23:00:00 GMT

It’s easy to conclude that Prince Andrew shouldn't have agreed to give an interview to the BBC, but it’s more interesting to ask why he thought it was a good idea.

Three Tortoise editors – James Harding, Basia Cummings and Ceri Thomas – have spent this week asking that question, talking to people in and around Buckingham Palace, and re-examining the Jeffrey Epstein case.

In this week’s Tortoise podcast: how fears about a slimmed-down monarchy and financial independence led to a terrible misjudgement.

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Techno Tories

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 18:00:00 GMT

In this election, the Conservatives are betting on youth to win the social media campaign. The kids running their digital strategy don’t know what a 30th birthday is like but they’re aggressively in charge. And, for better or worse, they’re changing the game.

Tortoise editors Basia Cummings and Ceri Thomas get inside the digital campaign with help from fellow editors Alexi Mostrous, Polly Curtis and Matt D’Ancona.

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It’s Your Identity, Stupid

Sat, 09 Nov 2019 06:00:00 GMT

British politics is undergoing a fundamental shift. Traditionally, economics has been the key to who wins elections but in recent years - and turbocharged by Brexit - identity has come to the fore. The implications are enormous. Political parties are reshaping and their economic policies are being transformed.

Tortoise editors Basia Cummings and Ceri Thomas explore what this could mean in this election and in decades to come.

Guests in Edition #1 are John Aitken, Glasgow youth worker, Andrew (Lord) Cooper, former Director of Strategy to David Cameron, and Tortoise editors Chris Cook and Matthew d’Ancona.

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