The Slow Newscast

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? To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subsc...

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. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to To...

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. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise ap...

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&n...

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? To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subsc...

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: T...

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. 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-...

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. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Po...

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

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? ...

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 crim...

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 crim...

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? To find out more about Tortoise: Do...

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? 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 an...

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. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our j...

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. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our...

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 ap...

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 ap...

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 ap...

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 ap...

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 sin...

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...

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. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to...

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? To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists Subscribe to Tortoise+ o...

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. To find out more about Tortoise: Download the Tortoise app - for a l...