Sources saying Josh Simons is going to be referred to the PM's ethics adviser Laurie Magnus for an investigation

No 10 not responding to queries but am told the UQ will confirm details

The boy who came back: the near-death, and changed life, of my son Max It was, we were told, a case of sudden infant death syndrome interrupted. What followed would transform my understanding of parenting, disability and the breadth of what makes a meaningful life

I wrote for the Guardian’s Saturday magazine about my son Max, who changed how I see the world. Took ages. More jokes after the first bit.

Thanks Merope Mills for being the most patient and generous editor.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

North Korea's war in Europe 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,…

North Korea has admitted that it sent troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine.

In this episode of the Slow Newscast, @claudiawilliams.bsky.social looks at what it says about Vladimir Putin that he had to turn to Kim Jong-un for help?

Listen: lnk.to/CE4OGmBS

Deborah Frances-White on renters’ rights and the earthquake in Myanmar One of the largest earthquakes in decades has wrecked parts of Myanmar, but how does a country still grappling with civil war and military rule handle a natural disaster of this scale? The Guardian in...

In the latest episode of the News Meeting @basialc.bsky.social is joined by the @theguiltyfeminist.bsky.social’s Deborah Frances-White, plus Tortoise’s @ktriley.bsky.social and @claudiawilliams.bsky.social, as they battle it out to pitch the top story of the day.

Listen: lnk.to/28eyKhBS

Who stole ancient treasures from the Drents Museum? In the dead of night, thieves raid a Dutch museum, making off with priceless Romanian artefacts. As the hunt for the stolen treasures continues, what does this art heist tell us about the future of cu...

- And @claudiawilliams.bsky.social investigated the mystery of who stole ancient treasures from the Drents Museum (lnk.to/uKcZrq)

With the way things are going, it looks like the news will stay relentless for a long time yet.

Follow The News Meeting and The Sensemaker so we can help you keep up.

Following the closure of the marine zoo they live in, France's last two captive orcas, Wikie and Keijo, face an uncertain future.

Could relocating them to a proposed whale retirement home in Canada be their best option?

🗣️ : ✍️ @claudiawilliams.bsky.social

Listen: lnk.to/xeb7PLBS

BBC Sounds - The Shipping Postcards - Available Episodes Listen to the latest episodes of The Shipping Postcards on BBC Sounds.

If you missed them live on New Year’s Day, the Radio 4 Shipping Forecast podcasts are perfect Sunday listening (even better if you’ve got snow) www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/serie...

There's something deeply disturbing about the sight of male photographers & film crews pushing, shoving and using their considerable strength to get close to Gisèle Pelicot as she arrives at the court, while knowing what she has been through. Have some decorum, people. Give the woman some space.

Tory peer may face probe over undeclared defence shareholding

A story that me and @catneilan.bsky.social broke for @tortoisemedia.bsky.social might result in a probe from the House of Lords Standards Commissioner 😮 www.tortoisemedia.com/2024/12/17/t...

"Can an AI Companion Really Care?" By Patricia Clarke and Matt Russell for Tortoise "This story captures the pivotal moment between reality and augmented reality, highlighting the urgent issues surrounding big tech. Through an intimate character portrayal, it reveals the solutions and new challenges that technology offers to our identities. The reporter maintains strong ethics with her source, making it a compelling and important piece of journalism." — Vijitra Duangdee Program Manager, Outreach, Southeast Asia

The @tortoisemedia.bsky.social story "Can an AI Companion Really Care?" by grantee @paticlarke.bsky.social is Southeast Asia Program Manager Vijitra Duangdee’s selection for our 2024 #PulitzerStaffPicks.

👉 bit.ly/2024YISpc

The Gas Man The Slow Newscast · Episode

Also would love to shout out Gas Man, another Tortoise series I’ve loved this year. Made by @chloehadj.bsky.social and @claudiawilliams.bsky.social.

It really shows the strength of Tortoise’s foreign reporting and deservedly won a Foreign Press Association award.

open.spotify.com/episode/0wYR...

Chuffed to see Who Trolled Amber, which I made w/ Alexi Mostrous (not of this parish), named one of Amazon Music’s best new shows of 2024.

Hugely grateful to @tortoisemedia.bsky.social which gives space for deep coverage not always possible in the rush of 24h news.

open.spotify.com/episode/4okm...

Families flock to Syria’s prisons looking for released inmates - Tortoise Prisoner releases bring joy, but also stories of horror

Today's Sensemaker on Syrian prisons is brilliant by @chloehadj.bsky.social. Can't stop thinking about Adnan, jailed for 21 years after beating President Assad’s brother in a horse race. Or Ali, who vanished from a checkpoint when he was 18 and emerged days ago aged 57.

shorturl.at/fAPM2

Several other charges relating to a total of 3 complainants were not proved – despite the tribunal finding Sidhu’s texting of sexual fantasies to a law student he met as a teen were “reprehensible, disgusting” and that it was difficult to envisage “more offensive invitations to engage in role play”

Jo Sidhu KC: Leading barrister committed sexual misconduct, says tribunal - Tortoise Three counts of professional misconduct relating to inappropriate sexual behaviour towards a young female paralegal have been upheld against the prominent criminal barrister Jo Sidhu KC, a Bar Standar...

NEW: A tribunal yesterday upheld three charges of professional misconduct against Jo Sidhu, a leading KC - who was found to have “inappropriately initiated sexual contact” with an aspiring young lawyer: www.tortoisemedia.com/2024/12/10/j...

Operation Asshole: Paul Watson's whale war Podcast Episode · The Slow Newscast · 19/11/2024 · 44m

I followed the story of "eco-terrorist" Paul Watson, arrested for his fight to save whales from Japan's hunting fleet.
A story for @tortoisemedia.bsky.social Slow Newscast about how we treat the people willing to go to extremes to protect our world.

podcasts.apple.com/mt/podcast/o...

Lording it: some peers claim £400,000 for little discernible work - Tortoise Some peers do more for their per diems than others

🚨 Exclusive: Peers claimed £400,000 in attendance allowance in last parliament without discernible work

www.tortoisemedia.com/2024/11/20/l...

🚨 LAUNCHING TODAY 🚨

Nearly two years ago, @tortoisemedia.bsky.social unveiled the Westminster Accounts, a free tool designed to give people greater understanding of the money that flows through parliament.

Now, with Peer Review, we take on another arcane part of our system - the House of Lords

👋 Hello to everyone who's joined us over here in the past few days!

We'll be posting more and letting you know what we have coming up from Tortoise.

To get started, give our Starter Pack for the team at Tortoise – from our journalists, producers and designers – a follow ⬇️
bsky.app/starter-pack...