Introducing...The Gas Man

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?

The first two episodes of The Gas Man are available now, with further episodes released each week. To get ad-free and early access to more episodes today, become a Tortoise member or subscribe to Tortoise+.

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Reporter: Chloe Hadjimatheou 

Producer: Claudia Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

Narrative editor: Gary Marshall

Sound design: Hannah Varrall

Original theme music: Tom Kinsella

Original artwork: Jon Hill

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Introducing…Eight years’ hard Labour, hosted by David Aaronovitch. 

A new six part series from Tortoise which tells the inside story of a double revolution in the Labour Party which defined Britain’s present and will likely go on to shape its future. The series charts the takeover of Labour by the far-left under Jeremy Corbyn, the civil war that ensued and the election of a new leader, Keir Starmer, who set out to erase all trace of his predecessor.

Additional reporting by Cat Neilan.

You can 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 [email protected]

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From the team that brought you Sweet Bobby, and over three years in the making, Tortoise introduces Into The Dirt – a story about truth, spies and the stories we tell ourselves.

Misunderstood whistleblower or traitor to a cause? Our latest six-part podcast series explores the extraordinary story of private spy, Rob Moore.

Listen today. Follow Into The Dirt wherever you get your podcasts.

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There are many competing visions for Iran and for what the country could become. In this episode, Paul asks whether enough is being done to protect Iranians overseas. 

To get early access to our reporting and ad-free listening, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple podcasts or join Tortoise as a member, where you can also access our live events and support our work.

Just visit tortoisemedia.com/hitsquads for £60 a year.

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A Hell's Angels leader and an international heroin trafficker are just some of the unlikely hires for Iranian plots abroad. But who else is Iran commissioning for its assassinations and abductions?

To get early access to the final episode and ad-free listening, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple podcasts or join Tortoise as a member, where you can access more of our reporting, live events and support our work.

Just visit tortoisemedia.com/hitsquads for £60 a year.

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A lost photographer in a Chiswick business park, a nervous phone caller in LA and a speedboat bound for Caracas- who exactly are the hit men behind the threats? 

Episodes 1 + 2 are available for free. To get early access to the final two episodes of the series, and ad-free listening, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple podcasts or join Tortoise as a member, where you can access more of our reporting, live events and support our work. Just visit tortoisemedia.com/hitsquads for an exclusive offer of £60 a year.

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London is a dark city in the middle of the night- these are the words of Iranian journalist Aliasghar who received a threat to life warning from the Met police. The police told him he was in immediate danger in the capital. In Paul Caruana Galizia's last series, Londongrad, he uncovered the extent of Russian money hidden in London. In season two he comes across another foreign power operating in the city and sets off to try to uncover who is behind the threats.

Episodes 1 + 2 are available for free. To get early access to the final two episodes of the series, and ad-free listening, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple podcasts or join Tortoise as a member, where you can access more of our reporting, live events and support our work. Just visit tortoisemedia.com/hitsquads for an exclusive offer of £60 a year.

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Introducing Season 2 of Londongrad: Iran's Hit Squads.

Award-winning investigative reporter Paul Caruana Galizia returns to report the story of the foiled assassination attempts on British soil of Iranian nationals. Since January 2022, there has been an attempted assassination or kidnap at least once a month – all ordered by the Iranian government. 

In this four-part series, Paul will delve into how these attempts unfolded, why they have become so prevalent and who is behind them. It's a story about Iran, about freedom of the press, but most of all, it’s about Britain – who the country chooses to protect and why.

Episodes 1 + 2 are available for free. To get early access to final two episodes of the series, and ad-free listening, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple podcasts or join Tortoise as a member, where you can access more of our reporting, live events and support our work. Just visit tortoisemedia.com/hitsquads for an exclusive offer of £60 a year.

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

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

 It’s no secret that political patronage can get you a place in the House of Lords. But even people who understand the system well - even peers themselves - were appalled when Boris Johnson decided to extend his patronage to Evgeny Lebedev. 

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