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.

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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.

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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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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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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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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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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 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

And get access to:

Our podcasts before anyone else

A daily edition, curated by our editors 7 days a week

Puzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crossword

Recipes for every occasion

Free tickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or online

Click here to subscribe today for just £1 for your first month.

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