Shanti Das
@shantidas.bsky.social
Senior investigations reporter, The Times. Previously: The Observer / The Sunday Times. Orwell prize for exposing Britain’s social evils 2023 📝 shanti.das@thetimes.co.uk / @shantidas.01 (Signal)
A multimillionaire British businessman who helps to lead a global anti-trafficking charity faces questions over his links to Jeffrey Epstein after emails suggested that the convicted sex offender introduced him to several young women
Epstein sent woman to British anti-trafficking charity boss
thetimes.com
Employers targeted in a government ‘crackdown’ on abuse of the skilled work system are routinely being granted fresh approvals, Times analysis reveals
Home Office lets rogue firms regain licences to sponsor migrant visas
thetimes.com
Calls for Meta and other social media companies to clamp down on visa scams after a Times undercover investigation
Revealed: how fake jobs for migrants are rife on Facebook
Calls for Meta and other social media companies to clamp down on visa scams after a Times undercover investigation
thetimes.com
A burgeoning industry offers skilled worker visa sponsorships for positions that do not exist. A Times undercover investigation exposes those behind the schemes ⬇️
How migrants are buying fake jobs to stay in the UK illegally
thetimes.com
Last year I found a TikTok account invading people's homes to spread hate against immigrants. With a little bit of OSINT & a lot of legwork @londoncentric.media and I went looking for its owner. www.londoncentric.media/p/tiktok-lon...
Who's secretly filming fake TikToks inside Londoners' homes?
We tracked down the viral video account invading people's houses to spread false claims about immigrants.
londoncentric.media
✏️ BEST FEATURE Congratulations to the writers of our shortlisted pieces: Sonia Sarkar, Alannah Francis, Alia Waheed, @shantidas.bsky.social, Anna Moore, @lucymorgan.bsky.social and @sharandhaliwal.bsky.social
The capital of the Caribbean nation of Haiti is now at the mercy of gangs bent on kidnap, rape and murder. Louise Callaghan meets their victims — and confronts a warlord
Inside Haiti: where women are raped on the street and gangs rule
The capital of the Caribbean nation of Haiti is now at the mercy of gangs bent on kidnap, rape and murder. Louise Callaghan meets their victims — and confronts a warlord
thetimes.com
The EDL founder is charging about £28 a minute for videos giving advice to supporters on anti-Islam activism and migrant hotel protests
Tommy Robinson charging £28 a minute as personal coach to far right
The EDL founder is charging about £28 a minute for videos giving advice to supporters on anti-Islam activism and migrant hotel protests
thetimes.com
At least 50 members of the House of Lords have worked for lobbying firms since January last year despite MPs being banned from paid advisory roles, a Times investigation has found. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Fifty peers have worked for lobbying firms since last year
A Times investigation raises questions as to why members of the House of Lords don’t face the same restrictions as MPs on work for lobbyists
thetimes.com
The Labour government faces questions over “cash for access” after a Times investigation found that businesses have been offered private meetings with “an influential Labour figure” as part of sponsorship packages costing almost £9,500. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Revealed: Labour group’s £9,500 ‘cash for access’ breakfasts
A Times investigation has found companies have been offered sponsorship deals involving private meetings with an ‘influential Labour figure’
thetimes.com
Hundreds of pandemic fraud cases are at risk of collapsing because the investigating officials were gathering evidence without the legal right to do so. An FOI shows officials at Thurrock Council based Natis were not correctly certified to do this work. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Covid fraud convictions at risk over investigators’ legal failure
Officials did not have the power to gather evidence in hundreds of cases linked to the misuse of government ‘bounce-back’ loans
thetimes.com
Very happy to share that I’ve joined the investigations team at The Times, working under @paulmorganbentley.bsky.social. Please get in touch if there’s something we should be looking into - my new email is shanti.das@thetimes.co.uk
Last week was my final one at the Observer after three years. It’s been a privilege to work with such a brilliant team and I got to work on some stories I'm really proud of. Wishing everyone all the best for life at the new Obs. I’m having a little break before the next chapter 🗞️
‘It felt like a demon was inside me’: young Christian missionaries allege spiritual abuse www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
‘It felt like a demon was inside me’: young Christian missionaries allege spiritual abuse
They travel the world to convert every ‘tribe, tongue and nation’ to Jesus. But behind the scenes, young missionaries describe discipline, pressure and strict controls
theguardian.com
Prosecutors told to do more to strip ‘revenge porn’ abusers of victim images
Prosecutors told to do more to strip ‘revenge porn’ abusers of victim images
New CPS guidance aims to boost use of deletion orders after Observer revealed systemic failings The Crown Prosecution Service is to update its guidance on so-called “revenge porn” crimes to stop perpetrators being allowed to keep explicit photos of their victims. The Observer revealed last month that magistrates courts were routinely failing to make orders for the deletion of content linked to intimate-image abuse cases – and that prosecutors were failing to request them. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Women seeking asylum in UK allege sexual abuse in mixed-sex hotels
Women seeking asylum in UK allege sexual abuse in mixed-sex hotels
Claims of sexual violence made against other asylum seekers and staff include case of a 14-year-old who was allegedly raped Women and girls seeking asylum in Britain have alleged that they were raped, sexually assaulted and harassed after being placed in mixed Home Office accommodation. An Observer investigation has uncovered claims of sexual violence at multiple Home Office hotels including allegations against fellow asylum seekers as well as hotel staff. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Flawed UK visa scheme led to ‘horrific’ care worker abuse, says watchdog
Flawed UK visa scheme led to ‘horrific’ care worker abuse, says watchdog
Anti-slavery commissioner says scheme to plug staffing gaps post-Brexit was a ‘blunt instrument’ that enabled exploitation of the vulnerable A post-Brexit visa scheme to fill vacancies in social care was badly designed and enabled “horrific” abuse of…
theguardian.com
Mastercard and Visa linked to illegal gambling sites accused of scamming UK customers
Mastercard and Visa linked to illegal gambling sites accused of scamming UK customers
Card giants processing payments for unlicensed operators as customers report losing thousands Mastercard and Visa are processing payments for illegal gambling websites accused of scamming UK customers out of thousands of pounds. An investigation has…
theguardian.com
‘It’s not ethical and it’s not medical’: how UK rehab clinics are cashing in on NAD+
‘It’s not ethical and it’s not medical’: how UK rehab clinics are cashing in on NAD+
They are beloved by A-listers and surging in popularity. But claims that NAD+ infusions are a fix for addiction are unproven, risky – and possibly illegal, an Observer investigation reveals
theguardian.com
The prioritisation of court cases must be changed to stop victims of horrific crimes facing years-long waits for trials as less serious crimes are bumped ahead in queue, barristers and victims’ advocates have said A listing review is set to report back next week www.theguardian.com/law/2025/feb...
UK rape victims are waiting too long for court cases, say top lawyers
Campaigners urge overhaul of system for prioritising hearings as less serious crimes move ahead in queue
theguardian.com
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Surgeons at a top NHS trust embroiled in allegations of racism, sexism, homophobia and bullying that created a “toxic” culture and harmed patient care, according to a secret report: www.thetimes.com/article/aa76...
Surgeons accused of racism, bullying and toxic power struggle
An investigation into the facial trauma unit at Barts Health NHS Trust says a corrosive culture of competition and bigotry led to patients being harmed
thetimes.com
‘It’s not ethical and it’s not medical’ -- Claims that NAD+ infusions are a fix for #addiction are unproven, risky – and possibly illegal, by @shantidas.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/society/2025... via @theguardian.com
‘It’s not ethical and it’s not medical’: how UK rehab clinics are cashing in on NAD+
They are beloved by A-listers and surging in popularity. But claims that NAD+ infusions are a fix for addiction are unproven, risky – and possibly illegal, an Observer investigation reveals
theguardian.com
I wrote about the murky world of "anti-ageing" therapy NAD - from retracted research and celebrity hype to the clinics pushing it as an addiction cure ⬇️ www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
‘It’s not ethical and it’s not medical’: how UK rehab clinics are cashing in on NAD+
They are beloved by A-listers and surging in popularity. But claims that NAD+ infusions are a fix for addiction are unproven, risky – and possibly illegal, an Observer investigation reveals
theguardian.com
Pleased to see @shantidas.bsky.social continuing her excellent work reporting on some of the more questionable activities of the private (and expensive) drug treatment industry [with some thoughts from myself] www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
‘It’s not ethical and it’s not medical’: how UK rehab clinics are cashing in on NAD+
They are beloved by A-listers and surging in popularity. But claims that NAD+ infusions are a fix for addiction are unproven, risky – and possibly illegal, an Observer investigation reveals
theguardian.com
‘Revenge porn’ abusers allowed to keep devices with illicit images
‘Revenge porn’ abusers allowed to keep devices with illicit images
Prosecutors in England and Wales are failing to obtain orders requiring the deletion of intimate content shared without consent, analysis reveals Perpetrators of “revenge porn” offences are being allowed to keep explicit images of their victims on their…
theguardian.com
Perpetrators of intimate image abuse are being allowed to keep photos of their victims after a failure by prosecutors to request their deletion Just 3% of recent magistrates court cases resulted in a deprivation order being made, an Observer analysis has found
‘Revenge porn’ abusers allowed to keep devices with explicit images
Prosecutors in England and Wales are failing to obtain orders requiring the deletion of intimate content shared without consent, analysis reveals
theguardian.com
Betting giants spared regulatory action after secret deals with watchdog
Betting giants spared regulatory action after secret deals with watchdog
Controversial ‘special measures’ regime under fire after failures were not made public Betting firms have been reaching secret deals with Britain’s gambling watchdog, including surrendering revenues for failings that are kept out of the public domain,…
theguardian.com
Prayer and prosecutions: the US ‘hate group’ waging war over Britain’s abortion clinic buffer zones
Prayer and prosecutions: the US ‘hate group’ waging war over Britain’s abortion clinic buffer zones
Anti-abortion campaigners cheer as JD Vance brands safe zones an attack on ‘liberties of religious Britons’ Rachael Clarke remembers life before buffer zones. Almost every day, the head of staff at the UK’s biggest abortion provider would get emails from…
theguardian.com
