From The North

The Manchester ISIS plot - and the undercover agent who foiled it

This is the story of Farouk, an undercover operative who foiled what police said could have been "one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in UK history".Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, had a “visceral dislike” of Jewish people and wanted to kill as many as they could in their Islamic State-inspired gun attack in Greater Manchester.But the duo were brought down after an undercover operative posed as one of them to gain their trust, tracking their every move for six months before armed officers swooped in to arrest them.Elaine Willcox takes up the story with Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, from Counter Terrorism Policing North West.

Chasing the Odds: A Journey of Hope

We follow Pete McCleave as he travels 6,000 miles to his ancestral home of Macau in an attempt to extend his life. The dad-of-two was diagnosed with rare blood cancer myeloma in 2017 and given just seven years to live. His best hope is a stem cell transplant - but his mixed heritage has made it difficult.DKMS, the largest stem cell registry in the UK, says four out of 10 people looking for an unrelated matching donor worldwide are not able to find a match. Visit their website to sign up to the register.

20 and Counting: How Arne Slot brought the Premier League title back to Liverpool

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot took over from the adored Jurgen Klopp in the summer of 2024 and delivered a season very few predicted, leading the Reds to their 20th league title, matching Manchester United's record, and celebrating in front of fans for the first time in more than three decades. Sports Correspondent Chris Hall joins fans Abigail Rudkin, Ste Hoare and Gareth Roberts as they delve into the story of just how they did it, and explore whether Slot can build on this success in years to come.

The hunt for 'heavy bag man': How police caught a man who killed and chopped-up his housemate

In March 2024, 67-year-old Stuart Everett was murdered and dismembered before his body parts were scattered across Greater Manchester. It was one of the most complex murder investigations in recent years - join Emma Sweeney and the police officers who worked on the case as they tell the story of just how they solved it.

Why is Ketamine use on the rise and what can be done about it?

Emma Sweeney takes a look at the dramatic rise in those taking the so-called party drug Ketamine, its worrying long-term effects, and the stark warning from scientists about exactly what people could be consuming.