The Story

In March this year, a team of Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers accepted the Oscar for best documentary. Their film No Other Land is a glimpse into the reality of life in the West Bank, the most populous of the Palestinian Territories. Before the month was out, though, one of the people on that stage - co-director Hamdan Ballal - would return home to the West Bank and be attacked and detained by Israeli settlers and soldiers. Times reporter Venetia Menzies went to meet Hamdan and his co-director and star of the documentary, Basel Adra, to find out what life is like now for Palestinians in the West Bank. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Venetia Menzies, ​​assistant data editor at The Times and The Sunday Times

Host: Luke Jones 

Producer: Hannah Varrall

Further reading: https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/palestinian-film-director-oscar-israeli-settlers-q62756r9v 

Clips: Oscars, No Other Land, CBS Chicago, France 24 English, Hollywood Reporter.

Photo: Basel Adra (Venetia Menzies)

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

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Two men have been found guilty of criminal damage, for the felling of the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in Northumbria. Constance Kampfner sat through the trial, in which the prosecution called what Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers had done, ‘a moronic mission to cause mindless vandalism.' The men were remanded in custody for their own protection after the verdict was announced. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Constance Kampfner, Northern Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones 

Producer: Hannah Varrall and Shabnam Grewal 

Clips: BBC News, Sky News, Channel 4 News, National Trust .

Photo: Getty Images

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

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This episode was originally published last November.

On Sept 12, 2001, Blerim Skoro was approached by a man and a woman while he was in prison. They turned out to be CIA agents. That one meeting would change the course of his life and lead him on a journey across countries, inside terrorist groups, as he tried to make it home to his family.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Josie Ensor, US Correspondent, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Clips: Video filmed by Blerim Skoro, provided by ‘The Accidental Spy’, directed by Anthony Wonke.

Photo: John Beck for The Times.

Further reading: I gave my life to the CIA. They betrayed me

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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Fi's off today on important business, so Jane M is here! Normal schedule resumes tomorrow... whatever that means. Today, Jane and Jane chat power outages, Björn Ulvaeus, and Euston toilets.

Plus, Jane speaks with David Collins, Northern Editor of The Sunday Times, about his book 'Saffie', which tells the story of the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena terror attack and her family's fight for justice.

If you fancy sending us a postcard, the address is:

Jane and Fi

Times Radio, News UK

1 London Bridge Street

London

SE1 9GF

Send your suggestions for the next book club pick!

If you want to contact the show to ask a question and get involved in the conversation then please email us: janeandfi@times.radio

Follow us on Instagram! @janeandfi

Podcast Producer: Eve Salusbury

Executive Producer: Rosie Cutler

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Tensions are rising between India and Pakistan after 26 people were killed in Kashmir - the disputed region that sits between them. Now, India has fired missiles into Pakistan and Pakistan says it’s killed dozens of Indian soldiers. But why is Kashmir a flashpoint and could this be the spark that takes the two nuclear powers to war?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Andrew Whitehead, former BBC India Correspondent and author of ‘A Mission in Kashmir.’

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Further Reading: Why did India attack Pakistan? The Kashmir crisis explained.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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How do hackers take down a high street staple? What started as a contactless payment outage at Marks and Spencer, quickly became the retail fortnight from hell, as cyber attacks have brought brands to a crashing halt in online trading over the last two weeks. So who is behind it, and what are their methods? And more importantly, how do you guard yourself in an evermore online world?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Mark Sellman, Technology Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Rosie Stopher.

Further reading: Who are Scattered Spider hackers linked to the M&S cyberattack?

M&S and Co-op cyberattackers ‘tricked IT into resetting passwords’

M&S staff share war stories of ‘toughest’ week after cyberattack

Clips: Sky News, BBC, ITV

Photo: The Times

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

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Eight years before the Grenfell tragedy, a fire in a high-rise building killed six people. Now a Sunday Times investigation has raised serious questions about the cladding used on those flats and thousands of others in the UK. So is this Britain's biggest corporate scandal?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Martina Lees, Senior Property Writer, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers:

• Taryn Siegel
• Olivia Case.

Further reading: A high-rise fire killed Catherine. The cladding firm kept on selling.

Photo: Steve Bell / Shutterstock.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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You could say one of the few good things to come out of the pandemic was the chance to work from home, avoid the daily commute, and get a better work-life balance. But, for some hardy souls, being out of the office and away from the boss’s scrutiny is a chance to get a second job, or even a third... or forth. But how are they doing it, and is it even legal?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Ben Ellery, Crime Editor, The Times. 

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Shabnam Grewal. 

Further reading: The rise of ‘polygamous workers’ — and efforts to catch them out

Clips:tiktok.com/@rroomfies; tiktok.com/@martabassof; tiktok.com/@soambitiousdomm; tiktok.com/@salarytransparentstreet; instagram.com/thejamescooperjr/

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

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This episode was originally published last January.

For almost two years, two armies have fought a brutal civil war in Sudan, Africa’s third largest country. Over 150,000 have died, 11 million have been displaced and evidence of genocidal war crimes have emerged. So why has the war in Sudan been forgotten? The Times’ Special Correspondent Anthony Loyd has recently returned from a reporting trip on the frontline and tells The Story about the people he met. 

This episode includes descriptions of war and rape. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Anthony Loyd, Special Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Edward Drummond.

Clips: BBC. 

Photo: Anthony Loyd/The Times. 

Watch Anthony’s video from Sudan

Further reading: Inside Sudan’s forgotten war: 150,000 dead, 11 million displaced

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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Finally, the crypto episode is here. And after a lowdown on the vibe shift towards the industry in Washington, Katie is joined by Binance's new CEO, Richard Teng, who is tasked with making the case for the company that was beset by scandal under previous CEO and founder, Changpeng Zhao “CZ”.

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Virginia Giuffre died by suicide last week, aged 41. Jeffrey Epstein’s key accuser was instrumental in putting Ghislaine Maxwell behind bars and had also accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault. He’s always denied the claims and settled the case for a rumoured £12 million. So was justice done for Giuffre and the other survivors? And how did a woman from the right side of the tracks end up being trafficked around the world?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

If you've been affected by anything you've heard in this episode, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or the Rape Crisis rape and sexual abuse support line on 0808 500 2222.

Guest: Helen Rumbelow, Feature Writer and Columnist, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: 

• Olivia Case
• Hannah Varrall.

Further reading:

• Virginia Giuffre’s battle to escape the past
• Virginia Giuffre obituary

Clips: BBC, Miami Herald, NBC, 60 Minutes Australia.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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The trial of Sean Combs - the hip-hop producer and rapper otherwise known as P Diddy, Puff Daddy, Love, and a plethora of other aliases - will begin next week, with the jury selected on Monday. As he pleads not guilty to racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, how did he get to this point? And how did he build his celebrity empire?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Megan Agnew, Senior Features Writer at The Times and Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Rosie Stopher.

Further reading: The downfall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs — by those who knew him

Further listening: The P Diddy lawsuits: The downfall of a rap legend

Clips: NBC, CBS, PBS, BBC, Fox News, MTV, Off the Cuff Radio.

Photo: Getty images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com.

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Nigel Farage is throwing the kitchen sink at Labour and he’s not being subtle about it. As Reform UK ramps up its local election efforts, Farage is fielding candidates in councils up and down the country. But the real showdown is in Runcorn and Helsby, where Reform is plotting a high-profile coup in the upcoming by-election. What’s at stake in Runcorn, and why should Keir Starmer be worried?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Geraldine Scott, The Times’ Senior Political Correspondent.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Taryn Siegel and Edith Rousselot. 

Further reading: Labour and Reform in fierce battle for Runcorn & Helsby seat

Clips: Sky News, Reform UK Youtube, Nigel Farage Youtube and Facebook, Channel 4, Green Party TikTok, Liberal Democrats Youtube.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com 

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An American Biosciences company claims to have ‘de-extincted’ prehistoric dire wolves. Next they plan to bring back the woolly mammoth and the dodo. But even if they could, should they?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Tom Whipple, Science Writer, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Shabnam Grewal.

Further reading:

• Why are scientists bringing back woolly mammoths from extinction?
• Long-extinct dire wolf to howl again thanks to ancient DNA

Further listening: The cost of being ugly 

Clips: Colossal Biosciences, Game of Thrones/HBO.

Photo: Colossal Biosciences.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

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Harvard has sued the Trump administration over multibillion-dollar funding cuts in the biggest escalation yet in the battle between the government and higher education. What does the showdown mean for the ideological freedom of American institutions and has Trump taken on a fight he can’t win? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Gerard Baker, Columnist, The Times and Editor-at-Large, The Wall Street Journal. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Sam Chantarasak.

Clips: Bloomberg, NBC News, NDTV, C-SPAN, Getty/Grinberg, Paramount, Pathe Newsreels. 

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com 

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This episode was originally published last December.

Australia is the first country to block under-16s from social media -- and age-verification AI could be a crucial tool in the ban. We spoke to our journalist who has been to the industry-leader’s HQ to find out if the technology actually works. And if it does, could the UK follow suit? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Mark Sellman, Technology Correspondent, The Times.
• Helen Rumbelow, Feature Writer, The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Sam Chantarasak.

Further reading: Can AI tell if a teen lies about their age?

Clips: ABC News, 10 News First Australia, BBC Radio 4. 

Photo: Getty Images

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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In this episode, Lucy and Holly ask why a new generation of investors is turning to one of the world’s oldest assets: gold. Joined by Brian Byrnes from Moneybox, together they unpack gold’s historical role in the economy, its incredible performance, and how it compares to trendier assets like Bitcoin and tech stocks. Is gold still relevant in a digital-first world? Why are younger investors increasingly drawn to it? And does it have any downsides? Plus, we hear from young financial coach Laura Ann Moore, on how it fits into our own long-term investment plan.

Guest: Brian Byrnes, Head of Personal Finance at Moneybox

Contact: Lucy and Holly at: moneyteam@thetimes.co.uk

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The Beatles will be the subject of four interconnected films - one for each member - planned for release close together in April 2028. We asked the author of a recent book on The Beatles to tell us how he’d make the films - and what is still left to discover about the most famous band in history. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Ian Leslie, author of John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs. 

To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Sam Chantarasak.

Read exclusive extracts from Ian’s book: 

• John Lennon, Paul McCartney and the grief that united two lost teens 
• Paul McCartney and the song that made him John Lennon’s equal 

Clips: Sky News, ITN/Getty Images, BBC News/WISH-TV, C-SPAN. 

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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What are the practical implications for trans women after the Supreme Court ruled that under equality law, sex means biological sex? And how is the Labour government grappling with the ruling? Last week we heard from one of the campaigners for single sex spaces. Today we speak to someone who was stunned by the court's decision.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Helen Belcher, Managing Director, TransActual.
• Aubrey Allegretti, Chief Political Correspondent,The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: 

• Rosie Stopher.
• Shabnam Grewal.

Further reading: What caused Keir Starmer’s U-turn on whether trans women are women?

Further listening: Defining a woman

Clips: UK Parliament, Times Radio.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

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The Times’ crime correspondent David Woode sits down with a 19-year-old man who was recently imprisoned for carrying a knife. We get a rare insight into what some

young people are really facing in London, and why he felt he had to arm himself with a deadly weapon.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

If you've been affected by issues in this podcast, you can find useful links and helplines here: https://talk.tv/helplines 

Thanks to Marcus, Desmond Skyers and the St Giles Trust. 

Host: David Woode, Crime Correspondent, The Times. 

Producer: Sam Chantarasak.

Further reading: The Times Crime and Justice Commission 

Further listening: What’s behind the rise in knife crime on our streets 

Photo: Times photographer Richard Pohle. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

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Following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, cardinals from across the world will now descend on Vatican City in Rome to choose the next Pope. The Oscar-nominated film Conclave dramatised the political machinations and backstabbing involved in choosing a successor - so, with incriminating dossiers and secret plots, is fact about to mirror fiction?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Tom Kington, correspondent in Rome for The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Sam Chantarasak.

Further reading: Pope Francis's legacy: Loved by millions, hated by the old guard

Clips: ABC News, Euronews, CBS News, CNN, Conclave/Focus Features. 

Photo: Getty.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com 

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This episode was first published last August.

When Alex Campbell suggested to his high school sociology class that they would be investigating a 40-year-old cold case, he had no idea where it would lead. Within a year, a serial killer had been identified. In his next class, they decided to try and overturn a wrongful conviction. And they did. So just how did Mr. Campbell breed a class of super sleuths?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Harriet Alexander, Senior Features Reporter, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Clips: WBIR Channel 10, NewsNation, WKRN News 2.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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Romance fraud is at an all time high, low-hanging fruit in the growing world of online scams. But what are the methods? Who falls for it? And are there ways we can all avoid it?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests: 

• Mary Chater, romance fraud victim
• Alexis Conran, TV and radio presenter

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Edith Rousselot.

Further reading: The Times's Crime and Justice Commission - The justice system is in crisis. We spent a year finding solutions

Clips: The Real Hustle Youtube channel, Still Watching Netflix Youtube channel. 

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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The Supreme Court has ruled that only people who are born female should be protected from discrimination as women under the Equality Act. What does the ruling change and how did we get here?

Guest: Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at Sex Matters and author of Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality.

https://oneworld-publications.com/work/trans/

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producers: Shabnam Grewal

Clips: Times Radio, Supreme Court, BBC News, Sky News

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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The government has taken control of one of the last steel-making plants in the UK, after its Chinese owners threatened to close it. Some ministers have accused China of sabotaging British Steel to force us to import from China. But is that what happened? Or, when it comes to steel-making, did this country long ago sabotage itself?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Dominic O’Connell, Business Correspondent, Times Radio.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Clips: Times Radio, Parliament TV, British Film Institute/Getty Images.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

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Recreational use of the Class B drug doubled in 2024. A Sunday Times investigation has looked into where it's coming from and why it's so hard to police.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Katie Gatens, Commissioning Editor, The Sunday Times News Review.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Further reading: One gram of ketamine and its 4,000-mile journey to the UK. 

Further listening: The truth behind the drama Adolescence

If you or someone you know needs drugs help or advice, visit talktofrank.com

Photo: Getty Images. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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The US Constitution seems to be clear, but that hasn’t stopped President Trump and his allies from dangling the possibility that Trump won’t vacate the office in 2029. Is this just media trolling, or is there actually an argument to be made here? We asked a constitutional expert for the answer.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Will Pavia, New York Correspondent, The Times.
• Suzanna Sherry, Herman O. Loewenstein Chair in Law Emerita, Vanderbilt University

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Further reading: These Jack Kerouac letters are selling for $250,000. I read them

Clips: NBC News, CNN, NewsNation, Newsmax, The White House. 

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

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This episode was originally published last November.

As inquiries about relocating to the Emirati city from the UK have risen four-fold in the past five years; what does its allure say about life back home?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Further reading: Dubai’s allure to UK youth should raise alarm

• https://www.thetimes.com/comment/columnists/article/allure-dubai-uk-youth-raise-alarm-xq7s8d8sg

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk

Guest: Will Lloyd, reporter at The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Will Roe.

Photo: Getty images.

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10 Downing Street is a rabbit warren of offices in a Georgian townhouse, and the centre of power in Britain. But how much control does it really exert over the rest of government, does it matter who has what job, and should we turn the whole thing into a museum?

The political masterminds discuss how number 10 really works, and Polly explains why her husband thinks Canada is worse than North Korea.

Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk.

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Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are locked in a tit-for-tat trade war, as both sides refuse to back down from retaliatory tariffs. China was hit with a whopping 125 per cent levy on exports to the US, and has fought back with 84% tariffs on American goods. So who will blink first? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Rana Mitter, ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Sam Chantarasak.

Clips: Reuters, CBS News. 

Photo: Times Design.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com 

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As news unexpectedly emerged that the US and Iran are to hold talks in Oman this weekend, President Trump warned Tehran that it must either cut a deal to cease all nuclear weapons development, or face the very real threat of military strikes. But just as the Trump Administration is divided on whether or not to attack, so Iranian society is split between those who fear war and those who support removal of the regime at any cost.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Sanam Vakil, Director of Middle East and North Africa programme, Chatham House and Holly Dagres, Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edith Rousselot.

Further reading: Iran has every incentive to make a nuclear deal with Trump

Clips: Sky News, Fox News, TikTok, Al Jazeera, Straight Arrow News, Reuters.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com 

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Britain’s obsessed with chicken - we eat more than a billion birds a year. And to (literally) feed our hunger, many farmers have turned to fast-growing birds. But now, a new initiative is persuading supermarkets and restaurants to try a slower-growing breed. Will it mean higher-welfare birds? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Harry Wallop, Columist and Feature Writer, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Clips: Internet Archive / Prelinger Archives / The Chicken of Tomorrow (1948).

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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Stock markets around the world have taken a beating since Donald Trump unveiled his new tariffs. And it's not just the president's blue-collar base who'll feel the pain, so will his billionaire backers. As many in the MAGA coalition become more vocal, will Trump back down or hold fast to his 'medicine'?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Gerard Baker, columnist, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Edward Drummond and Sam Chantarasak. 

Further reading: Trump tests America’s threshold for pain

Clips: CNN, ABC News, CBS News, Bloomberg, NBC News, CNBC, BBC News, New York Post. 

Photo: Getty Images. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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Last week, President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on nearly all countries, including ones that don't have any human inhabitants. In the process, Trump remade the global economy in a single press conference. But the economic theory that Trump is basing this new world order on might be entirely false.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Clips: WSJ News.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com 

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

This episode was originally published in February.

Having ruled the Chagos Islands since the 1800s, the UK now wants to cede sovereignty of the tiny archipelago in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius. But one island is home to a secretive US military base and, with the growing threat of Chinese influence in the region, America is worried. Yesterday, the Mauritian PM said Sir Keir Starmer intends to “push ahead” with his deal - Whitehall suggested the same. But if it does happen, might it risk the relationship between Donald Trump and the British Prime Minister?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: George Grylls, Defence Correspondent, The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Further reading: Trump’s secretary of state warns UK of China’s ‘malign influence.’

Further listening: Bannon vs Musk: The battle for the soul of Donald Trump.

Clips: The Times and The Sunday Times, Reuters, parliamentlive.tv, The Guardian, Reuters.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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The conviction of France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen for embezzling European Union funds came as a major blow to her, preventing her from running in the 2027 presidential election race. Her party called the trial a 'witch hunt' and she accused the court of making a “political decision”, a sentiment shared by far-right politicians across the world. So, could Le Pen’s sentence strengthen far-right parties and benefit their leader’s popularity? And could she end up standing as president in any case?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Peter Conradi, Europe Editor, The Sunday Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edith Rousselot.

Further reading:

• Jordan Bardella: immigrants’ son to French far-right poster boy

Further listening: 

• Young, French and voting hard-right
• How France’s left stopped a far-right surge 

Clips: AFP, France 24, Newsweek, TF1. 

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com 

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When Maxie Allen complained to his daughter’s primary school about the recruitment process for a new head teacher, he hoped it would result in more openness and transparency. Instead six uniformed officers from Hertfordshire police were sent to arrest Allen and his partner after the school objected to them sending numerous emails and to their criticisms including “disparaging” comments on a parents’ WhatsApp group. So, is this another case of police overreach? And what does it mean for our ability to criticise and communicate privately?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests: 

• Maxie Allen, producer, Times Radio, and
• Fiona Hamilton, Chief Reporter, The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producers: Edward Drummond and Sam Chantarasak.

Further reading:

• Police chief defends arrest of parents in school WhatsApp row
• Met Police smash down door of Quaker meeting house to arrest activists.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

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Donald Trump will reveal his much-awaited tariffs today on a day he’s called ‘Liberation Day’, as world leaders and the global markets brace for impact. Speculation has been rife over how large they will be and who they will affect, as Britain's foreign secretary says we must ‘prepare for the worst.’ But what are Trump’s motives? And will they shatter the current economic world order? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Dominic O’Connell, Business Correspondent, Times Radio and Columnist, The Times. 

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Sam Chantarasak.

Clips: AP, NBC, Bloomberg, C-SPAN, Channel 4, Times Radio, Fox News. 

Photo: Times design.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com   

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Pioneering DNA testing company 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy after failing to live up to its six billion-dollar promise. What does that mean for the data security of the fifteen million people who handed over their genetic information? And with at least 1 in 5 Britons having taken a commercial DNA test, is the age of genetic anonymity over? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Jenny Kleeman, Journalist and Author.

Host: Jane Mulkerrins. 

Producer: Olivia Case.

Further reading: I took an ancestry test and it led me to 18 secret siblings

Clips: Y Combinator / Youtube.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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In the wake of a crackdown by the Trump administration on universities with threats to withhold funding following protests on campuses, Manveen Rana talks to Times columnist and a self-described free speech absolutist and academic Sir Niall Ferguson.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Sir Niall Ferguson, historian and Times columnist. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producers: Emily Webb and Edward Drummond.

Further reading: How DEI, cancel culture and bad boards are killing our universities

Clips: National Conservatism, Fox News, MSNBC, NBC News, CBS News, ABC News, Forbes.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

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This episode was originally published in January.

The US president-elect has sparked a series of diplomatic rows after saying he was willing to use military or economic force to take control of Greenland, the Panama Canal and Canada. How seriously should we take Donald Trump’s claims and where did they come from? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Josh Glancy, News Review Editor, The Sunday Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Clips: NBC News, Fox News, ABC News, Reuters/TV2, France Inter Radio. 

Photo: Getty Images 

Further reading: Why does Trump want Greenland?

Further listening: Why Donald Trump courted the wrestling world

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

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Japanese ‘kidults’ revolutionised pop culture in the 90s and 00s, turning to their inner children to cope with economic crisis and post-industrial societal ills, despite being ridiculed. As the milestones of adulthood - property, marriage and careers - become increasingly difficult for millennials and Gen Z to achieve - are westerners now turning to ‘kidulting’ to find answers? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Matt Alt, author of Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Sam Chantarasak.

Further listening: 

• Studio Ghibli: Is this the end for the Japanese studio that inspired Pixar?
• The South Korean culture machine that conquered the world

Clips: SEGA, Pokémon Theme/POKEMON, MSNBC, CNN, AJ+, Sony, PlayStation, CBS, SXSW, TikTok/@otakuintokyo, TikTok/@kaitlyneats, Your Name/dir. Makoto Shinkai/CoMix Wave Films/Toho.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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It's been called "a big mistake", "reckless" and "the highest level of f**kup imaginable" - but just how did a senior journalist come to be added to a chat group between some of the US government’s most senior members who were discussing military action? As the Trump government looks to downplay the incident, what does it tell us about how they view their allies and conduct their business? And what could the fallout be?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: David Charter, assistant editor (US), The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Edward Drummond and Olivia Case.

Clips: Fox News, CBS News, ABC News, Forbes.

Photo: Getty Images. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

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The arrest and jailing of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, Turkey’s main political challenger to President Erdogan, has sent shockwaves across the country. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to protest his detention and express growing concerns over Turkey's shift toward autocracy. Does this mark a turning point in Turkey’s democracy? And will Imamoglu still be able to stand in the 2028 presidential elections? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Andrew Finkel,  journalist and author of Turkey: What Everyone Needs to Know

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Edith Rousselot.

Further reading: The Erdogan I knew is a mirror image of the man he’s just locked up

Clips: BBC News, Euronews, Reuters, Sky News. 

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com 

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The Netflix smash-hit drama is getting everyone talking – including the prime minister. Adolescence centres on the murder of a 13-year-old girl by a boy in her class, and tries to tackle the question: why did he do it? Is this ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ television? Or a timely spotlight on a dark online ecosystem drawing in young men?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Jonathan Dean, Executive Editor of Interviews, The Sunday Times Culture.
• Nathaniel Cole, workshop facilitator for young people.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Further reading: What teens really think about Adolescence — in their own words

Clips: Netflix, ITV, TikTok/shabazsays, TikTok/dr.amanisamah

Photo: Netflix.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com.

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Meet JD Vance, man of Munich and the Oval Office onslaught. He thinks Europe is in a death spiral and the future is Catholic-infused post-liberalism. But what are his roots, what does he read, and - most importantly - what does he want? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Josh Glancy, News Review Editor, The Sunday Times. 

Host: Luke Jones. 

Producer: Edward Drummond.

Further reading: Pugnacious bully or deep thinker — who is the real JD Vance?

Further listening: Bannon vs Musk: The battle for the soul of Donald Trump

Clips: Fox News, CNN, ABC News, NBC News, Forbes.

Photo: Getty Images. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

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Today marks five years since the first Covid lockdown. We were told that we would never be able to go back to pre-pandemic times: we could only enter a ‘new normal’. Is that what happened? How much did the pandemic change us?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Host: Luke Jones.

Guests:

• Dan Atherton, Deputy Data Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times.
• Tom Whipple, Science Editor, The Times

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Further reading: UK’s worst night out? Costly, crime-ridden London

Further listening: The death of clubbing

Clips: The Telegraph.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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With news this week on the ongoing attempts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine, we thought we'd bring you two interviews Manveen did on Times Radio to help make sense of it all. The first is with Anthony Loyd, who's been covering the war since it began and the second is with General Sir Richard Barron who has been working on the Defence Review and knows better than most whether the country is ready to defence itself.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Anthony Loyd, Special Correspondent, The Times, and
• General Sir Richard Barron's, former Commander Joint Forces Command.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

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Estonia, one of the Baltic states, sits on Europe's front line with Russia. The country that was, like Ukraine, once part of the Soviet Union is increasingly worried about the threat Putin poses, and has plans in place if there is an invasion. But, if western Europe can no longer rely on the transatlantic alliance, will it work? And what could Britain learn from it?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Oliver Moody, Berlin Correspondent, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Further reading: Could Poland and Germany acquire nuclear bombs?

Further listening:   ‘A lawlessness that’s deeply alarming’: William Hague on Trump’s new presidency.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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It's predicted that, by the end of this Parliament, four million people in Britain will receive long-term sickness benefits–that’s the equivalent of losing the working-age population of Birmingham from the workforce. Columnist Fraser Nelson thinks it’s the biggest scandal in Britain today. So how did we get here? And can Labour fix it or will they leave already-vulnerable people worse off?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: The Times & The Sunday Times columnist Fraser Nelson

Host: Luke Jones

Producer: Emily Webb

Further reading: From welfare to warfare can define Keir Starmer

Further listening: Why are so many Gen Zers not working?

Clips: BBC, Channel 4, Roman Styran / YouTube, jascow0 / YouTube

Photo: Getty

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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Donald Trump is coming for Canada. He first raised the prospect of making America's nearest neighbour its 51st state when campaigning for the presidency in 2016. No one was listening. But Canada's new Liberal Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has heard, and he's assembling a coalition of allies to counter the threat. Could this be the beginning of a wider effort to build a Western, anti-Trump, alliance?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Josie Ensor US Correspondent, The Times. 

Host: Luke Jones.

Producers: Edith Rousselot and Olivia Case.

Further reading: Mark Carney’s in-tray as PM: from tariffs to Canadian sovereignty

Clips: CTV News, C-Span, CNN, BBC, ABC News, Guardian News, AP News, CPAC, Global News.

Photo: Getty Images. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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On the frontline of Mexico’s drug wars, rival cartels are exploiting a decades-old dispute about indigenous land rights and turning local people against each other - with fatal consequences. To appease Trump, the government has downplayed the violence in the south to focus on the US border, but if the cartels continue undeterred, could the US launch a military operation? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Louise Callaghan, US Correspondent, The Sunday Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana

Producer: Sam Chantarasak

Further reading: Watch: inside the town torn apart by Mexico’s cartel violence

Further listening: At the border crossing where Trump’s migrant ban is working  

Clips: Al Jazeera, Firstpost, Imagen Noticias. 

Photo: Natalia Meneses Alís for The Sunday Times

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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The word "unprecedented" is often used to describe Donald Trump's presidency. He's broken with convention repeatedly: from announcing tariffs on allies, to the suggestion that he wants to buy Greenland. But are these moves really without precedent? Or do Trump's politics echo that of 19th century US presidents, but with a more alarming twist?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Nick Bryant

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Emily Webb.

Clips: ABC News, CNBC, Niki Ashton Youtube, CBS News, New York Times, FOX, MSNBC, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute, NBC, Washington Post, BBC.

Photo: Getty Images.

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

This episode was originally published last August.

The government says it wants to make the UK a global hub for crypto firms. But with the NHS warning it’s being left to ‘pick up the pieces’ as people get addicted to crypto gambling, are Labour’s plans wise? Our reporter visits one of the first clinics in the world, near Edinburgh, that is treating people who have cryptocurrency problems.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

If you’ve got any concerns about gambling, you can contact the national problem gambling charity GamCare's helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit www.gamcare.org.uk for confidential support, advice and free counselling.

Guest: Lily Russell-Jones, Senior Money Reporter, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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Hinge CEO, Justin McLeod, joins the podcast to discuss how online dating Apps have changed dating (for good or bad) and how AI may change it even more. While Danny argues that being direct might just be better than tech!

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In 1977, David Holden, chief correspondent of the Sunday Times, was sent to Cairo to report on crucial peace talks between Egypt and Israel. A day later his body was found with a single gunshot wound in the back. The paper's editor sent a team of reporters to the region to investigate, but who killed Holden and why are questions that were never answered. The mystery remained unsolved for decades. In part 2 a young reporter picks up the trail - can he succeed when all other leads have gone cold?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Peter Gillman, former Sunday Times reporter and co-author of Murder in Cairo.
• Emanuele Midolo, reporter, The Times and Sunday Times and co-author of Murder in Cairo.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edward Drummond.

Further reading: The Cold War murder of our star reporter — solved after 48 years

Photo: Stanley Devon for Times Newspapers Ltd.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

In 1977, David Holden, chief correspondent of the Sunday Times, was sent to Cairo to report on crucial peace talks between Egypt and Israel. A day later his body was found with a single gunshot wound in the back. The paper's editor sent a team of reporters to the region to investigate - but who killed Holden and why were questions that were never answered. The mystery remained unsolved for decades - until now.

In part 1 Peter Gillman, investigative reporter, describes the search for answers.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Peter Gillman, former Sunday Times reporter and co-author of Murder in Cairo
• Emanuele Midolo, reporter, The Times and Sunday Times and co-author of Murder in Cairo

Host: Manveen Rana

Producer: Edward Drummond

Further reading: The Cold War murder of our star reporter — solved after 48 years

Further listening: Murder In Cairo (Pt 2) - The Wilderness Of Mirrors

Clips: ITN, Getty, Truth Tellers.

Photo: Stanley Devon for Times Newspapers Ltd.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

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

‘Baby brain’ is real. Increasing evidence suggests having kids causes big changes in our grey matter, and not always for the worse. Sunday Times science editor and frazzled father of two, explains.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Ben Spencer, Science Editor, Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Emily Webb.

Further reading: How being a parent physically alters your brain (dads included)

Further listening: We need to talk about what motherhood does to women

Photo: Alamy/Sunday Times illustration

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

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Nigel Farage has been accused of a ‘vindictive witch-hunt’ by a former Reform MP as part of a messy public row at the top of the party. Rupert Lowe was suspended by the party after allegations of workplace bullying and threats of violence, which he denies. What could this spat mean for the political prospects of the party that, just a few months ago, was riding high in the polls?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Geri Scott, Senior Political Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Taryn Siegel.

Clips: Sky News, Talk TV, GB News, Fire at Will podcast. 

Photo: Getty Images. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com   

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

Is Europe sleepwalking into disaster? Russia watcher Keir Giles on the rising threat from Putin, NATO’s shaky future, and whether Europe is ready—or willing—to fight back.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Keir Giles, senior consulting fellow of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House and author of Who Will Defend Europe?

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Emily Webb.

Clips: CNN, Channel 4, DW, The Mirror, JD Vance (YouTube), ABC, The Telegraph, NBC, France 24.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

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

This episode was originally published last November.

No sex, no babies, no marriage, no men. In 2018 a niche feminist movement started in South Korea as a reaction to the country’s entrenched misogyny. It pledged four ‘nos’ when it came to men. Now it's spreading on social media to America as young women rebel against Donald Trump's election. But how impactful will it be?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Host: Manveen Rana.

Guests: 

• Chiara Brown, Commissioning Editor, The Times Luxury. 
• Meera Choi, Sociology Academic, Yale University.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Clips: TikTok / trump-supporters01 / Sigma Nu Fraternity, Karim Jovian / Nick Fuentes / YouTube, OFF TOPIC SHOW / Nick Funetes / YouTube, Nick Funetes / brutamerica / Instagram, realityreelclips / TikTok, The Washington Post / Access Hollywood, thetimes / TikTok, CBS, CNN, The News Movement, Inside Edition, Arirang News.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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With Keir Starmer focused on diplomacy over Ukraine, the political masterminds ask if the domestic agenda always has to suffer during major world events. When does a foreign conflict turn into a 'Falklands moment', and when does a leader get criticised for spending too much time globe-trotting?

Sally, Polly, Danny and Hugo also ask how to stop a minister resigning - or how to let them do it at an advantageous moment.

Send questions, comments and voicenotes to: howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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

Donald Trump has said he will make the US the crypto capital of the world, as investors and CEOs gather at the White House today for his government’s first crypto summit. On the agenda are plans to create a federal crypto reserve - the most important development in the industry since Bitcoin was created. So what actually is it - and what does it mean for the president’s own Trump coin? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor, The Times

Host: Luke Jones

Producer: Sam Chantarasak

Further reading: Cryptocurrencies rocket as Trump unveils US strategic reserve

Further listening: Why the price of gold is skyrocketing 

Clips: Bitcoin Magazine

Photo: Getty Images

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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So far this year, there have been multiple fatal plane crashes and near-misses in North America, leaving 87 dead. President Trump has blamed diversity initiatives, with no evidence. But experts point to a different problem, and have been ringing the alarm bells for years. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Charles Bremner, Foreign Correspondent, The Times. 

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Further reading: Toronto plane crash blamed on ‘new’ co-pilot amid recruitment crisis

Further listening:  Elon Musk's 'hostile takeover' of Washington

Clips: KSDK News, USA Today, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Sky, ABC, Fox, CNN, BBC, The Guardian, The Daily / The New York Times, The White House / Sky, NBC, YouTube / blancolirio.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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The self-proclaimed misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan arrived in the US last week, after the American government lobbied for the brothers to have a travel ban lifted. They are currently facing charges of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in Romania, and are under investigation for rape and human trafficking in the UK. They deny all charges.

So why is the Trump administration helping them? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

If you've been affected by issues in this podcast:

Victim Support provides emotional and practical help to victims or witnesses of any crime, whether or not it has been reported to the police. Phone: 0808 16 89 111 (24/7) Visit the Victim Support website

Rape Crisis England & Wales offers confidential support and information to women in England and Wales who have survived any form of sexual violence, no matter how long ago. Also provides immediate support to friends and family on how to support female survivors of sexual violence. Phone: 0808 802 9999 (12–2:30pm & 7–9:30pm daily) Visit the Rape Crisis website

Guests: 

• Ali Mitib, News Reporter, The Times.
• Hugh Tomlinson, Washington Correspondent, The Times and The Sunday Times. 

Host: Jane Mulkerrins. 

Producer: Samantha Chantarasak.

Further reading: 

• Of course Andrew Tate went to Florida: it’s a Maga magnet
• Why the Trump team lobbied for Tate brothers’ return to the US

Further listening: Andrew Tate's malign online influence

Clips: Reuters, Anything Goes with James English, The White House, CBS News, Andrew and Tristan Tate. 

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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People who once flooded north across the river between Guatemala and Mexico are trickling south again, their dream of reaching the US ended by President Trump's crackdown. What's it like having to turn back when you've given up everything for a new life in America?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Louise Callaghan, US Correspondent, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Photo: Times Media Ltd.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

As the world comes to terms with the fallout from Friday night’s unprecedented Oval Office clash between President Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, what does it mean for the prospects of peace, and could this be the end of the established global order we've known for so long?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Ben Hoyle, Foreign Editor of The Sunday Times.

Producer: Chris Wade.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Further listening: The real reason Trump hates Zelensky

Clips: The Telegraph; CNN; MSNBC; NBC News; Forbes; Hindustan Times; WTHR; Al Jazeera.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

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

This episode was originally published in September 2024.

Zoe Blaskey, author of Motherkind, didn’t realise that she was unprepared for the huge psychological and physiological changes that motherhood brought. Now she’s spreading the word to other mothers. But why are we still not talking about this?

For expert advice and hands-on experience visit thetimes.com/parenting

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Zoe Blaskey, author of the book 'Motherkind' and host of the podcast 'Motherkind'

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producers: Olivia Case and Taryn Siegel.

Further listening: What two gay dads can teach fathers about parenting

Clips: Peanut and Motherkind, Motherkind podcast.

Photo: Getty Images 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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We're welcoming a new political mastermind to the podcast this week - Sally Morgan has been a Labour insider since the days of Neil Kinnock and went on to be Tony Blair's right-hand woman in Downing Street, at his side for some of the biggest moments in recent political history.

She joins Polly, Danny and Hugo to discuss leaders who can tell jokes and those who can't, Liz Truss calling Britain a failed state, and whether anyone knows how to save the transatlantic relationship.

Send questions, comments and voicenotes to: howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

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When James Coney's son Charlie missed milestone after milestone, he knew something wasn't right. It would take 12 years before one phone call would change their lives. They learned that, not only was there finally an answer, but Charlie's DNA had been used in a huge scientific breakthrough.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: James Coney, News Projects Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Photo: Times Media Ltd.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com   

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When Zelensky was elected president, Trump said he'd do a 'great job' then called him 'brave' for staying after the Russians invaded. But he's now termed his Ukrainian counterpart a 'dictator' and a 'moderately successful comedian.' But the story of their falling out didn't start with the war, so what are its origins and what does it mean for Ukraine's future?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Marc Bennetts, Foreign Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producers: Olivia Case and Edith Rousselot.

Further reading: ‘No minerals deal without security guarantees’, Kyiv says.

Further listening: ‘A lawlessness that’s deeply alarming’: William Hague on Trump’s new presidency.

Clips: CBS, Forbes, ABC, YouTube / CPAC, CSPAN, o-ye! / YouTube. 

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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In recent weeks, Kanye West, now known as ‘Ye’, has pulled off a number of bizarre stunts, including antisemitic rants and an inexplicable Super Bowl advert. Just a few years ago, the controversial rapper was a billionaire entrepreneur being invited to the White House, but has he now reached the point of no return?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Blanca Schofield, Assistant Arts Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times. 

Host: Luke Jones. 

Producers: Samantha Chantarasak and Hannah Gravett.

Clips: CBS News, MTV, The New York Post, Grammys, All Falls Down/Kanye West ft. Syleena Johnson/Roc-A-Fella Records/Universal Music Group, Gold Digger/Kanye West ft. Jamie Foxx/Roc-A-Fella Records/Universal Music Group, Love Lockdown/Kanye West/Roc-A-Fella Records, Power/Kanye West/Roc-A-Fella Records, MSNBC, NBC News, ABC News, TODAY, The Download With Justin Laboy, Good Morning America, Fox News and ABC 7 Chicago.

Photo: Getty Images

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com   

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Since his election, Donald Trump has stunned the world with a series of moves that have upended the well-established post-war international order. He picked up the phone and brought Putin in from the cold, branded Zelensky a 'dictator' and suggested America will no longer continue to finance European defence. At this pivotal moment in history, Manveen Rana speaks to former foreign secretary, historian and Times columnist, Lord William Hague on why this marks the start of a new chapter and a much more dangerous period than we are used to living in.  

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Lord William Hague, former foreign secretary and Times columnist. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Olivia Case, Edward Drummond, Edith Rousselot.

Further reading: Starmer must evoke Churchill to woo Trump

Further listening:  How the US signaled a new world order in 5 days

Clips: Sky News, The Times, Wall Street Journal.

Photo: Times illustration/Getty images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

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Last year, 50 men were convicting of raping or sexually assaulting Gisèle Pelicot, including her husband who’d orchestrated the attacks. There was worldwide uproar and calls for changes to French rape laws. But with no imminent changes in sight, many of the rapists are appealing their sentences and at least six are already out of prison. So what's going on? And could any progress still come from this landmark case?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Katie Tarrant, News Reporter, The Sunday Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Further reading: Wives stand by Gisèle Pelicot rapists — and some of them are free already. 

Image: Nina Krause, The Sunday Times.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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This episode was originally published in April last year.

With young people in Britain and across the world increasingly reliant on smartphones, many teens now openly admitt they’re addicted to social media. Could an entire generation be suffering serious and irreversible damage? And is there anything we can do to reverse it?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/podcasts/the-story 

Guest: Helen Rumbelow, Times Feature Writer and Columnist.

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producers: Chris Wade, Priyanka Deladia, Ed Halford.

Clips: NBC News, ITV News, Bloomberg Technology.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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Holly and Lucy are joined by Kat Denham, champion champion for The Times and The Sunday Times, as they navigate the tricky world of bank accounts mishaps. From Frozen accounts, lost payments & dormant savings, Kat shares the best ways to protect yourself from losing money.

Contact Holly and Lucy: moneyteam@thetimes.co.uk

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Lord Maurice Glasman was the only Labour politician to be invited to Trump’s inauguration after striking up a friendship with JD Vance. So who is he and why is his 'Blue Labour' movement seen by Starmer's inner circle as the medicine to tackle the rise of Reform?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Patrick Maguire, Political Columnist, The Times and author of Get In:The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Emily Webb.

Further reading: To take on the right, will Labour go blue?

Clips: GB News, NBC, PBS, UnHerd, Together, ABC Australia, The Guardian.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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The British-Indian novelist Sir Salman Rushdie has faced his alleged attacker in court, after he was stabbed multiple times in 2022 during a public lecture in New York state. Hadi Matar, accused of assault and attempted murder, denies the charges. The author is no stranger to threats: in 1989, Iran's Supreme Leader called for his death, after deeming his novel The Satanic Verses blasphemous. Will this attack on Rushdie, a symbol of free speech himself, threaten freedom of expression?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Will Pavia, New York Correspondent, The Times.
• Robbie Millen, Literary Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times. 

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Samantha Chantarasak.

Further reading: Salman Rushdie trial: I was dying, author says as he recounts attack

Clips: BBC News, WION, CNN, The Daily Show, Cream Cakes, American Express, CBC News, University of Vermont.

Photo: Getty Images. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

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As the United States and Russia seem to be hurtling towards a bilateral peace negotiation over Ukraine, European leaders gathered in Paris in an attempt to come up with their own response. With both Ukraine and Europe edged out of these discussions, is this the moment that the US rethinks its post-war alliances?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Catherine Philp, World Affairs Editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edith Rousselot.

Clips: Newsweek, CBS News, The White House, WSJ News, Channel 4 News, Guardian News, The Associated Press.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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A year ago Times columnist James Marriott ditched his smartphone to escape the endless notifications from his apps. How has he managed without a device many of us feel is indispensable? And could it be a more desirable future?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: James Marriott, Columnist, The Times. 

Host: Luke Jones. 

Producer: Edward Drummond.

Further reading: I’m a digital native — can I survive without my smartphone?

Photo: Jude Edginton for The Times Magazine.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

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When Donald Trump took office, he appointed Elon Musk as head of the Department of Government Efficiency - or DOGE - a new agency designed to radically slash federal costs. Since inauguration day Musk has done just that, laying off thousands of staff, freezing America's entire international aid programme and gaining access to the $6 trillion Treasury payments system. So what will the fallout be? And with an unelected official wielding such unprecedented power - and the courts fighting back - are we seeing the beginnings of a major constitutional crisis?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Hugh Tomlinson, Washington Reporter, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case and Edith Rousselot.

Further reading: Donald Trump lashes out as ‘political’ judges block his orders.

Further listening: Trump’s Gaza bombshell

Clips: Bloomberg, ABC News, Sky, The Guardian, Fox. 

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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Official figures show that for the first time, people are leaving dating apps. So why the exodus? And could future apps - with AI and augmented reality - be any better at matchmaking?

This episode first ran on January 7 2025.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

Hannah Skelley, Fashion Writer and Stylist, The Times. 

Dr Liesel Sharabi, Associate Professor of Human Communication and Director of the Relationships and Technology Lab at Arizona State University.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Clips: TikTok / aidenheaney, TikTok / hopeyoufindyourdad, TikTok / gaelaitor, TikTok / zoecsheehan, TikTok / drcatpsych, TikTok / louisohno.

Photo: Getty Images. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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Ahead of the Paris AI Action Summit, Katie and Danny are together in London for a special interview with the man who is synonymous with Artificial Intelligence - Sam Altman. He is the studio talking all things OpenAI, President Trump, Elon Musk, DeepSeek and the future of life and work.

Listen to Katie and Danny's follow-up to their interview with Sam Altman as they reflect on the conversation and Elon Musk’s bid for OpenAI, which came just hours after Altman left the studio.

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Bridget Jones is back in cinemas with her fourth outing Mad About the Boy, 24 years after her film debut. The messy heroine is the quintessential Gen X icon: too much booze, cigarettes, dodgy office romances and an obsession with the thigh gap. So why is she still winning over new fans decades later?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Ceci Browning, Assistant Literary Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producers: Samantha Chantarasak, Emily Webb.

Further reading:

• How Gen Z fell for Bridget Jones (by Ceci Browning, 24) 
• Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy review — our national treasure grows up 

Clips: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy/Universal Pictures, Bridget Jones’s Diary/Universal Pictures, George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight/CBC, Barbie/Warner Bros. 

Photo: Universal Pictures. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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President Trump stunned the world and horrified his Arab allies when he proposed that the US should take over Gaza and rebuild it as the "riviera of the Middle East." But where did the idea come from and could it actually happen?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Josie Ensor, US correspondent, The Times

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edith Rousselot.

Clips: The Times, MSNBC, CNBC, Global News, The Guardian, Fox News, “America, Baby!” podcast

Photo: Kobby Barda, Israeli historian who shared an image of the plan for the reconstruction of Gaza City on social media.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com 

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The Times has unveiled a landmark survey of Generation Z. What are their attitudes towards modern Britain, sex, drugs and… mental health? 1 in 3 young people have sought help for their mental health and a growing number are on long-term sickness. So what’s going on?

If you or someone you know has been affected by suicide or needs to talk to someone, please get in contact with the Samaritans online https://www.samaritans.org/ or call them for free on their 24-hour helpline 116 123.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Lara Spirit, Red Box Editor, The Times.
• Tanya Marwaha, mental health campaigner and Beyond Youth board member.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Emily Webb.

Further reading: Gen Zers on why they’ve turned to God: ‘It’s beautiful waiting for sex’

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com.

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When the closed steelworks in Corby, Northamptonshire, were being cleaned up ahead of redevelopment, trucks ferrying debris away from the site released poisonous dust into the air. Dozens of children born during this time had malformed limbs and other issues leading to a decades-long fight for justice. Now their story, which came to national attention via the Sunday Times, is finding a new audience - in Toxic Town a Netflix drama - and families hope it will help others to join the dots.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Rosamund Urwin, Media Editor, The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Edward Drummond.

Further reading: Can Netflix bring justice to the town poisoned by dust?

Clips: Sky News, BBC.

Photo: Sunday Times illustration.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

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Have you - or someone you know - had a mobile phone snatched directly from your hand? It's a growing trend in London and other cities across the UK, as last Thursday, Met Police revealed they arrested 230 people and seized 1000 phones in just one week. So just who is behind this crimewave, and where exactly do the phones end up?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Dipesh Gadher, Home Affairs Correspondent, The Sunday Times.
• Louise Eccles, Early Years and Education Editor, The Sunday Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Samantha Chantarasak.

Further reading:

• What really happens to your phone when it’s stolen 
• How your stolen iPhone ends up in one Chinese city market 

Further listening: What’s behind the rise in knife crime on our streets

Clips: LBC, Sun Kissed Bucket List, Nikolay Tanev, Sky News.

Photo: Metropolitan Police

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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On today's Sunday Edition, we're looking back at this episode from March, diving into the fentanyl trade. This week, President Trump cited the fentanyl crisis in the US as his justification for threatening steep tariffs against Canada and Mexico. So how does fentanyl actually get into the US?

Fentanyl kills 200 people a day in America, a deadly epidemic felt throughout the country. We trace the journey of chemicals from China, to the drug labs of Mexico to the streets of the United States. Can the tide be stemmed?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestory.

Guests:

• Stephen Gibbs, Latin America correspondent, The Times & The Sunday Times, and 
• Keiran Southern, West Coast correspondent, The Times & The Sunday Times. 

Producer: Edward Drummond.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Further listening: China’s deadly role in America’s fentanyl epidemic

Clips: CNBC, NBC News, ABC News, C-Span.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

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This week the political masterminds (and Hugo) are joined by Theo Bertram, who worked in Downing Street for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

After a new book by Times journalists Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund sheds light on the inner workings of Keir Starmer's government, is chief of staff Morgan McSweeney actually in charge? And should a new YouGov/Times poll showing Reform UK ahead of Labour for the first time cause everyone to panic?

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On Tuesday, a panel of global medical experts convened a press conference. They said they had found a different cause of death in every baby Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering. So what did they find? And what might it mean for Letby's case?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Caroline Wheeler, Political Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Further reading: My research was misused to convict Lucy Letby — so I did my own inquiry.

Further listening: Why some experts are doubting Lucy Letby’s conviction.

Clips: Sky News, Telegraph.

Photo: Times Media Ltd.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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Having implemented - then temporarily rescinded - tariffs on Canada and Mexico after both countries struck last-minute deals, Donald Trump now has his sights firmly focused on China. Following his announcement of a 10% tax on their imports to the US, China retaliated with their own. So what effect will this new trade war between the world’s two biggest economies have on China, the US and rest of the world? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Dr Linda Yueh, Economist, Oxford University and London Business School.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Olivia Case, Samantha Chantarasak.

Clips: BBC, NBC, Fox 5 New York, The Independent, Business Today, Fox News.

Photo: CFOTO / Future Publishing via Getty.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com 

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Having ruled the Chagos Islands since the 1800s, the UK now wants to cede sovereignty of the tiny archipelago in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius. But one island is home to a secretive US military base and, with the growing threat of Chinese influence in the region, America is worried. Yesterday, the Mauritian PM said Sir Keir Starmer intends to “push ahead” with his deal - Whitehall suggested the same. But if it does happen, might it risk the relationship between Donald Trump and the British Prime Minister?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: George Grylls, Defence Correspondent, The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Further reading: Trump’s secretary of state warns UK of China’s ‘malign influence.’

Further listening: Bannon vs Musk: The battle for the soul of Donald Trump.

Clips: The Times and The Sunday Times, Reuters, parliamentlive.tv, The Guardian, Reuters.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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In 2016, 24-year-old Gypsy-Rose Blanchard was sentenced to 10 years in the US State of Missouri, for arranging the murder of her mother. Her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, had Munchausen syndrome by proxy - a rare form of abuse where she would convince doctors that her daughter was ill - leading to unnecessary treatment. The harrowing details of what Blanchard went through have made her a media sensation - but should we feel sympathy for her? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Katie Gatens, Deputy Editor of News Review, The Sunday Times.

Read Katie's full interview with Gypsy-Rose Blanchard 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Samantha Chantarasak.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

Clips: KY3 News, The Act/Hulu, The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard/Lifetime, The Kardashians/Hulu.

Photo: Getty Images.

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‘ Like an HR manager, not a leader’. This is the description of Sir Keir Starmer from his closest and most influential aide, according to a new book by two Times journalists. It’s just one of the many insights uncovered by Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund who lift the lid on the inner workings of the Labour Party and the power struggles behind the scenes.

If that’s what the prime minister’s people think of him, who’s really running the country?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests: 

• Patrick Maguire, columnist, The Times.
• Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall Editor, The Sunday Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edward Drummond.

For further insight - and more stories from behind the scenes, buy Get In The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer Times+ members get a 20% discount.

Clips: BBC, Labour Together, 5News, Channel 4 News.

Illustration: Russel Herneman, The Sunday Times.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

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Tomorrow Thames Water will be going to the High Court in London for the start of hearings to approve a restructuring plan for its debts. So we thought it might be worth a listen back to an episode we made last spring about how the company which leaks raw sewage into our rivers managed to rack up unsustainable levels of debt while also paying out dividends to shareholders. 

Warning: this podcast includes exclusive interviews from those brave enough to take a dip in The Thames.

Episode first broadcast on 28 May 2024.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestory

Guest: Dominic O’Connell, Business Presenter, Times Radio.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producers: Edward Drummond, Edward Halford.

Clips: 5 News, Sky News.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

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Kate Mansey shares her first-hand account of a historic moment - witnessing the King become the first British monarch to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, marking the 80th anniversary of the concentration camp's liberation.

Roya and Kate also talk about the Princess of Wales's visit to Wales and her new role as patron of Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice in Wales, following in Diana's footsteps. And Princess Beatrice gives birth to a second baby. 

Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.uk 

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Nina Khrushcheva, great grand-daughter of the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, and Professor of International Affairs at The New School in New York, says the West's response to Putin has strengthened him at home and abroad and warns against provoking him further.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of International Affairs, The New School, New York.

Host: William Hague.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Further listening: The underwater war against Russian sabotage.

Photo: Matthew Sussman / The New School.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com.

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A Chinese rival to ChatGPT wiped $700 billion from the value of the world’s largest tech companies in just one day. DeepSeek claims its free, open-source model is more cost-effective and efficient than its American rivals calling into question the dominance of Silicon Valley. One tech baron has even called it a ''Sputnik moment" in reference to the time when Russia surprised the US by launching the first satellite into orbit - which began the space race.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Danny Fortson, West Coast Correspondent, The Sunday Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Samantha Chantarasak.

Further listening: The Times Tech Podcast 

Clips: Fox News, NBC News, MSNBC, CNN.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com   

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Robert F Kennedy Jr. - President Trump's pick as health secretary - begins his confirmation hearings today. He's the man who coined the phrase 'Make America Healthy Again', but with a track record of conspiracy-led and anti-vaxx views, Washington has looked at his nomination with alarm. Still, his fight against Big Pharma and Big Food has been welcomed by an interesting cohort: a band of women calling themselves ‘crunchy moms.’

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Josie Ensor

Host: Luke Jones

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Further reading: The ‘crunchy mom’ influencers embracing Maha

Further listening: Meet Robert Kennedy Jr: The US election wild card https://pod.fo/e/1ff482

Clips: Shawn Ryan Show podcast, ABC News, Fox News, TikTok/@momsacrossamerica, TikTok/@LivingwithBecca, Lex Fridman podcast, New York Post, CBS News, Club Random with Bill Maher, Joe Rogan Experience.

Photo: Ashley McCubbins/Southern Oaks & Co

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

Last week a Russian spy ship was spotted off the coast of the UK. The Royal Navy was sent to closely monitor the vessel as it passed through British waters. It’s the latest in a series of incidents across Europe, some culminating in catastrophic damage to critical underwater cables. So what is Russia trying to achieve? And what are the UK and NATO doing about it?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: George Grylls, Defence Correspondent, The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Further reading: Nato’s underwater war against Russian and Chinese cable-cutters

Clips: The Times and The Sunday Times, parliamentlive.tv, Bloomberg. 

Photo: Times Photographer Richard Pohle.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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It's that time of year again. The Sunday Times Tax List. So who made it to the top? And is there a bit of a dark side to the list this year?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Robert Watts, journalist, The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Further reading: The Tax List 2025: the UK’s 100 biggest taxpayers revealed

Photo: Getty Images.

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Last weekend, The Sunday Times' Josh Glancy landed in Tel Aviv, after the ceasefire had just been announced. Israelis held their breath to see if it would hold, and if their loved ones would be the hostages released.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Josh Glancy, News Review Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Taryn Siegel.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Photo: Getty Images 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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For many, paying off a mortgage is one of their biggest financial goals. So, this week Holly and Lucy are joined by mortgage expert Sarah Tucker from The Mortgage Mum and Leigh Macfarlane, a content creator documenting her journey to becoming mortgage free. They share practical tips and strategies to make your dream of financial freedom a reality.

Contact: Lucy and Holly at: moneyteam@thetimes.co.uk

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

When Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon labelled the new kid on the block, Elon Musk, as “racist” and “truly evil”, it hit the headlines. But what’s their feud really about? And what does it tell us about the two sides of President Donald Trump?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Oliver Bateman, journalist and historian.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Emily Webb.

Clips: NBC, CNBC Television, CNN, CNN News-18, MSNBC, PBS, All-In Podcast, Sirius XM.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

For almost two years, two armies have fought a brutal civil war in Sudan, Africa’s third largest country. Over 150,000 have died, 11 million have been displaced and evidence of genocidal war crimes have emerged. So why has the war in Sudan been forgotten? The Times’ Special Correspondent Anthony Loyd has recently returned from a reporting trip on the frontline and tells The Story about the people he met. 

This episode includes descriptions of war and rape. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Anthony Loyd, Special Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Edward Drummond.

Clips: BBC. 

Photo: Anthony Loyd/The Times. 

Watch Anthony’s video from Sudan

Further reading: Inside Sudan’s forgotten war: 150,000 dead, 11 million displaced

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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Axel Rudakubana has pleaded guilty to killing three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last July. But why wasn’t the 18 year old - who was referred to counter terrorism scheme Prevent three times - stopped before he could commit his crimes? And, as the Prime Minister warns of a new kind of terrorism, does Britain need to rethink its whole strategy around terror to prevent an attack like this happening again?

This podcast contains descriptions of violence.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Constance Kampfner, Northern Correspondent, The Times.
• Matt Dathan, Home Affairs Editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producers: Samantha Chantarasak, Olivia Case.

Further reading:

• Axel Rudakubana: from class clown to killer
• Southport attack timeline: missed opportunities and misinformation

Clips: GB News, 10 Downing Street, UK Parliament.

Photo: Merseyside Police / PA.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

Rachel Reeves travels to the World Economic Forum today to shore up support among CEOs and world leaders in Davos. The chancellor hopes to boost investment amidst volatile bond markets, borrowing costs hitting a 27-year high, and the prospect of Trump tariffs. But is the government heading for a Liz Truss-style crash? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Dominic O’Connell, Columnist, The Times, and Business Presenter, Times Radio. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Samantha Chantarasak.

Clips: GB News, Sky News, NBC News, UK Parliament, BBC News. 

Photo: Times Design/Getty Images 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

At 12pm ET today, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. To mark this historic occasion, we’ve gathered together two of our US experts from either side of the Atlantic – one who attended Trump’s first inauguration in 2017, and one who will be attending this one. What’s so different this time around?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Josh Glancy, News Review Editor, The Sunday Times.
• Louise Callaghan, US Correspondent, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Clips: Straight Arrow News, CNN, ABC News, NYTimes, Wall Street Journal, CNN.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

Today we look back on one of our favourite episodes from the past few months: a deep dive into the economics of beauty, with Tom Whipple.

Do looks matter? Pulchronomics, the study of economics and beauty, says they do. But just how much impact does being attractive have on your love life, career and happiness? Are our fortunes really determined by our looks? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.com/subscribe

Guest: Tom Whipple, Science Editor, The Times. 

Host: Luke Jones. 

Producer: Priyanka Deladia.

Times Poll: How attractive are you? Rate yourself out of five

Clips: Britain’s Got Talent ITV/Thames. 

Photo: Times Design, Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

As a bonus episode, we’re bringing listeners of The Story an episode from the Tech Podcast from The Times.

The Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, joins the pod to discuss the British Government's 'AI Opportunities Action Plan' (and Elon Musk). Plus, a new guide the UK's fastest growing tech companies is revealed by The Times and Sunday Times, read all about it.

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There was widespread jubilation at the announcement that a deal had been reached between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire in Gaza. Netanyahu's government is still to formally approve the deal that would bring to an end 15 months of conflict. The deal includes the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners. But how exactly will it work? And, more importantly, will it last?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Samer Al-Atrush, Middle East Correspondent, The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Edward Drummond, Olivia Case.

Clips: The Times and The Sunday Times, Reuters, Times Radio, Al Jazeera, Parliamentlive.tv, Sky, CBS, BBC, @zakisolja / X.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

Analysis of a decade’s worth of sentencing data across England and Wales between 2013 and 2023 has revealed a worrying uptick in knife crime nationwide. For the first time, the contents of more than 4.7 million lines of crime and sentencing data have been used by The Times to build profiles of fatal stabbing victims and offenders convicted of knife possession.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: David Woode, Crime Correspondent, The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Samantha Chantarasak.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

Clips: BBC 5Live, Sky News, ITV Anglia, X/@crimeLdn

Photo: Times Design.

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Tulip Siddiq, Labour’s anti-corruption minister, has resigned after reporting by the Sunday Times revealed that she resided in a series of properties bought by associates of her aunt, the now deposed leader of Bangladesh, who’s accused of siphoning off billions from the country. The journalist who followed the story all the way to Dhaka speaks to The Story.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Emily Webb

Clips: Times Radio, Channel 4 News, BBC News.

Photo: Getty Images. 

Further reading: Tulip Siddiq’s flyers found in palace of deposed Bangladesh leader

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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As LA continues to battle its worst fires in history, the political blame game has started, with Donald Trump accusing California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, of caring more about fish than people. We’ll explain.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Megan Agnew, senior features writer (US), The Times.
• Jamie Hartman, songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles, CA

Hosts: Luke Jones and Edith Rousselot

Producer: Edith Rousselot

Clips: NBC News, NewsNation, CBS News, ABC 10, KTLA 5, The Tonight Show 

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com.

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

Having made a multi-million dollar film together, Hollywood stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni are now trading muti-million dollar lawsuits over what did (or didn’t) happen on set and during the promotional tour for It Ends With Us. But what do court documents and private texts allege about Hollywood's dark arts? And like MeToo, could this be the start of another watershed moment triggered by Tinseltown?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests: 

• Keiran Southern, West Coast Correspondent (US), The Times.
• Andrew Billen, Features Writer, The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Clips: It Ends With Us / Justin Baldoni / Sony / Columbia Pictures / Wayfarer Studios / Blake Lively, Entertainment Tonight, MsMojo, YouTube / @TheAmalaEkpunobi, YouTube / Megyn Kelly, The Hollywood Reporter, TikTok / @lovingsingle, YouTube / TED / Justin Baldoni, TikTok / justinbaldoni. 

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com.

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

The Sunday Times’ investigative team, Insight, has combed through 6,000 top secret documents to piece together the story of multiple military and government cover ups into the murder of civilians during the Afghan conflict. Today, in part two, we hear about the methods used to stymie, block and obstruct the course of justice. 

This episode was originally published on 10 May 2024.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestory

Guests:

• Jonathan Calvert, Insight investigative team editor, The Sunday Times
• George Arbuthnott, Insight investigative team deputy editor, The Sunday Times. 

Read the full Insight investigation

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edward Drummond.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk

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

This week the Times revealed that ministers are considering bringing back a retired military chief to lead the armed forces amid concerns the likely frontrunner, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, has been tainted by an independent inquiry into alleged unlawful activity by UK Special Forces in Afghanistan. Government sources stress that Jenkins has supported the inquiry.

Last year, The Sunday Times’ investigative team, Insight, combed through 6,000 top secret documents to piece together the story of multiple military and government cover ups into the murder of civilians during the Afghan conflict. Today, in part one, we hear about the senior special forces commander, codename N1466, who blew the whistle. 

This episode was originally published on 9 May 2024.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestory

Guests:

• Jonathan Calvert, Insight investigative team editor, The Sunday Times, and
• George Arbuthnott, Insight investigative team deputy editor, The Sunday Times. 

Read the full Insight investigation

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edward Drummond.

Clips: Military.com.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk

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

The US president-elect has sparked a series of diplomatic rows after saying he was willing to use military or economic force to take control of Greenland, the Panama Canal and Canada. How seriously should we take Donald Trump’s claims and where did they come from? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Josh Glancy, News Review Editor, The Sunday Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Samantha Chantarasak.

Clips: NBC News, Fox News, ABC News, Reuters/TV2, France Inter Radio. 

Photo: Getty Images 

Further listening: Why Donald Trump courted the wrestling world

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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Elon Musk has unleashed a huge political row in the UK over whether there should be a national inquiry into the gangs that groomed young girls for rape in a number of Britain's northern towns. But whilst the world's richest man accused the 'legacy media' of a cover-up, the scandal was actually exposed by Times journalist Andrew Norfolk. So how did he uncover the shocking story? And has enough been done to make sure it never happens again?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Andrew Norfolk, former Chief Investigations Reporter, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Emily Webb.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

Image: The Times.

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

Scroll through his latest posts on X and Elon Musk has a laser focus on UK politics. His main targets? Keir Starmer and Jess Phillips MP and their response to the country’s grooming scandal. He’s also blowing hot and cold on Reform UK. So what influence is the world’s richest man having on British politics? And why is he doing it?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Aubrey Allegretti, Chief Political Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edward Drummond and Emily Webb.

Clips: Sky News, Times Radio, Parliament, BBC, France 24.

Photo: Getty Images. 

Further listening: The political transformation of Elon Musk

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

Official figures show that for the first time, people are leaving dating apps. So why the exodus? And could future apps - with AI and augmented reality - be any better at matchmaking?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Hannah Skelley, Fashion Writer and Stylist, The Times. 
• Dr Liesel Sharabi, Associate Professor of Human Communication and Director of the Relationships and Technology Lab at Arizona State University.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Clips: TikTok / aidenheaney, TikTok / hopeyoufindyourdad, TikTok / gaelaitor, TikTok / zoecsheehan, TikTok / drcatpsych, TikTok / louisohno.

Photo: Getty Images. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

Linda McMahon, the wife of WWE’s founder Vince McMahon has just been nominated to be Donald Trump’s secretary for education. What’s behind Trump’s love affair with this staged ‘sport’?

The episode contains discussion of rape and sexual assault.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests: Josh Glancy, News Review Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Edith Rousselot.

Clips: WWE Youtube channel, PowerfulJRE Youtube channel.

Image credit: Getty Images.

Get in touch: TheStory@thetimes.com

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

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Stephen Mee, a former cocaine trafficker who worked with the Cali Cartel, sits down to discuss how he built an illicit empire.

David Collins and executive producer Will Roe meet Stephen in his artist’s studio.

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

The investigation takes us to a $10 million home in a leafy city suburb.

Back home in Melbourne, Stephen Drill picks up a money trail leading right past his front door.

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Undercover in a gleaming world where nobody asks questions. 

David Collins follows the money trail through Dubai’s crowded gold souk to its luxurious office blocks.

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Drug money is carried out of the UK in suitcases carried by passengers travelling in luxury.

A cash mule tells David Collins about the brazen operation used to smuggle millions to Dubai.

This episode contains descriptions of suicidal thoughts. 

If you or someone you know has been affected by the issues raised, the following organisations can help:

Samaritans in the UK  - 24-hour helpline - 116 123

Lifeline in Australia - 24-hour helpline 13 11 14

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On the streets of northern England where chaos reigns among those doing the selling. 

David Collins spends time in Merseyside, speaking to people working in the retail arm of the cocaine business.

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

Europe’s vast ports act as logistic hubs in a worldwide operation that relies on corruption and torture. 

In the Netherlands, Fiona Hamilton reveals the industrial scale of the cocaine business - and how it always leads to violence.

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As cocaine is smuggled out of South America it multiplies in value, driving people to extremes. 

Stephen Drill follows the trail to Mexico and uncovers how the numbers used by law enforcement do not add up.

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Where people fight and die in the coca plantations. 

In Colombia, Stephen Drill discovers how the international cocaine business starts, and the cost paid by everyone it touches.

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Between now and January 6th we will be playing the 2024 award-winning series, Cocaine Inc., from The Times, The Sunday Times and News Corp Australia. 

A brutal attack on an innocent young woman sends the reporters on a global investigation. 

David Collins visits Merseyside in northern England, where 26-year-old Elle Edwards was shot while celebrating Christmas Eve.

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The number of people with food allergies in the UK has more than doubled since 2008, with more than 5,000 people a year hospitalised in England with anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction. So what’s behind the increase and are we close to a cure? 

Find out more about The Times and The Sunday Times Christmas Appeal 2024

Donate by calling 0151 286 1594 or by following this link.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

• Tom Whipple, Science Editor, The Times. 
• Professor Sir Stephen Holgate, Professor of Immunopharmacology at the University of Southampton. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Samantha Chantarasak.

Read more:

• What to do if someone has an anaphylactic reaction
• Natasha died from her allergies — we do not want others to suffer

Photo: Getty images. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

On Christmas Day, The Times' Investigations Editor, Dominic Kennedy, will spend his last working day at the paper having started back in 1993. To mark this, Dominic sits down with Luke to talk about his career in journalism and revisits three very unique and very different stories that he’s investigated over the past 31 years. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestory

If you've been affected by issues in this podcast:

• Victim Support provides emotional and practical help to victims or witnesses of any crime, whether or not it has been reported to the police. Phone: 0808 16 89 111 (24/7) Visit the Victim Support website
• If you or someone you know has been affected by suicide or needs to talk to someone, please get in contact with the Samaritans online https://www.samaritans.org/ or call them for free on their 24-hour helpline 116 123.

Further reading: 

• How the UK became ‘western capital’ for sharia courts
• ‘I feel like I have to pay ransom to get out of my marriage’

Guest: Dominic Kennedy, Investigations Editor, The Times.

Producer: Will Roe.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: Parliament TV, Times Radio.

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

From Pennsylvania to New Jersey to Tennessee, The Times’ Megan Agnew spent three weeks on the Taylor Swift trail, discovering the origins of the supersonic star. How does someone go from teenage guitarist to pop phenomenon? Was her fame just luck and talent, or was there a master plan behind it all?

This episode was first broadcast on June 10th 2024.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Megan Agnew, Senior Features Writer, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Jane Mulkerrins.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com.

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

As a bonus episode, we’re bringing listeners of The Story the first episode of our series Last Man Standing - the story of British photojournalist John Cantlie who was kidnapped in Syria by Islamic State in 2012. While his fellow hostages were released or murdered, he remained captive. Then, a series of Isis propaganda videos emerged, fronted by Cantlie. He hasn’t been seen since.

Times War Correspondent Anthony Loyd begins his investigation into John Cantlie's disappearance and explores the events of a prior kidnap asking what compelled John to return to Syria after his first escape.

Want more? Listen to the full series of Last Man Standing here.

This episode was first published on 24 June 2022.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Hosts: Manveen Rana and Anthony Loyd, War Correspondent, The Times.

Clips: BBC, 5Live, CNN, NBC, Broadcasting House (BBC Radio 4).

Listen to the whole series: Last Man Standing 

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Maher al-Assad is the youngest sibling of the deposed Syrian dictator. He’s also known as the ‘enforcer’, renowned for his brutal crackdowns on protesters, and his role in Syria’s murky drugs empire. Reporter Oliver Marsden visits his abandoned house on the outskirts of Damascus and uncovers a strange lair, complete with an underground funicular, an escape tunnel, and a Jennifer Lopez DVD.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestory

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Emily Webb.

Guest: Oliver Marsden, foreign correspondent, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Clips: Sky News, France 24, 72 Films.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

Donald Trump’s pick for Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, has caused widespread alarm in defence and security circles, not only in the US but amongst America’s allies. But what are her views, and why are they proving so controversial?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Tom Newton Dunn, political journalist and presenter.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Chris Wade.

Clips: ABC News; Forbes; Tulsi Gabbard YouTube; Fox News; CNN; NBC News; The View (ABC); Nikki Haley YouTube.

Photo: Getty Images. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com.

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

The rap mogul’s, whose real name is Shawn Carter, billion dollar empire is at risk after he was named in a civil lawsuit accusing him of raping a 13-year-old in 2000. Jay-Z was named alongside Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. Both men strongly deny the claims. So how did Jay-Z become a giant of American culture?

If you've been affected by issues in this podcast:

Victim Support provides emotional and practical help to victims or witnesses of any crime, whether or not it has been reported to the police. Phone: 0808 16 89 111 (24/7) Visit the Victim Support website

Rape Crisis England & Wales offers confidential support and information to women in England and Wales who have survived any form of sexual violence, no matter how long ago. Also provides immediate support to friends and family on how to support female survivors of sexual violence. Phone: 0808 802 9999 (12–2:30pm & 7–9:30pm daily) Visit the Rape Crisis website

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Craig McLean, freelance arts journalist and contributor to The Times. 

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Samantha Chantarasak.

Further listening: The P Diddy lawsuits: The downfall of a rap legend 

Read more: Jay-Z, Beyoncé and a billion-dollar hip-hop empire in jeopardy 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

Clips: On The Red Carpet, Forbes, CBS, NBC News, CNN, UNICEF, MTV, BBC News, BBC Glastonbury. 

Music clips: 

Brooklyn’s Finest, JAY-Z, ℗ 1996 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC., Distributed by Equity Distribution, Roc-A-Fella.

Izzo (H.O.V.A.), JAY-Z, ℗ 2001 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC., Universal Music Group.

Dead Presidents II, JAY-Z, ℗ 1996 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC., Distributed by Equity Distribution, Roc-A-Fella.

Empire State Of Mind, JAY-Z ft. Alicia Keys, © 2014 S. Carter Enterprises, LLC., Distributed by Roc Nation Records, LLC. 

Sorry, Beyoncé, ℗ 2016 Parkwood Entertainment LLC, under exclusive license to Columbia Records, a Division of Sony Music Entertainment, Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia. 

Photo: Getty Images 

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Prince Andrew has now "ceased all contact" with an alleged spy working on behalf of China's shadowy United Front Work Department. But their relationship has raised questions about how the 'desperate' prince pays for his lifestyle and whether he inadvertently enabled the Chinese state to infiltrate the British royal family.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Kate Mansey, Assistant Editor & Royal Editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers:

• Chris Wade.
• Edward Drummond.

Clips: BBC; Sky News Australia.

Photo: Pitch@Palace. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

Security services have issued an unprecedented warning about a shadowy Russian military unit accused of carrying out assassinations and cyberattacks on the streets of Britain. So as the government ramps up its defence against the threat from the Kremlin, what exactly is Unit 29155? And why is it targeting the West?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Fiona Hamilton, Chief Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edward Drummond.

Clips: Reuters, OnDemand News, Sky News, BBC News, Channel 4 News, RT, CBS News, Independent.

Photo: Getty Images/Times Illustration

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

We’re listening back to some of our favourite episodes of 2024.

Millions of social media users are flocking to follow the Trad Wives: stay-at-home mothers who champion a life making meals from scratch and serving their husband’s and children’s every need. Our reporter goes to meet the woman behind the most popular account: Hannah Neeleman of Ballerina Farm. Is she selling a feminist dream or an unattainable lifestyle?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Megan Agnew, Senior Features Writer, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Samantha Chantarasak.

Clips: TikTok/esteecwilliams, TikTok/naraazizasmith, TikTok/ballerinafarm, ABC News. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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

After nearly a week on the run, Luigi Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania for the murder of health insurance CEO, Brian Thompson. But in a macabre twist, Mangione has found widespread support on social media, which has dubbed him the ‘hot assassin’. Why?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Guest: Sam Lovett, US reporter, The Times.

Clips: The Daily Show, ABC7 News, Fox11 News, TikTok/xyathanchekass, TikTok/dpshw, TikTok/imcodyjacob, other TikToks, Edith finding sources

Further reading: ‘The hot assassin’: how the internet became obsessed with Luigi Mangione

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

Photo: Benjamin B. Braun/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/AP.

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

Sir Kim Darroch is the former UK ambassador to the USA and worked with Trump for two years during the President’s first term. So how should the UK deal with Trump 2.0? And as our former National Security Advisor - before his Washington post - how will the UK government be reducing the terrorism threat from Syria, and balancing trade opportunities versus security issues when it comes to China.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestory

Guest: Sir Kim Darroch, former UK Ambassador to the USA and former National Security Advisor.

Host: William Hague.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Image credit: The Times / Tom Jackson.

Further listening: Putin’s ‘nuclear blackmail’

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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Healthier, eco-friendly, altogether virtuous. This may be how we think of milk alternatives but new research is calling into question the ‘plant-based milk myth’. So what’s the truth? How good for you - and the environment - is your oat milk flat white?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Libby Galvin, writer, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Further reading: How good is your milk (for you and for the environment)?

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

Photo: Getty Images.

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As a new leadership emerges in Syria, disparate groups remain in control of different parts of the country. In the midst of the fluctuating situation, what dangers might return?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Mark Urban, Writer and Columnist, The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producers:

• Edith Rousselot.
• Edward Drummond.

Clips: BBC News, AP, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, CNN.

Photo: Getty Images. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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Gisèle Pelicot waived her right to anonymity when her husband - and dozens of other men - were charged with raping and sexually assaulting her. Her decision allowed journalists to cover the trial in full and made her a feminist icon in France. But as we await the final verdicts and sentencing, what does the case tell us about French attitudes to rape? And with the French government promising change, will this be a watershed moment? 

The episode contains discussion of rape and sexual assault. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestory

If you've been affected by anything you've heard in this episode or need help or support around issues involving sexual assault, you can contact womensaid.org.uk or malesurvivor.co.uk. You can also call Refuge's 24-hour freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Guests:

• Constance Kampfner, Northern Correspondent, The Times.
• Katie Tarrant, News Reporter, The Sunday Times.

Clips: Euronews, The Times, France24, Paris Match, Channel 4, BBC, Forbes.

Image credit: Getty Images.

Further reading:

• A disturbing encounter with one of Gisèle Pelicot’s 50 alleged rapists.
• I sat in court at the Gisèle Pelicot rape trial. This is what I saw

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk

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