The Story

William Hague sits down with Azeem Azhar, entrepreneur, investor and one of the world’s leading thinkers on artificial intelligence, to discuss how tech could be the great equaliser, how we must control it and how the world will be unrecognisable in 5 years time. 

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:Azeem Azhar, entrepreneur, investor, author, thought leader.

Host:William Hague.

Further listening:Artificial intelligence: Our bright new future or the end of humanity?

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom'

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After two years of legal disputes and political debate, Parliament has approved the government's Rwanda bill to send asylum seekers from the UK to be processed in east Africa. The question now: when will the first plane to Kigali depart? And will this be a political win for Rishi Sunak who says he wants to 'stop the boats'? 

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:Aubrey Allegretti, Chief Political Correspondent, The Times. 

Host:Manveen Rana. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom'

Clips:BBC Parliament, ITV, BBC News. 

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With young people in Britain and across the world increasingly reliant on smartphones, and many teens now openly admitting they’re addicted to social media, could an entire generation be suffering serious and irreversible damage, and what should we as a society do to stop 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. 

Email us:thestory@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom'

Clips:NBC News, ITV News, Bloomberg Technology.

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India's PM Narendra Modi is favoured to win a third term as 970 million voters hit the polls in a six-week general election. Using an aggressive digital campaign, he’s doubling down on Hindu nationalism and promising more development. However, crackdowns on opposition and the press have intensified during his decade-long leadership, raising concerns about the future of India's secular democracy. 

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

Get in touch:thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom'

Guest:Philip Sherwell, Asia correspondent, The Sunday Times. 

Host:Maveen Rana. 

Clips:ANI, Reuters, DW News, BBC, CNN, The Wire, Brut India. 

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The call came in the dead of night. “Are you on your own?” the man said. “I’ve got in with some bad people and they’ve locked me in a flat and they want £5,000 to release me.” The caller was Mark Menzies, the Conservative MP for Fylde in Lancashire.

The Times investigation reveals a litany of allegations involving sex, drugs and a drunk dog. Mark Menzies disputes all the allegations, and says he “fully complied with all the rules for declarations.”

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: Billy Kenber, Senior Investigations Reporter, The Times.

Host:Luke Jones.

Further listening: The council house row Angela Rayner can't shake.  

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

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Donald Trump has made history yet again, as the first American president to face a criminal trial. It’s one of four criminal cases against him - and the legal arguments already have experts divided. But what about the woman at the centre of it? What’s her story?

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: Jane Mulkerrins, Associate Editor, The Times Magazine.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: Forbes, Fox News.

Email us: thestory@thetimes.co.uk

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Police are investigating whether Labour’s deputy leader broke “any offences”, including under electoral law, after Tory MPs alleged that she may have given false information about her main residence - an ex council house she purchased - a decade ago. Rayner, who has promised to resign if she is found to have committed a crime, said she “followed the rules at all times”. But how damaging could this row be to her - and to her party.

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: Kate McCann, Political Editor, Times Radio.

Host: Luke JonesClips: BBC, Newsnight, ITV, 5 News, Sky News.

Email us: thestory@thetimes.co.uk

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The Israeli government is considering its response to Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack over the weekend. Israel’s allies – led by the US – have called for restraint, so, as the world tries desperately to de-escalate the situation, what could happen next?

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

Guests:

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: CBS News; Israeli Defence Force; United Nations; UK Prime Minister; Sky News; ABC News; Al Jazeera; DW News, Parliament.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk

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One of the world’s most successful rappers, Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs is facing multiple lawsuits, with accusations from rape to sex trafficking. So what’s going on and who are the other famous faces being named? This podcast contains descriptions of 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

Guest: Keiran Southern, West Coast correspondent, The Times.

Host:Manveen Rana.

Clips: Good Morning America, The Recording Academy / The Grammys, Law&Crime Network, ABC, FOX, Firstpost, FREEDOMNEWS TV, New York Mickey, Vogue, J Nolan, CBS.

Further listening: Will the mystery of Tupac’s death finally be solved?

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

Music:Burna Boy, 21 Savage, Brandy / On Form / City Boys / Atlantic Records; Been Around The World / Puff Daddy & The Family feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & Mase / Bad Boy Records; I’ll Be MIssing You / Puff Daddy feat. Faith Evans & 112 / Bad Boy Records; Notorious B.I.G / The Notorious B.I.G feat. Lil' Kim & Puff Daddy / Bad Boy Records; Family Affair / Mary J. Blige / MCA; No More Drama / Mary J. Blige / MCA; Bad Boy for Life / P. Diddy, Black Rob and Mark Curry / Bad Boy Records, Arista; Hypnotize / The Notorious B.I.G. feat Pamela Long / Bad Boy Records, Arista; Nasty Girl / The Notorious B.I.G. feat Jagged Edge, P. Diddy, Avery Storm, Nelly / Bad Boy Records, Atlantic; Lady Marmalade / Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa, and Pink / Interscope.

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In November 2019, a teenager pretending to be the son of a Russian oligarch was found dead by the river Thames. Police investigated but the parents of 19-year-old Zac Brettler felt they still lacked answers. Now a Sunday Times' investigation has uncovered evidence that raises serious questions about the Metropolitan Police's handling of the case. 

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: Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manven Rana.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

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As police investigate the sending of explicit text messages to dozens of politicians, staff and political journalists, and the man at the centre of the scandal – Conservative MP William Wragg - resigned the party whip. The Times Chief Political Correspondent, Aubrey Allegretti, tells us what he’s discovered about the Westminster sexting scam, how many people could be involved, and who might be behind 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/storiesofourtimes. 

Guests: Aubrey Allegretti, Times Chief Political Correspondent.

Host: Manveen Rana

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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Alan Bates,the campaigner who took on the Post Office to expose flaws in its IT systems which led to wrongful convictions, has appeared before the public inquiry into the scandal.

Can this crucial stage of the inquiry take the victims a step closer to justice?

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:Tom Witherow, news and special projects reporter, The Times.  

Host:Luke Jones. 

Further listening: The Post Office scandal: How a TV drama delivered justice

Clips:Channel 4 News, ITV. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom'

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Chinese President Xi Jinping's new slogan, "develop new productive forces," aims to bolster the expansion of high-tech sectors to drive economic growth. China already dominates the world of electric cars and controls more than 80 percent of the global solar panel manufacturing market. So, what could China’s technological dominance mean for 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.co.uk/thestory 

Guest:Richard Spencer, China Correspondent, The Times.  

Host:Manveen Rana. 

Clips:AP Archive, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, YouTube/RUSI, Sky News, Reuters, BYD Europe, ABC News, CBS News.   

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom'

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Christopher Kinahan is the head of a billion dollar international crime cartel and one of the world's most wanted men but he's been sharing his whereabouts and opinions through Google reviews. What is the normally security conscious man doing, and could the information ultimately lead to his capture?

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: John Mooney, crime and security correspondent, Sunday Times Ireland.

Host:Calum Macdonald.

Clips: Raidió Teilifís Éireann, US State Department.

Further listening:Inside the Kinahan crime cartel and their billion euro empire

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

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President Biden has called for an immediate ceasefire and Rishi Sunak is facing pressure to stop arms sales to Israel after an IDF strike killed aid workers in Gaza. This comes days after the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. What does this mean for Israel as the world marks 6 months since the October 7 terror attacks?

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: 

Host:Manveen Rana.

Clips:Reuters, Channel 4 News, ITV News, Times Radio, IDF.  

Further listening: 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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The government says their much anticipated childcare reform, offering two-year-olds 15 hours a week of free childcare, is hitting targets. But parents and providers say the scheme’s rollout has been chaotic. Today, we go to a pre-school to find out what the reality looks like. 

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:

Special thanks to Desiree Chantarasak, and the children and teachers at Sunny Kids. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: UK Parliament, BBC Breakfast. 

Further listening: Childcare is a mess. Who will tidy it up?

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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Scotland’s new Hate Crime and Public Order Act came into force on Monday - and within 48 hours at least 800 'hate crimes' had been reported to Scottish police. So, what's in it? And why has it put Scotland once again at the centre of the culture wars?

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:Kieran Andrews, Scottish Political Editor,The Times & Sunday Times. 

Host:Manveen Rana. 

Clips:BBC, Sky News, This Morning, JRE, The Daily Mail, ITV News, BBC, TalkTV, BBC, GB News, Police Scotland, 

Get in touch:thestory@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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It's official: With Donald Trump confirmed as the Republican nominee, the US presidential race will be a Trump v Biden rematch. And with the primary contest over, Trump seems to be courting chaos again with some of the most infamous personalities from his 2016 presidential campaign slated to make a comeback. So just who is on Team Trump? And what do they tell us about the kind of race he will run?

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: David Charter, Assistant Editor (US), The Times.

Host: Calum Macdonald.

Clips:Associated Press, NBC News, ABC News, C-SPAN, Guardian News, Lara Trump, BBC News.

Further listening: What to expect from President Trump 2.0

Get in touch:thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

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A Times investigation has revealed a worrying lack of security at a prison housing dangerous criminals, prompting an urgent investigation by the Ministry of Justice. The journalist who went undercover at HMP Bedford tells The Story about witnessing fights and drugs - and hearing of a prison escape because of doors being left unlocked.

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: Paul Morgan-Bentley, Head of Investigations, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: ITV News, Times Radio, BBC.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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In our new monthly series of interviews, former foreign secretary and Times columnist William Hague speaks to his first guest, prime minister Rishi Sunak in Downing Street about juggling work and life as a dad, the threats and opportunities of AI, and inheriting ‘the worst hospital pass in many decades.’ 

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:Prime minister Rishi Sunak

Host:William Hague

Email us at our new address:thestory@thetimes.co.uk

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As President Putin repeats his assertion that Ukraine and the West are behind the terrorist attack last week that killed 137 Russians, the evidence is only growing that this was the work of ISIS. The culprits come from a faction that have risen out of the ashes of the former ISIS Caliphate: ISIS-K. So who are they? And how worried should the rest of the world be?

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:Mark Galeotti, historian, journalist and author of ‘We Need to Talk About Putin,’ ‘Putin’s Wars’ and ‘A Short History of Russia.’

Host:Manveen Rana.

Clips:Telegraph, PBS Newshour.

Email us at our new address:thestory@thetimes.co.uk

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Sir Keir Starmer has promised he will hold a vote on assisted dying if he wins the general election. In Canada - where it was made legal in 2016 - over 50,000 people have already been helped to die. So with momentum growing in Britain, could the Canadian experience hold important lessons for us?

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:Sarah Baxter, former deputy editor, The Sunday Times. 

Host:Manveen Rana.

Clips:BBC, ITV, Global News, Reuters. 

Email us at our new address:thestory@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom'

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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:

Host:Manveen Rana.

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

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

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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This Saturday morning we're sharing an episode of Times podcast How to Win an Election with listeners of The Story.

In the US, Taylor Swift could have the power to swing the presidential election. As famous faces come out to back Keir Starmer's plans for the arts, we ask when a celebrity endorsement can boost a campaign... and when it can go badly wrong.

The political masterminds Peter Mandelson, Polly Mackenzie and Daniel Finkelstein join Matt Chorley to discuss star power, and who could be the next Conservative leader - could the runners and riders include Michael Gove and even David Cameron?

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The whereabouts of the Princess of Wales is still under intense scrutiny after footage of William and Kate shopping failed to provide reassurance - and instead led to even more conspiracy theories. Does the obsession with Kate echo the days of Diana? And could the frenzy permanently damage Kensington Palace's brand?

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: Kate Mansey, Assistant Editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: CNN, Fox News, The View, Anderson Cooper 360. 

Further listening: Kate, that photo, and a PR nightmare

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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Data journalist Matilda Davies opened her first Facebook account when she was 11 years old. Years later, she requested all the information the social media behemoth had been collecting on her. What she uncovered shocked her. So, how exactly does the data gathering work? And what can we all do to reclaim some privacy?

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:Matilda Davies, data journalist, The Times and The Sunday Times.  

Host:Manveen Rana.

Clips:NBC, The Guardian.  

Students can subscribe to The Times for £9.99 a year for 3 years.Click here to access this special offer

Email us at our new address:thestory@thetimes.co.uk

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The NHS has announced a ban on puberty blockers for children with gender dysphoria. This week, Parliament will debate a bill sponsored by Liz Truss that would make it a criminal offence to prescribe any drugs to children for treating gender dysphoria, including in private clinics. But the story behind this overhaul in treatment began five years ago, with an explosive investigation from The Times’ Lucy Bannerman.

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: Lucy Bannerman, News feature writer, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: Times Radio, Sky News Australia, X/Daniel Shelvey

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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The aviation giant, Boeing, is facing intense scrutiny after a series of incidents involving their commercial planes. The company was once a pillar of America's post-WW2 industrial empire - so what’s gone wrong?  

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

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: ABC News 4, Reuters, Prelinger Archives, NASA, BBC News, The Sun, US National Archives, ABC News, NBC TODAY, KING 5 Seattle, KATU News. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk 

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of sexual abuse. 

The family member most likely to sexually abuse a child is their brother or sister. For years sexual abuse by siblings has been too much of a taboo to discuss but more survivors of abuse come forward to discuss their experiences. We hear from one of them on today’s podcast. 

If you or someone you know has been affected by sibling sexual abuse support and advice can be found Sibling Sexual Abuse Support and the Sibling Sexual Abuse Resource Centre.

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

Guests: Decca Aitkenhead, chief interviewer, The Sunday Times, and

Liz Roberts, sibling sexual abuse survivor.and advocate, www.liz-roberts.co.uk.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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With Russia going to the polls this weekend, and President Putin’s grip on power tighter than ever, any semblance of meaningful opposition has been suppressed or driven out. One notable exception was the brief but bloody attempted mutiny last summer by the mercenaries of the Wagner Group. So with its challenge to Putin crushed, and its leadership dead…what came next for Wagner?

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

Guests: Dr Jack Watling, Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute.

Host: Manveen Rana

Clips: Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, BBC, NBC, Africanews

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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Haiti’s acting prime minster has resigned, bending to pressure from the US. The move leaves a power vacuum into which has apparently stepped Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Cherizier. So, with much of the country's capital now a no-go zone, how did Haiti get here? And how did gang leader ‘Barbecue’ get his nickname? 

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

Guests:

Host:Manveen Rana.

Clips:CNN, BBC, CNN, France 24, WPLG Local 10, ABC, Biographics.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might like this one:Haiti: a failed state? https://pod.fo/e/16785c

Email us:storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom' 

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When the Odysseus lander touched down on the lunar surface last month, it became the first US presence on the moon in more than fifty years. But unlike the Cold War space race between two global superpowers, we now see a growing roster of nations - and private companies - vying to announce their presence on the moon. So with competition for rare resources looking set to intensify…who owns the moon, and could conflict there mean war on earth?

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

Guests: Professor Anthony Grayling, Principal of Northeastern University, London, philosopher and author of Who Owns the Moon?

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: CNBC News, Fox News, NASA, BBC News, CBS News, ABC News, C-SPAN, NBC News, CBC News.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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A new photo of the Princess of Wales released after months of social media speculation about her health has further fuelled conspiracy theories. 

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

Guest:Kate Mansey, Royal Editor, The Times. 

Host:Luke Jones. 

Clips:BBC, Inside Edition. 

Email us:storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom' 

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From Tuesday 19th March, Stories of our times will become The Story.

Manveen Rana and Luke Jones will be joined on the podcast by Times columnist and former foreign secretary William Hague, who once a month will sit down with a prominent newsmaker or thinker, with his first episode available later in March.

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After she resigned in 2022, everyone thought Liz Truss would disappear. Not a bit of it. She’s earned more than £300,000 from speeches, has a new book out and is a favourite of America’s alt-right. Rachel Sylvester asks Westminster insiders: is the former PM deluded or planning a comeback? 

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

Guest: Rachel Sylvester, columnist, The Times. 

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips:WarRoom.org, ITV News, Parliament, GB News, Sky News, Times Radio, CPAC, Conservatives, IoG, CNN.

Further listening: The untold story of Liz Truss's chaotic 49 days in No 10 

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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One in four drugs that are prescribed to adults in England are dependency-forming drugs. And while prescriptions for opioids have fallen following the epidemic in the US, two dependency-forming drug groups have seen prescriptions rise: pregabalin and antidepressants. Do we really understand how these drugs are affecting patients? Or are we sleep-walking into a new addiction crisis?

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

If you've been prescribed any of the drugs mentioned in this podcast, do not stop taking your prescription without consulting your doctor first. And if you are concerned about dependence on prescription or other drugs, talk to your GP. If you’re having trouble finding the right sort of help, call the Frank drugs helpline on 0300 123 6600. 

Guest:Venetia Menzies, Data and Digital Journalist, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host:Manveen Rana.

Email us:storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom' 

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Tax burdens are at the highest level in living memory, yet public services are falling apart. That's why the rich should pay more tax, says our guest: economist and millionaire Gary Stevenson, a working-class kid who went from being expelled at school to becoming Citibank’s most successful trader. But would a wealth tax work?

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

Guests:

- Lily Russell-Jones, senior money reporter, The Times and The Sunday Times.

- Gary Stevenson, economist, millionaire former trader and author of The Trading Game: A Confession.

Host:Luke Jones. 

Clips:GB News, parliamentlive.tv

If you enjoyed this episode, you might like this one: 'Who is Britain's richest person?' https://pod.fo/e/17d4b3

Email us:storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

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We report from Israel during a critical week which might mark a tipping point in the Gaza war. If there isn't a ceasefire by the start of Ramadan this weekend, could violence erupt far beyond Gaza? 

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

Guests:

- Tamir Hayman, managing director of Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies.

- Ehud Olmert, former prime minister of Israel.

- Samer Sinijlawi, chairman of the Jerusalem Development Fund.

Clips:Reuters, News9 Live, CBS.

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Reform UK - a fringe political party founded by Nigel Farage - is unlikely to win many seats, it has little money and its leader has a low profile. But the Conservatives are still nervous about the Farage effect following a bruising by-election. Could the rise of Reform be the nail in the coffin for the Tories?

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

Guest:Harry Yorke, Deputy Political Editor, The Sunday Times. 

Host:Luke Jones.  

Clips:YouTube, Reform UK. GB News.  

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On Friday, Operation Kenova, a long running investigation into a man known as Stakeknife, the British Army’s top spy within the IRA, will finally be published. Did the British government knowingly allow murder in order to protect its man on the inside? 

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

Guest: Sean O’Neill, senior writer, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips:ITV News, Policing Board, Thames TV, BBC.

Further listening: An unsolved murder, the Troubles, and the British state

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He's been skewering those in power with his drawings for The Times since 1992. In an age where finding the balance between satire and offence can be a fraught, Peter Brookes, our award-winning political cartoonist, discusses his brush with Boris Johnson, why he appreciates a loathsome politician, and the challenges of drawing Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. 

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

Guest:Peter Brookes, political cartoonist, The Times. 

Host:Manveen Rana. 

Clips:BBC, NBC.

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With his nomination as the Republican presidential candidate now looking all but certain, Donald Trump's grip on his party seems to get stronger with every primary. On Tuesday night, he added another emphatic victory to the list in Michigan. But with Super Tuesday just days away, he still has one opponent left standing. So who is Nikki Haley? And what's motivating her to keep going in the face of almost impossible odds?

Register here for Times US Election Live Q&A: https://times-event.com/us-election/

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

Guest: David Charter, Assistant Editor (US), The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: Fox News, Sky News, BBC News, CBS News, C-SPAN, NBC News, CNN.

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Hamas has been sent a proposal for a new pause in military operations in Gaza, including the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. Meanwhile, one month on from the International Court of Justice ruling that Israel must let more aid into Gaza – has this happened? We speak to a British paramedic in Rafah.

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

Guests:

- Iain Campbell, paramedic and aid worker in Gaza.

- George Grylls, defence and political correspondent, The Times. 

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: ICJ, The Times/US Network Pool, Forbes, Reuters, CBC News, BBC News, France24, TRT World. 

Further listening: A diary of war: Three months in Gaza

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This Thursday, Rochdale voters will be asked to cast their vote in a by-election following the death last month of MP Sir Tony Loyd. There is technically no Labour candidate standing, though three former ones are. So what’s happening? And as the by-election is being framed by some as a referendum on Gaza - what of the other issues facing the town?

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

Guest:Darryl Morris, Presenter, Times Radio.

Host:Luke Jones.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

A full list of the candidates for the Rochdale by-election can be found here: https://www.rochdale.gov.uk/elections-voting/statement-persons-nominated-notice-poll 

Clips:Sky News, BBC, Daily Mail, George Galloway, Good Morning Britain.

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When the contraceptive pill was introduced in the 1960s, many considered it to be one of the most significant inventions of the 20th Century. Sixty years on, a generation of young women are questioning the pill - but why? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guest: 

Host:Manveen Rana. 

Clips:CBS, ITV, TikTok, Channel 4.   

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If you murder someone, you get a life sentence. But what does a life sentence actually mean in practice? We speak to a bereaved parent fighting to end one of the justice system’s most egregious sentencing disparities.

Murder sentencing consultation (closing date: March 4, 2024): https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/murder-sentencing-consultation/

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

Guests:

- Carole Gould, mother of Ellie Gould, and co-founder of Killed Women. 

- Lucy Bannerman, News Feature Writer, The Times.

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With ever-increasing house prices across the country far outstripping the rate at which earnings are rising, millions of young people are now being forced to either live at home with their parents, or pay extortionate rent in a market where landlords have all the power. So what hope is there for Generation Rent?

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

Guests: Lily Russell-Jones, Senior Money Writer, The Times and Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: GB News; The Independent; BBC Radio 4; Times Radio.

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While an SNP motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza will be debated in the House of Commons today, all eyes are on Labour. The party has tiptoed around a position on the war in Gaza since the terrorist attacks of October 7th, causing divisions among MPs and supporters. Will Keir Starmer’s eleventh hour call for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire” be enough to see off another rebellion and hold his party together in an election year? 

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

Guests:

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: NBC News, Sky News, Parliament, Mayor of London, BBC News, LBC, AFP, Times Radio.

Further listening: Keir Starmer’s Blairite playbook

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Alexei Navalny, Russia's opposition leader, is dead. His wife says that President Putin killed her husband while the Russian state denies any involvement. What does his death mean for the opposition, the Kremlin and the future of Russia?

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

Guest:Mark Galeotti, historian, journalist and author of ‘We Need to Talk About Putin,’ ‘Putin’s Wars’ and ‘A Short History of Russia.’

Host:Manveen Rana.

Clips:MEDIAZONE, BBC, SKY, @yulia_navalny / X.

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An overwhelming demand for ADHD diagnoses has left the NHS struggling to keep up. What’s behind the rise?

Content warning: This episode contains mentions of suicidal thoughts and eating disorders.

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

Guests: 

- Kat Brown, journalist and author of It's Not A Bloody Trend: Understanding Life as an ADHD Adult.

- Dr Ulrich Müller-Sedgwick, consultant psychiatrist.   

Host:Darryl Morris. 

Clips:Times Radio, BBC.  

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

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Christopher Nolan has become a franchise unto himself; one of the few directors who can walk into a studio with an original idea and walk out with the millions needed to make it. His latest film, Oppenheimer, has grossed over a billion dollars and been nominated for 13 Oscars. Today he takes us inside the making of the film.

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

Guest:Christopher Nolan.

Host: Tom Shone.

Clips:Universal Pictures/Oppenheimer, Warner Bros. Pictures/Interstellar, Golden Globes.

Closing music by Jason Mayo.

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A special counsel report in the US has again raised questions about Joe Biden’s mental faculties, describing the President as "a well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory." So, what are the mechanisms to replace him, were he to step aside or be removed?

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

Guest:David Charter, assistant editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

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An alleged Russian spy was an Afghan refugee who had worked his way into the British Foreign Office. According to court documents, he had met two Prime Ministers, the King and Prince William during the course of his work. The man, known only as ‘C2’ denies all the allegations.

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

Guest:Emma Yeomans, News reporter, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

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With millions of people across the UK struggling to access NHS dental care, and many being forced to go private or even treat themselves at home, how did dentistry in Britain reach this point, how serious is the crisis, and what can be done to fix 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/storiesofourtimes.

Guests:

- Dr. Paul Woodhouse from the Grange Dental Practice and,

- Rachel Sylvester, Times Columnist and Chair of the Times Health Commission.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: ITV News, Channel 4 News, UK Parliament, AP (British Movietone).

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

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Cheap drones, robots and AI have all shaped the conduct of the war in Ukraine. Ahead of its second anniversary on 24th February, Manveen talks to eminent war historian, Sir Lawrence Freedman, about how war will never be the same again.

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

Guest: Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King’s College London.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips:Al Jazeera, Sky News, BBC News, DW News, CNN, Global News, ABC News, MGM/UA Entertainment Company/United International Pictures.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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How King Charles’s cancer diagnosis will affect the monarchy and those in it, personally and professionally.

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

Guest: Roya Nikkhah, Royal Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: Times Radio, Channel 4, BBC, Sky News, CNN, WION, CBS, TODAY, BBC, TalkTV, Fabulous Magazine, AFP, ABC, CBS, GB News.

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It’s Super Bowl Sunday in America this weekend. But whispers from some corners of the internet suggest there’s a bigger game afoot. So just how did Taylor Swift find herself at the centre of a conspiracy theory involving America's biggest television event and a presidential election? And is there any truth to any of 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/storiesofourtimes. 

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

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: Recording Academy/GRAMMYs, MSNBC, NBC, NFLonFOX, Netflix, TikTok/NowThis, CNN, Taylor Swift, Restoring National Confidence Summit

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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A quarter of people watching pornography are women, but why do we find it hard to comprehend? We speak to the author of a new book who has interviewed one hundred women about their porn habits - what can we learn about women’s pleasure? 

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

Guest: Dr Fiona Vera-Gray, deputy director at the Child and Women’s Abuse Studies Unit at London Metropolitan University, and author of Women on Porn: One hundred stories. One vital conversation. 

Host: Jane Mulkerrins.

Clips: Times Radio, The Tomorrow Show/NBC. 

Listen to Megan Agnew’s account of being inside an orgasm ‘commune’here

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Israel’s prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu is increasingly embattled, amid protests by the families of hostages calling for him to go. Could this crisis lead to his downfall?

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

Guest: Anshel Pfeffer, Times contributor in Jerusalem and author of Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu.

Host:Manveen Rana.

Clips:Reuters, CBC News, NBC News, American Jewish Committee, CNA, Channel 12 News, News9 Live, Face the Nation/CBS, Channel 4 News.

Listen to Amal Helles’s diary of life inside Gazahere.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

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In an interview over the weekend, President Zelensky announced a major shake up in the Ukrainian army. It comes after a week-long battle between Zelensky and his top general. So after all of this internal disarray – how is the war seen right now by Ukrainians? Anthony Loyd returns from another trip to the country, where he embedded with brigades and met the men desperate to avoid conscription.

This episode contains frank descriptions of warfare.

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

Guest: Anthony Loyd, Special Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips:Telegram/Щоденник Вільного

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We hear the story of one woman who was stalked by her ex-boyfriend, as domestic abuse charities warn that young people are becoming accustomed to a high level of monitoring in romantic relationships. And one of our producers finds out first hand what it's like to be tracked.

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

If you’ve been affected by issues in this podcast, you can find a list of organisations that offer support here. 

Refuge also runs the National Domestic Abuse Helpline for women experiencing domestic abuse, their family, friends and others calling on their behalf. You can call them on their free 24-hour helpline: 0808 2000 247

Guest: Constance Kampfner, News Reporter, The Times.

Host: Will Roe. 

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Palestinian journalist Amal Helles has been reporting for The Times and The Sunday Times from Gaza since the Hamas attacks on Israel, and the beginning of the conflict in October. Foreign journalists aren't allowed unaccompanied into the territory, where she lives with her husband and two small children. So we’ve been talking to her via WhatsApp voice notes about life amid food shortages, bombing and evacuation.

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

Guest: Amal Helles, journalist, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Olivia Case.

Clips: France 24, Inside Edition, BBC, WSL, NBC, The Guardian, ABC, Al Jazeera, CBS, CTV, TRT World, ABC, WION, 13News Now, 13WMAZ, Channel 4, AP, PBS, The National, Reuters, DW News, Middle East Eye, Democracy Now, MSNBC.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

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A former adviser to the prime minister is working with a secretive group of Tories to remove him from office before the general election. MPs have been out publicly backing Rishi Sunak and denying their involvement, but it risks setting off yet another civil war in the party. So who are the rebels? 

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

Guest: Steven Swinford, Political Editor, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: Times Radio, Parliament Live, 10 Downing Street, BBC News, BBC Radio 4 Today, Sky News, BBC Breakfast. 

If you enjoyed this episode, you might like this one too:Keir Starmer’s Blairite playbook

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On Sunday, three American troops were killed in a drone strike on a US base in Jordan. At least 34 were wounded. The group responsible for the attack is one of the many Iran-backed militias that operate in the region, and they've now announced that they will halt further attacks on the US. So did Iran authorise the attack? And, at a time of such heightened tensions in the Middle East, is it a sign that Iran is losing control of its proxy forces - or preparing for war?

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

Guest:Richard Spencer, Correspondent, The Times.

Host:Manveen Rana.

Clips: Times Radio, Fox News, Al Jazeera, MSNBC, BBC.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk.

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While UK students need straight As to get onto prestigious Russell Group degree courses, their international classmates can buy their way in through secret routes. An undercover Sunday Times investigation has already prompted an urgent review by the Department for Education.

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

Guests:

- Jonathan Calvert, Insight Editor, The Sunday Times.

- George Arbuthnott, Deputy Insight Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host:Luke Jones.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk.

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OneTaste, the organisation behind the practice 'orgasmic meditation', was hailed as visionary at its peak. Since then, its leader, Nicole Daedone, has been arrested by the FBI on forced labour charges and her group has been branded a 'cult' – allegations they deny vehemently. But what is it? Sunday Times reporter Megan Agnew was invited to their California compound, The Land, to find out.

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

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

Host:Jane Mulkerrins.

Clips:ABC7 News, YouTube/Rebecca Watson, Eros Platform @OneTaste, goop.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

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A Russian-born trader and a billionaire who admitted to fraud have topped this year’s Sunday Times Tax List, but more than two-thirds of the 100 individuals and families on the list contributed less tax this year. So, at a time when the tax bill for most people is up, who is paying less, and why?  

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

Guest:Robert Watts, Contributor, The Sunday Times.

Host:Luke Jones.

Clips:Sky News, Sky Sports News, Bloomberg, YouTube - Ed Sheeran. 

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom

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Sir Keir Starmer is on the pre-campaign trail this week, promoting his five missions that Labour are pledging to achieve if they win the upcoming election. It comes after the most detailed polling yet predicted a landslide majority to rival Tony Blair’s 1997 win. So what would Starmer actually do in government? And what lessons is he taking from the Blairite playbook?

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

Guest: Philip Collins, Columnist, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: BBC Newsnight, Times Radio, ITV News, Sky News, The Rest is Politics, Labour, The Guardian, The Times, Novara Media, BBC News.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

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UK health chiefs have declared a national incident following a surge in measles cases in the Midlands and London, and the World Health Organisation warned yesterday that it's spreading rapidly across Europe too. Measles is a disease many doctors thought they would never see again – so what's going on?

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

Guest:Tom Whipple, Science Editor, The Times.

Host:Manveen Rana.

Links:The Battle of the Beams by Tom Whipple

Clips:Times Radio, Sky News, Channel 4 News, CBS News, Right America Media, Vaxxed/Cinema Libre Studio.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

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Louise Callaghan has spent most of the last decade reporting from the Middle East. During that time she witnessed a coup attempt in Turkey, the battle to free Mosul, and was the first Western journalist to report on a gas attack in Syria in 2018. As she heads to the US to report on the election there, she reflects on the lessons she learned in the region.

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

Guest: Louise Callaghan, former Middle East Correspondent and current Senior US Correspondent, The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: Euronews, TRT World, RTE, France 24, Al Jazeera.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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Following his seminal book Empireland, Times writer Sathnam Sanghera now looks at the legacy of colonialism for the billions of people Britain once ruled over – from houseplants to the state of democracy. He also tells us about the fallout from Empireland, and why the debate around our own history has become so toxic. 

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

Guest: Sathnam Sanghera, Writer, The Times, and author of Empireworld: How British Imperialism Has Shaped the Globe.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: The British Council, BBC News, TODAY/NBC, Empire/Goalhanger, Parliament Live, Chatham House, Conservatives.

Read more:Sathnam Sanghera: why I’m taking on the racist trolls again

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After trying - and failing - to kill him via lethal injection, Alabama is planning to execute death row inmate Kenneth Smith next week using an untested method - nitrogen suffocation. But why are they resorting to this? And could he get a last minute reprieve?

Today's episode contains descriptions of death and execution, right from the start - so do consider if you want to listen.

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

Guest:Alistair Dawber, Washington correspondent, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host:Manveen Rana.

Clips:Times Radio, FOX, NewsNation.

Email us:storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom'

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Three months into the war in Gaza, the conflict has reached a courtroom: the International Court of Justice in the Hague. South Africa says we are witnessing a genocide take place in real time. Israel has called the claims ‘preposterous’. A leading expert in international law walks us through the case and its possible consequences.

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

Guest:Holger Hestermeyer, Professor of International and EU Law, Diplomatic Academy of Vienna.

Host:Luke Jones.

Clips:United Nations, Channel 4 News, LBC, Sky News.

Email us:storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

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Twenty years after Mean Girls introduced Regina George and her pink-clad Plastics to cinema screens, the high-school Queen Bee is back in a new musical film and a West End stage musical. So why is a film for teenage girls still so popular two decades later? And what did it expose about the complicated politics of girl world?

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

Guest: Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, pop culture historian and author of So Fetch: The Making of Mean Girls (And Why We’re Still So Obsessed With It).

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: Mean Girls (2004)/Paramount Pictures, CBS Sunday Morning, Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Conan O’Brien/NBC, The Breakfast Club/Universal Pictures, Clueless/Paramount Pictures, Rosalind Wiseman/The Empower Program, Mean Girls (2024)/Paramount Pictures, Apex Predator/Barrett Wilbert Weed, Erika Henningsen/Mean Girls (Original Broadway Cast Recording).

Read more:

Email us:storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom'

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Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthis began firing missiles into Israel shortly after the invasion of Gaza. But when the rebels started targeting commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea, the US and UK hit back. So, who are the Houthis and can they be stopped?

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

Guest:Dr Elisabeth Kendall, Arabist & Middle East specialist and Mistress of Girton College, Cambridge University. 

Host:Manveen Rana.

Clips:NBC, CBS, BBC, France 24, Al Jazeera, Reuters, YouTube/Dr Elisabeth Kendall. 

Email us:storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom'

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This month, thousands of court documents about Jeffrey Epstein were released, unredacted, for the first time. They include new names and allegations about a number of high profile figures. So what did we learn and will anyone go to jail?

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

Guest:Will Pavia, New York correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips:NBC, Talk TV, News Nation, WFF News, BBC, NBC, MSNBC, AP, City News, E News.

Email us: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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Tomorrow, Taiwan heads to the polls. It’s the first election of a historic year, where more than half of the world’s population will vote. It could also be one of the most consequential. If the ‘wrong’ candidate wins, China may threaten the self-governing island which the US has pledged to defend.

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

Guest:Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips:MSNBC, Atlantic Council, TaiwanPlus News, CNA, Bloomberg Television, CBS 60 minutes, Sky News Australia, Associated Press.

Email us: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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The Prime Minister has announced new legislation to quash the convictions of wrongly accused subpostmasters. It comes after a groundswell of interest - and outrage - in the story after an ITV drama was broadcast last week. How did a TV show achieve what years of journalism and a public inquiry had failed to? And what next for the convicted subpostmasters?

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

Guest:Tom Witherow, news and special projects reporter, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips:Times Radio, ITV, Parliament, Talk TV, GMB.

Email us: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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The American economy appears to be making a miraculous recovery from inflation and the pandemic. So why the bad economic vibes? Consumer sentiment is low, and the Biden administration is struggling to gain credit for dodging recession. The lessons from that could soon be felt here, as Britain heads towards an election.

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

Guest:Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips:CNN, ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ - D:Ream/Magnet Records, Kyla Scanlon, Press Association, Sky News.

Email us: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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In 1972 a small plane with 45 souls on board crashed in the Andes mountains. Stranded for ten weeks in minus 30C, the survivors were eventually forced to eat the bodies of their friends. Their story has been made into a new film 'Society of the Snow'; we hear from a survivor.

This podcast contains scenes of a graphic nature.

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

Guest:Blanca Schofield, assistant culture and books editor at The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips:NBC News, 7NEWS, Ave Maria / Franz Schubert / Yehudi Menuhin & Adolph Baller / Paul Gordon & George Moskov / BBV Production / EuroArts Music.

Email us:storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom'

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In 1991, 26 year old Margaret Perry was murdered. A year later, the three men suspected of being responsible were themselves killed. All four deaths came during the latter years of Northern Ireland’s Troubles. Will a long awaited investigation into the period finally reveal any answers? 

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

Find out more about our Apple bonus series: 'Inside the Newsroom'

Guest:Glen Keogh, Senior Reporter, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Clips: BBC, Sky News.

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The killing of a senior Hamas official in Lebanon has further stoked tensions in the Middle East. Hezbollah’s supreme leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has warned Israel that it is ready for war “without limits” should the IDF attack. Meanwhile, Iran has blamed Israel for a twin bomb attack near the tomb of an Iranian general. What impact will these developments have on the war in Gaza?  

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

Guest:Richard Spencer, Correspondent, The Times.   

Host:Manveen Rana. 

Clips:BBC, ABC, Sky, France 24, DW News, CBS, Global News.  

Email us:storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers:'Inside the newsroom'

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Despite being banned from the ballot paper in two states (so far) and multiple legal hurdles, Donald Trump is the clear favourite to return as the Republican candidate for US president, and opinion polls also give him the edge in a rematch with Joe Biden. Trump has joked about becoming a "dictator" for a day if he wins, and says he would carry out mass deportations – and that’s just the beginning of his plans for a second term.

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

Guest: David Charter, US Editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: Sky News, ABC News, New York Post, CBS News, Trump 2024, The Economic Times, Fox News, The 700 Club, CNN, US Network Pool, Forbes, The Benny Show. 

Read more:

Email us: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

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David Woode was 16 when he was first stopped and searched by police. As a black man, he is six times more likely to be stopped than white counterparts, but his job reporting on knife crime and violence has made him see the other side of stop and search.

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

Guest: David Woode, Crime Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: The News Agents, Parliament Live, ITN, BBC Newsnight. 

Read more:I’ve been stopped and searched by the police since I was 16

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our Apple bonus series: 'Inside the Newsroom'

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Struggling to drift off? If your goal in the new year is to sleep better, neurologist and sleep expert Prof Guy Leschziner unlocks the mysteries of sleep and the impact of a good night’s rest on our overall health.

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

Guest:Guy Leschziner, Professor of Neurology and Sleep Medicine, King's College London. 

Host:Manveen Rana. 

Links:‘The Secret World of Sleep: Journeys Through the Nocturnal Mind’ by Guy Leschziner https://timesbookshop.co.uk/the-secret-world-of-sleep-9781471176388

Email us:storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

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In the week between Christmas and New Year, we’re listening back to some of our favourite episodes of 2023.

Vladimir Putin may have averted an armed rebellion by Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin – but if the fall of Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991 tells us anything, it's that even a failed coup can still spell ruin for a leader.

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

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

Host:Manveen Rana. 

Clips: BBC News, ABC News, MSNBC, Simon Marks Reporting, Perm Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet.

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

In the week between Christmas and New Year, we’re listening back to some of our favourite episodes of 2023.

Jody Oliver deceived his wife, children and male fiancés while adopting a colourful array of identities, scamming those around him out of millions of pounds. Now that he’s in jail, his story can be told.

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

Article:The seven lives of the £2m fraudster - https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-seven-astonishing-lives-of-the-2m-fraudster-85mdvmxvs

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

Host: Luke Jones.

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

In the week between Christmas and New Year, we’re listening back to some of our favourite episodes of 2023.

The giant panda has become one of China’s diplomatic tools, after a pair were gifted to President Nixon as an act of friendship in the 1970s. But with US-China relations deteriorating - what can pandas tell us about the two superpowers’ modern relationship?

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

Guest: Didi Tang, Beijing Correspondent, The Times.

Host:Manveen Rana. 

Clips: The National Archives, CNN, France 24, CCTV, NBC News, Richard Nixon Foundation, Action News 5, TikTok/@care2petitions, pandavoices.org.

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

In the week between Christmas and New Year, we’re listening back to some of our favourite episodes of 2023.

The UK is now Europe’s biggest consumer of cocaine. The drug has been linked to a surge in domestic violence and middle-class users are being warned it’s not a victimless crime. How is so much cocaine getting into the country? And what can the authorities do about it?

You can read Dipesh's article (and see an image of charcoal soaked in cocaine)here.

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

Guest:Dipesh Gadher, Home Affairs Correspondent, The Sunday Times.

Host:Luke Jones.

Clips:France 24, Al Jazeera, Euronews, BBC News, Sky News.

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

In the week between Christmas and New Year, we’re listening back to some of our favourite episodes of 2023.

A Times journalist went undercover to show that British Gas obtained court warrants to break into customers’ homes to force fit prepayment meters. The investigation led to immediate responses from the company, the regulator and from government. So how did the investigation unfold?

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

Guest:Paul Morgan-Bentley, Head of Investigations, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

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

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Christmas is a time to pause and reflect. So today we take the opportunity to speak with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, about his own memories of financial struggle, the cost of living crisis, and his role as president of the charity Feeding Britain. 

Donate to The Times and Sunday Times Christmas Appeal:

Visit thetimes.co.uk/christmasappeal or call 0151 284 2336.

Guests:

- Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury.

- Poppy Koronka, news reporter, The Times.

Host:Kaya Burgess.

Clips:Sky News.

Email us: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

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Not all wheelchairs are created equal… whether it’s colour, size, weight or power, wheelchairs can be built to fit the user’s needs. Which is where Whizz Kidz, one of this year’s Times and Sunday Times Christmas Appeal charities, comes in. On today’s episode - we meet two children who’ve been provided with wheelchairs by the charity to hear about the change it’s made to their lives.

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

Host: Luke Jones.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our Apple bonus series: 'Inside the Newsroom'

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Gen Z voters are ramping up the pressure on President Biden to tone down his support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas. According to a recent New York Times poll, their support for the Palestinians far exceeds that of any other age cohort. 

So what sits behind this generational pivot, which is playing out not only in the US, but across the West more widely? The Sunday Times's Katie Tarrant, herself a Gen Zer, talks TikTok and campus antisemitism with Luke. 

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

Guest:Katie Tarrant, news reporter, The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

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Our literary editors give us the lowdown on what they’ve been reading this last year - from steamy sex to the end of the world - and what should be on your Christmas gift list.

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

Guests:

Host: Luke Jones

For the full list of Times & Sunday Times best books of the year, read more:https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/best-books-2023-gmbb8spb3 

You can buy every book on the list at timesbookshop.co.uk

Prophet Song - Paul Lynch

The Wren, The Wren - Anne Enright

Ordinary Human Failings - Megan Nolan

The Bee Sting - Paul Murray

Old God’s Time - Sebastian Barry

Soldier Sailor - Claire Kilroy

The Future - Naomi Alderman

Birnam Wood - Eleanor Catton

Fire Weather - John Vaillant

Politics on the Edge - Rory Stewart

But What Can I Do? - Alastair Campbell

How Westminster Works… And Why It Doesn’t - Ian Dunt

Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver

The New Life - Tom Crewe

Spare - Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

The Woman In Me - Britney Spears

My Name Is Barbra - Barbra Streisand

Paris: The Memoir - Paris Hilton

Erotic Vagrancy - Roger Lewis

The Earth Transformed - Peter Frankopan

Pathogenesis - Jonathan Kennedy

Eve - Cat Bohannon

The Line of Beauty - Alan Hollinghurst

Decline and Fall - Evelyn Waugh

I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow - Gabrielle Zevin

Long Island - Colm Tóibín

Knife - Salman Rushdie

Find out more about our Apple bonus series: 'Inside the Newsroom'

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Two weeks after yet another attempted coup, veteran Times war correspondent Anthony Loyd returns to Sierra Leone, the West African country he first visited 26 years ago amid civil war. 

There he encounters a young woman from the streets, who would have long been dead by now, were it not for her survival skills and the conversation she shared with the occupants of a car one night 15 years ago.

Guest:Anthony Loyd, special correspondent, The Times.

Host:Luke Jones.

Donate to The Times and Sunday Times Christmas Appeal:

Visit thetimes.co.uk/christmasappeal or call 0151 284 2336.

Every pound donated to Street Child by readers of The Times and The Sunday Times will be doubled up to £225,000. Of this matched funding, £150,000 will be provided by From Babies with Love, the gift brand that donates 100 per cent profit to vulnerable children, and generous donations from Boodles, a luxury and fine diamond retailer, and an anonymous donor.

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This weekend, Rishi Sunak was in Rome meeting Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni. As well as being a fan of the British PM, she's also a devotee of one of the UK's most famous writers - author of The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien. An exhibition on his life and work has opened in the city, so how did he become a cultural icon for the for Italy’s hard-right?

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

Guest:Tom Kington, Italy Correspondent, The Times. 

Host: Luke Jones

Read more: 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/eye-of-meloni-turns-on-jrr-tolkien-exhibition-7xjcf08pq 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/meloni-attends-tolkien-show-kkhj0dwl2 

Clips: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/New Line Cinema, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert/CBS, MiC Italia, Vista Agenzia Televisiva Nazionale, France 24, Facebook/Giorgia Meloni, Reuters, CGTN, Fanpage.it, DW News, Barbarossa/Martinelli Film Company International/Rai Fiction.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our Apple bonus series: 'Inside the Newsroom'

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A Times investigation has found that tobacco companies have been engaged in a secret lobbying campaign to try and boost their e cigarette sales. They've bankrolled scientific papers playing down the risks of youth vaping and funded so-called independent foundations, which then try and lobby the government. How has this gone unchecked?

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

Guest:Billy Kenber, Senior Investigations Reporter, The Times.

Host:Luke Jones.

Clips: TikTok/studentbeams, TikTok/hellocallum, BBC News, C-SPAN.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our Apple bonus series: 'Inside the Newsroom'

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Jon Venables was ten years old when he and another boy tortured and killed two year old James Bulger. He’s now been refused parole on his imprisonment for a separate charge. So how did he end up here? Did he get a fair trial in the first place? And are we getting it right when it comes to our treatment of children who kill?

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

Guest: David James Smith, Sunday Times contributor and author ofThe Sleep of Reason: The James Bulger Case.

Host:Luke Jones.

Clips: ITN / Getty, Channel 4, BBC, Merseyside Police, Eyes of the Detective / Teresa Hunt / BBC, TalkTV, Liverpool Lullaby / Martin Wallace / Channel 4, CBS.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Find out more about our Apple bonus series: 'Inside the Newsroom'

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He's one of the most popular rappers in America: Young Thug is facing up to 120 years in prison for allegedly being the head of a violent criminal gang. State prosecutors in Georgia are using lyrics from his songs as 'proof' of acts they say he was involved in, including the murder of a rival. But with this line of courtroom argument, is artistic freedom of speech under threat? 

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

Find out more about our Apple bonus series: 'Inside the Newsroom'

Guest: Keiran Southern, West Coast correspondent, The Times.

Host:Luke Jones.

Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk

Clips: 11Alive, CNN.

Music excerpts:

Camilla Cabello ft Young Thug - Havana (Epic/Syco)

Young Thug - Stoner (Atlantic Records)

Young Thug - Anybody (YSL/300/Atlantic Records)

Young Thug - Slime Shit (300/Atlantic Records)

Young Thug - Just How It Is (YSL/300/Atlantic Records)

Lil Durk - Ahhh Ha (Alamo)

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