The Story

This morning the Times broke the news that Wes Streeting had told allies he was preparing to resign as Health Secretary tomorrow to trigger a leadership contest. The story emerged just ahead of the King’s arrival in Westminster for the state opening of parliament. What do we know now? And what does this mean for Starmer’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

Guests:  

Host:John Pienaar, Manveen Rana

Producers:Sandra Mitchell, Harry Bligh 

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Keir Starmer latest - live page

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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As Keir Starmer clings on to his premiership, there’s one man continuing his victory laps. Nigel Farage’s party Reform UK was the big winner in last week’s local elections, picking up more than 1,450 council seats. So, what’s behind this? Is this just a blip – or the start of a new phase of British politics?

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:Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times.

Host:Luke Jones.

Producers:Callum Martin, Sophie McNulty.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: New Reform councillor suspended after racist posts emerge

Further listening: “Keir Starmer couldn’t run a bath.” What next for Labour?

Clips: BBC, Manchester Evening News, LBC, Reform UK, APT. 

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

An extraordinary day in British politics: Keir Starmer vows to fight on, but the resignations keep on coming. How long can the prime minister survive? What's next, and who will move first? Wes Streeting has one shot: will he take it? What is Andy Burnham's plan?

Recorded at Temple Church as part of the Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words.

Hosts:

Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture credit: Getty Images 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Republican voters across the United States are rejecting ultra-processed foods, marking a striking political and cultural shift. But, how did the ‘bread basket of America’ get so ultra-processed in the first place? And is this the moment Big Food faces a reckoning?

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, Americas correspondent, The Sunday Times

Host:Luke Jones

Producer:Sophie McNulty

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: How Maga fell out of love with fast food

Further listening:The momfluencers embracing ‘Make America Healthy Again’

Clips: Robert F Kennedy Jr. - YouTube, The White House, Fox News, Charles McCall - Instagram, The Internet Archive, US National Archives, Pringles - YouTube. 

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

More than 50 MPs have publicly urged Keir Starmer either to resign immediately or set out a timetable for his departure as PM, after he made a speech this morning attempting to save his premiership after last week’s disastrous election results. So has he done enough to prove the doubters wrong for now?

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:  

Host:John Pienaar.

Producer:Edward Drummond, Sandra Mitchell.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:Rebel MP gathers names calling for resignation

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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Labour suffered historic losses in Thursday’s elections, triggering dozens of the party’s MPs to call for Keir Starmer’s resignation. And yet, even with the party in disarray, the PM has so far remained defiant. So, can he survive? And what do the election results tell us about the country’s political 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:Aubrey Allegretti, chief political correspondent, The Times

Host:Manveen Rana

Producers:Sophie McNulty, Dave Creasey

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Challenge Keir Starmer by Monday or I will, Labour MP tells cabinet

Further listening:Reform shake Labour to its core

Clips: BBC, ITN, Times Radio, The Times

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Amanda Knox was at the centre of one of the most gruesome murders and sensationalised trials of the 21st century. Accused of killing her flatmate, she transformed into a global media obsession almost overnight. Now, nearly two decades later, she’s turning that experience into an Edinburgh Fringe comedy show. Is it brave, morally questionable, or both?

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: Helen Rumbelow, feature writer, The Times.

Host:Manveen Rana.

Producer: Dave Creasey.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:Amanda Knox: Why I’ve turned my life into an Edinburgh comedy show

Clips:ABC, CNN, BBC News, Sky News.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Very few people get to see David Attenborough behind the scenes. Tony Lee Moral did, starting out as a young researcher alongside him at Bristol’s legendary Natural History Unit. As Attenborough turns 100, what's it like to observe him in his natural habitat? Tony reflects on the charm, curiosity, exacting standards and quiet humanity that made him such a remarkable person to work with.

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

Read by:Tony Lee Moral.

Producer: Dave Creasey.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:David Attenborough at 100 — we’ve been lucky to watch him roam this planet

Clips:BBC.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

For now, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer vows to stay as the Reform leader Nigel Farage calls this a “truly historic shift in British politics”.

Steven and Lara caught up at the Times office in Westminster just after 4pm to unpack the results from England’s local council and mayoral elections, alongside national contests in Scotland and Wales, as Reform and the Greens surge and Labour suffer huge losses.

Hosts:

Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson

Picture credit: Getty Images

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

In Moscow, preparations are complete for tomorrow’s Victory Day celebrations. This year’s military parade will be pared back amid fears of Ukrainian drone strikes. So as the country marks its biggest celebration in muted style, five years into a grinding war, how are Russians feeling about their government and the economy? And what’s been the true impact of the war in Iran?

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:Alexander Gabuev, director, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre.

Host: Rosie Wright.

Producer: Callum Martin.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:No tanks or missiles at Russia’s scaled-back Victory Day parade

Further listening:The descent into madness under Putin

Clips: YouTube, Times Now World, France24, FreakiAhhMilitary, APT, Daily Express.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein has been poured over by the press – but what about their relationship with one another? New Times reporting reveals they met for the first time in 1999 at an NSPCC charity event, and continued a mutually advantageous relationship for a decade. So how do the people who brought them together feel about it now? And what can it tell us about how power works in the upper echelons of British society?

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:Hugo Daniel, general news reporter, The Sunday Times.

Host:Manveen Rana.

Producers:Harry Stott.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Revealed: When Andrew first met Peter Mandelson

Further listening:Starmer strikes back over Mandelson vetting scandal

Clips: Getty, The Lost Media Archive / Youtube, ITN.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

This episode was recorded before the latest announcement from President Trump pausing 'Project Freedom'.

Earlier this week President Trump launched his latest move in the Iran war... 'Project Freedom' was designed to get ships through the Strait of Hormuz under US military escort. But Iran said the plan meant the US was breaking the ceasefire and the two countries began trading missiles again. The UAE’s been hit too, at a time when it's increasingly turning to Israel for help. So how will the new allegiances being formed in fire reshape the region? Where are negotiations up to? And is there any hope of peace?

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:Michael Stephens, consultant and senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and fellow at RAND Europe. 

Host:Manveen Rana. 

Producers:Olivia Case and Sophie McNulty.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Iran war latest: Hegseth says ceasefire holds but US ‘locked and loaded’

Further listening:Is political violence America’s new normal?

Clips: Fox, Hugh Hewitt / YouTube.    

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

This week Scottish voters will head to the polls for the Holyrood parliamentary elections. To understand what's on people's minds, we visited Motherwell - a town where, for decades, Labour used to dominate. This year Labour appear to be haemorrhaging support across Scotland and may even fall to third place. And an unlikely party is emerging from the fallout.

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:

Host:Manveen Rana.

Producers:Taryn Siegel

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Further listening:Is Labour facing a bloodbath in Wales?

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

NHS spending has reached record highs and shows no sign of slowing down. The government poured in £205 billion last year, yet waiting lists remain stubbornly high and patient satisfaction is at an all time low. So where is all the money going? And if spending isn’t the solution, what is?

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:

Host:Luke Jones.

Producers:Callum Martin and Micaela Arneson.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:Why doesn’t ever-growing money seem to improve the NHS

Further listening:Is your sofa toxic?

Clips:BBC, The Guardian, Rishi Sunak / LinkedIn, The Sun, Reuters, The British Library, The Department of Health and Social Care.

Photo: Getty Images

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

At his peak, Carl Hayman was widely regarded as the world's best tighthead prop. Then, in 2021, at just 41, he was diagnosed with early-onset dementia and probable CTE, a disease he believes was caused by the sport he loves, and one that has torn his life apart. In this intimate and devastating interview with David Walsh, Carl describes what happened, what he’s doing for the players who come after him, and what concussion means for rugby’s future. 

The final part of a two-part special investigation into the crisis facing this global game. You can listen to part one here.

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:Carl Hayman

Host:David Walsh, chief sports writer, The Sunday Times

Producer:Sophie McNulty

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Two best friends, two suicides. How did rugby let this happen?

Further listening:Can rugby survive its head injury problem?

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Marriage rates are at their lowest since 1850, and it's predicted by 2050 just 3 in 10 of us will have tied the knot. Cohabiting is now the fastest-growing family type in the UK. So what’s happening? Feminism, atheism, a mistrust of state intervention, or just an old fashion 'trend' dying out? And should cohabiting couples get the same rights as married ones?

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

Read by:

Producer: Dave Creasey.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:Why I will never get married

Photo:Robert Wilson for The Times Magazine

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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Could Thursday’s local elections herald the end of two party politics in England? Labour are expected to lose heavily to parties on the left and right. So how bad would it need to be for the party to replace the 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

Guests: 

Host:Luke Jones. 

Producers:Micaela Arneson. 

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Angela Rayner weighs leadership challenge after local elections

Further listening:‘The punishment election’: Is Labour facing a bloodbath in Wales? 

Clip:Daily Express. 

Photo:Getty Images

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Police have declared a terrorist incident after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green. The suspect, Essa Suleiman, is in custody and the two men are stable. Plenty of questions remain as the Jewish community reels from the latest in a series of antisemitic incidents. How can Jewish communities be protected? 

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:

Host:Callum Martin

Producers:Callum Martin, Olivia Case, Elizabeth Highfield, Sandra Mitchell.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:What happened in Golders Green? How London stabbing attack unfolded

Further listening:“They tried to firebomb my synagogue”: The rise in antisemitic attacks

Photo: Getty Images

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Sir Keir Starmer has dodged a bullet on the Mandelson vetting scandal but did he expend too much political capital in the process? With local elections around the corner he’s not out of the woods yet, so what can we expect from next week's results? And more than 60 days into the Iran war, Trump has proclaimed there's 'No more Mr. Nice Guy' - so are we about to see renewed military action from the USA? Hosts Manveen Rana and Luke Jones are here to answer your questions in our monthly Q&A.

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

Hosts:Manveen Rana and Luke Jones. 

Guest:Aubrey Allegretti, chief political correspondent, The Times.

Producers:Olivia Case and Callum Martin.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Iran war latest: Trump warns Tehran ‘No more Mr Nice Guy’ in Truth Social post

Further listening:‘The punishment election’: Is Labour facing a bloodbath in Wales?

Clips: The Independent, Sky. 

Image: @realDonaldTrump / Truth Social

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

South Wales has been a Labour heartland since the party formed over a century ago, but speak to people there today and you'll find support leaving in droves. So can Labour avoid an electoral car crash? Could the other main parties capitalise? Ahead of the Welsh Senedd elections next week, we travelled to Swansea to take the political temperature.

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: 

Host:Manveen Rana.

Producer:Harry Stott.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: A walk round Pembroke Dock shows why Labour will lose Welsh election

Further listening:Get ready for a pub brawl, it's local election time

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Morgan McSweeney has told MPs that the revelations about Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein were like a knife through his soul. The more we learn about the appointment process, the madder it sounds. And the odd thing is that crucial decisions were not written down: there are no receipts. There's a mood building in the Labour Party that Keir Starmer will need to go big or go home: come up with a bold agenda, make the case for it and then deliver it. Has he got it in him?

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

Hosts: Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times. Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times. Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times.

Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson.

Executive producer:Molly Guinness.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: McSweeney and Barton raise new questions over PM’s judgment

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

White House correspondents' dinner shooting suspect Cole Tomas Allen has been charged with attempting to assassinate the president. The White House says Saturday’s attack is the third 'assassination attempt' on Donald Trump in the last two years. But what do we know about Allen? And what does this all tell us about the rise of political violence 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

Guests:

Host:Manveen Rana

Producers:Julia Webster and Olivia Case

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Cole Tomas Allen: who is the alleged gunman at correspondents’ dinner?

Further listening:Can King Charles fix the special relationship?

Clips: The Obama White House / YouTube, C-SPAN, OverDriveGamesAnime / YouTube, ABC, CBS, NBC, The New Yorker, KATU News.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

This episode was recorded before the events at the White House Correspondents’ Association on Saturday.

King Charles arrives in America today for a state visit to mark the country’s 250th birthday. But with US-UK relations at a low over Iran - and the Epstein scandal still looming large - the stakes are high. Last week Trump said the monarch could help repair the special relationship so will soft power bring the allies back together?

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:

Host:Luke Jones. 

Producer:Olivia Case.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: King’s US visit can ‘absolutely’ repair relations, says Trump

Further listening:The Pope v Trump

Clips: The Art of the Surge: The Donald Trump Comeback / Instagram, BBC, DailyMotion, The Royal Family Channel / YouTube, ABC. 

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Shane Christie was one of the brightest rugby stars in New Zealand before suffering multiple concussions, leading to a brain injury that would slowly take everything from him. And his experience is far from unique. In this deeply personal account, David Walsh talks to Shane's former partner, Holly Parkes, to ask, What happened? What does Shane's story reveal about the sport he loved deeply? And can rugby survive the fallout? 

This is part one of a two-part special investigation into the crisis facing this global game. 

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: Holly Parkes

Host: David Walsh, chief sports writer, The Sunday Times

Producer: Sophie McNulty

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: The concussion files

Clips: Harlequins - YouTube.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Hidden in a quiet Belgian archive, century-old colonial maps of the Democratic Republic of Congo may hold the key to an estimated $24 trillion in untapped minerals. Now the United States, backed by Trump, together with the likes of Jeff Bezos, want them. The curators, however, are in no hurry to hand them 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

Written by:Madeleine Spence, deputy editor for News Review, The Sunday Times.

Read by:Olivia Case.

Host:Luke Jones. 

Producer:Dave Creasey.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:The $24trn question: who owns these 100-year-old mining maps?

Clips: DW, BBC.

Photo: Getty Images, The Sunday Times.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

The American Dream is as old as the United States itself. But as the country marks its 250th anniversary, with economic uncertainty, political turbulence and social divisions all on the rise, do ordinary Americans still believe? The Times and YouGov spoke to 1800 of them to find out – and we've got their analysis.

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:  

Host: Rosie Wright.

Producer: Callum Martin and Olivia Case.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:The American Dream is dying, Times poll reveals

Further listening:Five years on from the Jan 6 riots, how has the US president changed America?

Clips: SullenToys / YouTube, Zohran Mamdani / YouTube.

Photo:Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Attacks targeting the Jewish community have surged in recent weeks, with synagogues and community centres being hit. Many people are feeling increasingly vulnerable, but what's behind this escalation? And how is it impacting Jewish people?

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:

Host:Luke Jones. 

Producers:Dave Creasey & Edward Drummond.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:Jewish attacks ‘are why state-backed groups must be called terrorists’

Further listening:Danny Finkelstein: How the world’s antisemites turned on me

Clips: Channel 4, BBC News, ITV News, Times Radio, Daily Mirror.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

The shaky ceasefire between Iran and the US has been extended. Whether it lasts much longer or fighting resumes depends partly on Lebanon, where another fragile truce has been struck between Israel and the Iranian proxy group Hezbollah. So why is Lebanon so important to peace with Iran? And what happens if the ceasefire fails? 

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:Jack Clover, assistant foreign news editor, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host:Luke Jones. 

Producers:Micaela Arneson, Edward Drummond. 

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: With war in its DNA, will Hezbollah ever disarm?

Further listening:Trump’s ceasefire with Iran - what’s in it and what’s next

Clips: Channel 4, The Guardian, CNN, Global News, Middle East Eye, Reuters. 

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Sir Olly Robbins dropped bombshell after bombshell when he spoke to MPs. Robbins, who was sacked as the Foreign Office’s chief civil servant, has accused Downing Street of placing the department under constant pressure to get Lord Mandelson through vetting. He also said the prime minister had tried to find an ambassadorial job for Matthew Doyle, another Labour peer who's been in trouble for a friendship with a paedophile. Where does it all leave Sir Keir Starmer?

Plus, we reveal when the next tranche of Mandelson files will be published.

Producers:Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture credit: Parliament TV

Clips: Parliament TV

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Yesterday evening Sir Keir Starmer defended himself in Parliament, stating ‘the facts are incredible,’ but ‘nobody’ in Number 10 knew that Peter Mandelson failed security vetting. Addressing MPs, the prime minister rejected the suggestion that the government’s desire to appoint Mandelson overrode security concerns. Immediately after, we caught up with the Times’ political editor to ask, who exactly knew what when? And how does this all end?

Mandelson denies any wrongdoing when it comes to his relationship with Epstein. 

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:Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times

Host:Rosie Wright

Producers:Sophie McNulty, Olivia Case

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:Keir Starmer ‘put Mandelson job before security’, say Labour MPs

Further listening:Can Keir Starmer survive the scandal over Mandelson and Epstein?

Clips: Sky News, The Guardian, Keir Starmer - X, The Times, BBC

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Jane Coates’ daughter Lucy was just 23 when she was shot and killed by her father, while visiting him in Texas. US authorities quickly ruled her death an accident and no charges were brought. But as The Sunday Times reveals holes in Lucy’s father’s account, Jane wants the case reopened.

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: 

Host:Manveen Rana

Producers:Julia Webster

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: 

Britain failed family’ of girl shot dead by father in Texas

Father shot daughter dead after ‘arguing about Donald Trump

Photo: Picture provided by the family, graphic by Kathia Mestanza

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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A strict conservatorship, control of her finances, breakdowns, nonstop media pressure and divorce. It's been one hell of a journey for the Princess of Pop, but the latest news that Britney Spears has entered rehab leaves fans asking the question, will she ever be truly free?

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

Read by:Helen Rumbelow, feature writer for the Times.

Producer:Dave Creasey.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:Controlled, hounded, scarred. Could Britney Spears ever truly be free?

Clips:NBC, ABC, CNN, hugebritneyfan, britneyonline.

Music: Baby One More Time - Britney Spears - Sony Music Entertainment.

Photo:Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Yesterday afternoon in Manchester, a man was found guilty of a brutal rape for which an innocent person had been wrongly jailed for more than 17 years. We bring you a special update to our groundbreaking podcast series Seventeen Years - The Andrew Malkinson Story, which first highlighted this tragic miscarriage of justice.

You can listen to the full series on The Times Investigates feed: https://pod.fo/e/3256f8

Hosts:Will Roe & Emily Dugan, Sunday Times' Special correspondent.

Producer:Will Roe.

Clips: Greater Manchester Police. 

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

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

Rape Crisis England & Wales

NHS - Help after rape and sexual assault

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Appeal - Charity and law practice

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

The prime minister says he's "furious" over the latest twist in the Epstein scandal, amid revelations the child sex offender’s former friend Peter Mandelson was appointed British ambassador to the US despite failing security vetting. For months, ​​Keir Starmer insisted his ambassador was properly appointed. Today, he admitted this was not the case. So, what went wrong? And what does it mean for the future of Starmer’s government? 

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:  

Host:Carolyn Quinn

Producers:Sandra Mitchell, Sofia Johanson

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:Keir Starmer ‘furious’ over Peter Mandelson vetting failure

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

The economic ripples caused by the Iran war are beginning to have an impact across the globe, from fuel rationing across South-East Asia, to fuel protests in Ireland. The IMF’s recent report on the global economy makes for grim reading – and the UK comes out as one of the worst affected of the G7. So could food and fuel shortages be coming to the UK? And how will the government try to mitigate the worst effects?

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:

Host:Manveen Rana.

Producers:Harry Stott, Micaela Arneson.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: 

Further listening:Trump's ceasefire with Iran - what’s in it and what next

Clips: BBC, ABC NEWS (Australia), RTE, Sky News.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Behind the scenes of Iran’s war, China’s been forging alliances, stockpiling oil and building resilience in the form of renewable energy. So how could all of this help it attack Taiwan? When might it happen? And can anyone stop 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

Guest: Cindy Yu, columnist and contributing editor, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host:Manveen Rana. 

Producer:Olivia Case.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Iran war latest: Ceasefire with US ‘to be extended by two weeks’

Further listening:The Pope v Trump

Clips: Fox, Bloomberg, Times of India, Hoover Institution.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Over the weekend, Donald Trump posted an image of himself as a Jesus Christ like figure, which was subsequently deleted. It came after the President and the Pope exchanged a war of words over the conflict in Iran. What’s behind this latest spat, and how could it affect Trump’s standing among American’s Christians?

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: 

Host:Manveen Rana.

Producers:Edward Drummond.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Trump’s row with Pope Leo could cost him dearly among Catholic voters

Clips: Times Radio, Fox News, Vatican News, 9News, BBC, Forbes, USA Today, CBS News. 

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Viktor Orban, the far-right prime minister of Hungary who led the country for 16 years, was ousted in a landslide electoral defeat on Sunday. He lost to his former ally turned critic, Péter Magyar, despite a strong show of support from the Trump administration. So what does Orban’s defeat mean for Trump? And for the far-right in Europe? 

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. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producers:Micaela Arneson, Julia Webster.  

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Why Peter Magyar’s victory is a warning to Trump

Further listening:The election that could change Hungary

Clips: Al Jazeera, APT News, CSPAN, Fox, Associated Press, United 24 Media, The White House via YouTube.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

The city of Ranya– a small town in Northern Iraq– is more than 2,500 miles from Calais and Dunkirk. But it has a near monopoly on the people smuggling gangs that traffic migrants across the English Channel. The Times visited Ranya to meet the kingpins and ask: how did one village become responsible for Britain’s small boats 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:Shayma Bakht, reporter, The Times. 

Host: Luke Jones. 

Producer: Micaela Arneson.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: I met the smuggling kingpins behind the deadly Channel crossings

Further listening:‘Repugnant’ or necessary? The new asylum rules

Clips: Getty Images, DRM News. 

Photo:Times Media Ltd.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

In this special two part podcast, Whitehall editor at The Sunday Times, Gabriel Pogrund, is joined by the preeminent investigative journalist and author Patrick Radden Keefe.

On a cold November night in 2019, 19 year old Zac Brettler jumped to his death from the balcony of a luxury London apartment. Police concluded it was suicide, however, under Radden Keefe's forensic microscope together with Gabriel's own Sunday Times investigation, serious questions are raised about what really happened that night, and whether it was suicide after all. It's a tale rooted in London's criminal underground, and now the subject of Radden Keefe's latest book, London Falling.

In episode 2: What really happened on the night Zac died? Gabriel gets hold of some crucial new evidence which calls into question the Met Police's investigation.

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:Gabriel Pogrund - Whitehall editor at The Sunday Times.

Guest:Patrick Radden Keefe.

Producer: Dave Creasey.

Executive Producer:Kate Ford

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:The dead teenager, the lying suspect and the black box that proves it

Photo:The Times, design by Cecilia Tombesi.

Click here to buy London Falling at the times bookshop.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

In this special two part podcast, Whitehall editor at The Sunday Times, Gabriel Pogrund, is joined by the preeminent investigative journalist and author Patrick Radden Keefe.

On a cold November night in 2019, 19 year old Zac Brettler jumped to his death from the balcony of a luxury London apartment. Police concluded it was suicide, however, under Radden Keefe's forensic microscope together with Gabriel's own Sunday Times investigation, serious questions are raised about what really happened that night, and whether it was suicide after all. It's a tale rooted in London's criminal underground, and now the subject of Radden Keefe's latest book, London Falling.

In this episode we hear about how a young man, born into a wealthy family, become embroiled with a notorious London gangster.

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:Gabriel Pogrund - Whitehall editor at The Sunday Times

Guest:Patrick Radden Keefe

Producer: Dave Creasey.

Executive Producer:Kate Ford

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:The dead teenager, the lying suspect and the black box that proves it

Photo:The Times, design by Cecilia Tombesi.

Click here to buy London Falling at the times bookshop.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

For decades UK sofas have contained chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and infertility because of uniquely strict fire rules. Up to a fifth of their foam consists of a chemical not used in any other country’s sofas, but is now classed “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the World Health Organisation. So how deadly is your sofa, why is the UK an outlier and are things set to improve?

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 reporter, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edward Drummond

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Sitting comfortably? Your sofa is among the most toxic on Earth

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

After mounting hostilities and Trump’s threats that ‘a whole civilization will die’ unless Iran backs down, Tehran and Washington have agreed to a two week ceasefire. Now, they’re discussing a ten-point plan to permanently end the war. But is this the end of the fighting or just a pause? What’s in the peace plan? And has this conflict taught Iran that it can hold the world to ransom?

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.

Producers:Olivia Case and Sophie McNulty.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: What’s in Iran’s ten-point ceasefire plan? Trump’s stumbling blocks examined

Further listening:The West Bank land grab no one’s watching

Clips: BBC, CNN, AP, CSPAN, NDTV, The Mary Trump Podcast. 

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

With the world’s attention fixed on the war in Iran, Israeli settler gangs are rapidly and violently expanding outposts in the West Bank – seemingly with impunity. So, what’s it like on the ground? Is the Israeli government softening to the ‘extremist’ settler movement? And will settlers ever be held accountable? 

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:Richard Spencer, world affairs correspondent, The Times

Host: Manveen Rana

Producers: Sophie McNulty, Taryn Siegel

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Israel’s settlers seize their chance to snatch land in West Bank

Further listening: The Board of Peace: the new UN or Trump’s vanity project?

Clips: CNN, France 24, BBC, CBS, ABC 7, Middle East Eye.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Thousands of pensioners invested their life savings into London Capital and Finance before it was revealed to be the UK’s biggest ever Ponzi scheme. Now, new Times reporting shows how the millions in investments were lavishly spent by LCF’s founders. So how was a scheme on this scale allowed to take root in the first place?

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: 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Harry Stott, Callum Martin.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Inside Britain’s biggest Ponzi scheme: where did £237m go?

Clips: Rehman Chisti MP / Facebook.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Hungary goes to the polls on Sunday and for the first time in sixteen years, Donald Trump’s right-wing ally Viktor Orbán might lose his iron grip on power. But who is this man who’s ruled the country for so long? What do we know about the man who could unseat him? And what would a loss for Orbán mean for the populist right and for Europe as a whole?

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: 

Host: Luke Jones

Producer: Sophie McNulty, Olivia Case

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Who is Peter Magyar, the man hoping to oust Viktor Orban?

Clips: Bloomberg, DRM News, Péter Magyar - YouTube

Photo: Getty Images, The Times.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

It's the trial rocking France's intelligence service. Two guards who had always dreamt of going under cover were allegedly tricked into a plot to kill a ‘Mossad agent’, who was nothing of the sort. It's an unbelievable tale of freemasons, fake missions - and real violence, where personal grudges are dressed up as matters of national security.

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:Adam Sage, Paris correspondent, The Times. 

Host: Rosie Wright.

Producer: Dave Creasey.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:Freemasons, bored spies and a murder-for-hire scandal at France’s MI6

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

For millions of people, Disney was a huge part of their childhood. But, for a great number of people that love never went away, and today, it's those people who have become central to Disney’s bottom line. They are the so called “Disney adults”. But their world isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, it's a passionate subculture marked by competition, criticism - and high costs.

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

Read by:Julia Webster and Sophie McNulty.

Producer: Dave Creasey.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: ‘Next-level scary’: inside the ultra-competitive world of Disney adults

Clips: Disney.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

When The Times foreign correspondent Marc Bennetts moved to Russia in 1997, there was hope for a new future for the country. But over the next 25 years, he witnessed the rise of Vladimir Putin and the erosion of civil liberties. In his new book, The Descent: Witnessing Russia’s Spiral into Madness Under Putin,Marc charts how one man remade Russia in his own paranoid image.

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: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Micaela Arneson. 

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Lies and fear: my life under the Kremlin’s propaganda machine

Further listening:‘I took a grenade blast to escape’: Russian deserters speak to The Times

Clips:Channel One Russia, Educational Video Group, NBC News, ITN, Times Now World, Dot’s Eye. 

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

A Sunday Times investigation has found that, in Scotland, there are claims that the SNP has, in effect, shut down criticism from the charity and voluntary sectors because of a system that leaves them umbilically tied to its political objectives and fearing grave consequences if they step out of line.

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:Dan Sanderson, Scottish political editor, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: How the SNP spends billions ‘to buy loyalty from charities’

Clips: 5 News, Parliament TV.

Illustration:Tony Bell.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

The countdown has begun for the launch of NASA's Artemis II mission around the Moon, the first manned mission there in more than 50 years. Their voyage around our nearest neighbour will pave the way for a lunar landing and, eventually, a Moon base. But why is there suddenly rekindled interest in moon exploration, and could this bring humans toward the ultimate goal of reaching Mars?

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: 

Host: Manveen Rana

Producer: Julia Webster

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Artemis II: mission to the Moon

Further listening:The Epstein Files, AI journalism and the future of truth - The Sunday Story

Clips: NASA, John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, PBS, Space Age Archive, Associated Press, CriticalPast, Cosmosphere.

Photo: Kathia Mestanza, Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Donald Trump has threatened that the US would “obliterate Kharg Island” if a deal with Tehran was not reached. The US president has suggested he’d put boots on the ground to seize control of Iran's key oil export terminal. So why does the island matter so much? How would a ground invasion work? And just how risky is it to the US troops involved?

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: 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Harry Stott, Olivia Case.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Can the US take Kharg Island? How an invasion could play out

Further listening:Q&A: What we know (and don't know) about Trump's Iran talks

Clips: CBC, FOX, BBC, C-SPAN.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of war, was one of the most controversial picks in Trump’s cabinet. But as Trump’s foreign adventures have come to define his second term, Hegseth is not just more visible, he’s become the Iran war’s main cheerleader. So who is he?

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:Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist, the Times and the Sunday Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana

Producers: Harry Stott and Micaela Arneson

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Pete Hegseth, the former soldier and TV host selling Trump’s war

Further listening:Q&A: What we know (and don't know) about Trump's Iran talks

Clips: FOX, BBC, Forbes, CBS, SKY.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

As AI seeps into every corner of art, film and social media, up next, it's podcasts. An AI-generated show called The Epstein Files topped the Apple series charts last week, bringing you the very latest on the colossal 3.5 million documents, in a time frame that most journalists could only dream of. Even the hosts are AI. But does it work? And what does AI-led journalism mean for the future of investigations and the search for truth? We tracked down its creator.

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

Producer:Robert Wallace

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

This week, Channel 5 broadcast a dramatisation of the downfall of former BBC news anchor Huw Edwards, with Martin Clunes in the lead role. The programme traces the events that led to his sudden and very public fall from grace. Andrew Billen, veteran journalist who specialises in interviews with celebrities, politicians and writers at The Times, met Edwards on several occasions, including the day before his world came crashing down. In a compelling piece published this week, Billen reflects on the man he thought he knew.

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

Read by:Andrew Billen, features writer, The Times.

Producer:Dave Creasey.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: I’ve met Huw Edwards, here’s what the TV drama gets right (and wrong)

Photo: Getty Images

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Polymarket and Kalshi have become two of the fastest-growing online platforms in the prediction market, hosting bets where people can wager on the outcome of events, including on the conflict in Iran. But some observers have raised concerns that unusually precise, well-timed bets could point to insider dealings. So what exactly are prediction markets? And what does it mean for society when you can bet on almost anything?

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:Chris Stokel-Walker, technology journalist and author.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Sophie McNulty & Julia Webster.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Dollars and death threats: the dark side of prediction markets

Further listening:How AI helped Trump attack Iran

Clips: FRENCH 24 English, CNN, 60 Minutes, CBS News, Fox 10 Phoenix, iSpot, The Times, Coinbase. 

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

As the war with Iran rumbles on, are ceasefire talks back on or is that ‘fake news’? What’s in America’s 15 point peace plan? Could an Iranian missile reach the UK? And how long can Iran keep fighting? Hosts Manveen Rana and Luke Jones are here to answer your questions, in our monthly Q&A. 

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

Hosts:Manveen Rana and Luke Jones. 

Producer:Olivia Case.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Iran war latest: US ‘negotiating with itself’, Tehran claims

Further listening:Inside Lebanon as Israel and Hezbollah wage war

Photo: Getty Images and The Times' designer Dana Chan.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

In the final episode of our county lines series, we hear how county lines drug gangs are continuing to shift their business model to avoid detection. Policing minister, Sarah Jones, explains how the government is planning to fight back. Plus, The Times’ crime editor David Woode sits down with The Sunday Times’ northern editor David Collins to discuss what they've learnt about the inner workings of county lines gangs.

This is episode five of a five-part special investigation into county lines drug dealing, running in audio, video, print and digital from The Times and The Sunday Times.

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: David Woode

Producers:Kate Lamble, Edward Drummond, and Taryn Siegel

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: I joined the police on a county lines crackdown

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Mike started selling drugs for a county lines gang when he was just a teenager. After being arrested and getting stabbed, he left that life behind. But he's been willing to share his experiences with The Times’ crime editor David Woode for the first time, explaining how he got caught 'under a spell'.  

This is episode four of a five-part special investigation into county lines drug dealing, running in audio, video, print and digital from The Times and The Sunday Times.

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: David Woode

Producers:Kate Lamble and Taryn Siegel. 

With thanks to the St Giles Trust

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Inside the case of a 15-year-old caught with a machete and pistol

Further listening:Why I carried a knife

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Children aren't just running drugs for county lines gangs - sometimes they're running the lines themselves.

Today The Sunday Times's northern editor David Collins talks to the police officers who worry laws designed to protect victims of exploitation might actually encourage gang leaders to promote teenagers into higher positions in their criminal organisation.

This is episode three of a five-part special investigation into county lines drug dealing, running in audio, video, print and digital from The Times and The Sunday Times.

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

Read more: Drug gangs swamped York. This is how police stopped them | I was a county lines drug runner. I tried to quit, then I was stabbed

Watch: School-age kingpins: why children now hold the key to county lines

Host: David Collins

Producers: Kate Lamble and Taryn Siegel

Executive producers: Tim Walklate and Dan Box

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Photo:Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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Today we go inside Operation Titan, as North Yorkshire Police fight back against county lines drugs gangs. But with each line the police shut down, another pops up in its place, sometimes within days. The Sunday Times' northern editor David Collins investigates how to break the cycle. 

This is episode two of a five-part special investigation into county lines drug dealing, running in audio, video, print and digital from The Times and The Sunday Times.

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

Read more: Drug dealers use anti-slavery law to escape prosecution | I was a county lines drug runner. I tried to quit, then I was stabbed

Watch: School-age kingpins: why children now hold the key to county lines

Host: David Collins.

Producers: Kate Lamble and Taryn Siegel

Executive producers: Tim Walklate and Dan Box

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Photo:Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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Part one of a five-part special investigation into county lines drug dealing, running in audio, video, print and digital from The Times and The Sunday Times.

Today we reveal how police took down the family controlling the drug trade in one British city, creating a power vacuum that was filled by a new breed of violent, criminal operation - county lines.

The Sunday Times' northern editor David Collins is given unprecedented access to North Yorkshire Police as they fight back against the drug gangs. 

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

Read more: Exposed: how drug gangs deal without fear as the law can’t keep up | I was a county lines drug runner. I tried to quit, then I was stabbed

Watch: School-age kingpins: why children now hold the key to county lines

Host: David Collins

Producers: Kate Lamble, Taryn Siegel

Executive producers: Tim Walklate, Dan Box

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Photo:Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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After years in hiding, The Sunday Times has obtained images of Christy and Daniel Kinahan, leaders of the all-powerful Kinahan cartel, living freely in Dubai. They are some of the most wanted criminals in the world. So why aren’t they in custody?

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:John Mooney, Investigative reporter, The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: The world is looking for the Kinahan drug lords. We found them

Further listening:Gourmet gangster: Could Kinahan be caught by his Google reviews?

Clips: 971 FC, Irish Gangland, FM Boxing, Storyful.

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What began as an evening out at a nightclubin Kent has rapidly spiralled into a "super-spreader" event that has left doctors stunned and two young people dead. This surge in Meningitis B cases has triggered a public health alert, leaving the UK scrambling as private vaccine supplies run dry. So how can the authorities contain this unprecedented outbreak?

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: 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producers: Julia Webster, Callum Martin, Olivia Case. 

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: 

Meningitis B outbreak: six cases after Kent superspreader event.

Meningitis started with a headache. Then the blinding pain began.

What causes meningitis? Symptoms and how the infection spreads.

Further listening: Inside the world of "Looksmaxxing"

Clips: Sky

Photo: Denise Kelly, Getty Images.

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On Monday, Israel announced it's preparing a ground offensive into Lebanon. Fighting between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy group, has ratcheted up since the death of Iran’s supreme leader more than two weeks ago. Over 900 people have been killed in Lebanon and nearly one million are displaced. Will Israel’s new campaign bring a quicker end to the fighting? Or prolong a war which is already spiralling out of control?

This episode contains graphic descriptions that some listeners may find distressing.

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: 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Micaela Arneson, Julia Webster.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: IDF prepares for Lebanon offensive: ‘We don’t know how this ends’

Further listening:The Gulf's moment of truth - reshaping the Middle East

Clips: IDF via @NationalDefence Youtube. 

Photo: Getty Images.

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The war in the Middle East has now entered its third week and shows no sign of ending any time soon. Oil prices have soared and transatlantic relations between the US and its allies are strained. So what are President Trump's options now? And will the Europeans support him in policing the strategically important Strait of Hormuz?

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, Washington Correspondent, The Times.

Host:Manveen Rana.

Producers:Olivia Case and Harry Stott.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Starmer resists Trump’s call to send warships to Strait of Hormuz

Further listening:Is Cuba next?

Clips: Fox, The White House, STV, The Times, Euronews, Keir Starmer / YouTube, WSJ, C-SPAN, DRM News International / YouTube. 

Photo: Getty Images, The Times' Senior Digtal Designer Shaun Parkinson.

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Throughout Cuba, fuel shortages, blackouts, and food scarcity have become the norm. Since the US intervention in Venezuela in January, the oil lifeline into Cuba has all but dried up. Trump is now claiming that Cuba is on the brink of collapse. As the war in Iran rages on unabated – is this American neighbour his next target?

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: 

Host: Rosie Wright.

Producers: Sophie McNulty & Micaela Arneson.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Further reading:Cubans await Trump’s next move: ‘Would the Americans bomb us?’

Further listening:Drugs, oil and power: what Trump is doing with Venezuela

Clips: AP, DRM News, News Nation, Onyx Media, Archivo DiFilm, APT.

Photo: Getty Images.

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From the shadowy corners of incel forums, a new obsession was quietly emerging. To succeed, financially, socially and sexually, you need to level up your face and frame. Enter “Looksmaxxing”, the idea that how you look can be engineered to perfection to maximise your full aesthetic potential. It's a TikTok-fuelled culture of mogging, "bone-smashing", and glow-ups - and a way for young men to measure beauty, status, and self-worth. How far will some go to “max” their looks? Is it vanity, or a survival strategy in a hyper-visual world? And what does it reveal about the state of men’s mental health today?

Our listener survey is live - find ithere.

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: Rosie Wright

Guest:Jack Burke, times contributor.

Producer: Dave Creasey

Read more:Looksmaxxing: the worrying new extreme teenage trend

Image: Getty Images

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In 1938, Catherine Duleep Singh, goddaughter of Queen Victoria and daughter of the last Maharajah of Punjab, personally secured the escape of Jewish families to Britain, saving them from the Holocaust. Her story didn’t end there, she became a prominent suffragette, fighting for women’s rights while navigating life in exile. We explore her remarkable courage, activism, and the lives she forever changed.

Our listener survey is live - find ithere.

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

Read by:Jack Blackburn, history correspondent for The Times.

Producer: Dave Creasey

Read more:Last princess of Punjab who saved families from the Holocaust

Image: Getty Images

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The Story host Manveen Rana and her Times colleague Anthony Loyd continue their search for what happened to the British photojournalist John Cantlie, after he was kidnapped by ISIS in Syria. 

In this thrilling denouement to the series, Manveen and Anthony travel to a maximum security prison in Iraq to meet a man who could hold the answer. But will this ISIS prisoner reveal all? Or will Cantlie’s death remain a mystery?

Listen to the full Last Man Standing series here.

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

Hosts:Manveen Rana and Anthony Loyd, special correspondent, The Times.

Producer:Harry Stott.

Executive producer: Will Roe.

Further reading:Anthony Loyd: my hunt for the forgotten Isis hostage John Cantlie

Watch: Hostage on BBC iPlayer. 

Clips: BBC.

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Peter Mandelson’s disastrous few months continue apace, after the government released a tranche of documents that tell us a lot about his hiring - and firing - as ambassador to the US. So what’s in the files? And what does it all say about the judgment of the 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

Our listener survey is live - find ithere.

Guest:Aubrey Allegretti, chief political correspondent, The Times. 

Host: Rosie Wright. 

Producers:Harry Stott, Micaela Arneson.  

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Peter Mandelson files: flawed vetting, ‘risk’ and other revelations

Mandelson files expose Keir Starmer — and it’s just the beginning

Further listening: Mandelson, Epstein and the fight for survival at No 10

Clips: Guardian News, AFP News Agency, Sky News, Diario AS.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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As Iran continues to attack its Gulf neighbours could the strikes turn into a wider war? Who might be drawn in? And with Iran hitting friends as well as foes, how will this war reshape the Middle East and its relationship with the US?

Our listener survey is live - find ithere.

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: 

Host:Manveen Rana.

Producers:Olivia Case and Harry Stott.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:Iran latest: Trump says war could end soon as ‘nothing left to target’

Further listening:Iran has a new leader - how long will he last?

Clips: Al Jazeera. 

Photo: Getty Images.

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War in the Middle East has caused oil and gas prices to soar and sent the markets into turmoil. But why does oil still have such a powerful influence over the cost of household goods? And what has history taught us about how wars are waged when oil holds such sway?

Our listener survey is live - find ithere.

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Guest:

Host: Rosie Wright

Producer: Julia Webster and Harry Stott

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Does Trump really have a plan for what he is doing in Iran?

Further listening: Could Trump lose MAGA over Iran?

Clips: Blue Georgia on X, The White House, The Economic Times, CNN, GB News, AP

Photo: Getty Images.

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Iran has appointed a new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. He’s the son of the late Ali Khamenei and a shadowy figure with a history of orchestrating brutal crackdowns on dissenters. President Donald Trump is also not a fan. So what does his appointment mean for the conflict raging in the Middle East? 

Our listener survey is live - find it here.

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: 

Host: Darryl Morris.

Producer: Micaela Arneson, Sophie McNulty.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Our listener survey is live - find it here.

Read more: Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader?

Further listening:How AI helped Trump attack Iran

Clips: Sky News, Al Jazeera, NBC, Fox News, The Times, ABC News

Photo: Getty Images.

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The use of Artificial Intelligence by militaries used to be talked about in the abstract, but during the US and Israel’s strikes on Iran we’ve seen it used in real time. So what happens when you have robots who can make battlefield decisions quicker than the speed of thought? And what made the Trump administration fall out with one of the world’s leading AI companies?

Our listener survey is live - find it here.

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Guest:David Leslie, Professor of ethics, technology and society in the Digital Environment Research Institute at Queen Mary University of London.

Host: Rosie Wright.

Producers:Harry Stott, Sophie McNulty. 

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: How AI helps 20 US troops do the work of 2,000 in Iran war

Further listening:Anthropic vs Pentagon: How AI is changing war

Clips: Fox, CBS News, Reuters.

Photo: Getty Images.

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Thirty years after her death, Frida Kahlo went from relative obscurity to one of the most famous female artists on the planet. Now, her image has been used on everything from watches, scented candles, clothes, sanitary pads, and even Barbie dolls. But how did the communist icon become the face of a million dollar enterprise? At the centre of the story is a Kahlo family divided. Should her image reflect her artistic treasures or a global brand?

Our listener survey is live - find it here.

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 culture and books editor for both The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Rosie Wright.

Producer: Dave Creasey.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:Artist — or brand? How Frida Kahlo’s family lost control

Photo: FridaMoji/Getty Images.

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The war in Iran has left its people divided. Some openly welcome the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, others mourn, steadfast in their loyalty to the Islamic Republic. The divisions run deep, cutting across generations. Majid Parsa grew up in one such household. He tells his story.

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Read by: Majid Parsa, author of The Ayatollah's Gaze.

Host: Rosie Wright.

Producer: Dave Creasey.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Photo: Getty Images.

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As the war in the Middle East enters its seventh day, prominent supporters of President Trump have criticised his decision to attack Iran. The political stakes are high for a president who pledged no new wars on the campaign trail. So can he keep the MAGA crowd on his side?

Our listener survey is live - find it here.

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:Katy Balls, Washington editor for The Times and The Sunday Times

Host: Manveen Rana

Producer: Julia Webster

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:Iran is Trump’s biggest bet yet. It could define his presidency

Further listening:Iran after the Ayatollah

Clips: Sky, CBS, CNN, ABC, WAAY 31, BBC, Fox, Tucker Carlson, Channel 4, C-SPAN, Associated Press, Boston Globe

Photo:Graphic by Denise Kelly. Getty Images.

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In this bonus episode we're showcasing how The Story host Manveen Rana and her Times colleague Anthony Loyd are back exploring the the kidnap and disappearance of British photojournalist John Cantlie by ISIS in Syria, after a mysterious listener got in contact.

Originally released four years ago, Last Man Standing is now the inspiration for the new BBC three-part documentary series Hostage, based on reporting from our original series.

Find the full Last Man Standingseries here.

Hosts:Manveen Rana and Anthony Loyd, special correspondent, The Times.

Producer:Harry Stott.

Executive Producer:Will Roe.

Further reading:Anthony Loyd: my hunt for the forgotten Isis hostage John Cantlie

Watch: Hostage on BBC iPlayer. 

Clips: BBC.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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When the Mexican government took down a drug lord last week, the Sunday Times was there to document the aftermath. Does this mark a turning point in the war on drugs? Or are things about to get much worse? 

A warning that this episode contains descriptions of graphic violence. 

Our listener survey is live - find ithere.

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, Americas correspondent, The Sunday Times. 

Host: Rosie Wright. 

Producer: Micaela Arneson. 

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: A cartel boss is dead, but normal Mexicans always pay the price

Further listening:The town ripped apart by Mexico’s new narcos 

Clips: BBC, WMTW, Configo FN, Fox News, Al Jazeera, Noticias Telemundo, Reuters.

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Last month, Sir Keir Starmer made it clear that the US would not be permitted to use UK bases to launch strikes against Iran. On Sunday, that position shifted. Not only has the UK now allowed the use of joint bases, it is also intercepting Iranian drones, and sources have told The Times that a British warship may be deployed to Cyprus. As tensions in the Middle East escalate, is Britain being drawn ever deeper into the conflict? And how might this end?

Our listener survey is live - find ithere.

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: 

Host: Rosie Wright

Producers:Sophie McNulty & Olivia Case

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Special relationship ‘not what it once was’, as Trump rebukes PM on Iran

Further listening:Iran after the Ayatollah

Clips: The Times, AP, BBC, CNN, The White House, Sky News. 

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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After weeks of protests against Ayatollah Khamenei’s regime earlier this year, the Iranian people cried out for American help as they were massacred in their thousands. Over the weekend, the Americans and Israelis did finally intervene in Iran, killing the Ayatollah, but leaving a flood of questions in their wake. Who will now fill the political vacuum? Will there be regime change? And what next for the Iranian people?

Our listener survey is live - find ithere.

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:

Host: Rosie Wright.

Producers:Harry Stott, Julia Webster. 

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Who will replace Ayatollah Khamenei — a moderate or an ‘Iranian Putin’?

Further listening:Iran's supreme leader killed - is the Middle East in all out war?

Clips: BBC, AP, EuroNews, State Department / Instagram, 60 Minutes.

Photo: Getty Images, The Times, Dana Chan.

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For decades, a chilling rumour has haunted Sarajevo: that foreign tourists paid to visit the besieged city in the early 1990s to shoot at its residents. Today, Italian authorities are investigating several cases of alleged ‘tourist snipers,’ thrusting these accusations back into the headlines. Now, an eyewitness to these so-called ‘human safaris’ has spoken to The Times about what he saw more than 30 years ago.

Our listener survey is live - find ithere.

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, the Italy correspondent, The Times

Host: Manveen Rana

Producer: Sophie McNulty

Translator:Aleksa Antic

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:Sarajevo sniper tourists ‘killed children by day, then partied at night’

Clips: BBC, ITN, FRENCH 24 English. 

Photo: Getty Images, Tom Kington.

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Early on Saturday morning, the US and Israel launched a wave of attacks on Iran, killing the supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Iran has retaliated, with strikes reported in the UAE, Qatar and across the region. But will Trump get his regime change or could Iran become just another failed state? And is the middle east on the brink of all-out war?

Our listener survey is live - find ithere.

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:

Host:Manveen Rana.

Producers:Olivia Case and Sophie McNulty.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Iran latest: UK plans mass Middle East evacuation as Tehran strikes back

Further listening:Four years of war: can Ukraine continue to deny Putin?

Clips: The White House / YouTube, CBS, Truth Social, ABC, BBC, The Times. 

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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Next week, the BBC launches a new three part documentary, Hostage, based on our award winning Times podcast series Last Man Standing. It's 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. So what happened to him? In this episode, The Times War Correspondent, Anthony Lloyd, begins his investigation.

This episode was first published on 24 June 2022.

Listen to the whole series: Last Man Standing 

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

Clips: BBC, 5Live, CNN, NBC, BBC.

Further reading: The murky truth about Britain’s forgotten hostage John Cantlie

We've launched The Story's first ever listener survey! If you can, please take a few minutes to fill it in. You can find it here:The Story survey

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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From men wanting to buy her breast milk, to going undercover in the IVF wild west, investigative journalist and author Alev Scott has immersed herself in the murky, and often unregulated world of fertility. What she found was a trillion dollar industry, where the maternal body is a hot commodity. It also raised some serious ethical questions: How much, if anything, should breastmilk cost? Who should be allowed to buy it? And is it right that you can pay more for ‘VIP’ egg donors?

We've launched The Story's first ever listener survey! If you can, please take a few minutes to fill it in. You can find it here:The Story survey

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: Alev Scott, investigative journalist and author of Cash Cow.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Dave Creasey. 

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:Undercover in Europe’s infertility and surrogacy industry

Photo: Getty Images & Mark Harrison for the Times magazine.

You can buy Cash Cow: How the maternal body became a global commodity – and the hidden costs for women at the Times Bookshop.

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The end of Britain’s political duopoly now looks complete, as Labour suffers a catastrophic by-election defeat to the Greens in Gorton and Denton. Reform comes second, while the Tories lose their deposit with just 2% of the vote. Keir Starmer is now a prisoner of the left, and Britain is undergoing a tectonic realignment of its electoral politics.

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

Hosts: 

Producer: Euan Dawtrey.

Executive Producer: Molly Guinness.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Photo:Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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Today we're launching The Story's first ever listener survey!

Find it here: The Story survey

And thank you!

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After a six-month-long investigation into maternity care in England, the government has published its initial findings. The report reveals a catalog of failures at 12 NHS trusts – from inadequate staffing and poor facilities to racial discrimination. So what do bereaved families make of the findings? And can this broken system be fixed?

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: 

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Micaela Arneson. 

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: NHS ‘incentivised’ to record baby deaths as stillborn

Further listening:Inside England's maternity scandal, part one

Photo: Getty Images.

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First Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested, then Peter Mandelson. The fallout has been swift, dramatic, and is still unfolding. Hosts Manveen Rana and Luke Jones answer your biggest questions about the two men and what comes next. 

Neither men have been changed and they both deny any wrongdoing. We don’t know what evidence was used in their arrests. 

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

Hosts: Manveen Rana & Luke Jones.

Producers:Sophie McNulty & Harry Stott.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Commons Speaker reported Peter Mandelson as flight risk to Met Police

Further listening:Andrew is arrested

Clips: The Times, Parliament TV, Newsweek.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

On Monday, the government released its plan to reform SEND, the system that supports children with special educational needs and disabilities, in England. It’s used by around one in five children and Keir Starmer is promising £4 billion over 3 years to overhaul it. But what’s changed, who’s affected and how will the government pay for 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:

Host:Luke Jones.

Producers:Olivia Case and Micaela Arneson.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Keir Starmer: I’ll ensure no child with special needs is left behind

Further listening:Broken trust: Inside England's maternity scandal

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine is still fighting – but the strain is visible. How has the conflict changed since those first days of war? Why would a free and fair election in Ukraine be so difficult? And is peace even conceivable?

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: 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Harry Stott and Julia Webster.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: War diary: love and desperation on Ukraine’s front line

Further listening:A new peace plan, and a critical moment for Zelensky

Clips: BBC

Photo: Photo: Paul Brookbanks, Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Over the past decade, thousands of families say they have been failed by England's maternity services. With a review into 12 NHS trusts due to publish its interim findings this week, we hear from some of those affected. What went wrong? And can future tragedies can be prevented?

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:Poppy Koronka, health correspondent, The Times.

Host:Luke Jones.

Producer: Shabnam Grewal. 

We want to hear from you - email:thestory@thetimes.com

If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised, the following organisations may be able to help:

Read more: NHS maternity failings leave women feeling blamed for poor care

Clips: Parliament TV, Channel 4 News, Ockenden Maternity Review, Sky News,

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Jesse Jackson, the civil rights firebrand, preacher, and two-time presidential candidate rose from segregated South Carolina to the front lines of America’s fight for justice. Marching alongside Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson transformed protest into political power, inspiring generations and paved the way to the first black president. We take a look at his influential, and controversial life.

Guest:Anna Temkin, deputy obituary editor, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer:Dave Creasey and Julia Webster.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:Rev Jesse Jackson obituary: civil rights campaigner

Clips:CBS, NPR, ITV, WCNC, BBC, The Obama White House, ThamesTV.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

After her horrific rape ordeal, Gisèle Pelicot did not want a public trial. But, in an exclusive extract from her new book, she reveals why she changed her mind.

This episode is from the audiobook A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot, read by Emma Thompson.

Read by: Emma Thompson.

Producer:Dave Creasey.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more:‘I saw him rape me. My body tortured, cast unconscious into the pit of men’

Photo: Getty Images.

Further information:Published in hardback by Bodley Head on Feb 17 at £22.

To order a copy of A Hymn to Life go to timesbookshop.co.uk.

Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25.

Special discount available for Times+ members World Europe.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has denied all wrongdoing. This is the first time a member of the royal family has been arrested since the English Civil War in the 1600s. What does this mean for the future of the British monarchy?

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:

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producers: Taryn Siegel and Olivia Case. 

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested for misconduct in public office

Clips: ABC News, Talk TV, Sky News, CNBC.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Just after 8am this morning, patrol cars arrived at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. What do we know? What happens next? And what does this mean for the palace? Our sister podcast, The Royals, brings you the latest.

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:

Host: Roya Nikkhah, royal editor, The Sunday Times

Producer: Robert Wallace

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Further listening:The Royals with Roya and Kate

Read more:Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested for misconduct in public office

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

The Board of Peace began with the grand ambition of reconstructing Gaza and securing a lasting end to one of the world’s most intractable conflicts. But with Donald Trump as chairman for life, its ambitions have grown: it wants to become a wider international peacekeeping organisation. As members meet for the first time in Washington DC, will their lofty ambitions translate into action on the ground? Or is it all just a vanity project?

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:Gabrielle Weiniger, Israel correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Harry Stott, Olivia Case.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Tony Blair to attend Trump’s inaugural Board of Peace meeting

Further listening:Trump's Greenland play and the future of transatlantic relations

Clips: OneIndia News / Youtube, AP / Youtube, CTV, BBC, Channel 4, ABC News.

Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

James Van Der Beek’s death last week at just 48 shocked fans, reignited fears about a disease we still associate with old age. Cases of bowel cancer are rising in those under 50, even as rates fall among the elderly. To find out why, researchers are turning to a century of preserved samples.

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: 

Host: Manveen Rana

Producer: Julia Webster, Sophie McNulty

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Bowel cancer has doubled in under-50s: do the reasons lie in birth?

Further listening:Why are more young people getting cancer?

Photo: Getty.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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