The Story

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/thestoryGuest: Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times.Host: Luke Jones.Producers: Callum Martin, Sophie McNulty.We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: New Reform councillor suspended after racist posts emergeFurther 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:Steven Swinford, political editor, The TimesPatrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The TimesGabriel Pogrund, editor of Insight, The Sunday TimesProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture 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.

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/thestoryGuests:  Anna Mikhailova, political editor, Times Radio.Steve Reed, Housing Secretary.Host: John Pienaar.Producer: Edward Drummond, Sandra Mitchell.We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: Rebel MP gathers names calling for resignationPhoto: 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/thestoryRead by: Tony Lee Moral.Producer: Dave Creasey.We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: David Attenborough at 100 — we’ve been lucky to watch him roam this planetClips: 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:Steven Swinford, political editor, The TimesLara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday TimesProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonPicture credit: Getty ImagesThis 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/thestoryGuest: Hugo Daniel, general news reporter, The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Harry Stott.We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: Revealed: When Andrew first met Peter MandelsonFurther listening: Starmer strikes back over Mandelson vetting scandalClips: 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.

Earlier this week President Trump launched his latest move in the Iran war... 'Project Freedom' is designed to get ships through the Strait of Hormuz under US military escort. But Iran says the plan means the US is breaking the ceasefire and the two countries are now 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/thestoryGuest: 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: [email protected] 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/thestoryGuests:Ross Thomson, editor, Wishaw PressRichard Bolton, community development officer, Forgewood Housing CooperativePaul Murphy, corporate services office, Forgewood Housing CooperativeJustin Parkes, industrial history curator, North Lanarkshire Council MuseumsHost: Manveen Rana.Producers: Taryn SiegelWe want to hear from you - email: [email protected] 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/thestoryGuests: Eleanor Hayward, Health Editor, The Times.Tom Calver, Data Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times.Host: Luke Jones.Producers: Callum Martin and Micaela Arneson.We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: Why doesn’t ever-growing money seem to improve the NHSFurther 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 ImagesThis 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/thestoryGuest: Carl HaymanHost: David Walsh, chief sports writer, The Sunday TimesProducer: Sophie McNultyWe want to hear from you - email: [email protected] 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/thestoryRead by:Hannah Betts, features writer, The Times.Will Roe, executive producer, The Story.Producer: Dave Creasey.We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: Why I will never get marriedPhoto: Robert Wilson for The Times MagazineThis 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.

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/thestoryGuests: Joe Twyman, co-founder and director, DeltaPoll Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times.Host: Luke Jones. Producers: Micaela Arneson. We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: Angela Rayner weighs leadership challenge after local electionsFurther listening: ‘The punishment election’: Is Labour facing a bloodbath in Wales? Clip: Daily Express. 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/thestoryGuests:Matt Dathan, home affairs editor, The Times.Neil Basu, former head of UK counterterrorism policing.Host: Callum MartinProducers: Callum Martin, Olivia Case, Elizabeth Highfield, Sandra Mitchell.We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: What happened in Golders Green? How London stabbing attack unfoldedFurther listening: “They tried to firebomb my synagogue”: The rise in antisemitic attacksPhoto: Getty ImagesThis 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/thestoryHosts: 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: [email protected] more: Iran war latest: Trump warns Tehran ‘No more Mr Nice Guy’ in Truth Social postFurther listening: ‘The punishment election’: Is Labour facing a bloodbath in Wales?Clips: The Independent, Sky. Image: @realDonaldTrump / Truth SocialThis 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/thestoryGuests: Professor Matthew Wall, professor of politics, philosophy and international relations at Swansea University and principal investigator of the 2026 Welsh election study.Grant Berni, head of the Osprey’s supporters club.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Harry Stott.We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: A walk round Pembroke Dock shows why Labour will lose Welsh electionFurther listening: Get ready for a pub brawl, it's local election timePhoto: 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/thestoryHosts: 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: [email protected] more: McSweeney and Barton raise new questions over PM’s judgmentPhoto: 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.

Even though gender equality has come a long way at work, when it comes to parenting the mother is still viewed as the primary caregiver. But does it have to be this way? Paul Morgan-Bentley talks about his new book The Equal Parent in which he draws on his own experience as a father, and asks what can be done to share the load.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest: Paul Morgan-Bentley, Head of Investigations, The Times.Host: Jenny Kleeman.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.

After swearing an oath on the King James Bible, Boris Johnson spent nearly three and a half hours being quizzed by fellow MPs on the privileges committee about gatherings in Downing Street during lockdown. The same afternoon, only 22 Tories followed him through the lobbies, defying a three-line whip to vote against the government’s Brexit deal. So is his appeal – and his argument – fading away? And where does it all leave the Conservatives?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest: Henry Zeffman, Associate Political Editor, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: Parliament TV, Channel 4 News.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 three years since the then prime minister Boris Johnson announced the first national lockdown in an attempt to halt the spread of covid. So, as we move on from the last pandemic, what might cause the next one? And have we learned enough this time round to stop it before it gets out of hand?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Ben Spencer, Science Editor, The Sunday Times.Host: Sean O'Neill. Clips: BBC News, Al Jazeera, Parliament.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.

Twenty years on, the invasion of Iraq is widely seen as a fiasco. But still today the conflict has ongoing consequences for Iraq and Iraqis. Times correspondent Catherine Philp is back in Baghdad to meet people and hear how they were affected then - and now.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guests: Catherine Philp, Diplomatic Correspondent, The Times.Dr Saad Eskander, historian and director of the Iraq National Library and Archives.Bader Katr, translator.Iraqi family in Sadr city.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Olivia Case.Clips: BBC, CBS, AP, Al Jazeera, Journeyman Pictures, CNN, The Washington Post.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.

Nicola Sturgeon’s surprise resignation last month triggered the first election for the leadership of the Scottish National Party in a decade. So, what are the priorities of the three candidates? And - with a row over membership numbers leading the party’s chief executive to resign after giving misleading figures to the press - what impact will the leadership election have on the party?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Kieran Andrews, Scottish Political Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: STV, ITV, Sky News, Channel 4, The Scottish Sun. 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 March 2003, Britain, the US and others invaded the cradle of civilisation, promising to end the perceived threat from Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction. But where did the evidence come from and how did it lead us to war?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guests: Michael Evans, Defence Writer, The Times.Robert E Kelly, nuclear engineer and weapons inspector.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: AP, BBC, Al Jazeera, 60 Minutes, Parliament Live, UK Parliament, BBC, CBS C-SPAN, WSJ, Tim Collins. 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.

Today's Friday episode comes courtesy of our sister podcast: Off Air ... with Jane and Fi, who are joined by historian Dan Snow to talk about his latest documentary on the Black Death.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Assistant Producer: Kea Browning.Times Radio Producer: Rosie Cutler.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.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 September 16, 2022, Mahsa Amini died after being arrested by the Iranian morality police for allegedly dressing inappropriately, sparking protests across the country and beyond. But six months on, there are two opposing narratives of what happened to the 22-year-old: the official account and what her family says. Our correspondent has been investigating to provide the most comprehensive account yet of her final days.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest: Louise Callaghan, Middle East Correspondent, The Sunday Times. Host: Jenny Kleeman.Clips: BBC News, France 24, CNN Espanol, Al Jazeera, Times Radio, Channel 4 News, Euronews, Sky News Australia, Middle East Matters. 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 NHS has had a tough few years: Covid, huge winter demand and now strikes have disrupted services. But even on an average day, the pressure in one of the country's biggest hospitals is palpable.A few weeks ago Stories of Our Times visited Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge for a rare glimpse inside the NHS, and to see the pioneering solutions that could ease the situation.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest: Rachel Sylvester, Times columnist and chairwoman of the Times Health Commission.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: Sky News, BBC Radio 4.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.

Tomorrow the chancellor Jeremy Hunt will stand up in the House of Commons to deliver his first full budget. With the UK economy at its most stagnant point in two years, is there anything Hunt can do to ease the pain?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest: Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor, The Times.Host: Jenny Kleeman. Clips: Sky News, Bloomberg, ITV, Telegraph, BBC, Al Jazeera, CBS, NBC, 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.

They are supposed to help adults quit smoking – so why is a Willy Wonka array of disposable vapes being mass marketed to children? The Chartered Trading Standards Institute wants tougher penalties for those selling to under-18s. Just how did vaping get so big in Britain?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest: Josh Glancy, Special Correspondent, The Sunday Times. Host: Luke Jones. Clips: BBC News, Sky News, Channel 4 News.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 small pro-Russian political party is leading anti-government protests in the former Soviet state amid warnings from Ukraine and Moldovan security services that Russia is plotting to overthrow the country’s pro-EU government. Could this be part of Vladimir Putin’s grand plan? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Tom Kington, Italy Correspondent, The Times. Host: Jenny Kleeman. Clips: France 24, Al Jazeera, WION, Telesur. 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 race for the Republican nominee for the 2024 US presidential race is already underway – with former White House resident Donald Trump throwing his hat in the ring a full two years ahead of time. One man who seems poised to be Trump's biggest threat is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. So who is Ron DeSantis? And could he really beat Trump to the nomination? Our man in Washington, David Charter, sat down with him for an interview.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest: David Charter, US Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times.Host: Luke Jones.Clips: Fox News, CNN, CBS News, ABC News.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 in Ukraine enters its second year, one woman is determined that the world doesn't lose interest. To mark International Women's Day we meet Lesia Vasylenko, the Ukrainian MP who travels the globe drumming up military support for Ukraine, using every media platform available to fight Putin.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest: Lesia Vasylenko, Ukrainian MP.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: BBC News, Radio Free Europe, Hromadske, CNN, CBS, India Ahead, Sky Australia, News Nation.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.

Almost six years after a suicide bomber killed 22 and injured hundreds more at the Manchester Arena, the inquiry into the attack has published its final report. Did the security services have the intelligence that could have prevented it from happening?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Fiona Hamilton, Crime and Security Editor, The Times.  Host: Luke Jones. Clips: Manchester Arena Inquiry, Reuters, BBC News, Times Radio, AP.  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.

25-year-old Rishi Sharma sleeps in a rental car and eats one meal a day. But it’s worth it, he says – as he travels around the world to interview every surviving Second World War veteran. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guests: Will Pavia, New York Correspondent, The Times. Rishi Sharma. You can watch Rishi’s interviews on his YouTube channel, ‘Remember WWII with Rishi Sharma’: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRikw4uCjS8ck3O9Mj-N35Q Host: Manveen Rana.  Clips: YouTube, CBS, Participant. 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.

David Aaronovitch has left The Times after nearly 18 years at the paper, and after three years on Stories of Our Times. As well as presenting this podcast, every week David discussed the news with friend and fellow columnist Danny Finkelstein on Matt Chorley's Times Radio show. On Tuesday, Matt and Danny said goodbye to David with an hour-long special in which they discuss the Brexit deal, trust in politicians, and listener questions for the 'Cerberus of Columnists'.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.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 strictly isolated Hasidic community of North London, thousands of boys reach the age of 16 without being able to read or speak much English. The education for boys in the community includes only minimal secular teaching at most places of learning. Many schools are unregistered, and in some cases, as a Times investigation finds, are not even supposed to exist. And - in a rare glimpse into this hidden world - we speak with the head teacher of a registered Hasidic school, who explains that any discussion around improving the institutions must start with one basic question: what do these schools do right?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guests:Andrew Norfolk, Chief Investigative Reporter, The TimesEli Spitzer, head teacher at a Hasidic schoolHost: Manveen Rana. 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.

One of Britain's most important paintings of a non-white subject could leave the UK forever next week as the deadline approaches to submit an offer to buy the Portrait of Omai from its private owner. It's valued at £50 million. So what's the painting's story - and can a museum raise that much money in time?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Bendor Grosvenor, British art historian.  Host: David Aaronovitch. Clips: Oxford University Press, TRT  Find out more about the public campaign by The National Portrait Gallery and the Art Fund here: https://www.artfund.org/get-involved/campaigns/omai-portrait-appealThis 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 prime minister revealed his big Brexit deal with the European Union, which aims to avoid a hard border across the island of Ireland and in the Irish Sea, as well as preserve sovereignty for people in Northern Ireland. But will it be enough to bring the DUP back to Stormont? And what exactly is the Stormont brake? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest: Oliver Wright, Policy Editor, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: Sky News, The Guardian, The Telegraph, BBC Radio 4, BBC Newsnight, GB News, UK Parliament.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 the first day of the war in Ukraine, a story emerged of a David and Goliath face-off in the Black Sea, when the Ukrainian soldiers on a small, desolate island responded to a Russian warship’s call to surrender by telling it to go f*** itself. The Ukranians were thought to have been killed and the story became one of the great founding myths of the war - but what really happened to the men on the island and who uttered that fateful phrase?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Louise Callaghan, foreign correspondent, The Sunday Times.Host: Luke Jones.Clips: Telegraph, Reuters.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 the final round of voting opens for the 95th Academy Awards – and the Oscars are embroiled in a row about diversity again. The latest controversy centres around a shock nomination for best actress, raising questions about the fairness of the system. Just how significant are race, power and celebrity friends in the campaign to win an Oscar?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Kevin Maher, chief film critic, The Times. Host: David Aaronovitch. Clips: ITV, ABC, Good Morning America, BBC, NBC, Nine Network.Film credits: Gladiator - Dreamworks Pictures/Universal Pictures; Till - MGM Studios/Orion Pictures; The Woman King - Sony Pictures/Entertainment One; To Leslie - Momentum Pictures; Shakespeare In Love - Miramax Films/Universal Pictures.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 days before he invaded Ukraine, President Putin used a televised address to attack the country’s sense of nationhood and deny its right to exist. A year on from the outbreak of war, ordinary Ukrainians are still using small acts of cultural resistance to re-enforce the Ukrainian identity. But what does the complete removal of Russian influence mean for the country's future? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Catherine Philp, Foreign Correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: Channel 4, Sky News, BBC News, Andriy Khlyvnyuk, Office of the President of Ukraine, NBC News, Times Radio, The Kremlin.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.

Kidnap, rape, riots and murder have become a part of everyday life in Haiti. Still reeling from successive natural disasters, a cholera epidemic and starvation, the people of the Caribbean nation are witnessing civil society collapse as dangerous gangs fight for dominance.The assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021 opened up a political vacuum and today sixty per cent of the capital Port Au Prince is under gang control. Is there any hope for Haiti or is it already a failed state?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.GuestsMario Delatour, Documentary filmmaker.Stephen Gibbs, Latin America Correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Olivia Case.Clips: BBC, PBS, CBS, NBC, France 24, ABC, Voice of America.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.

We have entered what many experts are now describing as a golden age of AI. If machines could be our surgeons, our judges and our artists, what would it then mean to be human? Meet the philosophers trying to save humanity from the matrix.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Josh Glancy, Special Correspondent, The Sunday Times.Host: David Aaronovitch.Producer: Olivia Case.Clips: Parliament Live TV, Global News, TED, McKinsey & Company, Open AI, Greylock, Oxford University, Lex Fridman podcast, Plenilune Pictures, DeepMind, Google, SciNews.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 a six-month trial, the results of the world’s biggest four-day working week pilot have been published. It found there was no hit to productivity, while staff wellbeing was improved. But could a shorter working week really work across the whole economy?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guests: - Joe Ryle, Director of the Four Day Week Campaign. - Carly Goodman-Smith, Operations Director, Tyler Grange. Host: Luke Jones. Clip: ITV.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 race is now on to find a replacement for Nicola Sturgeon, who resigned as first minister of Scotland last week. A formidable force in Scottish politics, we trace the triumphs and controversies of her eight years in power, and look ahead to what’s next for the SNP, the independence movement and UK politics.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Kieran Andrews, Scottish Political Editor, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: Channel 4 News, Edinburgh International Book Festival, BBC News, STV News, Sky News, The National, TalkTV.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.

Lancashire Police is facing a backlash this week for sharing personal details about missing mum Nicola Bulley to the general public. The case has received huge public interest since the 45-year-old went missing three weeks ago today. Online sleuths who have cast doubt on the police effort – determined to crack the case themselves – have been a growing distraction. Who are the TikTok detectives sharing theories online, and are they motivated by anything bigger than clicks and followers?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Darryl Morris, Times Radio presenter.Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: TikTok, Sky News, GB News, 5 News, BBC News, Telegraph.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 conceived through rape will be recognised as victims of crime under new government plans. England and Wales will be among the first countries in the world to make this change to the law, ensuring that children in this situation are entitled to support from criminal justice agencies such as the police and courts. We speak to the campaigner at the centre of this landmark legal change. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: The campaigner, Daisy, who has just helped change the law for children born from rape.  Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: BBC, Channel 4 News, Sky News. 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 Nord Stream pipelines - that pump gas from Russia to Germany - were damaged in September it didn’t take long for investigators to determine they had been sabotaged. Almost six months on, and despite three different investigations, are we any closer to knowing who carried out the attack and why?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Marc Bennetts, Foreign Correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: CNN, DW News, Reuters, Sky News, Euronews, C-Span, The Hill.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 30 years on the run, Italy's most-wanted mafia boss, Matteo Messina Denaro, was finally caught in January. A prolific murderer, Denaro once boasted he’d ‘filled a cemetery’. His organisation inspired Hollywood films, but who was Italy's last godfather and how was he finally found? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Tom Kington, Italy Correspondent, The Times.Host: David Aaronovitch.Producer: Olivia Case.Clips: La Repubblica, SKY, NBC, Channel 4, CBS, BBC, The Guardian, MOBFAX, Mob News, France 24, Speak Softly Love (Rota Nino), Scarface (Brian De Palma / Universal Pictures).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.

Turmoil has once again surged in the Middle East. With at least 40 Palestinian deaths and nine Israeli deaths, it's the deadliest start to a year since 2008. For children growing up in a world of endless conflict, what kind of future awaits them?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Josh Glancy, Special Correspondent, The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: Reuters, PBS Newshour, France 24, Global News.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.

Tens of thousands of people have died in Turkey and Syria after two earthquakes on Monday, but time has almost run out to find survivors. In Turkey, criticism is growing over the speed of rescue efforts and earthquake preparedness. Whilst complications in war-torn Syria have hampered humanitarian assistance. But was it possible to prevent the scale of the disaster?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.An appeal has been launched by The Disasters Emergency Committee, made up of 15 UK charities. To donate go to: https://donation.dec.org.uk/turkey-syria-earthquake-appeal Guests: Sara Tor, Columnist, The Times.Gabriel Gavin, Istanbul-based journalist.Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: ABC News, Times Radio, Reuters, White Helmets, Channel 4 News, Sky News, France 24, Global News, BBC News, URFA 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.

A Times journalist went undercover to show that British Gas obtained court warrants to break into customers’ homes to force fit prepayment meters. The investigation led to immediate responses from the company, the regulator and from government. So how did the investigation unfold?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.Guest: Paul Morgan-Bentley, Head of Investigations, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: Times Radio, Sky News, BBC, Parliament.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.