The Story

In this special bonus edition we are bringing you an episode from another Times podcast - Past Imperfect. Nadiya Hussain MBE rose to fame after winning The Great British Bake Off back in 2015. She talks to Rachel Sylvester and Alice Thomson about the way her life has changed since then and how the abuse that she faced as a child inspired her to be a force for change. Get The Times free for a...

Before Channel 4's hit series It's Sin was broadcast, writer Russell T Davies made headlines for his comments on how the show was cast. Should LGBTQ+ roles only be played by those with a lived experience? Or is that in itself, a form of discrimination? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thet...

In October, a  Stories of our times  investigation blew the lid off a Russian disinformation campaign, which had aimed to stoke fears about the Oxford vaccine. Now Russia has its own vaccine, Sputnik, which is highly effective but still isn't most countries' first choice. Has the Kremlin shot itself in the foot, and become Sputnik’s own worst enemy? We revisit our investigation...

On Monday the prime minister will unveil a roadmap for how we exit lockdown. Today we look to two countries which might show us a glimpse of the future: Australia and Israel. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes . Guests:  -Tom Whipple, Science&n...

It's been over a year since the UK officially left the EU on the 31st of January 2020 in a vote which was fuelled by decades of British Euroscepticism. With terms like 'remainer' and 'Brexiteer' now holding less significance, what are the new identities which have emerged for all of us? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Time...

Last month, a team of assassins shot and killed two of Afghanistan’s most eminent women. The murder of the two Supreme Court judges is part of an assassination campaign targeting Kabul’s intellectual and social elite. Yet even as violence surges across the country, peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban continue in Doha. What does the future hold for the nation? T...

A decade after an MI6 agent was found dead in a North Face holdall, the detective who led the inquiry wants a forensic case review. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes . Guest: David Collins, Northern Editor for The Sunday Times. Host: David Aaronovitch. Clips...

What goes on inside one of the most secure, secretive and at times controversial British institutions? The Times   is the first newspaper to be allowed into some of the most secure laboratories at Porton Down. Plus: an exclusive interview with defence secretary Ben Wallace, who warns of a growing threat of chemical and biological attacks. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the sup...

Protesters in Myanmar are demanding the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi who was arrested when the military seized power. How did this country become unstable so quickly and what's next for Myanmar's pro-democracy movement? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storieso...

Today the Senate trial begins: Donald Trump is charged with ‘incitement of insurrection’ over the Capitol riot. After four controversial years in power, the former President's ability to hold office again now hangs in the balance. What should we expect from the trial of the first US president to be impeached twice and where does it leave the Republican party? This podcast was brought to you thanks...

The inside story of how the WallStreetBets forum on Reddit took on Wall Street, sending shares in the struggling retailer GameStop skyrocketing… until they crashed back to earth. Content warning: strong language and mentions of suicide. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.c...

As the annual Six Nations tournament gets underway this weekend, recent high profile lawsuits filed against rugby union’s governing bodies from ex-professionals have cast a shadow over the game. Is the sport facing a criss that could see parents stop their children from playing it? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today a...

Two weeks ago AstraZeneca shocked the EU by cutting its vaccine delivery by 60%. What went wrong, and why? And could the high drama that followed have a lasting political impact? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes . Guest: Peter Conradi, Europe editor, The Su...

For months, protesters have been camping out on the outskirts of Delhi, demanding the repeal of a set of agricultural laws. Last week, as India tried to celebrate its Republic Day, violence erupted between the protesting farmers and police. At least one protestor lost his life. Negotiations between the farmers and the government are at a standstill. Now what? Who will win? This podcast was brought...

Britney Spears’s private life has been on show ever since she emerged on the music scene back in the late ’90s. In recent years she's been hitting headlines for other reasons, with new questions arising about her conservatorship which she's been under since 2008. Worried fans have launched the #FreeBritney campaign, but is their continued concern unwarranted?  This podcast was brought to...

The coronavirus pandemic is keeping us all at home and many of us have been taking a long, hard look at our closest and most intimate relationships - and deciding to call it quits. What's causing all the break ups? And with the end of lockdown far from sight are more relationships doomed? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subsc...

As the government wrestles with how best to help those in need during the pandemic, it's brought to the surface many of the historical divisions within the Conservative party. After years of austerity and cuts, they're now the party offering financial support to millions. But how long are they prepared to do so? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The...

Jordan Peterson, a clinical psychologist, is a conservative superstar of the culture wars. Known for his confidence in debates, Decca Aitkenhead meets him a changed man. Worshipped by many for his self-help scriptures, Peterson has spent the past year battling drug rehab, suicidal thoughts and Covid-19. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Ti...

A bizarre conspiracy theory on the social media platform TikTok is uncovered after a Twitter thread goes viral. What does this say about how misinformation spreads online? What are the unintended consequences? And are generations further apart than ever before? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free...

In his latest book,  Empireland , Times writer Sathnam Sanghera attempts to expose what he sees as a blind spot in our understanding of history: the details and impact of the British Empire. Is there a reason Britain has struggled to face its colonial past? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one mont...

In a special series for the Sunday Times, writer Rosie Kinchen examines what's behind our true crime obsession. Kinchen makes contact with Amanda Knox - someone affected by this - and finds out Knox recently campaigned for the release of a German national - who Knox believes was wrongfully convicted of murder in the Unites States in 1990, in a story that has echoes of her own.  This podcast w...

Conspiracies spread fast on anonymous platforms like 4chan. QAnon's evolution on the site is fuelled by unfounded theories which suggest that President Trump is waging a secret war against Satan-worshipping paedophiles who hold some of the highest positions in the country. Now that Donald Trump is no longer in office, what happens to those who believed in QAnon's ideas? This podcast was...

For Egypt, the Arab Spring was just the start. Ten years ago, protests erupted in Tahrir Square that would force the president from power and kick off a decade of political transformation.  We speak to the editor of the country's last major opposition media about how these events changed history and shaped her life. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times...

Alibaba Group founder and billionaire Jack Ma has emerged into the public for the first time since disappearing in October last year. Growing scrutiny of his business plans has fuelled speculation that his absence is part of a broader crackdown by the Chinese government. Where has he been? And what does his disappearance mean for the future of Chinese business?  This podcast was bro...

Some 25,000 troops stood guard during the inauguration of President Joe Biden. The high levels of security was just one sign that the country is facing great challenges domestically. What does the mood in Washington tell us about the future of the United States under new leadership? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe t...