The Story

Britain has the worst coronavirus death toll in Europe despite the government insisting they followed the best scientific advice. The Sunday Times Insight team brings you the inside story into what went wrong for the UK.    Guests: Jonathan Calvert, Insight Editor, The Sunday Times. George Arbuthnott, Deputy Insight Editor, The Sunday Times. With additional reporting from: Jonathan Leake...

The Prime Minister of Lesotho has resigned amid accusations that he was involved in the murder of his estranged wife. His third wife is also set to stand trial over her alleged involvement in the murder plot. We dive into the politics of the small African kingdom of Lesotho.   Guests: Witness, anonymous. Lebohang Totanyana, former Minister of Mining in Lesotho. Barnaby Mitchell, BBC camera op...

With experts suggesting that long term lock down will negatively affect our mental health, we ask: what can we all do to bring delight and joy into our lives during the crisis?  Guests:  Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology at Yale University Sanjay Shewakramani, Emergency Department doctor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Care home deaths in England and Wales now account for forty percent of all deaths from coronavirus - and one result has been a political row. Why have things gone wrong for our most vulnerable citizens and the people who care for them?   Guests: Greg Hurst, social affairs editor at The Times. Irene Owen, a 91-year-old resident of Devonshire Court in Leicestershire. Sonja Bell, daugh...

When Lee Solomon set up his funeral home, he had one mission: to give families the sendoff they really wanted. But now that's no longer possible. For a month Lee has been keeping an audio diary for us, chronicling the experience of running a funeral home during the Covid-19 outbreak and the hardships that come with it. Guest: Lee Solomon runs 'Lilies Funeral Directors' in Sutton Coldfield. Host:&n...

The Sunday Times rich list has published the names of the wealthiest people in Britain since 1989. Today we meet its compiler to find out who reached the top this year and explore what drives them. Guest: Rob Watts, Compiler of The Sunday Times Rich. Host: Manveen Rana. More on Rich List here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/sunday-times-rich-list Archive: Youtube (Richard Branson), E! Red Carpet...

The Italian village of Vo’ Euganeo was the home of the first European to die in Europe of covid19. Now the same town has become a unique test-bed for scientists to learn how to combat the disease. Could it offer new insights into how to fight back? Guest:  Peter Conradi, Europe Editor of The Sunday Times. Host:  Manveen Rana Archive: MSNBC, BarbART YouTube channel, France 24, Sky News, R...

Behind the scenes, a group of social scientists has been advising the government on how to communicate to the public during the crisis. But has some of their advice been ignored?  Guest :  Steve Reicher, professor of social psychology at the University of St Andrews and member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours.  Host : Manveen Rana. Archive: BBC, ITV, DW News,...

An Australian cult is operating from a B&B in Somerset and despite court rulings against it, is ripping families apart. It is just one of an estimated one thousand cults that operate in the UK. Who are the people fighting to expose them?  Guests:  Rosie Kinchen, associate editor and the main interviewer of News Review at The Sunday Times. Host: David Aaronovitch. Audio from: Est...

Some 10,000 people in the UK have needed critical care to deal with the virus already. What's it like to be in an ICU with Covid19? Guests:  Roger Boyes, Diplomatic Editor and columnist for The Times. Dr Sonia Hudson, consultant in intensive care medicine at Broomfield Hospital. Host: Manveen Rana.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we begin to relax the lockdown, the UK is facing its biggest economic shock for 300 years. Can past recessions teach us what to do next?  Guest: David Smith, Sunday Times Economics Editor Ann Pettifor, economist Host:  Manveen Rana Archive: BBC, Talkradio, CNN, CBS, Sky News, CNBC, Bloomberg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can the jubiatilion and uncertainty of VE day teach us about what 'victory' over coronavirus might look like? Guest: Ben Macintyre, associate editor, columnist and a writer-at-large for The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: Imperial War Museum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This weekend Boris Johnson is expected to talk about the UK's exit strategy and outline the beginning of the end of lock down. But what can we learn from other European nations and their approach? Guest:  Oliver Moody, The Times Berlin Correspondent. Host: Manveen Rana.  Clips: Marco Meeßen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In recent weeks the world’s two biggest superpowers have been playing a blame game around the global pandemic. What do the Chinese communists and the American Republicans stand to gain from the spread of myths, fake news and propaganda? Guest:  Catherine Philp, the Times Diplomatic Correspondent. Henry Zeffman, the Times Washington Correspondent. Host:  David Aaronovitch. Archive: Newswe...

Four decades of war have ravaged Afghanistan, cost America $2 trillion and left more than one million dead. As US troops prepare to withdraw, what next for a nation more divided than ever? Guest:  Anthony Loyd, Times foreign correspondent.  Host : Manveen Rana. Archive : Euronews Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An extraordinary story about the man who helped trigger one of the biggest financial crashes in US history - ten years ago this week - from his bedroom in a West London semi-detached house.   Guest:  Liam Vaughan, journalist and author of Flash Crash.   Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: Bloomberg, CNBC, BBC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Under lockdown, police have been given extraordinary new powers. What do the new rules mean for bobbies on the beat, and how will they change our relationship to the police force?    Guest:  John Simpson, Times crime correspondent  Jonathan Ames, Times legal editor John Apter, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales   Host: Manveen Rana Clips: BBC, Talkradio Ho...

Cheltenham Festival was the last major sporting event to take place prior to the national lockdown in the UK. But should it ever have happened? The four-day fixture took place in March and has since become a lightning rod for criticism around perceived government inaction on the coronavirus crisis. We talk to people who were there.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump is under pressure as libertarian demonstrators insist their freedom is being infringed by lock down. Has the virus revealed the gap between the President's rhetoric and the reality of governance? And is the pandemic changing his re-election chances? Guests:  Josh Glancy, Washington Bureau Chief for The Sunday Times. Julie Kelly, senior contributor for political blog American Grea...

How has the government fared enforcing their mantra of: 'stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives'? Guests:  Caroline Wheeler, Deputy political editor of The Sunday Times. Rosamund Urwin, Senior reporter at The Sunday Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times writer Sathnam Sanghera goes on a personal journey to find out why people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds are suffering disproportionately from Covid-19. Guest:  Sathnam Sanghera, author and writer at the Times.  Host:   Manveen Rana. Sathnam's article for the Saturday magazine: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-and-ethnicity-black-and-asian-nhs-...

The waters have cleared in Venice, air pollution over China has dropped and goats have reclaimed a Welsh town. But just how sustainable are these seemingly positive side effects of the coronavirus crisis on our climate and the natural world? Guest: Liz Bonnin, scientist and natural history presenter.   Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: BBC, NBC, Channel 4, DW News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

Technology might be the answer to our problems - but could we be giving up our privacy in return for our liberty?  Guest:  Danny Fortson, The Sunday Times West Coast correspondent  Host:   David Aaronovitch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last weekend's investigation by the Insight team into the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic made headlines around the world.  We talk to them about how they researched the story and get their rebuttal to the government's subsequent criticism. Guests: Jonathan Calvert,  editor of The Sunday Times Insight investigative team George Arbuthnott,  deputy editor of The...

We take a break from social distancing and life in lockdown to bring you an extraordinary story from Iraq. The Sunday Times' Louise Callaghan tells Manveen the tale of Abu Laith- the zookeeper of Mosul, and the man who kept a lion alive through mortar fire and raids by ISIS.  Guest: Louise Callaghan, Sunday Times Middle East correspondent Host: Manveen Rana Hosted on Acast...