The Story

Has the crisis over Iran driven its already weakened leader to the brink? Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is unpopular but do the people of Iran want regime change from outside? And if he falls, what then for 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 Guests:  Professor Mohsen Milani, Author, T...

Iran has launched missiles at US airbases in response to US strikes on its nuclear facilities. Donald Trump says US bombers obliterated Iran’s three main nuclear sites at Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow. But the extent of the damage is still unclear. Is the situation escalating and will the US now push for regime change? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and...

Jonathan Anderson, the Northern Irish designer who made Loewe a billion dollar brand, has just taken on the biggest job in fashion: the first sole creative director of Dior since the eponymous Christian Dior. Ahead of this fashion week there’s been a chaotic reshuffle at the top of fashion as the industry copes with a challenging economic downturn. Who is the most important man in fashion, and can...

This podcast was originally published last August. Just hours before the sinking, the party aboard the yacht had been celebrating a spectacular legal victory - so what led to this moment? 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: Katie Prescott, Technology Business Editor, The Times.&nbsp...

The government has held a meeting of the Cobra committee to discuss the Israel-Iran crisis - but how important is it really during a national emergency, and is it the UK's version of the White House Situation Room? The political masterminds also discuss the political impact of backing America during a conflict, and whether Keir Starmer can start ignoring Kemi Badenoch at prime minister's questions...

The first woman to run MI6, the foreign branch of Britain's Secret Intelligence Services has been named. Blaise Metreweli takes over the role of ‘C,’ as the head of the service has always been called, in the autumn. She will go from complete anonymity to becoming the public face of British foreign espionage. A long career in espionage means much is shrouded in mystery but we have some fascinating...

Decca Aitkenhead was nine when a GP risked jail to help her mother to die. Years later she watched her best friend succumb to the slow torture of Huntington's disease, and for a few days she found herself confronting her own death. She tells Jane Mulkerrins how those experiences have shaped her views on assisted dying.  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The T...

As thousands of Ukrainian soldiers struggle with debilitating PTSD since the Russian invasion, one unconventional therapy has proved surprisingly effective: ketamine. How did this become a treatment for mental illness? And does it really work?  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 Gues...

How did Israel pull off the most devastating attack on the Iranian regime in its 45 year history and did it achieve its aim of destroying the country's ability to produce a nuclear weapon? As Tehran retaliates for the deaths of its leading military and nuclear personnel, what is the path to de-escalation, and is there a path to something far worse? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the sup...

Weight loss drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy aren't just changing bodies - they're rewiring society. Half a million Britons have tried them and that number’s soaring. So what will be different in this slim new world? Sunday Times science editor Ben Spencer explains how the drugs are fundamentally altering everything from alcohol to airlines. We also hear Harriet Walker's experience of taking the dru...

This episode was originally published in March. The word "unprecedented" is often used to describe Donald Trump's presidency. He's broken with convention repeatedly: from announcing tariffs on allies, to the suggestion that he wants to buy Greenland. But are these moves really without precedent? Or do Trump's politics echo that of 19th century US presidents, but with a more ala...

A pattern is seemingly emerging with a series of high profile targeted killings taking place inside Russian territory, blamed on Ukrainian forces. This week, an in depth look at those stories, who may be responsible for them, why they may be happening and what are rules when it comes to assessing wether they are legally and ethically justified. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

The protests in Los Angeles have created a political opportunity for California’s Democrat governor, Gavin Newsom. He has called Donald Trump a “stone-cold liar” and said that democracy itself is under threat after the president ordered the National Guard and the Marines onto the streets of LA. Have the Democrats found a credible opponent who could take on Trump?  This podcast was brought to...

For years, the Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed used his power to abuse and rape women who worked for him. He was never prosecuted. In her new book The Monster of Harrods: Al-Fayed and the secret, shameful history of a British institution, Alison Kervin reveals the staggering scale of his abuse and the huge number of people who enabled it. This episode contains details of rape and sexual abuse. If y...

On Monday a boat of twelve activists, including Greta Thunberg, was intercepted by Israel on its way to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza. More than a humanitarian mission, its aim was to keep the world's attention on what the UN calls "the hungriest place on earth". Israel dismissed the project as a “selfie yacht” guided by "instagram activism". Gabrielle Weiniger tells Manveen Rana how th...

The closest of bromances devolved last week into a public cage fight. Where did this come from? And when the richest man in the world and the most powerful man in the world decide to do battle, what are the stakes? 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 DC Editor...

The journalist James Bloodworth has been exploring the manosphere revealing a hidden world of modern masculinity and the anxieties driving it. Charting the history from pickup artists to incels and influencers, he tells Manveen about the attractions of this digital world to young men and his own experiences within it. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times an...

This episode was originally published two year ago. 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 Time...

With tough choices facing the government, the political masterminds look at what goes on behind the scenes ahead of a spending review - and how reluctant ministers are brought into line. And as the Tories finally put the boot into the Liz Truss legacy, have they found a new strategy on the economy - and will anyone notice? Send your comments and questions to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk Hosted on Acast...

As Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour comes to the UK, we chart the rise of a shy schoolgirl from Texas who became a record-breaking billionaire.  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: Megan Agnew. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Hannah Varrall. Further reading: The making of Beyoncé — by...

The government’s Strategic Defence Review has set out a vision for Britain’s defence for the next decade. One of its authors, General Sir Richard Barrons, spoke to Manveen Rana about the threat from Russia, the wars and weapons of the future and how quickly society can collapse. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: htt...

The dollar has been the global reserve currency nearly a century. But four months into the new Trump administration, could that be about to change? 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: Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor, The Times. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Taryn Siegel. Further readin...

Anthony Loyd and the legendary photographer Don McCullin have been to Syria to chronicle the destruction of Palmyra by Islamic State and to see what is changing under the new Syrian regime. Manveen sat down with them at Don’s house in Somerset to reflect on war, loss, friendship — and a remarkable career.  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The S...

Giorgia Meloni has world leaders falling at her feet and the Trump administration in her thrall. But how did she reinvent herself from leader of a minor neo-fascist party to the new political queen of 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: Tom Kington, The Times correspondent i...

This episode was originally published last March. Japanese ‘kidults’ revolutionised pop culture in the 90s and 00s, turning to their inner children to cope with economic crisis and post-industrial societal ills, despite being ridiculed. As the milestones of adulthood - property, marriage and careers - become increasingly difficult for millennials and Gen Z to achieve - are westerners now turning t...