The Story

Investigators in the Philippines are looking into Thomas Markle Sr, the father of the Duchess of Sussex, after his son told authorities he had found child sex abuse images at his father’s former home. So, what exactly do we know about the allegations? What could happen next? And is the scandal shifting the narrative around Meghan? Thomas Markle Sr denies the allegations against him. This podcast w...

We’re publishing our monthly Q&A episode this Friday. Send us your questions by Wednesday, 28 October, 5pm GMT. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Further listening: Q&A: Harry and Meghan return, underground data centres and peace for Ukraine? This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to a...

Tomorrow is Andy Burnham’s 100th day in office. To mark the occasion, the prime minister sat down for a series of four interviews with The Sunday Times. He tells political editor Ben Riley-Smith how he felt like an imposter when he first came to Westminster, his strategy in dealing with Donald Trump, and how much closer he actually wants to get to Europe. This podcast was brought to you thanks to...

Four schoolgirls in Bicester are asking the government to ban school uniforms in porn, arguing it sexualises minors and puts them at risk. The outfits are a common costume for female performers in pornography, despite the fact that one UK study revealed 35% of girls surveyed had received unwanted sexual attention whilst wearing one. So why is this legal? And could a new piece of legislation make a...

Three years ago, the journalist Ann Treneman was told that her husband, Ian, had inoperable cancer. Just six weeks later, Ian had died. As time has moved on, Ann continues to grapple with her loss. The experience has forced her to confront how little she once understood grief, and to consider why something so universal remains so difficult for us to talk about. This podcast was brought to you than...

This Sunday, Brazilians go to the polls to choose their new president. It’s a hugely consequential contest between the incumbent president, left-wing Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and right-wing Flávio Bolsonaro, son of ‘Trump of the Tropics’ Jair Bolsonaro, the jailed former president. But what will it mean if this powerhouse of South America follows so many other countries in the region and swings...

Yesterday, Labour greenlit Jackdaw, the biggest new British gasfield in almost a decade. But, will it help with energy security or reducing energy bills? And what does it mean for the government's commitment to net zero? 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 Vaughan, environm...

What began as student protests in France against a struggling education system has erupted into a wider wave of unrest over the rising cost of living and failing public services. Similar grievances have sparked demonstrations across Europe, with violent clashes in Belgium and Italy over the weekend. French authorities have now imposed localised curfews, while declaring a state of emergency remains...

For residents of Kyiv, 2026 has been the deadliest since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Air defences are virtually nonexistent so strikes and civilian deaths have skyrocketed, making Kyiv’s firefighters evermore crucial. Amid the terror and destruction, they have emerged as heroes – public servants who run towards danger to rescue civilians while being targeted by Russian stri...

In Tenancingo, the country’s sex trafficking capital, children as young as eleven are being forced into prostitution. When they can no longer make money, they ‘disappear’. The state governor has said, it simply does not exist. The women the Sunday Times has spoken to say the problem is worse than anyone knows. Senior correspondent Louise Callaghan travelled to there to investigate. This podcast wa...

After an operation in 2022 to detain the leader of a terrorist cell goes wrong, the SAS is plunged into crisis raising questions about the future of Britain’s special forces. Insight, The Sunday Times investigations team, has gathered witness testimony, leaked documents and open source intelligence, meaning the full story can be told for the first time. This podcast was brought to you thanks to th...

The multitude of interconnected wars engulfing the globe are leading many to draw parallels with 1939, the eve of the Second World War. Historian Sir Anthony Beevor – one of the world’s great chroniclers of the 20th century – is one of those raising the alarm, particularly about the threats posed by Russia. Following the release of his new book Rasputin and the Downfall of the Romanovs , we caught...

On November 3, Americans will head to the polls for midterm elections that will determine who controls Congress for the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency. While Trump himself isn't technically on the ballot, plummeting approval ratings means the elections are shaping up to be a referendum on his leadership. Republicans face a tough fight, even in traditionally conservative states su...

Over 300,000 people live in ‘temporary’ or ‘supported’ housing, where government-funded rents have no upper-limit. For The Times’ Welfare Inquiry, investigative lead Katie O’Toole goes undercover at an ‘academy’ training landlords in how to profit off housing society’s most vulnerable. She also hears from tenants stranded in supported housing, where severe financial cliff edges penalise those who...

With our reporters following every word in court, the trial of Russell Brand began in earnest today. The prosecution laid out their case, calling Brand “ruthless, calculating, and manipulative…a sexual predator.” Brand has denied all charges against him. Watch or listen to The Trial of Russell Brand every weekday on Apple Podcasts , YouTube or listen on Spotify . Follow the show to never miss an e...

Andy Burnham announced this week that UK and EU leaders will meet in November to discuss a reset in relations. Brexit has been bad for the country, Burnham said, and a closer relationship with Europe will foster economic growth and strengthen national security. Is he right? What is he hoping to accomplish in November? And is now the time to reopen the fraught debate over Britain’s decision to leav...

Over the weekend, the Houthis attacked one of Saudi Arabia’s main airports twice, as well as other locations in the country. Fourteen people are dead so far, with hundreds injured, in what is the deadliest attack on the Kingdom in over a decade. Saudi Arabia is calling for international help, but will anyone come to their aid? And what’s the fallout in a rapidly destabilising region? This podcast...

Israel’s general election on October 27th could be the country’s most consequential in its history. In the run up, the prime minister and his right-wing coalition have promoted a vision of the country’s future that is as uncompromising to its friends as its enemies. As the situation at home and abroad grows evermore dire, what impact will the victor have on the likelihood of peace in the middle ea...

The month marks the 20th anniversary of Amy Winehouse’s multi-platinum album Back to Black . Just after the album was released and Amy’s fame was beginning to skyrocket, journalist Ariel Leve met the young 23-year-old in LA for two hours, where Amy gushed about her new husband, laughed off the cruel media scrutiny, and mused about her legacy. That interview would never be seen or heard -- until no...

They’re actors, rock stars, models — and the offspring of very famous parents. Some see this as joining in on the family business. Others see it as an unfair advantage. But is the backlash against them justified? Times Columnist Ben Machell weighs in on the nepo baby debate. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://...

In Siberia last week, a Russian researcher working at an institute specialising in dangerous infectious diseases is believed to have died of unexplained pneumonia. Local media suggested it was pneumonic plague; the Kremlin continues to obfuscate. So what’s really happening? With its history of cover ups, can we trust what Russia is telling the world? And how worried should we be? This podcast was...

The student protests that have rocked France for weeks reached a crescendo this week, when more than 250,000 teenagers, parents, teachers and union leaders took to the streets to voice their anger over dilapidated school buildings, staff shortages and complicated timetables. Some protests have resulted in shocking violence, and so far, the government has had limited success in quelling the unrest....

Kemi Badenoch's attack on Reform UK was all about character and her attack on Labour was all about economics. In her speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, she said she would to scrap inheritance tax on family homes and that under a Conservative government, couples would be able to leave an extra £1m inheritance tax free to their children. Badenoch was withering about Nigel...

Tomorrow sees the Greens and Labour battle it out for control of Holborn and St. Pancras, following Keir Starmer’s resignation as the constituency’s MP last month. The stakes are particularly high for the Green candidate and leader Zack Polanski, who wants to prove his party can be a viable alternative to Labour on the left. But what are voters on the ground thinking? We head up to North London to...

Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez has called a snap election, after losing a key vote on his housing reforms. Protests have been rocking the country since an 87-year-old woman was evicted on a stretcher. Sánchez is gambling that he can leverage the national fury to strengthen his party’s position, but could it backfire? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Tim...