The Story

A Sunday Times investigation has found England is in an overprescribing epidemic. Adverse reactions to cocktails of medicines are sending a thousand older people to A&E every day, potentially causing deaths, and costing the NHS billions. So how was this overlooked for so long? And can an already overstretched and underfunded NHS fix the problem? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the su...

When Times reporter Sasha Nugara fell for a charismatic musician she met online, she didn’t imagine she would end up in a coercive relationship. But love bombing quickly soured into manipulation and violence, and Sasha decided to break free – and seek justice. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/th...

Sir Ranulph Fiennes is one of the world’s greatest living explorers. After he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2020, he continued to speak publicly about his career and illness. That is, until 2024. Since then, he hasn’t been seen publicly, and many of those closest to him haven’t been able to reach him. So what is happening with Fiennes? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the supp...

In one of the biggest scandals in English football history, Manchester City football club was found guilty this week on all charges of serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. So how did we get here? What will happen to Man City, and what does the scandal mean for the future of English football? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The...

The energy price cap goes up again today by 4% – but more pain is around the corner, with forecasts yesterday suggesting a further 16% rise in the new year. Why are UK energy prices, particularly electricity, much more expensive than the US and even most European countries? And while Andy Burnham is promising radical plans to bring them down, will this be enough? This podcast was brought to you th...

Christa Pike is set to be executed today, making her the first woman to be put to death in Tennessee in 200 years. Ahead of the execution, Pike has spoken with The Times about her regrets, her fears, and what it’s been like awaiting her final hours. Thirty years on from her trial, she wonders, would she have gotten the same sentence in 2026? Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence,...

The Labour party is jubilant. Andy Burnham has fired the starting gun for the next general election with one of the most consequential conference speeches in recent memory. Burnham used the speech to set out a series of major proposals, including an end to the triple lock, the abolition of first-past-the-post and closer ties with Europe. At the heart of his national project is a care service free...

When police arrested five men on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act and explosive offences at RAF Fairford early Sunday morning, questions swirled: who was behind the foiled plot? Should Britain be concerned about its security vulnerabilities? But then the men were released on bail, and suddenly a different question arose: could this entire saga have been a terrible misunderstanding? This podc...

Deep in Russia’s Ural Mountains lies a secret nuclear bunker, guarded by a gate that has never been seen before. Until now. A Sunday Times joint investigation has revealed that the Cold War-era bunker, long thought to be dormant, is being revamped as President Putin seeks to arm the country against potential nuclear attack. So what does this mean for the West? This podcast was brought to you thank...

When was the last time you read a book? Literacy rates have plummeted across the developed world since the advent of the smartphone and the consequences for society are chilling, says James Marriott. But why does it matter that fewer of us are reading books? And what happens if we all just stop? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Sub...

For centuries, people who’ve survived near-death experiences have told eerily similar and strange stories. They talk of bright lights, a feeling of euphoria, life flashing before their eyes. For much of that time, such accounts were often relegated to the realm of mysticism. But now, some scientists are beginning to reconsider what happens to you when you’re on the very edge of life and death. Thi...

Did King Charles really tell Earl Spencer that Diana would soon be forgotten? In his new memoir, Swan Song , Diana’s brother makes a series of explosive claims about the King’s behaviour following her death — prompting a swift and unusually personal response from Buckingham Palace. Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey are joined by Andrew Morton, author of Diana: Her True Story , to examine Spencer’s disp...

Britain’s small boats saga has had a dramatic week. Wednesday saw 781 people arrive in Britain, the highest number of the year, while on Monday a dingy carrying 60 migrants was met at sea by the far-right activist ‘Danny Tommo’. Protests have since engulfed parts of the south coast, but why is this all happening now? And what can the government do to get a handle on it? This podcast was brought to...

In an area just north of Blackpool, a chemical factory sits on the River Wyre. In the past few years, journalists have detected large amounts of forever chemicals in land around the plant. And yesterday, some residents discovered they had high levels of these chemicals in their blood. So, what does this mean? And what can those tested do about it? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the supp...

The US president will greet his Chinese counterpart at the start of a state visit later today. The two leaders will hold talks in Washington, DC tomorrow during which artificial intelligence is expected to be high on the agenda. Despite weeks of warnings about the devastation AI could cause to humankind, the two countries are locked in a battle for global domination of the technology. Could Donald...

Andy Burnham will meet Donald Trump in person for the first time today at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Top of the agenda are the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, North Sea drilling, trade deals and AI. So who wants what? Will there be any curveballs? And can the PM charm his opposite number in this first face-to-face? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of reade...

Anti-Ukrainian sentiment is on the rise in Poland. The rift stems, in part, from a historical dispute over a wartime massacre of Poles 83 years ago, which has bubbled to the surface in recent months. So, how did relations sour so quickly? And what does this mean for Polish support in the war against Russia? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunda...

Ironman ultra-triathlons demand competitors swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles, and then run a full marathon, paying upwards of $1000 for the pleasure. It’s not everyone’s idea of a perfect Sunday, but for its growing base of devotees, it has become almost like a religion. So how did the sport grow from its low-key Hawaiian roots to a money-making global phenomenon? And what drives people to push the...

All of Ed Sheeran’s support acts have pulled out of his tour after his opening act Macklemore was dropped for making pro-Palestinian remarks on stage. So why has this become such a cause célèbre? What does it mean for Ed Sheeran? And what has happened through history when music and politics meet?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Tim...

The space race is on, but not as we’ve known it. Instead of a man on the moon, nations are jostling for who can plant weapons on the moon. In a major development this week, the US has announced that it has deployed a weapon to outer space – the first country to do so. But are other nations, like China and Russia, far behind? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of...

President Trump sparked controversy during his recent trip to Ireland when he said a unified Ireland would be “a fantastic thing.” That was followed on Monday by Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh leaders signing a pact pledging to break up the UK. With Prime Minister Andy Burnham set to meet with the Taoiseach Micheál Martin tomorrow, is a united Ireland now more likely? This podcast was brought...

The Microsoft co-founder tells Danny and Katie why AI is "ultra-different" from any previous technology - and why tech companies shouldn’t be responsible for controlling it.  Speaking about a new report on AI and equity published by The Gates Foundation he also explores the “vacuum of US leadership” in AI regulation. The Interview is Times Tech's weekly conversation with the people shaping th...

The Thirlwall Inquiry into how Lucy Letby was able to murder babies at the Countess of Chester hospital has released a damning report. It found the hospital could have prevented at least three of the murders, if not for evidence of a pernicious “them and us” culture and a lack of safeguards. But what does this report mean for the hospital authorities? And will it have any bearing on Letby's attemp...

The Iranian-backed Houthis have seized large swathes of territory in Yemen and taken control of the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a key shipping corridor between Asia and Europe. About 12 percent of global trade passes through the strait, including huge amounts of oil, so the move has sent energy prices skyrocketing. But, who are the Houthis? What’s their aim? And with regional powers wary of getting drag...

Warnings about the dangers of AI are reaching fever pitch, with cases of AI agents going rogue and attempts by malicious actors to use the technology to create biological weapons. Industry whistleblowers are sounding the alarm about a technology they claim could destroy humanity, while AI CEOs are themselves making proposals for a slow down. So how do they plan to stop this march towards oblivion?...