The Story

Gail Rice had given up on dating apps and was dreading old age. Then the psychologist had an idea — book a hotel room for a landmark birthday and pay a stranger to turn her on. Would it 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 Read by:  Olivia Case.  Host:  Manveen Ra...

This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times and The Sunday Times in paid partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Each episode is hosted by The Story released as a bonus weekly series on Saturdays. In Lausanne, Switzerland, neuroscientist and Rolex Awards Laureate Grégoire Courtine and neurosurgeon Jocelyne Bloch have pioneered a “digital bridge” that translates brain signals...

This episode is from The Story's sister podcast The Royals. He will now be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. The man formerly known as Prince Andrew is being stripped of his titles and removed from his mansion, Royal Lodge, on the Windsor estate. Last month The Times obtained a copy of the leasehold agreement for Royal Lodge which showed that while the prince paid £1 million for the leas...

Since January, one clinic in the UK has started prescribing the weight-loss medication Wegovy to 12-17 year-olds. For some, the results have been life-changing. But without evidence about the long-term impacts, is it safe? 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: Roisin Kelly, commission...

Donald Trump has threatened 100% tariffs on Chinese goods, while Xi Jinping hit back with export limits on rare earth minerals. As the two leaders come face to face in South Korea to make a deal, the stakes are high. 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: Cindy Yu, columnist and contri...

The government has announced plans to move migrants out of hotels and into accommodation on military barracks. The same plan Labour opposed when put forward by the Conservatives in 2023. What’s behind the move and could it 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 Guest: Matt Dathan,...

Eight years ago, French bloggers began to claim the President’s wife, Brigitte Macron, was born a man. As the false allegations spread internationally, the Macrons decided to take legal action. Yesterday, ten people appeared in a Paris court charged with cyberbullying and in the US, the right wing influencer Candace Owens faces a defamation suit. So where did this come from? And in a world of fake...

The cyberattack which shut down Jaguar Land Rover for five weeks this summer, cost Britain nearly £2bn. It was just one of a series of attacks on big British businesses by teenage hackers who co-ordinate via the dark web. So who are they and how do we stop them?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetime...

It's been described as the 'crime of the decade'. In just seven minutes, masked thieves stole the French crown jewels in broad daylight, from the most visited museum in the world: the Louvre. How did they pull off their audacious plan and will they get away with it?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today:&...

This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times and The Sunday Times in paid partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Each episode is hosted by The Story released as a bonus weekly series on Saturdays. Over a billion people live with preventable vision loss. Eye surgeon and Rolex Awards Laureate Andrew Bastawrous has created a smartphone app that is transforming eyecare, facilitat...

Donald Trump announced sanctions on Russia’s two biggest oil companies, saying he hoped it may push Putin to be ‘reasonable’ over ending the Ukraine war. The EU swiftly followed suit, and discussed using seized Russian assets to help fund Ukraine. Could the financial pressure bring Russia’s economy– and Putin’s war ambitions– to its knees?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the suppor...

Donald Trump is promising to give Argentina $20 billion to save its struggling economy but only if incumbent President Javier Milei holds onto power in the midterm elections this weekend. So why does Trump care about a country 5,000 miles away? And is this part of a broader swing to the right across South America? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and Th...

On the night of September 9, sirens sounded across eastern Poland. Around 20 Russian drones had crossed the border, and NATO aircraft were scrambled to shoot them down. The incident became a wake-up call for Europe and the US, where further sightings of drones over airports and military facilities have since been reported. This week, defence secretary John Healey announced a plan to allow British...

Late last week, after new revelations about the relationship between the Duke of York and Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew was forced to relinquish his titles. His meeting with the King also followed the publication of extracts from the autobiography of Virginia Giuffre, which is released today. Giuffre accused Prince Andrew of sexual abuse, something he has always strongly denied. In...

Today we bring you the first episode from The Times' new investigative series, The Poppy Day Bomb. On Remembrance Sunday in 1987, an IRA bomb went off in Mario Ledwith’s hometown of Enniskillen in Northern Ireland, which ultimately killed 12 people. A lifetime later, Mario returns to investigate the silence surrounding that terror attack. To make sure you don't miss the rest of the series, subscri...

The small Irish town of Tuam is home to one of Ireland's most shocking secrets. During the 20th century, thousands of children born out of wedlock were taken from their mothers, branded the 'children of sin' and sent to institutions run by nuns. At St Mary's, it’s claimed 800 died of preventable causes, their remains discarded. Now, following a decade-long campaign for justice, an excavation...

This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times and The Sunday Times in paid partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Each episode is hosted by The Story released as a bonus weekly series on Saturdays. Marine scientist Ben Fitzpatrick is fighting to protect the Ningaloo Coast and Exmouth Gulf – one of Earth’s last wild marine frontiers, home to whale sharks, dugongs, manta rays an...

In politically unstable times, the whims and worries of the global bond market are having a huge impact on what action governments around the world can take. So who are these people trading in government debt? And how did they get the power to leave so many governments so shaken and stirred? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscri...

Since the case against two British men accused of spying for China suddenly collapsed, the Government and the Crown Prosecution Service have been playing the blame game, each accusing the other of being responsible. So who’s really at fault? And did China get a free pass in order to secure a better trade deal? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Su...

With increasing numbers of people crossing the Channel in small boats, emergency call logs lay bare the fears faced by those trying to reach Britain. These calls highlight the risks taken every day by those at the centre of this growing crisis.  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 Gue...

There was a sense of euphoria in Hostage Square, Tel Aviv, yesterday, as all of the living hostages held by Hamas since the October 7th attacks were released. But while Trump told the Israeli parliament the peace plan he brokered was a miracle, cracks have already begun to emerge. So is this really the beginning of long term peace in the Middle East? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the s...

The Times has uncovered cases of parents accused of killing their babies, based in part on testimony from a forensic expert who claimed to find evidence of harm. But serious concerns have now been raised about his conclusions by judges and other specialist pathologists. What happens if the expert gets it wrong? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The S...

For more than 40 years. Dame Jilly Cooper was the undisputed queen of the bonk buster, that glorious British blend of sex, scandal and social satire. As Britain says farewell to her, three Times journalists who loved, knew and even shared a glass of champagne with Jilly gather to remember the writer who made us laugh, blush and bonk - unapologetically. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the...

This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times and The Sunday Times in paid partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Each episode is hosted by The Story released as a bonus weekly series on Saturdays. Legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle has spent decades exploring the blue heart of our planet. From leading the first all-female aquanaut team to founding Mission Blue, she has dive...

President Trump hails 'everlasting peace' in Gaza and promises hostages will be released as early as Monday. But will a ceasefire hold? What changed to allow this breakthrough? And should Trump now win the Nobel peace prize?  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: Tal Schneider, P...