The Story

As French Prime Minister François Bayrou faces a motion of no confidence in the National Assembly, a grassroots protest movement is gathering steam with its rallying cry to "Block everything" on September 10. Organisers hope to bring the country to a standstill to protest against Bayrou’s national budget plan ­– even though the current government is likely to fall before the demonstrations begin....

15-year-old Carlo Acutis will become the first millennial saint today, after the Catholic Church posthumously attributed two miracles to him. So who was this extraordinary boy and how does the church 'fact' check a miracle? 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: Kaya Burgess, science r...

Polyamory is on the rise — especially in one US city where romantic partners have organised themselves into ever expanding networks. Yes, it can get complicated, they tell Megan Agnew. Written and read by: Megan Agnew, Senior Features Writer, The Sunday Times. Producer: Shabnam Grewal. Read more: Forget love triangles. Meet the ‘polycule’ with 80 people in it Photo: Getty Get in touch: thestory@th...

As Reform’s conference begins today, the party leads the opinion polls. Nigel Farage is attempting to portray himself as the next Prime Minister, but in places they already hold power - ten councils and two mayoral authorities - there have been hints of serious problems, from failed cost cutting measures to infighting and resignations. So is Reform ready for power? This podcast was brought to you...

Ten years ago, the United States Supreme Court voted to make same-sex marriage legal by five votes to four. Since then the court has reversed one landmark ruling by overturning Roe v Wade, the 1973 decision that established a right to abortion under federal law. With divisions in attitudes to gay marriages and relationships increasing - could the court rethink its decision on gay marriage? This po...

Political figures from the right and left have suggested that leaving a European convention could reduce the number of people seeking asylum in Britain. So what is the ECHR? And would leaving it actually make a difference? 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: Fraser Nelson, Columnis...

World leaders have gathered in China ahead of tomorrow’s military parade to mark the end of the Second World War. Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Narenda Modi were among the 20 other leaders welcomed to what's been dubbed the 'anti-NATO' summit to discuss global security and economic matters ahead of the event. What can we learn from the relationships between the attendees and how should the West r...

Tomorrow, the Greens announce their new leader, and one contender has been borrowing from the Farage playbook in his campaign. Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn's new populist party is getting hundreds of thousands of sign-ups since its launch. Are the days of gradualism - and our two-party system dominance - over? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday...

The Caribbean nation of Haiti is now at the mercy of gangs bent on kidnap, rape and murder. Louise Callaghan meets their victims — and confronts a warlord. Written and read by: Louise Callaghan, US correspondent, The Sunday Times. Producer: Edith Rousselot. Photo: Giles Clarke/ Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his new book, Power and the Palace, the former Times royal correspondent Valentine Low uncovers the secretive relationship between the monarchy and government. Speaking to Palace aides, politicians and civil servants, he reveals the private side of Queen Elizabeth II. © Valentine Low 2025 Extracted from “Power and the Palace” by Valentine Low, to be published by Headline Press on September 11 a...

This week, Taylor Swift announced her engagement to boyfriend of two years, NFL tight end Travis Kelce. So what can we expect at America's version of a royal wedding? Will there be hints or Easter eggs about it in her new album? And what could a stable love life mean for an artist who’s built a career on heartbreak? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and...

President Trump announced on Truth Social this week that he had fired Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook. While most people had no idea who she was, her sacking could have a massive impact. The move is seen as part of the continued politicisation of the Fed, the US’s independent central bank and some economists fear it could be the start of a journey towards economic meltdown in America with g...

Yesterday Nigel Farage unveiled Reform UK’s plans to tackle the issue of small boats and illegal migration. It's a problem that's driven European politics for almost a decade, we look to the continent for lessons they've learned on how it could be solved. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestor...

With the prospect of peace in Ukraine looking increasingly clouded following Donald Trump's attempts at inter-continental deal-making, the former head of the UK military, General Sir Nick Carter, tells Tom Newton Dunn that the US president doesn't understand his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Can Europe's leaders achieve some kind of security guarantee without US boots on the ground to back...

Ron Hubbard is the biggest builder of underground bunkers, giving security to wealthy buyers who fear the world is coming to an end. And business is booming 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 Written by: Bevan Hurley. Read by: Edward Drummond. Producers: Edward Drummond and Kate Lamble. P...

Bobby Cunningham was 31 when he became Head of Security at Wandsworth Prison, Britain’s most notorious jail, where he was tasked with fighting corruption. The Sunday Times's Whitehall editor Gabriel Pogrund reveals his dealings with organised crime. 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...

Chris Brain, the leader of a Church of England ‘sex cult’ known s the Nine O'Clock Service, has been found guilty of 17 charges of indecent assault, three decades after its collapse. Why did the Church fail to learn lessons from the scandal? 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: Sean...

Pro-democracy campaigner, media mogul and British citizen Jimmy Lai has been imprisoned in China for five years and on trial for two. As the closing statements are made, what will happen to one of China’s most prominent critics? And can the UK government - or Donald Trump - step in to free him? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subs...

Nvidia's the first company to be worth more than $4trilllion, developers are being offered salaries in the billions, and companies that don’t even have a product are securing investments beyond their wildest dreams. Yet there were reports this week that Meta could downsize its AI division. Our resident silicon valley watcher says there's an AI bubble, and looks back to the dot com boom and bust, f...

The Times can reveal the English Defence League founder is charging around £28 a minute for videos giving practical advice to supporters on migrant hotel protests and anti-Islam activism. The private consultations raise concerns about the potential for radicalisation at a time of heightened tensions surrounding immigration issues.  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of read...

Zelensky landed in Washington DC, accompanied by European leaders, to try and stem the fallout from the Alaska summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Will Ukraine be forced to cede territory to secure peace? And how is that going down in Kyiv? 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 G...

As the Oasis reunion supernova leaves the UK to conquer the rest of the world, the success is beyond anyone's dreams -- including Oasis. How did this happen? Will Hodgkinson tells us about his many chats with the Gallagher brothers over the years, and his theories on how they finally reunited -- and what happened with the dynamic pricing debacle. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the...

Alex Slater and his US partner created Quittr, which helps men resist sexually explicit material. It’s making them millions. 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 Written and read by: Damian Whitworth. Producer: Taryn Siegel. Read more: Bonnie Blue: 1,000 men and the worrying normalisation o...

For this week's Times podcast we thought you might enjoy hearing from a regular guest on the Story; Tom Whipple. In his new podcast, Tom explores the stories behind great scientific discoveries. We've brought two of them together, one of electric current and a second on the capacity of muscles for a helping of double science. If you'd like to hear more of Tom's series - all ten episodes are availa...

The US vice-president JD Vance is holidaying with his family in the Cotswold village of Dean. But on the side, he's meeting a phalanx of British politicians. Who's on the roll-call? And what does this tell us about where Trump's possible successor sees the future of British politics? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today...