The Story

Tensions are escalating between Israel and Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy militia in Lebanon. Attacks on both sides have led to thousands dead and over a million people internally displaced. The latest confrontations come after decades of conflict, so where did it all begin?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://t...

A new era of violence is erupting in the French city of Marseille between rival drug gangs. Deaths are soaring - with 49 murders in the first half of this year already. We go inside the city to find out how social media is helping to recruit children as young as 14 to carry out the killings. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscri...

In 2020, the US Justice Department sued Google, alleging it illegally monopolised the online search market. The US government won, and is now threatening to break up the tech giant, with wide-reaching implications for us all.  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.com/subscribe    Guest: Dominic...

Kamala Harris may become the first female president of the United States – but who is she? Megan Agnew rode through the hills of San Francisco, talking to everyone who knew her fresh out of law school, to tell the story of how she conquered California. 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...

Today we bring you a conversation from our fellow podcasters and Times Radio broadcasters Jane & Fi. This week marked a year since the October 7 attacks by Hamas and Israel's military operation in Gaza, beginning of a tragic new chapter in the violent history of the Middle East. Since then, thousands have died and the ongoing war threatens to engulf the wider region. It's left policy makers qu...

Keir Starmer has been prime minister for 100 days. It's the point in any premiership that's considered a measure of how a new leader is performing, ever since the days of Franklin D Roosevelt. So how is Starmer doing compared to his predecessors? Two authors of multiple biographies of former PMs - William Hague and historian and author Sir Anthony Seldon - discuss. This episode was recorded live a...

A year on from the October 7th attacks in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 taken hostage, Israel's bombardment of Gaza has resulted in the deaths of 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Our colleague Amal Helles was one of the few Palestinians to escape Gaza earlier this year. So what’s life been like for her since, and for her friends and family who remain...

To mark the publication of his memoir “Unleashed”, Boris Johnson sat down with Times Radio’s Stig Abell to talk about Donald Trump, Brexit, and refusing to rule out a political comeback. 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: Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister and author of Unleashed...

Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Sue Gray resigned amid weeks of bad headlines for the government over freebies. Labour’s troubles arguably began when The Sunday Times revealed a major donor, Lord Alli, had a security pass to Downing Street. Today we speak to Sunday Times Whitehall editor Gabriel Pogrund about how he got the story.  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of re...

As many take a break from booze for Sober October , the writer Hannah Betts marks ten years since she gave up alcohol. It’s given her a moment to reflect on her father’s death from his own alcohol addiction and to consider why Britain apparently has such a destructive love of booze. If you or someone you know is affected by alcohol addiction support and advice can be found through the NHS and Drin...

A year ago today, 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed in an orchestrated terrorist attack by Hamas. 251 were taken hostage. Today, we hear their stories of survival, and of their loved ones, who were not so lucky. It will not be suitable for all listeners. This episode is the first part of a series marking the anniversary of October 7. Later this week, we will explore a year of devast...

This month, Parliament will look at proposals to give terminally ill people in England and Wales the right to choose to end their lives. To better understand this controversial topic, we’re revisiting our episode from March, where we explored what we can learn from Canada, often referred to as the world’s assisted dying capital since it legalised the practice in 2016. This podcast was brought to y...

On April 30, 1980, six gunmen stormed the Iranian embassy in London, taking everyone inside hostage. The ensuing siege would change the course of history. But what really happened behind barricaded doors? In a new book, Ben Macintyre tells the real story of those six days for the first time. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscri...

Israel has vowed that Tehran will ‘pay’ after Iran launched over 180 ballistic missiles at Israel, following an Israeli ground invasion in southern Lebanon and the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. In a week of escalating violence in the Middle East, how might Israel retaliate - and what lies ahead for the region at this dangerous moment? This podcast was brought to you thanks to...

Today, the competition between the leadership candidates - Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat - heats up as the four make their key speeches on the main stage at Conservative Party conference. Manveen Rana is in Birmingham to join the media scrum - and to witness the battle for the soul of the party.  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of reader...

For 40 years, Professor Allan Lichtman has honed a near-perfect system for picking the next American president. It was inspired by a Soviet seismologist - but how does he do it? And who is he putting his money on this time? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.com/subscribe    Guest: Professor Allan...

She's a fashion icon - known for her sharp bob and dark glasses. As Paris Fashion Week wraps up, we consider the enduring influence of the Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. How does the woman who has edited the fashion magazine for nearly 40 years stay relevant in a world of TikTok trends and social media influencers?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The...

Yuval Noah Harari’s books Sapiens and Homo Deus sold millions around the world. His latest - Nexus - examines information and how we share it, from campfire stories in the Stone Age to the AI networks of today. But as the way we share information gets evermore complicated, could this be the end of a history controlled by humans? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of T...

As fighting intensifies between Israel and Hezbollah, who is the Iranian-backed group and could this new conflict break out into a wider, regional war? 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:   Oliver Marsden, journalist, The Times. Rami Khouri, journalist. Host: Manveen Rana. Pro...

When Sydney and her 23-month-old son turned to the council for temporary accommodation, they were housed in an old office converted into a studio flat. A Sunday Times investigation into her block found residents complaining of sweltering heat and mould. This type of housing has been labelled Britain’s ‘slums of the future’ - so why are families still ending up there?  This podcast was brought...

The prime minister has told his party’s conference that there is ‘light at the end of this tunnel’. But after weeks of bad press about his top adviser’s pay and freebies - are Labour in danger of becoming a one-term government? And what’s going on in Downing Street - has dysfunction led to this series of own-goals? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and T...

Normal People and Conversations with Friends author Sally Rooney is a publishing sensation and became a huge star whilst still in her twenties. Her new book Intermezzo , published today, follows two grieving brothers in complicated relationships. Will it cement Rooney’s reputation as the voice of millennials - or is she overhyped? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of...

As Labour’s party conference gets into full swing in Liverpool this week, we look in detail at a key part of the government’s employment rights package: working from home. Keir Starmer says flexible and hybrid working is better for productivity while large companies like Amazon have ordered their staff to return to the workplace five days a week. Who's right? And what does it mean for where you wi...

Exploding pagers and walkie-talkies targeting Hezbollah members have killed dozens of people and injured thousands in Lebanon and Syria. Israel hasn’t commented on the blasts, but the country’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant called it "a new phase in the war". What’s next for the region?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscr...

At the UN General Assembly next week, Ukraine's President Zelensky will present his 'plan for victory' to world leaders. Key to that victory, he thinks, is being allowed to shoot British-made 'Storm Shadow' missiles into Russian territory. Keir Starmer agrees, Joe Biden does not. Is Biden right to be worried - or is this all part of a wider plan by the president to bring us closer to some kind of...