The Story

From Tuesday 19th March,  Stories of our times  will become  The Story. Manveen Rana and Luke Jones will be joined on the podcast by Times columnist and former foreign secretary William Hague, who once a month will sit down with a prominent newsmaker or thinker, with his first episode available later in March. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After she resigned in 2022, everyone thought Liz Truss would disappear. Not a bit of it. She’s earned more than £300,000 from speeches, has a new book out and is a favourite of America’s alt-right. Rachel Sylvester asks Westminster insiders: is the former PM deluded or planning a comeback?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Sub...

One in four drugs that are prescribed to adults in England are dependency-forming drugs. And while prescriptions for opioids have fallen following the epidemic in the US, two dependency-forming drug groups have seen prescriptions rise: pregabalin and antidepressants. Do we really understand how these drugs are affecting patients? Or are we sleep-walking into a new addiction crisis? This podcast wa...

Tax burdens are at the highest level in living memory, yet public services are falling apart. That's why the rich should pay more tax, says our guest: economist and millionaire Gary Stevenson, a working-class kid who went from being expelled at school to becoming Citibank’s most successful trader. But would a wealth tax work? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The...

We report from Israel during a critical week which might mark a tipping point in the Gaza war. If there isn't a ceasefire by the start of Ramadan this weekend, could violence erupt far beyond Gaza?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guests: - Tamir Hayman, managing director of...

Reform UK - a fringe political party founded by Nigel Farage - is unlikely to win many seats, it has little money and its leader has a low profile. But the Conservatives are still nervous about the Farage effect following a bruising by-election. Could the rise of Reform be the nail in the coffin for the Tories? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The S...

On Friday, Operation Kenova, a long running investigation into a man known as Stakeknife, the British Army’s top spy within the IRA, will finally be published. Did the British government knowingly allow murder in order to protect its man on the inside?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesof...

He's been skewering those in power with his drawings for The Times since 1992. In an age where finding the balance between satire and offence can be a fraught, Peter Brookes, our award-winning political cartoonist, discusses his brush with Boris Johnson, why he appreciates a loathsome politician, and the challenges of drawing Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.  This podcast was brought to you than...

With his nomination as the Republican presidential candidate now looking all but certain, Donald Trump's grip on his party seems to get stronger with every primary. On Tuesday night, he added another emphatic victory to the list in Michigan. But with Super Tuesday just days away, he still has one opponent left standing. So who is Nikki Haley? And what's motivating her to keep going in the face of...

Hamas has been sent a proposal for a new pause in military operations in Gaza, including the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. Meanwhile, one month on from the International Court of Justice ruling that Israel must let more aid into Gaza – has this happened? We speak to a British paramedic in Rafah. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times...

This Thursday, Rochdale voters will be asked to cast their vote in a by-election following the death last month of MP Sir Tony Loyd. There is technically no Labour candidate standing, though three former ones are. So what’s happening? And as the by-election is being framed by some as a referendum on Gaza - what of the other issues facing the town? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the supp...

When the contraceptive pill was introduced in the 1960s, many considered it to be one of the most significant inventions of the 20th Century. Sixty years on, a generation of young women are questioning the pill - but why? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest:  Laura Hackett,...

If you murder someone, you get a life sentence. But what does a life sentence actually mean in practice? We speak to a bereaved parent fighting to end one of the justice system’s most egregious sentencing disparities. Murder sentencing consultation (closing date: March 4, 2024): https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/murder-sentencing-consultation/ This podcast was brought to you th...

With ever-increasing house prices across the country far outstripping the rate at which earnings are rising, millions of young people are now being forced to either live at home with their parents, or pay extortionate rent in a market where landlords have all the power. So what hope is there for Generation Rent? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The...

While an SNP motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza will be debated in the House of Commons today, all eyes are on Labour. The party has tiptoed around a position on the war in Gaza since the terrorist attacks of October 7th, causing divisions among MPs and supporters. Will Keir Starmer’s eleventh hour call for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire” be enough to see off another rebellion...

Alexei Navalny, Russia's opposition leader, is dead. His wife says that President Putin killed her husband while the Russian state denies any involvement. What does his death mean for the opposition, the Kremlin and the future of Russia? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest: Mark...

An overwhelming demand for ADHD diagnoses has left the NHS struggling to keep up. What’s behind the rise? Content warning: This episode contains mentions of suicidal thoughts and eating disorders. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guests:  - Kat Brown, journalist and author of...

Christopher Nolan has become a franchise unto himself; one of the few directors who can walk into a studio with an original idea and walk out with the millions needed to make it. His latest film, Oppenheimer, has grossed over a billion dollars and been nominated for 13 Oscars. Today he takes us inside the making of the film. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The T...

A special counsel report in the US has again raised questions about Joe Biden’s mental faculties, describing the President as "a well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory." So, what are the mechanisms to replace him, were he to step aside or be removed? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofou...

An alleged Russian spy was an Afghan refugee who had worked his way into the British Foreign Office. According to court documents, he had met two Prime Ministers, the King and Prince William during the course of his work. The man, known only as ‘C2’ denies all the allegations. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: theti...

With millions of people across the UK struggling to access NHS dental care, and many being forced to go private or even treat themselves at home, how did dentistry in Britain reach this point, how serious is the crisis, and what can be done to fix it? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today:  thetimes.co.uk/storiesofo...

Cheap drones, robots and AI have all shaped the conduct of the war in Ukraine. Ahead of its second anniversary on 24th February, Manveen talks to eminent war historian, Sir Lawrence Freedman, about how war will never be the same again. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes .  Guest:...

How King Charles’s cancer diagnosis will affect the monarchy and those in it, personally and professionally. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes .  Guest : Roya Nikkhah, Royal Editor, The Sunday Times. Host : Luke Jones. Producer: Olivia Case. Clips : Times Radio, Channel 4, BBC,...

It’s Super Bowl Sunday in America this weekend. But whispers from some corners of the internet suggest there’s a bigger game afoot. So just how did Taylor Swift find herself at the centre of a conspiracy theory involving America's biggest television event and a presidential election? And is there any truth to any of it? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times...

A quarter of people watching pornography are women, but why do we find it hard to comprehend? We speak to the author of a new book who has interviewed one hundred women about their porn habits - what can we learn about women’s pleasure?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes . ...