The Story

The immediate events that led to Boris Johnson’s resignation as an MP last week began with a phone call from The Times. A total of three Tory MPs have now quit parliament. So with three challenging by-elections round the corner, what does it all mean for Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives as the next election creeps ever closer? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of Th...

33-year-old neonatal nurse Lucy Letby has been on trial since October, 2022 over the alleged murder of seven babies and attempted murder of 10 more at the Countess of Chester Hospital. She denies all the charges. Her trial is now nearing its end with the jury expected to begin their deliberations in the coming weeks. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and...

This is Planet Hope, a new podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative , hosted by Stories of Our Times as a bonus weekly series each Saturday. In 2022 Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, erupted on Hawaii's Big Island. Fortunately this event didn't result in any fatalities - but the same can't be said for other recent eruptions in places like In...

It’s already been the subject of controversy – causing a row over access to Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages – and it hasn’t even begun. On Tuesday the main hearings for one of the biggest public inquiries in British history will finally kick off. We examine the key questions being asked at the Covid inquiry that could keep the government awake at night. This podcast was brought to you thanks to...

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants to put a stop to small boats carrying migrants across the English Channel and says that his plans to prevent the dangerous journeys are working. But are they? And as his government drums up support for the controversial Illegal Immigration Bill, is the issue a crisis or a political weapon? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Time...

The housing crisis is emerging as one of the key battlegrounds ahead of the general election, especially for millennial voters. But as Labour turns up the heat announcing policy, the issue is exposing divides and flaring up accusations of NIMBYism within the Conservative party. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thet...

A Sunday Times investigation has found that drivers for Deliveroo, UberEats and other takeaway apps, are selling access to their accounts to people who do not have the right to work in the UK. Many of these buyers are undocumented migrants. And since all earnings go to the account holder – not the drivers renting the account – nothing prevents these workers from being exploited. This podcast was b...

As the war in Ukraine shows no signs of coming to an end, Vladimir Putin is betting on a new generation of Russians to march in step with the regime. Russia's Youth Army now has more than a million members and – through TikTok dances and influencers – is indoctrinating children as young as six years old. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday T...

This is Planet Hope, a new podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative , hosted by Stories of Our Times as a bonus weekly series each Saturday. As the world population continues to surge, conflicts between people and wildlife over food, resources and space for living are heightening.  Environment Editor for The Times, Adam Vaughan is joined by conserva...

It’s a story of covert archives and freezing wastelands, of concentration camps and gulags. In a new book, Times columnist Daniel Finkelstein reveals how his family took a journey that ended happily in Hendon – but took a detour through hell. 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:...

In the Shakahola forest near the Kenyan coast, a taxi driver turned evangelist pastor told his followers that the “rapture” was coming. Four years and more than 200 deaths later, Kenyan police are investigating what they suspect was a death cult. What could possibly have compelled hundreds of people to abandon their homes and families to join it? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the suppo...

This week the 2023 Isle of Man TT race - often dubbed the ‘most dangerous’ race in the world - begins. Six riders died last year at the motorcycle racing event. So why do the competitors keep coming back for more? 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.  Articles - Dispatch: Ins...

Russia’s Wagner group – already dominant in the conflict in Ukraine – has become the de facto boss in the diamond-rich Central African Republic, where the mercenary force influences not just politics but the economy and culture. So how did this happen? And which country might be next in Wagner's sights? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Ti...

We’re away for the bank holiday, so in the meantime we're bringing you a highlight from another Times podcast, Red Box , in which Matt Chorley presents the best interviews, analysis and panel discussions from his Times Radio show. For more than a decade Andrew Parsons was the official Downing Street photographer - chronicling life at No 10 with every prime minister from David Cameron to Rishi Suna...

This is Planet Hope, a new podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative , hosted by Stories of Our Times as a bonus weekly series each Saturday. The Earth’s climate has been known to change in the past, but it’s only since the industrial revolution that there have been changes to our climate which have been driven by humans. Environmental Editor for The Time...

Last week water companies pledged to spend £10bn over the next five years to drastically reduce the number of sewage spills going into the country’s waterways and seas. Over 30 years on since privatisation have our beaches and rivers got cleaner? 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.&nb...

It took less than an hour on the Telegram messaging app for an undercover Times reporter to infiltrate a network of fraudsters based in the UK. They openly traded bank details for thousands of victims – and boasted that the police would do nothing to stop them. We hear how the gang were exposed and speak to one of their targets. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of T...

Microsoft has found itself in a bitter war of words with both its gaming rival Sony and the UK authorities, over a multi-billion dollar takeover bid of games developer Activision Blizzard. So what is the future of Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty franchise on Xbox or Playstation? And after the UK’s competition watchdog blocked the deal, what does it say for Britain’s post-Brexit business strateg...

As a new report from the Children’s Commissioner points to the impact of violent pornography on British children, are the waters around consensual sex being muddied? And should there be greater regulation of the porn industry? This episode contains discussions about sex and some explicit descriptions of violent porn. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and...

Russia's deputy defence minister, Timur Ivanov, was sanctioned by the EU last October. Forty days before that happened, his wife, the socialite Svetlana Maniovich, divorced him. The Anti-Corruption Foundation, a Russian non-profit organisation, received a trove of emails that seem to suggest this 'pre-emptive' divorce might have been an evasion strategy. So what was really going on? This podc...

This is Planet Hope, a new podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative , hosted by Stories of Our Times as a bonus weekly series each Saturday. With estimates suggesting that there are more than 5 trillion pieces of micro and macro plastics in our seas and continued reports stating that a truckload of plastic enters our oceans every minute, we can no longer...

The Hinduja family leads the Sunday Times Rich List again, having topped it four times before. But who is the man at the head of the family and how have they achieved such wealth? And aside from the Hindujas, who’s up, who’s down and what does the rich list tell about the way the UK is changing? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Sub...

Whilst the government's controversial illegal migration bill moves through parliament, an untraceable and ancient banking system is being used to finance people smuggling across Europe and the Channel. So how does it work? And should the authorities crack down on 'hawala'? Additional reporting by Priyanka Shankar, Andrea Giambartolemei, Andres Mourenza, Elena Ledda and Iliana Papangeli. This inves...

It's been a difficult fortnight for Vladimir Putin. Russia has been losing ground in the key city of Bakhmut, the man in charge of the Wagner group of mercenaries seems to be publicly criticising him in expletive-strewn videos, and now there are even suggestions of betrayal… This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: th...

In the last decade, ketamine has become one of the most popular drugs among students. Part of its appeal seems to be a false reputation for being comparatively safe. But the Times has uncovered never-before-seen data that paints a very dark picture of the dangers of ketamine. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetim...