The Story

On 9 January a story broke that classified documents had been found at a Washington DC office used by President Biden. In the weeks since, four more discoveries have followed. This has been a boon to the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives, who were already chomping at the bit to investigate Biden. So how bad could this get for the President? And how does this compare to former...

One of the country’s worst sex offenders plead guilty to 48 rapes of 12 women committed over almost 20 years while he was a police officer for the Metropolitan Police. Meanwhile, the force's commissioner revealed that two or three Metropolitan Police officers are facing criminal court appearances every week, warning that lifting the lid on abusive predators would be “necessary and painful”. So how...

Until recently the term Slapp – strategic lawsuit against public participation – meant very little. But yesterday in parliament, an MP introduced a bill to ban what he called "legal gangsterism" – attempts by the rich and powerful to use the legal system to stifle journalistic investigations. The Times and Sunday Times' editorial legal director Pia Sarma argues it's time to restore the balance bet...

Protests - sparked by the death of a young woman in the custody of Iranian morality police - have continued for over four months, evolving to incorporate women’s rights, economic concerns and regime change. The authorities have fought back with a severe, violent crackdown, but how long can protesters continue? And could it lead to a revolution? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support...

The UK government has blocked Scottish gender recognition reforms, which would allow anyone over the age of 16 to self-declare their gender and be recognised as such by the Scottish government.  The Scottish government argues its legislation would merely update and improve the legal situation in Scotland for transgender people. But the UK government says this is not true, and that the Scottis...

In 2021, Sunday Times writer Megan Agnew experienced a strange sort of heartbreak after a relationship that began on a dating app. It got her thinking: are they healthy for us? And does the data now suggest we may be turning against them?  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 . 'To...

This year, Taylor Swift is set to embark on her biggest and most expensive world tour. Fans flew into a frenzy when tickets went on sale after several thousand couldn’t get hold of them following technical difficulties. What is it about the pop princess that has the power to influence an entire generation and their politics? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The T...

Ukraine continues to deny Russia’s claims of victory in Soledar, where the Wagner Group – a private army – has been fighting. Why is Russia fighting for such a small town? And who are the mercenaries leading the assault? 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: Marc Bennetts, Forei...

At an experimental nuclear reactor in the south of France, 35 countries are trying to build a star on earth. It's just one of several facilities around the world where scientists are trying to create the future of energy. If they pull it off, thermonuclear fusion could solve the world’s energy crisis, efficiently creating almost limitless clean energy. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the...

Six months since his resignation, Boris Johnson has been keeping busy. Leadership chatter won’t go away, but he is happy to let his old friends do the talking. Meanwhile, his influence looms over Rishi Sunak's Brexit talks.  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: Tim Shipman...

This week, the controversial influencer Andrew Tate’s appeal against his detainment on charges of rape and human trafficking in Romania was rejected. Tate gained notoriety through his often violent and misogynistic rhetoric online. Who is he and how did he gain his huge online following - and what’s he like in person? Some people might find some of the content in this podcast offensive. This podca...

Last week, the disgraced boss of crypto firm FTX pleaded not guilty to fraud-related charges. Just months before, billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried had been rubbing shoulders with supermodels and world leaders, and was known for his multi-million dollar charitable and political donations. So how did he end up on the wrong side of the law?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of...

With the publication yesterday of Prince Harry's hotly anticipated memoir – Spare – it's been another explosive week for the royal family. So what's in the book? And, as the dust starts to settle, how will this latest drama end? 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,...

After fraught crisis talks, the government announced its plans to fix the NHS. So what's really going on behind hospital doors? How did we get here? And what are the solutions? 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: Shaun Lintern, Health Editor, The Sunday Times. Host: Manveen Ran...

A month after the Chinese government announced an abrupt end to its “zero-Covid” policy, lifting virtually all the restrictions its citizens had been living under for three years, the country is now experiencing a huge wave of infections. With Chinese New Year approaching, can the country’s already stretched health system cope? And what will the coming weeks hold for the Chinese people? This podca...

Like increasing numbers of Brits, columnist Robert Crampton had a guilty secret: he was drinking more, the older he got. Way more. In a brutally honest account, he reveals what finally led him to quit. Websites and numbers for concerns regarding alcohol addiction:  Drinkline is the national alcohol helpline. If you're worried about your own or someone else's drinking, you can call this free h...

Details have emerged in court about how an undercover MI5 agent managed to infiltrate and gather evidence on the political wing of the ‘New IRA’. Dennis McFadden’s work led to the arrest of a number of the organisation's top people, who all deny the charges against them.  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: theti...

How should we eat? What should we eat? Author and epidemiologist Tim Spector says it’s time to ban the D word – ‘dieting’ – lose the calorie counting and enjoy food in a more integrated way.  Tim Spector’s latest book, ‘Food for Life, The New Science of Eating Well’ : https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/435986/food-for-life-by-spector-tim/9781787330498 This podcast was brought to you thanks to th...

After a period of global upheaval unlike any other in living memory, we look back at the year war came to Ukraine, and how its fallout has changed Europe and the world. We ask two of our most experienced foreign correspondents for their views on the people and events likely to shape global events in 2023, as the world adjusts to the “new normal” of conflict and economic turbulence. This podcast wa...

Over the festive period, we’re listening back to some of our favourite episodes of 2022. Google engineer Blake Lemoine brought an unusual concern to his company: he feared the AI language program he was working with had gained sentience. Even if he's wrong – and Google certainly thinks he is – is the fact that an AI bot can imitate sentience so convincingly reason enough to be worried? This podcas...

In the week between Christmas and New Year, we’re listening back to some of our favourite episodes of 2022. In April 1982, Captain Christopher Craig set sail with his crew on the frigate HMS Alacrity to the Falkland Islands after Argentina had invaded the British overseas territory. Four decades on, Chris and his son Duncan - then a six-year-old schoolboy in Bournemouth - reflect on that war. This...

In the week between Christmas and New Year, we’re listening back to some of our favourite episodes of 2022. It promised a financial revolution - a liberation from money middlemen. But then the $3 trillion industry of cryptocurrency lost two thirds of its value in six months. So was it all a cult of personality? Or is the revolution still to come? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the suppo...

In the week between Christmas and New Year, we’re listening back to some of our favourite episodes of 2022. It's a legend many of us have grown up with: a plucky group of British officers, finding themselves trapped in a heavily guarded POW camp during the Second World War, try every trick they can think of to break out. But, in a new book by Ben Macintyre, we hear for the first time the real stor...

In the week between Christmas and New Year, we’re listening back to some of our favourite episodes of 2022. As the Ukraine war progressed, journalists, activists and critics were forced to flee the country. But as Putin’s grip on the media tightened, what was it like for the people who were left? And when does it become too dangerous to stay?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the sup...

In the week between Christmas and New Year, we’re listening back to some of our favourite episodes of 2022. We begin with one of the most riveting stories of the year, from The Times’ war correspondent Anthony Loyd. In their podcast series Last Man Standing , Anthony and Manveen investigated the kidnap of the British photojournalist John Cantlie. Cantlie had been taken hostage by Islamic State in...