The Story

As delegates from almost two hundred nations gather in Glasgow for the COP26 climate conference, the stakes couldn't be higher. But can the conference succeed if the leaders of some of the world's biggest polluting nations haven't even turned up? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.c...

Will this winter be good, bad, or somewhere in between? Today we take stock of the pandemic, and science editor Tom Whipple helps us imagine what might be just around the corner. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Host:  David Aaronovitch. Guest:  ...

Perez Hilton was the original celebrity gossip blogger, who spared no one with his spiky, often malicious posts – and Britney Spears became a favourite target. As his actions come under fresh scrutiny, Sunday Times freelance writer Sarah Ditum assesses the impact he had on celebrity culture, and asks: how complicit were the rest of us? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of reade...

Ahead of the chancellor's budget and spending review tomorrow, we look for lessons from the past. Plus, The Times speaks with Rishi Sunak. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Host: Manveen Rana. Guests: - David Smith, economics editor, The Sunday Times. - Oli...

The desire to live forever is as old as life itself. Now some of the world's richest people are investing heavily in the science of immortality. Could we get to a point where dying becomes optional? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Host:  Manveen Rana...

In Westminster, the shock was palpable. How could this have happened again? While MPs' safety is being re-examined following the killing of Sir David Amess, a new bill has been proposed to end online anonymity. It's being called David's Law – but how much does this proposal have to do with what actually happened to Sir David? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The...

As politicians in France vie to be the challenger in next year's French presidential election an outsider looks to be a contender. Who is Eric Zemmour, the right-wing journalist and author and what does he believe in? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest...

In a landmark deal signed earlier this month, Newcastle United was bought by a Saudi Arabia-led consortium. The club now has the richest owners in the Premier League. Fans are ecstatic, but as money floods into the club, there have already been protests raising moral objections to the club's new owners. What does this deal tell us about the state of English football? This podcast was brought...

When a cargo plane containing four helicopters and a large consignment of military hardware touched down in the capital of Mali last month, observers raised an eyebrow. The kit was definitely from Russia – but was this the Russian army, or something else? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at:&n...

Boris Johnson may have appeared unassailable last week at Conservative Party conference, but could the next few months cause the prime minister more of a headache than he's expecting?   This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at:  thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes . Guest: Tim Shipman,...

In the UK, there is no clear consensus about how trans athletes should be included in competitive sport. Last month, a major review by the Sports Council Equality Group (SCEG) found that trans female athletes retain some competitive advantages and that inclusion cannot always coexist with fairness and safety. While the new guidance has been welcomed by some, it's also faced criticism from LGB...

Nine years ago Agnes Wanjiru was found dead in a septic tank in Kenya. The young mother vanished after British troops enjoyed a debauched night out in a hotel. Now detectives want to question the soldiers who were there. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at:  thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtim...

With allegations of sexual abuse, a dubious friendship with a convicted paedophile and a court case set to unfold in America, is it the end of the road for Prince Andrew? Should the Duke of York ever be allowed to play a public role again? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at:  thetimes.co...

Something a bit different on Stories of our times today. Today's show consists of a recording that was thought to have been lost, of an electric performance at the 2014 Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival - one of the most memorable in the festival's history - by husband and wife Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory of love poems from the poetry collection The Love Book edited by...

The murder of Sarah Everard by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens has brought the force to a point of near-crisis. The government has announced an inquiry. How can the police regain women's trust? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at:  thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes . 'Sar...

The second of two episodes this week, taking a deep dive into the pharmaceutical industry. Big drug companies have won plaudits for their work producing Covid vaccines within a year of the start of the pandemic. How much money are they making from them? And why are vaccines for other emerging diseases not being produced? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times...

In the first of two episodes this week, we're taking a deep dive into the pharmaceutical industry. How much does the medication you take actually cost? What if a company came along and bought the rights to a particular drug and started charging double, triple, or even 10,000 times as much for the same drugs? Today: how a company made millions by raising the price on drugs that should have cost pen...

The childcare sector is on its knees with nursery staff on low wages struggling to make ends meet. Meanwhile parents buckle under the pressure of soaring childcare costs. And yet, the government has done little to help. Does this broken system need a complete rethink? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get on...

It's being called a 'perfect storm'. Rocketing gas prices and a shortage of lorry drivers have combined to cause a devastating ripple of chaos for businesses and families across the country. How much of this crisis could have been avoided? And how bad could it get? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one m...

Cannabis is far stronger than it used to be, and psychosis rates are soaring. What's causing some cannabis users to develop mental health issues, and how can they be treated?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at:  thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes  Guest: Megan Agnew, commissioning&n...

Insulate Britain has staged sit-ins on the M25 and on the roads to Heathrow and the Port of Dover. The protesters are willing to risk going to prison for the cause. Who are they? And will they succeed? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at:  thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes . Guest: Tom Bal...

Clarence House is caught up in a scandal involving a Russian banker, a group of royal fixers and a £500,000 donation that went missing. The Sunday Times has been investigating the practice of paid intermediaries taking money from wealthy donors in exchange for honours and access to the Prince of Wales. How damaging are the revelations? And what do they mean for the future king? This podcast was br...

Until last week, it was one of the government's most closely guarded secrets. Only about ten people in Britain had been privy to the details. And then – out of the blue – the UK, the US and Australia unveiled a new strategic alliance. The deal promises nuclear-powered submarines for Australia, and renewed security in the Indo-Pacific region. Today we look at how the announcement has been met in So...

In her two years as Home Secretary, Priti Patel has cultivated an image as a hardliner on immigration. Despite all her tough talk, the extent to which she's achieved anything concrete is debatable, and this summer has seen record numbers of migrants crossing the channel. With the Nationality and Borders Bill -- a radical overhaul of asylum laws -- making its way through parliament, will Patel fina...

It's been an intense year for the BBC: budget cuts, a series of staff departures and redundancies, accusations of bias… and now, it has a hawkish new culture secretary to contend with. Plus, just around the corner, a new deal with the government over the licence fee is widely expected to shrink budgets further. How will the BBC look and sound for future generations? This podcast was brought to you...