The Story

As rioting and protests continue to engulf the United States, we examine President Trump's reaction to the demonstrations. How did previous American presidents respond in similar circumstances? Guests:  David Charter, US editor of the Times. Kailee Scales, Managing Director of Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation. Host:  Manveen Rana.  Clips: CBS, UVA Miller Centre, ABC, New...

The Government has U-turned on its controversial plans to end remote voting in Parliament, following a backlash from MPs, who feared this would be discriminatory against vulnerable and elderly Members. Today we ask: if the world has changed because of coronavirus, is it time Parliament did too? Guests: Ester Webber, political reporter for The Times Red Box email.  Dame Margaret Hodge, La...

We are now entering the 'test and trace' phase of fighting the pandemic where we could use our smartphones to keep us all safe from a second spike. One UK population has been chosen as guinea pigs for the rest of us to see if it really works: enter the residents of the Isle of Wight.  Guests:  Tom Knowles, Times technology correspondent. Rosamund Urwin, senior reporter at The S...

Protests and riots have been sparked across the US by the killing of George Floyd. Floyd, an unarmed black man, was filmed dying as a white police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes while he was handcuffed and pinned down in the road. Today we bring you stories from Minneapolis, where civil unrest continues.  Guests:  Will Pavia, New York correspondent for The Times. Laura...

As Primary Schools across the country begin to reopen today we examine the moral dilemma parents and teachers face. Guests:  Sian Griffiths, Education and Families Editor at The Sunday Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: BBC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can we learn about the Prime Minister's chief adviser from his own words? Guests:  Ian Leslie, writer and journalist. Steven Swinford, The Times' Deputy Political Editor. Hosts: Manveen Rana and David Aaronovitch. Clips: BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky News, The Telegraph.  Additional music by Meydän, Daniel Birch, Chris Zabriskie and Jordan Powell used under Creative Commons licence. Host...

A local mayor in Prague is in police hiding following reports that agents from Russia plotted to have him assassinated. It’s an international incident that began when the mayor removed a statue honouring a Russian World War Two military hero. Guests:  Ondřej Kolář is the district mayor of Prague. Edward Lucas is a columnist for The Times, and a former foreign correspondent based in Prague. Ho...

We’re almost six months into the pandemic. But how close are we to developing the cure we all so desperately want? We meet a participant in one of the hundreds of trials happening around the world.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than three decades on from the assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, new evidence has been brought to light that may reveal the identity of his killer. But after 34 years and thousands of theories, will we ever get an answer that truly satisfies everyone?   Guests: Oliver Moody, Berlin Correspondent, The Times.  Henrik Berggren, a Swedish historian and biographer...

Britain has the worst coronavirus death toll in Europe despite the government insisting they followed the best scientific advice. The Sunday Times Insight team brings you the inside story into what went wrong for the UK.    Guests: Jonathan Calvert, Insight Editor, The Sunday Times. George Arbuthnott, Deputy Insight Editor, The Sunday Times. With additional reporting from: Jonathan Leake...

The Prime Minister of Lesotho has resigned amid accusations that he was involved in the murder of his estranged wife. His third wife is also set to stand trial over her alleged involvement in the murder plot. We dive into the politics of the small African kingdom of Lesotho.   Guests: Witness, anonymous. Lebohang Totanyana, former Minister of Mining in Lesotho. Barnaby Mitchell, BBC camera op...

With experts suggesting that long term lock down will negatively affect our mental health, we ask: what can we all do to bring delight and joy into our lives during the crisis?  Guests:  Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology at Yale University Sanjay Shewakramani, Emergency Department doctor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Care home deaths in England and Wales now account for forty percent of all deaths from coronavirus - and one result has been a political row. Why have things gone wrong for our most vulnerable citizens and the people who care for them?   Guests: Greg Hurst, social affairs editor at The Times. Irene Owen, a 91-year-old resident of Devonshire Court in Leicestershire. Sonja Bell, daugh...

When Lee Solomon set up his funeral home, he had one mission: to give families the sendoff they really wanted. But now that's no longer possible. For a month Lee has been keeping an audio diary for us, chronicling the experience of running a funeral home during the Covid-19 outbreak and the hardships that come with it. Guest: Lee Solomon runs 'Lilies Funeral Directors' in Sutton Coldfield. Host:&n...

The Sunday Times rich list has published the names of the wealthiest people in Britain since 1989. Today we meet its compiler to find out who reached the top this year and explore what drives them. Guest: Rob Watts, Compiler of The Sunday Times Rich. Host: Manveen Rana. More on Rich List here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/sunday-times-rich-list Archive: Youtube (Richard Branson), E! Red Carpet...

The Italian village of Vo’ Euganeo was the home of the first European to die in Europe of covid19. Now the same town has become a unique test-bed for scientists to learn how to combat the disease. Could it offer new insights into how to fight back? Guest:  Peter Conradi, Europe Editor of The Sunday Times. Host:  Manveen Rana Archive: MSNBC, BarbART YouTube channel, France 24, Sky News, R...

Behind the scenes, a group of social scientists has been advising the government on how to communicate to the public during the crisis. But has some of their advice been ignored?  Guest :  Steve Reicher, professor of social psychology at the University of St Andrews and member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours.  Host : Manveen Rana. Archive: BBC, ITV, DW News,...

An Australian cult is operating from a B&B in Somerset and despite court rulings against it, is ripping families apart. It is just one of an estimated one thousand cults that operate in the UK. Who are the people fighting to expose them?  Guests:  Rosie Kinchen, associate editor and the main interviewer of News Review at The Sunday Times. Host: David Aaronovitch. Audio from: Est...

Some 10,000 people in the UK have needed critical care to deal with the virus already. What's it like to be in an ICU with Covid19? Guests:  Roger Boyes, Diplomatic Editor and columnist for The Times. Dr Sonia Hudson, consultant in intensive care medicine at Broomfield Hospital. Host: Manveen Rana.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we begin to relax the lockdown, the UK is facing its biggest economic shock for 300 years. Can past recessions teach us what to do next?  Guest: David Smith, Sunday Times Economics Editor Ann Pettifor, economist Host:  Manveen Rana Archive: BBC, Talkradio, CNN, CBS, Sky News, CNBC, Bloomberg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can the jubiatilion and uncertainty of VE day teach us about what 'victory' over coronavirus might look like? Guest: Ben Macintyre, associate editor, columnist and a writer-at-large for The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: Imperial War Museum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This weekend Boris Johnson is expected to talk about the UK's exit strategy and outline the beginning of the end of lock down. But what can we learn from other European nations and their approach? Guest:  Oliver Moody, The Times Berlin Correspondent. Host: Manveen Rana.  Clips: Marco Meeßen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In recent weeks the world’s two biggest superpowers have been playing a blame game around the global pandemic. What do the Chinese communists and the American Republicans stand to gain from the spread of myths, fake news and propaganda? Guest:  Catherine Philp, the Times Diplomatic Correspondent. Henry Zeffman, the Times Washington Correspondent. Host:  David Aaronovitch. Archive: Newswe...

Four decades of war have ravaged Afghanistan, cost America $2 trillion and left more than one million dead. As US troops prepare to withdraw, what next for a nation more divided than ever? Guest:  Anthony Loyd, Times foreign correspondent.  Host : Manveen Rana. Archive : Euronews Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An extraordinary story about the man who helped trigger one of the biggest financial crashes in US history - ten years ago this week - from his bedroom in a West London semi-detached house.   Guest:  Liam Vaughan, journalist and author of Flash Crash.   Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: Bloomberg, CNBC, BBC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.