The Story

As the Robert Jenrick planning scandal unfolded, investigative reporter Gabriel Pogrund wanted to speak directly with one of the men at the centre: Richard Desmond.  The former newspaper owner and porn publisher has had a unique career.  So who is he, and how did he get close to the British political establishment?  Guests:  Gabriel Pogrund is a politics and investigations...

A trade deal between Britain and America has been held up as one of the major advantages of the UK exiting the European Union. But the disruption wrought by coronavirus and political turmoil in America are threatening to derail any prospect of a swift agreement being reached. Meanwhile, Britain appears to be inching closer to common ground for a trade deal with the EU. Guests: Henry Zeffman, Washi...

Much about the virus remains a mystery. Today, we catch up on everything we’ve learned about the virus so far - and the big unknowns - with The Times' science editor. Could a second spike in the UK be on its way? Guest:  Tom Whipple, science editor for The Times Host:  Manveen Rana. Clips: Sky News, ITV News, Al Jazeera, BBC News, DW News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

The former USA Gymnastics team doctor is now a convicted child sex offender, behind bars for 175 years. You might think that was where the story ended. But for many survivors, his sentencing was just the beginning of a long fight for justice in the sport they love.  Guests:  Rebecca Myers, reporter and feature writer for The Sunday Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Additional music:&n...

1 in 5 men in the UK say they don't have any close friends. Stig Abell is one of them. What are the obstacles to making friends as an adult, and could a psychotherapist help him find answers? Guests:  Nadine Abell, Stig's wife. Cate Campbell, Psychotherapist and relationship counsellor. Xand van Tulleken, a former colleague of Stig. Host: Stig Abell, host of the Times Radio's breakfast show....

This week Manveen and David take a break as Times Radio presenters host the podcast, ahead of the launch of the station on the 29th June. For Luke Jones, going to the theatre has been an almost weekly part of his life for as long as he can remember. That is, until the coronavirus lockdown began, and the theatres closed for public safety. Now, the theatre sector is grappling with the question...

This week Manveen and David take a break as Times Radio presenters host the podcast, ahead of the launch of the station on the 29th June. The images of babies born via surrogate, waiting in a hotel in Ukraine for their biological parents to collect them during lockdown, were broadcast all over the world. Today, we go inside the global surrogacy industry and explore how the pandemic...

This week Manveen and David take a break as Times Radio presenters host the podcast, ahead of the launch of the station on the 29th June. Since the death of George Floyd, black families around the world have been considering how to cope with the impact of racist killings. But how should we all talk to our children about it? Guests: - Christabel Nsiah Buadi, writer and broadcaster. - Riana Elyse An...

This week Manveen and David take a break as Times Radio presenters host the podcast, ahead of the launch of the station on the 29th June. The government's Covid-19 contact tracing system is key to helping contain the spread of the virus, but is it fit for purpose?  Guests:  Billy Kenber, Investigations reporter at The Times. Anonymous contact tracer Host: John Pienaar, host of Times Radi...

This month German police have identified a convicted sex offender as a prime suspect in the case of the missing British girl - last seen in the Algarve in 2007. Guest:  David Collins, Sunday Times Northern Correspondent. Host: David Aaronovitch.  Clips: Sky News, ITV, ABC, BBC, 7NEWS Australia. Additional music: Jordan Powell, Chris Zabriskie (licenced under Creative Commons) Hosted...

For years, many elite black athletes felt they had to hold back from commenting on race and racism. Today multi-Olympic gold medallist Edwin Moses speaks out.  Host:  Manveen Rana. Guests: Edwin Moses, Double Olympic 400m Hurdles champion. David Walsh, Sunday Times Chief Sports Writer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A business offering instant loans to struggling small businesses has been accused of using aggressive and unethical tactics. 76-year-old widow Jill Eade acted as guarantor on a loan with the company. Now, she faces the prospect of homelessness, and repayments of up to 300 thousand pounds.  Guests:  Kenza Bryan, Money reporter for The Times and The Sunday Times. Jill Eade, guarantor...

What happened to the passengers and crew on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, when there was an outbreak of coronavirus in February?    Guests:  Katie Glass, feature writer for the Sunday Times. Host: David Aaronovitch. Clips: Sky, BBC, Channel 4 News, Princess Cruises Youtube channel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Policing in the US is under the spotlight more than ever. A city in New Jersey has cut crime and won the support of its citizens by scrapping its police force and rebuilding from scratch. Could it be a blueprint to heal an angry nation? Guests:  Josh Glancy is Washington Bureau Chief for The Sunday Times. Host:  Manveen Rana. Clips: Fox, CNN, Comedy Central, MSNBC Hosted on Acast. S...

This week, statues have fallen like dominoes around the world, and a new discussion about the people commemorated in our public spaces has begun. We go back to Bristol where the week's events started, and learn why Colston's legacy is still so pervasive in the city. We also hear of a campaign to replace Colston with a statue of some very different figures from the city's past. Guests:  Marvin...

The Royal Family have been in the headlines a lot during this pandemic - not always for the right reasons. But has the pandemic changed the Windsor's relationship to the public forever?  Guests:  Roya Nikkhah, The Sunday Times Royal Correspondent. Host: Manveen Rana. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first weeks of lockdown we saw Brits come together in a show of astonishing unity. But a new poll reveals divisions are emerging. What could this change of heart mean for the UK's future?  Guests:  Bobby Duffy, professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute, King's College London. Presenter: David Aaronovitch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

Last week Britain offered a possible route to citizenship for around three million Hong Kong residents. Why might that be needed? As Beijing passes a new national security law which could undermine Hong Kong's freedoms, we speak to a veteran pro-democracy campaigner on what has changed in the territory.  Guests:  Didi Tang, Times' Beijing correspondent. Emily Lau, former member...

Is lockdown an opportunity for police to tackle crime differently? We meet the police commander behind a new initiative, where officers visit criminals in lock down and try and turn their life around.  Guests:  Fiona Hamilton, Crime and Security Editor for the Times. Alex Murray, commander for specialist crime in London. Host: David Aaronovitch.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...

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...