Episodes
Hamas has been sent a proposal for a new pause in military operations in Gaza, including the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. Meanwhile, one month on from the International Court of Justice ruling that Israel must let more aid into Gaza – has this happened? We speak to a British paramedic in Rafah. 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.  Guests: - Iain...
Published 02/28/24
This Thursday, Rochdale voters will be asked to cast their vote in a by-election following the death last month of MP Sir Tony Loyd. There is technically no Labour candidate standing, though three former ones are. So what’s happening? And as the by-election is being framed by some as a referendum on Gaza - what of the other issues facing the town? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe...
Published 02/27/24
When the contraceptive pill was introduced in the 1960s, many considered it to be one of the most significant inventions of the 20th Century. Sixty years on, a generation of young women are questioning the pill - but why? 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:  Laura Hackett, Deputy Literary Editor, The Sunday Times. Kate Muir, Author, Everything You Need to Know About The...
Published 02/26/24
If you murder someone, you get a life sentence. But what does a life sentence actually mean in practice? We speak to a bereaved parent fighting to end one of the justice system’s most egregious sentencing disparities. Murder sentencing consultation (closing date: March 4, 2024): https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/murder-sentencing-consultation/ This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe...
Published 02/23/24
With ever-increasing house prices across the country far outstripping the rate at which earnings are rising, millions of young people are now being forced to either live at home with their parents, or pay extortionate rent in a market where landlords have all the power. So what hope is there for Generation Rent? 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. Guests: Lily Russell-Jones,...
Published 02/22/24
While an SNP motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza will be debated in the House of Commons today, all eyes are on Labour. The party has tiptoed around a position on the war in Gaza since the terrorist attacks of October 7th, causing divisions among MPs and supporters. Will Keir Starmer’s eleventh hour call for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire” be enough to see off another rebellion and hold his party together in an election year?  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the...
Published 02/21/24
Alexei Navalny, Russia's opposition leader, is dead. His wife says that President Putin killed her husband while the Russian state denies any involvement. What does his death mean for the opposition, the Kremlin and the future of Russia? 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: Mark Galeotti, historian, journalist and author of ‘We Need to Talk About Putin,’ ‘Putin’s Wars’ and...
Published 02/20/24
An overwhelming demand for ADHD diagnoses has left the NHS struggling to keep up. What’s behind the rise? Content warning: This episode contains mentions of suicidal thoughts and eating disorders. 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. Guests:  - Kat Brown, journalist and author of It's Not A Bloody Trend: Understanding Life as an ADHD Adult. - Dr Ulrich Müller-Sedgwick, consultant...
Published 02/19/24
Christopher Nolan has become a franchise unto himself; one of the few directors who can walk into a studio with an original idea and walk out with the millions needed to make it. His latest film, Oppenheimer, has grossed over a billion dollars and been nominated for 13 Oscars. Today he takes us inside the making of the film. 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: Christopher...
Published 02/16/24
A special counsel report in the US has again raised questions about Joe Biden’s mental faculties, describing the President as "a well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory." So, what are the mechanisms to replace him, were he to step aside or be removed? 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: David Charter, assistant editor, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Get in touch:...
Published 02/15/24
An alleged Russian spy was an Afghan refugee who had worked his way into the British Foreign Office. According to court documents, he had met two Prime Ministers, the King and Prince William during the course of his work. The man, known only as ‘C2’ denies all the allegations. 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: Emma Yeomans, News reporter, The Times. Host: Luke...
Published 02/14/24
With millions of people across the UK struggling to access NHS dental care, and many being forced to go private or even treat themselves at home, how did dentistry in Britain reach this point, how serious is the crisis, and what can be done to fix it? 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. Guests: - Dr. Paul Woodhouse from the Grange Dental Practice and, - Rachel Sylvester, Times...
Published 02/13/24
Cheap drones, robots and AI have all shaped the conduct of the war in Ukraine. Ahead of its second anniversary on 24th February, Manveen talks to eminent war historian, Sir Lawrence Freedman, about how war will never be the same again. 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: Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King’s College London. Host: Manveen...
Published 02/12/24
How King Charles’s cancer diagnosis will affect the monarchy and those in it, personally and professionally. 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, Royal Editor, The Sunday Times. Host: Luke Jones. Clips: Times Radio, Channel 4, BBC, Sky News, CNN, WION, CBS, TODAY, BBC, TalkTV, Fabulous Magazine, AFP, ABC, CBS, GB News. Get in touch:...
Published 02/10/24
It’s Super Bowl Sunday in America this weekend. But whispers from some corners of the internet suggest there’s a bigger game afoot. So just how did Taylor Swift find herself at the centre of a conspiracy theory involving America's biggest television event and a presidential election? And is there any truth to any of it? 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: Ben Hoyle,...
Published 02/09/24
A quarter of people watching pornography are women, but why do we find it hard to comprehend? We speak to the author of a new book who has interviewed one hundred women about their porn habits - what can we learn about women’s pleasure?  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: Dr Fiona Vera-Gray, deputy director at the Child and Women’s Abuse Studies Unit at London...
Published 02/08/24
Israel’s prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu is increasingly embattled, amid protests by the families of hostages calling for him to go. Could this crisis lead to his downfall? 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: Anshel Pfeffer, Times contributor in Jerusalem and author of Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu. Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: Reuters, CBC...
Published 02/07/24
In an interview over the weekend, President Zelensky announced a major shake up in the Ukrainian army. It comes after a week-long battle between Zelensky and his top general. So after all of this internal disarray – how is the war seen right now by Ukrainians? Anthony Loyd returns from another trip to the country, where he embedded with brigades and met the men desperate to avoid conscription. This episode contains frank descriptions of warfare. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the...
Published 02/06/24
We hear the story of one woman who was stalked by her ex-boyfriend, as domestic abuse charities warn that young people are becoming accustomed to a high level of monitoring in romantic relationships. And one of our producers finds out first hand what it's like to be tracked. 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.  If you’ve been affected by issues in this podcast, you can find a...
Published 02/05/24
Palestinian journalist Amal Helles has been reporting for The Times and The Sunday Times from Gaza since the Hamas attacks on Israel, and the beginning of the conflict in October. Foreign journalists aren't allowed unaccompanied into the territory, where she lives with her husband and two small children. So we’ve been talking to her via WhatsApp voice notes about life amid food shortages, bombing and evacuation. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and...
Published 02/02/24
A former adviser to the prime minister is working with a secretive group of Tories to remove him from office before the general election. MPs have been out publicly backing Rishi Sunak and denying their involvement, but it risks setting off yet another civil war in the party. So who are the rebels?  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: Steven Swinford, Political Editor,...
Published 02/01/24
On Sunday, three American troops were killed in a drone strike on a US base in Jordan. At least 34 were wounded. The group responsible for the attack is one of the many Iran-backed militias that operate in the region, and they've now announced that they will halt further attacks on the US. So did Iran authorise the attack? And, at a time of such heightened tensions in the Middle East, is it a sign that Iran is losing control of its proxy forces - or preparing for war? This podcast was brought...
Published 01/31/24
While UK students need straight As to get onto prestigious Russell Group degree courses, their international classmates can buy their way in through secret routes. An undercover Sunday Times investigation has already prompted an urgent review by the Department for Education. 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.  Guests: - Jonathan Calvert, Insight Editor, The Sunday Times. -...
Published 01/30/24
OneTaste, the organisation behind the practice 'orgasmic meditation', was hailed as visionary at its peak. Since then, its leader, Nicole Daedone, has been arrested by the FBI on forced labour charges and her group has been branded a 'cult' – allegations they deny vehemently. But what is it? Sunday Times reporter Megan Agnew was invited to their California compound, The Land, to find out. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times....
Published 01/29/24
A Russian-born trader and a billionaire who admitted to fraud have topped this year’s Sunday Times Tax List, but more than two-thirds of the 100 individuals and families on the list contributed less tax this year. So, at a time when the tax bill for most people is up, who is paying less, and why?   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: Robert Watts, Contributor, The Sunday...
Published 01/26/24