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The Times

Drowning in news? Let The Story guide you. 

Each morning, hosts Manveen Rana and Luke Jones bring you today's most important story, told by the journalists who know what really happened. 

In depth, honest, and mixed in with exclusive reports and groundbreaking investigations.

Discover the story behind the story with the flagship podcast from The Times and The Sunday Times.

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Story

Since the case against two British men accused of spying for China suddenly collapsed, the Government and the Crown Prosecution Service have been playing the blame game, each accusing the other of being responsible. So who’s really at fault? And did China get a free pass in order to secure a better trade deal?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Caroline Wheeler, Political Editor, Sunday Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producers: Olivia Case, Micaela Arneson. 

Read more: 

The inside story of China spy case collapse: ‘It came from the very top’Keir Starmer’s security adviser ‘too close to China’, ministers warn
Further listening: The Westminster aide suspected of spying for China 

Clips: Sky, WION, BBC, ITV, Parliament TV, Channel 4.

Photo: Alamy, Lauren Hurley/No 10 Downing Street/Crown Copyright, Faculty AI, Adobe Stock, Denise Kelly. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why questions remain about the collapsed China spying case

With increasing numbers of people crossing the Channel in small boats, emergency call logs lay bare the fears faced by those trying to reach Britain. These calls highlight the risks taken every day by those at the centre of this growing crisis. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Emma Yeomans, News reporter, The Times. 

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Edward Drummond. 

Read more: Bigger, deadlier crossings: distress calls show migrant crisis has changed

Further listening: The human cost of the migrant crisis

Clips: ITV News, The Times, GB News.

Photo: Getty Images

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Channel chaos laid bare in distress calls

There was a sense of euphoria in Hostage Square, Tel Aviv, yesterday, as all of the living hostages held by Hamas since the October 7th attacks were released. But while Trump told the Israeli parliament the peace plan he brokered was a miracle, cracks have already begun to emerge. So is this really the beginning of long term peace in the Middle East?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Gabrielle Weiniger, Israel Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Edith Rousselot, Olivia Case.

Clips: The Times, Fox News, GB News

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Trump's Gaza deal could still unravel

The Times has uncovered cases of parents accused of killing their babies, based in part on testimony from a forensic expert who claimed to find evidence of harm. But serious concerns have now been raised about his conclusions by judges and other specialist pathologists. What happens if the expert gets it wrong?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: James Beal, Deputy Investigations Editor, The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producers: Micaela Arneson, Olivia Case. 

Read more: 

Miscarriage of justice fears over expert’s evidence in baby death trials

‘Two nightmares at once’: the mothers accused over their babies’ deaths

Photo: The Times.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

INVESTIGATION: The forensic expert and the parents accused of murder

For more than 40 years. Dame Jilly Cooper was the undisputed queen of the bonk buster, that glorious British blend of sex, scandal and social satire. As Britain says farewell to her, three Times journalists who loved, knew and even shared a glass of champagne with Jilly gather to remember the writer who made us laugh, blush and bonk - unapologetically.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:

 • Sophia Money-Coutts, features writer, The Times and,
 • Rosamund Urwin, Media Editor, The Sunday Times

Host: Jane Mulkerrins.

Producer: Dave Creasey.

Read more:

 • ‘
She told me she’d reread Riders and was shocked’ — Jilly Cooper’s best booksJilly Cooper: the woman who taught me about sex
Clips: BBC.

Photo: Getty Pictures.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com.

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jilly Cooper: The queen of the bonkbuster - the Sunday Story

This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times and The Sunday Times in paid partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. Each episode is hosted by The Story released as a bonus weekly series on Saturdays. 

Legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle has spent decades exploring the blue heart of our planet. From leading the first all-female aquanaut team to founding Mission Blue, she has dived deeper and stayed longer in the ocean than almost anyone alive. As she celebrates her 90th birthday, Rolex Testimonee, Sylvia reflects with Adam Vaughan on her extraordinary career, the changes she’s witnessed, and why she still believes in a future full of 'Hope Spots'.

Planet Hope is brought to you in paid partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative. 

Guest: Sylvia Earle, Marine Biologist, Oceanographer and Rolex Testimonee

Host: Adam Vaughan, Environment Editor, The Times

Series Producer: Priyanka Deladia

Sound Designer: David Crackles

This podcast is advertiser funded.

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Story presents: Planet Hope - Sylvia Earle at 90

President Trump hails 'everlasting peace' in Gaza and promises hostages will be released as early as Monday. But will a ceasefire hold? What changed to allow this breakthrough? And should Trump now win the Nobel peace prize? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Tal Schneider, Political & Diplomatic Correspondent, The Times of Israel.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Clips: BBC, Al Jazeera, AFP, DawnNews English

Read more: Two years on from October 7 attacks, Gazans count the cost of war.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com.

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A breakthrough in Gaza

The US government has been shut down for more than a week, and Democrats and Republicans are locked in a political blame game. Shutdowns are nothing new in US politics, but this time President Trump has made an unusual threat: to permanently cut hundreds of thousands of jobs and shutter entire government agencies. Is this just a new bargaining tactic to put pressure on Democrats or part of a bigger project to remake the American government? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Lara Spirit, Washington Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Micaela Arneson and Olivia Case.

Read more: Trump warns Democrats the ‘grim reaper is coming’

The revenge shutdown: Trump vows to inflict maximum pain on Democrats

Clips: CBS, ProPublica, Democracy Now!, @realDonaldTrump / TruthSocial, ABC, MSNBC, NBC News.

Music: (Don't Fear) The Reaper / Blue Oyster Cult / Columbia.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com 

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Trump’s using the government shutdown to remake America

When 29-year-old Sophie Rottenberg took her own life, her family later discovered she’d been confiding in a chatbot called ‘Harry’ things that she wasn’t telling any human.

This episode discusses suicide and mental health struggles. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. If you’re in the UK, you can call Samaritans free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org. If you’re in the US, you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or visit 988lifeline.org.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Katie Gatens, Commissioning Editor for News Review, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edith Rousselot.

Read more: My daughter used ChatGPT as a therapist, then took her own life

Photo: Courtesy of the family

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My daughter used ChatGPT as a therapist, then took her own life

Two years ago Hamas fighters launched a terror attack on Israel, killing more than 1,000 people and taking around 250 hostage.The Hamas-linked Gaza health authorities say tens of thousands have been killed in the subsequent war, which has devastated the area and led to catastrophic food shortages. 

In the UK today, members of the Jewish community will commemorate the victims of October 7th, while pro-Palestine protests take place on university campuses across the country. How can we protect vulnerable communities while allowing legitimate protest? Should the police be given increasing powers to intervene, or does that pose a threat to democratic freedoms? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Matt Dathan, Home Affairs Editor, The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Shabnam Grewal, Micaela Arneson. 

Clips: Times News, 10 Downing Street, The Guardian, Suella Braverman via Twitter. 

Photo: Getty Images

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should pro-Palestine protests be held on October 7?

From Pennsylvania to New Jersey to Tennessee, The Times’ Megan Agnew spent three weeks on the Taylor Swift trail, discovering the origins of the supersonic star. How does someone go from teenage guitarist to pop phenomenon? Was her fame just luck and talent, or was there a master plan behind it all?

This episode was first broadcast on June 10th 2024.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Megan Agnew, Senior Features Writer, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Jane Mulkerrins.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com.

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tracing the origin story of Taylor Swift [Replay]

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