The Story

Three incredible tales of scientific progress

05 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Extraordinary scientific advances have taken place over the past year both because of Covid and despite it.Today we bring you three tales of human ing...

The Suez Canal: What happened when a ship got stuck?

02 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After the Ever Given vessel was freed earlier this week, the world breathed a huge sigh of relief. But what does this incident tell us about internati...

The Covid superstitions putting people with albinism at risk

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In sub-Saharan Africa, people with albinism – those born without pigmentation in their skin, hair and eyes – have long been discriminated against ...

Police, protest and Priti Patel

31 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tensions between the police and communities across the UK are at an all time high. One woman is behind the push to increase police powers. Who is Prit...

The rape culture crisis in Britain's elite private schools

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Around the country, girls who have suffered in silence for years at some of England's top schools are finally speaking out about the sexual abuse they...

Peer pressure: Time for change in the House of Lords?

29 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is it time to rethink the way British democracy works and reform the upper chamber of parliament?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support...

British cycling: A doctor, drugs & a scandal

26 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last week the former Team GB and Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman was struck off the medical register after being found guilty of ordering a banned sub...

Revisiting old friends after a year of Covid

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week marks a year since the Covid lockdown began. Every aspect of our daily life has been affected and more than 146,000 people have died of the ...

Dog theft: Inside the canine crime epidemic

24 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout the pandemic, demand for dogs has soared, and thieves have taken note. Dog theft has skyrocketed over the last year with criminal gangs cas...

General Sir Nick Carter on the threats facing Britain

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday the government published new plans for the future of the military. Manveen Rana speaks to the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick C...

Prince William: Repairing the crown's image

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Almost ten years ago, the world watched as a future king got married. Now, after a bombshell interview, things couldn't feel further removed from that...

The food critic behind Italy’s deadliest terrorist attack

19 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Federico Umberto D’Amato, the former spy who created the country’s culinary bible, is accused of being behind the 1980 Bologna atrocity. Could thi...

The lost children: How school closures hit the most vulnerable kids

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last week schools in England reopened after months of shutdown due to the pandemic, but has keeping kids out of the classroom come at a social greater...

Sarah Everard: How her vigil galvanised a movement

17 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Saturday night the Metropolitan Police arrested four people at a vigil for Sarah Everard. What went wrong that night? And what does it mean for the...

The invisible epidemic of eating disorders in Britain

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Content warning: this episode contains discussion of eating disorders and mentions of suicidal thoughts.At times during the pandemic, it's felt like d...

Hunting the COVID-19 variants

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

New variants of COVID-19 have caused spikes in infections around the world and rang alarm bells about vaccine resistance. We speak to two scientists t...

What if bitcoin hits $1 million?

13 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Bitcoin is surging. Last month, it surpassed $50,000 per coin, and big institutions are buying in alongside retail investors. The new frenzy has start...

Failures of State: The origins of Covid-19 (Pt 3)

12 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the final part of our Failures of State series, the Sunday Times Insight team take David Aaronovitch on a hunt for answers.This podcast was brought...

The fallout in Scotland: What now for the SNP?

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For more than a decade Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon were the dream team that dominated Scottish politics, leading the charge for Scottish independ...

Meghan and Harry v The Firm

10 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In a bombshell world exclusive interview, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, sat down with Oprah Winfrey and talked at lengths about reasons for...

Failures of State: How Britain made the same mistake twice (Pt 2)

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the second of three episodes this week, the Sunday Times Insight team explains how Britain unleashed a second disastrous wave of the virus despite ...

Failures of State: The inside story of Britain’s battle with coronavirus (Pt 1)

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last year, a Sunday Times investigation exposed failures at the top of government which may have cost thousands of lives. Now the team behind those re...

An exclusive interview with the fake heiress Anna Delvey

07 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What happened when Laura Pullman met the newly released Anna Delvey (AKA Sorokin) for The Sunday Times? Anna is a modern day Gatsby who scammed New Yo...

Budget 2021: Who is Rishi Sunak?

03 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Not many knew of Rishi Sunak until he was appointed Chancellor last year. Now a household name, today he will deliver his second b...

Inside Britain's first gaming addiction clinic for teenagers

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What would you do if your child couldn't stop gaming? Jenny Kleeman meets a teenage patient getting specialist help. This podcast was brought to ...

The blame game: What really caused the Texas blackouts?

01 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Texas is still reeling from an unprecedented energy disaster, where unusually cold temperatures brought their power grid to a standstill earlier ...

Update on Shamima Begum: Bring Me Home

27 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Supreme Court has ruled that Shamima Begum will not be allowed to return to the UK to fight her citizenship case. Begum, who was a teenager when s...

The Jessie Earl story: The family pain of an unsolved murder

26 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Features writer for The Sunday Times Rosie Kinchen examines what it's like to live through the ordeal of losing your daughter and never getting the re...

Investigation: One bruise and they took the baby away

25 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If one day, you saw your newborn baby with a little bruise you couldn't explain, what would you do? Many people like Holly Kobayashi would ask a ...

Guns, skis and corruption: Biathlon

24 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Three years ago, a dramatic raid at the headquarters of a popular winter sports blew open a scandal at the International Biathlon Union. The former pr...

From conspiracy theories to Congress: The Marjorie Taylor Greene story

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Who is the Congresswoman who has split the Republican party with her toxic views?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of T...

How China uses LinkedIn to steal state secrets

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Times has uncovered that spies are creating fake business profiles on the professional networking site so that they can identify targets and obtai...

Past Imperfect: Nadiya Hussain

21 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this special bonus edition we are bringing you an episode from another Times podcast - Past Imperfect.Nadiya Hussain MBE rose to fame after winning...

It's a Sin: Should gay roles be reserved for gay actors?

19 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Before Channel 4's hit series It's Sin was broadcast, writer Russell T Davies made headlines for his comments on how the show was cast. Should LGBTQ+ ...

How Russia's vaccine disinformation war backfired

18 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In October, a Stories of our times investigation blew the lid off a Russian disinformation campaign, which had aimed to stoke fears about th...

A lockdown exit strategy: Lessons from Israel and Australia

17 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Monday the prime minister will unveil a roadmap for how we exit lockdown. Today we look to two countries which might show us a glimpse of...

Post-Brexit Britain 2021: Who do we think we are?

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's been over a year since the UK officially left the EU on the 31st of January 2020 in a vote which was fuelled by decades of British Euro...

Afghanistan's road to peace: Murder in Kabul

15 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last month, a team of assassins shot and killed two of Afghanistan’s most eminent women. The murder of the two Supreme Court judges is part of ...

The strange case of the spy in the bag: Is it time for a review?

12 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A decade after an MI6 agent was found dead in a North Face holdall, the detective who led the inquiry wants a forensic case review.This podcast was br...

Inside Porton Down: Britain’s top secret laboratory

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What goes on inside one of the most secure, secretive and at times controversial British institutions? The Times is the first newspaper to b...

Civil disobedience and the future of Myanmar's democracy

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Protesters in Myanmar are demanding the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi who was arrested when the military seized power. How did this count...

The second impeachment: Trump on trial again

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today the Senate trial begins: Donald Trump is charged with ‘incitement of insurrection’ over the Capitol riot. After four controversial years in ...

GameStop: A very modern fable

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The inside story of how the WallStreetBets forum on Reddit took on Wall Street, sending shares in the struggling retailer GameStop skyrocket...

Brain trauma: The issue rugby can no longer ignore

06 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As the annual Six Nations tournament gets underway this weekend, recent high profile lawsuits filed against rugby union’s governing bodies from ex-p...

How Brussels bungled the vaccine

05 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Two weeks ago AstraZeneca shocked the EU by cutting its vaccine delivery by 60%. What went wrong, and why? And could the high drama that followed have...

India: The farmers v the government

04 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For months, protesters have been camping out on the outskirts of Delhi, demanding the repeal of a set of agricultural laws. Last week, as India tried ...

What's behind the movement to #FreeBritney?

03 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Britney Spears’s private life has been on show ever since she emerged on the music scene back in the late ’90s. In recent years she's been hitting...

Love and lockdown: The spike in divorces and breakups

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The coronavirus pandemic is keeping us all at home and many of us have been taking a long, hard look at our closest and most intimate relationships - ...

Universal Credit, Free School Meals and a history of Tory welfare

01 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As the government wrestles with how best to help those in need during the pandemic, it's brought to the surface many of the historical divis...

When Decca Met... Jordan Peterson

31 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jordan Peterson, a clinical psychologist, is a conservative superstar of the culture wars. Known for his confidence in debates, Decca Aitkenhead meets...

A TikTok conspiracy theory: Helen Keller is a fraud?

29 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A bizarre conspiracy theory on the social media platform TikTok is uncovered after a Twitter thread goes viral. What does this say about how misinform...

Empireland: How imperialism shaped modern Britain

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In his latest book, Empireland, Times writer Sathnam Sanghera attempts to expose what he sees as a blind spot in our understanding of history: th...

Amanda Knox: Is our obsession with true crime unhealthy?

27 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In a special series for the Sunday Times, writer Rosie Kinchen examines what's behind our true crime obsession. Kinchen makes contact with Amanda Knox...

Is this the end of QAnon?

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Conspiracies spread fast on anonymous platforms like 4chan. QAnon's evolution on the site is fuelled by unfounded theories which suggest that Pre...

The Arab Spring ten years on: Egypt

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For Egypt, the Arab Spring was just the start. Ten years ago, protests erupted in Tahrir Square that would force the president from power and kick off...

The mysterious disappearance of Chinese billionaire Jack Ma

22 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alibaba Group founder and billionaire Jack Ma has emerged into the public for the first time since disappearing in October last year. Growing scr...

Inauguration Day: Two presidents, two speeches, and an uncivil war

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Some 25,000 troops stood guard during the inauguration of President Joe Biden. The high levels of security was just one sign that the country is ...

The Vaccine: What if the virus mutates again?

20 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Some scientists worry that a new vaccine-resistant strain of the virus could emerge. We speak to virologists about concerns that the UK's vaccine stra...

Alaska and Trump: Drilling for oil in a wildlife refuge

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While attention was pointed towards the storming of the Capitol, over four thousand miles away in north-eastern Alaska, an auction was held to sell th...

Impeachment: Lessons from the past

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Donald Trump for inciting a mob that stormed the capitol building - making him the first pres...

The Vaccine: When will we all get it?

15 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One of the GPs on the frontline of the UK's vaccination efforts, and the Times science correspondent, on the bottlenecks and obstacles that are h...

The Arab Spring ten years on: Tunisia

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In late 2010, Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi doused himself in gasoline and set himself on fire, sparking waves of anti-government protests. ...

Intersex surgeries: Consent, shame and a lifetime of secrets

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Should surgery to alter the reproductive organs of children who are born intersex be stopped?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of ...

Could the NHS be overwhelmed in two weeks?

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is the NHS just weeks from the toughest moment in its history?Chief medical officer Chris Whitty has said the next few weeks will be the worst of the ...

Brex and the City

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After a turbulent year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson finally reached a post-Brexit Trade Deal with Brussels. But the UK's exit from the EU c...

Capitol riot: The violent death throes of the Trump presidency

08 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

They were scenes that shocked the world: hundreds of supporters of the outgoing president storming into the country's seat of power. On the day expect...

Facial recognition technology: A privacy nightmare?

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Facial recognition technology is in the spotlight as the surveillance watchdog raises privacy concerns over its use by police forces. Are th...

Concussion in sport: Why is boxing still allowed?

06 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

With safety protocols in elite sport back under the spotlight due to recent high profile cases in rugby and football, the Times' Chief Sports Writer, ...

The psychological effects of a world without touch

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The British are not known as tactile people, a firm handshake will do while our continental neighbours embrace with hugs and kisses, but is that reall...

The truth behind Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's imprisonment in Iran

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Could an unpaid British debt be the reason Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been held by Iran for the past five years?This podcast was brought to you tha...

Times cartoonist Peter Brookes: A life in ink

31 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Cartoonist Peter Brookes looks back on some of the more memorable images of his almost 30 years at The Times, and walks us through his creative proces...

2020: An extraordinary year in Westminster

30 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

All this week we look back at the biggest stories of the last twelve months. Today: We ask Matt Chorley and Esther Webber to assess the standout momen...

2020: The year that changed everything in the USA

29 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

2020 has been quite the year for all of us, but it has been especially tumultuous in the United States. From the coronavirus pandemic to the Black Liv...

Tom Whipple’s year in Covid: from Wuhan to lockdown to vaccine

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

All this week we look back at the biggest stories of the year. Today: Coronavirus. How should we separate the science from the conspiracy theories? Wh...

In a Covid year, why sport matters

24 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Former table tennis player, Matthew Syed, visits a club in Brighton which gets funding from Sported, one of the charities the Times and Sunday Times i...

Wrapped up in books: What to read this Christmas

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

David Aaronovitch sits down with Times Radio breakfast show host Stig Abell to share some of their most cherished festive page turners.This podcast wa...

Times Investigation: The tax enforcers chasing penniless families

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

An investigation by the Times has found that HMRC, the UK’s authority responsible for the collection of taxes used private debt collection comp...

The true price of gold: Inside Ghana's illegal mines

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A Sunday Times investigation reveals a shady supply chain stretching from west Africa’s hazardous gold mines through Dubai and on to Europe. Who are...

Festive Wines: What to drink this Christmas

18 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With a week to go before Christmas, Stories of our times hosts Manveen Rana and David Aaronovitch are joined by journalist and wine expert Jane Macqui...

Europe's worst shipwreck: What happened to the MS Estonia?

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The MS Estonia sank into the icy Baltic Sea in 1994, descending alongside the evidence of what happened that fateful night where 852 people died....

USA: Will Trump pardon himself?

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

During four years in office, President Donald Trump has already handed out a number of controversial pardons to friends and allies, but are there more...

Who’s afraid of a vaccine?

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As Britain becomes the first country to embark on a mass Covid-19 vaccination programme, Stories of our times have been given exclusive access to new ...

Insight Investigation: The cost of a second late lockdown

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Cameron Wellington, a teenager from Walsall, died on November 19th after catching coronavirus. He left a devastated family behind, but could live...

The rise and fall of Sir Philip Green

11 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group filed for administration last week we trace the rise and fall of the former 'king of the high street'. Is thi...

Ampleforth: A British public school and a scandal

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The leading Catholic school Ampleforth College has been temporarily banned by the government from taking on new pupils because of safety concerns. The...

Where are all the gay footballers?

09 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

All this week, rainbow coloured bootlaces and armbands are being worn by football players nationwide. This is to mark the Premier League's annual 'rai...

The Impenetrable Forest: The murder of a silverback gorilla

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In June, the charismatic leader of the Nkuringo gorilla group was killed by a poacher. The incident shocked the conservation community and caused an i...

Did pollution kill Ella?

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah will speak at a High Court inquest into the death of her daughter Ella who died following an asthma attack in 2013. ...

The assassination of Iran's top nuclear scientist

04 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When news broke of the assassination of the head of Iran’s nuclear programme the details suggested an operation straight out of an action film. The ...

What are the options for a Covid Christmas?

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week the UK approved its first coronavirus vaccine for widespread use. With the end now clearly in sight, does the government's current plan...

Changing gender: A landmark judgement in the Keira Bell case

02 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday at the High Court, a judgement was passed that could have major implications for the treatment of children at gender identity clinics.We spe...

Marcus Rashford and Sir Alex Ferguson tackle the hunger game

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In Britain, about 2.4 million children live in families who cannot afford all the food they need. During the pandemic, up to 8.1 million Britons have ...

Covid and accusations of cronyism

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Transparency rules have been cast aside by ministers in their coronavirus panic. The result? Privileged access for friendly lobbyists and £1.5bn of c...

Bring Me Home: (Pt 5) A legal battle over Shamima Begum's future

27 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court heard arguments over whether Shamima Begum should be allowed to come back to Britain to fight for her citizenship...

Bring Me Home: (Pt 4) Lessons from Europe

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The UK is not alone in having to decide what to do with its citizens stuck in Syrian camps and Iraqi prisons. Thousands of European nationals travelle...

Bring Me Home: (Pt 3) Deradicalising Shamima Begum

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Supreme Court judges are now deliberating on whether Begum should be allowed back to Britain to fight for her citizenship. But would happen if she did...

Bring Me Home: (Pt 2) Life in the camps

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the second part of our series on Shamima Begum, we explore the experience of British nationals detained in Syria. What are living conditions like i...

Bring Me Home: (Pt 1) Shamima Begum's story

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It was a chance meeting in a Syrian camp. A veteran war reporter, a young mother, and an interview that polarised a nation. Shamima Begum was just 15 ...

Next week: Bring Me Home, a series about Shamima Begum

21 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

All next week Stories of our times will examine the effectiveness of the UK’s policy towards those detained in Syria; discuss de-radicalisation; and...

Meeting the fugitive CEO: Carlos Ghosn

20 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn fled house arrest in Tokyo and turned up in Beirut in December 2019, the details read like they’d come straight from t...