Stories of our times

Over the weekend, the Houthis attacked one of Saudi Arabia’s main airports twice, as well as other locations in the country. Fourteen people are dead so far, with hundreds injured, in what is the deadliest attack on the Kingdom in over a decade. Saudi Arabia is calling for international help, but will anyone come to their aid? And what’s the fallout in a rapidly destabilising region? 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: Michael Stephens, consultant and senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and think tank RAND. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Olivia Case and Micaela Arneson. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Why does Saudi Arabia seem powerless to face down the Houthis? Further listening: What the lightning Houthi advance means for the world Clips: WION, BBC, Sky News, ABC News, Al Jazeera, News24, NBC, CBS, FirstPost. Photo: Getty Images. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel’s general election on October 27th could be the country’s most consequential in its history. In the run up, the prime minister and his right-wing coalition have promoted a vision of the country’s future that is as uncompromising to its friends as its enemies. As the situation at home and abroad grows evermore dire, what impact will the victor have on the likelihood of peace in the middle east and the country's relationship with the rest of the world? 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: Robyn Simon. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Israel closes British consulate in Jerusalem blaming ‘hostile rhetoric’ Further listening: The ticking time bomb Netanyahu faces at home Clips: CBS, CBC, Global News, Al Jazeera, France 24, CJN, Zeteo. Photo: Getty Images. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The month marks the 20th anniversary of Amy Winehouse’s multi-platinum album Back to Black. Just after the album was released and Amy’s fame was beginning to skyrocket, journalist Ariel Leve met the young 23-year-old in LA for two hours, where Amy gushed about her new husband, laughed off the cruel media scrutiny, and mused about her legacy. That interview would never be seen or heard -- until now. 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: Ariel Leve, author and journalist. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Taryn Siegel. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Amy Winehouse: the lost interview - 'If I die tomorrow then cool' Further listening: My life with Freddie Mercury Photo: Getty Images. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They’re actors, rock stars, models — and the offspring of very famous parents. Some see this as joining in on the family business. Others see it as an unfair advantage. But is the backlash against them justified? Times Columnist Ben Machell weighs in on the nepo baby debate. 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 Read by: Ben Machell, feature writer and columnist, The Times. Producers: Harry Bligh, Robyn Simon. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Should we feel sorry for (all) the nepo babies - Beckhams included? Photo: Getty Images. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Siberia last week, a Russian researcher working at an institute specialising in dangerous infectious diseases is believed to have died of unexplained pneumonia. Local media suggested it was pneumonic plague; the Kremlin continues to obfuscate. So what’s really happening? With its history of cover ups, can we trust what Russia is telling the world? And how worried should we be? 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: Rhys Blakely, science editor, The Times. Marc Bennetts, foreign correspondent, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Olivia Case. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Russia denies a plague outbreak. Its history of coverups is less reassuring Further listening: Is Spain’s PM next for eviction? Clips: The 2nd militarised fire department of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the 6th paramilitary fire and rescue unit at Chernobyl, Dark Docs / YouTube, BBC, ABC, Настоящее Время, KGWNews8, CNN. Photo: Getty Images. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The student protests that have rocked France for weeks reached a crescendo this week, when more than 250,000 teenagers, parents, teachers and union leaders took to the streets to voice their anger over dilapidated school buildings, staff shortages and complicated timetables. Some protests have resulted in shocking violence, and so far, the government has had limited success in quelling the unrest. So is there a fix for the French education system, or do the protests point to a deeper malaise? And what could it all mean for President Macron’s political legacy? 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: Adam Sage, Paris correspondent, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Micaela Arneson, Harry Bligh. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Why are there student protests in France? The reasons behind the riots Further listening: Why is France in chaos again? Clips: La Press Libre, France24, BBC, Sky News, NBC News. Photo: Getty Images. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kemi Badenoch's attack on Reform UK was all about character and her attack on Labour was all about economics. In her speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, she said she would to scrap inheritance tax on family homes and that under a Conservative government, couples would be able to leave an extra £1m inheritance tax free to their children. Badenoch was withering about Nigel Farage and Reform UK, saying: "The circus goes on and on and it will never stop because this is who Reform are — so to those who say ‘unite the right’, we are not uniting with that.” This week's episode of The State of It looks at the Conservatives' electoral strategy, their prospects — especially compared with a year ago — and the vibes among their MPs. Guests: Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Ben Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday Times Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture: Getty images. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tomorrow sees the Greens and Labour battle it out for control of Holborn and St. Pancras, following Keir Starmer’s resignation as the constituency’s MP last month. The stakes are particularly high for the Green candidate and leader Zack Polanski, who wants to prove his party can be a viable alternative to Labour on the left. But what are voters on the ground thinking? We head up to North London to find out. 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: Will Pavia, news and features writer, The Times. Giles Coren, restaurant critic and columnist, The Times. Sarah Elie, executive director, Somers Town Community Association. Henry Conlon, landlord, the Dublin Castle. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Harry Stott. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: What do voters in Holborn & St Pancras think of Zack Polanski? Further listening: Has Farage’s Clacton by-election backfired? Clips: ITV, LAFAGARI Media / Facebook. Photo: Getty Images. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez has called a snap election, after losing a key vote on his housing reforms. Protests have been rocking the country since an 87-year-old woman was evicted on a stretcher. Sánchez is gambling that he can leverage the national fury to strengthen his party’s position, but could it backfire? 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: David Sharrock, Madrid correspondent, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Paige Reynolds, Olivia Case We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Spain’s PM Pedro Sánchez: I am calling an early election Clips: The Guardian, ABC News, BBC, France 24, Democracy Now, BBC, CBS News, Deutsche Welle Photo: Getty Images. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Sunday Times investigation has found England is in an overprescribing epidemic. Adverse reactions to cocktails of medicines are sending a thousand older people to A&E every day, potentially causing deaths, and costing the NHS billions. So how was this overlooked for so long? And can an already overstretched and underfunded NHS fix the problem? 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: John Lees, son-in-law of Joseph Darbyshire. Shaun Lintern, health editor, The Sunday Times. Professor Jugdeep Dhesi, consultant geriatrician at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Olivia Case. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Dad died after a fall. Was his prescription of 10 drugs to blame? Further listening: The neuroscientists reconsidering near-death experiences Photo: John and Angela Lees and family. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Times reporter Sasha Nugara fell for a charismatic musician she met online, she didn’t imagine she would end up in a coercive relationship. But love bombing quickly soured into manipulation and violence, and Sasha decided to break free – and seek justice. 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 Read by: Sasha Nugara, property reporter and columnist, The Times and The Sunday Times. Producers: Paige Reynolds, Micaela Arneson. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: I’m 26. I never imagined I would be the victim of domestic abuse This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes is one of the world’s greatest living explorers. After he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2020, he continued to speak publicly about his career and illness. That is, until 2024. Since then, he hasn’t been seen publicly, and many of those closest to him haven’t been able to reach him. So what is happening with Fiennes? 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: Ben Ellery, deputy chief reporter, The Times Alex Millington-Cotes, Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ stepson Host: Luke Jones Producer: Robyn Simon We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Ranulph Fiennes ‘back home’ after living in care under assumed names Clips: CNN, Chartwell Speakers, BBC. Photo: Getty Images. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In one of the biggest scandals in English football history, Manchester City football club was found guilty this week on all charges of serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. So how did we get here? What will happen to Man City, and what does the scandal mean for the future of English football? 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: Martyn Ziegler, chief sports reporter, The Times and The Sunday Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Micaela Arneson, Harry Stott. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Manchester City verdict: what happens next? Further listening: The man who revealed Infantino’s world cup disaster Clips: BBC, Sky, talkSPORT, ITV, @LouietheReporter via YouTube, ITN. Photo: Getty Images. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The energy price cap goes up again today by 4% – but more pain is around the corner, with forecasts yesterday suggesting a further 16% rise in the new year. Why are UK energy prices, particularly electricity, much more expensive than the US and even most European countries? And while Andy Burnham is promising radical plans to bring them down, will this be enough? 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: Tom Whipple, science writer and special correspondent, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Harry Stott. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Why does the UK have the most expensive energy in Europe? Further listening: Does Britain have an energy security problem? Clips: DWS News, Sky News, ITV, Channel 4, Martin Lewis Youtube. Photo: Getty Images. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christa Pike is set to be executed today, making her the first woman to be put to death in Tennessee in 200 years. Ahead of the execution, Pike has spoken with The Times about her regrets, her fears, and what it’s been like awaiting her final hours. Thirty years on from her trial, she wonders, would she have gotten the same sentence in 2026? Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence, murder, and sexual abuse. 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: Olivia Empson, US correspondent, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Sophie McNulty, Micaela Arneson. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Christa Pike: ‘I have a kinship with Lindsay Clancy’ Further listening: He went to jail for exposing America’s darkest 9/11 secret. Should Trump pardon him? Clips: WBIR, Times Radio, PBS, CBS, VICE News. Photo: Tennessee Department of Corrections/Reuters. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Labour party is jubilant. Andy Burnham has fired the starting gun for the next general election with one of the most consequential conference speeches in recent memory. Burnham used the speech to set out a series of major proposals, including an end to the triple lock, the abolition of first-past-the-post and closer ties with Europe. At the heart of his national project is a care service free at the point of use. Burnham has set out his vision which promises to put Britain on a different road. But can he persuade the country to buy it? Guests: Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Ben Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday Times Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture: Getty Images This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When police arrested five men on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act and explosive offences at RAF Fairford early Sunday morning, questions swirled: who was behind the foiled plot? Should Britain be concerned about its security vulnerabilities? But then the men were released on bail, and suddenly a different question arose: could this entire saga have been a terrible misunderstanding? 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: Mario Ledwith, news reporter, The Times. General Sir Richard Barrons, retired British Army general and defence expert. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Robyn Simon, Micaela Arneson, Paige Reynolds. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: RAF Fairford: police investigate possible Iran link to foiled bomb plot Clips: BBC, Sky News. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deep in Russia’s Ural Mountains lies a secret nuclear bunker, guarded by a gate that has never been seen before. Until now. A Sunday Times joint investigation has revealed that the Cold War-era bunker, long thought to be dormant, is being revamped as President Putin seeks to arm the country against potential nuclear attack. So what does this mean for the West? 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: John Mooney, investigations editor in Ireland, The Sunday Times. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Micaela Arneson. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Revealed: Putin is preparing a base for doomsday nuclear strikes Further listening: The descent into madness under Putin This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When was the last time you read a book? Literacy rates have plummeted across the developed world since the advent of the smartphone and the consequences for society are chilling, says James Marriott. But why does it matter that fewer of us are reading books? And what happens if we all just stop? 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 Marriott, columnist, The Times. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Jennifer Kennedy. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: The death of reading puts the world in a perilous place Further listening: Inside the British town contaminated by forever chemicals Clips: ABC, DW News, Good Morning America, TMZ, Tucker Carlson Network. Photo: Getty Images. This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For centuries, people who’ve survived near-death experiences have told eerily similar and strange stories. They talk of bright lights, a feeling of euphoria, life flashing before their eyes. For much of that time, such accounts were often relegated to the realm of mysticism. But now, some scientists are beginning to reconsider what happens to you when you’re on the very edge of life and death. 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 Read by: John Naish Producer: Sophie McNulty We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: The neuroscientists who had near-death experiences – and how it changed them Photo: Getty Images This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.