The Story

Romance fraud is at an all time high, low-hanging fruit in the growing world of online scams. But what are the methods? Who falls for it? And are there ways we can all avoid it? 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: Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Edith Rousselot. Further reading: The justice system is in crisis. We spent a year finding solutions Clips: The Real Hustle Youtube channel, Still Watching Netflix Youtube channel. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court has ruled that only people who are born female should be protected from discrimination as women under the Equality Act. What does the ruling change and how did we get here? Guest: Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at Sex Matters and author of Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality. https://oneworld-publications.com/work/trans/ Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Shabnam Grewal and Rosie Stopher. Clips: Times Radio, Supreme Court, BBC News Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The government has taken control of one of the last steel-making plants in the UK, after its Chinese owners threatened to close it. Some ministers have accused China of sabotaging British Steel to force us to import from China. But is that what happened? Or, when it comes to steel-making, did this country long ago sabotage itself? 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: Dominic O’Connell, Business Correspondent, Times Radio. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Taryn Siegel. Clips: Times Radio, Parliament TV, British Film Institute/Getty Images. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recreational use of the Class B drug doubled in 2024. A Sunday Times investigation has looked into where it's coming from and why it's so hard to police. 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, The Sunday Times News Review. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Olivia Case. Further reading: One gram of ketamine and its 4,000-mile journey to the UK. Further listening: The truth behind the drama Adolescence If you or someone you know needs drugs help or advice, visit talktofrank.com Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US Constitution seems to be clear, but that hasn’t stopped President Trump and his allies from dangling the possibility that Trump won’t vacate the office in 2029. Is this just media trolling, or is there actually an argument to be made here? We asked a constitutional expert for the answer. 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: Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Taryn Siegel. Further reading: These Jack Kerouac letters are selling for $250,000. I read them Clips: NBC News, CNN, NewsNation, Newsmax, The White House. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published last November. As inquiries about relocating to the Emirati city from the UK have risen four-fold in the past five years; what does its allure say about life back home? 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 Further reading: Dubai’s allure to UK youth should raise alarm Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk Guest: Will Lloyd, reporter at The Sunday Times. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Will Roe. Photo: Getty images. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10 Downing Street is a rabbit warren of offices in a Georgian townhouse, and the centre of power in Britain. But how much control does it really exert over the rest of government, does it matter who has what job, and should we turn the whole thing into a museum? The political masterminds discuss how number 10 really works, and Polly explains why her husband thinks Canada is worse than North Korea. Send questions, comments and voicenotes to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are locked in a tit-for-tat trade war, as both sides refuse to back down from retaliatory tariffs. China was hit with a whopping 125 per cent levy on exports to the US, and has fought back with 84% tariffs on American goods. So who will blink first? 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: Rana Mitter, ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Sam Chantarasak. Clips: Reuters, CBS News. Photo: Times Design. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As news unexpectedly emerged that the US and Iran are to hold talks in Oman this weekend, President Trump warned Tehran that it must either cut a deal to cease all nuclear weapons devlopment or face the very real threat of military strikes. But just as the Trump Administration is divided on whether or not to attack, so Iranian society is split between those who fear war and those who support removal of the regime at any cost. 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: Sanam Vakil, Director of Middle East and North Africa programme, Chatham House and Holly Dagres, Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Edith Rousselot. Further reading: Iran has every incentive to make a nuclear deal with Trump Clips: Sky News, Fox News, TikTok, Al Jazeera, Straight Arrow News, Reuters. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britain’s obsessed with chicken - we eat more than a billion birds a year. And to (literally) feed our hunger, many farmers have turned to fast-growing birds. But now, a new initiative is persuading supermarkets and restaurants to try a slower-growing breed. Will it mean higher-welfare birds? 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: Harry Wallop, Columist and Feature Writer, The Times. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Olivia Case. Clips: Internet Archive / Prelinger Archives / The Chicken of Tomorrow (1948). Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stock markets around the world have taken a beating since Donald Trump unveiled his new tariffs. And it's not just the president's blue-collar base who'll feel the pain, so will his billionaire backers. As many in the MAGA coalition become more vocal, will Trump back down or hold fast to his 'medicine'? 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: Gerard Baker, columnist, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Edward Drummond and Sam Chantarasak. Further reading: Trump tests America’s threshold for pain Clips: CNN, ABC News, CBS News, Bloomberg, NBC News, CNBC, BBC News, New York Post. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on nearly all countries, including ones that don't have any human inhabitants. In the process, Trump remade the global economy in a single press conference. But the economic theory that Trump is basing this new world order on might be entirely false. 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: Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Taryn Siegel. Clips: WSJ News. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in February. Having ruled the Chagos Islands since the 1800s, the UK now wants to cede sovereignty of the tiny archipelago in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius. But one island is home to a secretive US military base and, with the growing threat of Chinese influence in the region, America is worried. Yesterday, the Mauritian PM said Sir Keir Starmer intends to “push ahead” with his deal - Whitehall suggested the same. But if it does happen, might it risk the relationship between Donald Trump and the British Prime Minister? 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: George Grylls, Defence Correspondent, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Olivia Case. Further reading: Trump’s secretary of state warns UK of China’s ‘malign influence.’ Further listening: Bannon vs Musk: The battle for the soul of Donald Trump. Clips: The Times and The Sunday Times, Reuters, parliamentlive.tv, The Guardian, Reuters. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week has provided no respite in the saga surrounding Prince Harry's resignation from the charity he founded, as news broke that he he will be in the Court of Appeal next week in his fight for tax funded police protection on UK visits. Plus, an update on the King's diary following his hospital visit and the Queen meets domestic violence campaigners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The conviction of France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen for embezzling European Union funds came as a major blow to her, preventing her from running in the 2027 presidential election race. Her party called the trial a 'witch hunt' and she accused the court of making a “political decision”, a sentiment shared by far-right politicians across the world. So, could Le Pen’s sentence strengthen far-right parties and benefit their leader’s popularity? And could she end up standing as president in any case? 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: Peter Conradi, Europe Editor, The Sunday Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Edith Rousselot. Further reading: Jordan Bardella: immigrants’ son to French far-right poster boyFurther listening: Young, French and voting hard-rightHow France’s left stopped a far-right surge Clips: AFP, France 24, Newsweek, TF1. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Maxie Allen complained to his daughter’s primary school about the recruitment process for a new head teacher, he hoped it would result in more openness and transparency. Instead six uniformed officers from Hertfordshire police were sent to arrest Allen and his partner after the school objected to them sending numerous emails and to their criticisms including “disparaging” comments on a parents’ WhatsApp group. So, is this another case of police overreach? And what does it mean for our ability to criticise and communicate privately? 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: Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Edward Drummond and Sam Chantarasak. Further reading: Police chief defends arrest of parents in school WhatsApp rowMet Police smash down door of Quaker meeting house to arrest activistsGet in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump will reveal his much-awaited tariffs today on a day he’s called ‘Liberation Day’, as world leaders and the global markets brace for impact. Speculation has been rife over how large they will be and who they will affect, as Britain's foreign secretary says we must ‘prepare for the worst.’ But what are Trump’s motives? And will they shatter the current economic world order? 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: Dominic O’Connell, Business Correspondent, Times Radio and Columnist, The Times. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Sam Chantarasak. Clips: AP, NBC, Bloomberg, C-SPAN, Channel 4, Times Radio, Fox News. Photo: Times design. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pioneering DNA testing company 23&me has filed for bankruptcy after failing to live up to its six billion-dollar promise. What does that mean for the data security of the fifteen million people who handed over their genetic information? And with at least 1 in 5 Britons having taken a commercial DNA test, is the age of genetic anonymity over? 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: Jenny Kleeman, Journalist and Author. Host: Jane Mulkerrins. Producer: Olivia Case. Further reading: I took an ancestry test and it led me to 18 secret siblings Clips: Y Combinator / Youtube. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of a crackdown by the Trump administration on universities with threats to withhold funding following protests on campuses, Manveen Rana talks to Times columnist and a self-described free speech absolutist and academic Sir Niall Ferguson. 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: Sir Niall Ferguson, historian and Times columnist. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Emily Webb and Edward Drummond. Further reading: How DEI, cancel culture and bad boards are killing our universities Clips: National Conservatism, Fox News, MSNBC, NBC News, CBS News, ABC News, Forbes. Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in January. The US president-elect has sparked a series of diplomatic rows after saying he was willing to use military or economic force to take control of Greenland, the Panama Canal and Canada. How seriously should we take Donald Trump’s claims and where did they come from? 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: Josh Glancy, News Review Editor, The Sunday Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: NBC News, Fox News, ABC News, Reuters/TV2, France Inter Radio. Photo: Getty Images Further reading: Why does Trump want Greenland? Further listening: Why Donald Trump courted the wrestling world Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.