The Story

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/thestoryGuest: 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 

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/thestoryGuests: Maxie Allen, producer, Times Radio, andFiona Hamilton, Chief Reporter, The Times. 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 activists.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

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/thestoryGuest: 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   

Pioneering DNA testing company 23andMe 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/thestoryGuest: 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 siblingsClips: Y Combinator / Youtube.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

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/thestoryGuest: 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 universitiesClips: National Conservatism, Fox News, MSNBC, NBC News, CBS News, ABC News, Forbes.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

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/thestoryGuest: 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 worldGet in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has delivered her Spring Statement - but what does it really mean for your money? Holly Mead is joined by Jo Noble, Chris Etherington and Tom Selby to break down the key takeaways - from welfare cuts to tax crackdowns - as they look at what was announced, what was left out, and what’s still to come later this year. 

Japanese ‘kidults’ revolutionised pop culture in the 90s and 00s, turning to their inner children to cope with economic crisis and post-industrial societal ills, despite being ridiculed. As the milestones of adulthood - property, marriage and careers - become increasingly difficult for millennials and Gen Z to achieve - are westerners now turning to ‘kidulting’ to find answers? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Matt Alt, author of Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Sam Chantarasak.Further listening: Studio Ghibli: Is this the end for the Japanese studio that inspired Pixar?The South Korean culture machine that conquered the worldClips: SEGA, Pokémon Theme/POKEMON, MSNBC, CNN, AJ+, Sony, PlayStation, CBS, SXSW, TikTok/@otakuintokyo, TikTok/@kaitlyneats, Your Name/dir. Makoto Shinkai/CoMix Wave Films/Toho.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

It's been called "a big mistake", "reckless" and "the highest level of f**kup imaginable" - but just how did a senior journalist come to be added to a chat group between some of the US government’s most senior members who were discussing military action? As the Trump government looks to downplay the incident, what does it tell us about how they view their allies and conduct their business? And what could the fallout 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/thestoryGuest: David Charter, assistant editor (US), The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Edward Drummond and Olivia Case.Clips: Fox News, CBS News, ABC News, Forbes.Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com