The Story

With news this week on the ongoing attempts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine, we thought we'd bring you two interviews Manveen did on Times Radio to help make sense of it all. The first is with Anthony Loyd, who's been covering the war since it began and the second is with General Sir Richard Barron who has been working on the Defence Review and knows better than most whether the country is ready to defence 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/thestoryGuests:Anthony Loyd, Special Correspondent, The Times, andGeneral Sir Richard Barron's, former Commander Joint Forces Command. Host: Manveen Rana.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

Estonia, one of the Baltic states, sits on Europe's front line with Russia. The country that was, like Ukraine, once part of the Soviet Union is increasingly worried about the threat Putin poses, and has plans in place if there is an invasion. But, if western Europe can no longer rely on the transatlantic alliance, will it work? And what could Britain learn from 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/thestoryGuest: Oliver Moody, Berlin Correspondent, The Times and The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Olivia Case.Further reading: Could Poland and Germany acquire nuclear bombs?Further listening:   ‘A lawlessness that’s deeply alarming’: William Hague on Trump’s new presidency.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

It's predicted that, by the end of this Parliament, four million people in Britain will receive long-term sickness benefits–that’s the equivalent of losing the working-age population of Birmingham from the workforce. Columnist Fraser Nelson thinks it’s the biggest scandal in Britain today. So how did we get here? And can Labour fix it or will they leave already-vulnerable people worse off?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: The Times & The Sunday Times columnist Fraser NelsonHost: Luke JonesProducer: Emily WebbFurther reading: From welfare to warfare can define Keir StarmerFurther listening: Why are so many Gen Zers not working?Clips: BBC, Channel 4, Roman Styran / YouTube, jascow0 / YouTubePhoto: GettyGet in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

Donald Trump is coming for Canada. He first raised the prospect of making America's nearest neighbour its 51st state when campaigning for the presidency in 2016. No one was listening. But Canada's new Liberal Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has heard, and he's assembling a coalition of allies to counter the threat. Could this be the beginning of a wider effort to build a Western, anti-Trump, alliance?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: Josie Ensor US Correspondent, The Times. Host: Luke Jones.Producers: Edith Rousselot and Olivia Case.Further reading: Mark Carney’s in-tray as PM: from tariffs to Canadian sovereigntyClips: CTV News, C-Span, CNN, BBC, ABC News, Guardian News, AP News, CPAC, Global News.Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

On the frontline of Mexico’s drug wars, rival cartels are exploiting a decades-old dispute about indigenous land rights and turning local people against each other - with fatal consequences. To appease Trump, the government has downplayed the violence in the south to focus on the US border, but if the cartels continue undeterred, could the US launch a military operation? 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: Louise Callaghan, US Correspondent, The Sunday Times. Host: Manveen RanaProducer: Sam ChantarasakFurther reading: Watch: inside the town torn apart by Mexico’s cartel violenceFurther listening: At the border crossing where Trump’s migrant ban is working  Clips: Al Jazeera, Firstpost, Imagen Noticias. Photo: Natalia Meneses Alís for The Sunday TimesGet in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

The word "unprecedented" is often used to describe Donald Trump's presidency. He's broken with convention repeatedly: from announcing tariffs on allies, to the suggestion that he wants to buy Greenland. But are these moves really without precedent? Or do Trump's politics echo that of 19th century US presidents, but with a more alarming twist?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: Nick BryantHost: Manveen Rana.Producer: Emily Webb.Clips: ABC News, CNBC, Niki Ashton Youtube, CBS News, New York Times, FOX, MSNBC, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute, NBC, Washington Post, BBC.Photo: Getty Images.

This episode was originally published last August.The government says it wants to make the UK a global hub for crypto firms. But with the NHS warning it’s being left to ‘pick up the pieces’ as people get addicted to crypto gambling, are Labour’s plans wise? Our reporter visits one of the first clinics in the world, near Edinburgh, that is treating people who have cryptocurrency problems.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryIf you’ve got any concerns about gambling, you can contact the national problem gambling charity GamCare's helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit www.gamcare.org.uk for confidential support, advice and free counselling.Guest: Lily Russell-Jones, Senior Money Reporter, The Times and The Sunday Times.Host: Luke Jones.Producer: Olivia Case.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

Hinge CEO, Justin McLeod, joins the podcast to discuss how online dating Apps have changed dating (for good or bad) and how AI may change it even more. While Danny argues that being direct might just be better than tech!

In 1977, David Holden, chief correspondent of the Sunday Times, was sent to Cairo to report on crucial peace talks between Egypt and Israel. A day later his body was found with a single gunshot wound in the back. The paper's editor sent a team of reporters to the region to investigate, but who killed Holden and why are questions that were never answered. The mystery remained unsolved for decades. In part 2 a young reporter picks up the trail - can he succeed when all other leads have gone cold?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:Peter Gillman, former Sunday Times reporter and co-author of Murder in Cairo.Emanuele Midolo, reporter, The Times and Sunday Times and co-author of Murder in Cairo.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Edward Drummond.Further reading: The Cold War murder of our star reporter — solved after 48 yearsPhoto: Stanley Devon for Times Newspapers Ltd.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com