Stories of our times

By The Times

News & Politics

What's Stories of our times about?

Coming soon - the best journalism from Britain’s most trusted newspaper, now as a podcast. Taking you to the heart of the story, with exclusive access and gripping reporting. A daily show, published first thing for the start of your working day. Stories of our times is hosted by Manveen Rana and David Aaronovitch.

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LAST EPISODE

Cash for access: The prince...

09.27.2021

Clarence House is caught up in a scandal involving a Russian banker, a group of royal fixers and a £500,000 donation that went missing. The Sunday Times has been investigating the practice of paid intermediaries taking money from wealthy donors ...

Stories of our times episodes:

09.27.2021 Cash for access: The prince and the oligarch Clarence House is caught up in a scandal involving a Russian banker, a group of royal fixers and a £500,000 donation that went missing. The Sunday Times has been investigating the practice of paid intermediaries taking money from wealthy donors ...
09.24.2021 Seventeen years: The Andrew Malkinson story (Pt 1) - Life turned upside down In 2004 Andrew Malkinson was sentenced to life in jail after a 33-year-old mother of two was raped and left for dead on a Greater Manchester roadside. But he’s always maintained his innocence. In the first part of this new ...
09.23.2021 AUKUS: What lies beneath the new submarine pact? Until last week, it was one of the government's most closely guarded secrets. Only about ten people in Britain had been privy to the details. And then – out of the blue – the UK, the US and Australia unveiled ...
09.22.2021 Priti Patel: Turning the tide on the migrant crisis? In her two years as Home Secretary, Priti Patel has cultivated an image as a hardliner on immigration. Despite all her tough talk, the extent to which she's achieved anything concrete is debatable, and this summer has seen record numbers ...
09.21.2021 Coming soon - Seventeen years: The Andrew Malkinson story Award-winning journalist Emily Dugan from The Sunday Times investigates a potential miscarriage of justice, which could have cost a man nearly two decades of his life wrongfully behind bars. The new six-part investigative series begins this Friday 24th September here ...
09.21.2021 Trouble for Auntie: Testing times at the BBC It's been an intense year for the BBC: budget cuts, a series of staff departures and redundancies, accusations of bias… and now, it has a hawkish new culture secretary to contend with. Plus, just around the corner, a new deal ...
09.20.2021 Unregistered: The schools unaccountable for child abuse Violence and neglect are rife in unregistered schools across the UK. We explore how a legal loophole allows these establishments to operate under the radar, ignoring basic educational and safeguarding standards. With inspectors powerless to intervene, the abuse continues. This ...
09.17.2021 Thinking Straight (Pt 7): The ban Attempts at conversion therapy are taking place across the country: in village churches, Harley Street clinics and counsellors' treatment rooms. In this final episode of a seven-part series, reporter Emily Sargent turns her attention to Westminster. What's happened in the ...
09.16.2021 Justin Trudeau: The rise and (possible) fall of Canada's PM Last month Canada's prime minister Justin Trudeau called a snap election, hoping to capitalise on support for his pandemic response. With the election just days away, and polls showing a neck and neck race, could the move become one of ...
09.15.2021 The history of abortion in America A new law restricting abortions in the state of Texas could spell the end of the 1973 Supreme Court ruling which guaranteed access to abortion for women in America. Today: the legal history of abortion in the US, and the ...
09.14.2021 San Francisco and the American nightmare Since the internet boom in the mid-90s, San Francisco has become a tech superpower, overtaking Silicon Valley. The city has more billionaires per square mile than anywhere in the US, but it also has more homeless people. Danny Fortson meets ...
09.13.2021 Back to life? What Covid has in store this autumn As people return to work and school, and Covid numbers continue to rise, just how normal might this autumn be? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe ...
09.10.2021 Thinking Straight (Pt 6): Conversion and transitioning Attempts at conversion therapy are taking place across the country: in village churches, Harley Street clinics and counsellors' treatment rooms. Research suggests that trans people are twice as likely to have been offered some form of conversion therapy than any ...
09.09.2021 COP26: The road to Glasgow Next month world leaders will come together in Glasgow for COP26, the annual UN climate change conference, where the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. The summit will be just the culmination of a long process; much of ...
09.08.2021 Life after “Mutti”: How Angela Merkel shaped Germany and the world After 16 years as Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel is exiting the international stage. What did the world's most powerful woman stand for, and what will her legacy be? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers ...
09.07.2021 The lie The Times nearly killed (Pt 2): Publication and reaction A hundred years ago last month, The Times published a series of articles proving the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a conspiracy theory that Jews were looking to control world governments, were a forgery. In part two, David Aaronovitch ...
09.06.2021 The lie The Times nearly killed (Pt 1): The Protocols of the Elders of Zion A hundred years ago last month, The Times published a series of articles proving the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a conspiracy theory that Jews were looking to control world governments, were a forgery. David Aaronovitch traces the story ...
09.03.2021 Thinking Straight (Pt 5): Faith and queerness Attempts at conversion therapy are taking place across the country: in village churches, Harley Street clinics and counsellors' treatment rooms. In this fifth episode of a seven-part series, reporter Emily Sargent explores the way faith intersects with the movement to ...
09.02.2021 Who Killed CJ Davis? (Bonus) - "Meet Corey Senior" In this episode John tracks down CJ's father and talks to him about his absence from the 14-year-old's life. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today ...
09.01.2021 Who Killed CJ Davis? (Pt 5) - "How do we solve this?" On the third anniversary of CJ Davis' death John speaks to the lead investigator in the 14-year-old's murder and reviews the evidence considered in the case. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The ...
08.31.2021 Who Killed CJ Davis? (Pt 4) - "The murder scene and the wall of silence" In the latest instalment of the series, we hear from a witness who tried to save 14-year-old CJ Davis after he was shot in a suspected gang killing in east London in 2017. This podcast was brought to you thanks ...
08.30.2021 Who Killed CJ Davis? (Pt 3) - "The gangs of Newham" In today's episode we examine the gang culture of east London to look for clues as to what happened to the schoolboy, who was apparently caught up in this murky world. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the ...
08.29.2021 Who Killed CJ Davis? (Pt 2) - "Descent into crime" CJ Davis was shot dead and killed in east London in 2017. He was 14 years old. In this episode John explores how he was forced to leave mainstream education and attend a pupil referral unit, precipitating a fall into ...
08.28.2021 Who Killed CJ Davis? (Pt 1) - "Meet Corey Junior" In the first of an award winning series on Stories of our times, the Times' crime correspondent John Simpson attempts to work out who killed a 14-year-old boy in broad daylight back in September 2017 in Newham, east London. CJ ...
08.27.2021 Thinking Straight (Pt 4): Undercover again Attempts at conversion therapy are taking place across the country: in village churches, Harley Street clinics and counsellors' treatment rooms. In this fourth episode of a seven-part series, reporter Emily Sargent goes undercover again, to explore the extremely secretive practice. ...
08.26.2021 Who are the 'new' Taliban? The window for rescuing Afghans is rapidly closing, and for many, that will mean adjusting to life under the 'new' Taliban. Diplomatic correspondent Catherine Philp first met the Taliban 20 years ago. Today: the differences between the Taliban's claims that ...
08.25.2021 The People's Mujahidin: Inside a secretive Iranian resistance camp It is not marked on maps. Men with automatic weapons guard its border. Few outsiders have ever visited the heavily guarded enclave in rural Albania that is home to the People’s Mujahidin, or MEK. For its supporters, MEK is the ...
08.24.2021 An American fable: The rise and fall of Andrew Cuomo The Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, has left office, resigning after a barrage of sexual harassment allegations. How did he go from potential president to political pariah? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers ...
08.23.2021 The deal that set the stage for a Taliban victory Every Monday this August, we're looking back at some of the stories from the past year that have stuck with us. With the Taliban now in control of Afghanistan, we return to the agreement between the US and the Taliban ...
08.20.2021 Thinking Straight (Pt 3): Surviving Attempts at conversion therapy are taking place across the country: in village churches, Harley Street clinics and counsellors’ treatment rooms. In this third episode of a seven-part series, reporter Emily Sargent speaks to survivors and campaigners about the extremely secretive ...
08.19.2021 Drunk nation: Why do British people drink so much? We drank our way through lockdown and now we’re back on the razz – doing what we’ve done to let our hair down since ancient times. But why is booze such an intrinsic part of British life? This podcast was ...
08.18.2021 China, the WHO and the power grab that fuelled a pandemic Did the World Health Organisation miss its chance to stop Covid-19? More than a year and a half into the pandemic, we're no closer to a definitive answer on the origins of the virus. In this episode, The Sunday Times ...
08.17.2021 'The Taliban will kill me': The interpreter trying to flee Kabul As the Taliban takes power in Afghanistan, we follow one former interpreter for American and British troops who is trying to escape the country – and speak to the retired major general trying to help his friend to safety. This ...
08.16.2021 The struggle for the soul of Hong Kong Each Monday this August, we're looking back at some of the stories from the past year that stuck with us. In June 2020, with the world's attention on the pandemic, Hong Kong’s freedoms were under threat as the Chinese government ...
08.13.2021 Thinking Straight (Pt 2): Undercover Attempts at conversion therapy are taking place across the country: in village churches, Harley Street clinics and counsellors' treatment rooms. In this second episode of a seven-part series, reporter Emily Sargent goes undercover to explore the extremely secretive practice. This ...
08.12.2021 A brief history of the climate crisis How did we arrive at such a sophisticated understanding of climate change, and yet still end up on the edge of disaster? Today: how 165 years of science and politics led to the United Nations declaring 'code red for humanity' ...
08.11.2021 The law change that will treat journalists as spies You might think the UK would be a safe place for journalists, but investigative reporters in this country can face threats, lawsuits and intimidation. And now, the Home Office is proposing changes to the Official Secrets Act that would make ...
08.10.2021 Life after a terror attack: How sport can help On Wednesday 22 March 2017, police officer Kris Aves sustained life changing injuries in the Westminster Bridge terror attack. Today, he tells us how, despite no longer being able to walk, he's found renewed hope in his life through golf, ...
08.09.2021 Fighting for democracy against Europe's last dictator Each Monday this August, we're revisiting some of the stories from the past year that have stuck with us. One year ago today, Alexander Lukashenko claimed to win a sixth term as president of Belarus in an election that was ...
08.06.2021 Thinking Straight (Pt 1): Conversion Attempts at conversion therapy are taking place across the country: in village churches, Harley Street clinics and counsellors' treatment rooms. In this first episode of a seven-part series, reporter Emily Sargent goes undercover to explore the extremely secretive practice. This ...
08.05.2021 The legacy of Penrhyn Castle (Pt 3) How has slavery shaped modern Britain? Today, the conclusion of our look beyond the grand interiors of Penrhyn Castle in North Wales, where we discover the dark history its foundations were built on. - Dr April-Louise Pennant, academic. - Gil ...
08.04.2021 The legacy of Penrhyn Castle (Pt 2) How has slavery shaped modern Britain? Today, part two of our look beyond the grand interiors of Penrhyn Castle in northwest Wales, where we discover the dark history its foundations were built on. This podcast was brought to you thanks ...
08.03.2021 The legacy of Penrhyn Castle (Pt 1) How has slavery shaped British history? On today's Stories of our times podcast, we look behind the grandeur and fine interiors of Penrhyn Castle, in north west Wales, to discover the dark history its foundations were built on. You may ...
08.02.2021 Coming soon: Thinking Straight Attempts at conversion therapy are taking place across the country, in village churches, Harley street clinics and counsellors treatment rooms. Reporter Emily Sargent goes undercover to expose a once secretive practice: this is Thinking Straight. Listen to Stories of our ...
08.02.2021 Seafarers abandoned in the Gulf What does it feel like to be abandoned out at sea? We go on board an oil tanker to tell the extraordinary story of those stranded on the MT Iba. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support ...
07.30.2021 The pingdemic: The great British unlocking experiment The so-called 'pingdemic' paralysed businesses, public services, and even the cabinet. But it was an inevitable side effect of lifting restrictions and letting the virus spread. As the world watches, will the decision to lift restrictions help or hinder business? ...
07.29.2021 GB News, free speech and a very polarised nation Last month, amid much fanfare, GB News was born. It billed itself as a place where people could say the unsayable. But just weeks after its launch, GB News had taken one of its own presenters off air for taking ...
07.28.2021 The aftermath of the German floods When parts of Belgium, the Netherlands and western Germany were hit by flooding earlier this month, it left a trail of devastation and over a hundred dead. As the flood waters subsided and locals dealt with the clean up operation, ...
07.27.2021 Leaving Afghanistan (Pt 2): Handing victory to the Taliban Veteran Times war correspondent Anthony Loyd hits the road with Afghan security forces… and meets the Taliban. The second of two episodes this week looking back at 20 years of war in Afghanistan, and forward to the country’s uncertain future. ...
07.26.2021 Leaving Afghanistan (Pt 1): Our correspondent's diaries from the 20-year war After 20 years of war, is the difficult truth that Nato has lost to the Taliban? The first of two episodes this week with Times war correspondent Anthony Loyd, as he looks back at Afghanistan's past – and forward to ...

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