The trial of Sean Combs - the hip-hop producer and rapper otherwise known as P Diddy, Puff Daddy, Love, and a plethora of other aliases - will begin next week, with the jury selected on Monday. As he pleads not guilty to racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, how did he get to this point? And how did he build his celebrity empire?

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: Megan Agnew, Senior Features Writer at The Times and Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Rosie Stopher.

Further reading: The downfall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs — by those who knew him

Further listening: The P Diddy lawsuits: The downfall of a rap legend

Clips: NBC, CBS, PBS, BBC, Fox News, MTV, Off the Cuff Radio.

Photo: Getty images.

Get in touch: [email protected].

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Nigel Farage is throwing the kitchen sink at Labour and he’s not being subtle about it. As Reform UK ramps up its local election efforts, Farage is fielding candidates in councils up and down the country. But the real showdown is in Runcorn and Helsby, where Reform is plotting a high-profile coup in the upcoming by-election. What’s at stake in Runcorn, and why should Keir Starmer be worried?

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: Geraldine Scott, The Times’ Senior Political Correspondent.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Taryn Siegel and Edith Rousselot. 

Further reading: Labour and Reform in fierce battle for Runcorn & Helsby seat

Clips: Sky News, Reform UK Youtube, Nigel Farage Youtube and Facebook, Channel 4, Green Party TikTok, Liberal Democrats Youtube.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: [email protected] 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An American Biosciences company claims to have ‘de-extincted’ prehistoric dire wolves. Next they plan to bring back the woolly mammoth and the dodo. But even if they could, should they?

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, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Shabnam Grewal.

Further reading:

• Why are scientists bringing back woolly mammoths from extinction?
• Long-extinct dire wolf to howl again thanks to ancient DNA

Further listening: The cost of being ugly 

Clips: Colossal Biosciences, Game of Thrones/HBO.

Photo: Colossal Biosciences.

Get in touch: [email protected]     

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Harvard has sued the Trump administration over multibillion-dollar funding cuts in the biggest escalation yet in the battle between the government and higher education. What does the showdown mean for the ideological freedom of American institutions and has Trump taken on a fight he can’t win? 

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 and Editor-at-Large, The Wall Street Journal. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Sam Chantarasak.

Clips: Bloomberg, NBC News, NDTV, C-SPAN, Getty/Grinberg, Paramount, Pathe Newsreels. 

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: [email protected] 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published last December.

Australia is the first country to block under-16s from social media -- and age-verification AI could be a crucial tool in the ban. We spoke to our journalist who has been to the industry-leader’s HQ to find out if the technology actually works. And if it does, could the UK follow suit? 

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:

• Mark Sellman, Technology Correspondent, The Times.
• Helen Rumbelow, Feature Writer, The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Sam Chantarasak.

Further reading: Can AI tell if a teen lies about their age?

Clips: ABC News, 10 News First Australia, BBC Radio 4. 

Photo: Getty Images

Get in touch: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Lucy and Holly ask why a new generation of investors is turning to one of the world’s oldest assets: gold. Joined by Brian Byrnes from Moneybox, together they unpack gold’s historical role in the economy, its incredible performance, and how it compares to trendier assets like Bitcoin and tech stocks. Is gold still relevant in a digital-first world? Why are younger investors increasingly drawn to it? And does it have any downsides? Plus, we hear from young financial coach Laura Ann Moore, on how it fits into our own long-term investment plan.

Guests: Brian Byrnes, Head of Personal Finance at Moneybox

Contact: Lucy and Holly at: [email protected]

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The Beatles will be the subject of four interconnected films - one for each member - planned for release close together in April 2028. We asked the author of a recent book on The Beatles to tell us how he’d make the films - and what is still left to discover about the most famous band in history. 

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: Ian Leslie, author of John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs. 

To order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Sam Chantarasak.

Read exclusive extracts from Ian’s book: 

• John Lennon, Paul McCartney and the grief that united two lost teens 
• Paul McCartney and the song that made him John Lennon’s equal 

Clips: Sky News, ITN/Getty Images, BBC News/WISH-TV, C-SPAN. 

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the practical implications for trans women after the Supreme Court ruled that under equality law, sex means biological sex? And how is the Labour government grappling with the ruling? Last week we heard from one of the campaigners for single sex spaces. Today we speak to someone who was stunned by the court's decision.

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:

• Helen Belcher, Managing Director, TransActual.
• Aubrey Allegretti, Chief Political Correspondent,The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: 

• Rosie Stopher.
• Shabnam Grewal.

Further reading: What caused Keir Starmer’s U-turn on whether trans women are women?

Further listening: Defining a woman

Clips: UK Parliament, Times Radio.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: [email protected]     

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Times’ crime correspondent David Woode sits down with a 19-year-old man who was recently imprisoned for carrying a knife. We get a rare insight into what some

young people are really facing in London, and why he felt he had to arm himself with a deadly weapon.

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

If you've been affected by issues in this podcast, you can find useful links and helplines here: https://talk.tv/helplines 

Thanks to Marcus, Desmond Skyers and the St Giles Trust. 

Host: David Woode, Crime Correspondent, The Times. 

Producer: Sam Chantarasak.

Further reading: The Times Crime and Justice Commission 

Further listening: What’s behind the rise in knife crime on our streets 

Photo: Times photographer Richard Pohle. 

Get in touch: [email protected]     

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, cardinals from across the world will now descend on Vatican City in Rome to choose the next Pope. The Oscar-nominated film Conclave dramatised the political machinations and backstabbing involved in choosing a successor - so, with incriminating dossiers and secret plots, is fact about to mirror fiction?

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 Kington, correspondent in Rome for The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Sam Chantarasak.

Further reading: Pope Francis's legacy: Loved by millions, hated by the old guard

Clips: ABC News, Euronews, CBS News, CNN, Conclave/Focus Features. 

Photo: Getty.

Get in touch: [email protected] 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.