The Story

He's one of the most popular rappers in America: Young Thug is facing up to 120 years in prison for allegedly being the head of a violent criminal gang. State prosecutors in Georgia are using lyrics from his songs as 'proof' of acts they say he was involved in, including the murder of a rival. But with this line of courtroom argument, is artistic freedom of speech under threat? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Find out more about our Apple bonus series: 'Inside the Newsroom'

Guest: Keiran Southern, West Coast correspondent, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Clips: 11Alive, CNN.

Music excerpts:

Camilla Cabello ft Young Thug - Havana (Epic/Syco)

Young Thug - Stoner (Atlantic Records)

Young Thug - Anybody (YSL/300/Atlantic Records)

Young Thug - Slime Shit (300/Atlantic Records)

Young Thug - Just How It Is (YSL/300/Atlantic Records)

Lil Durk - Ahhh Ha (Alamo)

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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With no fewer than five separate Tory factions meeting to discuss whether or not to back the government on its revised Rwanda policy, Rishi Sunak finds himself fighting for his political reputation on two fronts: immigration and his handling of the pandemic.

Yesterday, he faced the Covid inquiry. Our parliamentary sketch writer, Tom Peck, tells Manveen that Sunak may have survived the legal cross-examination, but his political fate is sealed.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Find out how to listen to our bonus episodes - 'Inside the newsroom': https://thetimes.co.uk/bonuspodcasts

Guest: Tom Peck, parliamentary sketch writer for The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Email us: [email protected]

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

America’s opioid crisis is now in its third decade and has killed more people than the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Vietnam combined. Fentanyl, the most commonly used synthetic opioid, is up to 50 times stronger than heroin. Made from chemicals manufactured in China, it’s then put into pill form in Mexico and smuggled across the border. As China and the US agree to crack down on the illegal trade, is China deliberately fuelling its rival’s opioid crisis? 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Find out more about our Apple bonus series: 'Inside the Newsroom'

Guest: Roger Boyes, Diplomatic Editor, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Clips: Channel 4 News, PBS, Sky News, NBC News, AP, CBS News, CNBC, Arte, South China Morning Post, Fox News.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Over the past two days, Boris Johnson faced a grilling at the Covid Inquiry. His appearance came after weeks of testimony from senior officials, politicians and scientific advisers who hadn't held back in their assessment of his handling of the pandemic. So what did we learn about the crucial decisions made by the then Prime Minister?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guest: George Arbuthnott, Deputy Insight Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

Insight's original investigation:

• Insight investigation: why was the UK so slow to lockdown?
• Failures of State: How Britain made the same mistake twice (Pt 2)
• Failures of State: The inside story of Britain’s battle with coronavirus (Pt 1)

Read more: Failures of State: The Inside Story of Britain’s Battle with Coronavirus

Find out more about our Apple bonus series

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Net migration to the UK hit a record high in 2022 – 745,000 more people arrived in the country than emigrated. After 13 years of promising to cut immigration, the government introduced yet another plan this week to reduce numbers. We look at what it would mean for the economy.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guest: David Smith, Economics Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Email us: [email protected]

Clips: Sky News.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

The victory of Geert Wilders in Holland’s recent election has raised the spectre of a European Donald Trump. Now scrabbling to put together a coalition government, what does the return of an anti-Islamist, hard-right politician mean for The Netherlands, and for Europe more widely?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guest: Bruno Waterfield, Contributor for The Times in Brussels. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Clips: Reuters, France 24, AP, Al Jazeera, BBC.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

Iran has built an intricate network of gangs, private investigators and assassins to target enemies of the regime around the world. An investigation by The Sunday Times has found that Tehran has launched at least 17 plots, including abductions and murders, against UK targets since the start of last year. So, what is it like to be one of these targets?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Guest: Dipesh Gadher, Home Affairs Correspondent, The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones. 

Get in touch: [email protected]

Clips: Forbes, Parliament TV, 60 Minutes, Guardian News, Kayhan Life, Sky News, ABC News, BBC News.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

On Friday, the ceasefire between Israel and Gaza came to an end. But as hostilities resume, are war crimes being committed? We hear from a war lawyer.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Guest: Dr Jennifer Maddocks, Assistant Professor of Law at the United States Military Academy, West Point.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Clips: DW News, the Guardian, MEMRI, BBC, NBC, Bloomberg, CBS, Al Jazeera, MSNBC, Middle East Eye.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

A diplomatic row has broken out between Rishi Sunak and his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis over the Elgin Marbles. Today, we’re revisiting an episode from last December, when David Aaronovitch spoke to classicist and British Museum trustee Dame Mary Beard about how the Parthenon sculptures ended up in the UK 200 years ago.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Guests:

- Dame Mary Beard, classicist.

- David Sanderson, Arts Correspondent, The Times.

With thanks to The British Museum.

Host: David Aaronovitch.

Clips: Channel 4 News, Times Radio, Reuters, CBC News, BBC World Service, Al Jazeera, ITV Good Morning Britain, LBC, UK Parliament, LSE.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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

The former Ukip and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage is being paid £1.5 million to take part in ITV’s I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! and is on the trail of Gen Z fans. Could a reality TV career-boost propel him back into politics? And if it does, how might that change the British political landscape?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Guest: Caroline Wheeler, Political Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Jenny Kleeman. 

Clips: ITV, The Guardian, Fox News, GB News, Fortune & Freedom, Nigel Farage on TikTok, Channel 5, Nigel Farage on Cameo, Sky News, Times Radio.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.

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