The Story

This episode contains discussions of violence and suicide.

It's 20 years since the murder of 10-year-old schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman horrified the nation. Times crime writer Sean O'Neill, who as a young reporter covered the story, talks to the detective who brought the killer to justice and reflects on the profound impact the case had on all those involved in it – including himself.

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

Guest: Sean O’Neill, Senior Writer, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Clips: BBC News, CNN.

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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Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss have got just five weeks left in the Conservative leadership contest. But with ballot papers already going out to party members, how much do we really know about the UK’s next prime minister? 

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

Guest: Charlotte Ivers, Times Radio political correspondent and Sunday Times columnist. 

Host: Jenny Kleeman.

Clips: Sky News, Guardian, AP, BBC News, The Mirror, GB News, UK Parliament, BBC Political Thinking with Nick Robinson. 

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.

Is levelling up over? Boris Johnson's big promise – to fix the country's regional inequalities – might have ended with his government. We visit Wolverhampton, aka levelling up HQ, to see what the programme has done so far – and what is at risk of being lost.

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

Guests:

- Steve Chatha, Wolverhampton resident.

- Jane Stevenson, Conservative MP for Wolverhampton North East.

- Mark Andrews, Senior Feature Writer for the Express & Star.

Host: Sathnam Sanghera, columnist and feature writer, The Times.

Clips: Euro News, BBC News, 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.

In January, Sunday Times correspondent Louise Callaghan met 26-year-old dolphin trainer Vladyslav Litnievskyi while reporting in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. She wondered what would happen to him and his animals if Russia invaded. Last month, Callaghan returned to the dolphinarium not sure what to expect.

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

Guest: Louise Callaghan, Foreign Correspondent for The Sunday Times. 

Host: Jenny Kleeman. 

Clips: BBC, 7News Australia. 

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.

Last weekend, Stories of our times won the award for interview of the year at the British Podcast Awards. The judges said: "This standout interview was a well-executed and compelling listen, which didn't shy away from challenging its subject."

So today we're listening back to that interview with the then Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter, about the changing face of war and Britain's place in the world.

This episode was first published on 23 March 2021.

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

Guest: General Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff, 2018-2021. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Clips: British Podcast Awards, BBC, AP, ITV, 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.

As one by one the British and American hostages are killed by their captors, John Cantlie emerges in a series of Islamic State propaganda films, ‘Lend Me Your Ears’. His new role keeps him alive. It also attracts questions. Is the hostage becoming a willing messenger?

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

Hosts: Manveen Rana and Anthony Loyd, War Correspondent, The Times.

Clips: CNN, CBS, EWTN, USA Today, NBC, ABC, EuroNews, eNCA.

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

In eight slick, highly produced sessions that played out like a Netflix series, the House Select Committee for investigating the Capitol riots of January 6th, 2021, made a compelling case against former president Donald Trump. But beyond good ratings, what impact did they actually have, particularly on their main target?

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

Guest: Hugh Tomlinson, Washington Reporter, The Times.

Host: David Aaronovitch.

Clips: Denver 7, PBS NewsHour, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CBC News, ABC News, WDIV Local 4, Yahoo! Finance, Democracy Now!, The Hill, CNN, The Lincoln Project

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.

Ten years ago today, 900 million people watched London’s Olympic opening ceremony, marking the start of a games which, it was hoped, would help regenerate a corner of East London. Looking at the site now, how have those hopes held up?

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

Guests:

- Jonathan Morrison, architecture correspondent, The Times.

- Mike Brooke, senior reporter, Archant press.

Host: Edward Drummond.

Clips: BBC, CNN.

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.

As the Ukraine war progressed, journalists, activists and critics were forced to flee the country. But as Putin’s grip on the media tightened, what was it like for the people who were left? And when does it become too dangerous to stay? 

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

Guest: Marc Bennetts, foreign correspondent, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: The Guardian, Deutsche Welle, BBC Newsnight, France 24, CBS News, Sky News, The Telegraph, BBC News, NBC News, Times Radio, PBS Newshour, NEXTA.

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.

Tonight, the two contenders for prime minister take part in their first head-to-head TV debate. Meanwhile, unnoticed by the general public, one former diplomat has played a key role in the contest, as part of his mission to create a new ideological faction. The Frost story – and various sliding doors moments along the way – could explain how the Conservative Party got to this point, and where it’s heading…

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

Guest: Oliver Wright, Policy Editor, The Times.

Host: David Aaronovitch.

Clips: BBC News, Sky News, TalkTV, Times Radio, GB News, Policy Exchange, Food and Drink Federation, Centre for Policy Studies, BBC Radio 4, Unherd.

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.