The Story

Some of the hostages who were held with John Cantlie describe what life was like inside their prison cell, under the watch of brutal Isis guards. Their captors had a special role in mind for John… but why did Isis pick him?

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: Acceleration TV, Bikes Aloud, Enduro Africa.

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

The heads of MI5 and the FBI recently warned about the growing threat from China’s efforts to spy on the world as it attempts to stay ahead of rivals in technology, industry, politics and power. But has Britain been slow to grasp the scale of the issue?

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: Ian Williams, author, 'The Fire of the Dragon: China’s New Cold War' and contributor to The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: BBC News, Sky News, France24, IB Times, Sky News Australia, VOA.

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.

Inflation has hit a new 40-year high – just living life is expensive at the moment, and it’s getting worse. But to fight rising prices, politicians will first have to understand what’s causing them. The war in Ukraine and the pandemic are two factors, but is that the full picture?

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: Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Clips: BBC, LBC, PBS Newshour, ITV, Channel 4 News, C-SPAN, Reuters, Sky News, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Bank of England, GB News, Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, CNBC.

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 Met Office has issued a red extreme heat warning for the first time ever, as temperatures could hit a record-breaking 43C today. With train delays, school disruption, and the NHS declaring critical incidents already, is our infrastructure ready for a life at 35C… and hotter?

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: Ben Spencer, Science Editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: BBC News, Sky News, 5 News, Global News, Times Radio, ITV News, Evening Standard, BBC Radio 4 The World at One, WION, CNN, RTVE, TF1 Info, Channel 4, National Parks Singapore.

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 east coast of Australia has been pummelled with disastrous flooding for the fourth time in less than 18 months. It's the first test for prime minister Anthony Albanese, who swept to power on a climate change platform. But can the tide turn with better climate policy, or is coastal Australia becoming uninhabitable?

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: Bernard Lagan, Australia Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Jenny Kleeman.

Clips: ABC, ABC Australia, AP, A Current Affair, The Guardian, 7News Australia, Storyful, SBS, Reuters.

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.

For Anthony Loyd this story is personal. Anthony reveals that he himself was captured while reporting on the Syrian conflict. What is it like to be a journalist covering war? And what does his experience tell us about John Cantlie's kidnap?

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: BBC and CNN.

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

Just six candidates are left in the race to be the next Conservative Party leader and prime minister. They're now battling to make it to the final two. But the eventual winner will be chosen not by MPs or by the public, but by the party’s members. So what are the dividing lines? And just who are the people with the future of the country in their hands?

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:

- Tim Bale, Professor of Politics, Queen Mary University of London.

- Daniel Finkelstein, Times columnist and Conservative member of the House of Lords.

Host: David Aaronovitch.

Clips: Sky News, BBC News, Channel 4 News, LBC.

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 a country where violent crime is almost non-existent, it came as an unspeakable shock when Japan's longest-serving former Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, was gunned down last Friday at a small political rally. How did this happen? And who was Shinzo Abe?

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: Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: CNBC, BBC, Sky News, CBS, Channel 4, Wall Street Journal, backin2020 (YouTube channel), Valecious, Financial Times.

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.

For a small number of families, the difficulties caused to children by early trauma can lead to extreme challenges and the adoption breaks down. So what happens next? And how can new parents get the help they need?

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:

• Megan Agnew, news features writer, The Sunday Times
• Hannah and Chris, adoptive parents

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: UK Parliament, Channel 4 News, BBC Woman’s Hour

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 Marcos name became infamous around the world when the Filipino dictator and his flamboyant family were forced out of office in the 1980s. So when the Philippines inaugurated Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr as its new president last month, it raised more than a few eyebrows…

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:

- Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor, The Times.

- Richard Heydarian, Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: CSPAN, AP, UNTV, Hawaii News Now, ABC News Nightline, Manilla Bulletin Online.

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.