The Story

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 widely regarded as rigged. But after 26 years of Lukashenko's presidency, many in Belarus had had enough. After the election, the country saw the biggest protests in its history, which were met with mass arrests and repression. We followed four young Belarusians caught up in history.

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: 

- Aliaksandra Yushkevich, student.

- Kseniya Tarasevich, journalist.

- Evgeniy Ganchits, project manager.

- Tanya Alipchikova, PR manager.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: BBC News, Sky News, DW News, France 24, BBC Radio 4, Euronews, Belsat TV, Nexta, WION.

Additional music: Peremen! by the band Kino.

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.

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 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.

If you, or someone you know, has been affected by the issues raised in this episode, the following organisations can help:

Switchboard provides an information, support and referral service for anyone who needs to consider issues around their sexuality.

Phone: 0300 330 0630 (10am-10pm).

Samaritans is available for anyone struggling to cope and provide a safe place to talk 24 hours a day.

Phone: 116 123

Guests: 

- Jayne Ozanne, director and founder, Ozanne Foundation; chair, Ban Conversion Therapy Coalition.

- Dr Qazi Rahman, senior lecturer, King's College London.

- Michael King, Emeritus Professor, University College London.

Host: Emily Sargent, journalist.

Clips: ITV News, Instagram: @xoutloudeuropeofficial, X-OUT-LOUD Europe, Core Issues Trust, BFI, 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.

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 Pennant, Happiness consultant & mediator.

- Dr Marian Gwyn, heritage consultant specialising in colonial history.

- Eleanor Harding, assistant curator for Wales at the National Trust.

- Rhian Cahill, visitor operations and experience manager for the National Trust at Penrhyn Castle.

- Meleri Davies, community developer in Bethesda.

Host: Brenna Daldorph.

Clips from: 'Wales and Slavery: The Untold Story', BBC Two Wales.

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

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 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:

- Dr April-Louise Pennant, academic.

- Dr Marian Gwyn, heritage consultant specialising in colonial history.

- Elen Simpson, lead archivist at Bangor University.

Host: Brenna Daldorph.

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

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 also be interested in this article from The Sunday Times: "Meet the sleuths researching their slave-trading ancestors".

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:

-April-Louise Pennant, Academic.

-Marian Gwyn, Welsh historian.

Host: Brenna Daldorph & David Aaronovitch.

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

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 times Friday 6 August to hear the first episode of this seven-part series.

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

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 of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guest: Louise Callaghan, Middle East correspondent for The Sunday Times.

Host: David Aaronovitch.

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 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? 

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:

- Helen Heraty, owner of the Grays Court Hotel in York.

- Sabah Meddings, senior business reporter, The Sunday Times.

- Ben Spencer, science editor, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

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

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 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 the knee in solidarity with England’s black football players.

In his only interview about the incident, Guto Harri takes us behind the scenes at GB News. What was it like to be cancelled by the anti "cancel culture" channel? And what does the fallout reveal about divisions in Britain today?

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:

-Guto Harri, broadcaster.

-Chris Curtis, editor-in-chief of Broadcast Magazine.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: GB 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.

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, a blame game erupted.

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 Moody, Berlin correspondent for The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: DW, BBC, Phoenix, WDR, ABC, Channel 4 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.