How do hackers take down a high street staple? What started as a contactless payment outage at Marks and Spencer, quickly became the retail fortnight from hell, as cyber attacks have brought brands to a crashing halt in online trading over the last two weeks. So who is behind it, and what are their methods? And more importantly, how do you guard yourself in an evermore online world?

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: Mark Sellman, Technology Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Rosie Stopher.

Further reading: Who are Scattered Spider hackers linked to the M&S cyberattack?

M&S and Co-op cyberattackers ‘tricked IT into resetting passwords’

M&S staff share war stories of ‘toughest’ week after cyberattack

Clips: Sky News, BBC, ITV

Photo: The Times

Get in touch: [email protected]  

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

Eight years before the Grenfell tragedy, a fire in a high-rise building killed six people. Now a Sunday Times investigation has raised serious questions about the cladding used on those flats and thousands of others in the UK. So is this Britain's biggest corporate scandal?

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: Martina Lees, Senior Property Writer, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers:

• Taryn Siegel
• Olivia Case.

Further reading: A high-rise fire killed Catherine. The cladding firm kept on selling.

Photo: Steve Bell / Shutterstock.

Get in touch: [email protected]

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

You could say one of the few good things to come out of the pandemic was the chance to work from home, avoid the daily commute, and get a better work-life balance. But, for some hardy souls, being out of the office and away from the boss’s scrutiny is a chance to get a second job, or even a third... or forth. But how are they doing it, and is it even legal?

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: Ben Ellery, Crime Editor, The Times. 

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Shabnam Grewal. 

Further reading: The rise of ‘polygamous workers’ — and efforts to catch them out

Clips:tiktok.com/@rroomfies; tiktok.com/@martabassof; tiktok.com/@soambitiousdomm; tiktok.com/@salarytransparentstreet; instagram.com/thejamescooperjr/

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: [email protected]     

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

This episode was originally published last January.

For almost two years, two armies have fought a brutal civil war in Sudan, Africa’s third largest country. Over 150,000 have died, 11 million have been displaced and evidence of genocidal war crimes have emerged. So why has the war in Sudan been forgotten? The Times’ Special Correspondent Anthony Loyd has recently returned from a reporting trip on the frontline and tells The Story about the people he met. 

This episode includes descriptions of war and rape. 

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: Anthony Loyd, Special Correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producer: Edward Drummond.

Clips: BBC. 

Photo: Anthony Loyd/The Times. 

Watch Anthony’s video from Sudan

Further reading: Inside Sudan’s forgotten war: 150,000 dead, 11 million displaced

Get in touch: [email protected]

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

Finally, the crypto episode is here. And after a lowdown on the vibe shift towards the industry in Washington, Katie is joined by Binance's new CEO, Richard Teng, who is tasked with making the case for the company that was beset by scandal under previous CEO and founder, Changpeng Zhao “CZ”.

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

Virginia Giuffre died by suicide last week, aged 41. Jeffrey Epstein’s key accuser was instrumental in putting Ghislaine Maxwell behind bars and had also accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault. He’s always denied the claims and settled the case for a rumoured £12 million. So was justice done for Giuffre and the other survivors? And how did a woman from the right side of the tracks end up being trafficked around the world?

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 anything you've heard in this episode, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or the Rape Crisis rape and sexual abuse support line on 0808 500 2222.

Guest: Helen Rumbelow, Feature Writer and Columnist, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: 

• Olivia Case
• Hannah Varrall.

Further reading:

• Virginia Giuffre’s battle to escape the past
• Virginia Giuffre obituary

Clips: BBC, Miami Herald, NBC, 60 Minutes Australia.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: [email protected]

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

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].

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

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]     

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

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.