The Story

Thousands of resident doctors are going on strike today despite a flu outbreak which is already putting hospitals under pressure. The NHS says it’s facing a “worst-case scenario” in the run up to Christmas, so will the health service be able to cope?

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: 

• Eleanor Hayward, health editor, The Times.
• Joshua Bratt, photojournalist who had a severe bout of flu.

Host: Jane Mulkerrins.

Producer: Shabnam Grewal, Edward Drummond

Read more: 

• What the new superflu feels like: a drill inside my head
• Wes Streeting: NHS risks collapse from strikes threat and ‘superflu’

Clips: Times Radio, LBC, Sky News.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: [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.

Australia is still reeling after Sunday’s terror attack on a Chanukkah event at Bondi Beach. At least 15 people were killed, in addition to one of the gunmen. We hear from a crime reporter who was at the scene just minutes after the massacre unfolded and ask, could the government have done more to prevent the attack? 

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

Guests:

• Mark Morri, crime editor, Sydney Daily Telegraph.
• Bernard Lagan, Australia correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Taryn Siegel and Micaela Arneson. 

Read more: Leadership has been lacking in fight against antisemitism

Clips: Sky, News.com.au, ABC News Australia.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: [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.

19-year-old Edward Cornes was found dead in a hotel room, just two days after he arrived at university. A post-mortem found large amounts of GHB, commonly known as the ‘date-rape’ drug in his system. Cornes had spent his final few hours in the company of two men in their fifties, but police concluded his death was not suspicious. His mother has accused the police of running a botched and homophobic investigation. So what went wrong?

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

Guests: 

• Miriam Blythe, mother of Edward Cornes
• Fiona Hamilton, chief reporter, The Times

Host: Luke Jones.  

Producer: Shabnam Grewal.

Read more: Family fight for truth over son’s ‘date-rape’ drug death

Photo: Courtesy of Miriam Blythe.

Get in touch: [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.

Cyber-attacks on some of Britain's biggest companies like Marks & Spencer have cost hundreds of millions of pounds. For Jaguar Land Rover, experts estimate the cost to the company and the economy ran to billions. But most of us know almost nothing about what happens behind the scenes in the hours after a hack. Who do you call? In a bank robbery, a negotiator armed with a megaphone might turn up. But what if the loot is bitcoin, and the hostages, data? 

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: James Ball, freelance writer, the Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Dave Creasey.

Clips: ITV News, CNBC.

Read more: Your company has been hacked. The clock is ticking. Here’s who to call.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: [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.

Deep in rural Arkansas, far right YouTuber Eric Orwoll has founded 'Return to the Land', an all-white compound. Black people, gays and Jews are not allowed to live there. Sixty years after the end of segregation in America, is his community a remote collection of oddballs, or a sign of more extremism to come?

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

Host: George Grylls, Washington correspondent, The Times.  

Producer: Dave Creasey.

Read more: The sinister US village for white, straight Christians only

Clips: Piers Morgan Uncensored, PBS, Aarvoll.

Photo: Karen Pulfer for The Times Magazine

Get in touch: [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.

The British army’s new fleet of Ajax armoured vehicles was meant to be their new jewel in the crown: high tech machines for an army of the future. But after nearly a decade, and more than five billion pounds spent, the vehicles have been withdrawn after accusations they have caused life changing injuries to crews. Today, we hear from the ex-soldier who was once the head of testing these vehicles, speaking about his experience for the first time.

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

Guests: 

• Larisa Brown, defence editor, The Times.
• Rob Page, ex-British Army lieutenant colonel in charge of the armoured trials and development unit, 2019-2021.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Harry Stott.

Read more: Army could have avoided Ajax vehicle injuries, says whistleblower

Photo: Joshua Bratt for The Times

Get in touch: [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.

Warner Bros. Discovery - the revered studio behind Barbie and Casablanca - is up for sale. A bidding war has emerged between Netflix and Paramount. But could either acquisition change the film industry forever? And are these bids 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

Guests:

• Kevin Maher, chief film critic, The Times.
• Louisa Clarence-Smith, US business editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.  

Producers: Harry Stott, Olivia Case, Shabnam Grewal.

Read more: Why Trump is really getting involved with the Warner Bros saga

Further listening: Has Hollywood run out of ideas?

Clips:  Barbie / Great Gerwig / Warner Bros, The Dark Knight / Christopher Nolan / Warner Bros, Casablanca / Michael Curtiz / Warner Bros, Hamnet / Chloe Zhao / Universal Pictures, The Searchers / John Ford / Warner Bros, Dune / Denis Villeneuve / Warner Bros, Joker / Tod Phillips / Warner Bros, Beasts of No Nation / Cary Joji Fukunaga / Netflix, Warner bros intro / Max Steiner, House of Cards / Netflix, Sex Education / Netflix, WSJ, NBC.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: [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.

From today, under-16s in Australia will be banned from using social media platforms, a world-first. The ban has caused uproar among teenagers and a court case brought by two fifteen year olds is challenging the policy. Will the ban work? And could other countries follow suit? 

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

Guests: 

• Bernard Lagan, Australia correspondent, The Times. 
• Poppy, teenager in Australia.
• Jo Gaeney, parent and teacher in Australia.
• John Ruddick, Libertarian MP for New South Wales. 

Host: Manveen Rana.  

Producer: Micaela Arneson. 

Read more: Less than a third of Australian parents will enforce under-16s social media ban

Further listening: The AI that could block kids from social media

Clips: 10 News, AFP, 7 News, Sky News Australia. 

Photo: Adobe Stock.

Get in touch: [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.

From former officials jailed after taking bribes to push pro-Putin propaganda, through to local councillors being expelled for offensive tweets, and leader Nigel Farage being accused of high school racism, Reform UK is struggling to stay scandal free. Will the party be able to weather the storm? Or will the waves of allegations start to shift the polls? 

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: Aubrey Allegretti, chief political correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Shabnam Grewal, Harry Stott.

Read more: Nigel Farage referred to police over Clacton campaign expenses

Further listening: Is Reform ready for power?

Clips: BBC, Sky, GB News, LBC, ITV.

Photo: Getty Images.

Get in touch: [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.

When Nikolai’s assault unit was told to advance on a Ukrainian position, he decided he’d rather blow up his own arm than continue to fight. Nikolai and two other former Russian soldiers tell The Times about their harrowing experiences at war– and why they decided to flee. 

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: Jack Clover, assistant foreign news editor, The Times and The Sunday Times. 

Host: Luke Jones.  

Producer: Micaela Arneson. 

Read more: ‘I took a grenade blast to escape’: Russian deserters speak out 

Listen more: A new peace plan, and a critical moment for Zelensky

Get in touch: [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.