The Story

Anthony Loyd and the legendary photographer Don McCullin have been to Syria to chronicle the destruction of Palmyra by Islamic State and to see what is changing under the new Syrian regime. Manveen sat down with them at Don’s house in Somerset to reflect on war, loss, friendship — and a remarkable career. 

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: 

• Anthony Loyd, Special Correspondent, The Times.
• Don McCullin, photographer.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Kizzy Bray and Edward Drummond.

Further reading: Don McCullin, 89, returns to Palmyra: ‘This time will be my last’

Clips: Reuters, NY Times.

Photo: Anthony Loyd/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.

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Giorgia Meloni has world leaders falling at her feet and the Trump administration in her thrall. But how did she reinvent herself from leader of a minor neo-fascist party to the new political queen of Europe?

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 Kington, The Times correspondent in Rome.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edith Rousselot.

Further reading: 

• Stop flirting with Giorgia Meloni! She’s a serious leader

Clips: AFP, Atlantic Council, AP News, EU Debates, PBS NewsHour, The Express Tribune.

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.

This episode was originally published last March.

Japanese ‘kidults’ revolutionised pop culture in the 90s and 00s, turning to their inner children to cope with economic crisis and post-industrial societal ills, despite being ridiculed. As the milestones of adulthood - property, marriage and careers - become increasingly difficult for millennials and Gen Z to achieve - are westerners now turning to ‘kidulting’ to find answers? 

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: Matt Alt, author of Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Sam Chantarasak.

Further listening: 

• Studio Ghibli: Is this the end for the Japanese studio that inspired Pixar?
• The South Korean culture machine that conquered the world

Clips: SEGA, Pokémon Theme/POKEMON, MSNBC, CNN, AJ+, Sony, PlayStation, CBS, SXSW, TikTok/@otakuintokyo, TikTok/@kaitlyneats, Your Name/dir. Makoto Shinkai/CoMix Wave Films/Toho.

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.

Ever been ghosted by a brand after a bad buy? You're not alone. In this episode of Feel Better About Money, we dive under the cushions of luxury sofas gone wrong, and hear about rejected refunds on financed cars, and overseas purchases gone bust.

The Times Consumer Champion Kat Denham joins Holly and Lucy to reveal how to fight back when companies say no, and what your rights really are. Plus, some big news from Lucy as she signs off from the show, off to a brand new job!

Guest: Katherine Denham, The Times Consumer Champion.

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.

Since being elected, Donald Trump’s personal fortune has more than doubled, and members of his family are doing well too. The White House says he’s given up a successful business career to serve the country, but critics say he’s cashing in on his position. How has the president made so much money? 

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: Alistair Dawber, Washington Correspondent, The Times and Sunday Times. 

Host: Luke Jones. 

Producer: Edward Drummond. 

Further reading:  How presidency saved Trump from ruin and made him a fortune

Clips: DAR Global, CNN, Fox News, USA Miracle Center, MSNBC, CNBC, PBS News, Ben Shapiro podcast, The White House, DonaldTrump.com.

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.

With Labour MPs increasingly in revolt across a range of policies, the prime minister last week made a surprise u-turn on the winter fuel allowance. A day later, a private memo written by Angela Rayner to Rachel Reeves, which argued for a slew of tax rises, rather than spending cuts, found its way to the press. The deputy prime minister denied leaking, but her alternative programme for a Labour Government is gaining traction - not only as a way to move on from Starmerism, but as the potential antidote to Farage.

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: Patrick Maguire, Chief Political Commentator, The Times

Host: Manveen Rana

Producer: Shabnam Grewal

Further reading:

Winter fuel U-turn exposes vacuum at heart of No 10

Reform UK local election surge is existential threat to the big two

Clips:  GBNews, ITV NEWS , SKY NEWS, BBC News, Good Morning Britain , New Statesman, Reform UK 

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 its inception at a drunken party seventeen years ago, the second-hand clothing app Vinted is now worth over £4 billion. Nearly sunk by one bad business decision, how did the company reinvent itself and the way we shop today?

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: Sarah Ditum, Contributor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Further reading: Antiques boom as the Vinted generation catch the bug

Clips: Slush / YouTube, sTARTUPDAy / YouTube.

Photo: The Sunday 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.

Peter Sullivan has been released from prison after spending 38 years behind bars for a murder he didn’t commit. In 1986, 21-year-old Diane Sindall was brutally murdered but it has now been proved that police got the wrong man. DNA found on her body does not belong to Peter Sullivan. Why did it take so long to prove his innocence and is the body that investigates possible miscarriages of justice fit for purpose?

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: Emily Dugan, Special Correspondent, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana

Producers:

• Hannah Varrall
• Shabnam Grewal.

Further reading: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/peter-sullivan-miscarriage-justice-07688bqc3

https://www.thetimes.com/article/3f659bf1-d713-437c-9bf3-03a5b65817f7 

Clips: Channel 4 News, Court of Appeal, Daily Express, BBC Crimewatch, Justice Committee 29 April 2025.

Photo: Merseyside Police.

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.

President Trump has announced plans to impose a levy on on American films made outside the country. It's a bold move that could have serious consequences for the global film industry. What do these proposed tariffs mean for the UK film sector, and is this a savvy strategy to revive a struggling Hollywood or just another salvo in Trump’s culture war against liberal America?

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:

• Ed Potton, Commissioning Editor and Writer, The Times
• Hadley Freeman, Columnist and Features Writer, The Sunday Times

Host: Jane Mulkerrins

Producer: Euan Dawtrey

Further reading:

‘A collective capitulation to fear’: How Hollywood bowed to Trump

Will James Bond leave Pinewood for LA? UK film industry reacts to Trump

Clips: Home Alone 2. © 1992 20th Century Studios. Director: Chris Columbus, The Apprentice. © 2024 Tailored Films. Director: Ali Abbasi, CNN, New York Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Real Time with Bill Maher.

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 bleak TV comedies to #mumtok meltdowns, modern motherhood is often portrayed as joyless, exhausting, and even traumatic. How did fear become the dominant narrative around parenting? And what gets lost in the process?

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: Alexandra Jones, writer, The Times.

Host: Taryn Siegel.

Producers: Aaliyah Ahmed and Taryn Siegel.

Further reading:

• Negative tales of motherhood nearly put me off having a baby
• What I wish I’d known before I had kids

Clips: Netflix/Motherland, Parliament TV.

Photo: Courtesy of Alexandra Jones.

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.