The Story

This week Ireland went to the polls in a general election where for the first time in the history of the republic, immigration was among the leading issues in voters’ minds as they cast their ballots. In August we looked at the rise of a new political movement in Ireland, inspired by American far-right groups and fuelled by anger over immigration.

This episode was first broadcast on 20 August 2024.

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: John Mooney, Investigative Reporter, The Sunday Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edward Drummond.

Further listening: Inside the Kinahan crime cartel and their €1 billion empire

Clips: Gript Media, Irish Mirror, Cllr Gavin Pepper, RTE News, Irish Times, Euronews, The National Party — An Páirtí Náisiúnta, Tucker Carlson, , 

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.

As a bonus episode, we’re bringing listeners of The Story an episode from Off Air with Jane & Fi podcast from The Times.

General David Petraeus, former director of the CIA, discusses global security, amongst many other things...

If you want to contact the show to ask a question and get involved in the conversation then please email us: [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram! @janeandfi

Podcast Producer: Eve Salusbury

Executive Producer: Rosie Cutler

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

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.

Observers of Britain today might think of it as a more meritocratic and socially equal society than ever before. But, while the narratives have certainly moved on, the elites who run the political, economic and cultural life of the country remain much the same.

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: Sam Friedman, sociologist and co-author of “Born To Rule: The Making and Remaking of the British Elite.”

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Chris Wade.

Clips: BBC.

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.

Tomorrow, MPs will vote on a Bill that, if passed, would allow terminally ill people with less than six months to live the right to take their own lives - a radical departure from the status quo. The debate has split parliament and the public. So, is it a kindness or the beginning of a dangerous and slippery slope?

If you or someone you know has been affected by suicide, support and advice can be found with the Samaritans or SANE. 

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 Mardell, broadcaster and writer, Movers and Shakers podcast and assisted dying correspondent, Prospect.
• Kaya Burgess, science reporter and religious affairs correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Edward Drummond.

Clips: Times Radio, ITV News, Two Women Chatting. 

Photo: Getty Images/Times illustration 

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 six backpackers dead from suspected methanol poisoning, how did the remote town of Vang Vieng become the go-to destination for gap year hedonism, and will anything be done to close down the bars selling mushrooms, moonshine and opium?

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:

• Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor, The Times and the Sunday Times
• Alasdair Gill, chef and journalist.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Chris Wade.

Clips: Lucy Davidson/TikTok; 10 News First.

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.

On Sept 12, 2001, Blerim Skoro was approached by a man and a woman while he was in prison. They turned out to be CIA agents. That one meeting would change the course of his life and lead him on a journey across countries, inside terrorist groups, as he tried to make it home to his family.

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: Josie Ensor, US Correspondent, The Times and The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Taryn Siegel.

Clips: Video filmed by Blerim Skoro, provided by ‘The Accidental Spy’, directed by Anthony Wonke.

Photo: John Beck for The Times.

Further reading: I gave my life to the CIA. They betrayed me

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.

Over the past eight years, Sunday Times chief political commentator, Tim Shipman has written the story of British politics. From Brexit to backstops, deals to no deals, political self-harm to prorogation, economic meltdowns to an election. He takes us on a quick tour of the last part of his quartet which has covered our mad political life. 

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: Tim Shipman, Chief Political Commentator, The Sunday Times and author of Out

Host: Luke Jones

Producer: Edward Drummond.

Photo: Illustration by Morten Morland. 

Further listening: Tim Shipman on the tears, plots and mating porcupines of Brexit  

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 week, over four years later, a report from the Charity commission concluded that Captain Sir Tom Moore's daughter and her husband had committed “serious” misconduct and had gained “significant” financial benefit from links to that charity. The report said that it had not seen evidence of a crime committed by the couple. The family say "that there has never been any misappropriation of funds or unauthorised payments from the charity’s bank account, by any member of our family.

Last year, Manveen spoke to Times social affairs editor James Beal about the whole affair. 

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. 

Guest: James Beal, Social Affairs Editor, The Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Samantha Chantarasak.

Clips: TalkTV, Times Radio, BBC News, ITV News, 5 News, You’ll Never Walk Alone/Captain Tom Moore, Michael Ball, and The NHS Voices of Care Choir/UMG. 

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 is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative, hosted by The Story.

In this special episode of Planet Hope we reflect on the insights shared in the series about the future of our planet from the individuals finding solutions to the challenges we face - the explorers, naturalists and conservationists who are ensuring a brighter future for Planet Earth.

This is Planet Hope, a podcast from The Times in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative.

This podcast is advertiser funded.

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 decision by the US to allow Ukraine to launch western long-range missiles into Russia has provoked a furious reaction from Moscow, and pushed tensions with Ukraine’s western backers even higher. In response, the Kremlin has updated its military doctrine to lower the threshold for using nuclear weapons, provoking fears of a new Cold War, or even a nuclear confrontation. How worried should we be?

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: 

• Edward Lucas, Times columnist and Senior Vice-President at the Centre for European Policy Analysis
• Lt Gen Ben Hodges (US Army, Ret’d), Former Commander of U.S. Army forces in Europe

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Chris Wade.

Clips: Times Radio; BTTV; US DoD/RAND; PBS.

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.