The Story

In sub-Saharan Africa, people with albinism – those born without pigmentation in their skin, hair and eyes – have long been discriminated against and even hunted for their body parts, which are thought to hold magical healing powers. And during the pandemic, fear and misinformation have led some to embrace superstition over science, blaming people with albinism for the virus.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:- Robert Shivambu, South Africa media manager at Amnesty International.- Irene George, a woman living with albinism.- Cosmas Maduhu, lawyer and activist living with albinism.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: Channel 4, ABC News, BBC, Click on Detroit, United Nations, Al Jazeera, Amnesty International.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.

Tensions between the police and communities across the UK are at an all time high. One woman is behind the push to increase police powers. Who is Priti Patel and what's her plan for Britain?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: Matt Dathan, Home Affairs editor at The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: LBC, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro.co.uk, ITV GMB, Evening Standard, Sky News, The Sun, BBC News, The Guardian.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.

Around the country, girls who have suffered in silence for years at some of England's top schools are finally speaking out about the sexual abuse they've encountered. A stream of hundreds of harrowing stories has emerged. How was this ever allowed to happen? And what can be done to stop it?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:-Sian Griffiths, Education and families editor at The Sunday Times.-Ben Ellery, News reporter at The Times.-Additional reporting from Isabelle Stanley.Host: Manveen Rana.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.

Is it time to rethink the way British democracy works and reform the upper chamber of parliament?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: Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall correspondent for The Sunday Times.Tom Calver, Senior data journalist at The Sunday Times.Lord Salisbury, member of the House of Lords.Host: Manveen Rana.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 week the former Team GB and Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman was struck off the medical register after being found guilty of ordering a banned substance “knowing or believing” it was to dope a rider in 2011.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: Matt Lawton, Chief sports correspondent at The Times.Host: Will Roe.Much of the original journalism by The Sunday Times' Chief sports writer, David Walsh.Clips used: Times Radio, TalkSPORT, BBC, Eurosport, OMN, Daily Mail, Olympic YouTube Channel, IBTimes UK, Cambridge University Darwin College lecture series and ARD.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 marks a year since the Covid lockdown began. Every aspect of our daily life has been affected and more than 146,000 people have died of the virus in the UK.  In today's episode, we check in with old friends we've featured on the podcast last spring to see how their lives have changed.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: - Lee Solomon, co-Director of Lilie's Funeral Home.- Spencer Craig, co-founder of Pure, a food-to-go business.Host: Manveen Rana.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.

Throughout the pandemic, demand for dogs has soared, and thieves have taken note. Dog theft has skyrocketed over the last year with criminal gangs cashing in. How are they getting away with it? And what can be done to stop them?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: -Ameila Gabaldoni, Editorial assistant at the Sunday Times.-Lucinda Jasper, daughter of Mike Jasper, whose dog was stolen.-Neil Austin, Detective superintendent and commander at Operation Opal, the national intelligence team for serious and organised theft.Host: Manveen Rana.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.

Yesterday the government published new plans for the future of the military. Manveen Rana speaks to the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter, about the changing face of war and Britain's future place in the world.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: General Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff. Host: Manveen Rana. Clips used: BBC, AP, ITV, Times Radio.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.

Almost ten years ago, the world watched as a future king got married. Now, after a bombshell interview, things couldn't feel further removed from that day when the royal family basked in the world's positive attention. How is Prince William planning on reshaping his family's image?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: Roya Nikkhah, Royal correspondent at The Sunday Times. You can read Roya's piece on Prince William here. Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: BBC News, CNN, ITV, Royal Family Channel, France 24, Sky News, CBS, NBC, Evening Standard.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.

Federico Umberto D’Amato, the former spy who created the country’s culinary bible, is accused of being behind the 1980 Bologna atrocity. Could this decades old mystery finally be solved?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: Tom Kington, Italy correspondent for The 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.

Last week schools in England reopened after months of shutdown due to the pandemic, but has keeping kids out of the classroom come at a social greater cost than we realise?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: Shingi Mararike, news reporter at The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.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 Saturday night the Metropolitan Police arrested four people at a vigil for Sarah Everard. What went wrong that night? And what does it mean for the police and for women's rights?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: - Fiona Hamilton, crime and security editor, The Times.- Emma Yeomans, reporter, The Times.- Jack Hill, chief news photographer, The Times.- Hannah Rogers, fashion writer, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: Sky News, Counterfire.org.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.

Content warning: this episode contains discussion of eating disorders and mentions of suicidal thoughts.At times during the pandemic, it's felt like diet and exercise - or at least worrying about them - has become a national obsession. But what if your weight was already an obsession? Today we speak to people struggling with eating disorders, which have been on the rise in the past year, and examine the ways these conditions are still misunderstood.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: - Lara, recovering from an eating disorder.- Dave Chawner, standup comedian, presenter and author of Weight Expectations.- Dr Agnes Ayton, Chair of the Faculty of Eating Disorders at the Royal College of Psychiatrists.Host: Manveen Rana.Resources if you or a loved one are struggling:Samaritans: call 116 123 or visit: samaritans.orgBeat, the UK's eating disorder charity: beateatingdisorders.org.uk You can also try Hub of Hope, the UK’s leading mental health support database, which helps you connect with the support services in your area: hubofhope.co.uk.Clips used: Bloomberg, ITV.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.

New variants of COVID-19 have caused spikes in infections around the world and rang alarm bells about vaccine resistance. We speak to two scientists tracking mutant strains of the virus. How are these variants discovered? And just how dangerous are they?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of reader of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today and get one month free at: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimesGuests:-Sharon Peacock, Professor of public health and microbiology at The University of Cambridge and Director of the COVID 19 Genomics UK consortium.-Dr Jeffrey Barrett, Director of COVID-19 Genomics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute. Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips used: BBC News, UK Government, Sky News, UK Parliament, ITV News, DW News, KTLA, Bloomberg, ABCThis 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.

Bitcoin is surging. Last month, it surpassed $50,000 per coin, and big institutions are buying in alongside retail investors. The new frenzy has started, partially due to Elon Musk's Tesla announcing its purchase of $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin. So, why now? And what if the bitcoiners are right, and this is only the beginning? 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:Nic Carter, Partner at Castle Island Ventures and co-founder of Coin Metrics. Host: Asya Fouks.Clips used: CNN, CNBC, and Bloomberg.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.

In the final part of our Failures of State series, the Sunday Times Insight team take David Aaronovitch on a hunt for answers.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: - Jonathan Calvert, Insight Editor, The Sunday Times.- George Arbuthnott, Deputy Insight Editor, The Sunday Times.Host: David Aaronovitch.Links:- Failures of State: The Inside Story of Britain’s Battle with Coronavirus by Jonathan Calvert and George Arbuthnott.- Audiobook of Failures of State.- 'Revealed: Seven year coronavirus trail from mine deaths to a Wuhan lab', The Sunday Times.Clips used: BBC, CNA, PBS, CBC, AP, South China Morning Post, Al Jazeera, NBC, France 24, Chatham House, WION, 'Contagion' (2011) / Warner Bros, 'The Whistleblowers' (2007) / Carnival Films.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.

For more than a decade Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon were the dream team that dominated Scottish politics, leading the charge for Scottish independence. But damning accusations have brought the pair into the spotlight. And with elections for Scottish parliament looming in May, what does this mean for the future of the SNP and Scottish independence?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:-John Boothman, Political correspondent in Scotland for The Sunday Times.-Stephen Gethins, Former Scottish National Party MP for North East Fife.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: Scottish Parliament TV and RT.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.

In a bombshell world exclusive interview, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, sat down with Oprah Winfrey and talked at lengths about reasons for their departure from the Royal Family. What's the future for the couples relationship with the palace?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: Valentine Low, Royal Correspondent for The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: ITV Hub, Harpo Productions/CBS, NBC, CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, ABC Australia, ABC.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.

In the second of three episodes this week, the Sunday Times Insight team explains how Britain unleashed a second disastrous wave of the virus despite repeated warnings from experts.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: - Jonathan Calvert, Insight Editor, The Sunday Times.- George Arbuthnott, Deputy Insight Editor, The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Links:- Failures of State: The Inside Story of Britain’s Battle with Coronavirus by Jonathan Calvert and George Arbuthnott.- Audiobook of Failures of State.- ‘Rishi Sunak was the main person responsible for Covid’s second wave’, The Times.Clips used: BBC, ITV, Sky News, Euronews, Unherd, CNN.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 year, a Sunday Times investigation exposed failures at the top of government which may have cost thousands of lives. Now the team behind those revelations has written the first major book telling the inside story of Britain's battle with coronavirus.In the first of three episodes this week, we examine what went wrong between January and March 2020.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: - Jonathan Calvert, Insight Editor, The Sunday Times.- George Arbuthnott, Deputy Insight Editor, The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Links:- Failures of State: The Inside Story of Britain’s Battle with Coronavirus by Jonathan Calvert and George Arbuthnott.- Audiobook of Failures of State.- '38 days when Britain sleepwalked into disaster', The Sunday Times, April 19 2020.Clips used: BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky News, CNA, The Sun, Daily Mail, Met Office, ABC News, DW 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.

What happened when Laura Pullman met the newly released Anna Delvey (AKA Sorokin) for The Sunday Times? Anna is a modern day Gatsby who scammed New York’s high society and ended up in prison.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: Laura Pullman, New York correspondent for The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Laura's piece for The Sunday Times is available here.Clips used: ABC, Vanity Fair, EuroNews.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.

Not many knew of Rishi Sunak until he was appointed Chancellor last year. Now a household name, today he will deliver his second budget which will be central to the government's ongoing response to the pandemic. But who is the man behind the red box?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: Matt Chorley, Times Radio host.Lord Daniel Finklestein, Times columnist and member of the House of Lords.Chris Lloyd, Chief feature writer at the Northern Echo and the Darlington Stockton Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: UK Parliament, HM Treasury, Northern Echo, Rishi Sunak MP, HM Government, BBC News, Times Radio.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.

What would you do if your child couldn't stop gaming? Jenny Kleeman meets a teenage patient getting specialist help. 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: -Jenny Kleeman, Times Radio host.-Dr. Henrietta Bowden Jones, Director of the National centre for gaming disorders.-Kim and Lucas, Mother and son.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.

Texas is still reeling from an unprecedented energy disaster, where unusually cold temperatures brought their power grid to a standstill earlier this month. Now, as the dust settles and the ice melts, the blame game begins.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: -Michael E Webber, Professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas.-Chrishelle Palay and her daughters Faith and Skye, Director of HOME Coalition.-Lyle Larson, Republican Texas State Representative.-Gene Wu, Democrat Texas State Representative.-Celesté Arredondo-Peterson, Housing Justice Director at the Texas Organising Project.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: CBSN, KHOU 11, AP, MSNBC, The Guardian, Today Show.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 Supreme Court has ruled that Shamima Begum will not be allowed to return to the UK to fight her citizenship case. Begum, who was a teenager when she left Britain to join ISIS, has been fighting a legal battle to return home from the camp in northern Syria where she's currently detained. Today we revisit the first in our five part mini-series providing background on the case. To listen to the rest of the series search 'Bring Me Home' on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.It was a chance meeting in a Syrian camp. A veteran war reporter, a young mother, and an interview that polarised a nation. Shamima Begum was just 15 years old when she and two of her school friends from Bethnal Green left Britain to join Islamic State. Five years later, with her fate still hanging in the balance, the Supreme Court will this week decide whether she can return to the UK to challenge the deprivation of her citizenship. This episode of the Stories of our Times podcast will form part of a week-long series. We'll explore: what should happen to British nationals who left to join Islamic State, and do we have a responsibility to bring them back?The rest of the Bring Me Home series:Episode 2, Life in the Camps Episode 3, Deradicalising Shamima Begu‪m‬Episode 4, Lessons from EuropeEpisode 5, A legal battle over Shamima Begum's future 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: Anthony Loyd, Foreign Correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.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.

Features writer for The Sunday Times Rosie Kinchen examines what it's like to live through the ordeal of losing your daughter and never getting the recognition of what exactly happened.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: Rosie Kinchen, Features writer for The Sunday Times.Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips used: ITV news, Police Scotland.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.

If one day, you saw your newborn baby with a little bruise you couldn't explain, what would you do? Many people like Holly Kobayashi would ask a professional for advice and reassurance. Instead Holly set in motion a process which led to her son being taken away and a four-month long fight to win him back and prove that she could care for him.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: -Emily Dugan, Social affairs correspondent for The Sunday Times.-Holly Kobayashi, mother of Adventure. Host: Manveen Rana.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.

Three years ago, a dramatic raid at the headquarters of a popular winter sports blew open a scandal at the International Biathlon Union. The former president, Anders Besseberg, has been accused of receiving gifts in return for favours. These are charges he denies. What happens to sporting integrity when those at the top are accused of corruption?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: David Walsh, Chief sports writer at The Sunday Times. Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips used: IBU and Euronews.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.

Who is the Congresswoman who has split the Republican party with her toxic views?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: -Josh Glancy, The Sunday Times Washington Bureau Chief.-Lisa Hagen, WABE Radio reporter.Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips used: Vice, AP, 11Alive, Stop the Steal, WABE, Bloomberg, CGTN, 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 Times has uncovered that spies are creating fake business profiles on the professional networking site so that they can identify targets and obtain classified information. Under fake profiles, agents offer money and lucrative business opportunities in exchange for sensitive information. What does this tell us about how China operates?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: -Fiona Hamilton, Crime and security editor at The Times.-Isabel Hilton OBE, Broadcast journalist and long term China watcher.-Philip Ingram, Former senior British intelligence officer.Host: Manveen Rana.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.

In this special bonus edition we are bringing you an episode from another Times podcast - Past Imperfect.Nadiya Hussain MBE rose to fame after winning The Great British Bake Off back in 2015. She talks to Rachel Sylvester and Alice Thomson about the way her life has changed since then and how the abuse that she faced as a child inspired her to be a force for change.Get The Times free for a month: thetimes.co.uk/pastimperfectSamaritans: www.samaritans.orgBlueprint for All: www.blueprintforall.orgThe Survivors Trust: www.thesurvivorstrust.orgThis 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.

Before Channel 4's hit series It's Sin was broadcast, writer Russell T Davies made headlines for his comments on how the show was cast. Should LGBTQ+ roles only be played by those with a lived experience? Or is that in itself, a form of discrimination?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:-Alex Roberts, actor.-Lucinda Syson, casting director.Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips Used: Channel 4, BBC3, Oscars YouTube channel, Columbia Pictures, Sky News Australia, TRT World, ITV Loose Women.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.

In October, a Stories of our times investigation blew the lid off a Russian disinformation campaign, which had aimed to stoke fears about the Oxford vaccine.Now Russia has its own vaccine, Sputnik, which is highly effective but still isn't most countries' first choice. Has the Kremlin shot itself in the foot, and become Sputnik’s own worst enemy?We revisit our investigation and check in with our Moscow correspondent for an update.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: Marc Bennetts, Moscow correspondent for The Times and The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: BBC, CNBC, CNN, Times Radio, Comedy Central.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 Monday the prime minister will unveil a roadmap for how we exit lockdown. Today we look to two countries which might show us a glimpse of the future: Australia and Israel.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: -Tom Whipple, Science editor at The Times.-Bernard Lagan, Australia correspondent at The Times.-Anshel Pfeffer, Freelance journalist for The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.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.

It's been over a year since the UK officially left the EU on the 31st of January 2020 in a vote which was fuelled by decades of British Euroscepticism. With terms like 'remainer' and 'Brexiteer' now holding less significance, what are the new identities which have emerged for all of us?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: -Tanja Borzel, Professor of political science at The Free University of Berlin-Sunder Katwala, Director of British Future.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.

Last month, a team of assassins shot and killed two of Afghanistan’s most eminent women. The murder of the two Supreme Court judges is part of an assassination campaign targeting Kabul’s intellectual and social elite. Yet even as violence surges across the country, peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban continue in Doha. What does the future hold for the nation?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: Anthony Loyd, War correspondent at The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.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.

A decade after an MI6 agent was found dead in a North Face holdall, the detective who led the inquiry wants a forensic case review.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: David Collins, Northern Editor for The Sunday Times.Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips used: BBC Wales and 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.

What goes on inside one of the most secure, secretive and at times controversial British institutions? The Times is the first newspaper to be allowed into some of the most secure laboratories at Porton Down.Plus: an exclusive interview with defence secretary Ben Wallace, who warns of a growing threat of chemical and biological attacks.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: Larisa Brown, defence editor at The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Times stories mentioned in this episode:Inside Porton Down, Britain’s biological threats laboratory: anthrax in the fridge and vials of plagueFake finger will test how long coronavirus can surviveGrowing risk of attacks as world order crumblesClips used: BBC, ITV News, ITN.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.

Protesters in Myanmar are demanding the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi who was arrested when the military seized power. How did this country become unstable so quickly and what's next for Myanmar's pro-democracy movement?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: Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia editor at The Times.Wai Wai Nu, Executive director of the Women's Peace Network in Myanmar.Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips used: BBC, AP Archive, Myanmar Now, The Guardian.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.

Today the Senate trial begins: Donald Trump is charged with ‘incitement of insurrection’ over the Capitol riot. After four controversial years in power, the former President's ability to hold office again now hangs in the balance. What should we expect from the trial of the first US president to be impeached twice and where does it leave the Republican party?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: -David Charter, U.S. editor at The Times.-Sarah Baxter, Sunday Times American Diary writer.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips from: C-Span, Bloomberg, NBC, Fox 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.

The inside story of how the WallStreetBets forum on Reddit took on Wall Street, sending shares in the struggling retailer GameStop skyrocketing… until they crashed back to earth.Content warning: strong language and mentions of suicide.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:Caitlin McCabe, financial markets and retail trading reporter for the Wall Street Journal.Richard Fletcher, business editor, The Times.Simon Dixon, co-founder of Banktothefuture.com and an investment banker.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: WSJ, CNBC, CBS, Sky News, CNN, Bloomberg, Twitter, YouTube, Hollywood Life.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 the annual Six Nations tournament gets underway this weekend, recent high profile lawsuits filed against rugby union’s governing bodies from ex-professionals have cast a shadow over the game. Is the sport facing a criss that could see parents stop their children from playing it?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: Owen Slot, The Times' chief rugby correspondent.Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips used: Channel 5, Times Radio, WIDV, Guinness Six Nations YouTube, BBC Radio 4.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.

Two weeks ago AstraZeneca shocked the EU by cutting its vaccine delivery by 60%. What went wrong, and why? And could the high drama that followed have a lasting political impact?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: Peter Conradi, Europe editor, The Sunday Times.Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips used: Times Radio, BBC News, ITV News, Sky News, LBC, DW News, Al Jazeera, Euronews, CBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, AFP.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.

For months, protesters have been camping out on the outskirts of Delhi, demanding the repeal of a set of agricultural laws. Last week, as India tried to celebrate its Republic Day, violence erupted between the protesting farmers and police. At least one protestor lost his life. Negotiations between the farmers and the government are at a standstill. Now what? Who will win?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: Hugh Tomlinson, South Asia correspondent at The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used : BBC, Voice of America, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, PIB, Economic Times, NYOOOZ TV.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.

Britney Spears’s private life has been on show ever since she emerged on the music scene back in the late ’90s. In recent years she's been hitting headlines for other reasons, with new questions arising about her conservatorship which she's been under since 2008. Worried fans have launched the #FreeBritney campaign, but is their continued concern unwarranted? 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: Jen Zaborowski. host of We Need to Talk About Britney podcast.Zoe Brennan-Krohn, Staff attorney with the ACLU's Disability Rights project.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: Page Six, Britney: For the Record, Good Morning America, The Wendy Williams Show, 5 News, CBS LA News, AP, 2016 Billboard Awards, ABC, ET, NBC, CNN, Britney’s Gram Podcast, Channel 4 News, ITV, Hollywood TV.Instagram: Britney Spears.Youtube: Jake Thompson.Tiktok accounts: tythecrazyguy, thenailaddict, gabytropp, matthewlitty.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 coronavirus pandemic is keeping us all at home and many of us have been taking a long, hard look at our closest and most intimate relationships - and deciding to call it quits. What's causing all the break ups? And with the end of lockdown far from sight are more relationships doomed?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: -Katie Glass, Feature writer, columnist and freelance journalist.-Emma Kenny, Psychologist and broadcaster.-Lucy Gould, Senior associate at Stewarts.Host: Manveen Rana.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 the government wrestles with how best to help those in need during the pandemic, it's brought to the surface many of the historical divisions within the Conservative party. After years of austerity and cuts, they're now the party offering financial support to millions. But how long are they prepared to do so?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: Esther Webber, The Times's Red Box reporter.Tim Bale, Professor of politics at Queen Mary's University of London.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips from: Euronews, BBC, Telegraph, UK Parliament, Sky 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.

Jordan Peterson, a clinical psychologist, is a conservative superstar of the culture wars. Known for his confidence in debates, Decca Aitkenhead meets him a changed man. Worshipped by many for his self-help scriptures, Peterson has spent the past year battling drug rehab, suicidal thoughts and Covid-19.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:Decca Aitkenhead, Chief interviewer for The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: BBC News, The Mikhaila Peterson Podcast, CBC, Channel 4, Truthspeak, GQ.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.

A bizarre conspiracy theory on the social media platform TikTok is uncovered after a Twitter thread goes viral. What does this say about how misinformation spreads online? What are the unintended consequences? And are generations further apart than ever before?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:Daniel Kunka, a screenwriter in Los Angeles.Seren Morris, freelance journalist.Pat Palmer, a former primary school teacher.Elizabeth MacLeod, an author on Helen Keller.TikTokker Keith Runk.Host: Will Roe.Clips used: Krunk19 TikTok, LucyEdwardsblind TikTok, Helen Keller YouTube channel.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.

In his latest book, Empireland, Times writer Sathnam Sanghera attempts to expose what he sees as a blind spot in our understanding of history: the details and impact of the British Empire. Is there a reason Britain has struggled to face its colonial past?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: Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain and writer for The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.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.