The Story

In this bonus episode we're showcasing how The Story host Manveen Rana and her Times colleague Anthony Loyd are back exploring the the kidnap and disappearance of British photojournalist John Cantlie by ISIS in Syria, after a mysterious listener got in contact.

Originally released four years ago, Last Man Standing is now the inspiration for the new BBC three-part documentary series Hostage, based on reporting from our original s...

When the Mexican government took down a drug lord last week, the Sunday Times was there to document the aftermath. Does this mark a turning point in the war on drugs? Or are things about to get much worse? 

A warning that this episode contains descriptions of graphic violence. 

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This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday...

Last month, Sir Keir Starmer made it clear that the US would not be permitted to use UK bases to launch strikes against Iran. On Sunday, that position shifted. Not only has the UK now allowed the use of joint bases, it is also intercepting Iranian drones, and sources have told The Times that a British warship may be deployed to Cyprus. As tensions in the Middle East escalate, is Britain being drawn ever deeper into the conflict? An...

After weeks of protests against Ayatollah Khamenei’s regime earlier this year, the Iranian people cried out for American help as they were massacred in their thousands. Over the weekend, the Americans and Israelis did finally intervene in Iran, killing the Ayatollah, but leaving a flood of questions in their wake. Who will now fill the political vacuum? Will there be regime change? And what next for the Iranian people?

Our liste...

For decades, a chilling rumour has haunted Sarajevo: that foreign tourists paid to visit the besieged city in the early 1990s to shoot at its residents. Today, Italian authorities are investigating several cases of alleged ‘tourist snipers,’ thrusting these accusations back into the headlines. Now, an eyewitness to these so-called ‘human safaris’ has spoken to The Times about what he saw more than 30 years ago.

Our listener surv...

Early on Saturday morning, the US and Israel launched a wave of attacks on Iran, killing the supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Iran has retaliated, with strikes reported in the UAE, Qatar and across the region. But will Trump get his regime change or could Iran become just another failed state? And is the middle east on the brink of all-out war?

Our listener survey is live - find it here.

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Next week, the BBC launches a new three part documentary, Hostage, based on our award winning Times podcast series Last Man Standing. It's the story of British photojournalist John Cantlie who was kidnapped in Syria by Islamic State in 2012. While his fellow hostages were released or murdered, he remained captive. Then, a series of Isis propaganda videos emerged, fronted by Cantlie. He hasn’t been seen since. So what happened to hi...

From men wanting to buy her breast milk, to going undercover in the IVF wild west, investigative journalist and author Alev Scott has immersed herself in the murky, and often unregulated world of fertility. What she found was a trillion dollar industry, where the maternal body is a hot commodity. It also raised some serious ethical questions: How much, if anything, should breastmilk cost? Who should be allowed to buy it? And is it ...

The end of Britain’s political duopoly now looks complete, as Labour suffers a catastrophic by-election defeat to the Greens in Gorton and Denton. Reform comes second, while the Tories lose their deposit with just 2% of the vote. Keir Starmer is now a prisoner of the left, and Britain is undergoing a tectonic realignment of its electoral politics.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and ...

After a six-month-long investigation into maternity care in England, the government has published its initial findings. The report reveals a catalog of failures at 12 NHS trusts – from inadequate staffing and poor facilities to racial discrimination. So what do bereaved families make of the findings? And can this broken system be fixed?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday ...

First Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested, then Peter Mandelson. The fallout has been swift, dramatic, and is still unfolding. Hosts Manveen Rana and Luke Jones answer your biggest questions about the two men and what comes next. 

Neither men have been changed and they both deny any wrongdoing. We don’t know what evidence was used in their arrests. 

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On Monday, the government released its plan to reform SEND, the system that supports children with special educational needs and disabilities, in England. It’s used by around one in five children and Keir Starmer is promising £4 billion over 3 years to overhaul it. But what’s changed, who’s affected and how will the government pay for it?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Ti...

Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine is still fighting – but the strain is visible. How has the conflict changed since those first days of war? Why would a free and fair election in Ukraine be so difficult? And is peace even conceivable?

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 Loy...

Over the past decade, thousands of families say they have been failed by England's maternity services. With a review into 12 NHS trusts due to publish its interim findings this week, we hear from some of those affected. What went wrong? And can future tragedies can be prevented?

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

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