The Story

After an operation in 2022 to detain the leader of a terrorist cell goes wrong, the SAS is plunged into crisis raising questions about the future of Britain’s special forces.Insight, The Sunday Times investigations team, has gathered witness testimony, leaked documents and open source intelligence, meaning the full story can be told 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/thestoryRead and reported by:Gabriel Pogrund, editor of Insight, The Sunday TimesVenetia Menzies, Insight investigations correspondent, The Sunday TimesEmanuele Midolo, Insight investigations correspondent, The Sunday TimesProducer: Sophie McNultySound designer: Ivan EastleyRead more: SAS in crisis: sent to hunt Isis in Syria. Then arrested for murderFurther listening: Posh George: The criminal behind FarageWatch: How the Insight team investigated the special forces scandalArtwork: Nina KrauseGet in touch:Call or WhatsApp The Sunday Times’s Insight team: 020 7782 5959For any tips: [email protected] 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 November 3, Americans will head to the polls for midterm elections that will determine who controls Congress for the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency. While Trump himself isn't technically on the ballot, plummeting approval ratings means the elections are shaping up to be a referendum on his leadership. Republicans face a tough fight, even in traditionally conservative states such as Texas, where a fiercely contested Senate race could deliver a major upset. Will Texas really turn blue? And what would a Democratic victory in Texas mean for Trump’s political future?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Katy Balls, Washington editor, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Robyn Simon, Olivia Case. We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: Trump’s convention hurt my midterm chances, Ken Paxton says in leaked audio Further listening: Could Trump lose MAGA over Iran?Clips: CBS, C-Span, Fox, MS NOW, CNN, CNBC, KTXS News, James Talarico Youtube Photo: Getty Images.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 our reporters following every word in court, the trial of Russell Brand began in earnest today. The prosecution laid out their case, calling Brand “ruthless, calculating, and manipulative…a sexual predator.” Brand has denied all charges against him.Watch or listen to The Trial of Russell Brand every weekday on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or listen on Spotify. Follow the show to never miss an episode.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryWe want to hear from you - email: [email protected] 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 weekend, the Houthis attacked one of Saudi Arabia’s main airports twice, as well as other locations in the country. Fourteen people are dead so far, with hundreds injured, in what is the deadliest attack on the Kingdom in over a decade. Saudi Arabia is calling for international help, but will anyone come to their aid? And what’s the fallout in a rapidly destabilising region?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Michael Stephens, consultant and senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and think tank RAND.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Olivia Case and Micaela Arneson.We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: Why does Saudi Arabia seem powerless to face down the Houthis?Further listening: What the lightning Houthi advance means for the worldClips: WION, BBC, Sky News, ABC News, Al Jazeera, News24, NBC, CBS, FirstPost.Photo: Getty Images.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 month marks the 20th anniversary of Amy Winehouse’s multi-platinum album Back to Black. Just after the album was released and Amy’s fame was beginning to skyrocket, journalist Ariel Leve met the young 23-year-old in LA for two hours, where Amy gushed about her new husband, laughed off the cruel media scrutiny, and mused about her legacy. That interview would never be seen or heard -- until now.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Ariel Leve, author and journalist.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Taryn Siegel.We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: Amy Winehouse: the lost interview - 'If I die tomorrow then cool'Further listening: My life with Freddie MercuryPhoto: Getty Images.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 Siberia last week, a Russian researcher working at an institute specialising in dangerous infectious diseases is believed to have died of unexplained pneumonia. Local media suggested it was pneumonic plague; the Kremlin continues to obfuscate. So what’s really happening? With its history of cover ups, can we trust what Russia is telling the world? And 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/thestoryGuests:Rhys Blakely, science editor, The Times.Marc Bennetts, foreign correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Olivia Case.We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: Russia denies a plague outbreak. Its history of coverups is less reassuringFurther listening: Is Spain’s PM next for eviction?Clips: The 2nd militarised fire department of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the 6th paramilitary fire and rescue unit at Chernobyl, Dark Docs / YouTube, BBC, ABC, Настоящее Время, KGWNews8, CNN.Photo: Getty Images.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.

Kemi Badenoch's attack on Reform UK was all about character and her attack on Labour was all about economics. In her speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, she said she would to scrap inheritance tax on family homes and that under a Conservative government, couples would be able to leave an extra £1m inheritance tax free to their children. Badenoch was withering about Nigel Farage and Reform UK, saying: "The circus goes on and on and it will never stop because this is who Reform are — so to those who say ‘unite the right’, we are not uniting with that.” This week's episode of The State of It looks at the Conservatives' electoral strategy, their prospects — especially compared with a year ago — and the vibes among their MPs.Guests:Steven Swinford, political editor, The TimesBen Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday TimesLara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday TimesPatrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The TimesProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty images.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.

Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez has called a snap election, after losing a key vote on his housing reforms. Protests have been rocking the country since an 87-year-old woman was evicted on a stretcher. Sánchez is gambling that he can leverage the national fury to strengthen his party’s position, but could it backfire?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: David Sharrock, Madrid correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Paige Reynolds, Olivia CaseWe want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: Spain’s PM Pedro Sánchez: I am calling an early electionClips: The Guardian, ABC News, BBC, France 24, Democracy Now, BBC, CBS News, Deutsche WellePhoto: Getty Images.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 Times reporter Sasha Nugara fell for a charismatic musician she met online, she didn’t imagine she would end up in a coercive relationship. But love bombing quickly soured into manipulation and violence, and Sasha decided to break free – and seek justice. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryRead by: Sasha Nugara, property reporter and columnist, The Times and The Sunday Times. Producers: Paige Reynolds, Micaela Arneson.We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: I’m 26. I never imagined I would be the victim of domestic abuseThis 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 one of the biggest scandals in English football history, Manchester City football club was found guilty this week on all charges of serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. So how did we get here? What will happen to Man City, and what does the scandal mean for the future of English football? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Martyn Ziegler, chief sports reporter, The Times and The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Micaela Arneson, Harry Stott. We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: Manchester City verdict: what happens next?Further listening: The man who revealed Infantino’s world cup disasterClips: BBC, Sky, talkSPORT, ITV, @LouietheReporter via YouTube, ITN. Photo: Getty Images.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.

Christa Pike is set to be executed today, making her the first woman to be put to death in Tennessee in 200 years. Ahead of the execution, Pike has spoken with The Times about her regrets, her fears, and what it’s been like awaiting her final hours. Thirty years on from her trial, she wonders, would she have gotten the same sentence in 2026?Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence, murder, and sexual abuse.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Olivia Empson, US correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Sophie McNulty, Micaela Arneson.We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: Christa Pike: ‘I have a kinship with Lindsay Clancy’Further listening: He went to jail for exposing America’s darkest 9/11 secret. Should Trump pardon him?Clips: WBIR, Times Radio, PBS, CBS, VICE News.Photo: Tennessee Department of Corrections/Reuters.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 police arrested five men on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act and explosive offences at RAF Fairford early Sunday morning, questions swirled: who was behind the foiled plot? Should Britain be concerned about its security vulnerabilities? But then the men were released on bail, and suddenly a different question arose: could this entire saga have been a terrible misunderstanding? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuests: Mario Ledwith, news reporter, The Times. General Sir Richard Barrons, retired British Army general and defence expert. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Robyn Simon, Micaela Arneson, Paige Reynolds. We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: RAF Fairford: police investigate possible Iran link to foiled bomb plotClips: BBC, 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.

When was the last time you read a book? Literacy rates have plummeted across the developed world since the advent of the smartphone and the consequences for society are chilling, says James Marriott. But why does it matter that fewer of us are reading books? And what happens if we all just stop?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: James Marriott, columnist, The Times.Host: Luke Jones.Producer: Jennifer Kennedy.We want to hear from you - email: [email protected] more: The death of reading puts the world in a perilous placeFurther listening: Inside the British town contaminated by forever chemicalsClips: ABC, DW News, Good Morning America, TMZ, Tucker Carlson Network.Photo: Getty Images.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.