The Story

From former officials jailed after taking bribes to push pro-Putin propaganda, through to local councillors being expelled for offensive tweets, and leader Nigel Farage being accused of high school racism, Reform UK is struggling to stay scandal free. Will the party be able to weather the storm? Or will the waves of allegations start to shift the polls? 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: Aubrey Allegretti, chief political correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Shabnam Grewal, Harry Stott.Read more: Nigel Farage referred to police over Clacton campaign expensesFurther listening: Is Reform ready for power?Clips: BBC, Sky, GB News, LBC, ITV.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: [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.

When Nikolai’s assault unit was told to advance on a Ukrainian position, he decided he’d rather blow up his own arm than continue to fight. Nikolai and two other former Russian soldiers tell The Times about their harrowing experiences at war– and why they decided to flee. 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: Jack Clover, assistant foreign news editor, The Times and The Sunday Times. Host: Luke Jones.  Producer: Micaela Arneson. Read more: ‘I took a grenade blast to escape’: Russian deserters speak out Listen more: A new peace plan, and a critical moment for ZelenskyGet in touch: [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.

Jet engines, the neighbour's lawnmower, traffic noise - it's all terrible for our health. Yet for many years the issue has been dismissed, described as the "poor cousin” of other environmental issues such as litter, air pollution and climate change. So with prolonged noise pollution linked to nearly 1,000 premature deaths in Britain in 2017, why isn't it taken more seriously? How exactly does the daily onslaught of noise affect us? And just why is it so bad for our health?Written and read by: Ben Spencer, Science Editor, The Sunday Times.Producer and sound designer: Dave Creasey.Clips: epidemicsound, BBC.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.

A new book by New York Magazine’s former star political writer, Olivia Nuzzi, has unleashed a chaotic slew of revelations about her alleged transgressive relationships with wayward politicians — and the US is hooked. But how did this increasingly bizarre he-said she-said story of conflicting accounts unfold? And what does it tell us about the nexus between politics and journalism - between power and those who are supposed to hold it to account in modern America? Guest: Will Pavia, New York Correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Dave Creasey.Read more: The Olivia Nuzzi saga is Nora Ephron’s Heartburn for our social media age Brain worms and blue eyes: the RFK love triangle shocking AmericaClips: ABC, The Hill, Siriusxm, NY Post, The Bulwark.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.

In the 1980s, the leader of Poland’s Solidarity Movement, campaigning against communism, promised the country’s economy would one day rival Japan. The crowd laughed. Now that dream has become a reality. By the end of this year, Polish living standards are forecast to match those in the Asian economic powerhouse, and Poles across Europe are returning home. So how have they managed it? And will it last?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: Oliver Moody, Berlin correspondent, The TimesAgnes Uba, Polish entrepreneur and returnee.Host: Luke Jones.Producer: Harry Stott.Read more: Poland: an economic miracle at the heart of EuropeClips: Netflix / Youtube, BBC, TRT / Youtube, TLDR News EU, Daily Mail / Youtube, Sky.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: [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.

Today, Health Secretary Wes Streeting is announcing an independent review into rising demand for mental health, ADHD, and autism services. Amid soaring welfare costs and long waiting lists, the government says the system needs to be transformed. But with Streeting previously claiming that some mental health conditions are ‘overdiagnosed’, are the right problems being tackled?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: Eleanor Hayward, health editor, The TimesDr Tony Lloyd, counseling psychologist and former CEO of ADHD UKHost: Manveen Rana. Producers: Edward Drummond, Taryn Siegel, Micaela Arneson. Read more: Wes Streeting orders inquiry into mental health ‘overdiagnosis’Further listening: Is ADHD being over-diagnosed?Clips: Sky News, Channel 4 News, Parliament, The Sun, BBC.Get in touch: [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 Tuesday the UN General Assembly met to discuss a plan for Palestinian statehood, two months after President Trump announced his twenty-point peace plan for Israel and Gaza. But has the fighting actually stopped? Is the region any closer to peace? And could Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing criminal trial derail the whole 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/thestoryGuest: Gabrielle Weiniger, Israel correspondent, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana.   Producers: Micaela Arneson, Olivia Case. Read more: ‘With or without Netanyahu, Trump will lead us to a two-state solution’Further listening: How Trump's Gaza deal could still unravelClips: WPLG Local 10, Fox, DW News, RTE News, The Guardian, WFAA / YouTube, Middle East Eye, NBC, Yvette Cooper / Twitter.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: [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.

The arguments over last week’s budget continue; first chancellor Rachel Reeves was accused of misleading MPs and the public over the state of public finances, then the chair of the budget watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, resigned. So how did this row unfold and where does it leave the Prime Minister?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: Oliver Wright, policy editor, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Olivia Case, Shabnam Grewal.Read more: Did Rachel Reeves lie — and will she resign? Further listening: Do bond markets rule the world?Clips: The Telegraph, Times Radio, BBC, parliamentlive.tv, ITV News, Sky News.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: [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.

In 2012 Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony went viral thanks to Kony 2012, a documentary about his atrocities. He's been on the run ever since. Today, the son who was groomed to be his father's heir tells his story for the first time.This podcast contains scenes some listeners may find distressing. 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: Richard Assheton, contributor, The Times and The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Olivia Case.Further listening: Inside Haiti: face to face with the gangs ruling a desperate nation - the Sunday StoryClips: Channel 4, Clevver News, Kony 2012 / Jason Russell / Invisible Children, Inc., The White House / JosephyKony.ogvPhoto: Richard Assheton for The Sunday Times.Get in touch: [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.

When an Oxbridge professor says his students are “functionally illiterate”, you know something is wrong. With reading levels in freefall and screentime rocketing, is the era of mass literacy over? In his wildly successful blog, James Marriot argues that three centuries after the reading revolution ignited democracy and modern science, we are now witnessing its great undoing. Where once we spent hours poring over books, contemplating complicated theories and ideas, we now scroll emotive, short form content. What effect is this major shift having on our brains? And are we are really at the dawn of the post-literate society?The Sunday Times wants to Get Britain Reading. With our campaign you can:• Donate to Bookbanks to put books in the hands of those most in need• Volunteer to read in schools with Coram Beanstalk• Above all, take our pledge to read for pleasure for at least ten minutes a day for the next six weeksRead more about the campaign.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, Times columnist.Host: Luke Jones.Producer: Dave Creasey.Read more:The dawn of the post-literate societyI’m a digital native — can I survive without my smartphone?Photo: Chris McAndrew for The Times.Get in touch: [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.