The Story

Last Wednesday, 27 people died crossing the Channel from France in a small, inflatable dinghy. On the same day, many more did make it, landing on the beach in Kent. What is it actually like for the people trying to find their way to safety? And what are politicians doing to tackle these dangerous journeys?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:- Emma Yeomans, reporter, The Times.- Tom Ball, reporter, The Times.- Matt Dathan, home affairs editor, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: CBC, Channel 4 News, BBC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The news of a new Covid variant swept the world in hours. Days later, new restrictions were introduced. Today: what the emergence of Omicron could mean for the next few months.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 Whipple, science editor, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: eNCA, CBS, BBC, Sky News, Channel 4 News, Science Media Centre. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fifty-five years ago, Barbados gained independence from Britain. Despite independence, Queen Elizabeth has remained head of state. Today, that's come to an end. Barbados has formally cut ties with the British monarchy and declared itself a republic. Will other realms in the Commonwealth follow? And what does the move mean for the royal family?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. Host: Manveen RanaGuests: -Matthew Campbell, Foreign Features Editor, The Sunday Times.-Roya Nikkhah, Royal Editor, The Sunday Times.Clips: ITV News, Channel 4 News, The Guardian. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Domestic violence programmes have traditionally been tailored for the victims. Now, there’s a push to work with the perpetrators to stop their abusive behaviour. How do these programmes work? Can abusive men ever change?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. If you, or someone you know, has been affected by the issues raised in this episode, the following organisations can help:RespectFor perpetrators and victims of domestic abuse; respectphoneline.org.uk, 0808 802 4040RefugeFor women and children affected by domestic abuse; refuge.org.uk, 0808 200 0247Host: Manveen Rana.Guests:- Rosie Kinchen, features writer, The Sunday Times.- Lorraine, Drive case manager. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, after 16 months in solitary confinement, Ghislaine Maxwell will finally go on trial in New York, where she is charged with multiple sex trafficking offences relating to the Jeffrey Epstein sex abuse case. It's the most eagerly anticipated trial of the year, so what can we expect as it unfolds?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: Will Pavia, New York Correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: BBC, CBS, PBS, CNBC, CNN. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Europe is being battered by a fourth wave of Covid. Today we speak to our correspondent in Berlin, to find out how the German-speaking parts of Europe became the epicentre for both the fourth wave of the virus and a wave of antivax riots sweeping the continent.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: Oliver Moody, Berlin correspondent, The Times and The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: Euronews, France 24, DW News, ABC News Australia, CNN, Bloomberg, Channel 4 News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NHS is under intense pressure, but since the peak of the pandemic public attention has largely moved elsewhere. Today we catch up with The Times' health editor – and with the doctors we spoke to in January, during the peak of the pandemic – to find out how the NHS is coping.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: - Kat Lay, health editor, The Times.- Dr Pushpo Babul Hossain, junior doctor.- Dr Adrian Boyle, emergency physician and Vice President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.- Anonymous respiratory doctor in south London.Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips: ITV News, 5 News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week tensions at the border between neighbouring Poland and Belarus escalated as thousands of people, looking to start a new life in the West, were stranded in desperate conditions. Belarus has been accused of 'weaponising' the plight of migrants in a geopolitical standoff between the EU and its neighbour. So what's behind the situation - and what happens next?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.Host: David Aaronovitch.Guest: Peter Conradi, Europe Editor for The Sunday TimesClips: Al Jazeera, BBC, , DW News, France 24, Sky News, 7News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Xi Jinping is consolidating his position as the all-powerful president of China. But who is the man at the top of the sharpest pyramid in the world of politics?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.Host: David Aaronovitch.Guest: Michael Sheridan, former foreign correspondent for The Sunday Times and author of The Gate to China: A New History of the People's Republic & Hong Kong.Clips: ABC, South China Morning Post, No Comment TV, BBC, CCTV Video News Agency, Periscope Film, Al Jazeera, CBS, VICE News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month, the government brought in a new law to stop under-eighteens using Botox and fillers for cosmetic reasons in England. But with reports of botched procedures and easy access to products online - is this law enough to tame the industry? And who's paying the price for beauty?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.Host: Sevda Moyassari.Guests:-Arti Nachiappan, news reporter, The Times.-Ashton Collins, director, Save Face.-Helen, who had lip filler at a high street beautician.Clips: Channel 4, BBC, AFP News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.