The Story

Last summer, a hack of EncroChat phones by police forces led to the arrest of criminals involved in gangs, drugs and weapons across Europe. Who were those swept up in one of the biggest police operations of all time and where did EnroChat come from?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 James Smith, writer for The Sunday Times Magazine.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: Channel 4, DW, Euronews, 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.

Tensions have erupted in Northern Ireland once again, as leaders attempt to preserve a long-standing peace deal in the region. Twenty-three years after the Good Friday Agreement, why does peace in Northern Ireland seem so precarious 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.Guest: Henry McDonald, Author, journalist and contributor to The Sunday Times.Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips used: Ruptly.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 it was announced by the government that so-called vaccine passports could be rolled out across the country to help ease lockdown measures. But should we be worried about what this might lead to?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 Knowles, Technology correspondent at The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: Times Radio, Channel 4, BBC and Parliament 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.

At the end of last month, we saw the release of the Race and Ethnic disparities report, it was controversial and many called into question its integrity. Today we dissect 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:-Dr Mohammad S. Razai, Clinician and academic fellow at St. George's University of London.-Simon Woolley, Baron Woolley of Woodford and director of Operation Black Vote.-Kehinde Andrews, Author of The New Age of Empire.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: The Evening Standard, ITV News, BBC News, ITV Good Morning Britain, 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.

The longest serving royal consort has passed away after seven decades of steadfast support of our monarch. Today we take you to the moment his wife, Queen Elizabeth the second, learnt she would take over as Great Britain's Head of State. Guests:Kate Williams, royal historian.Matthew Parris, columnist for The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips used: Pathé and Thames 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.

The government is proposing new laws that will allow academics, students or visiting speakers the power to sue universities for compensation, if they feel they've been censored or if their free speech is somehow restricted. The announcement has been controversial, but is it the best way to encourage free speech on campus?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 editor at The Sunday Times.Stephen Ceci, professor of psychology at Cornell University.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.

Not many feelings come close to the thrill of getting your foot on the property ladder after months of mortgages, solicitors and surveys. But what happens when things start to go wrong? The Sunday Times has been investigating an insurance giant, accused of issuing fraudulent inspection notes that have left leaseholders with vast repair bills.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:-Martina Lees, Senior property writer for The Times and The Sunday Times.-Martin Scott, Head of construction and engineering at Walker Morris Law Firm in Leeds.-Lydia Turnbull, leaseholder.-Snowden Mount, leaseholder.-Rebecca Goodson, leaseholder.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.

There's a looming crisis in the cemeteries of Britain: many of them are running out of space. How have we got here and what can we do about 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:-John Waite, volunteer, Highgate Cemetery.-Ian Dungavell, Chief Executive, Friends of Highgate Cemetery Trust.-Dr Julie Rugg, Cemetery Research Group, University of York.-Mohamed Omer, Board Member, Gardens of Peace Muslim Cemetery.Host: Leona Hameed.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.

Extraordinary scientific advances have taken place over the past year both because of Covid and despite it.Today we bring you three tales of human ingenuity you might have missed – and, for a change, nothing but good news.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.Guests: Tom Whipple, science editor, The Times.Lindley Johnson, planetary defence officer, Nasa.Dr Elena Adams, DART systems engineer, Johns Hopkins University.Further reading from The Times: 'Science is fast‑forwarding into the future', David Aaronovitch, December 2nd, 2020.'Deepmind finds biology’s ‘holy grail’ with answer to protein problem', Tom Whipple, December 1st, 2020.'More medical breakthroughs on the way thanks to BioNTech coronavirus vaccine', Tom Whipple, February 8th, 2021.'Nasa will crash rocket into asteroid to avert catastrophe', Will Pavia, April 30th, 2020.Clips used: ITV, CBC, BBC, TRT World, SpaceX.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.

After the Ever Given vessel was freed earlier this week, the world breathed a huge sigh of relief. But what does this incident tell us about international trade and globalisation?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:Louise Callaghan, Middle East correspondent at the Sunday Times.Jill Treanor, City editor at the Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Additional reporting by Ben Spencer, the Science editor at the Sunday Times.Clips used: BBC, Anas Alhajji Twitter and the Telegraph.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.