The Story

In January, Sunday Times correspondent Louise Callaghan met 26-year-old dolphin trainer Vladyslav Litnievskyi while reporting in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. She wondered what would happen to him and his animals if Russia invaded. Last month, Callaghan returned to the dolphinarium not sure what to expect.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: Louise Callaghan, Foreign Correspondent for The Sunday Times. Host: Jenny Kleeman. Clips: BBC, 7News Australia.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last weekend, Stories of our times won the award for interview of the year at the British Podcast Awards. The judges said: "This standout interview was a well-executed and compelling listen, which didn't shy away from challenging its subject."So today we're listening back to that interview with the then Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter, about the changing face of war and Britain's place in the world.This episode was first published on 23 March 2021.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: General Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff, 2018-2021. Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: British Podcast Awards, BBC, AP, ITV, Times Radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As one by one the British and American hostages are killed by their captors, John Cantlie emerges in a series of Islamic State propaganda films, ‘Lend Me Your Ears’. His new role keeps him alive. It also attracts questions. Is the hostage becoming a willing messenger? 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. Hosts: Manveen Rana and Anthony Loyd, War Correspondent, The Times. Clips: CNN, CBS, EWTN, USA Today, NBC, ABC, EuroNews, eNCA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In eight slick, highly produced sessions that played out like a Netflix series, the House Select Committee for investigating the Capitol riots of January 6th, 2021, made a compelling case against former president Donald Trump. But beyond good ratings, what impact did they actually have, particularly on their main target?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: Hugh Tomlinson, Washington Reporter, The Times.Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips: Denver 7, PBS NewsHour, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CBC News, ABC News, WDIV Local 4, Yahoo! Finance, Democracy Now!, The Hill, CNN, The Lincoln Project Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ten years ago today, 900 million people watched London’s Olympic opening ceremony, marking the start of a games which, it was hoped, would help regenerate a corner of East London. Looking at the site now, how have those hopes held up? 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: - Jonathan Morrison, architecture correspondent, The Times. - Mike Brooke, senior reporter, Archant press. Host: Edward Drummond. Clips: BBC, CNN. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Ukraine war progressed, journalists, activists and critics were forced to flee the country. But as Putin’s grip on the media tightened, what was it like for the people who were left? And when does it become too dangerous to stay? 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: Marc Bennetts, foreign correspondent, The Times and The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: The Guardian, Deutsche Welle, BBC Newsnight, France 24, CBS News, Sky News, The Telegraph, BBC News, NBC News, Times Radio, PBS Newshour, NEXTA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tonight, the two contenders for prime minister take part in their first head-to-head TV debate. Meanwhile, unnoticed by the general public, one former diplomat has played a key role in the contest, as part of his mission to create a new ideological faction. The Frost story – and various sliding doors moments along the way – could explain how the Conservative Party got to this point, and where it’s heading…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 Wright, Policy Editor, The Times.Host: David Aaronovitch.Clips: BBC News, Sky News, TalkTV, Times Radio, GB News, Policy Exchange, Food and Drink Federation, Centre for Policy Studies, BBC Radio 4, Unherd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some of the hostages who were held with John Cantlie describe what life was like inside their prison cell, under the watch of brutal Isis guards. Their captors had a special role in mind for John… but why did Isis pick him?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. Hosts: Manveen Rana and Anthony Loyd, War Correspondent, The Times.Clips: Acceleration TV, Bikes Aloud, Enduro Africa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The heads of MI5 and the FBI recently warned about the growing threat from China’s efforts to spy on the world as it attempts to stay ahead of rivals in technology, industry, politics and power. But has Britain been slow to grasp the scale of the issue?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: Ian Williams, author, 'The Fire of the Dragon: China’s New Cold War' and contributor to The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: BBC News, Sky News, France24, IB Times, Sky News Australia, VOA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inflation has hit a new 40-year high – just living life is expensive at the moment, and it’s getting worse. But to fight rising prices, politicians will first have to understand what’s causing them. The war in Ukraine and the pandemic are two factors, but is that the full picture?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: Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor, The Times.Host: Luke Jones.Clips: BBC, LBC, PBS Newshour, ITV, Channel 4 News, C-SPAN, Reuters, Sky News, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Bank of England, GB News, Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, CNBC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.