The Story

The call came in the dead of night. “Are you on your own?” the man said. “I’ve got in with some bad people and they’ve locked me in a flat and they want £5,000 to release me.” The caller was Mark Menzies, the Conservative MP for Fylde in Lancashire. The Times investigation reveals a litany of allegations involving sex, drugs and a drunk dog. Mark Menzies disputes all the allegations, and says he “fully complied with all the rules for declarations.”This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestoryGuest: Billy Kenber, Senior Investigations Reporter, The Times.Host: Luke Jones.Further listening: The council house row Angela Rayner can't shake.  Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

Donald Trump has made history yet again, as the first American president to face a criminal trial. It’s one of four criminal cases against him - and the legal arguments already have experts divided. But what about the woman at the centre of it? What’s her story?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/podcasts/the-storyGuest: Jane Mulkerrins, Associate Editor, The Times Magazine.Host: Luke Jones.Clips: Forbes, Fox News.Email us: thestory@thetimes.co.ukFind out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

Police are investigating whether Labour’s deputy leader broke “any offences”, including under electoral law, after Tory MPs alleged that she may have given false information about her main residence - an ex council house she purchased - a decade ago. Rayner, who has promised to resign if she is found to have committed a crime, said she “followed the rules at all times”. But how damaging could this row be to her - and to her party.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/podcasts/the-storyGuest: Kate McCann, Political Editor, Times Radio.Host: Luke JonesClips: BBC, Newsnight, ITV, 5 News, Sky News.Email us: thestory@thetimes.co.ukFind out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

The Israeli government is considering its response to Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack over the weekend. Israel’s allies – led by the US – have called for restraint, so, as the world tries desperately to de-escalate the situation, what could happen next?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guests:Samer Al-Atrush, Middle East Correspondent, The Times, andGabrielle Weiniger, correspondent based in Israel, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: CBS News; Israeli Defence Force; United Nations; UK Prime Minister; Sky News; ABC News; Al Jazeera; DW News, Parliament.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.ukFind out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

One of the world’s most successful rappers, Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs is facing multiple lawsuits, with accusations from rape to sex trafficking. So what’s going on and who are the other famous faces being named? This podcast contains descriptions of sexual assault.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestoryGuest: Keiran Southern, West Coast correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: Good Morning America, The Recording Academy / The Grammys, Law&Crime Network, ABC, FOX, Firstpost, FREEDOMNEWS TV, New York Mickey, Vogue, J Nolan, CBS.Further listening: Will the mystery of Tupac’s death finally be solved?Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'Music: Burna Boy, 21 Savage, Brandy / On Form / City Boys / Atlantic Records; Been Around The World / Puff Daddy & The Family feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & Mase / Bad Boy Records; I’ll Be MIssing You / Puff Daddy feat. Faith Evans & 112 / Bad Boy Records; Notorious B.I.G / The Notorious B.I.G feat. Lil' Kim & Puff Daddy / Bad Boy Records; Family Affair / Mary J. Blige / MCA; No More Drama / Mary J. Blige / MCA; Bad Boy for Life / P. Diddy, Black Rob and Mark Curry / Bad Boy Records, Arista; Hypnotize / The Notorious B.I.G. feat Pamela Long / Bad Boy Records, Arista; Nasty Girl / The Notorious B.I.G. feat Jagged Edge, P. Diddy, Avery Storm, Nelly / Bad Boy Records, Atlantic; Lady Marmalade / Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa, and Pink / Interscope.

In November 2019, a teenager pretending to be the son of a Russian oligarch was found dead by the river Thames. Police investigated but the parents of 19-year-old Zac Brettler felt they still lacked answers. Now a Sunday Times' investigation has uncovered evidence that raises serious questions about the Metropolitan Police's handling of the case. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestoryGuest: Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall Editor, The Sunday Times. Host: Manven Rana.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

As police investigate the sending of explicit text messages to dozens of politicians, staff and political journalists, and the man at the centre of the scandal – Conservative MP William Wragg - resigned the party whip. The Times Chief Political Correspondent, Aubrey Allegretti, tells us what he’s discovered about the Westminster sexting scam, how many people could be involved, and who might be behind it. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guests: Aubrey Allegretti, Times Chief Political Correspondent.Host: Manveen RanaGet in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.ukFind out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

Alan Bates, the campaigner who took on the Post Office to expose flaws in its IT systems which led to wrongful convictions, has appeared before the public inquiry into the scandal. Can this crucial stage of the inquiry take the victims a step closer to justice?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestoryGuest: Tom Witherow, news and special projects reporter, The Times.  Host: Luke Jones. Further listening: The Post Office scandal: How a TV drama delivered justiceClips: Channel 4 News, ITV. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'

Chinese President Xi Jinping's new slogan, "develop new productive forces," aims to bolster the expansion of high-tech sectors to drive economic growth. China already dominates the world of electric cars and controls more than 80 percent of the global solar panel manufacturing market. So, what could China’s technological dominance mean for the West? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.co.uk/thestory Guest: Richard Spencer, China Correspondent, The Times.  Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: AP Archive, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, YouTube/RUSI, Sky News, Reuters, BYD Europe, ABC News, CBS News.   Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.uk Find out more about our bonus series for Times subscribers: 'Inside the newsroom'