The Story

In Moscow, preparations are complete for tomorrow’s Victory Day celebrations. This year’s military parade will be pared back amid fears of Ukrainian drone strikes. So as the country marks its biggest celebration in muted style, five years into a grinding war, how are Russians feeling about their government and the economy? And what’s been the true impact of the war in Iran?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: Alexander Gabuev, director, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre.Host: Rosie Wright.Producer: Callum Martin.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: No tanks or missiles at Russia’s scaled-back Victory Day paradeFurther listening: The descent into madness under PutinClips: YouTube, Times Now World, France24, FreakiAhhMilitary, APT, Daily Express.Photo: Getty Images.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein has been poured over by the press – but what about their relationship with one another? New Times reporting reveals they met for the first time in 1999 at an NSPCC charity event, and continued a mutually advantageous relationship for a decade. So how do the people who brought them together feel about it now? And what can it tell us about how power works in the upper echelons of British society?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: Hugo Daniel, general news reporter, The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Harry Stott.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Revealed: When Andrew first met Peter MandelsonFurther listening: Starmer strikes back over Mandelson vetting scandalClips: Getty, The Lost Media Archive / Youtube, ITN.Photo: Getty Images.

This episode was recorded before the latest announcement from President Trump pausing 'Project Freedom'.Earlier this week President Trump launched his latest move in the Iran war... 'Project Freedom' was designed to get ships through the Strait of Hormuz under US military escort. But Iran said the plan meant the US was breaking the ceasefire and the two countries began trading missiles again. The UAE’s been hit too, at a time when it's increasingly turning to Israel for help. So how will the new allegiances being formed in fire reshape the region? Where are negotiations up to? And is there any hope of peace?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: Michael Stephens, consultant and senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and fellow at RAND Europe. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Olivia Case and Sophie McNulty.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Iran war latest: Hegseth says ceasefire holds but US ‘locked and loaded’Further listening: Is political violence America’s new normal?Clips: Fox, Hugh Hewitt / YouTube.    Photo: Getty Images.

This week Scottish voters will head to the polls for the Holyrood parliamentary elections. To understand what's on people's minds, we visited Motherwell - a town where, for decades, Labour used to dominate. This year Labour appear to be haemorrhaging support across Scotland and may even fall to third place. And an unlikely party is emerging from the fallout.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:Ross Thomson, editor, Wishaw PressRichard Bolton, community development officer, Forgewood Housing CooperativePaul Murphy, corporate services office, Forgewood Housing CooperativeJustin Parkes, industrial history curator, North Lanarkshire Council MuseumsHost: Manveen Rana.Producers: Taryn SiegelWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comFurther listening: Is Labour facing a bloodbath in Wales?Photo: Getty Images.

NHS spending has reached record highs and shows no sign of slowing down. The government poured in £205 billion last year, yet waiting lists remain stubbornly high and patient satisfaction is at an all time low. So where is all the money going? And if spending isn’t the solution, what is?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 Times.Tom Calver, Data Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times.Host: Luke Jones.Producers: Callum Martin and Micaela Arneson.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Why doesn’t ever-growing money seem to improve the NHSFurther listening: Is your sofa toxic?Clips: BBC, The Guardian, Rishi Sunak / LinkedIn, The Sun, Reuters, The British Library, The Department of Health and Social Care.Photo: Getty Images

At his peak, Carl Hayman was widely regarded as the world's best tighthead prop. Then, in 2021, at just 41, he was diagnosed with early-onset dementia and probable CTE, a disease he believes was caused by the sport he loves, and one that has torn his life apart. In this intimate and devastating interview with David Walsh, Carl describes what happened, what he’s doing for the players who come after him, and what concussion means for rugby’s future. The final part of a two-part special investigation into the crisis facing this global game. You can listen to part one here.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: Carl HaymanHost: David Walsh, chief sports writer, The Sunday TimesProducer: Sophie McNultyWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Two best friends, two suicides. How did rugby let this happen?Further listening: Can rugby survive its head injury problem?Photo: Getty Images.

Marriage rates are at their lowest since 1850, and it's predicted by 2050 just 3 in 10 of us will have tied the knot. Cohabiting is now the fastest-growing family type in the UK. So what’s happening? Feminism, atheism, a mistrust of state intervention, or just an old fashion 'trend' dying out? And should cohabiting couples get the same rights as married ones?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryRead by:Hannah Betts, features writer, The Times.Will Roe, executive producer, The Story.Producer: Dave Creasey.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Why I will never get marriedPhoto: Robert Wilson for The Times Magazine

Could Thursday’s local elections herald the end of two party politics in England? Labour are expected to lose heavily to parties on the left and right. So how bad would it need to be for the party to replace 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/thestoryGuests: Joe Twyman, co-founder and director, DeltaPoll Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times.Host: Luke Jones. Producers: Micaela Arneson. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Angela Rayner weighs leadership challenge after local electionsFurther listening: ‘The punishment election’: Is Labour facing a bloodbath in Wales? Clip: Daily Express. Photo: Getty Images

Police have declared a terrorist incident after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green. The suspect, Essa Suleiman, is in custody and the two men are stable. Plenty of questions remain as the Jewish community reels from the latest in a series of antisemitic incidents. How can Jewish communities be protected? 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:Matt Dathan, home affairs editor, The Times.Neil Basu, former head of UK counterterrorism policing.Host: Callum MartinProducers: Callum Martin, Olivia Case, Elizabeth Highfield, Sandra Mitchell.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: What happened in Golders Green? How London stabbing attack unfoldedFurther listening: “They tried to firebomb my synagogue”: The rise in antisemitic attacksPhoto: Getty Images