The Story

The Norwegian mountaineer Kristin Harila smashed the speed record for the world’s 14 highest peaks. But soon after, her career unravelled. Could she have done more to help another mountaineer in trouble?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: Matthew Campbell, foreign features editor, The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Emily Webb.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comPhoto: Getty Images.

In the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, citizens are facing escalating missile attacks from Russia and the country is out of interceptor missiles to prevent them. But behind the scenes, Ukraine has been plotting to bring down Russia’s biggest online retailer, Wildberries. If successful, it could be ruinous for the Russian economy.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: Catherine Philp, world affairs editor, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Emily Webb.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Ukraine is hammering Wildberries warehouses. What is its strategy?Clips: BBC, Sky News, CNN, The i Paper, Radio Free Europe, CBC.Photo: Getty Images.

After breaking the story of a secret scheme to sell off the World Cup, our reporter unpacks the growing rebellion threatening to end Gianni Infantino's presidency. But how did Infantino’s plans unravel so quickly? And can FIFA be redeemed after yet another leadership scandal?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: Martyn Ziegler, chief sports reporter, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Harry Stott, Jennifer Kennedy.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: How Gianni Infantino engineered World Cup to sell his doomed planFurther listening: Who is the “king of soccer" Gianni Infantino?Clips: Sky News, Sky Sports News, 7News, BBC News, CBC, TalkSport.Photo: Getty Images.

‘There’s something wrong when aspirational high achievers see no future for themselves here,’ says Times columnist Cindy Yu. The exodus is small, but growing - the Office for National Statistics says there’s been a fivefold increase in 25-to-34-year-old British nationals leaving the UK since 2022. But why are they off, what are they searching for, and could anything encourage them to stay?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: Cindy Yu, columnist and contributing editor, The Times and The Sunday Times.Dan Lowe, physiotherapist and content creator.Jessica Ye, doctor.Host: Luke JonesProducers: Olivia Case, Jennifer Kennedy, Shabnam GrewalWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Why my friends talk about leaving Britain.Photo: Getty Images

The largest single illegal border crossing in the history of the European Union took place last week as 60,000 migrants arrived in the Spanish city of Ceuta on the north coast of Africa. But why did they all come at once? Was a Spanish legal change to blame, or foreign actors annoyed at Spain’s lenient migration policy? And how did it reignite questions about migration in the UK?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:Katie Gatens, Europe correspondent, The Sunday Times.Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History at Oxford University.Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Olivia Case and Jennifer Kennedy.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Reform pledges to send in the navy to stop small boat crossingsFurther listening: Europe on fireClips: Al Jazeera, GB News, CSPAN, 9 News Australia, The Mirror, Reform UK, El Debate, The New York Post. Photo: Getty Images.

A six-part investigation by the French newspaper Le Monde has portrayed the luxury conglomerate LVMH as in the midst of a Succession-style drama, controlled by an ageing king: Bernard Arnault. Arnault made his first appearance on X to post a three-page sarcastic takedown of the piece. So what’s really going on? 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: Peter Conradi, Europe editor, The Sunday Times.Host: Luke Jones.Producers: Taryn Siegel, Olivia Case.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: France’s last monarch? Not moi, says luxury king Bernard ArnaultClips: Dior, Sephora, Fenty, IG/Puckdotnews, CNN, CNBC, Legend podcast.Photo: Getty Images.

President Trump wants American women to have more babies. But despite policies like offering a baby bonus of a thousand dollars, birthrates continue to fall. So why are fewer Americans choosing to have children? And what does the answer reveal about the country today?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: Louise Callaghan, US correspondent, The Sunday TimesHost: Manveen RanaProducers: Emily Webb, Jennifer KennedyWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Why can’t Trump persuade US women to have more children?Clips: Washington Post, NBC News, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, CBS Chicago, Bloomberg.Photo: Getty Images.

As demand for fashionable pets soars, vets and animal welfare charities say we're creating breeds that are destined to suffer. So, why are we prioritising cuteness over welfare? And what would it take to change the way we breed and buy our pets?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: Matt Rudd, contributing editor, The Sunday TimesProducers: Emily Webb, Jennifer KennedyWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: ‘They’re not dogs’: how extreme breeding is making our pets sickPhoto: Paul Stuart, The Sunday Times

Donald Trump has announced that a deal has been reached to disarm Hamas in Gaza, while also forcing Israel to withdraw its troops from the strip. The President is hailing it as a ‘monumental step towards lasting PEACE and SECURITY’. But can it succeed where so many other attempts have failed?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: Michael Evans, contributor and former defence editor, The Times.Jonathan Conricus, former spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank.Hosts: Ryan Tubridy, Ayesha Hazarika.Producers: Lewis Decker, Musty Aziz.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Trump hails historic Gaza deal – but will it work?Further listening: The ticking time bomb Netanyahu faces at homePhoto: Getty Images.