The Story

In Siberia last week, a Russian researcher working at an institute specialising in dangerous infectious diseases is believed to have died of unexplained pneumonia. Local media suggested it was pneumonic plague; the Kremlin continues to obfuscate. So what’s really happening? With its history of cover ups, can we trust what Russia is telling the world? And how worried should we be?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:Rhys Blakely, science editor, The Times.Marc Bennetts, foreign correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Olivia Case.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Russia denies a plague outbreak. Its history of coverups is less reassuringFurther listening: Is Spain’s PM next for eviction?Clips: The 2nd militarised fire department of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the 6th paramilitary fire and rescue unit at Chernobyl, Dark Docs / YouTube, BBC, ABC, Настоящее Время, KGWNews8, CNN.Photo: Getty Images.

The student protests that have rocked France for weeks reached a crescendo this week, when more than 250,000 teenagers, parents, teachers and union leaders took to the streets to voice their anger over dilapidated school buildings, staff shortages and complicated timetables. Some protests have resulted in shocking violence, and so far, the government has had limited success in quelling the unrest. So is there a fix for the French education system, or do the protests point to a deeper malaise? And what could it all mean for President Macron’s political legacy?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: Adam Sage, Paris correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Micaela Arneson, Harry Bligh.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Why are there student protests in France? The reasons behind the riotsFurther listening: Why is France in chaos again?Clips: La Press Libre, France24, BBC, Sky News, NBC News.Photo: Getty Images.

Kemi Badenoch's attack on Reform UK was all about character and her attack on Labour was all about economics. In her speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, she said she would to scrap inheritance tax on family homes and that under a Conservative government, couples would be able to leave an extra £1m inheritance tax free to their children. Badenoch was withering about Nigel Farage and Reform UK, saying: "The circus goes on and on and it will never stop because this is who Reform are — so to those who say ‘unite the right’, we are not uniting with that.” This week's episode of The State of It looks at the Conservatives' electoral strategy, their prospects — especially compared with a year ago — and the vibes among their MPs.Guests:Steven Swinford, political editor, The TimesBen Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday TimesLara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday TimesPatrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The TimesProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty images.

Tomorrow sees the Greens and Labour battle it out for control of Holborn and St. Pancras, following Keir Starmer’s resignation as the constituency’s MP last month. The stakes are particularly high for the Green candidate and leader Zack Polanski, who wants to prove his party can be a viable alternative to Labour on the left. But what are voters on the ground thinking? We head up to North London to find out.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: Will Pavia, news and features writer, The Times.Giles Coren, restaurant critic and columnist, The Times.Sarah Elie, executive director, Somers Town Community Association.Henry Conlon, landlord, the Dublin Castle.Host: Luke Jones.Producer: Harry Stott.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: What do voters in Holborn & St Pancras think of Zack Polanski?Further listening: Has Farage’s Clacton by-election backfired?Clips: ITV, LAFAGARI Media / Facebook.Photo: Getty Images.

Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez has called a snap election, after losing a key vote on his housing reforms. Protests have been rocking the country since an 87-year-old woman was evicted on a stretcher. Sánchez is gambling that he can leverage the national fury to strengthen his party’s position, but could it backfire?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: David Sharrock, Madrid correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Paige Reynolds, Olivia CaseWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Spain’s PM Pedro Sánchez: I am calling an early electionClips: The Guardian, ABC News, BBC, France 24, Democracy Now, BBC, CBS News, Deutsche WellePhoto: Getty Images.

A Sunday Times investigation has found England is in an overprescribing epidemic. Adverse reactions to cocktails of medicines are sending a thousand older people to A&E every day, potentially causing deaths, and costing the NHS billions. So how was this overlooked for so long? And can an already overstretched and underfunded NHS fix the problem?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:John Lees, son-in-law of Joseph Darbyshire.Shaun Lintern, health editor, The Sunday Times.Professor Jugdeep Dhesi, consultant geriatrician at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Olivia Case.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Dad died after a fall. Was his prescription of 10 drugs to blame?Further listening: The neuroscientists reconsidering near-death experiences Photo: John and Angela Lees and family.

When Times reporter Sasha Nugara fell for a charismatic musician she met online, she didn’t imagine she would end up in a coercive relationship. But love bombing quickly soured into manipulation and violence, and Sasha decided to break free – and seek justice. 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: Sasha Nugara, property reporter and columnist, The Times and The Sunday Times. Producers: Paige Reynolds, Micaela Arneson.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: I’m 26. I never imagined I would be the victim of domestic abuse

Sir Ranulph Fiennes is one of the world’s greatest living explorers. After he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2020, he continued to speak publicly about his career and illness. That is, until 2024. Since then, he hasn’t been seen publicly, and many of those closest to him haven’t been able to reach him. So what is happening with Fiennes?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: Ben Ellery, deputy chief reporter, The TimesAlex Millington-Cotes, Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ stepsonHost: Luke JonesProducer: Robyn SimonWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Ranulph Fiennes ‘back home’ after living in care under assumed namesClips: CNN, Chartwell Speakers, BBC.Photo: Getty Images.

In one of the biggest scandals in English football history, Manchester City football club was found guilty this week on all charges of serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. So how did we get here? What will happen to Man City, and what does the scandal mean for the future of English football? 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 and The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Micaela Arneson, Harry Stott. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Manchester City verdict: what happens next?Further listening: The man who revealed Infantino’s world cup disasterClips: BBC, Sky, talkSPORT, ITV, @LouietheReporter via YouTube, ITN. Photo: Getty Images.