The Story

Giorgia Meloni has world leaders falling at her feet and the Trump administration in her thrall. But how did she reinvent herself from leader of a minor neo-fascist party to the new political queen of Europe?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: Tom Kington, The Times correspondent in Rome. Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Edith Rousselot.Further reading: Stop flirting with Giorgia Meloni! She’s a serious leaderClips: AFP, Atlantic Council, AP News, EU Debates, PBS NewsHour, The Express Tribune.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

This episode was originally published last March.Japanese ‘kidults’ revolutionised pop culture in the 90s and 00s, turning to their inner children to cope with economic crisis and post-industrial societal ills, despite being ridiculed. As the milestones of adulthood - property, marriage and careers - become increasingly difficult for millennials and Gen Z to achieve - are westerners now turning to ‘kidulting’ to find answers? 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: Matt Alt, author of Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Sam Chantarasak.Further listening: Studio Ghibli: Is this the end for the Japanese studio that inspired Pixar?The South Korean culture machine that conquered the worldClips: SEGA, Pokémon Theme/POKEMON, MSNBC, CNN, AJ+, Sony, PlayStation, CBS, SXSW, TikTok/@otakuintokyo, TikTok/@kaitlyneats, Your Name/dir. Makoto Shinkai/CoMix Wave Films/Toho.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

Ever been ghosted by a brand after a bad buy? You're not alone. In this episode of Feel Better About Money, we dive under the cushions of luxury sofas gone wrong, and hear about rejected refunds on financed cars, and overseas purchases gone bust. The Times Consumer Champion Kat Denham joins Holly and Lucy to reveal how to fight back when companies say no, and what your rights really are. Plus, some big news from Lucy as she signs off from the show, off to a brand new job!Guest: Katherine Denham, The Times Consumer Champion.

Since being elected, Donald Trump’s personal fortune has more than doubled, and members of his family are doing well too. The White House says he’s given up a successful business career to serve the country, but critics say he’s cashing in on his position. How has the president made so much money? 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: Alistair Dawber, Washington Correspondent, The Times and Sunday Times. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Edward Drummond. Further reading:  How presidency saved Trump from ruin and made him a fortuneClips: DAR Global, CNN, Fox News, USA Miracle Center, MSNBC, CNBC, PBS News, Ben Shapiro podcast, The White House, DonaldTrump.com.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

With Labour MPs increasingly in revolt across a range of policies, the prime minister last week made a surprise u-turn on the winter fuel allowance. A day later, a private memo written by Angela Rayner to Rachel Reeves, which argued for a slew of tax rises, rather than spending cuts, found its way to the press. The deputy prime minister denied leaking, but her alternative programme for a Labour Government is gaining traction - not only as a way to move on from Starmerism, but as the potential antidote to Farage. 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: Patrick Maguire, Chief Political Commentator, The TimesHost: Manveen RanaProducer: Shabnam GrewalFurther reading:Winter fuel U-turn exposes vacuum at heart of No 10Reform UK local election surge is existential threat to the big twoClips:  GBNews, ITV NEWS , SKY NEWS, BBC News, Good Morning Britain , New Statesman, Reform UK Photo: Getty Images Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

From its inception at a drunken party seventeen years ago, the second-hand clothing app Vinted is now worth over £4 billion. Nearly sunk by one bad business decision, how did the company reinvent itself and the way we shop 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: Sarah Ditum, Contributor, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Olivia Case.Further reading: Antiques boom as the Vinted generation catch the bugClips: Slush / YouTube, sTARTUPDAy / YouTube.Photo: The Sunday Times.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

Peter Sullivan has been released from prison after spending 38 years behind bars for a murder he didn’t commit. In 1986, 21-year-old Diane Sindall was brutally murdered but it has now been proved that police got the wrong man. DNA found on her body does not belong to Peter Sullivan. Why did it take so long to prove his innocence and is the body that investigates possible miscarriages of justice fit for purpose? 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: Emily Dugan, Special Correspondent, The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen RanaProducers:Hannah VarrallShabnam Grewal.Further reading: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/peter-sullivan-miscarriage-justice-07688bqc3https://www.thetimes.com/article/3f659bf1-d713-437c-9bf3-03a5b65817f7 Clips: Channel 4 News, Court of Appeal, Daily Express, BBC Crimewatch, Justice Committee 29 April 2025.Photo: Merseyside Police.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

President Trump has announced plans to impose a levy on on American films made outside the country. It's a bold move that could have serious consequences for the global film industry. What do these proposed tariffs mean for the UK film sector, and is this a savvy strategy to revive a struggling Hollywood or just another salvo in Trump’s culture war against liberal America?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:Ed Potton, Commissioning Editor and Writer, The TimesHadley Freeman, Columnist and Features Writer, The Sunday TimesHost: Jane MulkerrinsProducer: Euan DawtreyFurther reading:‘A collective capitulation to fear’: How Hollywood bowed to TrumpWill James Bond leave Pinewood for LA? UK film industry reacts to TrumpClips: Home Alone 2. © 1992 20th Century Studios. Director: Chris Columbus, The Apprentice. © 2024 Tailored Films. Director: Ali Abbasi, CNN, New York Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Real Time with Bill Maher.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

From bleak TV comedies to #mumtok meltdowns, modern motherhood is often portrayed as joyless, exhausting, and even traumatic. How did fear become the dominant narrative around parenting? And what gets lost in the process?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: Alexandra Jones, writer, The Times.Host: Taryn Siegel.Producers: Aaliyah Ahmed and Taryn Siegel.Further reading: Negative tales of motherhood nearly put me off having a babyWhat I wish I’d known before I had kidsClips: Netflix/Motherland, Parliament TV. Photo: Courtesy of Alexandra Jones.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com..