The Story

President Trump sparked controversy during his recent trip to Ireland when he said a unified Ireland would be “a fantastic thing.” That was followed on Monday by Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh leaders signing a pact pledging to break up the UK. With Prime Minister Andy Burnham set to meet with the Taoiseach Micheál Martin tomorrow, is a united Ireland now more likely?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: Jennifer Bray, political editor, The Sunday Times Ireland.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Robyn Simon. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish leaders sign ‘historic’ independence pactClips: The Times, The Sunday Times, and RTE NewsPhoto: Getty Images.

The Microsoft co-founder tells Danny and Katie why AI is "ultra-different" from any previous technology - and why tech companies shouldn’t be responsible for controlling it. Speaking about a new report on AI and equity published by The Gates Foundation he also explores the “vacuum of US leadership” in AI regulation.The Interview is Times Tech's weekly conversation with the people shaping the future of technology.Watch on YouTube Read more: Bill Gates: My plan to keep the world safe in the age of AIGet in touch: techpod@thetimes.co.uk Presenters:Katie Prescott, Technology Business Editor, The Times.Danny Fortson, US West Coast Correspondent, The Sunday Times.Producer: Marnie Duke.Executive Producer: Priyanka Deladia.Video Producer: Bronwen Latham.Image: Getty

The Thirlwall Inquiry into how Lucy Letby was able to murder babies at the Countess of Chester hospital has released a damning report. It found the hospital could have prevented at least three of the murders, if not for evidence of a pernicious “them and us” culture and a lack of safeguards. But what does this report mean for the hospital authorities? And will it have any bearing on Letby's attempts at an appeal?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: Sian Bradley, Northern correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Micaela Arneson, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Lucy Letby inquiry: staff could have stopped three murders Further listening: Is there ‘new evidence’ in the Lucy Letby case?Clips: BBC, The Telegraph, The Mirror, True Criminals podcast, The Guardian, The Thirlwall Inquiry. Photo: Getty Images.

The Iranian-backed Houthis have seized large swathes of territory in Yemen and taken control of the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a key shipping corridor between Asia and Europe. About 12 percent of global trade passes through the strait, including huge amounts of oil, so the move has sent energy prices skyrocketing. But, who are the Houthis? What’s their aim? And with regional powers wary of getting dragged into yet another war, who can stop them?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: Dr. Elisabeth Kendall, president of Girton College, Cambridge, specialising in Arabic and Islamic studies.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Olivia Case, Robyn Simon.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Houthis seized strait ‘without a fight’. Now they’re bracing for oneFurther listening: Inside the West Bank crisis driving Britain to actClips: PBS, CBS, BBC, France 24, Fox News, ABC, CNN.Photo: Mohammed Huwais for Getty Images.

Warnings about the dangers of AI are reaching fever pitch, with cases of AI agents going rogue and attempts by malicious actors to use the technology to create biological weapons. Industry whistleblowers are sounding the alarm about a technology they claim could destroy humanity, while AI CEOs are themselves making proposals for a slow down. So how do they plan to stop this march towards oblivion? And how scared should we all 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/thestoryGuest: Chris Dorrell, technology correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Harry Stott, Leo Danczak.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Anthropic blocks ‘malicious’ AI use over biological weapons fearFurther listening: 'We don't understand the consequences' - Why I quit OpenAI - The Sunday StoryClips: CBS, BBC, CNN, Bloomberg, NBC, Sky.Photo: Tony Bell, Times illustration.

In June 2023, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, Barnaby Webber and Ian Coates were stabbed to death by Valdo Calocane, a paranoid schizophrenic who is currently serving an indefinite hospital order. The months-long public inquiry into their deaths has revealed a staggering number of failures by the authorities, and a widespread culture of denial and unaccountability. So what went wrong? And what lessons can be learned? 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: Fiona Hamilton, chief reporter, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Micaela Arneson, Jesse Fox.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Nottingham attacks: ‘We have no faith in the police. We want justice’ Clips: BBC, Sky News, The Nottingham Inquiry. Photo: Richard Pohle, The Times. 

When Freddie Mercury, lead vocalist of Queen and one of the all-time greats of rock music, died from Aids in 1991, he left his beloved Kensington house to his lifelong companion Mary Austin. Once engaged to the superstar – before they both realised he preferred men – Austin was by his side from unglamorous beginnings to global stardom. She exclusively reads the story of their extraordinary relationship for the Story.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: Mary AustinProducers: Sophie McNulty and Taryn Siegel.Read More: My life with Freddie Mercury — by the best friend he nearly married We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comClips: Live Aid, Queen Youtube. Music Excerpt: Queen - Lily of the Valley (Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC)Photo: Getty Images.

It’s 25 years since the 9/11 attacks; in the aftermath, the CIA hunted down those responsible – detaining suspects and subjecting them to ‘enhanced interrogation.’ One of the prisoners who was subjected to these tactics was Abu Zubaydah, who, at the time, was thought to be a top member of al-Qaeda. John Kiriakou, a former CIA operative who led the operation to capture Zubaydah, blew the whistle on the torture that prisoners like him experienced. As a result, Kiriakou went to prison, as well. Now, he’s asking President Trump for clemency. This episode contains descriptions of violence and torture. 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: Josie Ensor, chief US reporter, The TimesHost: Manveen RanaProducer: Sophie McNultyWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: I went to jail for exposing America’s darkest 9/11 secret. Trump should pardon meFurther listening: The 9/11 suspect - part 1Clips: ABC News, C-SPAN, Cleared Hot Podcast.Photo: Michael McCoy for The Times.

The AfD’s thumping victory in the Saxony-Anhalt regional election has sent shockwaves across the German political landscape and left chancellor Friedrich Merz in a state of shock. With his popularity plummeting and further regional elections on the horizon, is Merz’s time almost up? And what does all of this tell us about the current state of German democracy? 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: Oliver Moody, Berlin correspondent, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Jesse Fox, Leo Danczak. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Firewall to keep AfD out is crumbling — how will Friedrich Merz react?Further listening: Germany’s radical right is surging. Can they be stopped? Clips: BBC, CNN, Channel 4 News, T Online, CBC News, Phoenix, APT.Photo: Getty Images.