The Story

The journalist James Bloodworth has been exploring the manosphere revealing a hidden world of modern masculinity and the anxieties driving it. Charting the history from pickup artists to incels and influencers, he tells Manveen about the attractions of this digital world to young men and his own experiences within it.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: James Bloodworth, journalist and author of Lost Boys: A Personal Journey Through the ManosphereTo order a copy go to timesbookshop.co.uk. Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ membersHost: Manveen RanaProducer: Shabnam GrewalFurther reading : My job at a £7,500 dating boot camp — toxic masculinity rules Clips: Youtube, Tiktok ,@rich_somers, @BrandonFromILET, @SpartanMomentum, @ChrisWillx, Jordan Peterson Fan Channel@PsycheMatters, ABC Photo: James BloodworthGet in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

This episode was originally published two year ago.They are supposed to help adults quit smoking – so why is a Willy Wonka array of disposable vapes being mass marketed to children? The Chartered Trading Standards Institute wants tougher penalties for those selling to under-18s. Just how did vaping get so big in Britain?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: Josh Glancy, News Review Editor, The Sunday Times.Host: Luke Jones.Producer: Edward Drummond.Clips: BBC News, Sky News, Channel 4 News.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

With tough choices facing the government, the political masterminds look at what goes on behind the scenes ahead of a spending review - and how reluctant ministers are brought into line.And as the Tories finally put the boot into the Liz Truss legacy, have they found a new strategy on the economy - and will anyone notice?Send your comments and questions to howtowin@thetimes.co.uk

As Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour comes to the UK, we chart the rise of a shy schoolgirl from Texas who became a record-breaking billionaire. 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: Megan Agnew.Host: Luke Jones.Producer: Hannah Varrall.Further reading: The making of Beyoncé — by friends, family and Team Bey insidersClips: CMA Awards 2016, The Howard Stern Show, YouTube/@bvconcerts, Youtube/@Kamala Harris. Thanks to Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia, Warner Chappell Music, Pulse Publishing Administration, Sony Music Publishing.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com  

The government’s Strategic Defence Review has set out a vision for Britain’s defence for the next decade. One of its authors, General Sir Richard Barrons, spoke to Manveen Rana about the threat from Russia, the wars and weapons of the future and how quickly society can collapse.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: General Sir Richard Barrons, co-author of the Strategic Defence Review 2025. Host: Manveen Rana. Producer: Edward Drummond.Further listening: The rise of killer robots: The future of modern warfare?     Clips: Times Radio, Sky News, BBC News, Rusi. Photo: Getty Images/Adobe Stock Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

The dollar has been the global reserve currency nearly a century. But four months into the new Trump administration, could that be about to change?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: Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor, The Times.Host: Luke Jones.Producer: Taryn Siegel.Further reading: Trump’s ‘revenge taxes’ are more dangerous than his trade warFurther listening: Why the price of gold is skyrocketingClips: CNBC, Soar Financially, Forbes Breaking News, MSNBC.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com    

Anthony Loyd and the legendary photographer Don McCullin have been to Syria to chronicle the destruction of Palmyra by Islamic State and to see what is changing under the new Syrian regime. Manveen sat down with them at Don’s house in Somerset to reflect on war, loss, friendship — and a remarkable career. 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: Anthony Loyd, Special Correspondent, The Times.Don McCullin, photographer.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Kizzy Bray and Edward Drummond.Further reading: Don McCullin, 89, returns to Palmyra: ‘This time will be my last’Clips: Reuters, NY Times.Photo: Anthony Loyd/The Times.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com     

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