The Story

At his peak, Carl Hayman was widely regarded as the world's best tighthead prop. Then, in 2021, at just 41, he was diagnosed with early-onset dementia and probable CTE, a disease he believes was caused by the sport he loves, and one that has torn his life apart. In this intimate and devastating interview with David Walsh, Carl describes what happened, what he’s doing for the players who come after him, and what concussion means for rugby’s future. The final part of a two-part special investigation into the crisis facing this global game. You can listen to part one here.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: Carl HaymanHost: David Walsh, chief sports writer, The Sunday TimesProducer: Sophie McNultyWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Two best friends, two suicides. How did rugby let this happen?Further listening: Can rugby survive its head injury problem?Photo: Getty Images.

Marriage rates are at their lowest since 1850, and it's predicted by 2050 just 3 in 10 of us will have tied the knot. Cohabiting is now the fastest-growing family type in the UK. So what’s happening? Feminism, atheism, a mistrust of state intervention, or just an old fashion 'trend' dying out? And should cohabiting couples get the same rights as married ones?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:Hannah Betts, features writer, The Times.Will Roe, executive producer, The Story.Producer: Dave Creasey.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Why I will never get marriedPhoto: Robert Wilson for The Times Magazine

Could Thursday’s local elections herald the end of two party politics in England? Labour are expected to lose heavily to parties on the left and right. So how bad would it need to be for the party to replace the prime minister?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: Joe Twyman, co-founder and director, DeltaPoll Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times.Host: Luke Jones. Producers: Micaela Arneson. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Angela Rayner weighs leadership challenge after local electionsFurther listening: ‘The punishment election’: Is Labour facing a bloodbath in Wales? Clip: Daily Express. 

Police have declared a terrorist incident after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green. The suspect, Essa Suleiman, is in custody and the two men are stable. Plenty of questions remain as the Jewish community reels from the latest in a series of antisemitic incidents. How can Jewish communities be protected? 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:Matt Dathan, home affairs editor, The Times.Neil Basu, former head of UK counterterrorism policing.Host: Callum MartinProducers: Callum Martin, Olivia Case, Elizabeth Highfield, Sandra Mitchell.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: What happened in Golders Green? How London stabbing attack unfoldedFurther listening: “They tried to firebomb my synagogue”: The rise in antisemitic attacksPhoto: Getty Images

Sir Keir Starmer has dodged a bullet on the Mandelson vetting scandal but did he expend too much political capital in the process? With local elections around the corner he’s not out of the woods yet, so what can we expect from next week's results? And more than 60 days into the Iran war, Trump has proclaimed there's 'No more Mr. Nice Guy' - so are we about to see renewed military action from the USA? Hosts Manveen Rana and Luke Jones are here to answer your questions in our monthly Q&A.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryHosts: Manveen Rana and Luke Jones. Guest: Aubrey Allegretti, chief political correspondent, The Times.Producers: Olivia Case and Callum Martin.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Iran war latest: Trump warns Tehran ‘No more Mr Nice Guy’ in Truth Social postFurther listening: ‘The punishment election’: Is Labour facing a bloodbath in Wales?Clips: The Independent, Sky. Image: @realDonaldTrump / Truth Social

South Wales has been a Labour heartland since the party formed over a century ago, but speak to people there today and you'll find support leaving in droves. So can Labour avoid an electoral car crash? Could the other main parties capitalise? Ahead of the Welsh Senedd elections next week, we travelled to Swansea to take the political temperature.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: Professor Matthew Wall, professor of politics, philosophy and international relations at Swansea University and principal investigator of the 2026 Welsh election study.Grant Berni, head of the Osprey’s supporters club.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Harry Stott.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: A walk round Pembroke Dock shows why Labour will lose Welsh electionFurther listening: Get ready for a pub brawl, it's local election timePhoto: Getty Images.

Morgan McSweeney has told MPs that the revelations about Peter Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein were like a knife through his soul. The more we learn about the appointment process, the madder it sounds. And the odd thing is that crucial decisions were not written down: there are no receipts. There's a mood building in the Labour Party that Keir Starmer will need to go big or go home: come up with a bold agenda, make the case for it and then deliver it. Has he got it in him?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryHosts: Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times. Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times. Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times.Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson.Executive producer: Molly Guinness.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: McSweeney and Barton raise new questions over PM’s judgmentPhoto: Getty Images.

White House correspondents' dinner shooting suspect Cole Tomas Allen has been charged with attempting to assassinate the president. The White House says Saturday’s attack is the third 'assassination attempt' on Donald Trump in the last two years. But what do we know about Allen? And what does this all tell us about the rise of political violence in 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/thestoryGuests:David Charter, assistant editor, US, The Times and The Sunday Times. Nick Bryant, journalist and author of Forever War America's Unending Conflict With Itself and the Substack History Never Ended.Host: Manveen RanaProducers: Julia Webster and Olivia CaseWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Cole Tomas Allen: who is the alleged gunman at correspondents’ dinner?Further listening: Can King Charles fix the special relationship?Clips: The Obama White House / YouTube, C-SPAN, OverDriveGamesAnime / YouTube, ABC, CBS, NBC, The New Yorker, KATU News.Photo: Getty Images.

This episode was recorded before the events at the White House Correspondents’ Association on Saturday.King Charles arrives in America today for a state visit to mark the country’s 250th birthday. But with US-UK relations at a low over Iran - and the Epstein scandal still looming large - the stakes are high. Last week Trump said the monarch could help repair the special relationship so will soft power bring the allies back together?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:Kate Mansey, assistant editor, The Times.Sir David Manning, former British Ambassador to America and former advisor to the Royal Household. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Olivia Case.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: King’s US visit can ‘absolutely’ repair relations, says TrumpFurther listening: The Pope v TrumpClips: The Art of the Surge: The Donald Trump Comeback / Instagram, BBC, DailyMotion, The Royal Family Channel / YouTube, ABC. Photo: Getty Images.