The Story

On Monday, the government released more than a thousand documents related to Peter Mandelson’s controversial appointment as ambassador to the US. It’s one of the largest publications of secret documents to parliament in UK history. The files contain insights into how Mandelson operated and what he, and ministers, really thought of the prime minister. So what does all this mean for the embattled Keir Starmer? 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: Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Micaela Arneson, Sophie McNulty. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Mandelson files release: ministers prepare for day of humiliation Further listening: When Andrew met MandelsonClips: Parliament.tv.

As AI continues to grow, its innovators have warned of its potential impact on jobs. Meanwhile, young people in the UK are facing record levels of unemployment. Fearing for his own teenage daughter’s future, one Microsoft veteran has taken matters into his own hands and used data to identify the most AI-proof jobs.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: Babith Bhoopalan, creator, AI Career Playbook.Thea Babith.Host: Luke Jones.Producers: Colette Fountain.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more:My daughter wants a career that survives AI — so I ranked them Answered by an expert, the AI career questions every parent asksPhoto: Chona Kasinger for The Times.

Gisèle Pelicot has become a symbol of dignity, courage and defiance after waiving her anonymity and insisting her trial — in which dozens of men were accused of raping her while she was drugged unconscious by her husband — be held in public. In a rare interview, she speaks to Jane Garvey about why she no longer wants to be defined as a victim.This episode originally aired on Off Air with Jane an Fi on 26th May 2026. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryHost: Jane GarveyProducers: Dave Creasey, Eve Salusbury and Rosie Cutler.Further reading: Gisèle Pelicot: Pornography is a scourge on childhoodWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comPhoto: Getty Images

Pressures of migrant parents, the shackles of family expectation, and the urge to reinvent yourself in 90s Britain - all themes that connect writer Sathnam Sanghera with George Michael. Growing up in Wolverhampton as the son of Sikh immigrants, Sanghera was a teenage Wham obsessive, later finding unexpected parallels with the pop star’s life, and his own.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: Sathnam Sanghera, contributor, The Times.Producer: Dave Creasey.Further reading: Sathnam Sanghera: how George Michael changed my lifeWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comClips: BBC, CNN, ITV. Faith - George Michael.Photo: Robert Wilson for the Times magazine.

As discussions - and tensions - rumble on in the Middle East, what are the stumbling blocks that have prevented a peace deal so far? And the Makerfield by-election which could help decide our next prime minister is fast approaching; we’ve got all you need to know on both topics, 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. Producer: Olivia Case.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Israel bombs ancient sites as it pushes deeper into southern LebanonFurther listening: Is Trump being out-negotiated over Iran?Clip: BBC.Photo: Getty Images.

In January last year, a 14 year old girl we’re calling Olivia, was attacked by three boys in Fordingbridge in Hampshire. Two were aged 14 and one just 13 years old. One of the boys raped her while the other two filmed the attack. Just two months earlier, the older boys had attacked another girl in an underpass in the same town. The three boys were convicted of ten rape charges related to the two attacks. But they were given rehabilitation orders rather than jail time. It’s a decision which has sparked outrage. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister announced their sentence will now be reviewed. Now, Olivia and her family have spoken to The Times about the trauma they've experienced and what they hope will happen next. 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: Jessica Sharkey, crime correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Sophie McNulty, Harry Stott, Micaela Arneson.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Fordingbridge rape victim: I feel like I’m the one being punishedFurther listening: She convicted her rapist years after her deathClips: Channel 5 News, ITN, BBC, The Times. Photo: Getty Images.

Iranian officials remain in Qatar, negotiating the details of a possible peace plan for the region. Discussions continue even after American strikes hit targets in southern Iran late on Monday. So, is peace actually within reach? What’s really on the table? And after months of escalation and bluster, could President Trump end up the biggest loser in all of this?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: Michael Stephens, senior associate fellow, RAND Europe and RUSI. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Sophie McNulty, Micaela Arneson. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Trump’s Iran peace deal will come with strings attachedFurther listening: How did Pakistan become the peacemakers?Clips: The White House, CNN, Channel 4 News, NBC News, Fox News. Photo: Getty Images.

A leaked Pentagon memo suggesting the US could withdraw support for British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands has thrust the remote territory back into the global spotlight. The controversy revived memories of war in 1982, when the Argentinian junta attempted to assert their own claim to the islands. The scars of that conflict are still deeply felt – so could US statements renew fears of invasion? And what is life like for islanders 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: Matthew Campbell, foreign features editor, The Times and Sunday Times.Host: Luke Jones.Producers: Julia Webster and Sophie McNulty.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: The Falkland Islands are richer than Britain, but anxiety’s in the airFurther listening: Why Svalbard could be in Putin’s sightsClips: Sky News, C5N, BBC.Photo: Sunday Times photographer Jack Hill.

With the manosphere in mainstream, make way for the "femosphere". A movement urging women to rethink love entirely. Less romance and more strategy, no splitting the bill and no over-investing emotionally. But is it a bleak vision of dating, or the future of feminism?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: Sarah Ditum, contributor, The Times.Host: Luke Jones.Producer: Dave CreaseyWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: No hook-ups and men must pay: inside the femosphereClips: The Female Dating Strategy, CNN.Photo: Getty Images.