The Story

Sir Ranulph Fiennes is one of the world’s greatest living explorers. After he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2020, he continued to speak publicly about his career and illness. That is, until 2024. Since then, he hasn’t been seen publicly, and many of those closest to him haven’t been able to reach him. So what is happening with Fiennes?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: Ben Ellery, deputy chief reporter, The TimesAlex Millington-Cotes, Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ stepsonHost: Luke JonesProducer: Robyn SimonWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Ranulph Fiennes ‘back home’ after living in care under assumed namesClips: CNN, Chartwell Speakers, BBC.Photo: Getty Images.

In one of the biggest scandals in English football history, Manchester City football club was found guilty this week on all charges of serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. So how did we get here? What will happen to Man City, and what does the scandal mean for the future of English football? 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: Martyn Ziegler, chief sports reporter, The Times and The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Micaela Arneson, Harry Stott. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Manchester City verdict: what happens next?Further listening: The man who revealed Infantino’s world cup disasterClips: BBC, Sky, talkSPORT, ITV, @LouietheReporter via YouTube, ITN. Photo: Getty Images.

The energy price cap goes up again today by 4% – but more pain is around the corner, with forecasts yesterday suggesting a further 16% rise in the new year. Why are UK energy prices, particularly electricity, much more expensive than the US and even most European countries? And while Andy Burnham is promising radical plans to bring them down, will this be enough? 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 Whipple, science writer and special correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Harry Stott.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Why does the UK have the most expensive energy in Europe?Further listening: Does Britain have an energy security problem? Clips: DWS News, Sky News, ITV, Channel 4, Martin Lewis Youtube.Photo: Getty Images.

Christa Pike is set to be executed today, making her the first woman to be put to death in Tennessee in 200 years. Ahead of the execution, Pike has spoken with The Times about her regrets, her fears, and what it’s been like awaiting her final hours. Thirty years on from her trial, she wonders, would she have gotten the same sentence in 2026?Warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence, murder, and sexual abuse.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: Olivia Empson, US correspondent, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Sophie McNulty, Micaela Arneson.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Christa Pike: ‘I have a kinship with Lindsay Clancy’Further listening: He went to jail for exposing America’s darkest 9/11 secret. Should Trump pardon him?Clips: WBIR, Times Radio, PBS, CBS, VICE News.Photo: Tennessee Department of Corrections/Reuters.

The Labour party is jubilant. Andy Burnham has fired the starting gun for the next general election with one of the most consequential conference speeches in recent memory. Burnham used the speech to set out a series of major proposals, including an end to the triple lock, the abolition of first-past-the-post and closer ties with Europe. At the heart of his national project is a care service free at the point of use. Burnham has set out his vision which promises to put Britain on a different road. But can he persuade the country to buy it?Guests:Steven Swinford, political editor, The TimesBen Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday TimesProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty Images

When police arrested five men on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act and explosive offences at RAF Fairford early Sunday morning, questions swirled: who was behind the foiled plot? Should Britain be concerned about its security vulnerabilities? But then the men were released on bail, and suddenly a different question arose: could this entire saga have been a terrible misunderstanding? 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: Mario Ledwith, news reporter, The Times. General Sir Richard Barrons, retired British Army general and defence expert. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Robyn Simon, Micaela Arneson, Paige Reynolds. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: RAF Fairford: police investigate possible Iran link to foiled bomb plotClips: BBC, Sky News.

Deep in Russia’s Ural Mountains lies a secret nuclear bunker, guarded by a gate that has never been seen before. Until now.A Sunday Times joint investigation has revealed that the Cold War-era bunker, long thought to be dormant, is being revamped as President Putin seeks to arm the country against potential nuclear attack. So what does this mean for the West?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: John Mooney, investigations editor in Ireland, The Sunday Times.Host: Luke Jones.Producer: Micaela Arneson.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Revealed: Putin is preparing a base for doomsday nuclear strikesFurther listening: The descent into madness under Putin

When was the last time you read a book? Literacy rates have plummeted across the developed world since the advent of the smartphone and the consequences for society are chilling, says James Marriott. But why does it matter that fewer of us are reading books? And what happens if we all just stop?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 Marriott, columnist, The Times.Host: Luke Jones.Producer: Jennifer Kennedy.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: The death of reading puts the world in a perilous placeFurther listening: Inside the British town contaminated by forever chemicalsClips: ABC, DW News, Good Morning America, TMZ, Tucker Carlson Network.Photo: Getty Images.

For centuries, people who’ve survived near-death experiences have told eerily similar and strange stories. They talk of bright lights, a feeling of euphoria, life flashing before their eyes. For much of that time, such accounts were often relegated to the realm of mysticism. But now, some scientists are beginning to reconsider what happens to you when you’re on the very edge of life and death.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: John NaishProducer: Sophie McNultyWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: The neuroscientists who had near-death experiences – and how it changed themPhoto: Getty Images