The victory of Geert Wilders in Holland’s recent election has raised the spectre of a European Donald Trump. Now scrabbling to put together a coalition government, what does the return of an anti-Islamist, hard-right politician mean for The Netherlands, and for Europe more widely? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes. Guest: Bruno Waterfield, Contributor for The Times in Brussels.  Host: Manveen Rana.  Clips: Reuters, France 24, AP, Al Jazeera, BBC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran has built an intricate network of gangs, private investigators and assassins to target enemies of the regime around the world. An investigation by The Sunday Times has found that Tehran has launched at least 17 plots, including abductions and murders, against UK targets since the start of last year. So, what is it like to be one of these targets? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guest: Dipesh Gadher, Home Affairs Correspondent, The Sunday Times. Host: Luke Jones.  Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk Clips: Forbes, Parliament TV, 60 Minutes, Guardian News, Kayhan Life, Sky News, ABC News, BBC News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Friday, the ceasefire between Israel and Gaza came to an end. But as hostilities resume, are war crimes being committed? We hear from a war lawyer. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guest: Dr Jennifer Maddocks, Assistant Professor of Law at the United States Military Academy, West Point. Host: Manveen Rana. Clips: DW News, the Guardian, MEMRI, BBC, NBC, Bloomberg, CBS, Al Jazeera, MSNBC, Middle East Eye. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A diplomatic row has broken out between Rishi Sunak and his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis over the Elgin Marbles. Today, we’re revisiting an episode from last December, when David Aaronovitch spoke to classicist and British Museum trustee Dame Mary Beard about how the Parthenon sculptures ended up in the UK 200 years ago. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guests: - Dame Mary Beard, classicist. - David Sanderson, Arts Correspondent, The Times. With thanks to The British Museum. Host: David Aaronovitch. Clips: Channel 4 News, Times Radio, Reuters, CBC News, BBC World Service, Al Jazeera, ITV Good Morning Britain, LBC, UK Parliament, LSE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The former Ukip and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage is being paid £1.5 million to take part in ITV’s I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! and is on the trail of Gen Z fans. Could a reality TV career-boost propel him back into politics? And if it does, how might that change the British political landscape? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guest: Caroline Wheeler, Political Editor, The Sunday Times. Host: Jenny Kleeman.  Clips: ITV, The Guardian, Fox News, GB News, Fortune & Freedom, Nigel Farage on TikTok, Channel 5, Nigel Farage on Cameo, Sky News, Times Radio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Negotiations to extend the ceasefire continue. But what could happen when the pause in fighting eventually ends? We bring you the view from both sides, with our correspondents in Israel and Gaza. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guests: Richard Spencer, foreign correspondent, The Times. Amal Helles, The Times’ correspondent in Gaza. Host: Luke Jones. Clips: NBC, Middle East Eye, Times Radio, MEMRI, France 24. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the royals hit the headlines again with the release of another “tell-all” book, what’s it like reporting on ‘The Firm’? Valentine Low, The Times writer on all things royal for the past 15 years has retired, but before he left, he shared some of the highlights of his career as part of the royal press pack.  This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guest: Valentine Low, former writer for The Times. Host: Manveen Rana.  Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk Clips: BBC News, CBS News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, COP28 starts in Dubai. The conference will be chaired by Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, who happens to be the head of the United Arab Emirates’ state oil company. Leaked documents suggest al-Jaber might even be using the climate summit as an opportunity to strike bilateral deals on fossil fuels. So is this year’s COP a farce? Or, beneath the troubling headlines, are there actually signs of progress? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guest: Adam Vaughan, Environment Editor, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk Clips: COP28 UAE, BBC, Associated Press, ABC News, Forbes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christy Kinahan is the former Dublin taxi driver who heads the world’s most wanted international gang. John Mooney, who has been pursuing Christy and his gang for a decade, considers if the net is finally closing in. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Read John’s Sunday Times magazine piece on the Kinahans in full.  Guest: John Mooney, Investigative Reporter, The Sunday Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk Clips: RTE, Virgin Media News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This weekend we're bringing you a documentary special from Times Radio's sister station, talkSPORT. British-Ukrainian journalist and reporter Andrew Todos looks at how football in Ukraine has found its feet again, even as the war continues. Featuring Ukrainian icons Andriy Shevchenko, Sergei Rebrov and Oleksandr Zinchenko. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, Sam Altman the CEO of OpenAI - the makers of ChatGPT - was sacked by his board. After a dramatic few days, he is back at the company along with a new board. But is it really business as usual at OpenAI? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guest: Danny Fortson, West Coast Correspondent, The Sunday Times.   Host: Manveen Rana.   Clips: BBC, CNBC, PBS Newshour, YouTube - SimplyAI, Invest With Pluto, Daragh Walsh, PlayAlchemist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been nearly seven weeks since 240 Israeli hostages were seized in a terrorist attack by Hamas. The attack was followed by intense retaliatory bombings of the Gaza strip by the Israeli army and thousands of Palestinians have been killed. Finally, a deal for the release of some hostages has been brokered between Hamas and Israel, and a four-day ceasefire in Gaza may begin on Friday. So what has been happening behind the scenes to bring the deal about? And what does this pivotal moment mean for the future of the conflict? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guest: Catherine Philp, World Affairs Editor, The Times. Host: Luke Jones. Email us: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk Clips: Fox News, Sky News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British director Sir Ridley Scott's new epic, Napoleon, is released in cinemas today. It comes as Marvel’s latest film suffered its lowest box office opening ever, raising questions about the future of superhero movies. Have audiences grown tired of the genre Scott has called "boring as shit"? Our critic gives his verdict on the new release, and assesses the state of cinema in 2023. This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guest: Tom Shone, Sunday Times film critic and author of The Nolan Variations and Blockbuster: How Hollywood Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Summer. Host: Luke Jones. Two-for-one cinema tickets at Everyman for Times+ members: https://www.mytimesplus.co.uk/offers/two-for-one-cinema-tickets-at-everyman Email us: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk Clips: 20th Century Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Lucasfilm/Disney, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Hovis, MGM, HBO Max. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tomorrow, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will present his Autumn Statement to the Commons. For a government down in the polls, it may offer the opportunity for giveaways - and the Prime Minister says his government “can and will” cut taxes. But, with an economic recovery precarious, and coming before a general election next year, could a future Labour government be left paying the bill? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guest: Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk Clips: ITV, Sky News, Reuters, BBC News, David Boothroyd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Polling ahead of next year’s election shows a majority of Americans think Biden is too old to be president. Rambling speeches, stumbles, and his advancing years are a cause for alarm in the Democratic Party. As he turns 81 today, is it time for him to step aside for another candidate? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guest: Ben Hoyle, Foreign Editor, The Sunday Times. Host: Luke Jones. Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk Clips: NBC News, CBS News, MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, C-Span, Aspen Ideas Festival. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Sunday we're bringing you a bonus episode from a new podcast: Normal Women, from celebrated novelist and historian Philippa Gregory. Normal Women is a radical retelling of our nation’s story – not of the rise and fall of kings and the occasional queen – but of social and cultural change, powered by the determination, persistence and effectiveness of women, from 1066 to modern times. This is not a podcast about three or four well-known heroines. It is a story about millions of women: those who left records and those who were ‘hidden from history.’ Find the rest of the series here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seven years ago, Fifa introduced the VAR system: the video assistant referee. It was meant to help make quicker, more accurate decisions about on-field incidents like off-side and handballs. But after a series of recent errors, is it ruining the beautiful game? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guest: Martyn Ziegler, Chief Sports Reporter, The Times and The Sunday Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk Clips: BBC, TNT Sport, Premier League, talkSPORT, Sky, ITV, Liverpool FC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The final season of the hit Netflix series The Crown comes out today. The show has reanimated events lost to history, and put our fascination with the royals into overdrive, but it has also made liberal use of its creative licence. So what has it taught us? And does it matter if drama plays with the truth of real lives? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guest: Andrew Billen, Feature Writer, The Times. Host: Luke Jones. Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk Clips: NBC Today show, The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix/The Crown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Israel focuses on fighting Hamas in Gaza, tensions are rising in the other Palestinian territory, the occupied West Bank. Since October 7, violence between Palestinians and Israeli settlers has led to the death of over 180 people, mostly Palestinians. With Israel now fighting on two fronts - Gaza and Lebanon - could it cope with a third? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guest: Catherine Philp, World Affairs Editor, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk Clips: Reuters, Al jazeera, CBS News, France 24, DW News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former prime minister David Cameron is back in the government after Rishi Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle. Pressure had been mounting on Sunak to sack Suella Braverman after a controversial opinion piece in The Times last week. So why is Cameron back? And what do the appointments mean for the Conservatives and their election strategy? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.  Guest: Steven Swinford, Political Editor, The Times. Host: Luke Jones.  Get in touch: storiesofourtimes@thetimes.co.uk  Music: 'Fantasy on David Cameron (Cameron's lament in C minor)' courtesy of Thomas Hewitt Jones. Follow Thomas at @thewittjones on Twitter and @thomashewittjonesmusic on Facebook. And you can hear the full track here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhyORjJ00Rk  Clips: Sky News, Times Radio, BBC News, BBC Radio 4, TalkTV. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.