The Story

The countdown has begun for the launch of NASA's Artemis II mission around the Moon, the first manned mission there in more than 50 years. Their voyage around our nearest neighbour will pave the way for a lunar landing and, eventually, a Moon base. But why is there suddenly rekindled interest in moon exploration, and could this bring humans toward the ultimate goal of reaching Mars?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest:
Scott Kelly, retired NASA astronaut.
Kaya Burgess, science and religious affairs correspondent for The Times.
Host: Manveen Rana
Producer: Julia Webster
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Read more: Artemis II: mission to the Moon
Further listening: The Epstein Files, AI journalism and the future of truth - The Sunday Story
Clips: NASA, John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, PBS, Space Age Archive, Associated Press, CriticalPast, Cosmosphere.
Photo: Kathia Mestanza, Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has threatened that the US would “obliterate Kharg Island” if a deal with Tehran was not reached. The US president has suggested he’d put boots on the ground to seize control of Iran's key oil export terminal. So why does the island matter so much? How would a ground invasion work? And just how risky is it to the US troops involved?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guests:
George Grylls, Washington correspondent, The Times.
Sir Simon Mayall, ex-Lieutenant General in the British army and author.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Producer: Harry Stott, Olivia Case.
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

Read more: Can the US take Kharg Island? How an invasion could play out
Further listening: Q&A: What we know (and don't know) about Trump's Iran talks
Clips: CBC, FOX, BBC, C-SPAN.
Photo: Getty Images.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of war, was one of the most controversial picks in Trump’s cabinet. But as Trump’s foreign adventures have come to define his second term, Hegseth is not just more visible, he’s become the Iran war’s main cheerleader. So who is he?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Guest: Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist, the Times and the Sunday Times.
Host: Manveen Rana
Producers: Harry Stott and Micaela Arneson
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

Read more: Pete Hegseth, the former soldier and TV host selling Trump’s war
Further listening: Q&A: What we know (and don't know) about Trump's Iran talks
Clips: FOX, BBC, Forbes, CBS, SKY.
Photo: Getty Images.
This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As AI seeps into every corner of art, film and social media, up next, it's podcasts. An AI-generated show called The Epstein Files topped the Apple series charts last week, bringing you the very latest on the colossal 3.5 million documents, in a time frame that most journalists could only dream of. Even the hosts are AI. But does it work? And what does AI-led journalism mean for the future of investigations and the search for truth? We tracked down its creator.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Host: Manveen Rana
Producer: Robert Wallace
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]
Photo: Getty Images.
This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Channel 5 broadcast a dramatisation of the downfall of former BBC news anchor Huw Edwards, with Martin Clunes in the lead role. The programme traces the events that led to his sudden and very public fall from grace. Andrew Billen, veteran journalist who specialises in interviews with celebrities, politicians and writers at The Times, met Edwards on several occasions, including the day before his world came crashing down. In a compelling piece published this week, Billen reflects on the man he thought he knew.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory

Read by: Andrew Billen, features writer, The Times.
Producer: Dave Creasey.
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]
Read more: I’ve met Huw Edwards, here’s what the TV drama gets right (and wrong)
Photo: Getty Images
This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.