The Story

This is episode one of a five-part special investigation into county lines drug dealing from The Times and The Sunday Times first published in March.

Today we reveal how police took down the family controlling the drug trade in one British city, creating a power vacuum that was filled by a new breed of violent, criminal operation - county lines.

The Sunday Times' northern editor David Collins is given unprecedented access to North Yorkshire Police as they fight back against the drug gangs.

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 more: Exposed: how drug gangs deal without fear as the law can’t keep up | I was a county lines drug runner. I tried to quit, then I was stabbed
Watch: School-age kingpins: why children now hold the key to county lines
Host: David Collins
Producers: Kate Lamble, Taryn Siegel
Executive producers: Tim Walklate, Dan Box
We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com
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.
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Karen Carter was murdered outside her home in the tranquil Dordogne village of Trémolat. The police launched a manhunt, and slowly a story of obsession, romance, and unrequited love started to come to light. So, why would someone murder a well-liked member of the community? And what’s the latest development in the police investigation?

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: Jane Flanagan, Africa correspondent, The Times.
Host: Luke Jones.
Producer: Sophie McNulty.
We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Murder in the Dordogne: obsession, affairs, unrequited love
Further listening: Has an AI sleuth unmasked the Zodiac Killer?
Clips: France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine, RTL.
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.

While recovering from a heart attack, Times sports journalist Owen Slot distracted himself by watching a summer of thrilling sport. He was still hooked up to a heart rate monitor, so he decided to run an experiment: how would his heart react to the drama?

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: Owen Slot, chief sports writer, The Times.
Producer: Jennifer Kennedy.
We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com
Read more: Sport moves you like nothing else — as I found out after my heart attack
Clips: talkSPORT.
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.

Nigel Farage has done the inevitable and defeated Count Binface in the Clacton by-election. To celebrate, Reform threw a gigantic Glastonbury-style festival on Clacton beach. Farage-fest 2026 featured disco, live music and even a Ferris wheel. But during his victory speech, Farage admitted for the first time that he may have made a mistake by failing to declare the £5m gift he received from Christopher Harborne. Now, just hours after his victory, the parliamentary standards watchdog has resumed its investigation into the Reform leader. So, after the Ferris wheel and the fanfare, what next for the embattled Farage?

Hosts:
Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times
Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times

Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson

Picture: 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.

It’s been five years since the Taliban took over Afghanistan’s capital. Since then, the country has been plunged into economic crisis and women have all but disappeared from society. The Times’ special correspondent Anthony Loyd has been reporting from Afghanistan for 30 years. He’s been back on the streets of Kabul and on patrol with the Taliban’s morality police finding out what life is like for ordinary Afghans.

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: Anthony Loyd, special correspondent, The Times.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Producers: Emily Webb, Jennifer Kennedy.
We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: On patrol with the Taliban’s ‘Virtue and Vice’ police
Clips: BBC, Al Jazeera, DW News, ABC News, Fox 59, CBS, ARB 24.
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.