The Story

With her husband Donald left reeling after last week's US midterm elections, Melania Trump is quietly having a moment.

She helped secure a ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky and now has her sights set on further peace in the war torn country - she’s just hosted a meeting at the White House between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.

How - and why - did Melania get involved in this war, when she once seemed so keen to stay out of politics? And who’s really benefitting?

Guest: Maxim Tucker, Ukraine correspondent, The Times.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Producer: Olivia Case.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com
Further listening: How North Korea became a crypto-theft world leader
Clips: First Post, CBS, NBC, SKY, Forbes, MS Now, America’s Let’s Move, The Carter Centre, YouTube, StartUp Health, Fox5 Atlanta, CNN, ABC, Kyiv Independent, BBC, MS Now, MSNBC, Nine Network, Melania / Amazon MGM Studios, The National News Desk.
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's conviction of Russell Brand on rape and sexual assault charges followed a joint investigation into the comedian and Hollywood actor by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches programme.

Today we're re-publishing that original investigation, led by journalists Rosamund Urwin and Charlotte Wace, as it went out in The Story in September 2023.

A warning: this episode does contain detailed allegations of rape and sexual assault.

Rosamund and Charlotte have since been covering Brand's trial in our sister podcast, The Trial of Russell Brand

Brand himself denies the allegations.

Guests:
Rosamund Urwin, chief news correspondent, The Sunday Times
Charlotte Wace, investigations correspondent, The Times

Host: Manveen Rana

Producers: Will Roe and Edward Drummond

Read more:
Russell Brand accused of rape, sexual assaults and abuse
Russell Brand told the world who he was for decades

Clips: BBC, Channel 4, Universal Pictures UK, ITV News, ITV, Endemol, Russell Brand YouTube Channel, CBS

Photo: Getty image

Helplines:
Rape Crisis England & Wales
Rape Crisis Scotland
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.

Last week, it emerged that an unnamed celebrity had asked a court for anonymity, and an injunction to stop two news outlets airing allegations that he abused his fame to prey on young women. The request was partly made on mental health grounds - he said he’d kill himself ‘at the earliest opportunity’ if publication went ahead. It’s prompted a storm of speculation about who the man is, and sparked a debate on press freedom and responsibility. So will the claims be published and will the man - who denies the allegations - be revealed?

This podcast contains discussions around suicide.

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: Pia Sarma, editorial legal director at Times Media and deputy general counsel at News UK.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Producer: Olivia Case.
We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Celebrity ‘suicide’ injunction could open floodgates, warns Ian Hislop
Further listening: How the rich and powerful try to intimidate the press
Clips: TalkTV, Times Radio, Sky, Channel 4, Al Jazeera.
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.

The comedian and Hollywood actor Russell Brand has been found guilty of rape and sexual assault following a trial at London's Southwark Crown Court.

The trial itself followed an investigation by The Times and The Sunday Times, along with Channel 4's Dispatches.

In this episode of our sister podcast, The Trial of Russell Brand, the reporters who led that investigation join Luke Jones to describe being in court as the jury delivered its verdict.

Watch or listen to The Trial of Russell Brand every weekday on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or listen on Spotify. Follow the show to never miss an episode.

Send us your questions: investigates.podcasts@thetimes.com
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.

The results of Tuesday’s US midterm elections are in – and the results are astounding. Democrats flipped some historic red states to gain control of Congress, in a bruising rebuke to Donald Trump. But what does this stunning victory mean for the Democrats? And who could run for president in 2028? We asked our reporters across the US after they watched the results come in.

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:
David Charter, assistant editor in the US, The Times.
George Grylls, Washington correspondent, The Times.
Susie Coen, US correspondent, The Times.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Producers: Micaela Arneson, Shabnam Grewal.
We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Will Trump be impeached? What happens now Democrats have won the midterms
Further listening: US midterms: Can the Democrats flip Texas?
Clips: ABC, NBC, BBC, The Guardian, Fox News, James Talarico via Facebook, C-SPAN, CNN.
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.