The Story

What starts as a quick check of social media can quickly turn into an hour lost to scrolling. The culprit is infinite scroll, a feature once built for convenience that has become one of the most powerful tools ever created for holding our attention. In fact, it's now thought the average Brit will spend five years of their waking lives doomscrolling. So how did infinite scroll come to dominate our online lives and what is it doing to our brains?

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: Fleur Britten, contributor, The Times.
Producer: Dave Creasey.
Further reading: I created infinite scroll. Now I regret how it damages our brains
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Photo: Ilustration by Jasmine lee
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In December 2025, 18 year-old Henry Nowak was stabbed in the street. This week, his murderer Vickrum Digwa was given a life sentence. The case has ignited a debate about whether so-called 'two-tier policing' exists in the UK. So where does this leave our police forces?

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:
Matt Dathan, home affairs editor, The Times.
Chris Hobbs, retired police officer.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Producers: Olivia Case, Colette Fountain, Sophie McNulty.
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]
Read more: What happened to Henry Nowak? How the Southampton case unfolded
Further listening: Makerfield: the by-election which could decide the next election.
Clips: BT, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, Sky, Daily Express, The Financial Express, Parliamentlive.tv,
Photo: Adobe stock.
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 the Makerfield by-election on June 18th and one of Keir Starmer’s key challengers - Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham - is vying for a seat. If he becomes the MP it’ll enable him to challenge Starmer for the top job. Elsewhere there’s a battle on the right as Reform and Restore Britain face off. But who's got the best chance of success, in this complicated constituency that’s more than meets the eye?

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: Darryl Morris, presenter, Times Radio.
Host: Luke Jones.
Producer: Olivia Case.

We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]
Read more: Who are the Makerfield constituents that could choose the next PM?
Further listening: Fordingbridge rape victim: “I’m the one being punished”
Clips: Restore Britain / Instagram, BBC, The Guardian, Mayor of Manchester / YouTube, @andy.burnham / TikTok, Reform UK.
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.

An alleged expletive-filled phone call between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu has laid bare deep tensions over the war in Lebanon. As the conflict escalates, could it derail Trump's hopes of securing a deal with Iran?

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:
Dr Lina Khatib, Associate fellow at the Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House.
George Grylls, Washington Correspondent, The Times.
Host: Manveen Rana.
Producers: Dave Creasey and Colette Fountain.
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]
Read more: ‘Everybody hates Israel’, Trump allegedly tells Netanyahu in angry call
Further listening: Is Lebanon the key to peace in the Middle East?
Clips: 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.

A student, Henry Nowak, who had been stabbed repeatedly told police “I can’t breathe” as they handcuffed him minutes before he died, newly-released bodycam footage has revealed. His attacker, Vickrum Digwa, falsely alleged that Nowak had racially abused him and knocked his turban off, prompting police to handcuff the teenager.

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: Oli Wright, policy editor, The Times.
Host: John Pienaar.
Producers: Sandra Mitchell, Sofia Johanson
We want to hear from you - email: [email protected]

Read more: Police officers face death threats over Henry Nowak murder case
Clips: Parliament TV, Nigel Farage, Good Morning Britain.
Photo: Courtesy of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.
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.