Stories of our times

Last weekend's investigation by the Insight team into the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic made headlines around the world. We talk to them about how they researched the story and get their rebuttal to the government's subsequent criticism.Guests:Jonathan Calvert, editor of The Sunday Times Insight investigative teamGeorge Arbuthnott, deputy editor of The Sunday Times Insight investigative teamHost:Manveen Rana. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Times writer Sathnam Sanghera goes on a personal journey to find out why people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds are suffering disproportionately from Covid-19.Guest: Sathnam Sanghera, author and writer at the Times. Host: Manveen Rana.Sathnam's article for the Saturday magazine: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-and-ethnicity-black-and-asian-nhs-medics-on-the-front-line-dhznrc3kc Clips: BBC, @borisjohnson, Good Morning Britain (ITV), TalkRadio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United States is now at the centre of the global coronavirus crisis and New York is the worst hit city in the country. What’s it like for regular New Yorkers at the centre of the pandemic? Guests:‏Laura Pullman, The Sunday Times New York correspondent.The audio diaries from nine New Yorkers. Host: Manveen Rana. NB: Caurice Wynters, one of the New Yorkers who spoke with us, is raising money to cover medical and living expenses for her family, after they all got sick with covid-19. You can contribute here: https://bit.ly/3aOBRWp Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Swedish government's approach to coronavirus has been controversial. Unlike in the UK, they have urged citizens to take personal responsibility for enforcing social distancing rather than using police forces to ensure rules are followed. Now that the country has passed the grim milestone of 1,000 coronavirus deaths, what can the UK learn from the Swedish government's light-touch approach to the pandemic? Guests: Louise Callaghan, Middle East correspondent for the Sunday Times.  Host: Manveen Rana Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The World Health Organisation has recognised that the coronavirus crisis is generating stress and has advised people to avoid watching, reading or listening to news that causes feelings of anxiety. But for author Jon Ronson, living with anxiety at the time of a pandemic holds some advantages too. Guest: Jon RonsonHost: Manveen Rana Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The waters have cleared in Venice, air pollution over China has dropped and goats have reclaimed a Welsh town. But just how sustainable are these seemingly positive side effects of the coronavirus crisis on our climate and the natural world?Guest: Liz Bonnin, scientist and natural history presenter. Host: Manveen Rana.Clips: BBC, NBC, Channel 4, DW News. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How has the government fared enforcing their mantra of: 'stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives'?Guests: Caroline Wheeler, Deputy political editor of The Sunday Times.Rosamund Urwin, Senior reporter at The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Couples all around Britain are being asked to make tough decisions. Apart or together, the Health Secretary's advice is clear: "make your choice and stick with it." We speak to one couple in the middle of a divorce in isolation together, and one couple very much in love but separated by coronavirus (and an ocean). Guests: Steph (a nurse in Chicago treating coronavirus patients) and Katie (a tech consultant from London).Kenny (a former journalist now in PR) and Helen (a business coach), both living in Wales.Host: Manveen Rana. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Aaronovitch talks to the editor-in-chief of the Lancet, Dr Richard Horton, and Times science editor, Tom Whipple, about the global response to the crisis. Which country has got the right approach? Guests:Dr Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of the Lancet Tom Whipple, The Times science editor Host: David Aaronovitch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 1980s, the HIV/AIDS pandemic called for a clear, bold public health message. David Aaronovitch explores whether there are lessons to be learned for the government's response to Covid-19. Guests: Malcolm Gaskin, designer who created the UK's 1987 'Aids: Don't Die of Ignorance' campaign. Simon Fanshawe is a broadcaster and activist. He is one of the founders of Stonewall. Host: David Aaronovitch  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hundreds of thousands of years ago, Homo sapiens were not alone. Tom Whipple explains how we once shared the earth with Neanderthals and even 'hobbits'. Guest: Tom Whipple, Science Editor for The Times. Chris Stringer, Merit Researcher in human origins at the London Natural History Museum. Host: Manveen Rana Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Technology might be the answer to our problems - but could we be giving up our privacy in return for our liberty? Guest: Danny Fortson, The Sunday Times West Coast correspondent Host: David Aaronovitch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are we doing enough to stop the spread of coronavirus? And what does the World Health Organisation think our approach should be from here?Guests: Dr Kluge is Europe Director of Public Health at the World Health Organisation Kat Lay is Health Correspondent at The Times.  Host: Manveen Rana Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Norman and Jorge are flatmates. But Norman happens to be 92 and Jorge is 26. In the time of coronavirus, this makes their friendship hard to navigate. What does the future hold for our intergenerational relationships? And how can we best keep our loved ones safe?  Guests: Norman, 92, Jorge, 26.  Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director for Age UK. Host: Manveen Rana. Special thanks to Two Generations for putting us in touch with the duo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will the iconic koala be able to survive after Australia's recent bushfires left the country's vast wildlife population in peril? Guest: Bernard Lagan, Australia Correspondent at The Times Host: Manveen Rana Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's going on behind the scenes at Number 10 to tackle coronavirus? And is the government moving fast enough to prevent the spread of covid-19 across the UK? Guests: Steven Swinford, Deputy Political Editor at The Times. David McCoy, professor of Global Public Health at Queen Mary University in London. Host: Manveen Rana Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should the Olympics be postponed? And what could this mean for athletes? The Times's own Olympian and sports columnist Matthew Syed has the story. Guests: Matthew Syed, table tennis player and Times columnist Hayley Wickenheiser, Canadian ice hockey player Host: Manveen Rana Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a number of existing therapies are being re-purposed to help patients with the most severe Covid-19 symptoms, we speak to a UK-based bioscience company about a drug they've developed and explore how it is being used in Italy. Guests: Tom Whipple, The Times science editorSomeit Sidhu, CEO and Co-founder of Izana BioscienceHost: Manveen Rana Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Saturday Labour party members selected a new leader. Is this the end of Corbynism? And what is the role of the opposition in the time of crisis? Guest: Rachel Sylvester, political columnist for The Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One week into the shutdown, and millions of us are dealing with the effects of isolation for the first time, but one British doctor is better prepared than most of us. Dr Beth Healey shares her lessons from a year spent in Antarctica studying the effects of isolation.Guest: Dr Beth Healey. Host: Manveen Rana.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.