The Prime Minister has been hunkered down in his Chequers residence, trying to decide what to do: resign or fight. The pressure on him to step down has now reached fever pitch since Andy Burnham’s by-election win last week. But as ministers jostle for position in a potential new government, who is still telling him to fight on? And if he does give in, how much would actually change under a Prime Minister Burnham?

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: Aubrey Allegretti, chief political correspondent, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producers: Micaela Arneson, Harry Stott.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: In public, Keir Starmer is defiant. In private, he ‘considers resigning’

Further listening: The State of It: Andy Burnham wins Makerfield: what happens now?

Clips: BBC News, Sky News.

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.

Nearly 7,000 men have played in the World Cup since it began in 1930. To capture some of their extraordinary stories, The Times' football reporter James Gheerbrant set out on a quest to track down 48 players from the 48 countries playing in this year's tournament. We hear the remarkable memories of 3 of them: One of the old surviving players, another who trained under the shadow of gunfire in Vietnam, and a final player whose team endured death threats.

Guest: James Gheerbrant, football reporter, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Dave Creasey.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: 48 countries, 48 players: World Cup through eyes of men who played in it.

Further listening: Who is the “king of soccer" Gianni Infantino?

Clips: ITN, BBC, 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.

Sophia Greenwood was adopted as a baby and spent years searching for her biological parents. When she finally met her father at the age of 24, neither could have predicted what happened next. Their relationship would spark controversy, lead to criminal proceedings, and shape the rest of their lives.

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

Written by: Sophia Greenwood and Helen Croydon.

Read by: Molly Guinness.

Producer: Dave Creasey.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: I was 24 when I met my biological father. Then we had an affair

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.

Andy Burnham's victory in Makerfield makes him Labour leader and prime minister in waiting. How will the next days and weeks play out? Keir Starmer has said he will stand in a leadership contest if one is triggered. So does that mean a bloody contest rather than a coronation? In a special episode recorded live on Times Radio with Ed Vaizey, we go through the possible scenarios.

Hosts:

• Ed Vaizey, presenter, Times Radio
• Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times
• Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times

Producers: Harry Kitson, Erin Carney

Executive producer: Molly Guinness

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.

The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding this week to begin negotiations toward a broader peace agreement in the Middle East. But what does the deal look like inside Iran? And how are ordinary Iranians responding to this moment?

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: Fatemeh Jamalpour, Iranian journalist in exile and author of For the Sun After Long Nights.

Host: Luke Jones

Producers: Sophie McNulty, Elle Scott.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: In Tehran, Iranians dare to hope this is the death of the regime

Further listening: Will Trump’s Iran peace deal hold?

Clips: NBC, CNN, The Guardian, Donald Trump - Truth Social, PBS, 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.

Eighteen firebombings across Europe, including in London, have all been allegedly traced back to one man. Iranian-backed Mohammed al-Saadi was finally caught by the FBI last month. But how did a man no one had heard of come to allegedly execute these orders? And how was he finally caught?

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: Dipesh Gadher, home affairs correspondent, The Sunday Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producer: Olivia Case.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: How net closed in on ‘mastermind behind UK arson attacks’

Clips: ABC, i24News.

Photo: FBI, Instagram.

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 England kick off their World Cup campaign tonight, one man will be impossible to ignore: FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Hailed by supporters as the man who transformed football’s governing body and accused by critics of chasing power and influence, he's become one of the most powerful figures in global sport. But who is the man at the centre of football's biggest stage?

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: Martyn Ziegler chief sports reporter, The Times.

Host: Luke Jones.

Producers: Dave Creasey and Edward Drummond.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: The ruthless rise of Gianni Infantino and his Fifa money machine

Further listening: The Game

Clips: BBC News, FIFA, Sky News, Channel 4 News, Fox News, CNN.

Image: 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 government has announced a ban on some social media platforms for under-16s. It’s a move that echoes a similar ban introduced by the Australian government, which came into effect in December. So what are teens actually looking at on social media? And will a ban help?

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: Mark Sellman, technology correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producers: Micaela Arneson, Harry Bligh.

We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com

Read more: Doomscrolling 708 videos a day: how TikTok turned our teens into addicts

Further listening: How infinite scrolling damages our brains - The Saturday Story

Clips: The Times, Times Radio, Revealing Reality, BBC News, Sky News.

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.