The Story

This Sunday, Brazilians go to the polls to choose their new president. It’s a hugely consequential contest between the incumbent president, left-wing Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and right-wing Flávio Bolsonaro, son of ‘Trump of the Tropics’ Jair Bolsonaro, the jailed former president. But what will it mean if this powerhouse of South America follows so many other countries in the region and swings to the right – and towards the White House?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Stephen Gibbs, contributor, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Olivia Case.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Lula v Bolsonaro Jr: the grudge match to decide who Brazil dislikes leastFurther listening: The fight to expose Mexico's sex-trafficking capitalClips: CBS, The Guardian, @glglobo, Journal da Gazeta, FlavioBolsonaro / Instagram, AP, CBC, Forbes, CBN, lulaoficial / Instagram.Photo: Getty Images.

Yesterday, Labour greenlit Jackdaw, the biggest new British gasfield in almost a decade. But, will it help with energy security or reducing energy bills? And what does it mean for the government's commitment to net zero?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Adam Vaughan, environment editor, The Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Sophie McNulty, Olivia Case.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Who owns Jackdaw field and how will drilling affect the economy?Further listening: Why does the UK have the most expensive energy in Europe?Clips: Sky News, The Guardian, BBC, ITV, Nigel Farage - YouTube, Times Radio, Real Media, Reuters, Scottish Daily Record, Forbes, News24.Photo: Getty Images.

What began as student protests in France against a struggling education system has erupted into a wider wave of unrest over the rising cost of living and failing public services. Similar grievances have sparked demonstrations across Europe, with violent clashes in Belgium and Italy over the weekend. French authorities have now imposed localised curfews, while declaring a state of emergency remains on the cards. So is Europe facing a wider crisis of public discontent? And is this a tipping point? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Charles Bremner, contributor, The Times. Tom Kington, contributor, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana. Producers: Robyn Simon and Olivia Case. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: How our local school protest set France alightFurther listening: The student protests putting Macron’s legacy at riskClips: Channel 4, France 24, Al Jazeera, Tousi TV, DW News, Photo: Getty Images.

For residents of Kyiv, 2026 has been the deadliest year since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Air defences are virtually nonexistent so strikes and civilian deaths have skyrocketed, making Kyiv’s firefighters evermore crucial. Amid the terror and destruction, they have emerged as heroes – public servants who run towards danger to rescue civilians while being targeted by Russian strikes.For the first time, Ukrainian emergency services have allowed a journalist to embed with them. The Sunday Times’ Tom Watling has the exclusive.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Tom Watling, writer, The Sunday Times.Host: Rosie Wright.Producers: Micaela Arneson and Olivia Case.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: A week with the Kyiv firefighters battling Russian drone strikesFurther listening: Sir Anthony Beevor: Russia is ‘a prisoner of their own past’Clips: Fox, BBC, Newsmax, 9News, TalkTV, Asia One News.Photo: Paula Bronstein for The Sunday Times.

In Tenancingo, the country’s sex trafficking capital, children as young as eleven are being forced into prostitution. When they can no longer make money, they ‘disappear’. The state governor has said, it simply does not exist. The women the Sunday Times has spoken to say the problem is worse than anyone knows. Senior correspondent Louise Callaghan travelled to there to investigate.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Louise Callaghan, senior US correspondent, The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Dave Creasey, Micaela Arneson.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: We exposed sex-trafficking town: now officials admit it's a problemClips: El Debate News.Photo: Getty.

After an operation in 2022 to detain the leader of a terrorist cell goes wrong, the SAS is plunged into crisis raising questions about the future of Britain’s special forces.Insight, The Sunday Times investigations team, has gathered witness testimony, leaked documents and open source intelligence, meaning the full story can be told for the first time.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryRead and reported by:Gabriel Pogrund, editor of Insight, The Sunday TimesVenetia Menzies, Insight investigations correspondent, The Sunday TimesEmanuele Midolo, Insight investigations correspondent, The Sunday TimesProducer: Sophie McNultySound designer: Ivan EastleyRead more: SAS in crisis: sent to hunt Isis in Syria. Then arrested for murderFurther listening: Posh George: The criminal behind FarageWatch: How the Insight team investigated the special forces scandalArtwork: Nina KrauseGet in touch:Call or WhatsApp The Sunday Times’s Insight team: 020 7782 5959For any tips: insight@sunday-times.co.uk

The multitude of interconnected wars engulfing the globe are leading many to draw parallels with 1939, the eve of the Second World War. Historian Sir Anthony Beevor – one of the world’s great chroniclers of the 20th century – is one of those raising the alarm, particularly about the threats posed by Russia. Following the release of his new book Rasputin and the Downfall of the Romanovs, we caught up with him at The Times and The Sunday Times-sponsored Cheltenham Literary Festival, to ask what the ‘mad monk’ of late-Imperial Russia can tell us about the country today, and just how dangerous this present moment is.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Sir Anthony Beevor, historian and author of ‘Rasputin: and the downfall of the Romanovs.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Harry Stott.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Antony Beevor: Trump shows signs of dementia. He can’t be controlledFurther listening: Russia revives its nuclear armageddon project, Dead HandClips: BBC, France 24 English, MSNOW, USA Today, War Archives / Youtube, Old Broadcast / Youtube, Admiral Oliver Franklin Doom / Youtube.Photo: Getty Images.

On November 3, Americans will head to the polls for midterm elections that will determine who controls Congress for the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency. While Trump himself isn't technically on the ballot, plummeting approval ratings means the elections are shaping up to be a referendum on his leadership. Republicans face a tough fight, even in traditionally conservative states such as Texas, where a fiercely contested Senate race could deliver a major upset. Will Texas really turn blue? And what would a Democratic victory in Texas mean for Trump’s political future?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Katy Balls, Washington editor, The Times. Host: Manveen Rana.Producers: Robyn Simon, Olivia Case. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Trump’s convention hurt my midterm chances, Ken Paxton says in leaked audio Further listening: Could Trump lose MAGA over Iran?Clips: CBS, C-Span, Fox, MS NOW, CNN, CNBC, KTXS News, James Talarico Youtube Photo: Getty Images.

Over 300,000 people live in ‘temporary’ or ‘supported’ housing, where government-funded rents have no upper-limit. For The Times’ Welfare Inquiry, investigative lead Katie O’Toole goes undercover at an ‘academy’ training landlords in how to profit off housing society’s most vulnerable. She also hears from tenants stranded in supported housing, where severe financial cliff edges penalise those who work. So, who is getting rich from this uncapped system? What is the human cost for those stuck inside it? And where does the system go from here?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuests: Fraser Nelson, columnist, The Times.Katie O'Toole, Welfare Inquiry investigative lead, The Times.Host: Luke Jones.Producer: Sophie McNulty.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: The benefits system is failing. We hope to help fix itClips: Channel 4 News.Photo: Getty Images.