The Standard

On a small farm in Chinsali, in Zambia’s far northeast, girls are learning new farming techniques in the hopes of saving our planet.Ros Russell presents a special episode as part of the Let Girls Learn series, where the Evening Standard is hearing stories from around the globe that shine a light on innovations and solutions that are helping girls to fulfil their right to healthy, productive futures.You can learn more about Let Girls Learn on the Evening Standard website here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Evening Standard's sports team takes over the podcast ahead of an extraordinary weekend of football. The Premier League kicks off without Harry Kane after Tottenham agreed a £100million deal with Bayern Munich. Meanwhile pressure's growing on Mikel Arteta at Arsenal following the club's multi-million pound player buys in the pre-season.  And in Australia, England face Columbia in the quarter finals of the Women's World Cup. But they'll have to do it without Lauren James who was sent off in their last 16 game against Nigeria. This episode is hosted by our chief football correspondent Dan Kilpatrick with the Evening Standard's Nizaar Kinsella in London and Simon Collings reporting from Australia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rail passengers on commuter routes into London could face hefty fare increases in the new year forecast to add hundreds of pounds to season tickets even while inflation is falling.It comes amid growing passenger criticism of services often hobbled by strikes, delays, cancellations and timetable cutbacks.Yearly national rail ticket price rises are normally closely linked to Retail Price Index inflation, as measured the previous July.But last year as inflation soared, ministers ditched the RPI formula - plus or minus one per cent - to avoid a massive 12.3 per cent increase.Instead, they pegged that fare rise to average earnings growth and came up with a ticket hike figure of 5.9 per cent, delayed from January until March.At the time, the Government insisted the new method of calculation was “for this year only” - and now faces a similar dilemma, with the RPI in June at 10.7 per cent, which has since fallen slightly.The Department for Transport says ministers seek to “strike a balance between supporting mainline passengers and keeping our railways running”, however officials are still weighing up how to levy the new year fare hikes.The Leader podcast’s joined by Christian Wolmar, transport journalist and presenter of the Calling All Stations podcast, who’s written an analysis on the subject for Thursday’s Evening Standard.So, is it still possible to find commuter season ticket bargains? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is fresh turmoil among London’s Conservatives as the party launches a probe into its electoral operations in the capital.Voters will likely go to the polls both nationally and in London in 2024. Now the internal review, news of which was broken by LBC, comes just weeks after Susan Hall’s selection as the Conservatives’ London mayoral candidate.The investigation will focus on the “structures, processes, and organisation of the Conservative Party in London”, but senior Tories also want party chairman Greg Hands to ensure the inquiry covers the selection process to choose their London mayoral candidate.However, Richard Barnes, the former Conservative deputy mayor of London, told LBC that the probe risked “totally undermining her position”.It comes after the Conservatives’ surprise by-election win, by 495 votes, last month in Boris Johnson’s former constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip.For the latest, The Leader podcast is joined by Evening Standard political editor Nicholas Cecil. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New UN climate chief Professor Jim Skea issues warning to world leaders in exclusive interview. Politicians “will be judged” on delivery of net zero strategy. Leaders urged to “stick to” shift from petrol and diesel cars to EVs. Our Political Editor Nicholas Cecil explains the warnings issued by new IPCC Chair Professor Jim Skea, that climate change is happening faster than experts predicted.  In this episode:Warning climate change is happening faster than expectedHow opening new oil reserves leads to “very difficult choices” for future governmentsJust Stop Oil ‘keep fossil fuels on the agenda’ but risk ‘alienating’ publicHow cities have more power to make change than governmentsWill leaders listen to Professor Skea’s warnings?Follow us on Twitter or on Threads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s just weeks to go until London’s expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone is brought into force.So, how ready is the capital for the biggest - and most expensive - set of rules impacting motorists since the Congestion Charge? It comes after hundreds of doctors urged politicians to toughen their stance on plans to tackle toxic air, saying they witness the “devastating health consequences” of pollution every day in the consulting room.Now, London’s getting ready for the city-wide, £12,50 daily charge for owners whose vehicles do not meet exhaust emissions requirements from 29 August.Critics say it will unfairly penalise poorer motorists living in outer London, who cannot rely on suburban public transport.So, what further measures do cities like London need to take for to cut toxic air - and reduce deaths and illness linked to pollution?To discover more, The Leader podcast is joined by Oliver Lord, head of UK for the Clean Cities Campaign. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rafael Oliveira is International Markets President at Kraft Heinz, which has operations in more than 50 countries. Now based in London, he started life in Rio de Janeiro where he says the democracy of the beach taught him how to negotiate with people from different backgrounds. To hear the full How to be a CEO episode, click this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges of orchestrating a plot to overturn his 2020 election loss - in what prosecutors call an effort to undermine American democracy. It’s the third time the former president's pleaded not guilty in a court in four months, and faces federal charges with a possible 20-year jail term attached, while pushing on with hopes of becoming Republican candidate in the 2024 White House race.Trump once more slammed the legal process as politically-motivated after the short arraignment at a Washington DC court hearing.It took place half a mile from the Capitol, the building his supporters stormed on 6 January 2021 in a bid to stop Congress from certifying defeat to Joe Biden.For the latest, The Leader podcast is joined from parliament by Evening Standard deputy political editor Jitendra Joshi.We discuss legal icebergs ahead, the intersection with campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination and how a Trump re-match against Biden could shape up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evening Standard investigation reveals cocaine seizures in London soared over 1,500 per cent in the past decade.Usage has become so prevalent that there’s even cocaine traces in the capital’s waste water amid a “glut” of the Class A drug.Metropolitan Police data shows officers seized over a ton of powdered cocaine with an estimated street value of £105 million last year - the most on record.Experts say the drug, once a preserve of the wealthy and middle classes, is now so common it is viewed as more “socially acceptable” despite links to violent crime, heart attacks, stroke and depression - coupled with its smuggling journey of violence and misery to the UK.So who’s fuelling London’s cocaine boom, are police struggling to get a grip on the menace - and is it time for a rethink in drugs strategy?The Leader podcast is joined by Evening Standard crime correspondent Anthony France.We discuss violent gang links to the drug trade, county lines connections, how smugglers are busted and cocaine’s pervasiveness despite the health risks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've all heard about the 'book bans' in US states like Florida, where schools and libraries are pulling titles from their shelves following complaints from parents about 'controversial' content. Could that happen in the UK? Ruth Anderson, CEO of Index on Censorship, tells us why she thinks "of course" it could. We also talk about cancel culture, freedom of expression in countries around the world, and how political division can erode free speech. The Evening Standard's launched a major inquiry into the state of free speech in the UK. You can read more about that here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.