The Standard

How can we see more of the world for less?

Our sustainable travel expert Juliet Kinsman joins Jon Weeks in the studio for another uplifting conversation about what it means to seek out greener getaways - reminding us they can be eco-friendly and also economical. 

In part two award-winning writer and broadcaster Phoebe Smith shares tips on how our travel money can stretch further in some destinations while also helping the places we visit.

Phoebe explains why we should avoid the typical ‘instagrammable’ destinations, and reveals the benefits of asking questions while on holiday. 

Check out the wild camping enthusiast's feature “How to travel sustainably on a budget” here, and find out what else we're exploring as part of our Sustainable Travel campaign here.

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Rick Astley’s famed for hits including Never Gonna Give You Up - which sparked the Rickrolling internet meme craze.

But recently, the 1980s star enjoyed a renaissance thanks to a collaboration as frontman with indie band Blossoms, as a tribute supergroup playing The Smiths’ back catalogue.

In this episode, you’ll hear Astley in conversation with Evening Standard commissioning editor and writer El Hunt.

They discuss the Rickrolling web phenomenon, how a chance encounter with Simon Pegg led to a blockbuster music video, gigging with Foo Fighters, his views on Morrissey, researching the competition, Astley’s ninth studio album Are We There Yet? - and much more.

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Thousands of homes were left without power, rail lines brought down and hundreds of schools closed as Storm Ciarán caused chaos across the south of England.

Amid 100mph gales, torrential downpours and monster waves around the coast, nearly 9,000 homes in Cornwall had their electricity cut, while major incidents were declared in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and in the Channel Islands, where roofs were blown off with Jersey residents told to evacuate their homes.

In London, pictures show flooding around Brent Cross as cars drove through considerable standing water.

What can be done to protect properties from future extreme weather?

Standard reporter Anthony France has the latest on Storm Ciarán, then we speak with with resilience and recovery expert Mary Long-Dhonau OBE - AKA ‘Flood Mary’.

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Elon Musk jetted into the UK to join US vice president Kamala Harris for an international conference focussing on the threats and opportunities of artificial intelligence.

The AI Safety Summit at the Second World War top secret code-breaking HQ at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire, features tech moguls and politicians representing countries including Germany, Japan and China.

In this episode of the Standard podcast, we’ll look at the significance of the Bletchley Park conference, future legislation - and how close we are to passing the Turing ‘intelligence’ test.

We're joined by Dr Jeni Tennison, executive director of Connected by Data, who’s a specialist in data and AI governance.

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It’s been one month since the launch of London’s expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone - and we examine how much cash has been generated as part of Mayor Sadiq Khan’s flagship pollution-fighting scheme. 

About £26 million has been generated from more than 57,000 daily vehicles - but what’s the extra money being spent on?

Transport for London says the Ulez expansion has cut the number of older, more polluting vehicles driven by nearly half, and reduced the overall amount of traffic.

The £12.50-a-day levy for vehicles not meeting emissions requirements is enforced by a network of surveillance cameras ringing the capital - and Ulez refuseniks can expect a £180 fine.

Plus, transport news extra with the latest on the government’s railway ticket office closures u-turn, with the Standard’s transport editor Ross Lydall.

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When the Standard launched its first ever fertility survey we had an idea about what the results would tell us.  We thought we’d hear from people concerned about reproductive health and access to fertility treatment. We did! But that wasn’t top of the list… it was money. 

We partnered up with Peanut, the app and online community for prospective parents, and asked 400 people what they were thinking about when considering starting a family. Over a third told us they felt pressured to remain childfree, even though they wanted one, because of financial instability. 

It’s the cost-of-living. It’s being unable to buy a house. That’s what’s stopping, or delaying people having children. And that’s before they take into account how much childcare itself will take out of their pocket. 

In this episode we speak to our Executive features editor Alexandra Jones and we’re also joined by Gemma Bolton who’s being treated for fertility complications. 

You can read more from our survey at standard.co.uk

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Travel journalist Juliet Kinsman and Jon Weeks discuss how to be a climate friendly traveller for episode one of the Standard's sustainable travel series, sponsored by Iberostar Hotels and Resorts. In this episode we explore how to be a climate friendly traveller, and speak with Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth System Science at UCL and author of 'How To Save Our Planet: The Facts' about planning a sustainable holiday, choosing the right destination, and his best travel experience.

In this episode:

• Seeing sustainable travel as 'being helpful'
• Why longer term holidays could be the more environmentally friendly option
• Choosing local food ahead of imported options
• Using reusable water bottles and choosing anti-plastic hotels
• Empowering women through your spending

Find out what else we're exploring as part of our Sustainable Travel campaign here.

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Rachael Burford, our Chief Political Correspondent, takes us behind the controversy over the Met police’s use of live facial recognition technology.

The faces of thousands of fans on their way to watch Arsenal v Tottenham were scanned by live facial recognition last month. In a bid to catch criminals and supporters barred from attending games because of their previous behaviour.

Now, the Standard can reveal that this type of technology, which was used by the Met Police at a Premier League football match for the first time, has resulted in three arrests.

However, concerns have been raised over the use of this technology. Privacy campaigners say by using these methods police are treating football fans like suspects. Claiming “it erodes public freedoms, wastes public money” and is “not an efficient crime-fighting tool.”

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Katie Strick, our senior feature writer and editor, on the shocking rise of LGBTQ+ hate crime in London.

In August, there was the late-night incident at the Two Brewers, followed by the Brixton bus stop assault on a couple heading home from Black Pride.

Since then, there have been several more similar incidents in the capital, with a man in his 50s the victim of physical homophobic assault on a bus in Clapham, and two men in their 20s reportedly assaulted by six men on High Road in Chadwell Heath.

Also in this episode, Robbie de Santos from the charity Stonewall, reveals how the LGBTQ+ community is feeling in the wake of this highly concerning trend.

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Rishi Sunak marks one year as Prime Minister but a poll for the Standard suggests people think Sir Keir Starmer is the candidate for change at the next general election. 

Director of Politics at Ipsos, Keiran Pedley, takes us behind the findings and reveals whether public opinion has changed over the past 12 months. 

In part two, our Political Editor, Nicholas Cecil, on what Rishi Sunak exclusively told the Standard on his first anniversary as PM.

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