The Standard

The glory of the aurora borealis, the magnificent northern lights, bathed much of the British Isles in their ethereal glow on Sunday night.

Night owls and stargazers enjoyed a glimpse of this rare spectacle due to high levels of magnetic activity, known as a geomagnetic storm.

Many sky-watchers get their northern lights intel from the alerts service AuroraWatch UK, which is run by scientists in the Space and Planetary Physics group at Lancaster University’s Department of Physics. 

The Leader podcast’s joined by Dr Maria Walach, a researcher in space plasma physics at Lancaster and a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, who shares what planetary wonder can still be enjoyed in urban night skies.

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Rob Kniaz co-founded Venture Capital firm Hoxton Ventures, specialising in early stage investment. With successes like Deliveroo and cyber defence firm Darktrace, the company’s become one of the most successful, and approached, VC firms in Europe. Rob will be appearing at the Evening Standard’s SME XPO, which is being held at the ExCel London on April 25th and 26th. To find out more about the speakers, and get free tickets, go to https://smexpo.co.uk/

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Over 40,000 runners are expected to take part in the London Marathon on Sunday. 

Amongst the 2023 participants will be the double gold medallist and Paralympic champion, Richard Whitehead, who is running his 77th marathon.

Richard shares his approach to marathon training, what he’s looking forward to after he crosses the finish line and his incredible charity work to remove barriers around sport for everyone.  

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With just over two weeks to go until the coronation, we meet the musician who is composing a song for the occasion, after being personally requested by the monarch himself. 

Sarah Class, a Brit and Emmy-nominated singer and songwriter, discusses the work that has gone into the piece, her shared passion with the King for the environment and everything else she’s allowed to tell us about the historical event.

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London’s renting crisis isn’t going away anytime soon. 

Figures show that annual rent growth has risen by 20% in the capital, the shortage of affordable rental accommodation is increasing, and the lack of protection for private tenants means the Renters' Reform Bill can’t come quickly enough. 

Prudence Ivey, the Evening Standard’s Homes & Property Editor, explains the current issues and trends in the London rental market.

In part two, Conor O’Shea from Generation Rent, a campaign group led by and for private renters in the UK, reveals what happened when they sat down with Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, to discuss the Renters' Reform Bill.

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Warning, this podcast episode contains strong language as well as major spoilers for the fourth episode of the final season of Succession, ‘Honeymoon States’. 

The Evening Standard’s Martin Robinson, Elizabeth Gregory and Hamish MacBain are here to review the latest instalment from the final season of Succession. 

It’s the day after... and the vultures are already circling. 

Never a dull moment at Waystar Royco, a baby bombshell is revealed, we have multiple big power struggles, an awkward run in between a wife and mistress… and an interim CEO is selected, after a name is found on a piece of paper from Logan... but, was it underlined or crossed out? 

Every Tuesday until the final of Succession, we’ll be reviewing each episode after it drops on the Leader podcast. Be sure to listen to hear analysis, insight and general fandom around one of the most talked about TV series ever. 

Succession is available to watch in the UK on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

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Research from Imperial College London, and funded by the Greater London Authority, suggests ‘air pollution is damaging at all stages of life’. 

They found exposure to certain particles could lead to miscarriages, cause low sperm count and stunt children's lung growth. As well as cause chronic illnesses, cancer and strokes in adults.

The findings come as Boris Johnson, publicly criticised the planned expansion of Ulez by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, saying ‘it has nothing to do with air pollution’. 

Frank Kelly, professor of community health and policy at Imperial College London, explains the significance of the findings and why there should be “nothing political when it comes to air quality”. 

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Londoners report 250 phone thefts a day. Why tube and bus stations are theft ‘hotspots’. The policing minister’s plans for more officers on the street. Are police spending too much time on paperwork? Our Crime Reporter John Dunne discusses the latest figures on phone thefts in the capital, and the plans to tackle the problem. In this episode:

• Latest phone thefts figures explained
• Where thieves target victims in the city
• How Policing Minister Chris Philp is planning to ‘fight back’
• London’s Operation Nightingale targeting crime hotspots
• How to stay vigilant and avoid being targeted

Follow us on Twitter #TheLeaderPodcast

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As the European Space Agency prepares to launch its Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer - also known as ‘Juice’ - we hear from UK scientists playing crucial roles in the mission.

The launch was due to happen this afternoon but has been postponed due to weather. Specific conditions are needed and there is just a one second window to get it right. 

Dr Ben Dryer from the Open University and Dr Shivangi Sharan from Imperial College London, who are both part of the project, explain the specific conditions needed for its successful launch, the significance of the Juice mission itself and what it all means for the future of UK space efforts.

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