The Standard

As coronavirus cases are on the rise again and the Omicron variant becomes more prevalent, some of the measures designed to slow the spread of the virus have been reintroduced.Wearing facemasks is mandatory again in shops and on public transport, and extra testing is required for those travelling to the UK from abroad.But, so far no major changes have been made in schools across England.The Evening Standard's Education Editor Anna Davis and Mike Short from UNISON discuss how schools are coping with rising Covid cases, what measures are needed to keep children safe, and why it's so important schools remain open. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London’s youth unemployment has soared by 55 per cent since the start of the pandemic, with 21 per cent of young people seeking work jobless.The Office for National Statistics says the figure is five times the national jobless rate of 4.3 per cent for all ages.In response, the Evening Standard, The Independent, and London Live have launched their Skill Up Step Up Campaign, to help young people in the capital get into work.Campaigns Editor for the Evening Standard David Cohen explains why young people are struggling, what went wrong with the government’s own scheme to tackle unemployment, and what the Skill Up Step Up campaign is all about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We get the scoop on Intellipedia, the internal Wiki developed at Central Intelligence Agency headquarters in Langley. The Leader was granted the first British broadcast interview with one of the digital specialists instrumental in its creation. Carmen Medina rose from analyst to Deputy Director of Intelligence, working under six presidents from Carter to Obama during her 32-year tenure.Now retired, Carmen talks us through Intellipedia’s development, her role in the aftermath of 9/11 and the cybersecurity risks lurking in your smartphone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Duchess of Sussex has emerged victorious from her privacy battle with the Mail on Sunday despite last-minute bombshells from a former key aide. Meghan sued the publisher of the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline over articles featuring extracts of the handwritten five-page note she sent to her father, Thomas Markle, in August 2018. The Standard’s Courts Correspondent Tristan Kirk analyses today’s result as lawyers prepare their legal bills and the MoS suggests its next move could be the Supreme Court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was meant to be a sunshine break and catch-up with family and friends in South Africa before welcoming their first child for 32 weeks pregnant Evening Standard Celebrity Correspondent Lizzie Edmonds and her husband Steven Meek. Then despite meticulous scheduling, the couple were caught up in a Covid travel nightmare as the UK government banned flights after Omicron’s emergence in the south of the continent.They witnessed dystopian scenes at Cape Town airport, then suffered fresh disaster when Mr Meek was victim of a triple street robbery stabbing while helping a friend - and was lucky to escape with his life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mouth-and-nose coverings are back on London’s tube and rail network, and in shops, with the threat of £200 fines for breaking the rules. Amid concerns about vaccine efficacy against Omicron, we get the latest from Evening Standard Health Editor Ross Lydall on masks, hospitalisations, and how Transport for London's finances are suffering. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our investigations editor, David Cohen, joins the podcast following his front-page probe into London’s astonishing youth unemployment problem. In a joint investigation with our sister site the Independent, he’s revealed the capital’s youth unemployment has soared by 55 per cent to 105,000 since the start of the pandemic. It’s the worst rate in the UK, and comes despite the government’s £2bn Kickstart scheme, which was supposed to help young people get into a job.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A 24-hour strike has caused travel chaos for London commuters wanting to travel on the Victoria, Central, Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly tube lines. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union have walked out in a dispute over new shift patterns and the disruption looks set to continue each weekend in the run-up to Christmas.It comes as Transport for London faces an ongoing financial crisis.  The Evening Standard’s City Hall Editor - Ross Lydall - explains the details and what London commuters can expect moving forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twenty-seven people heading for England have drowned near Calais after their boat sank. Three children and a pregnant woman are reported to be among those killed. It's the worst disaster on record involving migrants in the Channel. Now the political blame game is intensifying between France and the UK. Both have agreed to “do everything possible to stop the gangs responsible” but is this enough or is it time to rethink our migration policy? We speak to Dr Peter William Walsh from the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New analysis from the Evening Standard can reveal the London hotspots for unvaccinated adults - as well as the groups who are believed to be spreading the virus between generations. The fight against anti-vaxxers and vaccine hesitancy rolls on, amid growing concern that the vast majority of covid patients in intensive care haven’t been jabbed. It’s thought that up to 2.7 million Londoners - who are eligible - haven’t had a single dose. Ross Lydall is the Evening Standard’s Health Editor and takes us behind the figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.