The Standard

The Evening Standard’s Defence Editor Robert Fox and Political Correspondent Sophia Sleigh join the show to breakdown what’s happening in Afghanistan and what’s next?Robert tells us how the US got “sucker punched” by a behind-the-scenes deal with the Taliban that was brokered without the Afghan government’s knowledge. Sophia says the UK was so surprised at the pace of the country’s collapse that the Prime Minister was supposed to be going on holiday this week, but has now had to change his plans and recall Parliament.Has the Taliban really “changed” like it’s promised? Will the UK and others open diplomatic relations? How are countries evacuating their own citizens from Afghanistan? And what’s next for those who live there? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, 21 firefighters from the United Kingdom volunteered to help Greece battle some of the worst wildfires the country has ever seen. They included experts from London, Merseyside, Wales, the West Midlands and Lancashire, who have been dispatched to Arcadia where the blazes remain fierce two weeks after they were ignited.Team leader Tony Brown joins the podcast to tell us how their humanitarian mission is going, and revealing some of the dangers they’re facing. He explains how they’re using chainsaws to create firebreaks, running for cover when winds whip up flames that threaten to surround them. And he talks about the incredible resilience of the Greek people, who came to their rescue when the UK team's water ran out while trying to get down from a mountain in 40c heat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Evening Standard’s education editor, Anna Davis, is back on the show as the GCSE results are revealed. They show another record year, with 28.9 per cent graded 7/A and above, compared with 26.2 per cent last year. In 2019, the last year exams were held, the figure was 20.8 per cent. Leading the way is London, which has better results than anywhere else in the country… but why?Also, as with A-Levels, girls have done much better than boys nationwide. Is it really, as one expert claims, because “girls are cleverer than boys” or has the disruption caused by the pandemic something to do with it. In two years’ time, the current GCSE students will be taking their A-Levels but it’s expected to be the first time many of them will have ever sat a formal exam. How will that affect results in 2023? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Evening Standard’s courts correspondent Tristan Kirk joins the show as the lawyer representing the Duke of York’s accuser has warned against anyone ignoring the US courts, claiming the royal’s legal team have “stonewalled” appeals for information.Virginia Giuffre is suing the Queen’s son for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager, and has said it was “past the time for him to be held to account”.David Boies, who represents Ms Giuffre, says his client ultimately wants “vindication” from her civil suit for damages.Andrew has vehemently denied the allegations in the past, and a spokesman for the duke said there was “no comment” when asked to respond to Ms Giuffre’s legal action. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are celebrating record-breaking success in this year’s A-Levels, with London doing the best in the country. Our Education Editor Anna Davis tells us why the Capital’s performed so well, and also looks at the mystery of why girls have done better than boys this year? She also discusses the dilemma facing universities with a record 435,430 people having a confirmed place, but also more people entering clearing and fewer courses available than last year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A UN report into global climate change has laid bare how extreme weather events are set to increase in coming years with global temperatures set to rise by more than 1.5C. We're joined by one of the contributors to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change study, Dr Laura Wilcox of Reading University. She tells how as a scientist the findings are "scary," but insists there are still ways to turn things around. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Evening Standard’s Anthony France joins us from Tokyo where he’s been reporting on a unique Olympic Games. There have been Cold War-style defections of athletes, a typhoon, an earthquake, Covid-19 restrictions and even some events on the field like Simone Biles pulling out of competitions.But Anthony tells us how his mind has changed about the Games, shifting from wondering why it was happening at all to being impressed at how Japan has pulled it off “through sheer willpower”.He also tells us about some of the aspects of the coronavirus restrictions, including the joy of gourmet food delivery when you’re stuck in a hotel, and the mysterious ‘bus spotters’ lurking at stops in the city.But will it be remembered as a classic Olympics, up there with famous occasions like London 2012? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Evening Standard’s Jonathan Prynn tells us about the latest changes to England’s traffic light travel list system. He tells us which countries have been put onto the green list and has the ‘amber plus’ column been scrapped now that its only member, France, has been taken off it. We also talk about the plight of around 6,000 British holidaymakers in Mexico. That country has just been placed on the red list and there aren’t enough flights to get everyone home by the time the change takes effect on Sunday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Evening Standard’s political correspondent Sophia Sleigh is on the show to break down reports that 16-17-year-olds are to be offered the Covid-19 vaccination.We discuss why the move’s being made now and how difficult it might be to persuade busy young people, or sceptical parents, to actually take the shot. Under existing guidance, young people aged 16 to 17 with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious Covid infection should have already been offered a jab. Children aged 12 to 15 with certain conditions which make them vulnerable to coronavirus can also access the vaccine, as can those aged 12 to 17 who live with an immunosuppressed person, such as a parent or grandparent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our political editor Nicholas Cecil joins the show to tell us about the government minister who says it’s the “duty” of older workers to get back to the office so they can guide their younger colleagues.Skills minister Gillian Keegan is also urging firms to use the summer to “ramp up” getting staff back into the office. She stressed that many young employees had missed out on key development experiences in their jobs because they have been working from home.However, the Government is under growing pressure to get civil servants back into Whitehall as it encourages more employees to return to the workplace in the private sector. Ms Keegan estimated that about 20 to 25 per cent of staff at the Department for Education are in the office on any one day at the moment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.