The Standard

Heathrow boss Thomas Woldbye has announced the airport’s multi-billion pound investment to accelerate plans for a controversial new runway that began two decades ago.The privately-funded plan would see the airfield’s layout reconfigured, Terminals 2 and 5 enlarged, plus increased bus and coach capacity.The Labour government backed commencement of digging by 2029 to drive economic growth - but major environmental concerns over pollution, noise and quality of life remain, with fresh planning and legal battles on the horizon.The Standard podcast's Mark Blunden is joined by Paul Beckford, policy director at Hacan (the Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise) which represents communities living under the airport’s flight paths.In part two, University College London professor of neuroscience ​Sonja Hofer discusses with Rachelle Abbott new research showing how the brain beats fear, with hopes the findings can one day support PTSD and anxiety treatments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you ready for next generation agentic artificial intelligence?The Standard podcast's Mark Blunden is joined from the AI Action Summit in Paris by Andrew Strait, associate director at the Ada Lovelace Institute and former ethics researcher at Google’s DeepMind AI spin-off.We look at the self-thinking technology’s latest developments, concerns over replacement of human workers, quantum computing and AI’s impact on our cognitive ability. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labour party officials are investigating alleged racist and sexist comments in leaked WhatsApp group chat messages that culminated in the sacking of health minister Andrew Gwynne.Following the latest messaging-based scandal to hit the authorities, The Standard podcast's Mark Blunden is joined by Maurice Frankel, director of the Campaign for Freedom of Information, to discuss the public’s right to know.In part two, World Monuments Fund’s UK chief executive John Darlington tells Rachelle Abbott how heritage campaigners are helping boost their local economies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hospital admissions data suggests a growing proportion of patients admitted to wards in England after being stabbed are under 18 years old.It comes amid growing calls to finally crack down on online blade sales and London actor Idris Elba backing the blunting of sharp tips on kitchen knives.The Standard podcast's Mark Blunden is joined by Patrick Green, chief executive of the Ben Kinsella Trust, which was founded in honour of a 16-year-old Londoner stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack in 2008 after celebrating finishing his GCSEs with friends.The charity and Elba are working with the government’s Coalition To Tackle Knife Crime initiative, which aims to halve Britain’s blades menace within a decade.In part two, Network Rail has sparked a commuter backlash over train times ‘vanishing’ from information boards three minutes before departure - but could the nudge tactic improve disabled access and service punctuality?We speak with Michael Solomon Williams, head of campaigns at the Campaign for Better Transport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is London’s heartbeat? Rachelle Abbott joins Emma Strain, customer director at Transport for London, to discuss how important diverse communities are to the capital. Emma also reveals their award-winning animated moquette design, titled ‘Fabric of London’, which tells real stories shared by Londoners, reflecting the vital role TfL plays in bringing people from all backgrounds together. Transport for London, VCCP and Wavemaker UK’s design is now available to view at Outernet, in this week’s edition of our newspaper, and online at standard.co.uk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Research by the London Cycling Campaign has found more than half of the capital’s official cycleways include sections that are unsafe for women to use at night.The London Standard’s transport editor Ross Lydall joins Mark Blunden to discuss his report on the LCC’s Women’s Network study, which found 52 of the 89 cycleways had at least one “socially unsafe” section after dark - and that seven cycleways were considered risky along the entire route.In part two, we speak with the charity’s senior campaigns officer Clare Rogers, about the LCC’s data-gathering process for the research, titled Women’s Freedom After Dark, and the shocking experiences of female cyclists in London after sunset.Transport for London said its “working to better understand how our schemes affect the safety, and feeling of safety, for women and girls”, including a “new women’s safety auditing process” to improve cycling infrastructure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Half a dozen cash-strapped local authorities in England have been told they will be allowed to raise council tax by more than five per cent this year in a bid to stave off bankruptcy.The London Standard’s chief political correspondent Rachael Burford reports the government signed off its final funding settlements for town halls and announced six authorities have been given permission to increase bills by larger than normal amounts - without holding a referendum.She joins us to discuss councils’ financial outlook for the year ahead as London boroughs say they still face a £500 million shortfall.In part two, The London Standard’s business editor Jonathan Prynn on reasons behind an exodus of millionaires from the capital - and how countries including Abu Dhabi want a slice of the financial action. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britain rejects Donald Trump’s claim that trade between the US and UK is “out of line”. The president has hit several other countries with hefty tariffs.It comes as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Brussels to meet with EU leaders on Monday - a first for a British leader since Brexit.Has Trump sparked a trade war? We're joined by The London Standard's political editor, Nicholas Cecil, for the latest.In part two, Beyoncé extends run as most Grammy-awarded artist - wins include best album and best country album - plus, singer Chappell Roan’s success and tributes to late One Direction star Liam Payne.Awards and ceremony news with The London Standard culture and lifestyle writer India Block. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join host Nicola Barron in conversation with Hayley Quinn, the London-based dating coach who has helped thousands of singles break out of dating ruts, build confidence, and enjoy meeting new people again. In this insightful episode, Hayley shares expert advice on how to approach dating in real life, avoid common first-date mistakes, and create genuine connections beyond the apps.Don't miss Hayley’s live online masterclass, How to Find the Love of Your Life – In Real Life, on Wednesday, 5th February 2025. Book now at standard.co.uk/masterclasses.Part of The Bigger Life Festival, brought to you by Masterclasses from The Standard. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It has been half a decade since the United Kingdom exited the European Union.But now, on Brexit’s fifth anniversary, a YouGov survey suggests 53 per cent of adults in Britain support going back into the European Union, with 36 per cent opposed - which in London grows to 64 per cent of respondents backing rejoining versus 25 per cent opposed.To discuss the UK’s national circumstances five years on, we’re joined by The London Standard’s political editor, Nicholas Cecil.In part two, scientists discover salt fragments in Nasa’s Bennu asteroid sample that will add to our understanding of how the universe formed - with Dr Ashley King, from the London Natural History Museum’s department of earth sciences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.