The Leader | Evening Standard daily

In this special ‘Let Girls Learn’ episode, we’re finding out about life for pregnant teenagers in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Being a girl here can be tough, they can often be exploited for sex by men and boys offering them ways to jump the extremely long queue for the water pump line, something known locally as ‘water for water’. Teenage pregnancy can be common here but the girls are often rejected by their families, making them extremely vulnerable.The Evening Standard’s Radhika Aligh visits the 2YoungLives project in the capital Freetown to hear how a mentoring scheme is helping young mothers in the community.In the #LetGirlsLearn series, we’re aiming to shine a light on innovations and solutions that are helping girls to fulfil their right to education and healthy, productive futures around the globe.You can find out more online at www.standard.co.uk/optimist/let-girls-learn

It’s the end of the line for one of London’s iconic public transport fares - the day Travelcard.The special tickets offering unlimited journeys on Tubes and buses are being withdrawn after 40 years by Mayor Sadiq Khan from January in a bid to raise Transport for London an extra £40 million annually. Some 65,000 daily Travelcards are bought on most days, and these will be cut in a push for passengers to instead use contactless or Oyster.The Leader podcast is joined by the Evening Standard’s transport editor, Ross Lydall, and Dr James Fowler, a University of Essex Business School lecturer and author of Strategy and Managed Decline: London Transport 1948-87.We discuss the Travelcard’s history, the cut's wider financial impact on London's economy and the European cities offering best value public transport.

It’s day two of King Charles’ French trip - and he’s made history as the first British monarch to address the Senate in Paris.The symbolic tour is his first visit across La Manche since Brexit, and he’s set out his hopes for improving Franco-British relations.His speech, in French, focused on combating climate change - potentially leaving him on a crash course with Rishi Sunak after the PM put the brakes on Britain’s plans to cut carbon emissions?The historic address to the French parliament’s upper chamber came after the king and queen Camilla dined on blue lobster and lychee-flavoured cheeses at a celebrity-packed black tie banquet hosted by President Emmanuel Macron in the Palace of Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors.The Leader podcast is joined by Professor Peter Jackson from the University of Glasgow, an expert on Franco-British relations, along with historian and royal commentator Dr Ed Owens, who’s author of After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?

Rishi Sunak is to weaken some of the government’s key green commitments in a major policy shift.The Prime Minister reckons it’s possible to meet 2050 net zero carbon emissions goals but in a “more proportionate way”.With an eye on a general election expected next year, Sunak risks triggering a feud with Conservative party members who are progressive on green issues.His speech on Tuesday was pushed forward after a leak to the BBC suggested major u-turn include delaying a ban on the sales of new petrol and diesel cars by five years, and the phasing out of gas boilers.While the government’s 2030 target for banning new internal combustion engine cars could also reportedly be pushed back by half a decade.The Leader podcast’s joined by Luke Murphy, associate director for energy and climate at the Institute for Public Policy Research think tank.

Exclusive Ipsos poll for the Standard finds six in ten adults want the next election to take place before the end of next June. Rishi Sunak V Keir Starmer: who’s in the driving seat? Does an earlier or later election benefit the Conservatives? Ipsos Director of Politics Keiran Pedley discusses the survey results, and when the PM might call the next general election. In this episode:Why there’s still everything to play for ahead of the general electionChances of a hung parliament explainedSunak V Starmer: popularity ratingsWhy the ball is in Labour’s court to convince the public to vote for themFollow us on X or on Threads.

Sir Ian McKellen and Roger Allam discuss their new play Frank & Percy at The Other Palace, London. Talking to our culture editors, Nancy Durrant and Nick Clark, Allam describes the show as a 'gay rom com', and McKellen says it ‘will appeal to anyone’. This episode is a cut down version of an in-depth interview from the The Evening Standard Theatre Podcast, to hear the full interview click here. For all the latest news head to standard.co.uk

This is a special episode taken from our business podcast, How to be a CEO.Tjodolf Sommestad is the President of King Games, creators of Candy Crush. One of the earliest 'freemium' games, over the last decade it's become the most downloaded match game in the world, with three billion downloads across platforms.

Kate Winslet, Stormzy, Victoria Beckham and Princess Beatrice all feature at Vogue World event. Burberry’s Bond Street takeover and more. How emerging designers are dealing with the cost of living crisis. Our Fashion Director Victoria Moss discusses the up-and-coming fashion designers to look out for this year, and why London Fashion Week is so significant for the city. In this episode:How Burberry’s taking over parts of LondonThe home-grown emerging talent featuring at the eventDesigner’s innovative ways of dealing with the cost of living crisisHow LFW boosts London’s economy and imageFollow us on X or on Threads.

More than half of all London roads now have 20mph limits. Do the stats back the low-speed zones? Air quality, MPG and community benefits explained. Our City Hall and Transport Editor Ross Lydall and Jeremy Leach from 20’s Plenty For Us discuss the rationale behind the 20mph zones, and whether they’re working for London. In this episode:How do we know that 20mph zones work?Why London drivers are opposed to the low-speed zonesMayor Sadiq Khan’s ambitions targets for collisionsCould 20 become the new 30 everywhere?Follow us on X or on Threads.