The Standard

The emergence of Chinese artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek has rocked US tech giants’ stocks over concerns the new low-cost generative AI model could topple their dominance. Tech shares plunged and chip maker Nvidia suffered falls of nearly 17 per cent as trading opened on Monday - and just a week after launch, DeepSeek became the most downloaded free app in the US. The twist is this huge lang...

London’s black cab drivers are famous for having a very active part of the brain that’s critical for mapping thousands of streets. By the time taxi students hop off their training moped and pass The Knowledge licence exam, a driver will have memorised over 26,000 of the capital’s roads thanks to how their posterior hippocampus region develops as a result. The international study, led by UCL neuros...

Scientists at London’s Natural History Museum have discovered mysterious giant mounds on Mars that are believed to be billions of years old. Examining high-resolution images and compositional data snapped by Martian orbiters and surface rovers, the team analysed over 15,000 of the geological features - many as big as Australia’s Uluru. We speak with Dr Joe McNeil, who led the study for his Open Un...

Storm Eowyn smashed into the British Isles bringing record gusts of up to 100mph with millions of Britons urged not to travel and northern regions issued a rare ‘red’ risk-to-life warning. Tree toppled, causing road closures and more than 1,000 flights were cancelled at airports across the UK, with rail operators halting services and hundreds of schools closed in Northern Ireland, Scotland and nor...

The British cousin of an Israeli hostage held by Hamas in Gaza has described his family’s ongoing anguish ahead of a milestone update on the fate of the remaining captives this weekend.  Adam Ma’anit, who’s from Brighton and is digital communication officer at the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told The Standard podcast they are hoping for news very soon about Tsachi Idan, who is among 94...

UK chancellor Rachel Reeves will bid for more investment in Britain as she travels to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos this week. Reeves is expected to meet the heads of major international banks during her two-day Swiss visit to promote Britain’s fiscal credentials for the future. But it comes amid record government borrowing, government department cuts ahead and minuscule growt...

Join host Nicola Barron in conversation with David Larbi, the poet, writer, and musician who has built a million-strong community through his authentic takes on mindfulness across TikTok and Instagram. In this illuminating episode, David shares insights from his debut book  Frequently Happy: 52 Mindful Moments to Bring Hope and Joy , exploring how we can find joy in everyday moments and use c...

Donald Trump made an astonishing return to the White House on Monday when he was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. The inauguration, which took place at the US Capitol Rotunda building due -3C temperatures, follows four tumultuous years out of office which saw the 78-year-old Republican businessman and ex-reality star survive assassination attempts and face a series of legal cas...

The Israeli security cabinet has ratified an initial six-week deal with Hamas for a ceasefire in the war that will see some of the hostages held in Gaza being released. The breakthrough marks the cessation of 15 months of fighting since the Hamas terror attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023, and also brings hope of border crossings being reopened for aid to ease the Palestinian humanitarian crisis....

A damning report into the state of the NHS has revealed patients are dying in corridors and can go undiscovered for hours. The Royal College of Nursing published findings, based on the experiences of more than 5,000 UK nurses, into the state of care in England’s hospitals as staff try to manage the number of people needing care. The “harrowing” report comes amid soaring ambulance waiting times and...

The UK inflation rate unexpectedly fell slightly to 2.5 per cent in December in a surprise boost to embattled Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed a slight drop from 2.6 per cent in November and fell below City forecasts. It comes amid record government borrowing and falls in the pound over the past week. How does this all fit into the wider economic o...

Local councils nationwide are preparing to reveal the bad news to residents about this year’s council tax rises . So, why are our rates rocketing, how much more can we expect to pay - and which authorities are impose the biggest hikes? The London Standard’s chief political correspondent Rachael Burford discusses local government finances and policy for the year ahead. In part two, as millions of B...

The Prime Minister has unveiled the government’s AI Opportunity Action Plan in a bid to make Britain a world leader in the artificial intelligence sector. Sir Keir Starmer’s will take forward all 50 recommendations made by tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford, who was commissioned by Science Secretary Peter Kyle to identify AI opportunities. It will see the creation of AI “growth zones” to accelerate p...

Welcome to The Standard podcast’s round-up special edition. In this episode: How does Sir Keir Starmer plan to cut NHS waiting lists? Golden Globes 2025 : Demi Moore, Zoe Saldana & Adrien Brody among winners Child grooming gangs : government plans new safeguarding law but no public inquiry What must be done about London knife crime after boy, 14, killed in stabbing HMPV : what we know about vi...

London’s £2.2 billion Silvertown Tunnel beneath the Thames is set to open in the spring - but how will this impact traffic flow on the capital’s roads? There are concerns the crossing, set to impose a toll along with the Blackwall Tunnel, could push vehicles to other points along the river as drivers seek to avoid the charge. And what about cyclists? It’s this week’s ‘The London Question’ posed by...

A state of emergency and a toxic air alert have been declared in Los Angeles after huge wildfires killed at least five people and swept through hillsides that are home to many celebrities. Now, 130,000 Angelenos have been forced to evacuate their homes as the city became blanketed in a thick cloud of smoke and ash. Thousands of firefighters are battling to contain the original LA fire in Pacific P...

The mother of a 14-year-old boy stabbed to death on a London bus fears her son had been groomed by gangs and exposed to drugs before he was killed. Kelyan Bokassa was attacked on a Route 472 double-decker on Woolwich Church Road just before 2.30pm on Tuesday. His mother, Mary, 50, fought back tears as paid tribute to her “polite” and “caring” son, telling MailOnline he had spent time in care and l...

The government has announced new safeguarding legal guidelines as part of a crackdown on child exploitation in the wake of the grooming gangs scandal. Measures revealed by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper include criminal sanctions for professionals working with children if they don’t report sexual abuse claims. The recommendation is among those within Professor Alexis Jay’s 2015 child sexual abuse in...

Sir Keir Starmer aims to cut the number of patients waiting more than 18 weeks for NHS treatment by 450,000 within two years. Amid his hopes of a New Year government reboot, the Prime Minister said by the end of 2026 two thirds of patients would be getting treatment in that timeframe. Latest figures show 59 per cent of patients are currently having to wait longer than 18 weeks. Labour’s Elective R...

The UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber ‘cold-health alert’ warning for London amid plunging temperatures and a forecast for snow at the weekend. London plunged below zero overnight, with a ”feels-like” temperature of -4C on Friday morning - and more low single-digit chills forecast next week. Nationally, the cold weather blast has seen temperatures drop to -5C overnight with warning of...

What does the future hold for the evolution of artificial intelligence in 2025? Professor David Shrier, an futurist and artificial intelligence expert at Imperial College Business School, discusses what’s to come. You can hear the full version of this interview on The London Standard’s Tech & Science Daily podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Standard podcast’s pop culture review of 2024. In this episode, Mark Blunden is joined by The London Standard’s culture and lifestyle writer India Block to muse on moments that, maybe, drifted across our shared consciousness in the past 12 months. You’ll hear about Euro 2024, Kate Middleton conspiracies, the Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury split, Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, Megan Boni’...

As part of  The Bigger Life Festival,  brought to you by Masterclasses from The London Standard, host Nicola Barron is joined by life and career coach Selina Barker. In this special Twixmas episode, Selina shares practical tips for reflecting on the past year, recharging your energy, and redesigning your life with purpose. From asking the right questions to turni...

Welcome to The Standard podcast transport news highlights of 2024 In this episode, you’ll hear some of the best bits from our news podcast that's focussed on transport - from four to two wheels, rail and Tube. There’s been plenty of passenger news and a steady stream of news scoops, courtesy of The London Standard’s transport and City Hall editor, Ross Lydall, who you’ll hear through this special...

In this preview edition of our Brave New World series, Evgeny meets Wim Hof to learn more about the Dutch athlete’s ‘Method’; a combination of breathing and cold-water immersion that he claims can have health and psychological benefits. Rita Ora also joins the show and talks about her own experience using Wim’s techniques as part of her wellness routines. To hear the whole show, and listen to prev...