Is there a way out of Iran crisis without conflict? Plus the school scandal putting kids on route to violent crime.

<p>As thousands gathered in Iran for <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/iran-news-latest-us-donald-trump-breaking-a4327001.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the funeral </a>of General Qasem Soleimani, The Leader podcast speaks to the former chair of the UK’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Tugenhadt, and ask if there’s a way out of the crisis without conflict.</p><br><p>UK drug crime and knife violence:</p><p>Over last six months, The Evening Standard has been examining the damage caused by permanently <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/bring-the-excluded-in-from-the-cold-rise-in-school-exclusions-linked-to-rise-in-recruitment-by-a4327276.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">excluding pupils from school</a>. Our reporting shows a 70 percent surge in the numbers over the last 8 years, and reveals how that figure is connected to young boys ending up in prison, and knife crime increases in London. The Evening Standard’s Investigations Editor, David Cohen, joins The Leader podcast to discuss his findings.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Golden Globes:</p><p>Ricky Gervais shocked Hollywood again with his <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/ricky-gervais-best-jokes-golden-globes-2020-a4326901.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Golden Globe gags</a>, but the Evening Standard’s Phoebe Luckhurst tells the Leader podcast it was the UK’s acting talent that really stole the show.</p><br><p>TRANSCRIPT:</p><br><p>David Marsland&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Thanks for listening to The Leader of the Evening Standard's daily news podcast bringing you the best of our analysis and commentary. Please like, subscribe, share and comment, wherever you get your podcast from. From the Evening Standard in London. This is The Leader.</p><br><p>Hi, I'm David Marsland. Huge crowds have filled the streets of Tahran as Iran mourns the death of general&nbsp;Qasem Soleimani and Donald Trump is doubling down on his threats. Is there a way out of this crisis without conflict?</p><br><