This Is Why

New data published on the rate of drug deaths in Scotland show they have decreased, after decades of constant rises, but the number is still higher than the rest of Europe. Just over 1,000 people in Scotland died as a result of drug misuse in 2022, the lowest number since 2017. On the Sky News Daily with Niall Paterson, our Scotland correspondent Connor Gillies combs through the latest figures, wh...

Britain's worst child serial killer Lucy Letby will spend the rest of her life in prison. But the former neonatal nurse refused to appear in court to hear either the victim statements or the judge hand down a whole-life sentence. One of the baby victims' mothers has called Letby's defiance a "final act of wickedness from a coward". On the Sky News Daily, Sky News‘ home editor Jason Farrell discuss...

Lucy Letby has been found guilty of murdering seven babies while working on a neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. The 33-year-old nurse was also convicted of seven counts of attempted murder following a trial that lasted nine months. Families of her victims sobbed and comforted each other in court as the jury delivered their verdicts over several days...

With six wins and a place in the World Cup final under their belt, the Lionesses have a fighting chance of bringing football home for England. But who is the woman at the helm? Manager Sarina Wiegman took over as Lionesses manager in 2020 and is the first non-Brit to lead the team, originally from the Netherlands. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by Rob Harris, our sports correspond...

Students waiting for their A-level results this year are the "unluckiest cohort" in recent years, according to one education expert. Pandemic disruption, rising grade boundaries, and a larger than average number of people applying for university places have all placed pressure on A-level grades. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to Grace Brookes, who picks up her A-level results on Thur...

The deadliest wildfires to hit the US in over a century have turned vast swathes of the island of Maui to ash and taken the lives of at least 99 people. The governor of Hawaii, Josh Green, has warned that the number killed will rise as only 25% of the affected area has been searched so far. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson hears from our US correspondent Martha Kelner, who is in Maui, about t...

It was billed as 'small boats week' – a series of government announcements designed to show progress on the issue of cross channel migration. But the reality of the last seven days has got in the way. The 30 or so migrants who had been moved on to a housing barge off Dorset had to be moved out after Legionella was found onboard and Thursday also saw the highest daily number of people crossing the...

This month marks the 60th anniversary of the Great Train Robbery, one of Britain's most notorious crimes, which involved the hijack of a London-bound Royal Mail train and the theft of millions of pounds. Bruce Reynolds planned the robbery with a 15-strong gang of thieves, crooks and conspirers, becoming one of the most notorious criminals in British history. Bruce's son said he never realised his...

Football’s world governing body FIFA wants pay and prize money for men and women to be the same by the next tournaments. But how it gets there is a little less clear. On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood is joined from Australia by our sport correspondent Rob Harris and Lioness Lucy Staniforth, who was on standby for the World Cup squad. They discuss the financial disparities in the sport, as wel...

It’s been 100 days since Hollywood writers went on strike over concerns artificial intelligence (AI) will take their jobs - as well as disputes over working conditions and claims of dwindling pay. The looming cloud of AI hangs over all industries, but are writers and actors right to be worried about being stripped of their creativity? On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood is joined by Lisa Holdswo...

Niger had been a lone bastion of democracy in West Africa while neighbouring countries were taken over by the military - but it is now also in a crisis following July's coup. The man responsible for protecting President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected in 2021, has overthrown him - and there could be far-reaching security implications. On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood is joined by our Africa c...

The Royal Air Force has admitted to discriminating against white male candidates in a hiring policy aimed at increasing diversity. In a Sky News exclusive, security and defence editor Deborah Haynes has discovered none of those involved in creating the policy have been held accountable. On the Sky News Daily, Leah Boleto speaks to Deborah about the impact the decisions have had on the men's lives,...

In this episode, Sahar Zand goes back to speak to Brian Glendinning about his experience in Iraqi jail, and the harrowing impact of his unforeseen arrest. But Brian, compared to some people, is still lucky. For dissidents and opposition figures around the world, the Red Notice is the latest tool for transnational repression by autocratic governments. These people often end up in prison indefinitel...

COVID lockdowns may seem a distant memory with everyday life very much back to the pre-pandemic norms. But for children, it seems we may only just be getting a sense of the emotional and behavioural impacts those couple of years have had. Researchers at University College London and the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) this week published a joint study - the first of its kind - looking at the em...

The Bank of England has increased its base rate of interest by a quarter of a percentage point to 5.25% - which is lower than some economists had predicted. On the Sky News Daily, Leah Boleto speaks to our business correspondent Gurpreet Narwan about the decision to raise interest rates for the 14th time in a row. Plus, Sky's data and forensics journalist Daniel Dunford explains why renters could...

Donald Trump has been criminally charged with trying to ‘defraud the United States’ over the 2021 riots at the US Capitol. It’s the most serious legal threat facing the former president, as he attempts to return to the White House in 2024. But it’s by no means the only one – Trump now faces 78 charges across three criminal cases, but still remains frontrunner to become his party’s nominee for next...

A general election is still a long way away, but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appears to already be laying out the Conservative attack lines, focusing on so-called ‘wedge issues’ that could divide the Labour Party. Labour are sitting 17 points ahead in the polls but are facing criticism for seeming to roll back on green policies. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by Andrew Fisher, form...

President Zelenskyy has said war is coming to Russia after suspected Ukrainian drones hit skyscrapers in a wealthy Moscow neighbourhood. President Putin suggested an African initiative could be a basis for peace talks, but not while Ukrainian forces were on the offensive. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by military analyst Sean Bell and Dr Alex Vines, director of the Africa Program...

Sky News has a new podcast series called Dirty Work - investigating Interpol red notices, which allow police forces to flag their most wanted persons at international borders around the world. In episode two, reporter Sahar Zand continues to follow Brian Glendinning's story - whose Interpol Red Notice raises significant questions about how the system works. Sahar also speaks to Interpol Secretary...

British man Aiden Aslin joined the Ukrainian marines in 2018, but following the Russian invasion in February 2022, he was called up to the frontline in Mariupol. After two months of resistance at the city's steelworks, Aiden and his battalion ran out of supplies. Aiden was part of the mass surrender of over 1,000 Ukrainian troops. Singled out for his British passport, Aiden was brutally interrogat...

Multiple climate reports have been published this week all saying a similar thing: that the UK and wider world are experiencing record temperatures, that humanity is "inducing" climate change and that, unless we cut emissions, things are just going to get even hotter. There are still some people however who believe it’s all hot air; that media coverage of climate stories is “fear mongering” and “m...

Police at a station in Greater Manchester have been accused of unnecessary and invasive strip searches of women, without explanation, behind cell doors. Sky News has spoken to three women, one of whom was detained for 41 hours and also alleges she was sexually assaulted whilst in custody. A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said "there is currently no evidence to suggest any GMP employees...

Barbie and Oppenheimer have put the smiles back on the cinema chains after the difficult years during the pandemic, but could the glow soon wear off? For the first time in 60 years Hollywood actors and writers are on strike at the same time, so what impact will this have on the films we will see and the cinemas that show them? On the Sky News Daily, host Niall Paterson is joined by our entertainme...

Evacuation orders due to wildfires on the Greek island have seen tens of thousands of residents and tourists fleeing the flames. And while wildfires in the region aren’t uncommon, scientists say climate change is increasing the intensity of heatwaves which can trigger fires. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to our Europe correspondent in Rhodes, Siobhan Robbins and Rhodes resident Mica...

Sky News has a new podcast series called Dirty Work which we wanted to share with Daily listeners in our feed. Reporter Sahar Zand has been investigating Interpol red notices - which allow police forces to flag their most wanted persons at international borders around the world. On this episode, we hear from some of those people caught up in the system - who have faced detention, imprisonment, and...