This Is Why

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he's ready to work on a peace plan put together by just the US and Russia. UK drugs could be funding Russia's war effort. Plus, energy bills will rise by 0.2% in January, 35% higher than they were before the Ukraine war. And the Ashes are off to a worrying start for England, but there's still hope yet. Anna Jones and Kamali Melbourne have the day's news in just 1...

It's perhaps no coincidence that Trump's latest peace plan has dropped just as President Zelenskyy is having to deal with the biggest corruption scandal his government has faced so far. The latest plan was drawn up in secret with Russia and depends on huge concessions from Ukraine.  Joining Niall is our international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn to discuss...

Defence Secretary John Healey sent a direct warning to Russia after a ship was spotted off the north coast of Scotland. US special envoy Steve Witkoff's post on X has suggested the US and Russia may be forming a secret plan to end the war in Ukraine. And authors say they fear AI replacing them entirely. Plus - why are MPs reading dad jokes in the Commons? Sophy and Wilf have everything you need to...

Defence Secretary John Healey sent a direct warning to Russia after a ship was spotted off the north coast of Scotland. US special envoy Steve Witkoff's post on X has suggested the US and Russia may be forming a secret plan to end the war in Ukraine. And authors say they fear AI replacing them entirely. Plus - why are MPs reading dad jokes in the Commons? Sophy and Wilf have everything you need to...

When a British father, Matt Jeffrey, was killed by a single punch during a stag do on the Greek island of Zante, two men were convicted.  But now a Sky News investigation has identified a new suspect - a man who has potentially evaded justice for years.   In this episode, Niall speaks to Jason about the devastating impact of ‘one-punch’ violence, the emotional toll on Matt’s fa...

Scotland have secured their place in the football World Cup for the first time in 28 years. In the US, politicians have voted to approve a bill forcing the release of files relating to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. And we explain why President Trump's hosting of the Saudi Arabian crown prince is controversial. Plus, could the UK defend itself in an attack? A new report suggests not. Sophy an...

More than 100 companies are being warned by the competition watchdog in a crackdown on online pricing.  If you’re not on your toes, it can be a tricky and expensive world to navigate for consumers at a time when money is tight and many are feeling the squeeze.  Fortunately, the Sky News Money blog has launched its Consumer Rights Week - where the t...

Home secretary Shabana Mahmood is defending asylum reforms some Labour MPs are calling "cruel and inhumane". Also, the UN has passed Trump's peace plan for Gaza. And the government is set to ban ticket touts reselling tickets way above face value. Sophy and Wilf talk about how that's happened following a Competition and Markets Authority report which said Ticketmaster "may have misled Oasis fans"...

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced a radical overhaul of the UK's immigration system, by copying a model that has been seemingly successful in Denmark.  That, of course, depends on how you define "successful". Although asylum claims are down, many feel the country's tough approach raises moral and legal questions....

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is announcing some of the biggest reforms to the asylum system since WWII. Trump has U-turned on the Epstein files, calling for Republicans to vote for their release. And house prices have fallen below their expected level. Sophy and Wilf explain the reforms, give their take on Trump and discuss why house prices are one to watch in today's episode of cheat sheet - al...

Who is Sir Robbie Gibb and is he the most influential figure at the BBC?  In a week marred by controversy, the organisation has seen the departure of two senior figures and has made an apology to the US president over an edited clip of a speech to his followers on 6 January.   There are rumours that the BBC's director general and chief executive were brought down as part of an "insi...

Reports say income tax won't increase in Rachel Reeves's budget - but where will the chancellor find the money for government spending shortfalls? The BBC responds to Donald Trump's threat of a $1bn lawsuit as the US president's deadline looms. Plans are laid out for renters and landlords under huge reforms. And an intruder gets onto the Wicked 'yellow carpet' premiere in Singapore. He's been char...

A tricky week for Wes Streeting was eased ever so slightly by the news NHS waiting lists have shrunk – if not by much.  But the health secretary will still be nursing his bruises a day after having to deny he was plotting to oust the prime minister.   If he really is in the waiting room hoping to enter Number 10 it would help if his NHS record was given a positive diagnosis.  M...

New emails and documents provide an insight into the relationship between Donald Trump and the paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. He has repeatedly denied any involvement or knowledge about Epstein's sex trafficking operation. Meanwhile, research shows children are using e-cigarettes more than adults and are even skipping school to vape. And toy sales are up as 'kidults' buy Minecraft and Lego....

Sir Keir Starmer is standing on the edge of a black hole. The budget is looming and Downing Street believes some of the prime minister’s own MPs may move against him if it is badly received.  Much of the jitters within Labour swirl around the filling of a black hole in the public finances that may actually be self-imposed and self-inflicted. Niall is joined by our data and economics editor Ed...

Nonita had a voice, but nobody heard it. Aged just 18 and in care, Nonita was hit and killed b y a moving train – despite repeatedly warning the professionals responsible for her that she planned to take her own life. Shocked by Nonita's untimely death, Katharine Bryson - a volunteer who had worked with her - became determined to find out who knew what, and when. What she uncovered horrified her –...

The row over how President Trump was portrayed in a Panorama programme has proved to be a scandal too far for embattled BBC bosses.  Director-general Tim Davie and BBC News chief executive Deborah Turness have both resigned.  Mr Trump's lawyers are demanding the BBC retracts the "false" statements in the documentary or face legal act...

A revenge record from the pop star Lily Allen has led to a storm of negative headlines for its alleged inspiration – her estranged husband, David Harbour.   It’s unfortunate timing for the Stranger Things star – with the final season of the Netflix hit dropping at the end of November.   As if that wasn’t enough, there have also been allegations of workplace bully...

Have you been feeling a bit more right wing recently? If you're an avid user of X then it appears Elon Musk is trying to make that the case. For the first time, a Sky News investigation has uncovered how the social media platform's algorithm amplifies right-wing and extreme content. Niall is joined by Sky News data and forensics journalists Tom Cheshire and Kaitlin Tosh. Producer: Tom Gillespie Ed...

With the leaders of some of the world's most polluting countries - the US, China and India - set to skip it, is the COP climate conference irrelevant? The event in Brazil next week marks three decades of target-setting and financial pledges - yet temperatures are still rising and so are emissions. Were all those promises a load of hot air? Have dreams of net zero gone up in smoke? Niall is joined...

Fatal crashes caused by young drivers inflict untold suffering on survivors and the loved ones left behind. But what about the trauma experienced by first responders?  They are part of the so-called ripple effect caused by the aftermath of tragedies on UK roads - and their stories are rarely told.  Niall is joined by Sky correspondent Dan Whitehead, who spoke to NHS workers about their e...

From stabbing attacks to assaults and antisocial behaviour, do you still feel safe taking the train?   On Saturday evening, 11 people were injured on board a high-speed train travelling between Doncaster and London.   The rampage might well have been worse if it wasn’t for the actions of the staff on the train and the swift response from the emergency services. But can we every truly be...

Police are still trying to work out the motive for Saturday’s mass stabbing on a train from Doncaster to London. Sophy has spoken to the sole survivor of the Air India crash which killed 241 people back in June. And Wilf has heard from the US ambassador to the UK Warren Stephens, who wants the UK to keep drilling for oil and gas.

From Monday, Sky News has a new podcast for your morning commute. Sophy Ridge and Wilf Frost will be up early to get across the news so you don't have to. Cheat Sheet is a 10 minute briefing of all the big stories as you start your day. And you'll still have the Sky News Daily to drill down into one topic as you come home.  In your feeds around 6am every weekday, from Monday November 3rd. 

The King has announced that his brother, Andrew, will lose the title of ‘Prince’ which he was born with, and will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The unprecedented move comes after ongoing revelations about Andrew’s relationship with the paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. It also comes after the release of Virginia Giuffre’s memoir, a woman who claimed to have had sex with Andrew when she wa...