This Is Why

The United States may have launched strikes on Iran this week, but Donald Trump also found time for a war of words. This time, it was with the prime ministers of the UK and Spain – after they refused to allow America access to their airbases ahead of the attack. Keir Starmer and Pedro Sanchez have responded with some tough words of their own – so why are they and other European leaders finally sta...

Rachel Reeves may have delivered her Spring Forecast – but have events in the Middle East made the chancellor’s announcement redundant? With President Trump predicting the Iran conflict could continue for a further four to five weeks, the world is starting to realise the economic consequences. Global oil and gas prices are spiking and fuelling the threat of higher inflation and interest rates. Nia...

War is raging in the Middle East after the US and Israel carried out strikes on Iran. Keir Starmer has risked his special relationship with Donald Trump by initially blocking the US from using UK airbases. Despite later changing his mind, what kind of tightrope is the prime minister walking – and can he stop Britain being sucked into war? Niall is joined on this first-ever episode of This Is Why b...

Welcome to This Is Why. The world’s a pretty confusing place right now – so how do you make sense of it all? This Is Why takes one story every day, explains how we got here and why it matters to you. Sky News’ Niall Paterson speaks to experts and correspondents from around the world, getting simple answers to some complex questions. Available every weekday afternoon from Monday 2 March 2026. This...

The world’s a pretty confusing place right now – so how do you make sense of it all? This Is Why takes one story every day, explains how we got here and why it matters to you. Sky News’ Niall Paterson speaks to experts and correspondents from around the world, getting simple answers to some complex questions. Available every weekday afternoon from Monday 2 March 2026. This Is Why is a Sky News pod...

When is a shadow fleet not a shadow fleet? Perhaps when it’s shipping millions of dollars' worth of crude oil through the English Channel in broad daylight. The UK has imposed sanctions on the Russian oil trade since the start of the full invasion of Ukraine - but tankers helping to fund Putin’s war machine are operating in the Channel with apparent impunity. Niall is joined by Sky’s business corr...

A Sky News exclusive has found that at least 21 police forces in England are still using Microsoft Copilot, despite it being at the centre of the Maccabi Tel Aviv incident last year. In November, football fans of the Israeli team were banned from attending an away match against Aston Villa in Birmingham. West Midlands Police had determined the risk was too high. The resulting outcry – including fr...

Could the use of drones break the stalemate in the Ukraine war? Tomorrow marks the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion - and for most of this time, it has seemed there was no end in sight. However, technological developments have led to the increased use of drones on the frontline. How have these remote-controlled devices become the dominant weapon on the battlefield, and have they...

Imagine being in a room surrounded by £64bn worth of gold. It’s a glittering reality Sky’s economics and data editor Ed Conway experienced in one of 12 huge vaults below the Bank of England. To be granted access to the vaults is incredibly rare, not least because the gold bars inside them has been skyrocketing in value globally. So why is so much gold just sitting under London’s streets? Who does...

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on his 66th birthday following revelations in the Epstein files. The former prince’s links with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein have been known for years - so has the Royal Family done enough to investigate any potential wrongdoing? Andrew has always denied any allegations of illegality in connection with...

Charles Bronson's ninth appeal to the Parole Board is being considered as the hostage-taking former armed robber continues his fight for freedom. The 73-year-old has spent 52 years in jail, much of it in solitary confinement and he and his celebrity supporters believe it is now time for him to be released. Niall is joined by Sky's crime commentator Martin Brunt who assesses Bronson’s chances of ge...

Boys are now falling behind girls in every metric at school. They're more likely to be out of work than girls, and they make up 98% of the youth prison intake. There are also 2.5 million children growing up without a father figure and this seems to be impacting boys much more than girls. But is part of the problem that boys are being told they're the problem? One headteacher is hoping his groundbr...

The Kremlin has denied using a dart frog toxin to kill Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2024. But Britain and four European allies say they have evidence that points to the use of the forbidden chemical agent. Why did the allies choose the Munich security conference to make this point? And how has Moscow responded to the claims? Gareth is joined by Hamish de Bretton-Gordon - former head...

Kim Ju Ae could be the next leader of North Korea. Despite only being around 13 years old, there are reports her father, Kim Jong Un, has handpicked her as his heir. So, what is known about the youngster who may become the next head of one of the world's most secretive countries? Niall is joined by Professor Hazel Smith, an expert on North Korea at the School of African and Oriental Studies. Produ...

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has apologised for his “choice of language” in an interview with Sky News’ economics and data editor, Ed Conway. The billionaire, who part-owns Manchester United, but lives in Monaco, said the UK is being ‘colonised’ by immigrants. His comments have been criticised by the prime minister and many Man Utd fans. Niall discusses with Ed Conway why an interview, which was supposed to...

The "Suffolk Strangler" murders horrified the UK in 2006, as five women were killed in the Ipswich area. But should the killer have been caught years before? Steve Wright became known as one of the country's most notorious serial killers - and admitted last week to having murdered a sixth woman in 1999. Now, his only survivor says his victims might have survived if police had taken her seriously....

Downing Street is in turmoil as Sir Keir Starmer fights for his political life. Can he cling on to power? Niall is joined by Lord Barwell, Theresa May’s chief of staff during her time in Downing Street. He says watching current events play out is like post-traumatic stress disorder. So, what actually goes on inside Downing Street during a time of crisis? And is there anything the prime minister ca...

**Since we published this episode, we've heard from Buckingham Palace about allegations that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential documents with Jeffrey Epstein whilst acting as a UK Trade Envoy. "The King has made clear, in words and through unprecedented actions, his profound concern at allegations which continue to come to light in respect of Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's conduct," the Pal...

John Profumo was secretary of state for war when he had an affair with Christine Keeler, which ultimately brought down Conservative prime minister Harold Macmillan in the early 1960s. Parallels are now being drawn between the Profumo affair, and the crisis Sir Keir Starmer is facing over Peter Mandelson's links to Jeffrey Epstein. Not just because of the damage to his government but also in how th...

The mother of one of America's most famous news anchors is believed to have been abducted. Savannah Guthrie is used to broadcasting the news to millions of people - but has now issued a desperate video appeal calling for her mum’s safe return. The story has captivated America - so who is Savannah Guthrie and what do we know about her mother Nancy’s disappearance so far? Niall is joined by Sky’s US...

Northeast Syria is rapidly changing hands, and with it the country's fragile balance of power. The last time there was a power vacuum in the country, ISIS was born. Around 7,000 Islamic State group detainees held in prisons in Syria are being transferred to Iraq in an operation overseen by the US. But will the instability in the region affect that transfer and allow the organisation to regroup? Ni...

Half of us will develop cancer at some point in our lives, according to Cancer Research UK. And the speed of a diagnosis can often be the difference between life and death. Just a one-month delay can raise the risk of death by up to 10%. Yet in England, almost a third of cancer patients wait more than two months to start treatment after an urgent GP referral - twice as many as the target and a tre...

It seemed inevitable there would be more damaging documents in the latest batch of the Epstein files relating to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. Neither the former prince, nor the wider Royal Family, have responded to this most recent tranche, in which Andrew is pictured on all fours, leaning over an unidentified woman. So what else is inside the latest drop? What does it say about his relationship wi...

From 'Snow Queen' to 'ICE Maiden' - how did a beauty pageant-winning 'farmgirl' from South Dakota become the public face of Donald Trump's immigration crackdown? As the head of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem holds one of the highest offices in the US government - despite facing criticism after saying she shot her dog. But will Ms Noem's love of the limelight also lead to her downfall, following th...

An online network known as ‘The Com’ is targeting children and coercing them into acts of violence, self-harm and abuse. A new report has revealed members – mostly aged between 11 and 25 – are groomed into hurting themselves or others to gain social status. How worried should parents be and what are the signs your child might be involved? Niall speaks to Sky’s Adele Robinson following her investig...