This Is Why

Arthur Knight was an Irishman, wrongly arrested – he claimed – whilst recovering from a coma in a Glasgow hospital. Except “Arthur Knight” didn’t exist.     His real name is Nicholas Rossi – a convicted sex offender, originally from the United States, who is now facing trial in Utah on two further counts of rape.     But for years, he attempted to convince Scottish authorities he was the victim of...

He’s been warned against a full military occupation by 600 former Israeli military officials.    But after 22 months of war, that’s exactly what Benjamin Netanyahu wants.    What would long-term occupation mean for Gazans, Israel, the Middle East and the world?    What would it be like for those living in Gaza? Will the Israeli hostages be returned?    And is there any other option in Netanyahu’s...

No evidence of bullying, misogyny or racism. On the face of it, good news for the Duke of Sussex.  But there's still plenty of fallout from a very public row ignited by the woman still in charge of the charity set up by Harry in honour of his mother, that he's now walked away from.   Earlier this year, Sentebale's chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka, used an interview with Sky News' Trevor Phillips to accu...

The "King Kong" of weight loss drugs, Mounjaro, should finally be available on the NHS. So, why are thousands of patients still waiting for a treatment that could transform their lives?  Mounjaro was meant to be rolled out across the NHS in England from 23 June for those with the highest clinical need.  However, a Sky News investigation has found it is only available in eight out of 42 NHS integra...

  If you bought a car as far back as 2007 with a loan organised through your car dealership, you could be eligible for a payout.    The regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, is consulting on a compensation scheme - and it's thought up to 40% of motorists who entered personal contract purchase (PCP) or hire purchase agreements between 2007 and 2021 will be eligible for a payout.    Niall Pate...

After doubling down in a very public row with Nigel Farage, Peter Kyle is the minister of the moment.   In an interview with Sky News, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology caused controversy by suggesting Mr Farage was "on the side" of sexual predators like Jimmy Savile because of his opposition to the Online Safety Act.  Mr Farage described the comment as "disgusting " an...

Measles vaccination rates are at their lowest level in sixteen years in England and there’s fears that it’s led to a rise in the number of cases.   According to the latest Government figures an additional 145 cases have been reported since the beginning of the month. It comes weeks after the death of a child with measles at the Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, a city with low levels of vaccination...

"Nobody's heard of it." That's Donald Trump's dismissive claim about Lesotho – a small country in southern Africa where lives are being devastated by the US president's decision.  But what are the real-world consequences of Mr Trump's trade war?  Trump's cuts to US foreign aid means people can't get access to HIV medication and costly tariffs is causing havoc to the economy – both of which are cos...

Incontinence and chronic pain are just some of the life-altering effects caused by heavy ketamine use – which is at record levels. The drug, used in clinical settings as an anaesthetic, sedative and pain reliever, can create hallucinations in users. But those who become addicted to ketamine also face severe bladder and kidney problems. As the government considers reclassifying ketamine to a Class...

After claiming back-to-back European titles, the Lionesses are now the first senior England football side to win a major tournament away from home.     The team had to overcome physical and psychological adversity throughout the tournament – from poor performances and penalty drama to a player being subjected to horrendous racial abuse. So how did inspirational manager, Sarina Wiegman, beat the od...

33-year-old defender Lucy Bronze has been at the heart of the England team for over a decade, with 140 caps so far. She played a crucial role in helping the Lionesses win back-to-back European titles - somehow managing to play the entire tournament in Switzerland with a broken leg.     Shirts with her name on the back are amongst the most commonly worn by England fans, a testament to her contribut...

The doctors' union, the British Medical Association, is calling for a pay rise of 29.2% to reverse "pay erosion" since 2008/09. The government has offered 5.4%.  In previous strikes, around 1.5 million appointments were cancelled or rescheduled, but this time hospitals have been told to cancel non-urgent work only in "exceptional circumstances".   In today’s episode, Niall Paterson talks to Sky’s...

Ozzy Osbourne made a musical genre. For millions of metal fans, Ozzy and Black Sabbath came up with the sound which influenced countless others.    Heavy metal will always be linked with Birmingham – Ozzy's home city, where he returned to perform in early July.    On this Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson looks at how a working-class lad from Aston became a cultural icon and gave the city its own mus...

Warning: This episode contains themes of racism and homophobia which listeners may find upsetting.   No gays, no Jews, and definitely no non-whites. It’s messaging that reminds us of a segregated United States – a time that apparently ended in the 1960s. But a community in Arkansas, called Return to the Land, wants to establish a whites-only town, and think they have the legal standing to do so. ...

A critical review into England and Wales's broken water system has been released - and it says we are in the midst of the "Great Stink" of the 21st century.      The report includes 88 recommendations - including a new single integrated regulator to replace existing water watchdogs, mandatory water metering, and a social tariff for vulnerable customers.     In this episode, Niall Paterson asks Sky...

Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has been flagged as football's next superstar.   At just 18-years-old, he has already helped Barcelona FC to success in the Spanish league LaLiga and played a pivotal role in his home nation's triumph at Euro 2024. He's also been awarded the No.10 jersey, previously worn by none-other-than Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho.  But the early success has come at the cost of ex...

Elon Musk's Tesla faces the loss of billions of dollars in government subsidies, following his fallout with Donald Trump.  This is after the president cut state support for green industries. Subsidies have been central to Tesla's success from upstart manufacturer to the world's largest vehicle maker in less than 20 years. But now the president's cuts could leave a significant gap in its future ear...

"John" is a convicted sex offender. "Ava" is his daughter. She was only told about her father's crimes weeks after his arrest. But the impact of those crimes could last a lifetime. Online sex offenders receive counselling as part of their rehabilitation, as do their victims. However, there is currently no support for the families of those perpetrators – despite the devastation they have caused. In...

It was a mistake that endangered thousands of people who had supported British forces in Afghanistan - and the Afghans' families. For the first time, the Ministry of Defence has admitted it was responsible for a data breach that has been kept a secret for years - at huge expense to taxpayers - with the help of a super injunction that prevented media or parliamentary scrutiny. Almost 7,000 Afghan n...

The BBC breached its own editorial rules when it did not explain that a 13-year-old used to narrate a documentary about Gaza was, in fact, the son of a Hamas official.  A review has found that the independent production company, Hoyo Films, bears most of the responsibility for what happened – but that BBC bosses should have had more oversight of the film. The corporation says it is taking action b...

It's the bestselling book that's in the middle of its own seismic plot twist. Raynor Winn's The Salt Path spent 85 weeks in The Sunday Times Bestsellers List and has just become a film. But the author's life-affirming account of how her husband's illness and losing their money and home put them on a 630-mile coastal walk has been called into question. The Observer has claimed that not all of the c...

A government report has warned that the threat of physical attacks by Iran on people living in the UK has increased "significantly" since 2022. Iran rejects what they call, hostile allegations.   Has the recent 12-day war between Israel and Iran changed the hierarchy in the Middle East and its attitude towards the West?     On today’s episode, Niall Paterson speaks to home editor Jason Farrell, wh...

If you've paid to have rubbish taken away from your home - where do you expect it to end up? A Sky News investigation has tracked down some of those behind the dumping of people's waste illegally and discovered how they are making thousands of pounds from it.  On this episode, Niall hears the back story to how we went from digging through dumped waster to confront a suspected flytipper - and how T...

The public inquiry into the Post Office Horizon scandal has published its first report into what went wrong and how the victims should be properly compensated.       The inquiry's chair, Sir Wyn Williams, has found that at least 13 postmasters may have taken their own lives after being accused of wrongdoing based on evidence from the Horizon IT system which both the Post Office and its maker, Fuji...

On the morning of 7 July 2005, four suicide bombers targeted London's transport network. We now know that three bombs were detonated on the underground and an hour later a fourth exploded on a bus, killing 52 people and injuring hundreds of others.     But on the day itself, there was confusion for hours about the details of the scale and nature of the attacks.     On today's Sky News Daily, Garet...