This Is Why

A British-flagged superyacht has sunk off the coast of Sicily, leaving at least one person dead and six others missing.   Among those still lost are British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, the chairman of investment bank Morgan Stanley International Jonathan Bloomer, and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance.  It's believed the yacht was struck by a sudden and pow...

An emergency plan to try to ease prison overcrowding has been started by the government – as courts continue to hear cases involving those accused of rioting earlier in the month.     Across northern England and parts of the Midlands, those waiting for a court appearance will now be held in police cells until there’s a prison place for them.    “Operation Early Dawn” was started on Monday morning....

Musician and billionaire Taylor Swift is so influential that a new economic term has been coined to refer to her impact: 'Swiftonomics'.     From concerts and tours to merchandise and deals, the power of Swift's brand not only earns her money but boosts economies by millions. One estimate suggests that on the latest leg of her Eras Tour, Swift's fans are expected to bring in £300m to London alone,...

Can universities make their sums work?   As students nervously receive their A-level results, many of the universities they'll enrol in are facing their own concerns over what's next...       Academics have warned that years of underfunding and a lack of lucrative international students at British universities after visa changes risks the sector's ability to provide top-class education and, for so...

The inflation rate is up for the first time this year.       Prices went up by 2.2% in the year until July – moving the rate above the Bank of England target of 2%.      Experts had expected an uptick as energy prices are falling by less than they did a year ago.      The increase doesn't seem to change hope for further interest rate cuts in the months to come – but what else can we expect from th...

A week after Ukraine invaded the Kursk region of western Russia - when around 1,000 troops surprised analysts by storming across the border - Russia’s President Vladimir Putin vowed to “kick the enemy out of our territory”.       But has the success of Ukraine’s incursion threatened his grip on power?       On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by our security and defence analyst Michael...

Middle Eastern nations are scrambling to protect a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and prevent a regional conflict.    There are reports of imminent Iranian and Hezbollah retaliation on Israel, as the United States moves military assets to the region.   Joining Niall Paterson on the Sky News Daily is our Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall, and military expert Michael Clarke, to hea...

The Olympics in Paris ends this weekend – as it gears up for the Paralympics. But what legacy does such a huge event leave for athletes and a host city?    Team GB's Jess Roberts won a bronze in the cycling women's team pursuit, but she almost quit the sport because of injury. She joins Matt Barbet alongside Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, one of Britain's greatest Paralympic athletes, to discuss ho...

Thousands of anti-racism protesters gathered across England and formed human barriers to protect asylum centres after police warned of more than 100 far-right-led rallies on Wednesday night.     On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to Tawhid Islam, Trustee at Liverpool Region Mosque Network, who we spoke to on the last episode, after the protests his community feared were overshadowed by t...

The UK is bracing itself for more than 100 protests across the country – with thousands of specialist officers on standby.      On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to Tawhid Islam, Trustee at Liverpool Region Mosque Network, about the dread and fear hanging over the Muslim community. He also discusses what the community is doing to protect those most vulnerable to the violence.       Plus...

After a week of unrest across dozens of towns and cities, police have arrested hundreds of those involved.       The former head of counter-terrorism policing, Neil Basu, says some violence has "crossed the line into terrorism" - as courts sit for extended hours to speed up convictions.     On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to our crime correspondent Martin Brunt about how officers are...

After a weekend of violence and disorder, Sir Keir Starmer has said police will have access to a "standing army of specialist officers" to deal with the riots.     Hundreds of people tried to set fire to a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham on Sunday, while a children’s library in Liverpool and a Citizens Advice centre in Sunderland were burnt over the weekend.      Mosques have also been a...

As one sporting great retires and another adds to her gold medal tally at the Paris Olympics, the Sky News Daily profiles Andy Murray and Simone Biles.      Liz Bates speaks to sports journalist Sue Mott who helped Murray write his autobiography.      She's also joined by Kathy Williams, who became the first black female gymnast to represent Great Britain at an Olympics, in Los Angeles in 1984.   ...

A judge has made the "exceptional" decision to name the 17-year-old suspect charged with the murder of three girls in the Southport stabbing attack, in an attempt to prevent further misinformation about him being spreading online.       Reporting restrictions around the identification of a minor left an information vacuum into which disinformation spread, fuelling violence in towns across the coun...

Former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards has pleaded guilty to charges of making indecent images of children.       The court heard Edwards had been involved in an online chat with an adult man on WhatsApp between December 2020 and April 2022, while he was still presenting on the BBC.       On the Sky News Daily, host Liz Bates is joined by Sky correspondent Henry Vaughn who was at the court in Westminst...

On this episode, Liz Bates talks about the impact of the stabbings in Southport which killed three children at a summer holiday dance class.      We hear Sky News' interview with Joel Verite, who came face to face with the alleged attacker.     Liz talks to Gary Hayes, a former police officer who now helps emergency crews who have PTSD.       Plus, correspondent Ashna Hurynag is in Southport and t...

Chancellor Rachel Reeves says she's discovered a "£20bn black hole" in the public finances left by the previous government.      In the Commons, she set out her plans to address the funding shortfall through spending cuts, as shadow chancellor Jeremy Hunt accused Labour of using the statement to lay the groundwork for a U-turn on tax rises in the October budget.        On the Sky News Daily, host...

As Paris prepares for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games, arsonists have targeted France's high-speed rail network causing travel chaos. The French government has mobilised its intelligence and security services in response to the "malicious acts", but questions are being raised over the preparedness for the games, and if a heavy security presence could impact the experience of the 11...

A police officer has been suspended after a video showed a suspect being kicked in the head and stamped on at Manchester Airport.     The police watchdog has started an investigation into the level of force apparently used by the officer.     On this episode, Niall Paterson speaks to our north of England correspondent Shingi Mararike and to former officer and Sky News police commentator Graham Wet...

Team GB's Charlotte Dujardin could have become the country's most-decorated female Olympian in Paris. But she's withdrawn from the dressage after a video emerged of her whipping a horse 24 times in one minute - which she says is "out of character" and an "error of judgment".   Some have questioned why the video has emerged now - at least two years after it was filmed - with claims the timing is "s...

It's one of television's most successful shows ever and this year's series was meant to be all about celebrating its 20th anniversary.     But controversy has hit the BBC dancing contest in recent weeks. Two male dancers have left the show amid allegations of misconduct, and last week it was announced production staff will chaperone all rehearsals from the next series.       The BBC's annual repor...

Joe Biden, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton have endorsed Kamala Harris for the Democrat nomination for President.    But there are notable names – including Barack Obama – who haven’t given her their support so far.     Is the Vice President significantly more electable than Joe Biden?    Niall Paterson is joined by Michael Yaki, former senior advisor to Nancy Pelosi, who has known Kamala Harris...

Joe Biden has withdrawn from the US presidential race, saying it is in the best interest of his party and country. He has now endorsed his vice-president Kamala Harris to be the Democratic candidate - as have a growing number of senior members of the party.    On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson talks to US Correspondent Martha Kelner about the timing of Biden's departure and to Scarlett Maguire...

It’s been an extraordinary day of cancelled flights, disrupted businesses, problems for healthcare and TV stations not being able to get on air (ahem).  And all because of an update for Microsoft Windows.   So what caused one of the biggest IT failures ever seen – and what do we know about Crowdstrike, the company which released the update?   Ali Fortescue’s in for Niall to discuss it all with our...

The Baird Inquiry was set up to look into the treatment of people in the custody of Greater Manchester Police, following a Sky News investigation by our home affairs editor Jason Farrell.   Dame Vera Baird, a former victim's commissioner, examined 15 cases and found GMP were guilty of unlawful arrests, demeaning strip searches and exercising powers they do not have.   Niall Paterson is joined by J...