Sky News

This Is Why

News EN ↓ 1000 episodes

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. This Is Why is a Sky News podcast – if you have a question, contact us: why@sky.uk

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Sky News

Category

News

Podcast website

www.skynews.com

Latest episode

Jul 10, 2026

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Episodes

'Fear and intimidation' – the tactics of Iran's secret police 25.11.2022

State secret police have been accused of abducting and killing civilians on the street of Iran, a country where hundreds of people have died and violence continues to escalate during protests which have been raging for 10 weeks. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by Victoria Elms and Sanya Burgess from Sky News’ digital investigations team which has carried out a special investigation...

Scottish Independence: A blow for Sturgeon - so what next? 23.11.2022

Supreme Court judges have decided unanimously that an Indyref2 vote cannot go ahead without the UK parliament’s permission. But it’s not the end of the debate – or Scotland’s First Minister’s fight to break free from Great Britain. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson looks at what the judgment means both politically and legally with our Scotland correspondent Connor Gillies. Plus, reaction from...

Musk and Twitter: The end or a new beginning? 23.11.2022

Since Elon Musk bought and took over Twitter three weeks ago, he’s re-visioned the platform with “free speech” at its core. But his takeover has seen an exodus of staff and a series of user-reported issues. Twitter has been a resource for connecting with officials, celebrities, and each other, but can it withstand the changes made under Musk? On the Sky News Daily, Niall Patterson speaks to our te...

Armband row: Did football just score an own goal? 21.11.2022

LGBT+ rights activists and campaigners have condemned FIFA’s threats to sanction players who wear OneLove armbands at the World Cup in Qatar. England, Wales and five other European nations have confirmed their players will not wear the armband as a result. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by Sky News’ sports correspondent Rob Harris in Qatar, and Jon Holmes, from the campaigning and...

Big Ideas Live: Can the UK become a science superpower? 21.11.2022

Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, wants to turn the UK into the next Silicon Valley. The question many scientists are asking is: How? Although there were no cuts to science and technology in Mr Hunt’s autumn statement, those in the field say a lot more must be done to realise the government's ambition. For a special Sky News Daily, Tom Clarke, our science and technology editor, is joined by a panel of...

Ukraine War Diaries: EP33 - Russian fury, freezing down & the price of freedom (Nov 14-18) 19.11.2022

On the road in freezing temperatures, military volunteer Seva, reflects on Russia’s latest mass attack on the Ukrainian energy network. And looking out across a darkened Kyiv - after a Russian missile knocks out the power in his apartment block - the ramifications of winter become very real for Ilyas, but so too enemy soldiers. OUR DIARISTS Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled fro...

What Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement means for you 17.11.2022

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has delivered the government's autumn statement, outlining tax rises and spending cuts in order to fill a £54bn "black hole" in the UK economy. Mr Hunt has pledged to increase spending on the NHS and education while increasing the amount of tax paid by the highest earners, as the Office for Budget Responsibility has predicted that living standards are going to fall by 7% ove...

Donald Trump is running for President... again! 16.11.2022

Donald Trump has announced he is running for the US presidency in 2024. But to be on the ballot, he will have to win the Republican Party’s nomination. As he well knows, the road to becoming one of the main parties' presidential nominees can be long and arduous. On the Sky News Daily Niall Paterson speaks to Sky's US Correspondent Mark Stone who was at Trump's estate in Mar-a-Lago in Florida for t...

Inside Kherson: What next for Russia’s war with Ukraine? 16.11.2022

Ukraine has faced another intense wave of missile strikes, just days after Russia’s loss of Kherson - the port city in southern Ukraine. On the Sky News Daily podcast with Niall Paterson, our correspondent Alex Rossi reflects on what he witnessed as Ukrainian troops took back control last week, and Sky's Cordelia Lynch discusses global diplomacy at the G20 summit in Bali. Plus, Sky's security and...

Will British police in France stop the small boat crossings? 15.11.2022

The UK and France have agreed a new deal to try to tackle the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats. UK agents will be working in France for the first time after more than 40,000 people have made the trip so far this year. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to Sky's Europe correspondent Adam Parsons and producer Sophie Garratt about new and more dangerous tactics being dep...

The science of ageing: Can we live forever? 14.11.2022

There has been an explosion in Silicon Valley tech start-ups putting their money behind anti-ageing science. They're working to halt and one day maybe reverse the one inevitability of our human existence – and they've the backing of names like Google and Jeff Bezos. It raises long lists of moral and ethical questions – is it for the greater good or the next frontier for the billionaires whose only...

Qatar World Cup: Has football become a side show? 14.11.2022

32 teams are competing in the FIFA World Cup being held in Qatar. It’s the first winter championship and first tournament to be held in the Middle East. But the choice of host has come under scrutiny; homosexuality is illegal in Qatar, and poor conditions for migrant workers building the facilities has faced backlash. On the Sky News Daily with Niall Paterson, our sports correspondent Rob Harris a...

Ukraine War Diaries: EP32 - Limping into darkness, lost limbs & longing for Kyiv (Nov 7-11) 12.11.2022

In Kyiv, a sudden restaurant blackout forces Ilyas to consider the reality of winter in a city without power and increasingly isolated.  Injured by an anti-tank grenade, Seva accompanies a close friend to one of Kyiv’s trauma units.  Meanwhile, against the backdrop of conversations about a future evacuation, Oksana readies to return again to the Ukrainian capital. OUR DIARISTS Ilyas is an IT speci...

Albanian migrants: Why are they coming to the UK? 11.11.2022

Albania's prime minister recently accused the UK's home secretary of fuelling xenophobic attacks against his people, after Suella Braverman described people crossing the English Channel in small boats as an "invasion". What do we know about those leaving Albania? What impact is it having on the country's economy? And how should the UK respond? On the Sky News Daily podcast, Niall Paterson speaks t...

‘I’m so exhausted’: Why nurses say they’re striking 10.11.2022

Hundreds of thousands of nurses across the UK are going on strike. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the strike will affect the majority of NHS employers as nurses take action against pay levels and patient safety concerns. Patients who are already facing record waiting lists are now likely to see operations and appointments delayed or cancelled, though emergency care will continue. On the S...

US midterms: Why Trump's red wave became a ripple 09.11.2022

The predicted Republican red wave in the US midterm elections hasn't materialised. Elections for the Senate and House of Representatives presented an opportunity to install supporters of Donald Trump, and make politics difficult for President Joe Biden. On the Sky News Daily, in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Niall Patterson is joined by our international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn and...

Gavin Williamson bullying claims: How problematic for the PM? 08.11.2022

Rishi Sunak promised to lead the Conservatives with “integrity, professionalism and accountability”. Two weeks on, however, the prime minister and his judgement are under fierce scrutiny after rows involving Suella Braverman’s reappointment as home secretary and bullying claims surrounding Sir Gavin Williamson, the new Cabinet Office minister. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson looks at what’s...

Why is China still imposing Covid lockdowns? 07.11.2022

China is one of the few remaining countries still enforcing a Zero-Covid policy. People face strict lockdowns, regular mass testing, constant scanning of health ‘green’ codes when travelling to most places, and restrictions. Although the policy has largely prevented mass hospitalisations, the strict pandemic restrictions face increasing economic and societal pressure, with falling productivity, gr...

Ukraine War Diaries: EP31 - More Russian payloads, Putin’s plan & Patriots (Oct 31-4 November) 05.11.2022

From his apartment in Kyiv, Ilyas watches and listens as Ukrainian air defence armoury targets yet another onslaught of Russian missiles. Meanwhile, military volunteer, Seva, sets off on a lone assignment to the frontlines in Donetsk where his thinking is challenged by an embattled tank battalion. OUR DIARISTS Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after th...

Manchester Arena attack: How the emergency response went wrong 04.11.2022

A victim of the Manchester Arena bombing would likely have survived had the emergency response been better, an inquiry has found. Its new report found "significant aspects... went wrong" and "the performance of the emergency services was far below the standard" it should have been. On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood gets a breakdown of the report from Sky’s Katerina Vittozzi, who has been speak...

Bird flu: How serious is it? 03.11.2022

Around 100 million birds have been culled across Europe and the US in the past year following the 'worst-ever' outbreak of avian influenza. On the Sky News Daily podcast, Sally Lockwood speaks to poultry farmer Mark Gorton, director of science at the British Trust for Ornithology, James Pearce-Higgins, and Sky's science and technology editor Tom Clarke about how serious the threat is to business,...

Matt Hancock: What is it about politicians and reality TV? 02.11.2022

Former health secretary Matt Hancock is going on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! He was suspended from the Conservative Party after news broke he was heading to the Australian jungle - but he's not the first politician, or probably the last, to risk political ruin for the bright lights of show business. On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood gets the temperature in Westminster with Sky News'...

Braverman’s back… But will the migrant crisis allow her to stay? 01.11.2022

Following scrutiny from Conservative MPs and charities over conditions at the Manston migrant processing centre in Kent, Home Secretary Suella Braverman has denied reports she blocked people from being moved into hotels or ignored legal advice, instead saying she had "worked hard to find alternative accommodation". There are currently around 4,000 people at Manston - the centre is designed to hold...

Can COP27 make climate change a priority again? 31.10.2022

The UN’s climate change conference COP27 will be held in Egypt, but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and King Charles won’t be attending, raising questions about the UK’s commitment to tackling a warming world. US special climate envoy John Kerry said it would be "very powerful" if King Charles could attend, while climate activist Vanessa Nakate suggested if the UK continues to open new fossil fuel infr...

Ukraine War Diaries: EP30 - Death drones, prayers for dad & living with the dark (Oct 24-28) 28.10.2022

From the window of his Kyiv apartment, Ilyas witnesses a drone strike that results in the death of a pregnant woman and her husband. On military assignment in Western Ukraine, Seva’s thoughts turn to his father who is about to undergo major surgery in a hospital within the compass of continued Russian strikes. Meanwhile, Oksana readies to return to a Kyiv that looks set to be plunged further into...

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