Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Britain has sanctioned Moscow’s economy in an attempt to weaken Putin's war machine. But this week, the UK introduced a new exemption allowing diesel and jet fuel made from Russian oil to enter Britain via third countries. So, has Britain quietly relaxed its sanctions on Russia? And more broadly, have Western sanctions actually worked? Niall is joined by Tom Keatinge, founding director of the Centre for Finance and Security at defence and security thinktank the Roya...
May 21, 2026•15 min
President Xi Jinping's hopes of putting China at the centre of a new world order have been given a boost by back-to-back visits of two of his fellow world leaders. Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump both had the red carpet rolled out but the US president left without securing any major deals, while Putin has signed at least 20 deals and significantly a joint declaration on establishing a multipolar world and a new type of international relations. Russia has arguably been weakened by its Ukraine war...
May 20, 2026•20 min
Tech titan and X owner Elon Musk has seen his high-profile lawsuit against the boss of OpenAI Sam Altman thrown out of court. Musk accused his rival of making OpenAI, which created the increasingly popular ChatGPT, a profit-making company after he had donated $38 million to it. The jury may have ruled against Musk, but the feud between the two tech tycoons is likely to continue – and could define the future of AI for years to come. Niall is joined by tech journalist Will Guyatt to discuss the ca...
May 19, 2026•15 min
A new strain of Ebola virus has been declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organisation. More than 300 suspected cases have been identified – with at least 80 deaths reported. The outbreak is mostly confined to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but two cases have already spread to Uganda. Plus, a number of American citizens have also been exposed to the virus. Niall speaks to Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir and health correspondent Ashish Joshi about exact...
May 18, 2026•17 min
The constituency of Makerfield has been a Labour safe seat for generations, but in the May elections, Reform UK won nearly every seat that was up for grabs at the local council. So how much of a gamble is it for Andy Burnham to try to stage a Commons return here? In his favour is his personal popularity in Greater Manchester and the fact he grew up in the area. Against him is the momentum of Reform and the fact that Makerfield hasn't benefitted from some of Burnham's key policies as mayor of the...
May 15, 2026•21 min
On Thursday lunchtime, Wes Streeting resigned from Sir Keir Starmer’s government. The now-former health secretary said he had “lost confidence” in the PM’s premiership – the first cabinet minister to jump ship. But what he didn’t say (yet) is that he will challenge Starmer for the Labour leadership – and with it, the keys to Number 10. So, why hasn’t Streeting fired the starting gun on a contest his critics say he’s been desperate to fight? What sort of leader might he eventually be, and what’s ...
May 14, 2026•22 min
The UK is providing jets, drones and our only operational Type 45 destroyer – HMS Dragon – as part of a multinational mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Thousands of tankers and cargo ships remain stranded after the Strait was closed at the end of February due to the Iran war. Defence Secretary John Healey has stressed the deployment is a defensive measure to secure freedom of navigation – but will only be used once a ceasefire is in place. Will these military assets actually make a differe...
May 13, 2026•19 min
Keir Starmer is on the brink, as more and more Labour MPs and ministers call for his resignation – less than two years after he walked into Number 10. He remains defiant (for now), but whatever the fate of the prime minister, his predicament is one we've seen repeated over the past decade in a seemingly never-ending cycle of chopping and changing leaders. Since David Cameron's resignation in 2016 – after Britain voted to leave the European Union – no prime minister has served a full parliamentar...
May 12, 2026•18 min
Despite a disastrous set of local and national election results, the prime minister has vowed to carry on regardless. But dozens of Sir Keir Starmer's Labour MPs have now called on him to resign – or at least set out a timetable for when he will leave Downing Street. Surely choosing a replacement – or even triggering a leadership contest – should be straightforward? However, even though there are any number of potential challengers, the PM could well be safer than you think. Niall is joined by S...
May 11, 2026•17 min
The annual Victory Day parade in Moscow will be a much smaller affair this year, without an intercontinental ballistic missile in sight. Why? Well, the threat of a Ukrainian drone attack is certainly one reason. But is there any credibility in reports of another threat - this time against Vladimir Putin himself? An anonymous European intelligence agency has claimed the Russian president is spooked over the prospect of a potential coup or even a possible assassination attempt. The alleged plotter...
May 08, 2026•17 min
The emergence of the United States as an energy superpower has reshaped the global economy. Good news for its allies, right? Well, not necessarily... In Texas, fracking has turned America from a major importer into the world's biggest energy producer, effectively creating "another Saudi Arabia" almost overnight. But as Europe looks to the US to plug the energy gap caused by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the reality on the ground is more complicated. Ed Conway, our economics and data edito...
May 07, 2026•19 min
Millions of people are preparing to head to the polls across Britain on Thursday. They'll be voting for thousands of local council seats in England - while people in Scotland and Wales will elect members of their respective devolved parliaments. But the results could have a huge impact on national politics. So, what happens to the prime minister if Labour loses as badly as expected? And does a good night for the Greens or Reform UK really mean they are banging on the door of Number 10? Niall pre...
May 06, 2026•21 min
It's the small Baltic state that's no stranger to being invaded - having been occupied by both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. But while many hope it will never happen again, there are fears in NATO and beyond that Estonia is next on Vladimir Putin's hitlist. So how is the country preparing for the threat from Russia? And could Estonia really be on the front line of a future war in Europe? Niall is joined by the outgoing UK ambassador to Estonia, Ross Allen.
May 05, 2026•15 min
With conflicts continuing in Ukraine, Africa and the Middle East, the global economy being held to ransom and the old world order seemingly up-ended, is there any role left for the United Nations? Founded in the shadow of two world wars, the UN used to be considered the guardian of international law and order. But is it now little more than a toothless talking shop? Niall is joined by Sky News' diplomatic editor Dominic Waghorn to help answer a query from a listener on whether the United Nations...
May 04, 2026•20 min
As The Devil Wears Prada 2 opens in cinemas, the former editor-in-chief of Vogue Anna Wintour is back in the news – but who is she? The sequel to the 2006 film is widely perceived to be based on Ms Wintour's formidable and abrasive management style. However, the world of fashion and the magazines that follow it has changed a lot since then. So, has she maintained her grip and influence on the multibillion-dollar industry? Niall is joined by Paula Froelich, senior story producer and on-air contri...
May 01, 2026•19 min
The war in Iran has led to fears of food shortages and fuelled forecourt price hikes – but is your summer holiday also in jeopardy? The price of jet fuel has soared higher than any other oil product, including petrol, since the Middle East conflict led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. It means major airlines – including Qatar, Etihad and Lufthansa – have started cancelling flights. So how worried should you be about your summer holiday abroad? Niall Paterson is joined by Sky’s b...
Apr 30, 2026•15 min
The party drug ecstasy is usually associated with packed nightclubs and panicked politicians talking about the dangers involved in taking it. However, a former head of the UK’s armed forces believes the drug’s active ingredient, known as MDMA, could be key to treating veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. General Sir Nick Carter is now calling on the government to relax restrictions in order to reduce the crippling cost of clinical trials. What evidence is there to suggest this...
Apr 29, 2026•17 min
Iranian intelligence services are suspected of actively recruiting in the UK, using AI and social networks to entice potential sign-ups. Sky News has uncovered evidence of how apparent Iranian networks are using the chat platform Telegram to target recruits. It follows an increase in attacks on Jewish communities across the UK – with authorities suggesting that some perpetrators may have been taking orders from Tehran. But why might petty crooks or youngsters be tempted to become involved? How w...
Apr 28, 2026•18 min
Why keeping the King safe is Trump's top priority King Charles's trip to the USA is still going ahead, despite a gunman attempting to storm a dinner attended by President Trump on Saturday night. It's the first state visit to the country by a British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II in 2007. Charles is also due to emulate his mother by addressing Congress. Officials from both sides of the Atlantic are working closely on security arrangements. But has the tour been compromised by the assassinatio...
Apr 27, 2026•15 min
Donald Trump is preparing to roll out the red carpet for the King’s all-American state visit next week – despite the fact the US president has been highly critical of the UK over its refusal to join the war in Iran. Trump’s public rebukes for Sir Keir Starmer, Britain’s armed forces and even Prince Harry have put the so-called special relationship under greater strain than ever. So, can the King use all his diplomatic and “soft power” skills to save it? Niall is joined by royal commentator Rober...
Apr 24, 2026•15 min
Prince Harry has warned the world not to grow “numb” to Russia’s war in Ukraine during a surprise visit to Kyiv. The former British army captain also called on the “American leadership” to honour its international obligations, a thinly-veiled swipe at Donald Trump. The fighting rages on in Ukraine, while much of the world’s attention is focused on the war on Iran. The US has been a key backer of Kyiv but is now distracted by a conflict of its own. So, what is going on in Ukraine and what are the...
Apr 23, 2026•18 min
AI giant Anthropic has chosen not to release its latest model, Mythos Preview, to the public. The product was pulled after testing showed its unprecedented strengths in hacking. Instead, Mythos has been made available to a small number of big tech companies including Amazon and Microsoft to help protect their software, rather than pick it apart. So, has the day arrived which many have feared – where AI could change the world as we know it? Or are the scare stories around Mythos merely a myth? Ni...
Apr 22, 2026•15 min
Sir Keir Starmer's relationship with the civil service has broken down following the sacking of Sir Olly Robbins. The former top civil servant at the Foreign Office told parliament there was a "dismissive approach" to security vetting from No 10, but the prime minister maintains it was Robbins who made "an error of judgement". So, what's at stake when the inner workings of government grind to a halt? Lord Peter Ricketts, who is also a former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, joins Niall...
Apr 21, 2026•17 min
First it was Venezuela, then Iran. Is Cuba next on Donald Trump's hit list? The US navy has been anchored off the Caribbean coast since the start of the year, preventing supplies of oil and food from the outside world. As a consequence, the island has been brought to its knees - with electrical blackouts, food rationing and fears for the future. Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay joins Niall to discuss life under the blockade in Havana and what fate awaits the nation, as President Trump ...
Apr 20, 2026•19 min
Top civil servant Olly Robbins has been sacked after his department did not inform the prime minister that Lord Mandelson had failed security vetting for the role of US ambassador. Opposition parties are calling on the prime minister to resign but Sir Keir Starmer is insisting he wasn’t told, in an "unforgivable" omission. He's due to speak to MPs in parliament on Monday, and address the accusations he misled them over the process of Mandelson’s appointment. But who is Olly Robbins, the man who ...
Apr 17, 2026•16 min
A multi-billion-dollar Saudi-backed golf tour is reportedly close to collapse – so could this spell an end to the Gulf state’s interest in sport? The controversial LIV Golf Tour is just one strand of the Saudis’ sporting portfolio. Footballing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo plays there, while the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) also owns English Premier League team, Newcastle United. But the PIF - which has plunged $5b into the LIV project - has a new five-year economic strategy that include...
Apr 16, 2026•17 min
Another night, another post on Truth Social from Donald Trump criticising NATO. As other leaders try to persuade him to stay in the alliance, plans are being prepared in case the US goes through with its threat to walk away. At the same time, the UK government is in a muddle on defence spending – with criticism from current and former military chiefs - but no decisions yet on how and when to boost budgets. Niall and Sky's military analyst Professor Michael Clarke debrief on what a post-Trump NAT...
Apr 15, 2026•19 min
A decade on, you might have thought Brexit was done and dusted – but our relationship with the European Union is still in flux. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is proposing a reset that could result in the UK signing up to EU rules without the need for a normal parliamentary vote, under what are known as Henry VIII powers. But in pushing for closer ties with the continent, is he risking a return to rule-taking without any say in what those rules are? And what might this new relationship with Bru...
Apr 14, 2026•18 min
After 16 years in power, Hungary's Viktor Orban has been defeated by Peter Magyar, whose Tisza party has won a huge parliamentary majority. Magyar campaigned to break the country away from Russia's grip and re-establish closer ties to the European Union, in a setback for both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. But is this a genuine turning point and a strategic win for Ukraine's war efforts? Niall speaks to our Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett in Budapest to find out how significant the change of...
Apr 13, 2026•16 min
Donald Trump's war in Iran has been polling badly among many of the groups that voted for him in 2024, and that matters as crucial midterm elections are just over six months away. These elections take place two years into the presidential cycle, with voters able to choose who runs Congress. Currently, the Republicans control both the Senate and the House of Representatives, giving the president freedom to enact his agenda. So how exactly do the midterms work and how much would change for Donald ...
Apr 10, 2026•16 min
