The death of the actor who played Chandler Bing in US sitcom Friends has left those who knew and loved him “heartbroken”. Matthew Perry, who had previously spoken about his battle with addiction, was found dead at his LA home at the weekend. On this Sky News Daily, our arts and entertainment correspondent Katie Spencer speaks to Lindsay Posner – who directed Perry's play The End of Longing – and to comedian, podcaster and Friends fan, Vix Leyton about their memories of the 54-year-old and how th...
Oct 30, 2023•16 min
The Environment Secretary Therese Coffey has told Sky News the repeated release of illegal sewage outflows is a "scandal" as she signals that customers may need to be prepared to pay more for an improved system. Our economics and data editor Ed Conway has investigated the scale of the sewage crisis. On the Sky News Daily, Leah Boleto talks to Ed about his findings, which show that - far from being a failure of the system - raw sewage is released into Britain's waterways by design. Senior podcast...
Oct 27, 2023•22 min
As Israeli families await news of loved ones who were taken hostage during the attacks by Hamas on 7 October, two men from different sides of the conflict share their story of grief, an unexpected friendship and forgiveness. On the Sky News Daily, Belle Donati is joined by Rami Elhanan, an Israeli Peace Advocate and Bassam Aramin, a Palestinian Peace Advocate – after they were brought together nearly two decades ago following the loss of their daughters. Rami’s teenage daughter was killed by a s...
Oct 26, 2023•25 min
A year after Rishi Sunak became prime minister, has he convinced the public of his competence and of his electability? Sophy Ridge from Sky News’ Politics Hub programme takes over from Niall Paterson for this episode. She discusses Sunak’s record with Katy Balls, political editor at the Spectator, and Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor at the New Statesman. Then, Andrew Lansley, who ran Tory national election campaigns including in 1992, joins Sophy to discuss what the PM might be able ...
Oct 25, 2023•22 min
As the Sentencing Council in England and Wales examines the potential impact of being pregnant and giving birth in prison, the Sky News Daily podcast hears from women who’ve been through the experience. With Niall Paterson on half-term, Sarah-Jane Mee, who presents Sky News’ UK Tonight show, takes over for this episode. She speaks to Dr Laura Abbott - a midwife and researcher at the University of Hertfordshire - about her research into the dangers of giving birth in prison and Sky News home edit...
Oct 24, 2023•20 min
The word "jihad" - chanted during a pro-Palestinian rally in London over the weekend - has led to questions about whether laws governing hate crime need reform. The word can be interpreted in different ways; for some, it means struggle or effort in Arabic, but it has also been taken to refer to holy war. And the police made no arrests in this case. The "jihad" chants were made at a side rally by members of the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir which is banned in many countries including some majorit...
Oct 23, 2023•18 min
Labour's hopes ahead of the next general election have been bolstered after historic wins in the Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire by-elections. The double victory saw huge Conservative majorities overturned, with more than a 20 percent swing away from the Tories in both constituencies. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has used a rare Oval Office address to urge Americans to remember the country's role as "a beacon to the world" as he seeks Congress support for a $100bn aid package to Israel and Uk...
Oct 20, 2023•21 min
Britain’s prime minister says the UK stands with Israel in its “darkest hour” as he met his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu. Rishi Sunak arrived in the country a day after US president Joe Biden apparently gave his backing privately for an Israeli ground invasion into Gaza in response to the deadly Hamas attacks on 7 October. On the Sky News Daily, Belle Donati explores what that could be like with former royal marine Rob Taylor, who runs a company training British and American soldiers ...
Oct 19, 2023•18 min
The Anglican-run al Ahli hospital in northern Gaza was bombed on Tuesday evening, claiming 500 lives, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Both sides in the Israel-Hamas war have blamed the other. It comes as US President Joe Biden lands in Israel to discuss the conflict. He appeared to back the Israeli military account that the blast was not caused by them. On the Sky News Daily, host Belle Donati hears from General Sir Simon Mayall, former senior adviser for the Middle East at the Min...
Oct 18, 2023•23 min
There has been a wave of by-elections in recent months across the country - and Sky’s chief political correspondent Jon Craig has been to most of them. In fact this Thursday sees Jon covering his 40th count for Sky News. He’s in Nadine Dorries' old seat of Mid Bedfordshire which could see the vote split 3 ways between the Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dems. On the same day, another seat held by the Conservatives – Tamworth – is up for grabs following Chris Pincher’s resignation over groping ...
Oct 18, 2023•19 min
Hostage-taking has long been a feature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The latest – 199 people, as confirmed by the Israeli military, taken by Hamas include foreign nationals, elderly and children. On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood speaks to one of the world's most experienced kidnap for ransom negotiators and author Scott Walker about what life might be like for hostages inside Gaza and efforts to get them back. Plus, Ali Bunkall explains what impact Joe Biden's visit to Israel will ha...
Oct 17, 2023•20 min
More than a week on since the Hamas attack that shocked Israelis and others around the world, thousands of Palestinians caught up in the conflict remain stuck in Gaza at its southern border with Egypt – as the threat of an Israeli ground invasion into northern Gaza looms. On the Sky News Daily podcast, Sally Lockwood speaks to former Gaza correspondent Nicole Johnston about who controls the Rafah crossing and the people inside Gaza she’s in contact with as we hear voicenotes from some of them. P...
Oct 16, 2023•20 min
Israel gave more than a million people living in northern Gaza 24 hours to leave their homes ahead of an expected Israeli ground offensive in response to Hamas attacks. On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood speaks to our Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall about the deadline given to Gazans and Shaina Low, from the Norwegian Refugee Council, who talks about their team in Gaza. Plus, Sally is joined by our communities correspondent Becky Johnson to discuss concerns about antisemitism in th...
Oct 13, 2023•23 min
The United States has re-affirmed its support for Israel in the wake of the brutal attacks by Hamas, sending its most senior diplomat Antony Blinken to Tel Aviv. It’s his first stop on a tour of the Middle East, in an effort by the US to stop the conflict spreading. Mr Blinken indicated the US will back Israel’s bid to destroy the militant group but warned it must “take every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians.” Today, on Sky News Daily Tom Cheshire speaks with international affairs ...
Oct 12, 2023•21 min
Israel’s response to the brutal attacks by Hamas has been swift and devastating. The two million people who live in Gaza are now under a siege - they are quickly running out of food and water. The one power station has shut down meaning an end to electricity supplies. Hamas has been ruling Gaza as a one-party state since 2007 and Israel has made it clear that it intends to wipe the group out. Today on the podcast, Sky News data and forensic correspondent Tom Cheshire discusses the scale of the h...
Oct 11, 2023•20 min
It started with a security breach covered in glitter, but in a major speech today Sir Keir Starmer unveiled his plan for Britain ahead of the next general election. The Labour leader declared his party would be “the healers, the modernisers, the builders,” promising to “turn our backs on never-ending Tory decline with a decade of national renewal”. But can he pull it off? On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined in Liverpool by our deputy political editor Sam Coates, where they analyse wh...
Oct 10, 2023•23 min
On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by our Middle East Correspondent Alistair Bunkall to take a closer look at the Israel-Hamas war – including the Israeli reaction to the weekend’s attack and what it may do next. Alistair reports on the hundreds who’ve lost their lives so far and the questions being asked about Israeli intelligence. Plus, our deputy political editor Sam Coates on how the conflict is being discussed at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. Senior podcast producer...
Oct 09, 2023•26 min
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said his newest MP “blew the doors off” as Michael Shanks won the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election with a swing of 20%. It was triggered after former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier was removed from her seat after breaking COVID guidelines. The win could have implications for the next general election. If the swing was repeated across Scotland it would see a rise in the number of Labour MPs from just 2 to over 40 and so a big boost to Sir Keir Starmer’s bid to ente...
Oct 06, 2023•20 min
The prime minister wants to stop younger generations from taking up smoking – by making it illegal for anyone born after 2005 to ever be able to buy them. Rishi Sunak’s plan – announced in his Tory conference speech on Wednesday – is similar to measures already introduced in New Zealand, aimed at tackling health problems related to smoking. But critics argue people should have the freedom to choose – not the state. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson explores the debate – both from a health an...
Oct 05, 2023•20 min
The prime minister closed the Conservative Party conference with a speech setting out his pitch for the next election, promising to reform A-levels, support the health service and crack down on smoking. He also finally confirmed that the HS2 link from Birmingham to Manchester is being scrapped and committed to spend the money instead on transport projects in the North. On the Sky News Daily with Niall Paterson, our deputy political editor Sam Coates discusses what impact the speech will have and...
Oct 04, 2023•25 min
Rishi Sunak has claimed a general election is "not what the country wants" but insists he is unafraid of going to the polls. On the Sky News Daily with Niall Paterson, our political editor Beth Rigby talks about her morning interview with the prime minister. And Niall sits down with Katie Perrior, former director of communications at 10 Downing Street for Theresa May, and William Hague's former special adviser Chris White to discuss the election chances of the Tory Party. *Tell us what you think...
Oct 03, 2023•25 min
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt held firm on tax cuts, despite growing pressure from his colleagues at the Conservative Party conference on Monday. "The plan is working and now we must see it through," he said in his keynote speech. The idea of a tax cut is dividing Tories – with former prime minister Liz Truss calling for the chancellor to "axe the tax". Hunt spoke as news broke that the northern leg of HS2 will be scrapped between Birmingham and Manchester. On the Sky News Daily, host Niall Paterson is...
Oct 02, 2023•28 min
Thousands of prisoners remain incarcerated on open-ended prison sentences under a now defunct scheme, known as IPP sentencing. The no-maximum prison sentences, some of which were given to offenders of low-level crimes, have been compared to ‘psychological torture’. On the Sky News Daily Niall Paterson speaks to Anthony Hipkiss who was in prison for 16 years despite only being sentenced to 15 months. He tells us how the strict licensing rules he has to live under for 10 years means he can’t even ...
Sep 29, 2023•21 min
When it was first given the go-ahead back in 2012, Britain's new high-speed rail line connecting the south, the Midlands and the north of England was predicted to cost £32.7bn. Now, after delays and inflation fuelled by Brexit, Covid and the invasion of Ukraine, this figure is closer to £100bn. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also avoided answering questions on whether the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the route will go ahead, leaving the future of the project shrouded in uncertainty. So why wa...
Sep 28, 2023•22 min
Scotland will be home to the UK’s first so-called ‘consumption rooms’ where drug users will be able to get their fix more safely. Recent stats showed that despite a fall this year, Scotland still has the highest number of drugs-related deaths per million population in Europe. Now, plans have been approved for a £2.3 million facility at Hunter Street Health Centre in Glasgow – despite opposition from Westminster. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by our Scotland correspondent Connor...
Sep 27, 2023•22 min
The Liberal Democrats conference in Bournemouth saw leader Sir Ed Davey hinting that his party would be prepared to do a post-election deal with Labour to prevent the Conservatives from forming a government. Of the 91 seats in which the Lib Dems finished second in 2019, 80 are held by Conservatives. After recent by-election victories, could the Lib Dems be looking like kingmakers once more? To answer this question, Niall Paterson is joined by Sky News deputy political editor Sam Coates who has b...
Sep 26, 2023•30 min
Ian Harrison is 33 and has spent his adult life on the streets. He's among more than an estimated 270,000 homeless people in England. Sky News has been following Ian's journey as a government promise - to end rough sleeping by next year - looks in serious doubt. It was a target set by the Conservatives in their 2019 election manifesto - but a report by the Kerslake Commission is warning it will be missed, blaming "chronic and unresolved" issues in the housing system as it reports a 26% rise in r...
Sep 25, 2023•17 min
It seems everything is moving online these days, so it’s perhaps no surprise that kids TV is too. CITV, ITV’s children’s channel, is no longer; it’s moving to the company’s streaming service, ITVx. Its BBC equivalent, CBBC, is expected to also be online-only in the next few years. Many children now, though, just go to YouTube to watch their shows. But with an ongoing decrease in funding for kids’ TV and the move to the less regulated streaming platforms there are concerns about the impact the qu...
Sep 22, 2023•25 min
The King and Queen are on a state visit to France this week, which includes stops in Paris and Bordeaux. The three-day trip would have been Charles’ first royal visit abroad as King back in March – but it was delayed due to the violent protests taking place over President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by François-Joseph Schichan, former French diplomat and political adviser to the French ambassador in the UK, to explore how our closest ally vi...
Sep 21, 2023•19 min
The reaction - to a move by Rishi Sunak to delay the government’s green policies – has been mixed to say the least, with opposition parties slamming the prime minister’s leadership as “weak” and the decision “damaging” for the climate. As net zero sceptics cheered there was criticism from some in the car industry and the more environmentally minded Conservative politicians. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by our science correspondent Thomas Moore and Politico’s UK editor Jack Bla...
Sep 20, 2023•22 min
