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This Is Why

Sky Newswww.skynews.com
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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Episodes

USA ‘24: How Trump and Harris are using the final days

With just four days until polling day, join our US correspondents on the road as they examine the closing arguments from each campaign. James Matthews takes listeners inside Donald Trump’s Maddison Square Graden rally and finds out if controversial jokes by a support act could jeopardise his chances with Hispanic voters - a key demographic in vital swing states. And Martha Kelner heads to Kamala Harris’s rally on the Ellipse, in Washington DC - the same spot President Trump rallied before suppor...

Nov 01, 202431 min

Silent prayer and religious chanting: Why the UK is protecting abortion clinics

Starting today, new protection zones around abortion clinics will make it illegal to harass, obstruct, or attempt to influence anyone seeking or providing abortion services within 150 metres. But what does this mean for women accessing clinics and the potential impacts on pro-life protests? Host Liz Bates visits a London clinic to hear from medical staff who have faced abuse when going into work, and speaks to Lily, who told us "my abortion wasn't traumatic. The harassment I received was", when ...

Oct 31, 202422 min

Is this the biggest budget ever?

Rachel Reeves has delivered a historic budget - Labour's first in 14 years, the first ever from a female chancellor, and the biggest tax-raising fiscal event in more than 30 years. On the Sky News Daily, host Darren McCaffrey is joined by economics and data editor Ed Conway and deputy political editor Sam Coates to discuss their reflections and expert analysis on the momentous budget. Plus, political editor Beth Rigby has been speaking to Chancellor Rachel Reeves about whether Labour has broken ...

Oct 30, 202434 min

USA '24: Who is the real Kamala Harris?

Next week Kamala Harris could be elected as America’s first ever female president. But despite decades in politics the narrative of her life has been closely guarded by her aides. Sky’s Martha Kelner has spent the past two months uncovering who the real Kamala Harris is and shares all with today’s host Liz Bates on the Sky News Daily. Podcast producer: Rosie Gillott Editor: Philly Beaumont

Oct 29, 202428 min

USA '24: Trump at Madison Square Garden: Rally or reckoning?

Donald Trump’s decision to hold a rally at Madison Square Garden, in the heart of Manhattan, nine days before US voters go to the polls has been compared to the 1939 pro-Nazi German American Bund. Is this a fair comparison? On this episode of the Sky News Daily, host Darren McCaffrey explores the significance of the rally, the political climate surrounding it, and the polarising reactions it has generated. He’s joined by US correspondent James Matthews, who was at the rally, and Chris Wilson, a ...

Oct 28, 202422 min

USA '24: Why Arab-American voters are swinging behind Trump

With just 11 days to go until the US election, Sky's dedicated team of correspondents goes on the road to gauge what voters in key swing states make of the choice for president. Mark Stone is in Michigan, where Arab-American voters are a key demographic seemingly swinging towards Trump. Some in the community feel abandoned by the Democrats because of their approach to Gaza, and as the consequence of a gradual leftward creep by the party away from socially conservative values. And what happens wh...

Oct 25, 202430 min

Assault, screaming, overcrowding: What is it really like inside prison?

Sky News has been given exclusive access to HMP Elmley in Kent, a prison operating at almost full capacity. Our correspondent Mollie Malone has been inside the prison, just as more than 1,000 inmates are released early to ease overcrowding. Joining Niall Paterson, Mollie shares the chaos she witnessed inside, from the noise and violence staff face, to the struggles of inmates facing drug addiction and mental health issues. They also explore what life inside tells us about the state of the UK's p...

Oct 24, 202424 min

'I was suicidal': The teachers being bullied by their colleagues

Over 300 teachers have told Sky News that they have been bullied by fellow teachers and colleagues at school. Niall Paterson is joined by our correspondent Amelia Harper, who's been speaking to some of those teachers about their experiences, including a teacher who faced racist and sexist abuse in the staffroom, and a deputy head forced out for being critical of new school leadership. Niall also asks Phil Clarke, National Education Union president and teacher, about the use of NDAs in some schoo...

Oct 23, 202420 min

'I feel like I have to do this’ Bianca Gascoigne on Al Fayed accusations

Paul Gascoigne's daughter has told Sky News she was groomed and sexually assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager. Speaking publically about her experience for the first time, British model Bianca Gascoigne joins more than 60 women who have made allegations against Al Fayed since a documentary on the businessman who died last year. On this episode, Niall Paterson is joined by Sarah-Jane Mee who spoke to Bianca, as we hear her tell her story. Plus, Niall speaks to ba...

Oct 22, 202433 min

'You are not my King!': Will Charles be Australia's last monarch?

The King and Queen are in Australia for his first overseas visit since becoming monarch. But as they met Australian parliamentarians in Canberra, it wasn't exactly the reception they were expecting, let alone hoping for. Lidia Thorpe, the first female Aboriginal politician from the state of Victoria to become a senator, heckled Charles, yelling: "You are not our King, you are not sovereign... you have committed genocide against our people." It is a view shared by many Australians – indigenous or...

Oct 21, 202417 min

USA '24: Can Kamala win the black male vote?

It's just 17 days to go until the US election, and Sky News' team of correspondents have been reporting on the campaign trail across the country. This week, US correspondents James Matthews and Mark Stone are joined by one of the most recognisable faces on American television, NBC's pollster Steve Kornacki. They discuss the swing states to watch and if it's really true that a few hundred thousand voters will decide who becomes the next president. Plus, Kamala Harris has been trying to nail down ...

Oct 18, 202438 min

Yahya Sinwar: Will Hamas leader’s death change anything in Gaza?

Israel has confirmed it has killed Yahya Sinwar, the leader of terror group Hamas, who is regarded by Israel to be the architect behind the October 7 attack. But despite his death, Israel has said the war in Gaza will not end. On this extra edition of the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to our military expert Professor Michael Clarke to examine what consequences this pivotal moment will have on the conflict. Producer: Soila Apparicio Editor: Philly Beaumont...

Oct 18, 202417 min

Liam Payne: Fame in a flash and why it wouldn't happen again

Former One Direction star Liam Payne has died at 31. Payne had been in the limelight since 14 and formed One Direction at 16 as part of reality show X Factor. With the band, his rise to fame was swift, and they became one of the most successful pop groups worldwide. But some former X Factor contestants have remarked about a lack of support while on the show, something about which Dean Piper, former showbiz columnist at the Mirror, tells Niall Paterson, "upon reflection, I'm sure that there's a l...

Oct 17, 202418 min

Why don't we talk about dying?

Terminally ill people in England and Wales could soon have the right to choose to end their life, as the Assisted Dying Bill is introduced to Parliament. For the first time in almost a decade, MPs are being asked to vote on the way we die in the UK, but are we ready for the conversation? On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to Dr Rachel Clarke, a practicing palliative care doctor about the reality of dying in the UK. 👉 Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podca...

Oct 16, 202420 min

The ‘pick n mix’ of disinformation which fed the summer riots

Sky News can reveal that the majority of the most influential accounts responsible for spreading disinformation and orchestrating the far-right riots in the UK came from accounts and users abroad. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to data and forensics correspondent Tom Cheshire, who has been investigating who is behind the rise of the far-right and how online platforms are giving oxygen to radicalisation. Producer: Rosie Gillott Editor: Paul Stanworth...

Oct 15, 202421 min

The weight loss drug with a waitlist

Sky News has revealed thousands of people with severe obesity are being denied access to effective treatment, partly because of a slow NHS rollout of the weight loss jab Wegovy. Just 800 of the estimated 13,500 patients eligible to start receiving Wegovy had been prescribed the injection through hospital weight loss services by the end of April. Studies show people lose on average 15% of their body weight within months of starting treatment. On today's Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to our science...

Oct 14, 202422 min

How the conflict in the Middle East might put Donald Trump in the White House

Sky News and NBC News have joined forces for a new podcast - The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim . For the first episode, Yalda is in Jerusalem and Richard is covering events in Lebanon. They discuss what they are seeing and hearing on both sides of the border as the conflict appears to be "spiralling into an abyss". And with the US election now four weeks away, they ask whether the economic and military consequences of the war could determine where it’s Donald Trump or Kamala Harris in...

Oct 12, 202432 min

USA '24: A storm of misinformation as early voting begins

It's less than a month to go until the US election, and Sky News' team of US correspondents have been reporting on the campaign trail across the country. Martha Kelner is in the swing state of Arizona, where early voting is under way. Abortion is a key issue here, and as well as their presidential vote, Arizonans have the option to vote on whether to enshrine the right to choose abortion in the state constitution. With the full force of Hurricane Milton hitting Florida, James Matthews and Mark S...

Oct 11, 202430 min

Milton: The hurricane scientists were dreading

Hurricane Milton has torn through Florida bringing 100mph winds, flooding and storm surges with it. Several people have lost their lives, and more than three million homes and businesses have been left without power. On today’s Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to our US correspondent James Matthews from the heart of the storm in Tampa, Florida, about the scale of the damage so far. He’s also joined in the studio by science and technology editor Tom Clarke to explore why this part of the US is so sus...

Oct 10, 202417 min

What's gone on with the Tory leadership contest?

On Tuesday afternoon, James Cleverly got the most votes from Tory MPs in the party’s leadership contest. One day later and the next round of voting went a different way. Cleverly failed to make the final two. Party members will now choose between Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick in a clear indication that the party will shift towards the right in the months after its election defeat. So, what happened with Wednesday’s vote, and who will the Tory membership be most attracted to as they decide the...

Oct 09, 202420 min

Can special advisers be too powerful?

The departure of Sue Gray, as Sir Keir Starmer's most senior adviser in Number 10, has shone a spotlight on the role of special advisers in government. So on today’s Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by our deputy political editor Sam Coates to find out exactly what role these advisers, often known as SpAds, play in the running of the country. Niall also speaks to former Conservative special adviser, and author of The Secret Life of Special Advisers, Peter Cardwell, about what it was like...

Oct 08, 202419 min

Can there be a peaceful solution in the Middle East?

It's one year on since Hamas's 7 October attack on Israel, which was followed by Israel's mission to eradicate the terror group in Gaza. In short, what followed was a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Iranian attacks on Israel, and Israel fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon. With the region yet to find a sustainable path away from conflict, on the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson takes a step back and asks if a peaceful solution can ever be found. Niall is joined by Alistair Bunkall, our Middle East correspo...

Oct 07, 202421 min

USA 24: Vice Presidents, hurricanes, and war in the Middle East

With only a month to go until the US election, Sky’s dedicated team of correspondents goes on the road to gauge what voters in key swing states make of the choice for president. This week a series of unexpected events have been derailing the campaign. Iranian ballistic missiles poured into Israel, putting foreign policy at the top of the agenda at the vice presidential debate as Democrat pick Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance went head to head for the first time. Plus, Martha Kelner and Mark Ston...

Oct 04, 202431 min

On the ground in Lebanon and Israel: What happens next?

With the Middle East on the edge of an all-out war, Sky News Daily takes a look at how the situation looks for civilians on the ground, and what could happen next. Niall Paterson is joined by special correspondent, Alex Crawford, who is on the ground in the old city of Tyre in the south of Lebanon. He also speaks to Deborah Haynes, our security and defence editor, who is near the Israel-Lebanon border. Producer: Soila Apparicio Editor: Wendy Parker

Oct 03, 202421 min

Beneath the Iron Dome: How Israel's air defence system works

Israel has a layered air defence system, which has acted to protect the country from the latest wave of incoming missiles from Iran. The more well-known Iron Dome brings down frequent incoming short-range rocket systems fired at Israel by both Hezbollah and Hamas. David's Sling, and Arrow 2 and 3, are built to tackle medium-range and long-range ballistic missiles, but how does Israel's defence system work? Niall Paterson sits down with Sky's military expert Professor Michael Clarke to learn more...

Oct 02, 202415 min

The Tory final four: Could any of them be PM in 2029?

Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat are contenders to become the next Conservative Party leader. With infighting already playing out among the candidates, and outgoing leader Rishi Sunak calling for party unity, can whoever is successfully chosen last until, and even win, the next general election in 2029? On this episode of the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is at the Tory party conference in Birmingham, and with political editor Beth Rigby, they discuss the leadersh...

Oct 01, 202427 min

What can the rest of the world do to stop a Middle East war?

President Biden has said "all-out war" in the Middle East has to be avoided after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in Israeli airstrikes on Beirut. The White House has tried to tread carefully to contain tensions between Israel and both Hamas and Hezbollah, who are backed by Iran. But the strikes which killed Nasrallah happened hours after Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the United Nations - raising questions about the effectiveness of diplomacy and what the inter...

Sep 30, 202418 min

USA 2024: Scandal for North Carolina and voting in Virginia

Sky News’ team of US correspondents bring you original stories and analysis from their reporting across the country in the build-up to the presidential election. This time – what will the scandal involving Donald Trump-backed candidate Mark Robinson mean in North Carolina? They are at early voting in Virginia and discuss what Hurricane Helene means for the campaign in Florida. Mark Stone is in Washington, Dominic Waghorn is in New York after his trip to Virginia and Martha Kelner is in Florida. ...

Sep 27, 202434 min

What is Hezbollah and how powerful is it?

The threat of an all-out conflict between Israel and Hezbollah seems to be edging closer after Israel rejected Lebanon ceasefire plans. The Iranian-backed militant group has been a force in Middle East politics and conflict for decades, but has suffered heavy losses in the last few weeks after Israeli attacks. Niall Paterson speaks to Sky's international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn about how much support Hezbollah has within Lebanon and Iran's role with the group. Plus, defence and security e...

Sep 26, 202420 min

How sanctioned goods are getting into Russia

Sanctions on Russia were introduced two years ago shortly after the start of the country’s Ukrainian invasion. The purpose? To limit the Russian war machine and starve Russian oligarchs of access to luxury items. Our economics and data editor Ed Conway noticed that sales of British luxury vehicles to Russia had fallen away to almost nothing, yet sales to former Soviet states such as Azerbaijan and Georgia have massively increased. The suspicion was that these cars would then somehow make it into...

Sep 25, 202420 min
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