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
Kanye West is one of the 21st Century’s most talented musicians, but his controversial remarks are just as famous as his music – and his antisemitic comments have now got him banned from the UK. Wireless festival, which he was due to headline in London this summer, has been cancelled as a result. Since he burst onto the music scene in the early 2000s, Ye, as he is now known, has been breaking the mould – both as an artist and with his controversial opinions. This includes releasing a song called...
Apr 09, 2026•14 min
Donald Trump has claimed a ‘complete victory’ in his war in Iran during a phone call to Sky News just hours after the two sides agreed a temporary ceasefire. But Iran is also declaring a win as it handed over a 10-point plan which includes maintaining control of the Strait of Hormuz and full US military withdrawal from the Middle East. So will the ceasefire last? Is that the end of free passage through the Strait of Hormuz? And what about Israel’s role? Gareth Barlow speaks to Sky News’ defence ...
Apr 08, 2026•17 min
The Artemis II crew are on their way back to Earth after a record-breaking mission to the far side of the moon. They reached a distance of 252,756 miles from our home planet - the furthest in history. The ultimate aim of NASA's Artemis programme is to get crewed missions to Mars. So what did US space experts learn from this mission and how will it help the next stage of the programme, which could see a rocket landing on the moon and ultimately a base being built on the lunar south pole? Gareth B...
Apr 07, 2026•14 min
Matt Brittin, a former Google boss and ex-Olympic rower, will become the new director-general of the BBC in May. He wouldn't have expected a quiet life in the highly-scrutinised role. After all, the broadcaster is facing a multibillion-dollar lawsuit from Donald Trump. But the aftermath of the sacking of Radio 2 presenter Scott Mills will be one of the first big issues Mr Brittin will have to deal with, on top of the US president's lawsuit and the BBC's charter renewal. Niall is joined by Deadli...
Apr 02, 2026•16 min
Donald Trump has kept the world guessing over whether he will launch a ground invasion in Iran. However, the arrival of thousands of US paratroopers in the region might be the clearest indication yet of the disrupter-in-chief’s thinking. A month of airstrikes is one thing but the deployment of troops is quite another - so how would it work? Has Trump learned nothing from Iraq and Afghanistan? Niall is joined by the former head of the UK armed forces General Sir Nick Carter. Have you got a questi...
Apr 01, 2026•16 min
"Go get your own oil!" Donald Trump has served notice on his allies, telling them the US won't necessarily help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. And oil is important... for everything. The global economy needs 100 million barrels a day to function. The war in Iran means we're only producing 80 million. Those missing barrels are having a huge impact on diesel and petrol prices – but that's just the start. Inflation, interest rates, food and utility bills are all set to rise. What, if anything, can...
Mar 31, 2026•17 min
The cost of your weekly shop is about to go up – as the war in Iran squeezes the supply of synthetic fertiliser. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz had already caused a spike in energy prices - and is now expected to hit kitchen cupboards in time for summer. It also presents a fresh challenge for a farming industry growing used to having to dig deep for profits. So, what foods will be impacted and what can be done to bring prices back down? Niall is joined by Sky’s business correspond...
Mar 30, 2026•16 min
Artemis II is NASA's next big mission to the moon – the first in over 50 years. It's part of the space agency's long-term plans to build a space station called Lunar Gateway, where astronauts will be able to live and work. It is also America's best effort to beat the likes of China in the space race to return to the moon. Niall speaks to Tom Clarke, our science and technology editor, and Thomas Moore, our science and medical correspondent about what NASA hopes to achieve with the lunar flyby. Ha...
Mar 27, 2026•20 min
The market in counterfeit goods – fake handbags, knock-off trainers or not-quite-designer clothes – is now worth more than double the illegal drug trade in the UK. So, it’s easy to see why organised criminal gangs are concentrating on selling fake fashion, both on the high street and online. And they’re being helped by an army of influencers – who, knowingly or otherwise, are encouraging their followers to buy illicit goods. Niall speaks to Katerina Vittozzi – Sky’s North of England Corresponden...
Mar 26, 2026•18 min
Lots of people enjoy a flutter – but have you ever considered betting on a US strike on Iran? Or when Russia will take control of a village in the Donbass? Or what day a head of state might be killed? It’s a macabre thought for even the most compulsive gambler – but punters are betting millions of dollars on prediction sites like Polymarket and Kalshi, which both have links to Donald Trump Jr. High stakes bets on specific acts of war have led to allegations of insider trading and potential marke...
Mar 25, 2026•19 min
Four Jewish ambulances were set on fire in North London on Monday morning, in the latest incident to be treated as an antisemitic hate crime by the police. Sadly, it is just a further example of the increase in violence towards the Jewish community in the UK since the October 7 attacks in 2023. The Jewish charity, the Community Security Trust (CST), said that last year saw the second-highest annual total of anti-Jewish hate incidents on record. So, does the Jewish community feel antisemitism has...
Mar 24, 2026•18 min
Last week, Iran tried to target the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia – more than 2,000 miles away in the Indian Ocean. That attack failed but it led an Israel military spokesperson to suggest London could be vulnerable to an Iranian ballistic missile strike. With Keir Starmer now allowing the use of British air bases for US operations against attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, is Iran capable of direct retaliation against the UK? What is the state of Britain’s air defences? And what other...
Mar 23, 2026•20 min
Saturday Night Live has launched the careers of Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey and Will Ferrell among many others in its 50 year long run on NBC in the US. It’s now coming to the UK with Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan and Riz Ahmed hosting the first shows. As in the US there’s an ensemble cast of comedy players so how important could SNL UK be for the comedy scene? Niall speaks to the creator and host of the Saturday Night Network podcast, Jon Schneider about what makes SNL so successful and asks comedian Rosie...
Mar 20, 2026•16 min
Nearly half of young adults are turning to low or non-alcoholic drinks - with the number nearly doubling since 2018. To understand why Gen Z has been making this clear-headed decision you need look no further than the “sober curious” movement - with social media influencers promoting the benefits of a booze-free lifestyle. Excessive drinking was once seen as a right of passage in early adulthood – so what’s changed? And as the pub industry already faces significant challenges – how can it adapt ...
Mar 19, 2026•16 min
Should the US have predicted there would be a siege at the Strait of Hormuz? Why wasn’t the UK better prepared for this conflict? This Is Why has been asking for your questions about the Iran war and in this special episode they are about to be answered. From the delay in the departure of HMS Dragon, to whether Donald Trump would now be less likely to offer the UK military support – this wide-ranging episode is shaped by your messages. Who is on hand to respond to them? It’s Sky’s military analy...
Mar 18, 2026•19 min
Sir Keir Starmer is promising help for working people whose energy bills are going up because of the Iran war. The last energy bailout after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine cost £40bn, and on top of the costs of support during the COVID pandemic it means the UK's national debt is now around 100% of GDP. Repaying that debt costs as much as the education budget. With a new YouGov poll for Sky News suggesting that people overwhelmingly back energy prices being reduced for all households, Ni...
Mar 17, 2026•16 min
A school pupil and a university student have died in Kent and 11 other people are seriously ill following a meningitis outbreak. Meningitis can kill a person in less than 24 hours if it is not treated quickly. But outbreaks like this have been rare in recent years. Vaccination programmes have helped but anyone over the age of 10 will not have been offered a vaccination against MenB by the NHS. However, it has been available to infants since 2015. Niall speaks to Dr Tom Nutt from Meningitis Now a...
Mar 16, 2026•19 min
Timothee Chalamet – movie star and tabloid regular – had been the firm favourite to take home the Best Actor statue at this weekend’s Academy Awards. So why have the former Hollywood favourite’s fortunes fallen so dramatically? The press campaign for his movie Marty Supreme , as well as some ill-timed controversial comments about opera and ballet, have led to a backlash. Why has public opinion turned against him? And how do the big Hollywood studios go about influencing who wins what at the Osca...
Mar 13, 2026•17 min
One of the world's most valuable AI companies is suing the US government after it was designated a "supply chain risk" by Pete Hegseth's Department of War. It's an unprecedented legal fight – after Anthropic refused to allow its technology to be used for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons. Now, other tech giants – including Google, Microsoft and Apple – have swung their support behind Anthropic. Why has this dispute happened and what could it all mean for the future of AI? Niall speaks to S...
Mar 12, 2026•18 min
