This Is Why - podcast cover

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

Concrete crisis and the Gillian Keegan rant

MPs returned to Westminster after their summer break, but the same can't be said for thousands of children expected in classrooms for the Autumn term – due to the crumbling concrete crisis. More than 100 schools stayed shut on Monday due to safety fears about reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete - or RAAC – while the education secretary Gillian Keegan was caught on camera complaining about not being thanked for doing a "f***ing good job" over it all. On the Sky News Daily, Rob Powell speaks to...

Sep 04, 202321 min

"Evil" but "a people person" - Saddam Hussein according to the soldier who guarded him

It's been 20 years since the Iraq war and the capture of dictator Saddam Hussein. Once Saddam was found, he was kept prisoner in his palace with 12 US soldiers guarding him. Saddam proved to be great company and the troops developed a strong friendship with him - they would play chess with him, exercise with him, and talk about their lives. One soldier, Specialist Adam Rogerson, has spoken to the Sky News Daily podcast about his very personal experience guarding Saddam Hussein until his death. P...

Sep 01, 202320 min

UK's new defence secretary and what it means for Ukraine

Former transport and energy secretary Grant Shapps has been named as the new head of the Ministry of Defence after Ben Wallace stood down from the role on Thursday morning. Mr Wallace had overseen one of the biggest international responses to the war in Ukraine - with the UK behind only the US in terms of support since the war began, having committed £4.6bn in military assistance. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by our international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn and military ana...

Aug 31, 202321 min

#SeAcabó: How the World Cup kiss sparked Spain's MeToo moment

Since their World Cup victory, the Spanish team's success has been overshadowed by Spanish football president Luis Rubiales non-consensually kissing player Jenni Hermoso. Hermoso described the actions of Rubiales as an "impulse-driven, sexist out-of-place act without any consent". Rubiales denies this and says it was "spontaneous" and "mutual". The kiss has caused a backlash across football and in Spain, where protesters have called for action "to demand a sport free of sexist violence". On the ...

Aug 30, 202322 min

Air travel chaos: Could it happen again?

The travel plans of hundreds of thousands of people were thrown into chaos on one of the busiest days of the year for airports, as the UK's air traffic control systems suffered a "technical fault". UK airports are still struggling to recover from the hours-long failure of processing flight plans – with warnings delays could last for days. Downing Street has ruled out a cyberattack, but there is speculation that an incorrect flight plan filed by a French airline could be to blame. On the Sky News...

Aug 29, 202318 min

The Mafia’s most wanted man

One of the biggest mafia trials in Italian history is expected to deliver its verdict in the coming weeks. Prosecutors have asked for sentences totalling more than 4,000 years in jail for hundreds of alleged ‘Ndrangheta collaborators. One prosecutor of the ‘Ndrangheta, Nicola Gratteri, cannot travel without a heavy police escort, nor see his children for more than a few hours every couple of months. On the Sky News Daily, host Niall Paterson is joined by our Europe correspondent Siobhan Robbins,...

Aug 25, 202315 min

Prigozhin "dead", what next for Putin and Ukraine?

Russians have been paying tribute to Yevgeny Prigozhin after it was reported the Wagner leader was among ten people who died when a private jet crashed near Moscow on Wednesday. President Putin has praised his former ally as a “talented businessman” who worked “with good results” in Russia and across Africa, but also said he had “made serious mistakes in his life”. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson takes a deep dive into what it means for President Putin’s hold on power, the war in Ukraine a...

Aug 24, 202320 min

Prigozhin crash: Military analyst Sean Bell on what the footage tells us

Russian aviation authorities say Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was among ten people killed in a plane crash near Moscow on Wednesday. Earlier this summer, the mercenary group leader led a short-lived mutiny against Russia’s top brass. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by military analyst Sean Bell as they examine what we can glean from footage of the private jet falling to the ground, reaction to the crash, and Prigozhin’s relationship with President Vladimir Putin. Podcast produce...

Aug 24, 202311 min

Fukushima nuclear plant: Is flushing out wastewater safe?

Japan is due to start releasing treated radioactive water from Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, despite opposition from neighbouring countries. A 9 magnitude earthquake hit Japan's east coast in 2011, killing 18,000 people and displacing a further 150,000 from an exclusion zone around the plant. Some 1.34 million tonnes of water - enough to fill 500 Olympic-size pools - have been stored in tanks since a tsunami destroyed the plant, but space is now running out. The water will be r...

Aug 23, 202320 min

Scotland's drug epidemic - would decriminalisation solve it?

New data published on the rate of drug deaths in Scotland show they have decreased, after decades of constant rises, but the number is still higher than the rest of Europe. Just over 1,000 people in Scotland died as a result of drug misuse in 2022, the lowest number since 2017. On the Sky News Daily with Niall Paterson, our Scotland correspondent Connor Gillies combs through the latest figures, while Professor Catriona Matheson, an expert in substance misuse from the University of Stirling, desc...

Aug 22, 202321 min

Lucy Letby: Should the guilty be forced to face their victims in court?

Britain's worst child serial killer Lucy Letby will spend the rest of her life in prison. But the former neonatal nurse refused to appear in court to hear either the victim statements or the judge hand down a whole-life sentence. One of the baby victims' mothers has called Letby's defiance a "final act of wickedness from a coward". On the Sky News Daily, Sky News‘ home editor Jason Farrell discusses if defendants should be forced to face their victims in court. He speaks to legal commentator Jos...

Aug 21, 202317 min

Britain's most prolific child killer: Nurse Lucy Letby found guilty

Lucy Letby has been found guilty of murdering seven babies while working on a neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. The 33-year-old nurse was also convicted of seven counts of attempted murder following a trial that lasted nine months. Families of her victims sobbed and comforted each other in court as the jury delivered their verdicts over several days. On the Sky News Daily, we hear from some of the relatives as host Niall Paterson is joined by our ...

Aug 18, 202333 min

Is Sarina Wiegman the manager who'll win a World Cup for England?

With six wins and a place in the World Cup final under their belt, the Lionesses have a fighting chance of bringing football home for England. But who is the woman at the helm? Manager Sarina Wiegman took over as Lionesses manager in 2020 and is the first non-Brit to lead the team, originally from the Netherlands. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by Rob Harris, our sports correspondent, to talk about Wiegman's career history, and Jeanet van der Laan, the England manager’s former T...

Aug 17, 202317 min

A-levels: Is the uni intake of 2023 'the unluckiest year'?

Students waiting for their A-level results this year are the "unluckiest cohort" in recent years, according to one education expert. Pandemic disruption, rising grade boundaries, and a larger than average number of people applying for university places have all placed pressure on A-level grades. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to Grace Brookes, who picks up her A-level results on Thursday, about the challenges she's faced since the pandemic. The vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam U...

Aug 16, 202321 min

Looking for answers – The Hawaii wildfires

The deadliest wildfires to hit the US in over a century have turned vast swathes of the island of Maui to ash and taken the lives of at least 99 people. The governor of Hawaii, Josh Green, has warned that the number killed will rise as only 25% of the affected area has been searched so far. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson hears from our US correspondent Martha Kelner, who is in Maui, about the devastation she's seen there and the questions being asked by locals about a sophisticated warnin...

Aug 15, 202321 min

What 'small boats week' tells us about migration policy

It was billed as 'small boats week' – a series of government announcements designed to show progress on the issue of cross channel migration. But the reality of the last seven days has got in the way. The 30 or so migrants who had been moved on to a housing barge off Dorset had to be moved out after Legionella was found onboard and Thursday also saw the highest daily number of people crossing the channel this year On the Sky News Daily, Rob Powell asks Peter Walsh, from the Migration Observatory...

Aug 14, 202322 min

Why is Britain still obsessed with the Great Train Robbery 60 years on?

This month marks the 60th anniversary of the Great Train Robbery, one of Britain's most notorious crimes, which involved the hijack of a London-bound Royal Mail train and the theft of millions of pounds. Bruce Reynolds planned the robbery with a 15-strong gang of thieves, crooks and conspirers, becoming one of the most notorious criminals in British history. Bruce's son said he never realised his father was a criminal. On the Sky News Daily, presenter Sally Lockwood is joined by Nick Reynolds, t...

Aug 11, 202322 min

World Cup: Will the ambition of equal pay be realised?

Football’s world governing body FIFA wants pay and prize money for men and women to be the same by the next tournaments. But how it gets there is a little less clear. On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood is joined from Australia by our sport correspondent Rob Harris and Lioness Lucy Staniforth, who was on standby for the World Cup squad. They discuss the financial disparities in the sport, as well as reaction to the tournament so far and – of course – England's chances of World Cup success ahea...

Aug 10, 202318 min

Hollywood strikes: Are writers right about AI?

It’s been 100 days since Hollywood writers went on strike over concerns artificial intelligence (AI) will take their jobs - as well as disputes over working conditions and claims of dwindling pay. The looming cloud of AI hangs over all industries, but are writers and actors right to be worried about being stripped of their creativity? On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood is joined by Lisa Holdsworth – a TV and theatre writer, and chair of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain – as well as Dr Alex...

Aug 09, 202322 min

The Niger coup and how it will impact global security

Niger had been a lone bastion of democracy in West Africa while neighbouring countries were taken over by the military - but it is now also in a crisis following July's coup. The man responsible for protecting President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected in 2021, has overthrown him - and there could be far-reaching security implications. On the Sky News Daily, Sally Lockwood is joined by our Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir, who looks at why the coup has the support of many people in Niger. Plus...

Aug 08, 202320 min

'Useless white male pilots': The RAF discrimination claims

The Royal Air Force has admitted to discriminating against white male candidates in a hiring policy aimed at increasing diversity. In a Sky News exclusive, security and defence editor Deborah Haynes has discovered none of those involved in creating the policy have been held accountable. On the Sky News Daily, Leah Boleto speaks to Deborah about the impact the decisions have had on the men's lives, and whether anyone has been held accountable. Senior podcast producer: Annie Joyce Podcast producer...

Aug 07, 202319 min

Dirty Work: Episode Three - Life Sentence

In this episode, Sahar Zand goes back to speak to Brian Glendinning about his experience in Iraqi jail, and the harrowing impact of his unforeseen arrest. But Brian, compared to some people, is still lucky. For dissidents and opposition figures around the world, the Red Notice is the latest tool for transnational repression by autocratic governments. These people often end up in prison indefinitely, or extradited to the countries they had long fled for safety. With expert analysis from Rhys Davi...

Aug 05, 202342 min

Lockdown children: The long-term damage for a generation

COVID lockdowns may seem a distant memory with everyday life very much back to the pre-pandemic norms. But for children, it seems we may only just be getting a sense of the emotional and behavioural impacts those couple of years have had. Researchers at University College London and the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) this week published a joint study - the first of its kind - looking at the emotional, social and behavioural impacts on kids. Meanwhile, the children's commissioner for England ...

Aug 04, 202318 min

Interest rates up - focus on savers and renters

The Bank of England has increased its base rate of interest by a quarter of a percentage point to 5.25% - which is lower than some economists had predicted. On the Sky News Daily, Leah Boleto speaks to our business correspondent Gurpreet Narwan about the decision to raise interest rates for the 14th time in a row. Plus, Sky's data and forensics journalist Daniel Dunford explains why renters could be the hardest hit by rate rises, and Tilly Smith, from campaign group Generation Rent, on its call ...

Aug 03, 202322 min

Campaigns and court appearances: How could Donald Trump's 2024 play out?

Donald Trump has been criminally charged with trying to ‘defraud the United States’ over the 2021 riots at the US Capitol. It’s the most serious legal threat facing the former president, as he attempts to return to the White House in 2024. But it’s by no means the only one – Trump now faces 78 charges across three criminal cases, but still remains frontrunner to become his party’s nominee for next year’s presidential election. On Sky News Daily Niall Paterson is joined by US correspondent James ...

Aug 02, 202319 min

Will Labour allow 'wedge issues' to define the next election?

A general election is still a long way away, but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appears to already be laying out the Conservative attack lines, focusing on so-called ‘wedge issues’ that could divide the Labour Party. Labour are sitting 17 points ahead in the polls but are facing criticism for seeming to roll back on green policies. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by Andrew Fisher, former Labour director of policy under Jeremy Corbyn and John McTernan, former political secretary to To...

Aug 01, 202322 min

Zelenskyy warns war is coming to Russia - as Putin teases path to 'peace'.

President Zelenskyy has said war is coming to Russia after suspected Ukrainian drones hit skyscrapers in a wealthy Moscow neighbourhood. President Putin suggested an African initiative could be a basis for peace talks, but not while Ukrainian forces were on the offensive. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by military analyst Sean Bell and Dr Alex Vines, director of the Africa Programme at Chatham House, about the Ukrainian counteroffensive and the role African nations could have in...

Jul 31, 202320 min

Dirty Work: Episode Two - Hijacked

Sky News has a new podcast series called Dirty Work - investigating Interpol red notices, which allow police forces to flag their most wanted persons at international borders around the world. In episode two, reporter Sahar Zand continues to follow Brian Glendinning's story - whose Interpol Red Notice raises significant questions about how the system works. Sahar also speaks to Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock, who has given a rare interview talking about why it was his priority to reform...

Jul 29, 202341 min

'This is how I die': British fighter tortured by pro-Russian forces in Ukraine

British man Aiden Aslin joined the Ukrainian marines in 2018, but following the Russian invasion in February 2022, he was called up to the frontline in Mariupol. After two months of resistance at the city's steelworks, Aiden and his battalion ran out of supplies. Aiden was part of the mass surrender of over 1,000 Ukrainian troops. Singled out for his British passport, Aiden was brutally interrogated, turned into a propaganda tool, tried by a kangaroo court and then sentenced to death. Aiden was ...

Jul 28, 202319 min

Is climate change scepticism hotting up?

Multiple climate reports have been published this week all saying a similar thing: that the UK and wider world are experiencing record temperatures, that humanity is "inducing" climate change and that, unless we cut emissions, things are just going to get even hotter. There are still some people however who believe it’s all hot air; that media coverage of climate stories is “fear mongering” and “manipulating”. But is it the science under scrutiny, or perhaps the path to net zero itself? On the S...

Jul 27, 202326 min
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