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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More than 30 people have been rescued, and one remains missing, after a cargo ship struck an oil tanker in the North Sea on Monday. As one ship continues to burn, Niall Paterson is joined by our science and medical correspondent Thomas Moore to look at how the crash happened. Plus, David Craven, from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, tells us about the environmental impact the fire, and the leaking contents of the ships, could have on the birds, seals, and whales that live off England’s east coast. ...
He's guided Canada through financial crisis and the UK through Brexit, but has no government experience. So how will Canada's new prime minister, Mark Carney, tackle what could be the biggest challenge of his career, defending Canada from Donald Trump? On today's podcast, Niall Paterson talks to our data and economics editor Ed Conway, who interviewed Mr Carney during his time as governor of the Bank of England, about the experience he brings to his new role. Plus, Catherine Cullen, host of the ...
Sky News political editor Beth Rigby has been to 11 Downing Street to talk to the Chancellor for Electoral Dysfunction. Rachel Reeves reflects on her first few months in the job, and hints on what might come in her Spring Statement with some strong words on the need for welfare reform. You can listen to the full interview on Electoral Dysfunction here .
After just eight months in his role, Defence Secretary John Healey is dealing with one of the most challenging in-trays in the cabinet. He is meeting US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington on Thursday, as he works to bridge the gap on how to reach a Ukraine peace deal. On today’s podcast, Niall Paterson talks to ex-armed forces minister James Heappey who worked with Healey when he was in opposition, and to Malcolm Chalmers who focuses on UK defence and security at the think-tank RUSI about th...
"If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we're ready to fight till the end," wrote a statement by China's ministry of foreign affairs in Beijing yesterday, then shared by the Chinese US embassy on X. With the messy diplomacy of Trump's America and his impending tariffs on China, how will President Xi Jinping navigate the tit-for-tat on trade? More importantly, is he preparing for something much more dangerous? Nicole Johnston is our correspondent ba...
The Duchess of Sussex’s new lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan is out now. It is part of the deal, reportedly worth $100m, Meghan and Harry signed with Netflix five years ago when they left the UK for California. The most recent YouGov polling suggests that neither Meghan nor Harry are popular in the UK, doing only better than Prince Andrew. Though it’s a very different story among young people where over half have a positive opinion of the couple. On today’s Sky News Daily Niall Paterson talks t...
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is back in Kyiv after three frantic days, during which he was ordered to leave the White House after a tense showdown with Donald Trump and his vice president JD Vance. He did, however, find a warmer welcome in London where he received a strong show of support from European leaders at a summit on Sunday. After the London summit, Sir Keir Starmer suggested European leaders would form a "coalition of the willing" to defend Ukraine. Niall Paterson talks to...
At the height of lockdown, 19-year-old Ellie Williams claimed on social media she'd been abused and trafficked by an Asian grooming gang across the North of England. The rumours lead to attacks on Asian men and businesses in her hometown of Barrow-in-Furness. But then she was jailed for perverting the course of justice. It was a story Sky News’ home editor Jason Farrell, and specialist producer Liz Lane followed in depth, and our podcast series Unreliable Witness detailed what really happened to...
Government figures released today showed that the number of asylum applications was at a 20-year record high but, for the first time since 2020, more applications were refused than granted. The data also reveals that the number of asylum seekers in hotels has gone up, but that the asylum backlog has gone down. Small boat crossings were up on last year but down on 2022. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to our data and forensics correspondent Tom Cheshire to find out what we learnt fro...
Four in five cars should be electric and half of homes should have heat pumps within 15 years. That's according to the government's independent climate advisers, the Climate Change Committee. It says to reach the legally required "net zero" target by 2050 we will need to change how we drive, what we eat and how we heat our homes. Niall Paterson talks to Sky's science and technology editor Tom Clarke about how individuals can make a difference and what support they can expect from the government....
This episode of Sky News Daily explores Donald Trump's interest in securing access to Ukraine's mineral wealth as compensation for US support. Ed Conway, Sky's economics editor, discusses the realities of Ukraine's mineral resources, the challenges of refining rare earths, and the broader geopolitical implications. The conversation covers the potential for a deal, the fairness of the arrangement, and whether Ukraine's resources are as valuable as Trump believes.
Germany is set to have a new chancellor, Friedrich Merz. From the conservative Christian Democrat party (CDU), Merz will now look to form a coalition government. The leader-in-waiting has made striking remarks in a post-victory speech, saying Donald Trump is indifferent to Europe's fate, putting the US president's America on a par with Russia. What does Merz’s tone mean for Europe? Niall Paterson is joined by our Europe correspondent Adam Parsons to discuss how the Merz-Trump relationship could ...
This time on the Sky News Daily, we're handing over to another Sky News podcast - Trump 100. Mark Stone, Martha Kelner and James Matthews are dropping episodes at 6am (UK) every day to chart what President Trump is saying and doing in his first 100 days in office. They examine what the administration's approach means for the US and the world. On this episode, you'll also hear from former Trump advisor, Steve Bannon, and from Nigel Farage who has been in the US this week for the Conservative Poli...
The far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) is expected to have its best election results since it was formed 12 years ago. It's currently in second place in opinion polls with one in five Germans expected to back it at this weekend's general election. It will not, though, be part of any coalition government as the other parties will refuse to work with a far-right party. In today's Sky News Daily, host Tom Cheshire discusses who is voting for the AfD and why, with our Europe correspondent...
Sophy Ridge guest hosts this episode with a look ahead to Keir Starmer's meeting with Donald Trump next week. He was already going to have a tightrope to walk as the potential bridge between the new White House administration and an out-of-favour Europe - but how will the PM handle the President's comments about Volodymyr Zelenskyy? Joining Sophy is Gabriel Pogrund, Whitehall editor of the Sunday Times. He's also co-author of the book `'Get In: The Inside Story of Labour Under Starmer'. They dis...
Russia's foreign minister and the US secretary of state have met in Saudi Arabia for the first time since the war in Ukraine began three years ago, to discuss a Ukrainian peace deal. Why is it such a significant moment? With the meeting taking place in Saudi, and given their diplomacy in arranging the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, how has the kingdom under Mohammed bin Salman become a global power broker in President Trump's new world order? Tom Cheshire hosts today's Sky News Daily looking at what al...
As the US and Russia negotiate an end to what President Donald Trump calls a “ridiculous war” in Ukraine, Europe faces a critical question. Can it still depend on Trump’s America for protection, or is this the moment to have a massive rethink on defence – and can the UK afford it? Mark Austin guest hosts this episode of the Sky News Daily and is joined by former NATO deputy supreme allied commander General Richard Shirreff to discuss the future of European defence and what this means for Ukraine...
Donald Trump promised throughout his election campaign that he would end the war in Ukraine, now following a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, is the conflict closer to ending than ever before? On the Sky News Daily, Niall is joined by Sky's International Affairs Editor Dominic Waghorn to discuss the fear among European allies about what the costs of peace in Ukraine could be. He also discusses what wider implications rewarding Putin with land could have on a geopolitic...
Latest figures show 73% of patients in England were seen within four hours in A&E last month - up from 71.1% in December - but still well below the NHS target of 95%. Doctors have told Sky News the winter crisis in the health service is being made worse by patients who are demanding urgent and immediate care when it is not always what they need. On the Sky News Daily, Niall is joined by health correspondent Ashish Joshi to discuss what is behind the rise in health anxiety and he also talks t...
Two months on from the fall of the Assad regime, Syria is still uncovering the depths of the horrors inflicted on its own citizens during his rule. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay and senior foreign producer Dominique Van Heerden, who have been inside a notorious prison complex in Homs, near Damascus. They have been examining the hundreds of thousands of burnt documents left behind, which reveal the extent of Assad’s crimes. Producer: Emma Rae...
It is 50 years ago this week that Margaret Thatcher became leader of the Conservative Party and it’s a testament to her legacy that she’s being invoked by both Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch. When she became Prime Minister in 1979 she drove through radical policies like council house sales, privatisation and a crackdown on trade unions which continue to shape Britain today. On the Sky News Daily, Niall is joined by Chief political correspondent, Jon Craig to discuss how Margaret Thatcher’s l...
Arguably one of the best football sides in the world were knocked out of the FA Cup over the weekend by struggling Championship side Plymouth Argyle. On the Sky News Daily Niall Paterson is joined by sports correspondent Rob Harris to discuss whether bigger priorities are making these magic-of-the-cup moments rarer, as well as Joe Bell from the Argyle Life podcast – who saw it happen. Celtic fan Niall also has to mention the other big cup upset of the weekend and applaud the follow up to one of ...
The US is back in the race to the moon but this time, the competition is China. Determined not to lose, President Donald Trump is pushing for America to return to the moon, backed by billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. But as costs rise and delays mount, could the focus shift from the moon to Mars? On the Sky News Daily podcast, Tom Cheshire speaks to Science and Technology editor Tom Clarke and space journalist Eric Berger about the escalating price of securing America's place in the sp...
Elon Musk and the Trump administration have agreed to shut down USAID, the world's largest single donor to international aid programs, with thousands of staff being withdrawn as Mr Musk says it is "beyond repair". The decision follows a wave of government cuts since Mr Trump's return to office last month. On the Sky News Daily, Tom Cheshire speaks to Sky's Africa correspondent Yousra Elbagir - reporting from Johannesburg - where the effects are already being felt, as sexual health clinics are cl...
Donald Trump has proposed the US should take over Gaza and that the two million Palestinians living there should be resettled elsewhere. The US president argued that Gaza was a "demolition site" and that it could be turned into a "Middle East Riviera" under US control. His comments break decades of US foreign policy which has emphasised a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians. They have been described as "dangerous" by multiple countries. On the Sky News Daily, Niall is joined by inte...
A Sky News investigation has discovered elderly people in care homes across the country are being left unwashed in soiled sheets, unable to reach food and water, and suffering falls when left alone. The investigation also uncovered huge problems with how concerns about care homes are investigated – and the way these homes are rated by the Care Quality Commission. On this episode, Niall Paterson speaks to social affairs correspondent Becky Johnson, who explains the issue of neglect at care homes ...
After having introduced trade tariffs on Canada and Mexico over the weekend, President Donald Trump is now threatening import taxes on EU goods. He has, however, said the UK would stay tariff free “for now”. Sir Keir Starmer says Britain won’t need to choose between the two, saying it’s important to work with both on areas including trade and security. On the Sky News Daily, Niall is joined by our deputy political editor Sam Coates and US correspondent Mark Stone to break down how Starmer might ...
“Tariffs is the most beautiful word to me in the dictionary,” said Donald Trump during his second inauguration as US president, alongside God, religion, and love. This weekend, Trump hopes to follow through on his threat to hit imports, starting with a 25% border tax rate on Canada and Mexico. But some worry that the protectionist trade policies, new tariffs and retaliatory measures by other nations could slow economic growth in the US, spur inflation, and trigger a trade war. Niall is joined by...
American Airlines flight 5342 was preparing to land on runway 33 at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last night when it collided with a military helicopter. There were no survivors - how could such a tragedy happen? On this episode, Niall Paterson is joined by former Royal Air Force Air Vice-Marshal Sean Bell to look at what might have led to the mid-air collision. Niall also speaks to Dr Michael McCormick, a US air traffic control expert who has developed policies for commercial ai...
Rachel Reeves has backed a third runway at Heathrow as a key part of her economic growth strategy, saying the expansion of Europe’s busiest airport was “badly needed”. But it will very likely face opposition from environmental campaigners and local residents, which could hold up work on a third runway for years. On this episode, Niall Paterson is joined by Sky’s business correspondent, Paul Kelso, and science and technology editor, Tom Clarke, to look at the pros and cons of the airport’s expans...
