About this podcast
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: [email protected]
Episodes
The newest 50 of 1,000 episodes
- Why is the world reliant on Microsoft? · 21 minWhen Microsoft goes down, we are given a stark reminder of how much life is dependent on a handful of tech giants. But have we handed too much power and trust to too few…
- Why COP stopped making a difference · 15 minWhen the COP climate conference was held in Scotland five years ago, it was a who’s who of global politics and celebrity – from US President Joe Biden to actor Leonardo DiCaprio…
- Why are dangerous dog attacks getting worse? · 18 minWhen XL bullies were added to the list of banned dog breeds in 2023, it was meant to dramatically reduce the number of people being attacked by dangerous dogs. In fact, serious…
- Why Russia targeting civilians shows peace talks won’t work · 17 minEven as delegates gathered in Abu Dhabi for renewed negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Moscow’s missiles continued to hit key Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Of course…
- Why sex, spies and silicon chips are a problem for Trump · 18 minNvidia boss Jensen Huang is the most important man in AI. He's also very close to President Trump, with both men having a shared interest in not regulating AI development. He has…
- Why James Talarico could go all the way to the White House · 18 minA blue tsunami annihilated Donald Trump’s Republican party in the US midterm elections – and one candidate rode the wave higher than anyone. James Talarico (or Talafreako, as…
- Why interest rates have gone up · 16 minThe Governor of the Bank of England blamed Donald Trump's war with Iran for the first rise in interest rates in more than three years. They have gone up from 3.75 % to 4%. The…
- Why can’t we name the celeb who lost his High Court injunction bid? · 17 minAn anonymous celebrity asked the High Court to permanently prevent two news organisations from publishing his identity, amid claims of sexual misconduct, which he denies. He…
- Why can’t Britain build warships on time? · 18 minThe Ministry of Defence has committed billions of pounds to building a new generation of warships. But there's a problem. Older vessels are being retired, their replacements are…
- Why a trip to Hull and back took 28 years · 19 minIn October 1998, Karl Bushby left his mum’s house in Humberside to fly to the southern tip of South America. The journey home would take him the best part of three decades to…
- Why King Charles can't apologize for Britain benefitting from slavery · 18 minThe King is in the Caribbean, and, so far, he's faced hardly any protests from people campaigning for reparations for transatlantic slavery. But the leaders of the countries he's…
- Why your council tax band dates back to 1991 · 18 minPrime Minister Andy Burnham joked on TikTok that demand from people trying to find out their council tax band crashed the government website. They wanted to know because…
- Israel’s ‘AI Election’ · 27 minThe World and This Is Why join forces for a special episode on Israel's election - a contest that could have significant consequences for the Middle East and the wider world…
- Why leaving Spurs won Harry Kane the Ballon d'Or · 15 minAged eight, Harry Kane risked being written off when he was released by Arsenal. But Kane persisted, and he was taken on by Tottenham Hotspur's academy. He went on to become the…
- Why Melania's ceasefire will be a lifeline for besieged Ukrainians in Oleshky · 16 minPeople are surviving on plants, have no power and hardly any water in Oleshky, a Ukrainian city occupied by Russia since the first days of the 2022 full-scale invasion. Ukraine…
- Why is Sally Rooney pulling her books from shops in the UK? · 12 minThere's been a rush to buy Sally Rooney's books after she said she can no longer sell them in the UK. Rooney, known for best-selling novels Normal People and Conversations with…
- Why web attacks show we’re all vulnerable · 14 minPHP. The three little letters few people realised were so vital for most of the websites in the world. But a vulnerability in a piece of programming virtually all of us had never…
- Why do we need new North Sea gas? · 19 minWinter is coming. So, a decision to finally allow drilling at the controversial Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea should be welcome. Well, not by environmental campaigners –…
- Why Putin and Xi want to control the Arctic · 18 minEurope’s leaders are joining the fight for the Far North – but is it already too late? The European Union has announced a new security strategy for the Arctic. Yet Russia and…
- Why France protests are spreading across Europe · 13 minViolent clashes, burning buildings, widespread looting and thousands of arrests. Even for France, the scale of the current protests across the country is extreme. What started…
- Why didn’t Trump trust Katie Zacharia? · 17 minSurely, the first rule of being a press secretary is never to be the story. But it took Donald Trump's newest spokesperson just 14 minutes to put herself very much front and…
- Why now? Burnham’s Brexit backtrack explained · 18 minRemember when Brexit meant Brexit? Well, a decade on from the referendum to leave the European Union, Andy Burnham thinks now is the right time to reopen the debate. The new…
- Why tiger death won’t stop zoo visits · 14 minDonald Trump decided to mark the death of a man mauled by a tiger in a Yorkshire zoo by posting an AI-generated video of himself wrestling with a tiger. The killing of…
- Why Ukrainians are angry with Trump’s Russian diesel deal · 21 minDonald Trump just loves a long-running feud, and in recent days he’s returned to an old favourite. America’s mudslinger-in-chief is calling for Ukraine’s wartime president…
- Russell Brand: On Trial – A New Podcast · 14 minIn today’s episode of This Is Why, we’re introducing our new podcast – Russell Brand: On Trial Listen to Russell Brand: On Trial on your podcast app What happened on Russell…
- Why didn’t Christa Pike die? · 30 minA notorious killer convicted of murder more than 30 years ago has finally faced the death penalty – execution by lethal injection. Except Christa Pike didn’t die. Investigative…
- Why the UK is in trouble if the gas gets turned off · 18 minTaking a hot shower, heating your home, cooking dinner – all things we take for granted. All at risk. Britain’s gas storage levels are at a decade-low, while the UK’s largest…
- Why France’s school protests are a problem for president Macron · 22 minImagine being tear-gassed and targeted with stun grenades – all for complaining about timetables, absent teachers and crumbling classrooms. That’s the experience of thousands of…
- Why Trump is worried about Russia’s plague ‘lab leak’ · 16 minIn the 14th Century, the Black Death wiped out up to half the population of Europe. So, no wonder world leaders, including Donald Trump, are keeping a careful watch on a plague…
- Why Zack Polanski has been banned from Israel · 22 minGreen party members have backed a motion that “Zionism is racism” at their party conference. It has exposed deep divisions within the party’s membership - with many long-time…
- Why there are concerns over Sir Ranulph Fiennes' health · 23 minThe sister-in-law of the 82-year-old explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes travelled from her home abroad to check into a care home where his friends believed he was staying. She managed…
- Why do Man City think they can get away with it? · 20 minGuilty. The damning verdict in favour of the Premier League against one of its most successful clubs – Manchester City. The case concerned more than a hundred charges – from…
- Why is Trump pulling troops out of Iraq (while at war with Iran)? · 18 minSince the fall of Saddam Hussein more than two decades ago, the US has had a near-continuous military presence in Iraq... until now. The last troops have been withdrawn, ending a…
- Why reforming the pension triple lock is ‘electoral suicide’ · 15 minIt’s long been seen as politically untouchable – but Andy Burnham has finally fired the starting gun on reforms to the state pension triple lock. First brought in by David…
- Why the RAF Fairford 'plot' doesn’t add up · 16 minWho are you more likely to believe, Donald Trump or a farmer from the Cotswolds? Five UK nationals have been arrested on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences after a…
- Why is Ed Sheeran fighting for his reputation? · 17 minEd Sheeran is used to thousands of people singing his songs back at him. But last week, he found himself addressing his audience in a very different way. After Macklemore left…
- Why is Diana book still on sale despite Piers Morgan mistake? · 19 minRecollection may vary, but the facts do not. That’s something that was lost on Princess Diana’s brother in his new book about his sister’s life - which managed to squeeze in a…
- Three reasons AI could ‘save us all’: This is why · 22 minThere’s nothing like the warning of an AI apocalypse to ease you out of summer - but as they say, every cloud has a silver lining. Of course, we can’t rule out artificial…
- Why is Andy Burnham giving military support to Saudi Arabia? · 17 minIt's been a busy week already for Andy Burnham - who approved his first military intervention as prime minister just hours before his inaugural meeting with Donald Trump. The RAF…
- Why TV’s The Wargame exposes some uncomfortable truths · 19 minThe new Sky Original TV series The Wargame imagines a terrifying situation – and not just because Michael Gove is prime minister. Vladimir Putin and Russia haven’t yet launched a…
- Why Diana’s brother is making bombshell claims about the King · 18 minLots of people have fallen out with their brother-in-law over the years - but it’s perhaps never been as explosive as the row between the King and Earl Spencer. In the latest…
- Why Canada courting the EU isn’t great news for Great Britain · 16 minCanadian prime minister Mark Carney is looking for closer ties with Europe – but could an “associate” membership with the EU push the UK to the back of the queue? Addressing the…
- Chief of Defence Staff: Why this is the UK’s ‘most dangerous moment’ · 31 minThe country is under threat. Russian aggression, war in the Middle East and a military which has been ‘hollowed out’ for decades have all led to a crisis point for the United…
- Why the Thirlwall Inquiry isn’t the last word on Lucy Letby · 17 minThe case of Britain’s most prolific child killer has gripped the nation ever since Lucy Letby’s trial began in October 2022. The former neonatal nurse was later convicted of…
- Why has Donald Trump called for Irish reunification? · 19 minIt was a hole-in-one for the republican cause – the US president using a trip to his golf course in County Clare to lend his weight to the fight for a united Ireland. The timing…
- Why 9/11 has turned toxic for Rudy Giuliani and Zohran Mamdani · 20 minAs America marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks, a row has erupted between the man who led New York through its darkest moments and the city’s current…
- Experts warn AI could ‘kill us all’: This is why · 20 minDon’t worry, AI’s not preparing to wipe out humanity with a Terminator-style nuclear Armageddon – that's just not its style. But could it develop a virus that does the job…
- Why does air traffic control keep failing? · 16 minLess up, up and away... more stuck on the tarmac. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled and thousands of passengers stranded after yet another critical collapse of the…
- Why are NHS staff targeting terror attack victims? · 22 minImagine your child has been the victim of a terror attack. Then imagine the most intimate details of their injuries being viewed and shared without your permission or knowledge…
- Why anti-migrant protests are getting more ‘professional’ · 19 minWe have become used to seeing protests against small boat arrivals in the UK, but the speed and size of those in Dover and Portsmouth over the weekend felt like something new…
