Sky News Daily

This year has been the deadliest on the English Channel in three years. Six children and a pregnant woman are among the twelve who died on Tuesday after their boat sank off the French coast, bringing the number killed in 2024 to nearly 40. Today, the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is hosting a summit aimed at smashing the criminal gangs that send the boats across the Channel. On the Sky News Daily Niall Paterson speaks to Rob Lawrie, former British Army soldier, aid volunteer, and people smuggling investigator for the podcast series To Catch a Scorpion and The Smugglers' Trail. He’s also joined by Danny Shaw, former adviser to Yvette Cooper and crime commentator, to discuss how the new government will deal with illegal migration. Producer: Soila Apparicio Editor: Wendy Parker

The government is bringing in new laws which will see stiffer penalties for water companies and possible jail sentences for their bosses if they don't deal with sewage problems. The environment secretary, Steve Reed, chaired a meeting attended by the water industry, investors and campaigners where he announced a landmark review into how the industry works. Niall Patterson spoke to our business correspondent, Paul Kelso, who was there for his assessment of what it could mean for the companies and bill payers. Plus, as the police investigating the Grenfell Tower fire warn it could be at least a year until they hand over evidence to prosecutors, Niall speaks to Chris Daw KC, author of Justice On Trial, on why it is going to take so long for the survivors and bereaved families to get justice. Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse Editor: Wendy Parker

All 72 deaths were "avoidable", according to the final Grenfell Tower inquiry report, which found "decades of failure" led to the tragedy. The inquiry lasted six years and concluded there was "systematic dishonesty" from cladding firms, "complacency" from governments and an "inappropriate" relationship between inspectors and those they were inspecting. Niall Paterson is joined by our science and technology editor Tom Clarke to look at the findings and recommendations of the Grenfell Tower inquiry, and how the fire was the final, fatal link in a chain of unimaginable human failure. Also, our home news correspondent Rachael Venables speaks to survivors and families of the people who died about what they want to happen next. Producers: Emma Rae Woodhouse and Soila Apparicio Promotions producer: Jada-Kai Meosa John Editor: Wendy Parker

Sky News has found out that legislation introduced after the Grenfell Tower fire to force building owners to fix serious fire safety issues is not being enforced, leaving thousands of people trapped in unsafe flats. Children who survived the Grenfell fire, which killed 72 people, have told Sky News 'justice' for them would be for the dangerous cladding to be removed from all UK buildings. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to communities correspondent Becky Johnson who's met residents around the country fighting to get their homes made safe. Plus, he hears from correspondent Rachel Venables who has been meeting children who survived the fire. Producers: Rosie Gillott & Emma Rae Woodhouse Editor: Wendy Parker

After a long Saturday for millions of Oasis fans in online queues, the culture secretary says surge pricing will be part of the government’s review of the ticket market. Niall speaks to secondary ticketing site Viagogo on this episode. While it wasn’t part of dynamic pricing, it has offered resale tickets for thousands of pounds since Saturday. Matt Drew from the company accepts the industry needs a full review while Adam Webb, from the campaign group FanFair Alliance, explains the changes it would like to see. Later, our data and forensics correspondent Tom Cheshire tells Niall about how a rise in online propaganda has helped the Afghan branch of Islamic State become “the greatest external terror threat”. It’s been linked to the concert hall attack in Moscow and the plot to disrupt Taylor Swift gigs in Austria. Producers: Soila Apparicio, Emma Rae Woodhouse Editor: Paul Stanworth

Politics returns to Westminster next week, with a Conservative leadership race, Labour's first budget, and party conference season around the corner. Host Liz Bates sits down with our deputy political editor Sam Coates to look ahead to what's in store for Prime Minister Keir Starmer when it comes to the trade unions and his first big budget. And Liz and Sam discuss the Tory frontrunners vying to be his main opposition. Plus, Sam's podcast Politics At Jack And Sam's is back every weekday morning from Monday, where he and POLITCO's UK editor Jack Blanchard explain what you need to know about the day's political news. That's out about 7.30am. Producer: Soila Apparicio Editor: Paul Stanworth Promotions producer: David Chipakupaku

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed the government is looking at tougher rules on outdoor smoking to reduce the number of preventable deaths linked to the habit and relieve pressure on the NHS. The government has yet to confirm exactly what the changes could look like, but smoking could soon be banned in pub gardens, outdoor restaurants, and outside hospitals and sports grounds. Host Liz Bates heads to one of Westminster's most famous pubs to explore why Labour are planning these changes, with our chief political correspondent Jon Craig. The NHS Confederation's Dr Layla McCay explains the impact extending the smoking ban could have not just on public health, but on the economy as well, and Kate Nicholls from UKHospitality tells us the concerns her industry has about the proposals. Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse & Rosie Gillott Editor: Paul Stanworth Promotions producer: Jada-Kai Meosa John

Around 10 million people in England and Wales will not receive winter fuel payments this winter. Under Chancellor Rachel Reeves' plan, only those who receive pension credit or other means-tested benefits will still get the £200-£300 towards the cost of their energy bills. Critics, including Labour MPs, have said the payments will put even more pressure on elderly people as the cap on energy prices rises again in October. On this episode, Liz Bates gets a breakdown of Labour’s plan, from our political correspondent Serena Barker-Singh, and hears from one of its critics, Labour back-bencher Rachael Maskell. Plus, could there be an alternative that could keep everyone happy? We hear from the Social Market Foundation’s Sam Robinson about its proposal for an alternative to the winter fuel allowance. Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse Editor: Paul Stanworth Promotions producer: Jada-Kai Meosa John

After 15 years, brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher have announced they’ll reunite for a tour next year. On this Sky News Daily episode, Terry Christian, the man who gave the band their national debut on The Word, says he "didn't think there was anything special" when first seeing Oasis live, but the band's "vibe" and Liam's "confidence" made them "amazing". Host Liz Bates also hears from Neil McCormick, the Telegraph's chief music critic and Katie Spencer, our entertainment correspondent. Producer: Rosie Gillott Editor: Paul Stanworth Promotions producer: Jada-Kai Meosa John

Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for president and laid out her election pitch to millions of voters at the party's national convention. As well as offering more of her backstory, she promised unity and to move from the "divisive battles" of American politics. On this episode, Niall Paterson asks our US correspondent Mark Stone what we learnt about Kamala Harris and how a re-energised campaign against Donald Trump may now play out. Producer: Soila Apparicio Editor: Paul Stanworth

Are GCSEs the best thing for 16-year-olds to show as they leave secondary education? Is there a better method to assess what they've achieved in school and to set them up for their next step? Niall Paterson explores the future for GCSEs on this episode – and asks why where you live can affect the grades you get. He speaks to two headteachers - Becky Arnold at Framingham Earl high school near Norwich, and Farhan Adam at Crown Hills Community College in Leicester who was awarded "headteacher of the year" in 2023. Plus, Louis Hodge of the research organisation Education Policy Institute (EPI) joins Niall to discuss the "disadvantage gap" in today's GCSE results. Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse Editor: Paul Stanworth

Official data shows government borrowing in July was above expectations and at its highest since the pandemic. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expected borrowing to be £46.6bn - instead it reached £51.3bn. Our economics and data editor Ed Conway joins Niall Paterson to talk about the unexpected rise in government borrowing and Chancellor Rachel Reeves' options at the October budget. Plus, chief political correspondent Jon Craig discusses how long Labour's claim they are dealing with inherited problems will stand. Producer: Soila Apparicio Editor: Wendy Parker

A British-flagged superyacht has sunk off the coast of Sicily, leaving at least one person dead and six others missing. Among those still lost are British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, the chairman of investment bank Morgan Stanley International Jonathan Bloomer, and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance. It's believed the yacht was struck by a sudden and powerful storm in the early hours of Monday morning. Mike Lynch, known by some as the "British Bill Gates", was recently cleared after a high-profile fraud trial relating to the $11bn sale of his software giant Autonomy to US company Hewlett Packard. Niall Paterson speaks to our correspondent in Sicily, Ashna Hurynag, to hear about the causes of the yacht's sinking and the investigation into what happened. Plus, Danny Fortson, West Coast correspondent for The Sunday Times, talks about interviewing Mike Lynch only a few weeks ago. Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse, Laura FitzPatrick Editor: Paul Stanworth

An emergency plan to try to ease prison overcrowding has been started by the government – as courts continue to hear cases involving those accused of rioting earlier in the month. Across northern England and parts of the Midlands, those waiting for a court appearance will now be held in police cells until there’s a prison place for them. “Operation Early Dawn” was started on Monday morning. On this episode, Niall Paterson assess the potential impact on courts and the police. He speaks to Mark Fairhurst, national chair of the Prison Officers’ Association, Philip Jones, custody lead at the National Police Federation and Sky communities correspondent, Becky Johnson. Becky also explains the context and longer-term plan for the prison system. Producers: Soila Apparicio, Emma Rae Woodhouse Editor: Paul Stanworth

Musician and billionaire Taylor Swift is so influential that a new economic term has been coined to refer to her impact: 'Swiftonomics'. From concerts and tours to merchandise and deals, the power of Swift's brand not only earns her money but boosts economies by millions. One estimate suggests that on the latest leg of her Eras Tour, Swift's fans are expected to bring in £300m to London alone, as the capital hosts more shows than any other city in the world. On this episode, Niall Paterson is joined by our entertainment reporter Gemma Peplow to learn more about the appeal of Swift and her place in the music industry. Niall is also joined by Maria Psyllou, assistant professor in economics at the University of Birmingham, to analyse 'Swiftonomics' and its impact. In this episode, we discuss the average amount spent on going to a Taylor Swift gig. The figures come from a report published by Barclays earlier this year. Producer: Rosie Gillott Editor: Paul Stanworth

Can universities make their sums work? As students nervously receive their A-level results, many of the universities they'll enrol in are facing their own concerns over what's next... Academics have warned that years of underfunding and a lack of lucrative international students at British universities after visa changes risks the sector's ability to provide top-class education and, for some institutions, whether they'll be able to keep teaching at all. On this episode, Niall Paterson is joined by two university vice-chancellors, Professor Jane Harrington at Greenwich and Professor David Maguire at East Anglia, to hear the realities and challenges faced by universities across the country. Plus, our business correspondent Paul Kelso explains why higher education is facing the crisis it's in now. Producer: Soila Apparicio Editor: Paul Stanworth

The inflation rate is up for the first time this year. Prices went up by 2.2% in the year until July – moving the rate above the Bank of England target of 2%. Experts had expected an uptick as energy prices are falling by less than they did a year ago. The increase doesn't seem to change hope for further interest rate cuts in the months to come – but what else can we expect from the economy this autumn as the new government continues to warn about the economic "challenges" it's inherited and as the chancellor prepares her first budget for late October? Joining Niall Paterson is our business correspondent Paul Kelso and political correspondent Darren McCaffrey. You can read more of Paul’s in-depth analysis on the Sky News website and app here. Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse Editor: Paul Stanworth Promotion Producer: David Chipakupaku

A week after Ukraine invaded the Kursk region of western Russia - when around 1,000 troops surprised analysts by storming across the border - Russia’s President Vladimir Putin vowed to “kick the enemy out of our territory”. But has the success of Ukraine’s incursion threatened his grip on power? On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by our security and defence analyst Michael Clarke to explore the reasoning behind the timing of the invasion, and Peter Dickinson, editor of the UkraineAlert blog for the Atlantic Council based in Kyiv, explains how the invasion has exposed the weakness of Putin’s ‘red lines’. Producer: Rosie Gillott Podcast promotions producer: David Chipakupaku Editor: Philly Beaumont

Middle Eastern nations are scrambling to protect a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and prevent a regional conflict. There are reports of imminent Iranian and Hezbollah retaliation on Israel, as the United States moves military assets to the region. Joining Niall Paterson on the Sky News Daily is our Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall, and military expert Michael Clarke, to hear about the mood in Jerusalem, the risks of war, and what Iran what might be about to do. Producer: Soila Apparicio Editor: Philly Beaumont

The Olympics in Paris ends this weekend – as it gears up for the Paralympics. But what legacy does such a huge event leave for athletes and a host city? Team GB's Jess Roberts won a bronze in the cycling women's team pursuit, but she almost quit the sport because of injury. She joins Matt Barbet alongside Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, one of Britain's greatest Paralympic athletes, to discuss how athletes reset mentally and physically after the games. Plus, Rob Harris, our sports correspondent speaks with Matt from Paris, to discuss what future Olympic cities will learn from Paris. Producers: Soila Apparicio, Emma Rae Woodhouse Editor: Paul Stanworth