This Is Why

On Tuesday, 1,700 prisoners were released early from their sentences in the first phase of Labour's plan to tackle overcrowding.      Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson says the prisoners will serve the rest of their sentence under the strictest licensing conditions, but there are questions over whether this is a long-term solution as currently 2,000 prisoners are recalled every month for breaching their release licence.       Daily host Matt Barbet is joined by sky correspondent Mollie Malone who's been speaking to some of those set for early release, and home editor Jason Farrell explains the size of the issue the new government is facing when it comes to the state of our prisons.     👉 Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts 👈           Producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse and Rosie GillottPodcast promotions producer: Jada-Kai Meosa John Editor: Philly Beaumont  

Sudan has suffered three domestic wars spanning well over 40 years of the country's 67 years of independence. Millions of people have been displaced and thousands killed.  Now a joint investigation by Sky News, Lighthouse Reports, Washington Post and Le Monde has uncovered the gruesome details of a massacre which took place last year - one of the first episodes of ethnically motivated atrocities in this latest war.  On the Sky News Daily Tom Cheshire talks to Africa Correspondent Yousra Elbagir and Klaas van Dijken, investigations director of Lighthouse about this report and why more needs to be done to help the Sudanese.  Producer: Soila Apparicio Editor: Philly Beaumont 

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 Rachael 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