This Is Why

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 ApparicioEditor: 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 FitzPatrickEditor: 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