This Is Why

Something a little different today from the Sky News podcast team: episode 1 of Patient 11, a new investigation from Sky News and the Independent.Young mother and former GB youth swimmer, Alexis Quinn, agrees to enter NHS England psychiatric care following a family tragedy. She could never imagine that her three-day admission will turn into a three-year ordeal. Then undiagnosed with autism, and often the subject of 24-hour surveillance as well as long periods in solitary confinement, Alexis descends to the darkest reaches of locked-in, psychiatric care. There, she encounters the kind of threat she never could have imagined in a secure mental health hospital. In a bid to break free, Alexis plots a daring escape. Making it back to her daughter, however, will pit her against some of the most powerful institutions in the State, including the police.This episode contains discussions about sexual assault. Narrated by Nicholas Pinnock (Top Boy, Django, For Life). To hear all episodes now, follow Patient 11 on your favourite podcast player.

Israel's longest serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, faces growing pressure both domestically and internationally over his Gaza strategy. In this podcast, Niall Paterson and Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall discuss Netanyahu's unpopularity, his stance on a two-state solution, and how long he can maintain power. They also explore dissent in Israeli society, the division among hostage families, Israel's failure in intelligence, and the ongoing violence in the region.

The man who killed three people, and injured three others, has been sentenced to detention in a high-security hospital – with the judge saying he'll probably remain there for the rest of his life. Valdo Calocane fatally stabbed 19-year-olds Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar and school caretaker Ian Coates in Nottingham in June last year. Speaking outside court, relatives of the victims criticised police, prosecutors and the NHS – saying they felt "let down" as Calocane’s mental health issues were widely known. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson looks at what more could have been done to prevent the killings as he's joined by our communities correspondent Becky Johnson and Lisa Townsend, who is Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey and mental health lead for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.Since recording this episode, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said the organisation had "robustly" reviewed its care of Calocane between May 2020 and September 2020. It added that it will continue to work with the police and health services to learn lessons. Podcast producer: Alex Edden Senior podcast producer: Annie Joyce Interviews producer: Melissa Tutesigensi-Charles Promotion producer: Jonathan Day Editor: Paul Stanworth

The podcast discusses the warnings from the head of the British Army about the possibility of conscription in the UK if Nato were to go to war with Russia. It also explores the under-recruitment and under-strength of the UK military, the need to protect energy supplies, trade routes, and democracies, the impact of austerity cuts on defense, and the reshaping of defense and security.

A second major wave of airstrikes has been carried out by American and British forces on Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the group's attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea. The first round of strikes did not deter the Houthis from continuing to attack shipping and the prime minister was pushed in the House of Commons today on what Britain's long-term strategy would be if the Houthis keep up their attacks. On this episode of the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by military analyst Michael Clarke and Sky's international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn to analyse the latest decisions made in the conflict. Plus, Sky's deputy political editor Sam Coates discusses the politics behind the strikes and what the endgame looks like on home soil. Producer: Alex EddenEditor: Wendy Parker

Throughout the 2000s, serious allegations of child sex abuse became known to Greater Manchester Police. Girls as young as 11 were identified as potential victims. An independent review covering a period between 2004 and 2013, which was published last week, detailed multiple failed investigations by police and an apparent indifference to the safety of the young girls identified as possible victims. Now, one anonymous whistleblower who resigned from GMP last year says the force has not changed and that failures have left a paedophile ring at large for at least seven years. On the Sky News Daily, presenter Anna Jones is joined by our home editor Jason Farrell who has spoken to the anonymous former detective constable. Plus, ex-GMP detective constable Maggie Oliver, who blew the whistle on the poor handling of the Rochdale child sex abuse ring case by the force years ago, reacts to the new accusations. Producers: Soila Apparicio and Alex Edden Promotions producer: Jada-Kai Meosa John Editor: Wendy Parker

Former prime minister Gordon Brown told Sky News he was too old to be a politician in the UK but too young to be one in the US. He has a point, with Americans set to choose between 81-year-old Joe Biden or 77-year-old Donald Trump in November's presidential election, while here in Europe, France's new prime minister is 34-year-old Gabriel Attal. On the Sky News Daily, host Niall Paterson explores whether there is a perfect age for our politicians. He talks to Labour's Harriet Harman, who is the longest-serving woman MP and 'Mother of the House of Commons'. The 73-year-old representative for Camberwell and Peckham has been an MP for more than 40 years. Niall also speaks to Amy Callaghan, SNP MP for East Dunbartonshire, who was elected in 2019 aged 27. They discuss what makes a good MP, the challenges women MPs face when elected, and if age in politics is just a number. Producer: Soila Apparicio Interviews producer: Melissa Tutesigensi-Charles Promotion producer: Jada-Kai Meosa John Editor: Wendy Parker

The Home Office says it has closed 50 hotels to asylum seekers - something it had pledged to do by the end of this month with a promise to house them in cheaper types of accommodation like the Bibby Stockholm barge. But Sky News has found that asylum seekers are simply being taken from taxpayer-funded hotels and moved to other hotels. Our reporters have seen taxis full of migrants leaving one hotel only to arrive at another 70 miles away. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to our communities correspondent Becky Johnson and her producer Nick Stylianou who have been investigating. Plus, deputy political editor Sam Coates analyses Rishi Sunak's morning news conference to journalists, after seeing off a Tory rebellion over his Rwanda bill on Wednesday. Senior podcast producer: Annie Joyce Podcast producer: Alex Edden Promotion producer: Jada-Kai Meosa John Editors: Philly Beaumont and Dave Terris

Rishi Sunak has faced the toughest test of his premiership as MPs voted to save the government's Rwanda policy. The measures aimed at tackling the small boats crisis form the core of Mr Sunak's election strategy.On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson looks at the fallout of the vote with our deputy political editor Sam Coates, as they discuss what it means for the prime minister's political future. Podcast producer: Emma Rae Woodhouse Interviews producer: Melissa Tutesigensi-Charles Promotion producer: Jada-Kai Meosa John Editor: Philly Beaumont

The man who has led fellow former sub postmasters in their campaign to overturn wrongful convictions, Alan Bates, was among those giving evidence to MPs today. The bosses of the Post Office and Fujitsu also faced the committee for the first time with the Post Office chief executive, Nick Read, admitting that it was possible that money paid by victims of the Horizon IT scandal may have been paid to Post Office executives.On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson looks at what else we learned from the exchanges, as he is joined by journalist Nick Wallis, who wrote the book The Great Post Office Scandal, and Seema Misra, a former post office operator who was cleared of theft from the Post Office after being convicted and jailed in 2010.Podcast producer: Alex Edden Senior podcast producer: Annie Joyce Interviews producer: Melissa Tutesigensi-Charles Promotion producer: Jada-Kai Meosa John Editor: Wendy Parker