This Is Why

After 30 years on the run, infamous mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro has been arrested. A suspected leader of Sicily's Cosa Nostra mafia, convicted in absentia of multiple murders, he was finally detained by Italian armed forces whilst in a private clinic undergoing cancer treatment. On the Sky News Daily podcast, host Niall Patterson talks to historian and author of Cosa Nostra, John Dickie, about the history and influence of Messina Denaro and the Sicilian mafia. He also speaks to anti-mafia prosecutor Alessandra Cerreti about her work and the consequences of going up against the mob. Podcast producer: Rosie Gillott Junior podcast producer: Jada-Kai Meosa John Podcast promotions producer: David Chipakupaku Translation: Eva Oddi Editor: Philly Beaumont

For the first time since Scottish devolution nearly 25 years ago, Westminster has blocked a bill, which concerns transgender rights, from getting royal assent. Westminster is objecting to the Gender Recognition Reform Bill on the grounds that it would have a "significant impact" on GB-wide equalities. But Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the veto is an attack on democracy. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by political correspondent Joe Pike to unpack the unprecedented row. He's also joined by lecturer in law at Glasgow Caledonian University, Andrew Tickell, to discuss the legalities of a constitution in crisis. Producer: Emma Rae WoodhouseEditor: Philly Beaumont

Over an 18-year period, former Metropolitan Police firearms officer David Carrick sexually assaulted and raped at least 12 women. The force has apologised to victims after it emerged Carrick had come to the attention of police on nine separate occasions, but no action had been taken. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson gets more on the Met's response from Sky's crime correspondent Martin Brunt. Former Met officer Graham Wettone explains how complains against officers are dealt with, and Harriet Wistrich, director of the Centre for Women's Justice, explains why she believes those investigating police culture need to be given more power to uncover the truth. Podcast producer: Rosie Gillott Interviews producer: Tamara Bungaroo Valdes Podcast promotions producer: David Chipakupaku Editor: Philly Beaumont

The NHS is facing a crisis. Three years of a pandemic and even more of underfunding have seen waiting lists and ambulance delays hit record highs, while some staff strike for better pay.On the Sky News Daily with Niall Paterson, using voice notes from the frontline, NHS staff explain how they deal with the realities of providing care.Plus, Niall speaks to Helen Buckingham, Director of Strategy at the Nuffield Trust and Sally Warren, Director of Policy at the King’s Fund about knock-on effects the NHS crisis has on the social care system. Producer: Soila ApparicioJunior Producer: Jada-Kai Meosa JohnPodcast Promotions Producer: David ChipakupakuEditor: Philly Beaumont

Services stretched to breaking point, routine operations cancelled and medical workers striking – it's not the UK's health service we're talking about here but those on the continent. On the Sky News Daily podcast with Niall Paterson, Ana Gimenez, a GP in Spain, and A&E doctor Roberto Cosentini in Italy help to paint a picture of the current situation in their countries. Plus, Niall speaks to waiting times expert Professor Luigi Siciliani about the scale of the problems and public health expert and senior director at the World Health Organisation, Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, as we discuss what can be done to solve them. Annie Joyce – senior podcast producer Tamara Bungaroo-Valdez – interviews producer Simon Windsor – archive researcher David Chipakupaku – podcast promotion producer Philly Beaumont - editor

As fighting rages in the east of the country and against the backdrop of mounting casualties in the mining town of Soledar, Oksana finds some unexpected respite at a Kyiv comedy night.Meanwhile, in an basement gym, Ilyas finds a world removed from war until the building is plunged into darkness. OUR DIARISTS Oksana, 35, works in overseas education. She lives with her husband, Seva, in an apartment complex in central Kyiv. Many of Oksana’s closest friends have left the country to begin new lives in Europe. Some may never return. She’s continues to try and make a life there.Seva, 41, is a company CEO and husband to Oksana. Before the war, he travelled across Europe for business. Now, he makes regular supply drops of medical aid and rations to Ukrainian troops on the front line in Eastern Ukraine. He’s originally from a small village near Dnipro.Ilyas is an IT specialist and married father who fled from Kyiv to Lviv shortly after the war started. His wife Natalia, and two young sons are taking refuge in Poland. As of December 2022, Ilyas is back living in the family apartment in Kyiv.Ukraine War Diaries uses first-person audio, recorded on the ground in Ukraine, to give an intimate day-to-day perspective of life in a war zone.EP40 diary entries were recorded using WhatsApp voice note.From the producers of Sky News’ multi-award winning series – StoryCast.Producer: Rob MulhernEditing: Paul StanworthDigital Promotion: David Chipakupaku

It was supposed to be Britain's first small step towards space exploration but no amount of awe and excitement on the ground at Spaceport Cornwall could will the LauncherOne rocket into completing its mission. Yet with spaceports springing up around the British Isles, and billions of pounds expected to flow into the economy as a result, could the UK be on the brink of becoming a space superpower? On the Sky News Daily, host Niall Paterson is joined by Sky's science and medical correspondent Thomas Moore who was at the launch in Cornwall, plus Astronomer Royal Lord Martin Rees on the UK's growing role in space exploration and Professor Monica Grady on why going to space really is worth it. Podcast producer: Rosie GillottInterviews producer: Tamara Bungaroo-ValdezPodcast promotions producer: David ChipakupakuEditor: Philly Beaumont

Thousands of demonstrators in support of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro stormed and ransacked the country’s Congress, Supreme court, and Presidential palace last weekend. On the Sky News Daily podcast, host Niall Paterson talks to our digital investigation journalist Victoria Elms about the events leading up to the protest. He also explores the aftermath of the riots with Sky News’s chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, who is in the capital, Brasilia. Plus, the author of Beef, Bullets and Bible: Brazil in The Age of Bolsonaro, Richard Lapper, talks about the role played by the former leader in inciting the events - and the parallels between what happened in Brazil and the January 6 2021 riots in the US. Producers: Soila Apparicio and Rosie Gillott Junior Producer: Jada-Kai Meosa John Interviews Producer: Tamara Bungaroo Valdes Podcast Promotions Producer: David Chipakupaku Editor: Philly Beaumont

For decades, if you wanted to find out how businesses and foreign governments lobby MPs, and how much they give them, you'd need to study dozens of entries in several editions of the register of members’ interests. Over the course of this parliament £20m has been given to All-Party Parliamentary Groups. Most of that goes on paying for organisers, reports, research, events and trips. All of this information was clouded in opaque language and difficult for most voters to access. Now, Sky News and our partners at Tortoise Media have been working to change that, so we can all follow the flow of money through our political system. On the Sky News Daily, host Niall Paterson is in Parliament’s Central Lobby with deputy political editor Sam Coates and political producer Tom Larkin to take a closer look at exactly who is donating to individual MPs and their APPGs. Click here to take a look at the database yourself.Politics Producer: Tom Larkin Podcast Producer: Soila Apparicio Sound Designer: Tom Burchell Digital Promotions Producer: David Chipakupaku Editor: Philly Beaumont

For decades, if you wanted to find out how much a wealthy donor, a big company, or a union has pumped into our political system, you'd need to study dozens of entries in several editions of the register of members’ interests. All of this information was clouded in opaque language and difficult for most voters to access. Now, Sky News and our partners at Tortoise Media have been working to change that, so we can all follow the flow of money through our political system. On the Sky News Daily, host Niall Paterson heads back into Westminster with deputy political editor Sam Coates and political producer Tom Larkin to take a closer look at exactly who is donating to our political parties, and individual MPs. Donors include an investment firm, MPM Connect, which gave £345,200 to three Labour MPs and the northern internet company, IX Wireless, who donated £138,800 to ‘Red wall’ Tories. You can take a look at the database yourself by clicking here.Politics Producer: Tom Larkin Podcast Producer: Rosie Gillott Sound Designer: Tom Burchell Digital Promotions Producer: David Chipakupaku Editor: Philly Beaumont