Sky News Daily

The government is threatening to take former Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich to court over the proceeds of the sale of the club. Three years after being sanctioned for the oligarch's links to the Russian president, £2.5bn remains frozen in a bank account. The funds are earmarked for Ukrainian aid, but where will they end up? In today's episode, Niall Paterson talks to the financier and author Bill Bowder and Sky's sports correspondent Rob Harris about how Abramovich went from orphan to oligarch and where sanctions leave him today. Lawyers for Abramovich did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Producer: Gabriel Radus and Emily Hulme Editor: Philly Beaumont

The government's health agency, the MHRA, is warning women that they shouldn't use weight loss jabs while pregnant and that the drugs can also affect the reliability of the pill, which has led to a rise in so-called "Ozempic babies". On today’s Sky News Daily Niall Paterson talks to Dr Nikita Kanani, a GP and former medical director for primary care at NHS England, about the risks, whether there are other concerns about using them and if there should be tighter restrictions on online sales of the jabs. Producer: Emily Hulme Editor: Wendy Parker

The chancellor presents the spending review next week where she will outline how the budget will be divided for government departments between 2026 and 2029. Rachel Reeves says she has an extra £113bn of capital to play with. But with so many promises and projects dependent on the cash, how does she decide who will win and who will lose? On today's Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by Sky News’ deputy political editor, Sam Coates, who has used AI to predict how the chancellor might spend the cash. Producer: Emily Hulme Editor: Rosie Gillot

The Home Office says the doubling of good weather days this year compared to the start of 2024 "coincides with small boat arrivals being 46% higher" - but research by Sky's Data and Forensics team shows a rise in crossings during bad weather as well. On today's Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by Sky News' political correspondent Ali Fortescue and senior data journalist Daniel Dunford to assess what the new data tells us about how well the government's plans to tackle small boat crossings are working and what they've learnt about how the smuggling gangs are adapting. Producer: Emily Hulme Editor: Wendy Parker

The prime minister has launched a 10-year Strategic Defence Review setting out how Britain will operate in an ever-more worrying geopolitical environment. Sir Keir Starmer says "every citizen has a role to play" in "defence of the realm", but do we know what kind of war we're preparing for? On today's Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by Sky's defence editor Deborah Haynes and military analyst Michael Clarke to discuss whether the defence review meets the mark. Producer: Emily Hulme Editor: Philly Beaumont

Emmanuel Macron has played down a video of him being pushed in the face by his wife Brigitte, as the couple prepared to leave their plane to begin their tour of South East Asia. The French president said he was just joking with the first lady and the incident was "nothing". But the footage has put the pair and their relationship in the global spotlight. In today's episode, Niall Paterson talks to France 24's international affairs editor, Philip Turle, about who Brigitte Macron is, how the couple are viewed in France and the online rumours that have dogged them. Producer: Emily Hulme and Gabriel Radus Editor: Wendy Parker

The illegal settlers - and the fight back

Nigel Farage could "definitely" become prime minister at the next general election. That's according to Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s former chief advisor, who says he has held meetings with the Reform UK leader and advised him on how to go from "one man and an iPhone" to holding the keys to Downing Street. On the Sky News Daily, Liz Bates speaks to Mr Cummings about the current state of British politics, why the public feels let down, and who Mr Farage needs to recruit if he wants to be the next prime minister. Warning: contains strong language.

The police's rapid announcement of the age, ethnicity, and nationality of the Liverpool parade suspect shows they've learned lessons from the 2024 Southport attack. Within two hours of a car hitting a crowd of Liverpool fans as they celebrated their team parading the Premier League trophy, Merseyside Police said they had arrested a "53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area". Last summer, the same force was criticised in the aftermath of the Southport stabbings when online speculation and misinformation filled a void after the same force released few details about a 17-year-old – later revealed to be Axel Rudakubana – that they had in custody. On today's Sky News Daily, Matt Barbet is joined by our north of England correspondent Katerina Vittozzi, who is in Liverpool, and Helen King, former assistant chief constable for Merseyside Police, who talks about the challenges of policing online speculation. Producer: Emily Hulme

Donald Trump put his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa on the spot during his visit to the Oval Office this week with a list of claims about the deaths of white farmers - claims which Mr Ramaphosa countered and put into context. On today's Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by Richard Calland, a British-South African political analyst and author of The Presidents, From Mandela to Ramaphosa, to discuss exactly who Mr Ramaphosa is and how he will lead his country when it's in the cross hairs of the Trump administration. Producer: Jada-Kai Meosa John Editor: Wendy Parker

The government says it will accept the majority of the recommendations in the report it commissioned into jail sentences. The independent review, led by ex-Conservative justice secretary David Gauke, looked at how to reduce the prison population by 2028. One of its key proposals would see well-behaved inmates only serve a third of their sentences. It would include sex offenders who had agreed to chemical castration. On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to political correspondent Liz Bates about what is in the plans and what the political ramifications may be for Labour. Plus, Professor Belinda Winder, who has been evaluating the government's chemical castration pilot, explains what the process involves and how effective it is. Producer: Natalie Ktena Editor: Wendy Parker

The UN's humanitarian chief has said 14,000 babies in Gaza could die if aid does not get into the Strip. Israel has stopped aid from going into Gaza for the past 11 weeks - a blockade that Sir Keir Starmer has called "indefensible". It allowed a limited amount of aid into the enclave this week in response to global concern but the move was criticised as "wholly inadequate". As some of Israel's allies in Europe and North America seem to be running out of patience with Israel, could this be a tipping point in the war in Gaza? Niall Paterson is joined by our Middle East correspondent Ali Bunkall to discuss the crisis in Gaza, and the international response. Producer: Soila Apparicio Editor: Wendy Parker

Rampant gang violence has surged in Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the world, with authorities struggling to cope. Swathes of territory are under the control of rival armed gangs who carry out widespread murders, rapes and kidnappings. Our chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay and senior foreign producer Dominique van Heerden have been in Haiti, where they saw parents taking children to school approach a Port-au-Prince intersection as automatic gunfire bursts from the turret of an armoured police vehicle rang out. They join Niall Paterson to share their experience back in Haiti, what it's like covering warzones, and what’s next for the people of Haiti. Producer: Soila Apparicio

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer today signed a landmark post-Brexit deal with the European Union. The deal has been lauded by the Labour leader as "a new era in our relationship...moving on from stale old debates" and "following through on what the British public voted for last year". His opponents are far from pleased, however, with both Reform and the Conservatives arguing that this sees the UK move back towards the EU and against the will of the people as voted for in 2016. Reform leader Nigel Farage has labelled the deal 'a surrender' to the EU by Sir Keir. But what is actually in the deal? What does it mean, and who stands to benefit the most from it? Niall Paterson and Sky News Political Correspondent Tamara Cohen unpack the seismic deal announced today in London. The pair look at the benefits for the UK in the deal. They also analyse how damaging some of the prime minister's concessions could be for the Labour Party, and how Reform could capitalise on this. Producers: Gabriel Radus, Soila Apparicio Editor: Philly Beaumont

Air Force One, sometimes referred to the 'flying Oval Office', is seen as a global symbol of American power. It is for this reason, among others, that Donald Trump has come under fire for wanting to accept a Qatari Boeing 747-8 to replace the traditional presidential plane. But why is everyone so exorcised by the prospects of this new plane? Kenneth T. Walsh is a former White House correspondent and author of Air Force One: A History of the Presidents and Their Planes who has spent over 35 years covering and travelling with the president. Kenneth joins Niall Paterson to discuss the significance of Air Force One, and memories from his trips on the plane. Producers: Gabriel Radus, Natalie Ktena, Soila Apparicio Editor: Philly Beaumont

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of sending "stand-in props" to peace talks in Turkey after Moscow confirmed President Vladimir Putin would not attend. Zelenskyy had challenged Putin to meet him. But how are Ukrainians feeling about the prospect of a possible end to the war? Our international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn is in Kyiv and joins Niall Paterson to discuss if the country is ready to find a peace agreement with Russia. Producers: Emily Hulme, Soila Apparicio Editor: Philly Beaumont

Donald Trump has met Syrian president Ahmed al Sharaa - a former al Qaeda leader - during a tour of the Middle East. The US president said he is looking at "normalising" relations with Syria after lifting sanctions that have crippled the country for 25 years. On this episode of the Sky News Daily, host Niall Paterson is joined by our international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn to discuss how the meeting came about, its significance for Syria and what it means for the wider region. Producer: Emily Hulme, Soila Apparicio Editor: Philly Beaumont

A Sky News investigation has uncovered the complex gang network using stickers on lampposts and e-bikes to expand their cannabis home delivery operation. Led by open-source intelligence (OSINT) producer Sam Doak and data and forensics correspondent Tom Cheshire, the team tried to track down and even went to the homes allegedly at the heart of a drug ring responsible for stickers found in a number of cities across the UK. On today’s episode of the Sky News Daily, listen to how the investigation exposes how dark web merchants are coming out of the shadows and into broad daylight and what are the police doing about it. Sky News contacted the National Crime Agency about our findings. They said: “Many organised crime groups selling drugs use social media and communication platforms to promote and sell their illicit produce," it said in a statement. “The NCA is working with partners across law enforcement and government to tackle drug trafficking." Producer: Emily Hulme and Emma Rae Woodhouse Editor: Philly Beaumont

The prime minister today announced a plan to reduce net migration as he warned the UK risks becoming an "island of strangers". Sir Keir Starmer wants to bring in tougher English language tests and tighten overseas carer recruitment as part of his policy overhaul to “tighten up” the immigration system. On this episode of the Sky News Daily, host Niall Paterson is joined by our deputy political editor Sam Coates to discuss whether this is a change in direction for the government after suffering losses in the local elections. Producer: Natalie Ktena Editor: Philly Beaumont

Pope Leo XIV is the first North American to lead the Catholic Church. But he was not considered to be in the top 10 likely candidates to succeed Pope Francis, in part due to his nationality. There had been an assumption that an American pope would mean too much power concentrated in the world's most dominant superpower. So why did the conclave pick Cardinal Robert Prevost - and what does it mean for the future direction of the Catholic Church? To discuss this on today's Sky News Daily with Niall Paterson are Barbara Serra, who has been covering the conclave for Sky News, and Father Thomas Massaro from New York's Fordham University. Producer: Natalie Ktena Editor: Wendy Parker