This Is Why

The war in Iran has led to fears of food shortages and fuelled forecourt price hikes – but is your summer holiday also in jeopardy?The price of jet fuel has soared higher than any other oil product, including petrol, since the Middle East conflict led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.It means major airlines – including Qatar, Etihad and Lufthansa – have started cancelling flights. So how worried should you be about your summer holiday abroad?Niall Paterson is joined by Sky’s business correspondent Paul Kelso.Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show – why@sky.uk

Iranian intelligence services are suspected of actively recruiting in the UK, using AI and social networks to entice potential sign-ups.Sky News has uncovered evidence of how apparent Iranian networks are using the chat platform Telegram to target recruits.It follows an increase in attacks on Jewish communities across the UK – with authorities suggesting that some perpetrators may have been taking orders from Tehran.But why might petty crooks or youngsters be tempted to become involved? How worried should we be about their activities? And what level of threat does Iran pose here in the UK?Niall is joined by Sky New’s Home Editor Jason Farrell, whose producer infiltrated a suspected Iranian intelligence account.Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show: why@sky.uk

Donald Trump is preparing to roll out the red carpet for the King’s all-American state visit next week – despite the fact the US president has been highly critical of the UK over its refusal to join the war in Iran.Trump’s public rebukes for Sir Keir Starmer, Britain’s armed forces and even Prince Harry have put the so-called special relationship under greater strain than ever. So, can the King use all his diplomatic and “soft power” skills to save it?Niall is joined by royal commentator Robert Jobson.Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show: why@sky.uk

AI giant Anthropic has chosen not to release its latest model, Mythos Preview, to the public. The product was pulled after testing showed its unprecedented strengths in hacking.Instead, Mythos has been made available to a small number of big tech companies including Amazon and Microsoft to help protect their software, rather than pick it apart.So, has the day arrived which many have feared – where AI could change the world as we know it? Or are the scare stories around Mythos merely a myth?Niall is joined by Rowland Manthorpe, technology correspondent at Sky News, to discuss the potential dangers as well as how safe the UK is from the threat of AI.Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show – why@sky.uk

First it was Venezuela, then Iran. Is Cuba next on Donald Trump's hit list?The US navy has been anchored off the Caribbean coast since the start of the year, preventing supplies of oil and food from the outside world.As a consequence, the island has been brought to its knees - with electrical blackouts, food rationing and fears for the future.Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay joins Niall to discuss life under the blockade in Havana and what fate awaits the nation, as President Trump threatens military intervention.Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show: why@sky.uk

A multi-billion-dollar Saudi-backed golf tour is reportedly close to collapse – so could this spell an end to the Gulf state’s interest in sport?The controversial LIV Golf Tour is just one strand of the Saudis’ sporting portfolio.Footballing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo plays there, while the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) also owns English Premier League team, Newcastle United.But the PIF - which has plunged $5b into the LIV project - has a new five-year economic strategy that includes no mention of sport. Having been accused of using sport as a political tool to legitimise the Saudi regime, what led to this apparent change of strategy?Sky News’ sports correspondent Rob Harris joins Niall to discuss what it means for the future of Saudi sport.Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show: why@sky.uk

A decade on, you might have thought Brexit was done and dusted – but our relationship with the European Union is still in flux.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is proposing a reset that could result in the UK signing up to EU rules without the need for a normal parliamentary vote, under what are known as Henry VIII powers.But in pushing for closer ties with the continent, is he risking a return to rule-taking without any say in what those rules are? And what might this new relationship with Brussels look like?Niall speaks to Professor Anand Menon, director at UK in a Changing Europe, about the significance of this moment in UK-EU relations.Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show: why@sky.uk

Donald Trump's war in Iran has been polling badly among many of the groups that voted for him in 2024, and that matters as crucial midterm elections are just over six months away.These elections take place two years into the presidential cycle, with voters able to choose who runs Congress. Currently, the Republicans control both the Senate and the House of Representatives, giving the president freedom to enact his agenda.So how exactly do the midterms work and how much would change for Donald Trump if his Republican party has a bad night?Niall is joined by US correspondent and co-host of the Trump100 podcast, James Matthews.For more on politics in the US, listen to Trump100 on your podcast app: https://podfollow.com/trump100/view

Donald Trump has claimed a ‘complete victory’ in his war in Iran during a phone call to Sky News just hours after the two sides agreed a temporary ceasefire. But Iran is also declaring a win as it handed over a 10-point plan which includes maintaining control of the Strait of Hormuz and full US military withdrawal from the Middle East. So will the ceasefire last? Is that the end of free passage through the Strait of Hormuz? And what about Israel’s role? Gareth Barlow speaks to Sky News’ defence and security analyst Michael Clarke about who is really winning and what happens next.

Matt Brittin, a former Google boss and ex-Olympic rower, will become the new director-general of the BBC in May.He wouldn't have expected a quiet life in the highly-scrutinised role. After all, the broadcaster is facing a multibillion-dollar lawsuit from Donald Trump.But the aftermath of the sacking of Radio 2 presenter Scott Mills will be one of the first big issues Mr Brittin will have to deal with, on top of the US president's lawsuit and the BBC's charter renewal.Niall is joined by Deadline's media correspondent Jake Kanter to discuss what the new BBC boss brings to the role, and how he can shape the corporation’s future.

"Go get your own oil!" Donald Trump has served notice on his allies, telling them the US won't necessarily help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.And oil is important... for everything. The global economy needs 100 million barrels a day to function. The war in Iran means we're only producing 80 million.Those missing barrels are having a huge impact on diesel and petrol prices – but that's just the start. Inflation, interest rates, food and utility bills are all set to rise.What, if anything, can the UK government do to avoid the inevitable economic earthquake?Niall asks Sky's economics and data editor Ed Conway why he's so worried about the financial effects of the crisis in the Middle East.Do you have a question for the podcast? Email us: why@sky.uk

Artemis II is NASA's next big mission to the moon – the first in over 50 years. It's part of the space agency's long-term plans to build a space station called Lunar Gateway, where astronauts will be able to live and work.It is also America's best effort to beat the likes of China in the space race to return to the moon.Niall speaks to Tom Clarke, our science and technology editor, and Thomas Moore, our science and medical correspondent about what NASA hopes to achieve with the lunar flyby.Have you got a question for the podcast? Email us: why@sky.uk