This Is Why

Remember when Brexit meant Brexit? Well, a decade on from the referendum to leave the European Union, Andy Burnham thinks now is the right time to reopen the debate.

The new prime minister is calling for a fresh look at our relationship with EU ahead of a summit in November. Is this just an attempt to boost economic growth with a better trade deal or is there more to it?

What does Burnham really want? And would the public swallow the prospect of a 'rejoin' referendum?

Niall Paterson is joined by the director of the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, Anand Menon.

Have you got a question for Niall? Email us: why@sky.uk

Donald Trump decided to mark the death of a man mauled by a tiger in a Yorkshire zoo by posting an AI-generated video of himself wrestling with a tiger.

The killing of 23-year-old William Chapman has offered a stark reminder of just how dangerous zoo animals can be when things go wrong.

So, has the social media obsession with animal videos desensitised us to the threat from wildlife?

It has also renewed the debate over whether we should be keeping animals like that in captivity in the first place. Just how safe are the UK’s zoos and why do we even have them?

Niall Paterson is joined by Amy Dickman, professor of Wildlife Conservation at Oxford University.

Donald Trump just loves a long-running feud, and in recent days he’s returned to an old favourite.

America’s mudslinger-in-chief is calling for Ukraine’s wartime president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be replaced – after he criticised the US diesel deal with Russia.

But as Vladimir Putin’s war rages on, elections are perhaps the last thing on the minds of Ukrainians. So, how do people in the war-torn country really feel about Zelenskyy? And what is the reality of everyday life following more than four years of conflict?

Niall Paterson speaks to Ukrainian independent journalist Dinara Khalilova about the ongoing trauma being inflicted on the country’s people.

In today’s episode of This Is Why, we’re introducing our new podcast – Russell Brand: On Trial

Listen to Russell Brand: On Trial on your podcast app

What happened on Russell Brand’s first day in court as the trial process got underway? Sky News’ Martin Brunt and Katie Spencer take us through the day- inside and outside the court. It starts with queues of journalists arriving early to get a seat on the press benches of court 3 at Southwark Crown Court.

Outside photographers gather to get images of Russell Brand as he walks in with his wife. No broadcast cameras or recording are allowed inside so Katie Spencer - arts and entertainment correspondent for Sky and crime commentator Martin Brunt - are your eyes and ears in court.

The first development: selecting the jury, the people who will decide if Russell Brand is guilty, or not guilty.

He faces three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault. He denies all charges and the trial continues.

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A notorious killer convicted of murder more than 30 years ago has finally faced the death penalty – execution by lethal injection. Except Christa Pike didn’t die.

Investigative journalist John North was one of the few people allowed inside a maximum-security facility in Nashville, Tennessee, to witness Pike’s death. What happened next was one of the most extraordinary moments in America’s troubled history with the death penalty.

Speaking to Niall Paterson, John describes in detail how the execution went wrong, why Christa Pike’s violent murder of Colleen Slemmer still resonates three decades later, and the heartbreaking response of her victim’s family.

And as the country prepares for its first public execution in almost a century – with plans to livestream former US Army major Nidal Hasan’s death by firing squad – Niall and John discuss why state-sponsored killing remains such a divisive topic in American society.

Warning: This episode contains graphic details of Christa Pike’s original crime and attempted execution, which some listeners may find distressing.

Have you got a question for Niall? Email us: why@sky.uk