Sky News Daily

It was the news the world had been waiting for. A major breakthrough in the race to find a vaccine in the fight against coronavirus. In a week when the UK surpassed 50,000 COVID-related deaths in this pandemic, Monday’s announcement offered optimism – albeit tinged with some caution. While the American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer financed the vaccine, the science itself is the work of German company BioNTech – founded by husband and wife team, physicians Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci.We hear from Dr Sahin on this edition of the Sky News Daily podcast hosted by Dominic Waghorn. We are also joined by Dr Charlie Weller, who is head of vaccines at the Wellcome Trust research charity, and GP Dr Ellie Cannon as we examine what more we know about the vaccine, the preparations for distribution if approved and the challenges that still remain.Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast producer – Emma-Rae Woodhouse Interviews producer - Oli FosterArchive - Simon WindsorMusic -

President-elect Joe Biden's lead is getting bigger, some Republicans are urging Donald Trump to concede, and Boris Johnson has called the commander-in-chief the "previous president".But the current US leader is still claiming on Twitter that he won the election. What will it take for Mr Trump to admit defeat? Can the election result be overturned? Can he be forced out of the White House?In this episode of the Sky News Daily podcast, host Jayne Secker is joined by Carol Laham, one of America's leading practitioners in election law and government ethics, who explains Mr Trump's legal options.And Congressman Bob McEwen tells us why he believes the 2020 election is a fraud.Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast producer - Emma-Rae WoodhouseInterviews producer - Oli FosterArchive - Simon WindsorMusic - Steven Wheeler

Prime Minister's Questions has been a political ritual in British politics for nearly 60 years, with MPs and journalists flooding into the House of Commons, for a dramatic 30-minute showdown of political arguments. But, like most traditions, coronavirus bought the face-off to a halt. Months on, screens have been installed in the Commons and available seats are rare and few, meaning politicians have swapped dispatch box dust-ups for digital debates. Could this be the beginning of a digital democracy? In this episode of the Sky News Daily podcast hosted by Sophy Ridge, MP Alyn Smith talks through what sitting in parliament via Zoom is like and historian Dr Matt Cole describes how the Commons and PMQs has changed over the past 100 years.

Donald Trump himself said “losing is never easy”. He was playing golf when the news broke that Joe Biden was going to be America’s next commander-in-chief.In a tweet, the out-going US president still insisted he won the vote and repeated unfounded claims of election fraud, suggesting some ballots for his rival were not legal.But it wasn’t the runaway victory for the Democrats that pollsters had previously predicted. There remains a huge amount of support for Donald Trump across the United States.So what next for Trumpism? Republican and Trump supporter Maythe Magdelano, in Miami, talks to the Sky News Daily podcast about his appeal, style of politics and what America needs now. Host Dermot Murnaghan is also joined by Sky’s Siobhan Robbins and Harvey J Kaye, Professor of Democracy and Justice Studies at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, as we examine the rise of Trumpism, what it is and why it will live on. Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast producer –

America finally decided after more than three days of uncertainty while election ballots were counted.In his first speech since being named US president-elect, Joe Biden promised to “unify” the country and heal deep divisions. But what more do we know about the 77-year-old, who, after his inauguration on 20 January, will officially become the next US commander-in-chief? On this edition of the Sky News Daily podcast, Dermot Murnaghan is joined by our diplomatic editor Dominic Waghorn to take a closer look at what we can expect from a President Biden.Plus, Sharon Manitta from Democrats Abroad UK talks about the new first lady – what role might Jill Biden play in the White House?Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast producer – Emma-Rae Woodhouse Interviews producer - Oli FosterArchive - Simon WindsorMusic - Steven Wheeler

After a long wait, a victory in Pennsylvania helped win Joe Biden the presidency of the United States. While Democrats celebrated history being made, Donald Trump golfed, and his lawyers upped the ante on challenging the electoral process. On our Divided States podcast, US correspondent Cordelia Lynch and Washington bureau chief Emily Purser Brown reflect on the day, the week, and the campaign that made this moment. What will a Joe Biden presidency mean for America? What will Donald Trump do next? And where does a divided America go from here?

Ten vaccines are in the final phase of trials. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has not ruled out securing a vaccine by Christmas, yet scientists say we might have to wait until 2022 - and according to Donald Trump, it was ready last month. Dates are repeatedly being thrown around - but with none yet approved and 7.5 billion people to immunise around the world, it begs the question, how long will it take for a vaccine to get our lives back to normal? In this episode of the Sky News Daily podcast, host Noel Phillips is joined by Professor Beate Kampmann, director of the Vaccine Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, to explain why she thinks COVID trials could be moving too quickly and Professor Bruce Y Lee, from City University, New York, to talk through how vaccinating the population may take longer than many have bargained for. Plus Jack Sommers, volunteer at the Oxford vaccine trials, shares his experienceCredits:Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicol

The US has charged six Russian hackers over a series of global cyber-attacks. Before then, very little was known about Unit 74455, part of the country’s military intelligence service, until a poster was published with the mugshots of six men with the words “Wanted by the FBI”. In this episode of the Sky News Daily podcast, host Laura Bundock interviews Keir Giles, an expert on Russian security issues. He tells us how Russia has led the field in cyber-attacks since the 1990s. Plus Sky’s Foreign Affairs Editor Deborah Haynes and Sky’s Technology Reporter Alex Martin join us to dissect recent Russian cyber-behaviour.Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast producer - Emma Rae WoodhouseInterviews producer - Oli FosterArchive - Simon WindsorMusic - Steven Wheeler

Last night, polls closed around the US and results began to come in. It was one of the most important events in world politics. It was a long night with surprise results, marches and speeches. You can hear a run through of the night with host, Dermot Murnaghan as it developed in today’s Sky News Daily Podcast, in the best, most exciting bits of America deciding - Trump or Biden?Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast producer - Emma Rae WoodhousePodcast producer - Cat SoaveInterviews producer - Oli FosterArchive - Simon WindsorMusic - Steven Wheeler

Hollywood actor Johnny Depp has lost his case against The Sun over claims he was violent towards ex-wife Amber Heard. It follows a three-week trial, in which both sides had their own versions of what happened during their two-year marriage. Three months after the trial, Judge Justice Nicol ruled in a 129-page judgement that the tabloid’s report of allegations were “substantially true”.So what comes next for Depp? Can his career be saved? And does this open a new door for press freedom?On this edition of the Sky News Daily podcast, host Bethany Minelle is joined by media and privacy lawyer Steven Heffer to discuss the implications this case will have on the press, and Hollywood expert Ashley Pearson to ask whether either Depp’s or Heard’s reputation can be saved. Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast producer - Emma Rae WoodhousePodcast producer - Cat SoaveInterviews producer - Oli FosterArchive - Simon WindsorMusic - Steven Wheeler

It was never going to be the usual Halloween in a year when we faced a global pandemic, but clearly a rising number of COVID-19 cases left the prime minister spooked. On Saturday evening, and after a few delays, Boris Johnson made the announcement he had hoped he’d not have to make again - effectively shutting England down for a second time this year. The decision follows a stark warning from his top medical and scientific advisers there could be twice as many coronavirus deaths this winter than during the first wave.The four-week lockdown, from Thursday, will be voted on by parliament on Wednesday.But is it the right call? Has it come too late? And can people and businesses survive this time around?On this edition of the Sky News Daily podcast, Sophy Ridge examines the reasons for the lockdown, how it differs to the first and asks: Will it really last four weeks and will it work?We are joined by our deputy political editor Sam Coates, Sky’s economics editor Ed Conway, and Dr Daniele Bryden, who is the Vice

QAnon is a conspiracy theory which alleges that top Democrats, billionaires and Hollywood celebrities are Satan-worshipping and running child sex-trafficking rings. The only person that can save America from them is Donald Trump, believers of the theory say.In just three years it’s gone from anonymous posts on fringe message boards to having at least 100,000 followers and being designated a potential domestic terror threat by the FBI. The president himself has refused to debunk it. On this episode of the Sky News Daily podcast, host Noel Phillips is joined by Professor Joseph Pierre, Health Sciences Clinical Professor at the University of California, to discuss the psychology behind QAnon and Dr Ashley Frawley, Senior Lecturer in Social Policy at Swansea University, who explains why humans are drawn to conspiracy theories.Plus Kate Shemirani from the UK anti-vaccination movement tells us why she thinks COVID-19 is a tool of compliance.Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola

Three people have died, including one who is thought to have been decapitated, in a suspected terror attack in Nice, France.It’s the latest in a series of terror-related incidents in the country in recent years.As more people are killed by extremists, what steps can French authorities take to tackle terrorism?And just two weeks on from the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty over a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad, is this a reaction to freedom of expression?On this edition of the Sky News Daily podcast, host Jayne Secker is joined by Dr Emma El-Badawy, the head of research at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, to talk about France's cultural row and author Mick Hume discusses the impact these attacks have on free speech.Plus our Europe correspondent Adam Parsons has latest on the incidents unfolding in France.Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast producer - Emma Rae WoodhousePodcast producer - Cat SoaveInterviews producer - Oli FosterArchive - Simon W

In 1968, Sislin Fay Allen applied to join the Metropolitan Police. At the bottom of her application, she felt the need to point out that she was black. When she passed the interview process and was accepted into the police force, she made history.This Black History Month on the Sky News Daily podcast, host Noel Phillips travelled 5,000 miles to Jamaica to meet Sislin and hear her story.He also speaks to her daughter, Paula, about how her mother changed attitudes in the police force and what is still yet to be done. Plus, MP Sarah Jones describes the true extent of Sislin’s legacy in Croydon – where she was posted. Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast producer - Emma Rae WoodhouseInterviews producer - Oli FosterArchive - Simon WindsorMusic - Steven Wheeler

Hundreds of cafes, restaurants and councils in England have taken it upon themselves to provide free meals for children this half-term.It comes after the government rejected a motion proposed by footballer Marcus Rashford to extend the voucher scheme.But whose responsibility is it to provide food for children during school holidays?On this edition of the Sky News Daily podcast, host Noel Phillips speaks to Claire Oliver, owner of an art café in Manchester providing food for children this half-term.Plus we hear from Asad Rehman, who grew up on free school meals and is now the director of the anti-poverty charity War on Want.Sky correspondent Ali Fortescue also joins us to discuss the impact Rashford’s campaign has had on Westminster. Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast producer - Emma Rae WoodhousePodcast producer - Cat SoaveInterviews producer - Oli FosterArchive - Simon WindsorMusic - Steven Wheeler

On Tuesday 3 November 2020 the 59th quadrennial US presidential election takes place – but what will America decide?Will Donald Trump defeat Joe Biden to secure a second term in the White House? Or has his Democratic opponent done enough to win over US voters?On this edition of the Sky News Daily podcast with Dermot Murnaghan, we hear from Americans Joe Radinovich and Samuel Mangold-Lenett on what the election means to them and who they want as their commander-in-chief for the next four years.But how does a US election actually work?Dermot is joined by Assistant Professor of History at the University of Sunderland, Dr Kevin Yuill, to discuss the American political system – plus our US correspondent Cordelia Lynch gives us her analysis of the election campaign.Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast producer – Emma Rae WoodhousePodcast producer – Cat SoaveInterviews producer - Oli FosterArchive - Simon WindsorMusic - Steven Wheeler

That is how Nigerian music star Burna Boy described the recent demonstrations. Speaking exclusively to Sky News, he said the nature of politics in his homeland has changed.What more do we know about SARS – Nigerian police’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad - and the movement protesting against alleged brutality?And how will the international community respond?On this edition of the Sky News Daily podcast, Dermot Murnaghan is joined by our Africa correspondent John Sparks to take a closer look at what has been going on in the country following recent violent clashes.Plus, hear John’s interview with Burna Boy, who expressed shock at the events this week and called for change.Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast producer - Emma Rae WoodhouseInterviews producer - Oli FosterArchive - Simon WindsorMusic - Steven Wheeler

More than seven million people in England will be living under the toughest COVID restrictions by this weekend.What went wrong in Greater Manchester?And as South Yorkshire joins the Tier 3 club, we ask: is there an exit strategy?On this edition of the Sky News Daily podcast our deputy political editor Sam Coates is joined by our correspondent Inzamam Rashid and Dr Ria Lina, a virus expert.Plus, Sky’s North of England correspondent Katerina Vittozzi speaks to soft play owner Bev Collier-Nelson in Wigan about the challenges of COVID restrictions.Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast producer – Emma Rae WoodhouseInterviews producer - Oli FosterArchive - Simon WindsorMusic - Steven Wheeler

Government has promised to inject a £1.57bn rescue fund into UK arts organisations that have been crippled by COVID-19. But as Britain faces a second wave, the performing arts are still paralysed and self-employed staff in the industry remain jobless. While venues may have been given a financial lifeline, will it be enough to save the people who bring performances to life? On this episode of the Sky News Daily podcast, host Bethany Minelle is joined by actor Adrian Schiller and dancer Fiona Jeffrey to discuss how they're coping in a halted industry with a precarious future. We also speak to theatre veteran Simon Callow about why he believes the show will go on. Plus, we hear from writer Dave Clements about why a cultural escape is essential for our mental health. Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast producer - Emma Rae WoodhouseInterviews producer - Oli FosterArchive - Simon WindsorMusic - Steven Wheeler

Government data shows nearly two million black Britons live in England and Wales – each with their own, unique experience.But the COVID pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests throughout 2020 exposed some of the inequalities and disparities that still exist in society.On this edition of the Sky News Daily podcast, host Gamal Fahnbulleh explores his own sense of identity and belonging after recently becoming a father for the first time.We hear from his sister Miatta Fahnbulleh, journalist Twiggy Jalloh and Abu Yillah, who is a poet and filmmaker, as they share their thoughts on their Sierra Leonean heritage and straddling two cultures.Gamal and his wife Liz also reflect on what making the documentary 'Black, British and Belonging' has meant for their family.Daily podcast team:Podcast producer - Annie JoycePodcast producer - Nicola EyersPodcast producer – Emma-Rae Woodhouse Interviews producer - Oli FosterArchive - Simon WindsorMusic - Steven Wheeler