Sky News Daily

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner is facing questions about whether she paid enough tax on a house sale, almost a decade ago.     She denies any wrongdoing and has been backed by the party's leader Sir Keir Starmer, with some colleagues claiming she's being "smeared".     On the Sky News Daily, Mark Austin unpicks exactly what Angela Rayner is accused of and discusses if the allegations are really in the public interest with Sky's political correspondent Rob Powell.     They also talk about how important Ms Rayner is to Labour's election ambitions with polling expert Scarlett Maguire.   Producers: Soila Apparicio, Emma Rae Woodhouse Promotions producer: David Chipakupaku Editor: Paul Stanworth

Next week, millions of people across North America will be able to see a total solar eclipse, a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many. A total solar eclipse - where the moon moves in front of the sun - happens about every 18 months. However, it rarely takes place over land, so next week's is an incredibly rare opportunity for scientists and amateurs alike to witness the phenomenon.On the Sky News Daily, our data and forensics correspondent Tom Cheshire chats to NASA's deputy administrator and retired astronaut Pam Melroy about why solar eclipses are so important for scientists and learning more about the Earth and our nearest star.In addition, our science and medical correspondent Thomas Moore explains why eclipses happen - and why the vast majority in the UK won't be lucky enough to see it.You can watch our live coverage of the total eclipse on Monday 8th April, 7pm to 10pm, on the Sky News channel, the Sky News app or on our YouTube channel. 👉 Listen above then tap here to follow the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts 👈 Producers: Rosie Gillott & Soila Apparicio Assistant producer: Iona Brunker Interviews producer: Melissa Tutesigensi-Charles Podcast Promotions Producer: David Chipakupaku Editor: Philly Beaumont

Three former Supreme Court justices have warned Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that the UK is breaching international law by continuing to arm Israel.   They are among over 600 lawyers and academics who are signatories of a 17-page letter, which also urges ministers to work towards a ceasefire in Gaza and resume funding to the UNRWA aid agency. It comes as civil servants overseeing arms exports could stop work over fears they may be complicit in war crimes.  On the Sky News Daily, Tom Cheshire asks Michael Mansfield KC, head of chambers at Nexus Chambers and former judge on the Russell Tribunal on Palestine, about why he has signed the letter.   Plus, our political correspondent Rob Powell details the current government's arms dealing with Israel and the response to calls to stop supplying weapons.  Senior producer: Annie Joyce Interviews producer: Melissa Tutesigensi-CharlesEditor: Philly Beaumont

Tom Cheshire, security and defence editor at Sky News, delves into the UK's lack of preparations for a nuclear war and the potential conflicts with Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. The podcast explores the global military threats, UK's armed forces readiness, and the need to enhance the UK Army Reserve for national resilience.

Aid group World Central Kitchen says seven members of its team have been killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza. The charity said the volunteers had just unloaded more than 100 tonnes of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza by sea. The foreign nationals killed were from the UK, Australia, Poland, and a dual US-Canadian citizen.    Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari offered "deepest condolences" to the founder of the charity World Central Kitchen over the "tragic" deaths of its aid workers.    Aid convoys attempting to reach northern Gaza have either been forced to turn back or simply not made the journey because the risk of being hit by Israeli fire was too great. How will the latest deaths affect the work of aid agencies in the Palestinian territory?   On the Sky News Daily, Tom Cheshire explores what working in a 'death zone' in Gaza looks like for volunteers with Ahmed Bayram, media adviser for MENA (Middle East and North Africa) at the Norwegian Refugee Council.    Plus, our Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall reports on whether the IDF's review of the deaths will be enough to reassure foreign governments and humanitarian organisations.   Senior producer: Annie Joyce Assistant producer: Iona Brunker Interviews producer: Melissa Tutesigensi-Charles Editor: Philly Beaumont

It’s the height of lockdown, 19-year-old Ellie Williams claims on social media she's been raped and exploited by an Asian grooming gang across the north of England. Photos of her alleged injuries add to the outrage and the post goes viral - shared more than 100,000 times.  Social media rumours lead to attacks on Asian men and businesses in her hometown of Barrow-in-Furness. But when she's arrested for perverting the course of justice, things really explode and there are protest rallies and claims of a cover-up.  At her trial, the prosecution say she lied, faked text messages and even caused the catalogue of injuries to herself.    In season 6 of StoryCast, Sky News' Jason Farrell and Liz Lane, who reported on the case at the time, return to Barrow to investigate what could have led her to make these claims and if, underneath it all, there is some other truth buried among the lies.  With access to her family, police investigators and those most impacted by her allegations, we ask: Is Ellie Williams a villain - or a victim of something else? And what happened after the trial - once all the media attention died down and new allegations began to emerge?   This is episode one of Unreliable Witness. For the full season, follow Unreliable Witness wherever you get your podcasts.

The amount of raw sewage being spilled into England’s waterways has hit a record high – more than doubling since last year.  Water companies are allowed to do this, but only in exceptional circumstances to prevent sewage washing back up into our homes.  But, there’s growing evidence sewage is being routinely dumped by water firms when it’s not needed, polluting England’s waters more to the point where rowers in this year’s Oxford and Cambridge boat race have been warned not to go into the Thames.  Customers could end up paying more too – as water companies in England and Wales want bills to increase to fund the necessary infrastructure upgrades.  On this edition of the Sky News Daily, Leah Boleto is joined by climate reporter Victoria Seabrook and business correspondent Paul Kelso to explain how England’s rivers and seas have got to this state and what this could mean for our water bills.   Producer: Alex Edden Assistant producer: Iona Brunker  Senior podcast producer: Annie Joyce Editor: Paul Stanworth 

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a cargo ship leaving the US city of Baltimore catastrophically struck a major bridge. The entire middle section of the 1.6-mile-long Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River.  The ship lost power as it left the port, but the crew had enough time to make a mayday call so officials on the bridge were able to shut it to most traffic. Two people were rescued from the water but several people are still missing.  There are now questions about how such a large vessel lost control and how the huge structure of the bridge crumbled so quickly.   On today's edition of the Sky News Daily, Leah Boleto speaks to our US Correspondent Martha Kelner in Baltimore and our Science Correspondent Thomas More. Plus, Ben Schafer, a structural engineer at Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University explains why the bridge fell so quickly.   Senior producer: Annie Joyce Assistant producer: Iona Brunker  Editor: Wendy Parker

Four men have been charged with carrying out an attack at a concert in Moscow on Friday that killed more than 130 people. They all appeared in court on Monday heavily bruised with swollen faces and black eyes – with one attending in a wheelchair wearing a hospital gown.  The Islamic State group said it carried out the attack on the Crocus City Hall, but President Putin has insisted Ukraine was involved. President Zelenskyy has strongly denied the claims and hit out at the Russian leader and others in Moscow, describing them as “scum”.   Questions are now mounting for President Putin as it emerged the US government warned Russia two weeks ago that an attack by extremists on “large gatherings including concerts” was imminent.  On this edition of the Sky News Daily, Leah Boleto is joined by international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn and international correspondent in Moscow Diana Magnay to discuss the mood in the Russian capital and how President Putin could react.Producer: Alex Edden Assistant producer: Iona Brunker  Editor: Paul Stanworth  

The US has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the first time as secretary of state Antony Blinken lands in Tel Aviv for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. An American-sponsored resolution demanding a truce was rejected by the UN Security Council. The US policy change comes amid fears the Palestinian territory could be on the brink of famine. On the Daily, Niall Paterson talks to our Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall about how much US support for Israel is wavering.  Plus, Sky’s special correspondent Alex Crawford discusses the importance of being able to report freely from inside Gaza - something she and other foreign journalists have been unable to do since Hamas's attack on southern Israel on 7 October.   The war has meant images and information from inside Gaza have mostly come from a few Palestinian journalists in the territory. Foreign journalists can only report in Gaza while accompanied by Israeli authorities, who say it is for safety reasons. Senior producer: Annie Joyce  Producer: Alex Edden and Sydney Pead Assistant producer: Iona Brunker Editor: Wendy Parker