Broadcast timeline
Sky News — Sky News Today with Sam Washington
Friday 7 August 2026 · 10:00 BST · 30m · 4 stories · 15 annotated moments · 23 of 30 min on news stories (78%)
Broadcast overview
An AI-generated overview based on this broadcast's transcript.
A Sky News investigation revealed how people smugglers are using migrants to grow and deliver drugs as payback for their services, with undercover reporting showing an Albanian smuggler offering to bring a fictitious cousin via the Channel Tunnel using a fake passport and a luxury car. The report included testimony from a former migrant who dealt drugs to pay off his debt, and a Home Office spokesperson said the government is relentless in disrupting criminal activity, while Minister Anna Turley cited increased enforcement and a returns agreement with Albania. Breaking news confirmed that England footballer Ivan Toney has been charged with assault following an incident in a Soho nightclub in December 2025, with a court appearance set for September 24.
Rail disruption continued after a 90-second power failure at Manchester's rail operating centre shut down services across the North West, with Network Rail saying engineers worked through the night and most services were running, though some delays remained. The RMT union said the centre lacked a working backup supply, and an expert noted that while safety systems failed safe, the centralisation of control centres creates a single point of failure. In Thailand, at least seven people died in a school shooting near Bangkok, including the suspected gunman, a 14-year-old student who also killed his grandparents; 22 people were injured, nine critically, and the handgun belonged to the student's grandfather.
Amanda Knox, acquitted of the murder of Meredith Kercher, is performing at the Edinburgh Fringe in a show called Cartwheel, which she says is about reclaiming her narrative after being vilified. Critics, including Kercher's sister, have called for the show to be cancelled, arguing it trivialises violence against women, but Knox insists it is about surviving injustice, and her performances have already sold out.
- 1:26
- 10:01
- 10:22
Contested quote Power failure at Network Rail operations centre causes train disruption
Well, Network Rail have released the following statement this morning. It reads, our engineers worked through the night to restore signalling systems and recover the railway and I'm pleased that most services are now running this morning. While some passengers may still experience disruption, we're continuing to work closely with train operators to return services to normal as quickly as possible.
Sky News, Sky News Today with Sam Washington, 7 August 2026, 10:22-10:30
- 10:57
Charged quote Power failure at Network Rail operations centre causes train disruption
Let's bring our correspondent Katie Barnfield in. She is at Manchester Piccadilly Station where a lot of the disruption has been felt. Good morning to you, Katie. Only 90 seconds, but it's created a huge amount of travel chaos. It did indeed. I mean, yesterday we saw things like passengers being completely stranded, having to pay huge amounts of money for taxis, not able to take their journeys at all.
Sky News, Sky News Today with Sam Washington, 7 August 2026, 10:57-11:04
- 12:48
Charged quote Power failure at Network Rail operations centre causes train disruption
You'd hope there'd be some kind of back up, wouldn't you? Because it's affected so many people's lives yesterday and train zoning out of Manchester could be hard enough for the best of times. Ridiculously, about this 250 years, we should have got it right by now. In fact, another country can do this, why can't we?
Sky News, Sky News Today with Sam Washington, 7 August 2026, 12:48-12:52
- 13:20
Charged quote Power failure at Network Rail operations centre causes train disruption
We've heard also this morning from the RMT, the union who represent staff like train drivers, they said the power at the operations centre did not have a working back up supply. They said the impact's clearly been devastating, it forced signalling and trains to stop and be rebooted with full working order not restored for around 10 hours.
Sky News, Sky News Today with Sam Washington, 7 August 2026, 13:20-13:26
- 18:55
- 19:36
Claim Teenage student opens fire at school near Bangkok, killing seven
The gunman was a 14-year-old student who killed his grandparents at their home before the school shooting and then killed himself.
Sky News, Sky News Today with Sam Washington, 7 August 2026, 19:36-19:44
- 23:16
- 23:37
Claim Palestinian circus troupe performs at Edinburgh Fringe
The show is described as a stand-up comedy show referencing Knox's time in prison and her attempts to explain it to her children.
Sky News, Sky News Today with Sam Washington, 7 August 2026, 23:37-23:43
- 23:57
Charged quote Palestinian circus troupe performs at Edinburgh Fringe
That's an entertainment correspondent, Katie Spencer has more. One of the most recognisable names performing at this year's Edinburgh Fringe isn't a comedian. I've been trapped in a tragedy box. But should Amanda Knox be performing stand-up here? The internet is split and there's even a petition calling for the show to be cancelled.
Sky News, Sky News Today with Sam Washington, 7 August 2026, 23:57-23:59
- 25:50
Charged quote Palestinian circus troupe performs at Edinburgh Fringe
If this set is intended to be more about motherhood, about where you are now, surely calling it Cartwheel, you are referencing the murder, what happened to Meredith. I'm referencing how I was wrongly vilified in the murder of Meredith. But in referencing that, do you not see that that would be triggering to her family?
Sky News, Sky News Today with Sam Washington, 7 August 2026, 25:50-25:54
- 25:55
Charged quote Palestinian circus troupe performs at Edinburgh Fringe
If this set is intended to be more about motherhood, about where you are now, surely calling it Cartwheel, you are referencing the murder, what happened to Meredith. I'm referencing how I was wrongly vilified in the murder of Meredith. But in referencing that, do you not see that that would be triggering to her family? I mean, it would be, again, I can't speak to what is or is not triggering to Meredith's family.
Sky News, Sky News Today with Sam Washington, 7 August 2026, 25:55-26:00
- 26:15
Claim Palestinian circus troupe performs at Edinburgh Fringe
The Kercher family called for the cancellation of Amanda Knox's comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe, saying it trivialises violence against women.
Sky News, Sky News Today with Sam Washington, 7 August 2026, 26:15-26:23
- 26:15
Claim Palestinian circus troupe performs at Edinburgh Fringe
The Kercher family called for the cancellation of Amanda Knox's comedy show at the Edinburgh Fringe, saying it trivialises violence against women.
Sky News, Sky News Today with Sam Washington, 7 August 2026, 26:15-26:23
- 26:37
Contested quote Palestinian circus troupe performs at Edinburgh Fringe
But in this instance I think there was quite a sort of impact on many people. We felt very strongly that the violence surrounding the theme is not appropriate for a platform at a comedy show. But I would have hoped that two decades on we'd maybe have a little bit more empathy around using this theme and association in such a traumatic sort of event in our lives.
Sky News, Sky News Today with Sam Washington, 7 August 2026, 26:37-26:46
- 26:46
Charged quote Palestinian circus troupe performs at Edinburgh Fringe
We felt very strongly that the violence surrounding the theme is not appropriate for a platform at a comedy show. But I would have hoped that two decades on we'd maybe have a little bit more empathy around using this theme and association in such a traumatic sort of event in our lives. I would really hope that moving forward she can try to move away from Meredith's name.
Sky News, Sky News Today with Sam Washington, 7 August 2026, 26:46-26:59
- 27:36
Claim Palestinian circus troupe performs at Edinburgh Fringe
The show is sold out.
Sky News, Sky News Today with Sam Washington, 7 August 2026, 27:36-27:41
- 27:36
Claim Palestinian circus troupe performs at Edinburgh Fringe
The show is sold out.
Sky News, Sky News Today with Sam Washington, 7 August 2026, 27:36-27:41
Source: Sky News, "Sky News Today with Sam Washington", Friday 7 August 2026. Transcript excerpts and stills are shown only to support the analysis annotated alongside them. Search-result excerpts are distinct from the editorial annotations — see our copyright basis. The full broadcast is not reproduced.