Broadcast timeline
Mornings
Monday 31 August 2026 · 06:00 BST · 30m · 6 stories · 15 annotated moments · 26 of 30 min on news stories (86%)
Broadcast overview
An AI-generated overview based on this broadcast's transcript.
At least eight people died and 18 remain missing after a passenger ferry capsized off Northern Cyprus, with the boat's captain and crew arrested. Rescuers in Nepal continued searching for more than 3,000 missing people, including 48 British nationals, after catastrophic floods killed at least 900, while a fresh flood threat from rising water levels upstream hampered operations. Elsewhere, a flash flood at the Grand Canyon left one person dead and 15 unaccounted for, forcing evacuations and knocking out water pipelines.
The UK government tightened its early release scheme, excluding those convicted of unlawful killing such as manslaughter, but domestic abusers remain eligible. The Prime Minister also announced a cross-party oversight group to end IPP sentences, with one man who served over 20 years under the scheme describing his experience. As MPs return to Westminster, Andy Burnham is expected to focus on the cost of living, while questions remain over defence spending and the welfare system.
Sky News spoke to members of Russia's rebel legion, Russians who defected to fight alongside Ukrainian troops against their homeland. The legion, formed in 2022, counts former Russian servicemen among its members, and one defector described his escape from the Russian Navy, while another told fellow Russian soldiers to run or die.
- 0:11 Story begins Ferry fire in Philippines kills at least five
- 4:07 Story begins Aid reaches survivors a week after Nepal floods
- 11:21
- 13:07
Charged quote Government scraps early release for convicted killers after backlash
Cherry fought for years for Aaron's release all the while trying to keep up her spirits and his It's taken a toll on the siblings mental health It's been 20 years of absolute torture and hell if I'm honest, you know, I've drove for thousands of aisles to prisons I spent every Christmas Eve at prison spent every New Year at prison
Sky News, Mornings, 31 August 2026, 13:07-13:12
- 13:42
Charged quote Government scraps early release for convicted killers after backlash
Open down we're going to do something that we're not going to do something and seeing people before me Especially my brother go through psychosis bad mental health and not recognizing my own brother. It's been absolutely disgraceful if I'm honest IPPs were designed for the indefinite detention of serious offenders who were perceived to be a risk to the
Sky News, Mornings, 31 August 2026, 13:42-13:56
- 14:26
Contested quote Government scraps early release for convicted killers after backlash
By the end of Parliament as some individuals may still pose a risk to the public The point though is that for some of them They've dealt with a very unjust unfair system and they've suffered through life in prison and life in our prisons is horrible For a very long time and that's done mental damage to them and made some of them
Sky News, Mornings, 31 August 2026, 14:26-14:39
- 17:58 Story begins PM hosts Macron for Downing Street talks
- 18:22
Claim PM hosts Macron for Downing Street talks
Burnham's first address as Prime Minister will focus on the cost of living.
Sky News, Mornings, 31 August 2026, 18:22-18:33
- 18:22
Claim PM hosts Macron for Downing Street talks
Burnham's first address as Prime Minister will focus on the cost of living.
Sky News, Mornings, 31 August 2026, 18:22-18:33
- 18:22
Claim PM hosts Macron for Downing Street talks
Burnham's first address as Prime Minister will focus on the cost of living.
Sky News, Mornings, 31 August 2026, 18:22-18:33
- 18:22
Claim PM hosts Macron for Downing Street talks
Burnham's first address as Prime Minister will focus on the cost of living.
Sky News, Mornings, 31 August 2026, 18:22-18:33
- 18:25
Charged quote PM hosts Macron for Downing Street talks
I'm told he'll focus much of his speech on the work the government is trying to do to tackle the cost of living a number 10 source told me the Prime Minister doesn't accept that the Government's role is to stand by and watch on as every bill goes up and up squeezing the joy out of life He'll promise the country that wherever we can make life more affordable. We will
Sky News, Mornings, 31 August 2026, 18:25-18:38
- 18:43
Charged quote PM hosts Macron for Downing Street talks
He'll promise the country that wherever we can make life more affordable. We will He's also going to talk about how he wants to tackle some of the country's most difficult Intractable problems which have been ignored for too long as we heard him earlier this summer talking about his vision To reform social care, although of course
Sky News, Mornings, 31 August 2026, 18:43-18:56
- 18:50
Contested quote PM hosts Macron for Downing Street talks
He'll promise the country that wherever we can make life more affordable. We will He's also going to talk about how he wants to tackle some of the country's most difficult Intractable problems which have been ignored for too long as we heard him earlier this summer talking about his vision To reform social care, although of course
Sky News, Mornings, 31 August 2026, 18:50-18:56
- 19:32
Charged quote PM hosts Macron for Downing Street talks
Over their decision to increase the number of prisoners who are going to be excluded from the early release scheme But there will be many questions I think asked about how this is going to affect the heavily overcrowded prison system And the already highly overstretched probation service as well as questions about other victims
Sky News, Mornings, 31 August 2026, 19:32-19:37
- 19:37
Charged quote PM hosts Macron for Downing Street talks
But there will be many questions I think asked about how this is going to affect the heavily overcrowded prison system And the already highly overstretched probation service as well as questions about other victims For example victims of domestic violence whose abuses are still set to be released under the remaining
Sky News, Mornings, 31 August 2026, 19:37-19:43
- 19:43
Charged quote PM hosts Macron for Downing Street talks
And the already highly overstretched probation service as well as questions about other victims For example victims of domestic violence whose abuses are still set to be released under the remaining Scheme because they have not been exempt There will also be questions about the government's finances ahead of the budget in October
Sky News, Mornings, 31 August 2026, 19:43-19:53
- 20:10
Charged quote PM hosts Macron for Downing Street talks
3% of GDP spending on defense by 2030 which is the very issue He resigned as defense secretary over when he was serving in Keir Starmer's government indeed helping precipitate Starmer's downfall at the budget in October and It's something that he's talked about wanting to address later in particular reaching that longer terms target for
Sky News, Mornings, 31 August 2026, 20:10-20:21
- 20:45
Charged quote PM hosts Macron for Downing Street talks
In order to pay for greater defense spending Andy Burnham has accepted that there is a need for reform It says he doesn't want to see crude cuts and that he's waiting for the results of two reviews Which are due to report back in the autumn into disability benefits as well as youth unemployment and the broader question of
Sky News, Mornings, 31 August 2026, 20:45-20:49
- 21:11
- 26:30
Source: Sky News, "Mornings", Monday 31 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.