Podcast
What You Need To Know
Hosted by ITV News · EN
The quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories. Our team of specialist correspondents plus guests bring you information and analysis you can trust so you get What You Need To Know in minutes.
706episodes
Episodes
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How Trump action on Iran risks regniting trade war with China
Jan 1500:12:41Tap to summarizeWith Donald Trump blowing hot and cold on whether the US will strike Iran or not - how will this uncertainty and unpredictability play out with Iran's biggest trading partner - China? At least two thousand people have been killed in the Islamic Republic's brutal crackdown on protests, which were sparked by the country's soaring inflation and crippling price rises. In response the US President initially announced a 25% tariff on any country doing business with Iran. So could it spell the end of the US-China Trade war truce? And what would that mean for the world? From Beijing, ITV News Asia Correspondent tells Lucy Watson what you need to know.
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Would upgrading ketamine to Class A stop the drug's surge?
Jan 1200:20:48Tap to summarizeWould upgrading ketamine to class A stop the drug's surge? The cheap, widely available drug can shred and shrink users bladders' - leaving them constantly rushing to the toilet.It can even kill, with Friends actor Matthew Perry and drag star The Vivienne both dying after taking the drug in recent years.The government is deliberating on whether to reclassify the drug from class B to class A, bringing harsher punishments for supply AND possession.Steve Rolles from Transform Drug Policy Foundation and Digital Reporter George Hancorn join Lucy Watson to discuss whether reclassification would put people off.
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Why Birmingham can't end its bin crisis one year on
Jan 800:13:05Tap to summarizeIt's been a whole year since Birmingham's refuse workers first went on strike. Since then bin-bag-lined streets, rats and horrible smells have all become an unwanted feature of the UK's second city. But the union and council have not been in negotiations since the summer. So why are they still in deadlock and will they ever resolve Birmingham's bin crisis? ITV Central's Lewis Warner tells Lucy Watson what you need to know.
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Will Trump's Venezuelan oil gamble pay off after ousting Maduro?
Jan 500:13:56Tap to summarizeCaptured amid gunfire in Caracas, Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro has now appeared in a New York court to face multiple drugs and wepaons charges.The US accuses him of leading a cartel responsible for flooding their country with cocaine and fentanyl - which he has always denied.Meanwhile, President Trump has made it clear there's another substance at the top of his mind: oil.“We need access to the oil and to other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country,” Trump said.He even told reporters that he had tipped off US oil giants before the attack.So what exactly is his plan Venezuela's vast oil reserves...and will it work?International Editor Emma Murphy tells Paul Brand what you need to know.
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Cyclones to wildfires: reporting on a year of extreme weather
Dec 2200:16:34Tap to summarizeHeatwaves in Europe, wildfires in Hollywood and catrastrophic cyclones in South East Asia.Extreme weather has been a constant and growing threat in 2025.Good Morning Britain meteorologist and weather presenter Laura Tobin has been speaking to colleagues across the world about what they are seeing.So what can the world expect for 2026?She tells Lucy Watson what you need to know.
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How could Ukraine get billions of Russia's frozen assets?
Dec 1800:15:57Tap to summarize"We have a simple choice, either money today or blood tomorrow".Those were the blunt words of Polish PM Donald Tusk, as leaders gathered to discuss the billions in Russian assets, frozen in the EU.Once released, that money would help Ukraine's war effort...but the plan has faced significant opposition from some member states.Meanwhile, Roman Abramovic is yet to fulfill his pledge to send the £2.5bn from Chelsea football club's sale to Ukraine.Keir Starmer says the government is prepared to take him to court over it.So can the Russian money be accessed...and how desperately does Ukraine need it?Europe Editor James Mates tells Faye Barker what you need to know.
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Venezuela tanker seizure and Honduras election 'interference': What's Trump's Latin America plan?
Dec 1100:16:33Tap to summarizeThe former president of Honduras - Juan Orlando Hernandez - was in a US prison, charged with smuggling 400 tonnes of cocaine into the United States.But, just ahead of a very tense presidential election in Honduras, President Trump announced he was going to pardon Mr Hernandez.Meanwhile, the US has sezied an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, as it continues to pile pressure on its president Nicolas Maduro.The US government accuses Mr Maduro of trafficking drugs into the US - something which Mr Maduro denies.So what is his seemingly conflicting strategy for Latin America?Will Tullis tells Geraint Vincent what you need to know.
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What criminal charges could be brought over the Post Office Horizon IT scandal?
Dec 800:13:15Tap to summarizeIt is the biggest miscarriage of justice in British History. But almost two years after the ITV drama made it a burning issue, are we any closer to justice over the Post Office Horizon IT scandal?Hundreds of subpostmasters were wrongly accused of stealing and jailed. Thousands more lives were ruined. So what punishment could those responsible face? Senior Investigations Producer Isabel Alderson-Blench and Investigations Editor Daniel Hewitt tell Daniel Hewitt what you need to know.
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Sri Lanka floods: why have they been so catastrophic?
Dec 400:10:36Tap to summarizeHomes swept away, communities left isolated and more than a thousand deaths confirmed.A battering of cyclones on parts of Asia in the past week has brought mass flooding and displaced millions.In Sri Lanka the extreme weather has caused devastating mudslides, creating a humanitarian emergency.But in a country that is no stranger to flooding, why has THIS storm been SO catastrophic?ITV News Asia Correspondent Debi Edward has been visiting villages around Kandy in central Sri Lanka, where many lives have been lost. She tells Daniel Hewitt what you need to know.
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The man whose Gaza war zone filming stunned the world
Nov 2800:31:46Tap to summarizeFor over two years, video journalist Mohammed Abu Safia has risked his life filming the war in Gaza for ITV News.Separated from his family, his footage stunned the world as he captured what was happening to his homeland.So how has he lived through the destruction and the loss? And what is life like now under the most fragile of ceasefires?John Irvine is ITV News' Senior International Correspondent in Tel Aviv and has worked with Mohammed since the start of the war with their reports winning international awards.Together they tell Lucy Watson what you need to know.--You can view a selection of John Irvine's reports and Mohammed Abu Safia's footage here:https://www.itv.com/news/2025-08-20/israeli-military-approves-new-gaza-operation-and-moves-to-double-its-reservistshttps://www.itv.com/news/2024-01-23/moment-civilian-brandishing-white-flag-in-gaza-safe-zone-is-shot-deadhttps://www.itv.com/news/2024-02-09/gaza-white-flag-shooting-itv-news-analyses-how-the-incident-unfolded
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