What You Need To Know

ITV News

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.

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705 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes705

Newest first

Nov 22, 2023 · 13 min
What does the Autumn Statement mean for you and your money?
Just a few weeks ago, Jeremy Hunt said tax cuts would be ‘virtually impossible.’ But, in his Autumn Statement, the Chancellor revealed that they are in fact top of his agenda and that England can now afford them. So, where’s the cash coming from? What were his other key promises? And can Hunt’s plans ease the Cost of Living crisis? Consumer Editor Chris Choi and Political Correspondent Shehab Khan tell Mary Nightingale what you need to know…
Nov 20, 2023 · 17 min
Why is the National Trust under threat?
From sea level rising at the Cornish cove to storms battering stately homes, climate change is threatening our most beloved heritage sites more than ever. Now, the National Trust is calling on politicians to do more to help climate change adaption. And their warning comes as the UN predicts global temperatures could rise further by nearly 2.9 degrees C. So, can UK heritage be saved? And with Cop28 just around the corner, what will the government do? ITV News Science Correspondent Martin Stew tells Chris Page what you need to know...
Nov 17, 2023 · 19 min
Why the UK people smuggling industry is thriving in plain sight
From high street nail bars to back street cannabis farms, the UK people smuggling industry is thriving. And despite the government promising to stop the small boats, migrants arrive in plenty and business is booming. Many come from Vietnam, hoping for a better quality of life, but instead, are met with one much worse. So, with the Rwandan policy scrapped, how can Rishi Sunak stop the small boats? ITV News Correspondent Peter Smith tells Faye Barker what you need to know...
Nov 15, 2023 · 17 min
Why Lorraine Kelly’s returned to Lockerbie
The bombing of Pan Am 103 above the small Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988 remains Europe’s deadliest terror attack. And witnessing the disaster first-hand, even before police had cordoned off the crash site, was ITV’s Lorraine Kelly. Now, three and a half decades on, Lorraine’s returned to Lockerbie. So, what did she discover? And why does she now see the disaster in a new light? Lorraine Kelly tells Tom Bradby This Is What You Need to Know… You can watch ‘Return to Lockerbie With Lorraine Kelly’ on Wednesday 15th November at 9pm or head over to ITVX to watch it on catch up.
Nov 13, 2023 · 15 min
Rishi's remarkable reshuffle
Suella Braverman has been sacked, again. In a hardly surprising start to the reshuffle, Rishi Sunak dismissed the now former Home Secretary, following her rather outspoken opinions. But what did come as a surprise, was Sunak’s shock move to restore former Prime Minister David Cameron to the political frontline. So, what does the reshuffle mean? And how will it impact the election polls? Political Editor Robert Peston and Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana tell Shehab Khan what you need to know...
Nov 10, 2023 · 18 min
How the housing crisis is forcing kids out of their homes
Michaela and her three children were given less than 24 hours’ notice to pack their lives together, before facing eviction. But with little time and nowhere to go, the streets were their only choice. This is the reality of the UK housing crisis. So, why are so many Brits in temporary accommodation? And what’s being done about it? Investigations correspondent Daniel Hewitt tells Tom Bradby what you need to know...
Nov 8, 2023 · 12 min
Will 2024 be the most significant US election in history?
In just a year’s time, Americans will find out the results of the country’s 60th presidential election. And the race to get there is set to look no different from the last, as Biden goes head-to-head with Trump once again. But with several indictments and court room appearances, will Trump’s busy legal calendar threaten his campaign? And could this be the most significant US election yet? US Correspondent Dan Rivers tells Lucrezia Millarini what you need to know...
Nov 6, 2023 · 15 min
Why is Britain’s Post Office scandal still unresolved?
Wendy Cousins died last year, a convicted criminal. She’s just one of hundreds who got caught up in the British Post Office Scandal. The saga blew up in 2019 when it emerged that postmasters across the country were wrongly accused. But, why is it still unresolved? And what’s got people talking about it now? Nick Wallis, who has been covering the scandal for more than a decade, tells Julie Etchingham what you need to know...
Nov 3, 2023 · 11 min
Can Britain weather the storm?
Storm Ciaran has brought major disruption and risk to lives across large parts of the UK. Wind speeds of over 100 miles per hour have battered houses, sent cars into rivers, forced power cuts and school closures. And all this just two weeks after Storm Babet battered Britain with heavy rain. So why are we getting such destructive weather? And is it more than usual? ITV News Science correspondent Martin Stew tells Faye Barker what you need to know...
Nov 1, 2023 · 18 min
The bombshell revelations from the Covid inquiry
After months of hearings, the Covid inquiry has heard its most explosive testimony yet: Boris Johnson’s closest former aides describing utter chaos and confusion as the pandemic hit. So, what were the most damning claims? And what damage does it do to the former PM"s already shredded reputation? UK Editor Paul Brand tells Tom Bradby What You Need to Know…
Oct 30, 2023 · 13 min
What’s got the world hooked on Larping?
Have you heard of LARPing? It’s one of the world’s most misunderstood subcultures, yet something people are going crazy for. It’s a mythical world, transporting you away from reality and into character. So, what’s got the world so hooked? And would you try Larping? ITV News Reporter Rhys Williams and Producer Tristan Martin tell ITV News Presenter Yasmin Bodalbhai what you need to know... For more on this, tune in to On Assignment on ITV on Tuesday 31st October at 22:45.
Oct 27, 2023 · 18 min
Inside Iran as an undercover journalist
The death of Mahsa Amini sparked the largest and longest-running anti-regime protests in the history of the Islamic Republic. While the world looked on at the uprising and crackdown that followed, journalists travelled in secret to Iran, to reveal the human rights abuse taking place across the country. So, how did they film under such a hard-line regime? And what did they discover? Producer and Director Gesbeen Mohammed and British-Iranian journalist Ramita Navai, tell Tom Bradby what you need to know… To hear more on this, tune in this Sunday 29th October, on ITV1 at 22:20 to watch Exposure Inside Iran: The Fight for Freedom.
Oct 25, 2023 · 11 min
Do the hostage releases mean a new strategy for Hamas?
They are now in safe hands. After 17 dark days, two elderly Israeli women who were taken hostage by Hamas, have been returned to their families, in an emotional reunion. Now, the fate of the remaining captives is key to Israel’s next move, as it may just have to stay its hand, if more hostage releases are on the horizon. So, will this delay Israel’s ground invasion further? And what do the hostage releases mean for Hamas’ strategy? From Tel Aviv, Senior International Correspondent John Irvine tells Lucrezia Millarini What You Need to Know…
Oct 23, 2023 · 9 min
The hidden ingredient found in kids' vapes
As kids across the country inhale their brightly coloured vapes, many don’t realise that they’re actually breathing in an unexpected ingredient – nicotine. Despite being labelled and sold to them as containing ‘zero nicotine,’ ITV News has found that the e-cigarettes are in fact full of the substance. Now, calls for change in the regulations are mounting. So, what’s being done to crackdown on illegal vapes? Consumer Editor Chris Choi tells Charlene White What You Need to Know…
Oct 20, 2023 · 16 min
Is UK’s shoplifting epidemic caused by need or greed?
Bare faced and brazen, shoplifters come in bulk in Britain. In just three years, the crime has doubled in the UK, with shopkeepers and staff facing abuse and violence on a day-to-day basis. Now, all hopes lie on Artificial Intelligence to reduce the relentless rise in shoplifting across the country. So, why has there been such a surge? And how can our retail sector be fixed? ITV News Consumer Editor Chris Choi and Producer Siham Ali tell Lucrezia Millarini what you need to know…
Oct 18, 2023 · 13 min
Why Biden's warzone visit is vital as invasion looms
More than a million Gazans have fled their homes, as Israel’s ground invasion looms. All eyes have turned to the Rafah crossing – Gaza’s only link to Egypt and potential lifeline. And yet civilians are not allowed in and aid continues to be blocked. So, where can they go? How will Israel’s ground invasion play out? And why is President Biden's visit so vital? This is What You Need to Know…
Oct 16, 2023 · 17 min
Could Hezbollah escalate the Israel-Hamas conflict?
Whilst Israel prepares for its retaliatory ground invasion against Hamas, a new conflict could open elsewhere. To Israel’s north, lies a more formidable foe, the Lebanese militants, Hezbollah. With close ties to Iran, concerns are now mounting that an all-out assault against Israel will be ordered. So, could Hezbollah change the tide of this conflict? From Jerusalem, ITV News World Affairs Editor Rageh Omaar tells Tom Bradby what you need to know...
Oct 13, 2023 · 15 min
Why is it so difficult to get an ADHD diagnosis?
Seven-year-old Imogen can’t understand why she gets so angry, and she’s been asking for help since she was three. That’s because she’s still waiting to find out if she has ADHD. Now, she could be waiting until 2026 to even get an assessment, let alone a diagnosis. And she’s not alone, as ITV News finds that the average wait time for a diagnosis is three years in the UK. So, what’s being done to speed up the process? ITV News Social Affairs Correspondent Stacey Foster tells Martin Stew what you need to know…
Oct 11, 2023 · 14 min
How will Israel respond to ‘unimaginable horror’ in border village?
Around the village of Kfar Aza, the Israeli army are recovering the men, women and children slaughtered in their beds by Hamas militants on Saturday morning. As identification of the bodies begins, the next decisive chapter of the war lies just one mile away, in Gaza. So, how will these unimaginable scenes playing out on screens across Israel shape what happens next? From southern Israel, John Ray tells Rageh Omaar in Jerusalem What You Need To Know…
Oct 9, 2023 · 17 min
Why did Hamas strike now? And where could the conflict go next?
After the deadliest attack on its people in more than 50 years, Israel has now hit back. A siege has been ordered on Gaza as an aerial bombardment continues, following Hamas’ shocking weekend assault by land, air and sea. So, what made this attack so different from what we’ve seen before? Why did Hamas strike now? And how did Israel get caught out so badly? From Tel Aviv, ITV News Senior International Correspondent John Irvine tells Julie Etchingham what you need to know…