Show Notes
After almost two weeks of the war in the Middle East, global attention has been on fears about the rising price of oil and gas, but there’s a hidden factor at play: the impact on the cost of food. Because with tensions across the region escalating, Iran has now closed the Strait of Hormuz and threatened to attack ships passing through the narrow stretch of sea. In this explainer, ITV News Science Correspondent Martin Stew breaks down the hidden impact this could have on global trade, food supplies, and agriculture.
More from What You Need To Know
There is a lot at stake in next week's election in Israel, not least the political future of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Manchester City are in big trouble, that much is clear. But how bad is the collateral damage for the Premier League? It has been just over a week since the Premier League confirmed that the club had been found guilty of massive breaches of the league's financial rules. It coincides with a period when City rose to be the dominant force in English football. The club maintain their innocence, and are appealing. But if the findings of the Premier League's independent commission are upheld, they could be in big trouble. ITV News Sports Editor has been taking a look at what the next stages are, the potential punishment for Manchester City, and how badly the league's reputation could be damaged.
For the past 25 years, Wales has radically reshaped its education system, taking a radically different path from England. But it remains far ehind every other home nation in performance in reading, maths and science, according to a new report. So what's behind these poor scores? It launched a play-based curriculum for young children, abolished school league tables, and scrapped tests like SATs traditionally held in primary school. Its new curriculum gives schools greater freedom over what they teach, aiming to develop critical thinking. But it has its critics, and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) assessments don't make for pretty reading for the Welsh government. In the 2025 results, Wales was the lowest-performing UK nation, something that has happened in each of the tests since 2006, and the gap with England in particular is widening. We'll investigate why Wales is performing so poorly. Is it all down to the nation's alternative approach, or are there other factors at play?
Germany’s far-right, anti-immigration AfD party is on course for a major victory in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, potentially marking the first time a far-right party has led a government in Germany since World War II. With a campaign fronted by TikTok star Ulrich Siegmund, the AfD has surged in popularity, but it’s not without controversy. A win would likely send shockwaves through German politics and across Europe, heaping the pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz who is unpopular with voters. In this video, we break down the AfD's rise, look at their policies, and what a breakthrough victory could mean for Germany's future. Featuring an in-depth interview with British-German historian and journalist Katja Hoyer, we look at how Germany here and why the outcome is so important.
This year's 'Godzilla El Niño' is on track to be the biggest we've ever seen. It's predicted to trigger flooding and drought that could affect the price of shopping in the UK. El Niño happens every few years when the Pacific Ocean warms up in a specific pattern near the equator. Trade winds weaken or even reverse and, as a result, warm water flows back east across the Pacific, taking the rain with it. This can shut down monsoon rains in some regions while triggering unusually heavy rainfall and flooding in others. The knock on of this year's El Niño is likely to be one of the most dramatic ever, effecting nearly everything on it is something you eat, drink, or wear. ITV News Science Correspondent Martin Stew explains what we can expect and how much it might cost you.