Heard news: oddly, it's hell (5)
I believe the answer is:
hades
'hell' is the definition.
('Hades' can be a synonym of 'hell')
'heard news oddly' is the wordplay.
'oddly' means one should take alternating letters.
'heard'+'news'='heardnews'
The alternating letters of 'heardnews' are 'HADES'.
'it's' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for hades that I've seen before include "In Greek myth, the Underworld" , "It's classical hell in the shade" , "The nether world, hell" , "Classical underworld" , "gloomy place" .)