Newshour

President Trump has threatened to unleash hell on Iran in forty- eight hours if its leaders don't make a deal or open up the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has virtually closed off the strait, through which twenty percent of the world's oil is exported. The Iranian military has credited new air defence systems with the reported downing of two American military planes on Friday. A crew member from one of the aircraft is still missing.
Also in the programme: Teachers' union in the UK warns of 'masculinity crisis brewing' in schools; we look at how the war in Iran is making petrol and diesel increasingly expensive in Australia; and we hear from Ed Dwight, the first Black man on the US Space program.
(Photo credit: EPA)

US and Iranian forces are searching for a missing American crew member after a US warplane was shot down - verified video shows the US operation. Also on the programme, the Artemis Two mission has passed the halfway point between Earth and the Moon; and, how London's police left unattended a bag full of firearms. 
(Photo: Israeli F-15 fighter jets fly over central Israel, Undisclosed - 31 Mar 2026. ABIR SULTAN/EPA/Shutterstock)

The US pilot reportedly ejected and has been rescued, despite an Iranian bounty offered for his capture. Another crew member may still be missing in Iran. We hear the latest, and discuss the perils of rescue missions in hostile territory with former US Marine Corps Special Operations specialist Jonathan Hackett.
Also in the programme: Myanmar general installed as president of the country in a bid for legitimacy by the military regime; and the friction between Pope Leo XIV and a US administration at war.
(Photo: A US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft takes off for a mission supporting Operation Epic Fury during the Iran war at an undisclosed location, March 9, 2026. Credit: US Air Force/Handout via REUTERS)

President Donald Trump says the US "hasn't even started destroying what's left in Iran", adding that Iranian bridges are "next, then electric power plants." Mr. Trump has also signalled his openness to diplomacy in an effort to end the war. Iran has launched fresh strikes on Israel and Gulf nations, after the US and Israel stepped up their attacks on Iran's infrastructure.
Also in the programme: an update on the progress of the Artemis II moon mission; and the unusual way octopuses have sex.
(Picture: US President Donald J. Trump. Credit: ALEX BRANDON/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)

President Trump has sacked Pam Bondi as the US Attorney General. She was a close ally of Mr Trump but had been criticised for her handling of the release of files relating to the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. Writing on social media, Mr Trump described her as a loyal friend saying she had done a tremendous job overseeing a crackdown on crime but was moving to a new role in the private sector. Mr Trump's former personal lawyer, the Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, will take over on a temporary basis.
Also in the programme: nations meet to find a solution to the Strait of Hormuz; and Artemis 2 heads out of orbit.
(Photo: Former US Attorney General Pam Bondi attends a swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 24 March 2026. CREDIT: GRAEME SLOAN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)