Newshour

It has been a day of turmoil on the world's financial markets after Israel - on Wednesday - struck an Iranian facility in the South Pars gas field, part of the world's biggest natural gas field, which Iran shares with Qatar. That, in turn, prompted Iran to retaliate against energy facilities in Qatar and its other Gulf neighbours sending the price of both gas and oil surging upwards.
Also in the programme: a mysterious signal is being broadcast in the Farsi language on shortwave radio from Europe - what is it? And how a conversation in the Caribbean Sea about quantum information led to a big prize.
(Photo: Traders work on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) floor after the opening bell in New York, USA, 19 March 2026. Credit: Sarah Yenesel /EPA/Shutterstock)

Oil and gas prices have risen sharply after fresh strikes hit energy infrastructure in the Middle East, including Qatar's main gas facility.
Gas prices jumped by about 25% on wholesale markets in the UK and Europe in early trading, before easing slightly. We've also been hearing from the US defence secretary Pete Hegseth who says the Pentagon will go to Congress to ask for funding for the war as it continues on.
President Trump says he knew nothing about the Israeli attack on the Iranian South Pars facility; we'll examine what this says about US-Israeli military co-operation.
Also in the programme: The world's longest coastal path is opening in England; and newly discovered letters from the renowned palaeontologist Mary Anning show even she got sick of fossils.
(Photo shows a file photo of QatarEnergy's liquefied natural gas production facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar on 2 March 2026. Credit: Reuters)

There is "extensive damage" from missile attacks on the Ras Laffan industrial site, Qatar's state-owned petroleum company says. The site was among those listed by Iran in a warning that it would take "decisive action" after its South Pars gas field facilities were reportedly hit by Israeli strikes. Earlier, Israel launched a series of strikes on Lebanon's capital Beirut, as it continues its offensive against Hezbollah. We hear voices from across the Middle East.
Also on the programme: Senegal has called for an international investigation after its national men's football team is stripped of its African Cup title, following January's chaotic match against Morocco; and we hear from the researchers using maths to understand why some clothes designs keep coming back into fashion.
(Photo: A view of the South Pars gas field in Assalooyeh on Iran's Persian Gulf coast south of Tehran Credit: Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Israel bombs the heart of the Lebanese capital as it escalates its offensive against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah. We hear from a former Lebanese health minister in Beirut and ask a former senior Israeli army officer about his country's aims.

Also in the programme: anger and delight in African football after its governing body strips Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations title and hands it to Morocco; and what is "Muskism" and how does understanding Elon Musk's approach to business help us understand the Trump Administration, and our changing world? We talk to the co-author of a new book on the billionaire.
(Photo: People stand amidst debris at the site of an Israeli strike, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, Zuqaq al-Blat district in central Beirut, Lebanon, 18 March, 2026. Credit: Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)

Joe Kent, the head of the US National Counterterrorism Centre and a long-time Trump supporter, has announced his resignation from the role. He said he could not in good conscience back the administration's war. The BBC’s US State Department correspondent gives us more details on this development.
Also on the programme: At least 100 people are dead after a Pakistani airstrike hit an Afghan hospital; how Fijian bull sharks appear to have preferred swimming companions while avoiding others; and a man living close to the Ukrainian front line tells us what daily life is like as the war with Russia continues.
(Photo: Joe Kent speaking into a microphone. Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images)