BBC
Astronauts await final 'go' from Nasa for critical push towards the Moon
Flight controllers in Houston will have the final say on approving a major engine burn to propel the Orion spacecraft out of Earth's orbit and towards the Moon.
00:11
THE
HEAR
This page is an archive of main headlines from the UK for 03.04.2026.
It displays 92 headlines from many sources chronologically, as they appeared throughout the day, accompanied by AI overviews that were written in real time.
03.04.2026 ⇢ The Day Iran Shot Down a US Fighter Jet
⌨
Morning coverage focused on President Trump's escalating threats against Iranian infrastructure, with multiple outlets reporting his warnings to destroy bridges and power plants in a push for Tehran to make a deal. By early afternoon, editorial priority shifted decisively to Iran's claim to have shot down a US fighter jet, marking the first such incident since the war's start. This development dominated headlines as outlets reported the downing and initial wreckage images. Evening reports consolidated around the frantic search for the downed pilots, with coverage of the rescue of one crew member and the ongoing hunt for the second, alongside Iran's claim to have downed a second US plane.
03.04.2026
00:11
00:57
BBC
Artemis II mission makes critical push out of Earth's orbit towards the Moon
The six-minute engine injection will propel the Orion spacecraft on its journey to the far side of the Moon.
00:57
00:59⇢Trump's Purge of Washington
⌨UK newspapers report on President Trump's firing of US Attorney General Pam Bondi and US Army Chief of Staff Pete Hegseth, with multiple outlets covering these personnel changes (BBC, The Times, Daily Mail, Metro). This development occurs alongside continued coverage of Trump's Iran policy, including his warning to Tehran after a bridge strike and criticism from French President Macron (Guardian, Independent, Channel 4, Breitbart London).
01:20
BBC
'Feeling pretty good up here': Artemis II makes critical push out of Earth's orbit towards Moon
The six-minute engine burn successfully propelled the Orion spacecraft on its journey to the far side of the Moon, Nasa says.
01:20
02:35
President used speech to justify the war and offer a timeline for its completion, as he faces falling poll numbers and a global energy crisis
02:35
02:43
02:43
02:50
Eight people reported killed in attack on newly completed suspension bridge after strike splits structure in half
02:50
03:05
Jonathan Harounoff on why Iran’s Islamist tyranny cannot be appeased.
03:05
04:11
04:17
BBC
Astronauts describe 'spectacular moment' in space after leaving Earth's orbit
The Artemis II commander says they saw "the entire globe from pole to pole", as Nasa hails "flawless" engine burn to propel the spacecraft towards the Moon.
04:17
05:22
06:46
BBC
Artemis II astronauts describe 'spectacular moment' in space after leaving Earth's orbit
The four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft are heading to the Moon after completing the critical engine burn that propels the capsule on its journey.
06:46
06:47
06:54
New Statesman
Energy policy has left us perilously exposed to global energy shocks
06:54
07:16
UK | Barney Davis
07:16
07:23
The Spectator
07:23
07:38
HuffPost UK
07:38
07:45
HuffPost UK
07:45
07:47⇢Trump's Bridge-Burning Threats
⌨UK newspapers report on President Trump's escalation in Iran, with multiple outlets covering his threats to destroy bridges and power plants, warnings of 'more to follow' after a bridge strike, and claims that destruction has 'not even begun' (Guardian, Independent, The Times, Spiked, Daily Mail, New Statesman, Mirror, Spectator, HuffPost UK). This coincides with coverage of Trump's military purge and the Artemis II moon mission (BBC, Daily Mail).
07:49
07:53
08:13
Iranian foreign minister criticises security council vote on military protection for shipping in the strait a ‘provocative action’
08:13
08:20
The Guardian
Iranian foreign minister criticises security council vote on military protection for shipping in the strait a ‘provocative action’
08:20
08:55
09:02
The Guardian
Iranian foreign minister criticises security council vote on military protection for shipping in the strait a ‘provocative action’
09:02
09:45
09:52
The mission's last, big push on its lunar journey takes humans out of the Earth's orbit for the first time since 1972.
09:52
09:58
09:58
10:05
The mission's last, big push on its lunar journey takes humans out of the Earth's orbit for the first time since 1972.
10:05
10:20
10:20
The Spectator
10:20
10:55
Iranian foreign minister also criticises UN security council vote on military protection for shipping in the strait as ‘provocative action’
10:55
11:09
Disgraced former minister Josh Simons might not have become a Labour MP at all had the Guardian’s political editor, Pippa Crerar, acted on information she was offered. Rivkah Brown asks, Why didn’t she?
11:09
11:30
11:58
11:58
12:20
Breitbart UK
Proo-freedom lawyers publish speech bill to repeal decades of laws curbing freedom, proposing something of a First Amendment for Britons.
12:20
12:20
12:22⇢Iran's Downed Jet and Kuwait Strikes
⌨UK newspapers report on escalating US-Iran hostilities, with multiple outlets covering Iran's claim to have shot down a US fighter jet and struck Kuwaiti oil facilities, while also reporting on President Trump's threats against Iranian power plants (Guardian, Independent, Daily Mail, Mirror, Spiked, New Statesman, Channel 4). This coincides with coverage of Trump's military purge at the Pentagon (The Times, Mirror) and the Artemis II moon mission (BBC).
12:26
12:26
12:33
12:33
12:48
13:09
BBC
Kuwait oil refinery hit by drone attack as Trump threatens to strike Iran's bridges and power plants
Iran launches fresh strikes on Israel and Gulf nations overnight, with fires reported at Kuwait's Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery.
13:09
13:16
13:16
13:23
Iranian attacks reported across the Gulf as Trump tells Tehran the US will launch further strikes
13:23
13:45
The Guardian
Iranian attacks reported across the Gulf as Trump tells Tehran the US will launch further strikes
13:45
13:59
BBC
Netanyahu claims most of Iran's steel production destroyed as Tehran targets Gulf energy sites
Meanwhile President Donald Trump says the US can "easily" open the Strait of Hormuz "with a little more time".
13:59
14:13
14:13
14:35
UK | Sam Corbishley
14:35
15:10
15:10
15:10
15:17
BBC
Iranian media claim US jet downed over Iran as Tehran targets Gulf energy sites
Iran's Tasnim news agency is claiming the US is searching for one of its pilots after a jet was reportedly downed over Iran - the US is yet to comment.
15:17
15:24
Fate of the fighter jet’s crew remains unclear as person familiar with the matter says plane was shot down over Iran
15:24
15:31
BBC
American fighter jet shot down over Iran, US and Iranian media report
Iran's Tasnim news agency is claiming the US is searching for one of its pilots; the BBC has contacted US Central Command for comment.
15:31
15:31
Downing of fighter plane – the first shot down over Iran since start of war – prompts frantic US rescue effort
15:31
15:33⇢Downed Jet Over Tehran
⌨UK newspapers report on the downing of a US fighter jet over Iran, with multiple outlets covering Iran's claim to have shot down the aircraft and the subsequent US rescue mission for the pilots (BBC, Guardian, The Times, Daily Mail). This development marks the first such incident since the war's start and coincides with coverage of the conflict's broader implications for Britain (New Statesman, Spiked).
15:38
15:39
15:42
16:15
16:15
16:28
16:37
16:48
BBC
Search under way for US fighter jet shot down in Iran, US media report
Verified video, pictured above, appears to show a US search and rescue operation in southern Iran. The US is yet to comment on the reports.
16:48
16:48
16:48
17:11⇢Downed Jet's Frantic Search
⌨UK newspapers report on the downing of a US fighter jet over Iran and the subsequent search for pilots, with multiple outlets covering the US rescue mission and Iran's release of wreckage images (BBC, Guardian, Independent, The Times, Mirror, Spiked). This coincides with coverage of the conflict's implications for Britain's energy security (New Statesman, Metro).
17:12
17:12
17:20
HuffPost UK
17:20
17:26
Plus: why Scott Mills deserves the presumption of innocence and the woke war on dogs.
17:26
17:33
BBC
One crew member from US fighter jet downed in Iran has been rescued, US officials tell CBS
Verified video, pictured above, appears to show a US search and rescue operation in southern Iran. It's not known what has happened to the second crew member.
17:33
17:41
BBC
One crew member from US fighter jet downed in Iran has been rescued, US media report
Verified video, pictured above, appears to show a US search and rescue operation in southern Iran. It's not known what has happened to the second crew member.
17:41
17:45
17:54
BBC
Search under way for US fighter jet shot down in Iran, US media report
Verified video, pictured above, appears to show a US search and rescue operation in southern Iran. The US is yet to comment on the reports.
17:54
17:57
US forces searching for crew after Iranian state media reported jet shot down by armed forces this morning
17:57
17:57
18:01
18:01
18:01
BBC
One crew member from US fighter jet downed in Iran has been rescued, US media report
Verified video, pictured above, appears to show a US search and rescue operation in southern Iran. It's not known what has happened to the second crew member.
18:01
18:22
18:22
18:26⇢Rescued Pilot's Unfinished Search
⌨UK newspapers report on the rescue of one crew member from a US fighter jet shot down over Iran, with multiple outlets covering the ongoing search for the second pilot and Iran's display of wreckage (BBC, Guardian, The Times, Daily Mail, Mirror, Morning Star). This development continues the focus on escalating US-Iran hostilities, while coverage also includes the conflict's implications for Britain's energy security (New Statesman, Metro).
18:30
The Economist
18:30
18:40
19:15
Officials say other remains missing in first downing of US fighter plane since start of war
19:15
19:26
President Trump and his Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have been keen to boast on social media about the successes of what they call Operation Epic Fury in Iran – including claims the United States is “owning the skies”.
19:26
19:46
19:54
20:01
20:01
20:21
21:11
21:40
21:40
21:47
The Guardian
White House says Donald Trump has been briefed as US forces search for crew after jet shot down by armed forces this morning
21:47
22:23
23:55