NASA unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its Artemis programme at an "Ignition" event on March 24–25, 2026, pausing the Lunar Gateway orbital station and redirecting hardware and funding to build a permanent lunar base. Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency will pursue a three‑phase, roughly seven‑year plan — estimated at about $20 billion — to establish sustained surface operations near the lunar south pole, with an accelerated cadence of landings (annual, moving toward twice‑yearly) and reuse of Gateway components where practical. The announcement came days before NASA’s targeted crewed Artemis II flyby of the Moon, currently aiming for a launch window beginning April 1, 2026. Separately, NASA revealed plans for Space Reactor‑1 (SR‑1) Freedom, a nuclear‑electric propulsion demonstrator slated for a 2028 Mars launch to deliver a small fleet of “Skyfall” helicopters to scout subsurface ice. The shift raises questions about roles for international partners (ESA, JAXA, CSA), contract realignments for US commercial lander suppliers, and technical, regulatory and budgetary risks related to flying fission systems and meeting compressed timelines.

Mohamed Salah announced on March 25, 2026 that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, bringing to an end a nine‑year spell in which he scored 255 goals in 435 appearances and helped the club win two Premier League titles, the Champions League and multiple domestic trophies. Liverpool and Salah agreed to terminate the final year of a contract signed last summer so he will depart on a free transfer. Reports link the 33‑year‑old to the Saudi Pro League (including revived interest from Al‑Ittihad and other state‑backed clubs) and to MLS suitors, while his agent says no deal is agreed. The announcement has immediate sporting consequences: Liverpool must replace a generational right‑wing forward and have been linked to targets including Bayern’s Michael Olise (Bayern say he has no release clause and is under contract until 2029), RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomandé, Juventus’ Francisco Conceição and PSG’s Bradley Barcola. Manager Arne Slot’s position is under scrutiny after a poor title defence and media reports say former coach Xabi Alonso is ready to step in if Slot is dismissed. Liverpool remain in the Champions League and FA Cup as the season runs to its conclusion.

OpenAI announced on March 24–25 that it will discontinue Sora, its short-form AI video app and associated API, less than six months after the product’s September 2025 debut. The abrupt closure effectively ended a proposed three‑year licensing and investment arrangement in which The Walt Disney Company had planned to invest roughly $1 billion and allow Sora access to more than 200 Disney characters. The move surprised partners and some OpenAI staff who had been meeting about Sora minutes before the public notice. Sora’s user numbers and engagement declined after an initial surge and the product drew criticism over copyright, deepfake and non‑consensual imagery risks; reports also flagged high computing costs. The same week Epic Games — in which Disney holds a separate $1.5 billion stake — announced about 1,000 layoffs tied to Fortnite engagement declines, compounding strategic headaches for Disney’s new CEO Josh D’Amaro. OpenAI said it is refocusing on enterprise and developer tools (coding agents, a rumored desktop ‘superapp’, robotics simulation) as it prepares for a potential IPO and shifts compute to higher‑value products.

Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema on March 25, 2026 announced that comedian and Tolkien superfan Stephen Colbert will co‑write a new Lord of the Rings motion picture, tentatively titled The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past. Colbert will develop the project with his son, screenwriter Peter McGee, and franchise veteran Philippa Boyens; producer-director Peter Jackson introduced Colbert in a studio video. The film is described as adapting material from early chapters of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring (roughly chapters III–VIII) that were not used in the 2001 film, and its logline sets the story 14 years after Frodo’s passing as Sam, Merry and Pippin retrace their earlier journey while Sam’s daughter Elanor uncovers a long-buried secret. The project follows Andy Serkis’s Hunt for Gollum (due Dec. 2027) and has no release date yet. Colbert’s move into franchise filmmaking was announced as his late‑night show on CBS prepares to end on May 21, 2026; New Line and Warner Bros. executives reportedly approved the material.

Democrat Emily Gregory won a March special election to represent Florida’s 87th State House District — the district that includes President Donald Trump’s Mar‑a‑Lago estate — defeating Trump‑endorsed Republican Jon Maples by about 2.4 percentage points (roughly 797 votes). Gregory, a first‑time candidate and small‑business owner who campaigned on affordability, health care and insurance costs, will take a seat in a GOP‑dominated legislature but her victory is symbolic. Democrats also narrowly flipped a Tampa‑area state Senate seat (Brian Nathan) in the same round. The wins are the latest in a string of special and off‑cycle victories that analysts and Democratic organisers say total nearly 30 state legislative flips since early 2025, while Republicans have struggled to capture Democratic seats in this period. Republicans have largely brushed off the results as special‑election anomalies, but some GOP lawmakers privately warn that aggressive redistricting plans — including a Florida special session called by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April to redraw maps — could make some incumbent seats more vulnerable rather than safer.

Italy and Northern Ireland meet in a high-stakes one‑off UEFA World Cup play-off semi‑final in Bergamo on 26 March 2026 with a place at the 2026 World Cup on the line. Gennaro Gattuso’s Azzurri, who finished second in qualifying behind Norway and have missed the last two tournaments, host Michael O’Neill’s young Northern Ireland side at Atalanta’s Gewiss (New Balance) Stadium. The winner will play either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Path A final on 31 March for a spot in Group B in North America. Italy have picked a smaller venue in part to manage pressure and atmosphere; veteran Gianluigi Buffon is in the delegation. Gattuso says the match is the most important of his career and has minor fitness doubts over Alessandro Bastoni and Gianluca Scamacca. Northern Ireland, who have not been at a World Cup since 1986, will be without Premier League talents Conor Bradley and Dan Ballard but arrive confident after growth under O’Neill. Observers expect Italy to be favourites, but the tie’s single‑match format and NI’s direct, set‑piece threat make an upset possible.