KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Rescue crews were still digging bodies out of the rubble of a drug rehabilitation hospital in the Afghan capital Tuesday morning, after officials there said an overnight Pakistani airstrike killed at least 400 people at the facility.
Pakistan has denied Afghanistan’s accusation that it targeted a hospital, saying its strikes, which were also conducted in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, did not hit any civilian sites.
The strikes late Monday night mark a dramatic escalation of a conflict that began between Afghanistan and Pakistan late last month and has seen repeated cross-border clashes as well as airstrikes inside Afghanistan. International calls for a ceasefire have gone unheeded.
In a late-night post on X, Afghanistan’s deputy government spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said the airstrike had hit the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility in Kabul, at about 9 p.m. local time. He said large sections of the facility had been destroyed, and that the death toll had “so far” reached 400 people, while about 250 people had been reported injured. There was no updated official death toll early Tuesday morning.
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Local television stations posted footage on X showing security forces using flashlights as they carried out casualties while firefighters struggled to extinguish flames among the ruins of a building.
Cross-border fire
The strike came hours after Afghan officials said the two sides exchanged fire along their common border, killing four people in Afghanistan, as the deadliest fighting between the neighbors in years entered a third week.
Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the strike on X, accusing Pakistan of “targeting hospitals and civilian sites to perpetrate horrors.” He said those killed were “innocent civilians and addicts.”
“We strongly condemn this crime and consider such an act to be against all accepted principles and a crime against humanity,” he said in a separate post on X.
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Pakistan dismisses the allegations
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesperson, Mosharraf Zaidi, dismissed the allegations as baseless, saying no hospital was targeted in Kabul.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar posted on X in the early hours Tuesday that the Pakistani military had “carried out precision airstrikes” targeting military installations in Kabul and the eastern province of Nangarhar. He said “technical support infrastructure and ammunition storage facilities” at two locations in Kabul were destroyed.
“All targeting has been done with precision only at those infrastructures which are being used by Afghan Taliban regime to support its multiple terror proxies,” he wrote.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said earlier that Mujahid’s claim was “false and misleading” and aimed at stirring sentiment and cover what it described as ”illegitimate support for cross-border terrorism.” It said Pakistan’s targeting was “precise and carefully undertaken to ensure no collateral damage is inflicted.”
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UN calls on Afghanistan to combat militants
The strike came hours after the U.N. Security Council called on Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to immediately step up efforts to combat terrorism. Pakistan accuses Kabul of harboring militant groups, particularly the Pakistani Taliban, which it says carry out attacks inside Pakistan.
The Security Council resolution, adopted unanimously, didn’t refer specifically to attacks carried out in Pakistan but condemned “in the strongest terms all terrorist activity including terrorist attacks.”
Pakistan’s government accuses Afghanistan of providing safe haven to the Pakistani Taliban, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, as well as to outlawed Baloch separatist groups and other militants who frequently target Pakistani security forces and civilians across the country. Kabul denies the charge.
The latest conflict
The fighting — the most severe between the two neighbors — began in late February after Afghanistan launched cross-border attacks in response to Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan that Kabul said killed civilians. The clashes disrupted a ceasefire brokered by Qatar in October after earlier fighting killed dozens of soldiers, civilians and suspected militants.
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Pakistan has declared it is in “open war” with Afghanistan. The conflict has alarmed the international community, particularly as the area is one where other militant organizations, including al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, still have a presence and have been trying to resurface.
On Saturday, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said Afghanistan’s Taliban administration crossed a “red line” by deploying drones that injured several civilians in Pakistan last week.
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Ahmed reported from Islamabad, and Becatoros from Athens, Greece. Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed.
Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has launched a scathing attack on Sunrisers Leeds for signing Pakistani spinner Abrar Ahmed, claiming the move “indirectly contributes to the deaths of Indian soldiers and civilians”.
The Indian-owned franchise’s £190,000 acquisition of Ahmed for The Hundred had initially appeared to allay fears of a ‘shadow ban’ on Pakistani players from Indian Premier League (IPL) affiliated teams. However, the decision has ignited significant controversy.
Gavaskar, a celebrated figure in Indian cricket, including a 1983 World Cup winner and the first player to reach 10,000 Test runs, delivered a withering critique in his column for the Indian newspaper Mid-Day.
“The furore created by the acquisition of a Pakistani player by the Indian owner of a franchise in The Hundred is hardly surprising,” Gavaskar wrote.
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He highlighted the long-standing exclusion of Pakistani players from the IPL since 2009 due to geopolitical tensions.
Gavaskar argued that payments to Pakistani players, through income tax, could ultimately fund arms purchases by their government.
Abrar Ahmed was signed by Sunrisers Leeds at last week’s Hundred auction (AFP/Getty)
“Although belated, the realisation that the fees that they pay to a Pakistani player, who then pays income tax to his government which buys arms and weapons, indirectly contributes to the deaths of Indian soldiers and civilians is making Indian entities refrain from even considering having Pakistani artistes and sportspersons,” he stated.
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He further stressed the responsibility of the owner: “Whether it is an Indian entity or an overseas subsidiary of the entity that is making the payment, if the owner is Indian then he or she is contributing to the Indian casualties. It’s as simple as that.”
Questioning the priorities, Gavaskar added: “Surely the owner should have had an understanding of the situation and discouraged the purchase. Is winning a tournament in a format that no other country plays in much more important than Indian lives?”
He concluded with a call for reversal: “There’s still time to undo the wrong and hopefully wiser counsels will prevail.”
Sunrisers Leeds, owned by Sun Group – which also controls IPL side Sunrisers Hyderabad – faced significant online backlash following the signing, leading to the suspension of their X account on the night of the auction.
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Despite the controversy, men’s head coach Daniel Vettori had previously insisted he had received “no orders to avoid signing certain individuals”.
The Press Association has contacted Sunrisers Leeds for comment.
Mark Broadhurst, 27, was arrested in September 2024 and was charged with having an explosive substance and possession of a firearm without a licence after two homes in Chesterfield and Bolsover, Derbyshire, were searched.
The defendant, from Chesterfield, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday via a videolink to deny having various quantities of low explosive black powder, sulphur powder and an “improvised homemade cannon” on or before September 25.
But he admitted having a firearm illegally on the same date.
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He previously gave his address as Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire.
A two-week trial has been set at Sheffield Crown Court for June 29.
Broadhurst, who was suspended by the British Army, was granted continued conditional bail.
Recent research has found that people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience more flickers in wakefulness than others.
ADHD, which is already associated with a higher risk of sleep disorders and daytime sleepiness, is also linked to increased mind wandering and mind blanking.
This paper, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, looked at whether slow-wave brain activity, which has a “sleep-like” effect on the mind, was more common among those with undiagnosed ADHD, and whether those waves might affect people’s attention.
What did the research find?
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The scientists looked at the brain waves of 32 people with ADHD who weren’t on medication and 31 neurotypical people during a task which required sustained attention.
They did this through electroencephalography (EEG).
During their task, the participants with ADHD seemed to have more periods of “sleep-like” slow wave activity.
And that seemed to be linked to breaks in attention, mind blanks, and mind wandering.
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An increased density of slow-wave activity was also associated with more mistakes, slower reaction times, and higher self-reported sleepiness.
This, the paper said, might mean “slow waves represent a neurophysiological mechanism underlying attentional difficulties in ADHD”.
Does that mean that “sleep loops” always suggest ADHD?
Though people with ADHD had higher rates of slow-wave activity, study author Elaine Pinggal said, “Sleep-like brain activity is a normal phenomenon that happens during demanding tasks. Think of going for a long run and getting tired after a while, which makes you pause to take a break. Everyone experiences these brief moments of sleep-like activity.
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“In people with ADHD, however, this activity occurs more frequently, and our research suggests this increased sleep-like activity may be a key brain mechanism that helps explain why these individuals have more difficulty maintaining consistent attention and performance during tasks.”
Researchers hope this finding might help to make better treatment for people with ADHD.
On Sunday night, Trump was alluded to several times over the course of the Academy Awards ceremony, most notably when Kimmel was on stage presenting awards to the year’s winning documentaries.
“As you know there are some countries whose leaders don’t support free speech,” the talk show host said. “I’m not at liberty to say which… let’s just leave it at North Korea and CBS.”
Later, he cryptically declared “oh, man is he gonna be mad his wife wasn’t nominated for this”, referencing Melania Trump’s much-panned documentary, which was released earlier this year.
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Elsewhere, he remarked: “There are also documentaries where you walk around the White House trying on shoes.”
Before the Oscars ceremony was even over, White House director of communications Steven Cheung fired back at Kimmel on X.
Referring to Kimmel as “Mr Blackface” (a nod to the comic previously using Blackface to impersonate celebrities including Oprah Winfrey and Snoop Dogg, for which he apologised in 2020), Cheung said: “[Kimmel] is a classless hack who is self-projecting his depression and sadness onto others. He lives a pathetic existence where nobody – not even his family – enjoys his miserable company.
“The only people giving him any attention are Hollywood Elites. BUH-BYE!”
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Jimmy Kimmel (Mr. Blackface) is a classless hack who is self-projecting his depression and sadness onto others. He lives a pathetic existence where nobody— not even his family— enjoys his miserable company. The only people giving him any attention are Hollywood Elites. BUH-BYE! https://t.co/cynWTtdidH
During a comedy monologue, the comedian had observed: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
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After the news of Kimmel’s suspension broke, many called for a boycott of the streaming services Disney+ and Hulu (both of which are owned and operated by Disney, the parent company of ABC), with the company reported to have taken a hit of around $3 billion overnight.
Eventually, he returned to the air just days later, with Kimmel making light of the furore during his first show back.
Speaking to Variety after the Oscars, Kimmel said: “Am I exhausted? Yes, I’m exhausted! Of course! It’s ridiculous! We live in a ridiculous country.
“We always lived in a ridiculous country, but it was always ridiculous in a fun, Mr T kind of way. Now, we’ve got a different Mr T.”
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“No, I’m not scared,” he added. “Am I hopeful? I’m always hopeful.”
The residents were in the house at the time of the shooting
Residents of a house in Newry have been ‘left badly shaken’ after a report that shots had been fired through a window of a property, PSNI say.
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At around 9.15pm on Monday evening, March 16, it was reported that two shots had been fired through a window in the Damolly Village in Newry.
Detective Inspector Handley added: “The residents, who were in the house at the time, were uninjured however have been left badly shaken by the ordeal.
“Enquiries are ongoing and I am appealing to anyone who may have witnessed anyone suspicious or any suspicious vehicles in the area, or to anyone with CCTV, door-bell or other footage that could assist with the investigation, to contact detectives on 101 quoting 1817 16//03/26.”
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Alternatively, information can also be provided online via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org
It has been suggested that the winner of the Carabao Cup final will have renewed momentum ahead of the title run-in and Cole ‘fancies’ Arsenal to beat Man City to both trophies.
‘I’m not working on the Carabao Cup final but I’m going as a fan which I actually haven’t done for a long time,’ Cole said on The Dressing Room podcast.
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Arsenal meet Man City in the Carabao Cup final (Picture: Getty)
‘I fancy Arsenal, I think Arsenal beat them. Having watched Man City live, I fancy Arsenal – but it’s a great game for the neutral.
‘I’ll make another prediction, I think there will be a bit of needle and a little bit of nastiness on the benches. There’s a lot of tension building at this point in the season so look out for that.’
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Turning his attentions to the Premier League title race, Cole added: ‘I was doing the West Ham-Man City game and we’re in the tunnel, the City players are behind me and Arsenal just scored.
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‘I’ve been in that situation when you’re waiting on a result and it does deflate you. I just can’t see Arsenal dropping that many points now.
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‘If Man City win their game in hand it will be six points, then if City beat Arsenal it will be three points.
‘But City have got to beat Arsenal and I can’t see that. Do you know what I mean?’
Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta and Man City’s Pep Guardiola (Picture: Getty)
While Cole is backing Arsenal to secure their first major trophy since 2020, Wayne Bridge and Carlton Cole both expect Man City to triumph at Wembley.
‘I think Man City win it,’ ex-West Ham striker Cole said. ‘They know it’s time, if they lose this I think they lose all hope of winning the league.
‘So they’re going to have to put this one to bed. I’m going with Man City.’
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Bridge added: ‘I’m going to go with Man City.
‘We know it’s kind of almost over with the league but them getting a win here puts a bit more pressure on Arsenal. I’m living in hope.’
Before attentions turn fully to this weekend’s Carabao Cup final, Arsenal and Manchester City are in Champions League action, facing Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid respectively.
At 28 years of age, the Ulster winger picked up the Rising Star award to go with the Triple Crown after Ireland’s win over Scotland at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday
Robert Baloucoune’s name appears prominently on two lists following the completion of the 2026 Six Nations tournament.
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Given the importance of the top try-scorer’s list – the Ulster winger’s three touchdowns against Italy, England and Wales, in four games is impressive.
The first was against Italy, taking in Stuart McCloskey’s ‘quarterback pass’ and beating two defenders.
Against England, he stays wide after a 35 metre McCloskey bust is stopped just short, and he gets the Jamison Gibson-Park recycle.
Against Scotland, a rifled 30m left-handed spin pass from McCloskey to the wing sees him beat two defenders to dive over the line in the tackle.
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Baloucoune’s position in the second list is at the top, the winner of the Rising Star award which was established and presented for the first time last season.
“The award was a bit of a shock, to be honest – 28 years-of-age and getting the Rising Star,” he says good-naturedly, clutching the big silver trophy nonetheless.
“I’m getting slagged for it already, so I’m sure I’ll get slagged by a lot more people, but I’m grateful for it and at least people are seeing what I’ve put out there.”
But then life’s full of surprises for the Enniskillen-born star, doubling his Ireland caps from four to eight, a Six nations debut, a Triple Crown and a Rising Star award
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“It’s been an unbelievable experience. It’s something I wouldn’t have expected and I’m just grateful to actually getting here.
“I’ve been in before where I haven’t played and done that so, yeah, I’ve been able to finish it off with a trophy and being part of the group has been really special.
“The group’s been massive. It feels like a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience for me because I wasn’t expecting it when I came in and to finish it off like that, it’s been class.”
This comes after he claimed, following Ulster’s win over Stade Francais in the first week of January that he was just happy to be playing rugby at the level he was.
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Injury blighted, it was just his fifth game of the season – Bulls, Lions in October, Ireland ‘A’ against Spain and Benetton in November – and that was on the back of only playing twice in 2024/25.
“It was always in the back of my mind that that I wanted to play the best that I can and still I always had to have some belief in the player that I am.
“But just being given the opportunity has been class and I suppose that’s what I needed this season, being able to back up games and that was a big focus for me from the start of the season.
“I feel like whenever I’m playing back-to-back games I’m able to fit in and get used to having a bit of game time and stuff.
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“That’s what I probably lost last season and probably the years before I’d come in a bit rusty, I’d be up and down.
His sensational April 2022 hat-trick in Toulouse was nearing its fourth anniversary, receding almost.
“I suppose those sorts of performances give you belief,” he says emphasising they can’t just be stand-alones.
“It’s just being able to back up performances and doing it consistently, is a big part of the game.
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“I knew what I was capable of doing. More so, it was like being able to back that up. Like, the next week after Toulouse I didn’t play well or as good as I wanted to.
“So, hopefully it’s now an upward trajectory and I’ll try to push on from there.”
What Baloucoune has done since being put into the Ireland side shows he is suited for the new kicking/chasing laws.
While his Ulster partnership with another unexpected breakthrough star, McCloskey, has been a boon.
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Two of his three Six Nations tries were set up ‘from nothing’ by McCloskey but, each time, thee 30m finish was all Baloucoune; the other try was also created by McCloskey although convention says Gibson-Park gets the assist.
“We talk about it at training camp, you know, trying to get the ball into space and taking on defenders.
“Stu’s done it before as well, taken on that big long pass, so I knew that was coming and, yeah, just trying to beat defenders, trying to get to the try-line, it’s what I’m good at, what I try to do.
“If I see space, I know it’s there in front of me and I’m going to take that all day. I backed myself to beat defenders and got around Darcy Graham, so happy enough to get in the corner.
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The Ireland back-three’s scoring rate this Championship has been a reflection of that coaching mantra.
“Yeah, everyone, Goody, Johnny as well, they’re like, ‘Get the ball in space, try and make things happen,’.
“And I think you’ve seen that over the course of the championship, you know, even when I feel like it’s not on and we take it, we can still make something out of nothing.
“It’s something that’s been driven in training, something that you can see in matches as well.”
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Don’t underestimate McCloksey-Baloucoune’s partnership, they may yet do a 2026 Rising Star and 2026 Player of the Tournament double.
“Stu’s kinda got a big Ulster head on him in the Irish squad,” giggles Baloucoune. “No, no, I joking but he knows he’s played well.
“He got a shout out as well, Faz said that he’s one of his players of the tournament. I think everyone can see that from the outside as well, how well he’s done in this tournament.
“He’s always been class whenever I’ve played with him for Ulster. We know his skill set and what he can do, so it’s good that he’s showing it out here playing for Ireland.”
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“There is no water because there is no electricity to run the pumps. There is no electricity, no food, no oil, no fuel, and private businesses have high prices because everything is going up now, since they have to move their goods by truck and transport. All of this is really very bad.”
Sky’s SNL UK premieres this Saturday with some big Hollywood names
Neela Debnath Screen Time Reporter
10:23, 17 Mar 2026
Saturday Night Live UK teaser trailer
SNL UK will be arriving on screens later this week on Sky as the British comedy sketch show makes its debut. Ahead of the series premiere, Sky has revealed the hosts for the first three episodes and the writing cast. American comedy legend Tina Fey will be fronting the opening episode after previously serving as a head writer on the original Saturday Night Live between 1997 and 2006 and making subsequent appearances, reports the Mirror.
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The Golden Globe and Emmy-winning comedian, actress and writer, who is known for creating and starring in Mean Girls, is joined by indie band Wet Leg as the episode’s musical guest. Following her appearance, 50 Shades of Grey and The Fall star Jamie Dornan will be presenting the second episode of SNL UK.
He will be joined by British rock group and two-time Brit Award winners Wolf Alice. Meanwhile, BAFTA and Oscar-nominated actor Riz Ahmed, who is best known for Sound of Metal and Four Lions, will be presenting the third episode. Ahmed will be joined by the rock group Kasabian as the musical guest of the week.
SNL UK will consist of a total of six episodes, which will be broadcast weekly on Sky One. The show premieres this Saturday (March 21) and Sky previously released a teaser for the forthcoming show, introducing the writing team. The teaser has been viewed over 3million times on YouTube since it dropped on March 6.
Many rushed to the comments section as one person posted: “Officially excited, applied for tickets to be in the audience, would love to be there for opening show… Can’t believe they’ve got Tina Fey to Host the first ever episode!”. A second penned: “Hmm, interesting. We were hearing at first that the cast was going to consist entirely of people who have never been on TV before.
“I was never sure that was practical. Still, it’s a pretty fresh line-up, not saturated with over-exposed UK comedians. Just going off of this, it looks like they have good chemistry. I’ll certainly give it a shot. I’d like nothing more than to be blown away by a show like this in 2026.”
A third posted: “I’m so excited for this – we love SNL, and we’ve wanted a UK one for YEARS (even knowing a previous version didn’t do so well.) We have faith. It will be great.
“BUT – slightly bemused that they went for ‘off-brand chicken shop/getting p***** in the back of the cab’ for their intro rather than ‘theatres/Trafalgar Square/high end club’ like the NY SNL. I guess that was what they were going for? To be fair, though, that’s probably more accurate of the average Saturday night out in the UK.”
Another individual added: “I really hope this works out! I think Britain’s ready for this, we all need a good laugh.”
Leading as head writer is Jonno Johnson and Charlie Skelton as weekend update head writer. Skelton’s previous credits include 10 O’Clock Live and 8 Out of 10 Cats.
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Other names include Bella Hull, a writer for Have I Got News For You, Gráinne Maguire from The Last Leg, Hari Kanth of Horrible Science, and Humphrey Ker, who has contributed to Mythic Quest and Welcome to Wrexham.
Additional members of the writing team encompass Al Roberts, Ayo Adenekan, Celya AB, Chris Cantrill, Ellie Fulcher, James Farmer, Joseph Moore, Keith Akushie, Laura Claxton, Lorna Rose Treen, Louis Waymouth, Nathan Foad, Omar Badawy, and Omodara Olatunji.
The writers are a blend of experienced professionals and rising talent.
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Head writer Johnson previously stated: “The number of funny, talented writers we have got to work on SNL UK is ludicrous. Some of them have been doing this for years, some of them it’s their first ever writing job. All of them make me giddy to come to work each day. Could not imaginably feel luckier that we get to make this show together.”
Meanwhile, Sky executive Phil Edgar Jones OBE said: “As SNL UK races towards launch our brilliant team of writers are already hard at work crafting some sublime and (importantly) funny sketches for our equally brilliant cast to perform. I’ve been lucky enough to attend a couple of table reads and I am delighted to report I cried laughing. We cannot wait to share the fun with a wider audience.”
For nearly forty years, Fergal Keane has reported for the BBC from some of the world’s most brutal conflicts – in Gaza, Iraq, Rwanda, Sudan, Ukraine and beyond – and in that time interviewed scores of children who are the innocent victims of adult wars.
As he came to understand the impacts of trauma on young minds, Keane began too to experience his own mental breakdowns – the result of a troubled childhood and a career spent running towards danger – and was eventually diagnosed with PTSD.
In today’s episode, he reflects on what he has learned from his own experiences and reporting about how childhood traumas can be treated, and the hope for those living through today’s wars.
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Producer: Hannah Moore
Executive producer: Bridget Harney
Mix: Travis Evans
Senior news editor: China Collins
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Photo: Displaced children play in Gaza, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Haitham Imad/ EPA/ Shutterstock.
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