Mikel Arteta feels victory in the Carabao Cup final over Manchester City can help his Arsenal side lift more trophies this season.

The Gunners are still in contention to win a quadruple this campaign, as they sit top of the Premier League table and are into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Arteta’s men are hot favourites to beat Sporting in the last eight in Europe, while they are also expected to get past Championship outfit Southampton in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

All of that is still to come, but first is the final of the Carabao Cup on Sunday at Wembley against their chief rivals.

Arteta is looking to win just the second major trophy of his managerial career, after the 2020 FA Cup, feeling that it will make his other goals more achievable.

‘It’s a chance to make some history for the club,’ Arteta wrote in his programme notes, via Arsenal.com.

‘We haven’t won the League Cup since 1993, so it’s about time we did it again. That’s what we all want, to work hard and make our supporters proud.

‘When you get to these moments, these opportunities, you have to deliver on the day. Let’s play in the manner that we’ve done all year, all the way through the competition, enjoying matches in front of our people.

‘Whenever you have the chance to get over the line and win a trophy, it’s a big day. If we can do that, it will bring something very special to the team. It will add another level of conviction, belief and energy. To be able to share a beautiful moment always brings you closer to having some other ones that are also really, really positive.

‘We know the importance of that, so now it’s down to us, all of us – players, coaches, staff, supporters – to make sure we do it together.’

Manchester City remain Arsenal’s closest challengers in the Premier League, but with a nine-point difference their chances of catching the Gunners are slim.

Pep Guardiola’s team is out of the Champions League, but still in the FA Cup, so there is plenty to play for and the Spaniard thinks they are nearing their best form.

‘I have the feeling in many things we’re just underneath [our peak],’ he said. ‘We will flourish, I have the feeling that it’s close.

‘Other things we need a little more time until the people realise what we need to be strong in many departments but in most things we are close.’

Guardiola was asked if a win at Wembley could impact the title race, but was unconvinced, saying: ‘I don’t know. Winning helps just for the fact that winning helps [confidence].

‘But we can win on Sunday and then be bad in the league. I learned that in many competitions and many games with a short time of recovery you have to have the ability to forget and move forwards. Learn what you have to do better and this is what you have to do.’

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CAIRO (AP) — At least 64 people were killed, including at least 13 children, in a strike on a hospital in Sudan’s western Darfur region last week, the World Health Organization said Saturday.

The strike on the Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur on Friday also injured at least 89 people and rendered the hospital non-functional, Tedros Ghebreyesus, the head of the WHO, said on X.

Sudan slid into chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces exploded into war throughout the country.

The RSF has blamed the military for the strike on the hospital.

The army has denied the attack, but two military officials said the strike was targeting a nearby police station. They spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to discuss the matter openly.

The devastating war has killed more than 40,000 people, according to U.N. figures, but aid groups say that is an undercount and the true number could be many times higher.

The WHO has said that over 2,000 people have been killed in attacks on medical facilities since the start of the war.

“Enough blood has been spilled. Enough suffering has been inflicted. The time has come to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan,” said Ghebreyesus.

___

Associated Press reporter Yassir Abdalla in Shendi, Sudan, contributed to this report.

Brian Brobbey’s last-gasp winner fired Sunderland to a famous derby double over Newcastle as they came from behind to win 2-1 at St James’ Park.

Trailing to Anthony Gordon’s early opener, the Black Cats levelled through Chemsdine Talbi, 12 minutes after the restart and then snatched victory at the death courtesy of Brobbey’s 90th-minute strike, his sixth goal of the season and just his side’s 10th in the Premier League away from home this season.

Four days after their Champions League dreams were ended in brutal fashion in Barcelona, the Magpies’ only focus was revenge for December’s 1-0 derby defeat at the Stadium of Light.

In the event, they slipped to an eighth loss in 11 league outings – a result which further damaged their hopes of securing European football for next season – and they have not beaten their arch rivals on Tyneside since October 2010.

By contrast, the promoted Black Cats, who arrived at St James’ with a squad depleted by injuries, boosted their own chances of continental action as their remarkable first season back in the top flight took a further turn for the better.

Their afternoon was soured only when referee Anthony Taylor had to briefly halt play after reports of discriminatory abuse aimed at defender Lutsharel Geertruida from among a crowd of 52,253.

The Magpies went ahead with 10 minutes gone when, after Nick Woltemade had picked off Luke O’Nien’s attempted pass to Granit Xhaka from a short goal-kick, Gordon drove towards goal and fired his 17th of the season past the helpless Melker Ellborg.

It took a superb fingertip save from Aaron Ramsdale to keep Talbi’s dipping shot out of his top corner after he had controlled Xhaka’s raking pass and cut inside.

Newcastle should have been 2-0 ahead within seconds when Woltemade played Anthony Elanga, who scored twice at Barcelona in midweek, through and he drew defender Omar Alderete before slicing a left-footed shot into the side-netting.

Sven Botman headed against the upright from Lewis Hall’s 43rd-minute corner and Ellborg collected Hall’s shot from a free-kick in stoppage-time as play switched rapidly from end to end as the break approached.

Sunderland returned determined not to accept defeat and Ramsdale had to palm away Chris Rigg’s strike at his near post.

However, the Magpies goalkeeper made a mess of dealing with the resulting corner and after Dan Burn had blocked Brobbey’s chested effort from Trai Hume’s stabbed cross on the line, Talbi fired into the net from close range.

Xhaka’s deflected 62nd-minute effort looped on to the roof of Ramsdale’s net as the visitors sensed on opportunity, but Ellborg had to save from substitute Jacob Murphy as the Magpies responded.

Noah Sadiki drilled a 69th-minute drive straight at Ramsdale, who had to react smartly to keep it out, but the wrong-footed Ellborg was relieved to see Joe Willock’s shot drop just wide after it had cannoned off Geertruida.

Substitute Malick Thiaw had the ball in the net from Hall’s corner with 15 minutes remaining, but his effort was chalked off for a foul on Ellborg, allowing Brobbey to win it at the death when he pounced from close range after substitute Enzo Le Fee’s cross had come off Ramsdale.

Cleveland Police has said the man was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class C drugs and was questioned by officers.

A force spokesperson added: “He has been bailed with conditions whilst our enquiries continue.”

Cleveland Police said yesterday the reports circulated from Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool on Friday (March 20) evening and involved people being treated for ‘significant adverse effects’ of the drug.

In a statement, Cleveland Police said: “On the evening of Friday, March 20, police received reports of several adults from Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool having been taken to hospital for treatment from what is believed to be significant adverse effects following the consumption of a drug called Zopiclone.

“This drug should only be taken by those who have been prescribed it by a medical professional, and officers are warning members of the public not to take this if offered it and report any information which could be connected to this incident to the police.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact Cleveland Police on 101, quoting reference number 052547.

Information can be passed to Crimestoppers anonymously online or by calling 0800 555 111.

Cambridgeshire Police remains at the scene today (Sunday, March 22) as they continue to search for Declan Berry

Police have provided an update after five teenagers crashed into a Cambridgeshire river earlier this week. Cambridgeshire Police remain at the scene of North Brink in Wisbech this afternoon (Sunday, March 22), as the search for 18-year-old Declan Berry enters its fifth day.

Declan and four other teenagers, including another 18-year-old boy and three 16-year-old girls, crashed into the River Nene along the road at around 8.20pm on Tuesday (March 17). Sadly, Eden Bunn’s body was recovered from the river on Wednesday (March 18).

DI Craig Wheeler of Cambridgeshire Police is at the scene today, and has provided an update on the search and investigation. DI Wheeler said: “At the moment, we are on the scene with a plan to try and recover the vehicle.” The police officer added that there are specialist dive teams that hope to recover the vehicle this afternoon.

DI Wheeler added that it “isn’t a quick process”, and could take anywhere between one-and-a-half hours to four-and-a-half hours. Tributes were laid at the scene of the crash earlier this week, paying respects to Eden and Declan.

After Eden’s body was found, her family also paid tribute to her. Eden, from Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire, was described as the “kindest” and “most loving girl”.

Do you want more of the latest Cambridgeshire news as it comes in from across the county? Sign up to our dedicated newsletter to make sure you never miss a big story from Cambridge or anywhere else in the county. You can also sign up to our dedicated Traffic and Crime newsletters for the latest updates on the topics you are most interested in.

Cuba’s power grid has collapsed for the third time this month, leaving the country in darkness with no electricity.

The cut came as the communist government continued to battle with a US imposed oil blockade and decaying infrastructure.

The Cuban Electric Union, which reports to the Ministry of Energy and Mines, announced on Saturday a total blackout across the island without initially giving a cause for the outage.

It later said that the blackout was caused by an unexpected failure of a generating unit at the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant in Camaguey province.

Grid operator and state utility Union Electrica said that the power failed at 6.32pm (10.32pm in the UK).

At 7am on Sunday (11am UK time), it said on social media that microsystems – smaller, closed circuits for vital services – were operational in all territories.

Work is underway to restore the rest of the grid. It’s the second such blackout in a week on the island, and the third this month.

Sky’s US partner network NBC News reports that both regional and national power outages have been common in Cuba over the past two years, due to breakdowns in ageing infrastructure.

However, the government has also blamed the strict oil and fuel embargo brought in by the Trump administration in February.

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Trump sets his sights on Cuba

Cuba produces barely 40% of the fuel it needs to power its economy. The country’s president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, said last week that the island had not received oil from foreign suppliers for three months.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured by the US military in early January, which led to the halt of Cuba’s critical petroleum shipments from South America.

The US has also maintained a strict trade embargo on Cuba since 1962, the year after a failed, CIA-sponsored invasion of the island at the Bay of Pigs.

Donald Trump extended that blockade by signing an executive order imposing trade tariffs on countries exporting oil to Havana last month.

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From February: How Cubans cope during US-imposed fuel blockade

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said experts condemned the move, and accused the US of a “serious violation of international law and a grave threat to a democratic and equitable international order”.

On 15 March, Mr Trump claimed the US could “do whatever we have to do” in Cuba after his Iran war. His warning came a day after a rare riot against the Cuban government.

Videos on social media showed people throwing rocks through the windows of a building as they shouted “liberty” in the background.

Two people have been killed after being caught in a large avalanche in northern Italy, the country’s mountain rescue service has said.

Three others were seriously injured and two people suffered minor injuries after the it swept through a busy high alpine slope.

The incident happened at an altitude of around 2,400 meters (7,874 feet) on the slopes of the 2,669-meter (8,757 feet) Hohe Ferse mountain (also known as Monte Tallone Grande) near the town of Ratschings, close to the border with Austria.

A total of 25 skiers were caught in the avalanche in the South Tyrol region on Saturday morning.

The CNSAS rescue service has not specified if the remaining 18 people were trapped or rescued and what, if any, injuries they suffered. But, according to Italian news agency ANSA, most of them “were only grazed and not swallowed up by the mass of snow”.

The agency’s report said the avalanche had a “150m front and a length of several hundred metres”.

A major rescue operation was launched as six helicopters and around 80 rescue staff from CNSAS, the Alpine Association, police and firefighters, along with sniffer dogs, were sent to the scene.

It was the latest in what European Avalanche Warning Services (EAWS) describes as an unusually high number of avalanches on the continent’s slopes this season.

Read more on Sky News:
Police officer dies in line of duty
SNL UK reviews are in

A total of 127 people had died by 16 March, including 33 in Italy, 31 in France and 29 in Austria, compared to an annual average of 100, EAWS said.

In early February, a record 13 people died on Italian slopes in one week.

Last month, two British skiers died in an avalanche in France.

The high number of deaths is down to an exceptionally unstable snowpack and the rush of skiers taking on off-piste slopes after recent heavy snowstorms, experts have said.

Rising temperatures and stronger winds, seen as contributory factors, are the result of climate change, climate experts have argued.

The avalanche danger in the Ridanna Valley, where the latest avalanche occurred, is currently moderate.

FAIRFIELD, Ohio (AP) — Although President Donald Trump is the top Democratic nemesis, some of the party’s most ambitious leaders are increasingly looking past him and at Vice President JD Vance.

In the latest example, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear traveled to Vance’s home county in Ohio, where on Saturday night he said the vice president had abandoned the communities that he wrote about in the memoir that made him famous.

Beshear said “Hillbilly Elegy,” which detailed Vance’s hardscrabble upbringing, had “trafficked in tired stereotypes.”

“His book ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ was really hillbilly hate,” the governor said at a Democratic fundraiser in Butler County. “It is poverty tourism, because he ain’t from Appalachia.”

The broadside was not only a sign of Beshear’s own potential presidential aspirations, but a reflection of Vance’s status as the Republican heir apparent to the coalition that twice elected Trump to the White House.

“With every day that passes, we get closer to a day when Donald Trump is no longer president. And we need to prepare for that day,” said Lis Smith, a Democratic strategist. “Right now, JD Vance is a clear front-runner for the 2028 nomination. And so we should begin defining him — not in 2027, not in 2028 — but today.”

Vance spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk brushed off Beshear’s criticism.

“Every time Andy Beshear attacks the vice president to try to get himself publicity, he ends up humiliating himself in the process, but maybe that’s something he’s into?” she said.

An early foil for Democratic contenders

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California was among the first Democrats to begin focusing on Vance last year. Khanna stopped at the City Club of Cleveland and Yale University, where he and Vance studied law, and gave speeches that attempted to cast Vance as more extreme than Trump.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, another potential presidential contender in 2028, singled out Vance in November while making the argument that the Trump administration did not care about working people.

“At least with Donald Trump, he’s transparent about that,” Shapiro said. “JD Vance is a total phony.”

Some Democrats have coalesced around California Gov. Gavin Newsom as a strong candidate because of his aggressive strategy in going after Republicans.

He coined the nickname “JD ‘Just Dance’ Vance” on social media, and he has mocked the vice president’s appearance, saying Vance “grew a beard and lost his spine.”

Smith, the strategist who led Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign and still works with the former Biden administration transportation secretary, said every line of criticism of Vance is an audition.

“There’s definitely value in taking on Vance to show Democrats, hey, this could be me on the debate stage against him,” said Smith.

Vance often invokes his working-class roots

The vice president was born and raised in Butler County’s Middletown, and he rose to prominence with the publication of “Hillbilly Elegy” in 2016. The book earned Vance a reputation as someone who could help explain Trump’s appeal in middle America, especially among the working class, rural white voters who helped Trump win the presidency.

Vance carried that reputation to the U.S. Senate, winning election in 2022, and later to the vice presidency. That same background is likely to be central to any future presidential run — and it is precisely what Democrats are now working to undercut.

At Saturday’s Democratic fundraiser, the mere mention of Vance’s name drew a chorus of boos from the audience.

“I don’t think he’s got the magic that everybody looks at with Trump,” said Theresa Vacheresse, a retired physician and business owner who attended the event. “I think when Trump is gone, the Democrats might have a chance. My god, I hope so.”

The focus on Vance is not unusual for a vice president widely seen as a potential future nominee, particularly one as young as 41. Republicans went after Kamala Harris early in her tenure under President Joe Biden to undermine her political future.

Jamal Simmons, Harris’ communications director in 2022 and 2023, said vice presidents can be vulnerable.

“The party is built to defend the president more than it is the vice president,” he said. “The vice president’s kind of out there on their own, to defend themself, and find friends where they can.”

Republicans, including Vance, frequently tied Harris to some of the Democratic administration’s most politically difficult issues, such as immigration and border security.

“Being vice president is a very mixed blessing,” said David Axelrod, who was a top adviser to Democratic President Barack Obama. “You often don’t have the assets of the president, but you inherit all of the president’s record. The good, the bad, and the ugly.”

Beshear has had success in Trump country

Beshear is the rare Democrat to lead a red state, and he is positioning himself as someone who can reach voters who have tuned out his party.

He said Democrats can “actually go and win back those voters that JD Vance is so condescending to” if they stay focused on Americans’ basic needs such as affordable health care and public safety.

“We’ve gotta start talking to people and not at them,” he said. “That’s how I won counties in eastern Kentucky that normally vote for Republicans by large margins — including Breathitt County. That’s the county JD Vance pretends to be from. Donald Trump won it by 59 points. I won it by 22 points the year earlier.”

The audience appeared delighted with Beshear’s message.

“I think he’s first-rate,” said Mark Kaplan, who lives in Butler County. “What he’s got is compassion, empathy, charisma and intellect, but he’s also down-to-earth.”

___

Cappelletti reported from Washington.

Arteta’s Arsenal will be desperate to shed their tag as the side that has come up short in recent years.

The Gunners and their manager are seeking a first piece of silverware since they beat Chelsea in the 2020 FA Cup final, only nine months after he left Guardiola’s side as his assistant at City to take over at Emirates Stadium.

In that same period, Arteta’s managerial mentor Guardiola has a trophy haul of the Champions League, four Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the EFL Cup, as well as the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup.

Arsenal, since Arteta last tasted success, have lost in the Europa League semi-final to Villarreal in 2021, EFL Cup semi-finals in 2022 and 2025 to Liverpool and Newcastle United respectively, as well as last season’s Champions League semi-final against eventual winners Paris St-Germain.

The Gunners have finally broken that pattern to reach a final, but Arteta must also release Guardiola’s stranglehold, having only won four of their past 16 meetings against him – including the Community Shield in 2023 – while losing nine.

This suggests it is Arteta who is in urgent need of breaking the cycle of finishing empty-handed.

Former Arsenal and England defender Matt Upson told BBC Sport: “I think overall, Arteta needs it most because he has not won enough trophies in his time at Arsenal for how well they have done.

“It has been a case of ‘nearly but not quite’ for Arteta after the seasons in which they have finished second in the Premier League. They have not quite got there, so this is a big one for Arteta.

“I think Arteta and Guardiola need it for very different reasons, but I feel Arteta needs it more because he needs to put some silverware in the trophy cabinet.

“The overall pressure is on Arteta, but it is also fair to say the short-term pressure is on Guardiola. It is very important City get that win to try and at least dent Arsenal’s confidence. That would be really helpful for them in the last eight games of the season.”

Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha says victory could still be of huge significance to his former club.

“City have just had the pain of defeat in the Champions League, but they can use that in the Carabao Cup final to express how much going out to Real has hurt them, and potentially take that and use it at Wembley,” he said.

“This is 100% a great occasion for them to bounce back, and to be able to potentially sign off with the last game before the international break lifting a trophy can change your perspective on the whole season significantly.”

After pressing allies for support – and being rebuffed – US president Donald Trump now insists that the United States can reopen the Strait of Hormuz alone. However, this would focus the risk on US forces and stretch limited naval resources.

Some 20% of global oil flows ordinarily passing through Hormuz; closure of the strait has caused oil prices to soar. British prime minister Keir Starmer has refused to let the UK be drawn into a wider war in the Middle East. However, he has said he is “looking through the options” on helping secure the strait for shipping.

The UK military has already stated that it is considering sending two drone types to the strait of Hormuz: interceptors, to counter Iranian drones, and mine-hunters. These could help ensure the security of shipping in the region, but their task will not be straightforward.

Iran is believed to have around 6,000 sea mines, ranging from simple contact types like the Maham-1 – anchored in place and triggered on impact – to more advanced systems such as the Chinese-designed EM-52, which sit on the seabed and fire a rocket at ships with specific acoustic or magnetic signatures.

So far, only a handful of mines are understood to have been deployed, often covertly at night or using traditional sailing ships to evade detection.

Divers are also used, in the case of limpet mines, to manually attach these devices to a ship’s hull and detonate them remotely. Even limited mining efforts deter commercial shipping, as crews, insurers and operators refuse to risk transit.

The mine threat is only one layer. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has built a broader anti-access system: fast attack craft, shore-based anti-ship missiles – such as the Noor/C802 – and one-way attack drones, such as the Shahed-136, which is so effective the Americans are now copying it. These can be launched from concealed positions along the coastline, allowing Tehran to threaten vessels across the strait.

The result is a multi-domain problem. A ship attempting to transit must contend simultaneously with threats from below the water, across the surface and from the air.

This technology enables selective disruption. Iran is targeting the vessels of specific countries while allowing others to pass, preserving its own oil exports while exerting pressure on the US and its allies.

In theory, reopening the strait is straightforward: clear the mines, escort shipping and deter further attacks. In practice, western navies are poorly configured for this. Mine warfare has been deprioritised for decades. The US has historically devoted less than 1% of its naval budget to it, despite mines accounting for 80% of US warships sunk or damaged since 1945.

Its Avenger-class minesweepers are being retired, replaced by platforms reliant on unmanned systems. European fleets face similar constraints. The Royal Navy’s last minehunter in the Gulf, HMS Middleton, left for maintenance shortly before the current crisis. Of the seven vessels in the fleet, four are unavailable, with the remaining three earmarked to protect home waters and UK submarines.

Vulnerable to attack

Even where mine countermeasure vessels exist, they are ill-suited to Hormuz. They operate slowly and close to the threat, using sonar and remotely operated vehicles to locate and neutralise mines. In a contested environment, this places them within range of missiles and drones, requiring escort ships – which are similarly scarce.

Autonomous minehunters include the Royal Navy’s Sweep system. Instead of detecting and then destroying mines in separate stages and with separate tools, Sweep uses an uncrewed surface vessel towing three sensor boats that replicate the magnetic, acoustic and electrical signature of a ship. This effectively tricks mines into detonating harmlessly at a distance. It entered service in 2025 and can be controlled remotely from a ship or portable platform.

These systems nevertheless remain limited in number and untested in combat. The control ships and command nodes may also have to operate within range of Iranian aerial weapons.

That includes Shahed drones. With a cost of US$35,000 (£26,000) each, these are effective at overwhelming traditional air defences, exhausting expensive interceptor stocks like the Patriot, which costs $4 million per missile.

The economics are forcing the development of cheaper responses. Interceptor drones, such as the UK-produced Octopus system, use onboard sensors and AI-driven image recognition to physically collide with incoming drones like the Shahed. Costing less than a tenth of the target, they offer a far more scalable defence than high-end missiles.

The US faces challenges if it intends to go it alone on reopening the strait. Mine clearance is inherently slow. The last major western operation of this kind, after the 1991 Gulf war, took more than seven weeks. Doing this alone would concentrate risk on US forces and stretch already limited mine countermeasure capacity.

Other possibilities like helicopters with anti-mine capabilities would not be able to overcome the threat posed by drones or missiles.

At the same time, Washington has targeted Iranian minelaying vessels and naval facilities. A marine force is also en route, raising the possibility of operations against Iranian coastal drone and missile launch sites. But this would involve putting boots on the ground – something unpalatable to many, even within the Trump administration.

Immediate impact

Europe, despite political hesitation, is unlikely to remain absent. The economic impact of disruption in Hormuz is immediate. Deploying autonomous counter-mine and counter-drone systems already in the region could be framed not as joining a controversial war, but as restoring freedom of navigation in a vital international waterway.

There are reputational factors at play, too. The untimely withdrawal of mine-hunting vessels has strained trust with Gulf partners, particularly for countries like the UK that had committed to their security. Reinforcing capabilities to the region could help repair that relationship.

However, systems like Octopus are currently needed in Ukraine. Diverting them to the Middle East to defend against Iranian Shaheds would deny Kyiv a vital capability. Already, more Patriot missiles have been launched by the Gulf states to protect their airspace than Ukraine has in four years of war.

While Trump may be right that the US does not need European assistance, that is not the most important question. The real dilemma is whether any western military – acting alone or together – can quickly, safely and sustainably secure one of the world’s most critical waterways against a layered, modern threat. That is a much harder test.