Marcus Rashford has adjusted to life well at Barcelona and the Manchester United loanee isn’t planning on returning to Old Trafford at the end of the season
Marcus Rashford has no intentions of returning to Manchester United after his loan spell at Barcelona, it is reported. The 28-year-old joined the Catalan club in the summer after falling out of favour at Old Trafford.
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Hansi Flick’s men signed Rashford on a season-long loan, with a view to making the move permanent with a €30million (£26m) fee agreed. The England international has contributed to 22 goals in 32 games, with his displays impressing his new team.
It had previously been claimed that Barcelona were unwilling to pay the agreed fee to sign Rashford, instead offering United slightly less or another loan proposal with an obligation to buy at the end of the 2026/27 season.
According to The Mirror, the forward has no desire to return to Old Trafford at the end of the season. The report states that Rashford wants his long-term future resolved and in order before England head to North America for the 2026 World Cup.
Even if his stay at Nou Camp falls through, Rashford is understood to prefer a move to another club, rather than resuming his career at United. Should all things fall into place, United’s first summer transfer should be Rashford.
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His permanent exit is set to be one of many deals completed at the end of the season. United have already confirmed that Casemiro will depart when his contract expires, and there is interest in a number of current stars.
Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo were all linked with January exits, though Ruben Amorim’s exit significantly strengthened the latter’s position in the United team. The England midfielder has played all three of Carrick’s games since his return to the club and calls for him to be named in the Three Lions squad have gathered pace.
United are currently battling for a place in the Champions League, and a top-five finish would increase the budget available in the summer. Over £200m was spent in bolstering the squad last summer, despite the club having no European football to contend with.
Rashford’s exit and possible departures for Ugarte and Zirkzee will only add more wriggle room for movement in the window. United’s recruitment team are expected to prioritise a central midfielder, a centre-forward, and a left winger ahead of the 2026/27 season.
MSPs have voted overwhelmingly to regulate non-surgical cosmetic procedures in Scotland, banning treatments for under-18s and requiring Botox and filler injections to be carried out by registered medical professionals.
Craig Paton, Press Association Scotland Deputy Political Editor and Gemma Ryder Reporter
23:08, 17 Mar 2026
MSPs have voted to pass a Bill to regulate beauty procedures such a s Botox and fillers after the industry was described as the “wild west”.
It also makes it an offence for such a procedure to be given to someone under the age of 18.
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Some 124 MSPs voted to back the Bill, with none voting against and two abstentions.
According to Advice Direct Scotland, 430 people – some as young as 15 – had contacted them about botched procedures.
Speaking in Holyrood on Tuesday, Scottish Tory health spokesman and practising GP Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: “At its core, this legislation is about one fundamental principle, and that is patient safety.
“At the moment, in parts of the non-surgical cosmetic sector, that safety is far too inconsistent.
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“To put it bluntly, in some areas, the situation resembles the wild west.”
While there are some good businesses, there are others who “botch” procedures, Dr Gulhane added.
“This would be unacceptable in absolutely any other area of healthcare yet, for far too long, that is effectively what we have allowed to develop here.”
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Public health minister Jenni Minto, speaking on behalf of the Government on Tuesday, said: “Many people have had positive experiences with responsible and caring practitioners.
“But, as the sector has grown, so have stories of people who have been harmed or injured.”
The Bill had been criticised over concerns it could result in businesses with qualified practitioners being shuttered because they are not considered to be a healthcare professional, with independent MSP Ash Regan bringing amendments at stage three.
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Responding to concerns, the minister said: “I did not urge members to resist those amendments lightly, because these amendments weakened aspects of the Bill that are necessary to achieve our public safety aims.”
Ms Minto later added: “Nevertheless, I expect the Scottish Government to continue working closely with businesses to mitigate the impact wherever possible.”
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UN envoy for Lebanon warns against making ‘grave mistake’ amid Iran war
Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon, has warned against making a “grave mistake” amid the war in Iran.
During a closed briefing to the UN Security Council, Hennis-Plasschaert warned that “betting on a regional settlement to solve Lebanon’s problems would be a grave mistake”, according to a press release issued by the UN Tuesday.
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“Lebanon must urgently focus on what can be done at the domestic level, including the development of a comprehensive roadmap to address the question of Hizbullah’s future”, the UN envoy said, referring to the Iranian-backed militant group, which is also spelled as Hezbollah.
Hennis-Plasschaert said the plan must not only “encompass the group’s weapons, but also its financial networks and social infrastructure”.
Rachel Dobkin18 March 2026 02:30
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Trump resurfaces old post from now-former counterterrorism chief calling on president to ‘wipe Iran’s ballistic capability out’
Donald Trump has resurfaced an old social media post from the now-former counterterrorism chief calling on the US president to “wipe Iran’s ballistic capability out.”
Joe Kent announced his resignation as director of the National Counterterrorism Centre Tuesday, saying, “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby”.
Trump shared a post by Kent from early January 2020, where he told the president, “We should not sit and wait for the next attack, wipe Iran’s ballistic capability out and get our troops out of Iraq – they are only targets now.
“No US WIA/KIA is a tribute to the professionalism of our military and intel professionals not Iranian restraint”.
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Rachel Dobkin18 March 2026 02:15
Who is Ali Larijani? Iran’s ‘strongman’ security chief who threatened Trump with ‘elimination’
Iran has confirmed the death of top security chief Ali Larijani on Tuesday, state media reported.
Tehran had earlier denied reports that Larijani was dead and a handwritten letter dedicated to Iranian troops was released after Israel claimed he had been killed in an IDF strike.
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A tribute to Larijani was posted on his social media account on X, it said: “Indeed, a servant of Allah has joined his Lord as a martyr.”
Maira Butt18 March 2026 02:00
Six killed in Israeli attacks: report
Lebanon’s Health Ministry has said two Israeli strikes on residential buildings in Beirut early Wednesday morning killed at least six people and injured 24 others, the Associated Press reported.
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Rachel Dobkin18 March 2026 01:45
IRGC reportedly says missile attacks that killed two in Israel was revenge for killing of Ali Larijani
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said missile attacks that reportedly killed two people in Israel was revenge for the killing of Iran’s top security chief Ali Larijani, the Associated Press reported.
In the paramilitary’s statement reported on by Iranian state TV, it was said that Khorramshahr-4 and Qadr multiple-warhead missiles were used in the strikes near Tel Aviv.
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Rachel Dobkin18 March 2026 01:30
New attacks launched against US Embassy in Baghdad: report
New drone and rocket attacks have been launched against the US Embassy in Baghdad, according to a CNN report.
CNN reported, citing security officials, two rockets targeting the embassy were intercepted.
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The strikes caused some damage around the embassy, according to one official.
Rachel Dobkin18 March 2026 01:04
Iran claims strike hit close to nuclear power plant
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said a strike hit the grounds of the Bushehr nuclear power plant on the Persian Gulf Tuesday local time.
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The organization said “no financial, technical, or human damage occurred and no part of the plant was harmed”, per the Associated Press.
Rachel Dobkin18 March 2026 00:30
US targets Iranian missile sites near Strait of Hormuz
The United States military said Tuesday that it targeted sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz because Iranian anti-ship missiles posed a risk to international shipping there.
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US Central Command said it had “successfully employed multiple 5000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites” along the coastline near the Strait.
”The Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles in these sites posed a risk to international shipping in the strait,” it wrote in a statement on X.
Maira Butt18 March 2026 00:05
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German minister: unrealistic to expect controlled regime change in Iran
Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Tuesday that it is not realistic to expect controlled regime change in Iran.
“There will be no military solution. And to have a controlled regime change, is, I would say, a hypothetical idea, which is not realistic,” he said, speaking alongside his French counterpart in Berlin at an event hosted by the ZEIT media group.
“So chaos in Iran, as bad as the regime is, is also not in our interest and not in the interest of the region and, of course, in the interest of the people living in Iran.”
Maira Butt17 March 2026 23:59
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Two people killed in Israel following rocket fire
Two people have been killed with severe shrapnel injuries in Israel after rocket fire on Tuesday, according to the national ambulance service MDA.
“More than happy for other people to be interested, more than happy for other people to tell the story but he was an Ulster man, and that is something that we are going to very very proudly promote with the view to say to people, ‘why don’t you start to think a little bit about your ancestry, your heritage so we can have you over in Northern Ireland, to show you what Northern Ireland is all about.
He was someone who has always been fit and active, running many marathons and half marathons.
A Northern Ireland man has opened about suffering a stroke out of the blue in February last year at the age of just 50.
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Thomas Gray from Newtownabbey had no signs or symptoms and was someone who has always been fit and active, running many marathons and half marathons.
He explained: “I had no health concerns before my stroke. There were no signs or symptoms that something like that might happen. On the morning I had my stroke, my wife had made me a cup of tea, and I went to get it and just hit the floor. I had absolutely no warning of what was coming. Afterwards I found out my blood pressure was sky high, but I didn’t know about that at the time.
“We didn’t know what had happened to me after I collapsed but we knew it was serious because I couldn’t move my right-hand side. My wife remained very calm and managed to get me into the car and took me to the Mater Hospital, but they then rushed me to the Royal Victoria Hospital. I was trailing my right leg and had lost power in my right arm.
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“I was fortunate that I was able to get thrombolysis which is a clot busting medication. I am one of the lucky ones. My wife was there when I had my stroke and acted fast to get me help. I had scans and thrombolysis in about an hour and a half. Time is of the essence with stroke, and I was fortunate that way.”
According to NICHS, 51% of stroke survivors are under 75 years old and over 42,500 people in Northern Ireland have a stroke or TIA, also known as a mini-stroke, diagnosis.
Thomas added: “I still find it hard to believe that I had a stroke as I’ve always been an active person. I’ve completed ten marathons and lots of half marathons. I wasn’t concerned about my health and had no warning signs of anything being wrong. That’s exactly why I’m sharing my story, to raise awareness that stroke can happen to anyone, at any time, at any age.
“Looking back on things now is a bit easier but it has been a tough time emotionally as well as physically. You think about the ‘what ifs’ and it took me a few months to work through that. Stroke obviously has a physical impact, but there is a huge mental impact that comes with it too. I was only 50, I didn’t expect anything like this to happen to me.
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“There is a lot to process and deal with. But I also want to let other stroke survivors know there is life after stroke. If sharing my story helps give others some hope that would be a great thing.”
Now, a little over one year later, Thomas is preparing to take on local health charity Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke’s (NICHS) Red Dress Fun Run to raise awareness of young stroke as well as vital funds for the charity’s work.
Speaking about his recovery journey Thomas said: “When I was discharged from hospital, I had occupational therapy and physiotherapy at home for months. I was also referred to Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke and availed of their Family Support service. The team were really encouraging and gave me lots of very helpful advice and information about living with the impact of stroke.
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“NICHS also advised me to talk to my GP about being referred to the Healthwise scheme so I could go to the gym and work on my recovery. I go to the gym at the Valley Leisure Centre and the staff there have been great, giving me programmes to work on and monitoring me. I’ve found exercising at the gym so helpful to my recovery and I wouldn’t have known about the Healthwise scheme if NICHS hadn’t highlighted it to me.”
He added: “The public might not realise the work NICHS is doing to help people. My eyes were opened to the range of services the charity provides. I would urge anyone who has a stroke to take all the help they are offered right from the start. I didn’t do that- at first, I thought I could just get on and deal with things.
“I was saying I was ok but deep down, I did need that help and support offered to me and I should have taken it from the get-go. At the start there is an awful lot to take in but I would urge people not to bury their heads in the sand or shy away from help. NICHS is there to help you make the best recovery possible so please take their help.
“Fortunately, I have recovered well. I have regained power in my right-hand side, and it only really affects me now if I am extremely tired. I do suffer from fatigue although it is not quite as bad as it used to be thankfully. I get brain fog when I’m tired and I can’t concentrate but exercising and building my fitness levels back up has definitely helped me to control the fatigue. I have also been able to return to work which was my main aim after my stroke.
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“I am an example of how you can recover from stroke. It isn’t easy, it’s hard work. To look at me you would never know I’ve had a stroke. So again, that’s my motivation behind sharing my story to raise awareness and to also give hope to others.”
Thomas’ recovery journey and return to exercise has led to him setting his sights on completing Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke’s upcoming 5K Red Dress Fun Run.
He said: “NICHS really helped me after my stroke so that’s why I’m doing the event, to give something back. I have always been a runner, but this will be my first proper event since my stroke. I did a parkrun recently for the first time in over a year. It was tough but I managed it.
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“The running community is very supportive and that really ties in with the Red Dress Fun Run because it’s for everyone and anyone, no matter their age or ability which is great. I’m really looking forward to the day, and it will be a great way to mark how far I’ve come since last year.”
Last year, the Red Dress Fun Run had over 700 people take part, and the charity is once again hoping for a sea of red participants at this year’s event which takes place at Belfast’s Stormont Estate this Sunday, March 22.
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The request comes just months after Mamdani took office, following a bitter campaign in which the two Democrats frequently traded sharp, personal attacks.
The lawsuit, filed while Adams was still in office, alleges he assaulted Lorna Beach-Mathura in 1993, when he was a police officer, and demanded a sexual favor in exchange for helping advance her career within the department. Adams has strongly denied the claims and says he does not recall ever meeting her.
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A spokesperson for Adams said the former mayor “remains confident that the facts will ultimately prevail” (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
The Associated Press does not typically identify alleged victims of sexual assault in stories unless they consent to being named, as Beach-Mathura has done through her attorney.
In a statement, Todd Shapiro, a spokesperson for Adams, said the former mayor “remains confident that the facts will ultimately prevail.”
The motion from the city’s corporation counsel to withdraw from the civil case argues that Adams is not entitled to city-funded legal support because he was “not acting within the scope of his City employment” at the time of the alleged assault.
A spokesperson for Mamdani said Tuesday that the move was “made independently by the Corporation Counsel, as is required by law” and that the mayor “did not direct the Corporation Counsel to undertake this review, nor did he instruct the Corporation Counsel to reach a particular determination.”
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“Of course, Mayor Mamdani has full faith and confidence in the Corporation Counsel’s independent judgment and in his ability to reach the appropriate and just legal conclusions,” said the spokesperson, Dora Pekec.
Nevertheless, there has been no love lost between Mamdani and Adams.
Adams — who bowed out of last year’s Democratic primary following a federal corruption case that was ultimately dismissed after an extraordinary intervention from the Trump administration — ran for reelection as an independent, casting Mamdani as an out-of-touch liberal child of privilege.
Mamdani, meanwhile, sought to frame Adams as a corrupt leader whose warm relationship with the Trump administration compromised his ability to serve the city.
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Adams eventually withdrew from the race altogether, endorsing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo‘s candidacy, but he amped up his attacks against Mamdani in a bid to halt the young progressive’s political rise. At one point, Adams appeared to suggest without explanation that a terror attack could become more likely in the city if Mamdani was elected.
“New York can’t be Europe, folks,” Adams said at a campaign event where he endorsed Cuomo. “I don’t know what is wrong with people. You see what’s playing out in other countries because of Islamic extremism,” he continued, citing examples of recent terror attacks in Europe and Africa.
Mamdani went on to soundly defeat Cuomo in the city’s mayoral election in November, becoming the city’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest leader in generations. In the months since, Adams has continued to jab at his successor in social media posts.
In addition to the request to withdraw from Adams’ case, the city’s law department recently said it will no longer pay for legal representation for two close allies of Adams in separate matters.
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The case against Adams was brought under the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law that extended the time limit to bring sexual assault lawsuits. The woman first entered a claim in November 2023, just before the law’s expiration, and months later filed a detailed lawsuit against Adams.
At the time of the filings, the city’s corporation counsel described the allegations as “ludicrous” and said it expected “full vindication in court.”
The Wednesday letters page agrees with the backlash against Nvidia’s DLSS 5 tech, as one reader wonders why Öoo was never in the UK Indie World.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
No star review So the inevitable has finally happened and Starfield is coming to PlayStation 5 (but not Switch 2, for some reason, I noticed). As someone that has played the game on PC I would say now that it is not something to get excited about. I have no idea what the new story DLC will be but the problems with the game are so deep it’s literally impossible for it to fix it.
I really resent that game. It tied up Bethesda for years and is going to lead to something like a 20 year gap between Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls 6. 20 years! And the only other proper game they’ve made since then is Fallout 4. People talk about Sony wasting a generation, but Bethesda has wasted two. Skyrim was an Xbox 360 game, for pity’s sake!
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The worst thing is that thanks to Skyrim I have little faith in The Elder Scrolls 6 being worth the wait. Starfield has a shopping list of problems but one of the main ones is that it’s so old-fashioned. The dialogue system, the AI for companions, and the way towns work is almost exactly the same as Skyrim.
And then the one thing you’d want to be the same as Skyrim – the exploration and open world design – is completely missing. Instead of getting an amazing open world with a secret around every corner you get an infinite collection of identikit, randomly generated planets that are about as interesting to explore as Milton Keynes on a Sunday. So no, I would not recommend Starfield to any PlayStation owners. Korbie
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Consumer backlash GC always says the best way to stay positive about the games industry is to just go away and play some new games. That’s true but the other thing that gives me hope is how the majority of gamers are anti-AI, much more than you would expect of a hobby where technology is so important.
This Nvidia DLSS 5 tech is horrendous and emphasises the fact that AI is attempting the death of art. As if it wasn’t bad enough that all AI artwork looks the same, and it is everywhere because it’s so easy to make, now games have to look like it as well. The levels of uncanny valley are off the scale, while there’s no consistency of any kind (Grace doesn’t look anything like herself in AI-o-vision) and the lighting is terrible – like the game is constantly shining a high-powered spotlight at the screen.
As usual with AI, it’s all a solution to a problem that doesn’t actually exist and as usual I imagine Nvidia and other companies will respond to the intense, and very clear, negative reaction by… doubling down on it all and blaming gamers for not liking it. I don’t know about PlayStation 6 but it is very obvious that the next gen Xbox is going to do nonsense like this and I’m already sick of it. Zeiss
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Ugly future That Nvidia DLSS 5 stuff is so ugly, I can’t believe anyone involved thought it was a good idea. Do they not have eyes? Digital Foundry is getting so much grief for being positive about it and I can’t say they don’t deserve it.
What makes me laugh about all the comparison images is that the only game that looks halfway decent is Starfield, and that’s because it already had a bland art style with dead-eyed characters, so adding an AI filter of exactly that didn’t make it any worse.
The Resident Evil Requiem shots are laughable though and the idea of video game graphics no longer being what the developer intended but some on-the-fly guessing game made up by the AI is disgusting to me. The future sucks. Focus
Secret mode I love seeing the difference between how other companies show off their new products and updates and what Nintendo does. We get a big blog post and lots of details from Sony about their PSSR tech. Then we get some kind of preview blow-out from Nvidia about their AI thing, which seems to have blown up in their face. And then for Nintendo and their boost mode… they keep it a secret and don’t tell anyone.
I only found out about it from the news reports but giving it a quick twirl it does actually seem quite good. You can definitely see the difference it makes and that’s pretty rare in these instances, in my experience.
Now all we need is an annoucement for that ‘proper’ Nintendo Direct we’re all waiting for. Which could take place anywhere from tomorrow to December. Because it’s Nintendo and who knows what they’re ever thinking. St1nger
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Improved formula Am I missing something? All Resident Evil bosses are just run around, pop off a few shots, rinse and repeat. Not played Requiem yet but I can’t imagine it’s much different. Not that this is a bad thing but it is part of the formula.
I’m saying this as a massive fan too, but I love the games as an overall experience, in spite of the boss fights usually. Bobwallett
GC: You are missing that… maybe that part of the formula should be changed?
Spore reproduction I was thinking of old games that never got a sequel or modern day equivalent and I remembered Spore, which at the time it came out I was kind of obsessed with. For those that don’t know it was by the creator of SimCity and The Sims, so it was a big deal at the time, and was about controlling a species from microscopic organisms to space-faring aliens.
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That sounded great in theory but in reality it was just half a dozen minigames that weren’t that great. However, the creature designer was amazing and I had hours and hours of fun creating my own creatures and messing around the editor. It was the only thing at the time better than the WWE creator-a-wrestler.
I think it was a flop, so there was no sequel at the time and to be honest I haven’t heard anyone talk about it in years. I do feel it’s the sort of thing that could do very well today with an update though, as, to me at least, it was basically the Minecraft of its day in terms of you ignoring what the game was actually about and making your own stuff.
One of the big ideas was that the things you designed in the earlier eras carried through to the later ones but that wasn’t really very obvious when you played so I would focus more on that and making it more one game with the same controls rather than a bunch of separate ones. Civilization takes place over thousands of years but it’s still the same game, so something like that.
It couldn’t be an official sequel though, because it was by EA and I don’t see any chance they’d approve anything like that. Sandlow
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Nothing like it Thanks for the review of Öoo. I had never heard of this game until now and I don’t understand why it wasn’t in the UK Indie World. Surely the whole point of them is to highlight games just like this?
Given the low price I have bought it already and look forward to playing it tonight. I love seeing how unusual and imaginative indie games can be, compared to big budget games. Don’t get me wrong, I love myself a blockbuster, if it’s well done, but even something like Resident Evil Requiem is getting criticised for being original. That doesn’t seem to be a problem for Öoo. Royston
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Prehistoric gaming RE: Grackle and Mickah. Having just turned 50, and been around games since I can remember, I have some very old gaming first memories. I think the very earliest one would have been Escape for the ZX Spectrum – a simple maze game where you had to find a key to ‘escape’, avoiding dinosaurs as you ran around the map.
I also remember playing Gorf in the arcades around the same time, whilst on a family holiday to Swanage, and being amazed when my brother told me it was the word frog spelled backwards! (Well, I was only six at the time.)
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I’ll try and find the time to turn this into a Reader’s Feature as I’m pretty sure I can remember the first game I played on many formats, including Spike on the Vectrex, Shadow Of The Beast on the Amiga, Pac-Land on the Commodore 64, and Cuthbert Goes Walkabout on the Dragon 32.
Good memories, good times. Jonathan Foley Currently playing: Horace (Switch) and Virtual Boy (Switch 2)
GC: We look forward to that Reader’s Feature.
Inbox also-rans So this Clunkin’ Bell restaurant hasn’t even opened yet? We’re getting leaks and rumours about GTA knock-off restaurants but nothing about the actual game? That about says it all. Mentz
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I’m sorry but if DLSS 5 or anything like it is part of the PlayStation 6 then that’s it for me as far as gaming is concerned. These artless, cynical tech bros trying to destroy art, just because they can’t make it, is revolting to me. Devo
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JASPER, Ga. (AP) — There was a shooting Tuesday at a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in a small town at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains in Georgia, and the gunman was shot and killed, police said.
A Veterans Affairs employee was taken by helicopter to a hospital after the gunfire Tuesday afternoon, VA spokesman Peter Kasperowicz said.
Jasper police responded to the scene around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, the city said in a statement. Outside the VA clinic, the officers confronted the gunman, who was shot and killed, authorities said.
The gunman was from the Jasper area, Jasper Police Chief Matt Dawkins told reporters at the scene. But details about him were not immediately released.
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“We don’t know what led up to it,” Dawkins said.
Jimmy Mooney was shopping at a nearby Goodwill store when he heard gunfire.
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Emergency vehicles are seen outside a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Jasper, Ga., Tuesday, March 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilie Megnien)
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Emergency vehicles are seen outside a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Jasper, Ga., Tuesday, March 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Emilie Megnien)
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“We heard the gunshots going off,” he said. “There was probably 17 of us inside the Goodwill that was shopping, and, they had come and told us to get in the back of the store and during that time we could see the officers running down the hill. Gunshots started going off.”
The Jasper police chief said the Federal Bureau of Investigation will be investigating the shooting along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
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When asked about the suspect’s background, a Pickens County sheriff’s spokesman said he did not know whether he had a military background.
The clinic will remain closed for the rest of the week, Kasperowicz said.
“VA is rescheduling appointments as necessary and ensuring Veterans and staff have access to counseling and chaplain services in the wake of this tragic event,” he said in an email.
The VA’s Office of Inspector General will assist local authorities in the investigation, he added.
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The outpatient clinic in Jasper offers services that include primary care and specialty health services, including laboratory, telehealth and mental health care, according to its website.
Jasper, a town of about 5,000 people, is roughly 60 miles (97 km) north of downtown Atlanta. Signs on a highway through the town call it Georgia’s “First Mountain City” as the Blue Ridge Mountains come into view as motorists from Atlanta head north.
Photos from the local newspaper, the Pickens Progress, showed more than a half-dozen law enforcement officers responding to the scene, wearing tactical vests near a strip mall in the town.
The clinic opened in the summer of 2020, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said in a news release announcing its grand opening.
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“The new Pickens County VA Clinic will increase access and ensure that our Veterans continue to receive the high-quality health care that they have earned and deserve closer to their home,” officials said in the release.
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The conflict, which the United Nations estimates has displaced more than 100,000 people, intensified this week when Kabul said 400 people had been killed when a missile hit a hospital that treats drug addicts.
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Mr Karzai – who led Afghanistan between 2002 and 2014 after the Taliban were forced from power – said that he had heard the “horrific sound” of the bombing himself, that his house had shaken and that the area around it had filled with smoke and dust.
The strike was, he said, an “extremely unfortunate event” in the history of the relationship between the two countries.
Afghanistan-Pakistan violence: What’s behind it?
“The government of Pakistan has not been able to live with any Afghan government,” he told Sky News.
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“They didn’t do this well with the government and the monarchist regime in Afghanistan and then the Republic and then, subsequently other governments and then the Republic again, during my time in office, I went there 20 times to seek a better relationship.”
He claimed that Pakistan’s current government is again repeating the same attempt to cripple Kabul.
Mr Karzai said: “The unfortunate fact is that the government of Pakistan does not wish to have a sensible, reasonable, civilised relationship with Afghanistan.
“They rely on creating anarchy and weakness and a downtrodden Afghanistan these years, in their interest, which is terribly wrong, which I hope they will change their minds and look for a more stable and civilised relationship with Afghanistan.”
Mr Karzai added that he advised the Pakistani leadership to conduct itself in a “civilised way” with Afghanistan.
“Please stop the approaches that did not work in the past for decades and it may not work into the future,” he said.
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Pakistan has said its strikes “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure, including technical equipment storage and ammunition storage of Afghan Taliban” and other militants in Kabul and Nangarhar.
It added that the facilities were being used against innocent Pakistani civilians, and also said “false and misleading” claims that the site was struck were intended to stir sentiment and cover “illegitimate support for cross-border terrorism”.
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