KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities on Tuesday released American academic Dennis Coyle after holding him for over a year, with the foreign ministry saying the release came on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday that marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

A statement from the ministry said the academic researcher had been released in Kabul, the country’s capital, following an appeal from his family and after Afghanistan’s Supreme Court “considered his previous imprisonment sufficient.”

Coyle was detained in January 2025 on allegations of violating laws, although Afghan authorities never publicly stated what laws he was accused of having violated.

In a separate statement, the ministry indicated the United Arab Emirates and Qatar had helped mediate Coyle’s release, and said Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi had met in Kabul with former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad ahead of the release.

Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department announced the designation of Afghanistan as a sponsor of wrongful detention, accusing it of engaging in “hostage diplomacy.” Afghanistan joined Iran as countries singled out by the United States for detaining Americans in hopes of extracting policy concessions.

Afghanistan’s government rejected U.S. allegations that it detains foreigners to obtain leverage over other countries, saying Afghan authorities arrest people for violating laws not to make a deal.

Afghanistan released Coyle “based on humanitarian sympathy and goodwill, and believes that such steps can further strengthen the atmosphere of trust between countries,” the Foreign Ministry said in its statement, adding that Kabul “also expresses the hope that both countries will find solutions to the remaining problems through understanding and constructive dialogue in the future.”

The U.S. State Department had no immediate comment on Coyle’s release.

Afghan authorities are believed to hold at least one other U.S. national. Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan American businessman who worked as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications company, vanished in the country in 2022.

The FBI and Habibi’s family have said they believe he was taken by Taliban forces, but Afghan authorities have denied holding him.

Habibi’s brother, Ahmad Habibi, welcomed Coyle’s release but said in a statement that “we hope that our family will soon have the same feeling of relief, when Mahmood is returned home to us.”

Hot chicken is the fast food snack du jour and Cardiff’s got a new independent tenders and wings spot in the city centre

A popular city centre curry spot has closed but it’s not all bad news. Chai Street stood at its High Street home next to what was the Kitchen Shop, now Bosco, for more than a decade.

But Chai Street’s unit will not stay empty as it will be filled with Welsh hot chicken shop, Doolally Hot Chicken. It seems hot chicken is the ultimate trend in fast food right now as Doolally is opening right before TikTok sensation, and Drake-loved, Dave’s Hot Chicken is due to open the other end of the street this April.

Dave’s will be found on the corner of Caroline Street and St Mary Street and is known for head-popping hot seasonings and sauces. For the latest restaurant news and reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here

Doolally’s is blazing its own chicken trail and offering hot chicken boxes, sandos and wings with a system of five distinct global sauce options: Seoul (sweet soy, garlic-forward), Hanoi (tangy chilli, citrus lift), Kingston (smoke first, heat later), Bombay (deep heat, no sugar safety net), and Nashville (extreme heat, zero negotiation).

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They will have beer on tap and five cocktail options, keeping their concept simple and they claim they want to “reduce decision fatigue. Pick your chicken. Pick your heat. Have a beer.”

A spokesman said: “Doolally offers five global flavour lanes aka ‘options’ – each one a distinct cuisine rather than a spice level. Seoul is not a milder Nashville. Kingston is not a smokier Seoul.

“They are separate flavour systems drawn from street food traditions worldwide.”

Doolally is operated by Inspiring Restaurants Ltd, the same team behind Chai Street, which occupied the same address for years.

It’s not just Dave’s Hot Chicken that is planning to open in Cardiff, YouTube sensations The Sidemen have unveiled plans for a city centre restaurant, too. The chains are in addition to other global names like Wingstop, Popeye’s, Slim Chickens and, of course, KFC, to have venues in Cardiff.

Aside from Doolally’s, Cardiff also has a healthy independent hot chicken scene, with Fowl and Fury operating its piping hot tenders, wings and sauces in Canton and Cathays. Mr Croquewich at Bridge Studios will sate your fried chicken hankerings, too, and has some less brain-blowing heat options on their menu.

The March international break is in full swing with several Manchester United players remaining at Carrington over the next two weeks

Manchester United will have several players not on international duty over the next two weeks. As a result, those players will be expected to train at Carrington or work on their respective fitness or injury concerns.

United’s last match before the international break was the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth last week, a result which leaves the Reds in third place in the Premier League table and one point above fourth-placed Aston Villa.

Michael Carrick and Co. are not back in Premier League action until April 13, when they will host Leeds United at Old Trafford. United do not have a game the weekend of April 4/5 due to not being involved in the FA Cup, with the quarter-finals taking centre stage.

READ MORE: Senne Lammens explains training ground behaviour after leaving Man United with clear opinionREAD MORE: Training camp, friendly decision, momentum – What Manchester United will do with 24-day break

While several members of United’s squad are away with their respective national teams, some players are remaining at Carrington to train at the club’s base to maintain their fitness levels.

Patrick Dorgu is continuing to recover from a hamstring injury which has kept the defender on the sidelines since February. United posted a video on their official website of Dorgu working on his rehabilitation at Carrington.

Matthijs de Ligt (back) and Lisandro Martinez are also sidelined with injuries and will be working on their recovery during the international break.

United also confirmed that Bryan Mbeumo had been withdrawn from the Cameroon squad as a precaution, with the forward being withdrawn in the second half of their draw with Bournemouth last week. Before Mbeumo left the squad, the United player had been expected to feature in the friendly matches against Australia and China.

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Benjamin Sesko also withdrew from the Slovenia squad as he recovers from a minor fitness issue, with United hoping to have both players available after the international break.

Mason Mount and Luke Shaw were both not called up to the England squad for the friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, while Tom Heaton is retired from international football.

Tyrell Malacia and Joshua Zirkzee were not called up by Ronald Koeman for the Netherlands squad for their round of international matches.

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At Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Defence Secretary John Healey told ministers the UK had defended allies in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan from attacks overnight, “while a counter-drone team had brought down 13 drones during an attack on a joint base in Iraq”, No 10 said.

A well-known celebrity has revealed that he often spots Dame Mary Berry “in the village”, and that he and the former Great British Bake Off judge are, in fact, “local” to each other

A celebrity neighbour of Dame Mary Berry has shed light on the baking legend’s true colours, dubbing her an “icon”. As culinary favourite Mary turns 91 today (March 24), well-known radio host Vernon Kay has remarked that he spots her “in the village” on occasion, revealing that he and the former Bake Off judge are, in fact, “local” to each other.

Vernon, who lives in a six-bedroom property in the town of Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, with his wife, Tess Daly, shared the revelation on Tuesday morning’s episode of his BBC Radio 2 show.

After he noted that it’s Mary’s birthday today, Vernon played a clip from her 90s series Mary Berry at Home, in which she walked viewers through the process of preparing a Canterbury tart.

Afterwards, Vernon said: “I see her every now and again in the village, Mary Berry. She’s local to us, or we’re local to her. Very, very sweet lady. Always good fun and an icon.”

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He didn’t reveal the precise village that he was referring to on air, but past reports have placed Mary’s former home in the village of Penn, where she is said to have resided for more than 30 years in a Grade II-listed property.

However, it’s believed that Mary has lived in Henley-on-Thames, a town on the edge of the left bank of the River Thames in south Oxfordshire, with her husband, Paul J.M. Hunnings, since 2019.

Penn is a short nine-minute drive to Beaconsfield, while Henley-on-Thames is slightly further away, about 28 minutes by car, so it would suggest that Mary and Vernon still live within 30 miles of each other.

Meanwhile, a funny story has recently resurfaced about Mary’s run-in with the law, which she previously recounted during an episode of The Graham Norton Show, while chatting to Claudia Winkleman.

She explained that 25 years prior, she was asked to travel to the US to take part in cookery demonstrations. But she would ultimately land in hot water as she’s “very particular” about “getting everything right”.

Mary said: “I also try to look ahead, so I thought I ought to have my recipes, all the ingredients, weighed out in case the plane is late, or in case the connections aren’t right.

“I can go straight on stage to do my cookery demonstrations. So, I weighed out each recipe in little bags, and I had the flour and the sugar and everything grouped together, so that I could lift it out for the first recipe and so on.

“When we arrived, there were dogs, and I love dogs, and I was just ready to go and they all, three of them came up with their noses sort of like this [does the impression], and I thought ‘come along’, but they didn’t want to know me.

“They just began and then suddenly the airport became empty, and there were just uniformed people, and I was with Lucy Young, my assistant. They parted us – Lucy there, me there – into two cells.”

Claudia jokingly said Mary was in a cell with a “selection of packets containing white powder”. It was further disclosed that police asked Mary if she was expecting to “make money” from them.

She replied: “Oh, I do, and my fee has already been agreed.”

Officers were called to Richmond Court in Middlesbrough at about 8.30pm yesterday evening (Monday, March 23), following reports of an assault.

A man sustained two stab wounds to his leg, and he was taken to hospital where his injuries were deemed not life-threatening.

A spokesperson from Cleveland Police said: “Enquiries are ongoing.

“Anyone with information is urged to contact Cleveland Police on 101, quoting reference number 054606.”

NHS staff describe 40-minute queues on Hinchingbrooke Park Road as an “absolute nightmare”. Readers debated solutions from parking charges to better cycling infrastructure

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CambridgeshireLive readers have been sharply divided over who or what is to blame for mounting congestion around Hinchingbrooke, after NHS workers described daily jams near the hospital. Dozens weighed in beneath our report, setting out competing solutions – from tougher parking and SUV charges to calls for better active travel infrastructure and planning that matches the area’s rapid growth.

Hospital staff have described traffic along a road where you can queue for up to 40 minutes at peak times as an “absolute nightmare”. Some staff at Hinchingbrooke Hospital and the Hinchingbrooke estate deal with traffic problems on Hinchingbrooke Park Road daily.

Especially during peak times, residents and staff never know how long it will take to get out of the road. One worker from Hinchingbrooke Hospital, who wished to remain anonymous, said she finds it an “absolute nightmare” to leave the hospital and get onto the road after leaving work at 3.30pm.

“I finish work and never know if I will have to queue down the road or not,” said the worker. She added: “It can be stressful working for the NHS, and when you finish work, you just want to drive home without sometimes having to sit in your car for 30 to 40 minutes to get to the bottom of the road.

“We very often have to queue to get out of the staff car park at the top of the hospital before we even join Hinchingbrooke Park Road. This is because the traffic is just backed up all the way down the road up to the hospital, and everyone is trying to get out.”

Multiple readers suggested the swiftest solution would be reducing non-essential vehicle journeys. One user, Windypants, comments: “The problem is people unnecessarily driving into offices when they could just work from home or cycle.”

Freddly adds: “There are clearly many things to say here. Firstly, parking at the hospital should be free for disabled, frequent outpatient attenders, parents of children staying overnight, and staff working night shifts (7.0pm to 8am). Everybody else should be paying much, much more.

“Secondly, it needs to cost much more to drive an ambulance-blocking SUV, both at point of sale and day to day costs for using it. That is a simply social-justice, and it verges on criminal that so few cities are doing it. Above all, if you are a driver yourself, don’t blame the council. Take some responsibility yourself.”

Whynot2 answers: “Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Hinchingbrooke School, Cambs Police HQ, Cambs F&R Service, a Primary School, Hinchingbrooke County Park, add one or two houses, it’s no wonder the road can become gridlocked. I assume that some people work from home, people do walk and cycle, you can see them in the morning and late afternoon/early evening going to and from the railway station. Why should the people who may one day save your life, who just happens to work the day shift have to pay more to park?”

Skipper writes: “Same old story – anti-car councils not catering for people’s preferred mode of travel. Parking should be free everywhere – after all, we pay councils a fortune in tax. Everyone is buying SUVs because our roads are breaking ordinary vehicles. I blame the council.”

Campete2 disagrees: “It’s the other way round. Councils are encouraging more motorists, leading to more congestion. It’s been proven time and again that the way to reduce congestion is to reduce the number of cars. Investment in active travel reduces congestion, and is far and away the most cost-effective way to improve the state of our roads – giving better and quicker journeys for motorists.”

Whynot2 answers: “I wouldn’t blame the council, blame the developers it’s still the same road that was built when the hospital was built and Hinchingbrooke School had two sites. Is the road between the houses and the business park still closed? You have the traffic coming off the A1307 straight onto the same road that leads up to the hospital.”

How would you solve the traffic issues around Hinchingbrooke? Comment below or HERE to join in the debate.

The World Snooker Championship will remain at the Crucible in Sheffield until 2045, with the venue set to be refurbished to add up to 500 additional seats.

The new long-term deal at the 980-capacity theatre also includes an option to extend it to 2050.

During the redevelopment period after the 2028 edition, the tournament will be hosted in 2029 at an alternative venue.

National and local government will supply £35m of the £45m revamp cost, with the other £10m coming from the private sector.

Snooker’s premier event has been staged at the Crucible since 1977, with the current deal running until 2027.

Matchroom Sport president Barry Hearn said last April that the tournament would have to move from its long-time home after 2027 if the venue was not revamped or replaced.

Hearn said the venue was “no longer fit for purpose” but added the World Snooker Tour ideally “want to stay” at the Sheffield theatre.

China and Saudi Arabia were suggested as possible alternatives for hosting the tournament.

“For over 50 years, I have been promoting sport all over the world, but no venue on this planet means more to me than the Crucible,” Hearn said of the new deal.

“My thanks must go to Sheffield City Council for all of their hard work in ensuring this great tournament remains at its spiritual home.”

Last May, Zhao Xintong made history to became the first player from China to win the World Championship.

Some players, including Ronnie O’Sullivan and Iran’s Hossein Vafaei, have criticised the venue for being too small but 2005 champion Shaun Murphy called it “holy ground” for competitors.

Up until the semi-finals, the World Snooker Championship is played with a two-table set-up, meaning space is tight and the fans are close to the players.

Other significant improvements such as enhanced spectator facilities will be included in the refurbishment.

A body has been discovered following another fire in a house in Ireland where two people were murdered in an arson attack in December.

Four-year-old Tadhg Farrell and his great-aunt Mary Holt, 60, were killed in the fire at the County Offaly home last year.

Police are now investigating “all the circumstances” of the latest blaze at Castleview Park in Edenderry.

An Garda Siochana spokesperson said: “The body of an adult person has been discovered inside the premises.

“A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death, which will determine the course of any Garda investigation.”

The scene has been preserved for forensic examination and gardai are appealing for anybody with any information on this house fire to contact them.

The first fire also left the four-year-old’s grandmother in hospital with serious burn injuries. A man in his late 20s who had been detained on suspicion of murder was released without charge in January.

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Superintendent Liam Geraghty described the December fire as a “reckless, callous and murderous attack on a family home”.

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