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.
A crash which started a car fire and left the vehicle on its side saw emergency services called on Saturday, March 14. Cambridgeshire Police were called at around 2pm to a crash on Broadway in Bourn.
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The vehicle that had crashed had set on fire. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue also attended.
A crew from Cambridge along with a south roaming fire engine were called but no firefighting action was required. No one was seriously injured during the incident.
A Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: “This was a road traffic collision on Broadway in Bourn on Saturday 14th. A crew from Cambridge along with the south roaming fire engine attended however no firefighting action was required.
“The crews made the area safe and returned to their stations by 3.30pm.”
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A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Police said: “We were called at about 2pm to Broadway in Bourn with reports of a single vehicle collision which resulted in the car being on fire. No serious injuries.”
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Arsenal starlet Max Dowman became the Premier League’s youngest-ever goal scorer in a 2-0 win over Everton at the weekend
Mikel Arteta can draw lessons from Arsene Wenger’s mistakes in managing a developing Theo Walcott as he guides Max Dowman at Arsenal. The 16-year-old became the Premier League’s youngest-ever goalscorer at the weekend.
Arteta demonstrated confidence in the youngster on Saturday and introduced him as Arsenal chased the game versus Everton. Dowman didn’t let him down, with his 89th-minute delivery causing havoc and resulting in Viktor Gyokeres’ breakthrough. The icing on the cake arrived in stoppage time when he etched his name into the record books as the top flight’s youngest scorer.
An unavoidable excitement now envelops Dowman in circumstances reminiscent of Walcott’s breakthrough in 2006. Walcott earned a call-up to the England squad for that year’s World Cup following his displays, though Arteta can take lessons from this episode and keep Dowman grounded.
Having only joined Arsenal in January 2006, a teenage Walcott, aged 17, was selected in Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Three Lions squad for the World Cup in Germany that summer after demonstrating tremendous potential.
Walcott didn’t get a chance to play but has since confessed that the call-up was a blunder and he was swamped by attention. Speaking on The Overlap in 2023, he admitted: “Honestly, as a 17-year-old going to the World Cup for me, I should never have gone, I’ve said this.
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“Essentially, you try telling a 17-year-old to go and say they’re not going to the World Cup for England, I wasn’t going to do that. I hadn’t asked for it but the manager saw something in me and in the end I didn’t play.”
When questioned if England or Wenger should have done more to protect him at such a tender age, Walcott responded: “Probably both I’d say, because I’d already played up an age for England, so I was already in the books of ‘Keep an eye on this kid,’ I suppose.
“I probably could’ve been protected in that sense. I knew Sven was coming into training and I didn’t think anything of it. Obviously, you’ve got Ashley [Cole] and Sol [Campbell].
“Then I remember Arsene saying, ‘He’s going to watch you’ and I’m like ok, alright, just thinking for the future type of thing. Then suddenly, that happened, and my whole life changed.”
Following the 2-0 victory over Everton on Saturday, Arteta was asked if Dowman could make a last-minute entry into Thomas Tuchel’s squad for this year’s World Cup. His simple response was: “I don’t know. I haven’t heard that. But let’s go game by game, please.”
Evidently, Wenger’s inability to shield Walcott during his teenage years was a mistake. Arteta can heed this warning and has already begun to prevent a similar problem with Dowman by discouraging any England talk, which, it seems, would be the correct course of action.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky shows at least 215 live Premier League games each season, an increase of up to 100, plus Formula 1, darts, golf and more.
It announced on Tuesday when changes would be taking effect
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has today confirmed when new rules will be introduced for car driving test bookings, which it said would make the system fairer and give learners control of their booking. From May 12, 2026, only learner drivers will be able to book or change a car driving test, while from June 9, 2026, location limitations will apply when moving a booked test.
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This follows DVSA’s announcement that from March 31, 2026, the number of changes a learner driver is allowed to make to a car driving test booking will be cut to two, reduced from six. The upcoming changes, which follow a nationwide consultation on improving the booking rules, are part of a crackdown on third-party services abusing the test booking system.
They aim to reduce the reselling of driving tests and will create a level playing field for learner drivers, giving them more control over their learning to drive journey.
Roads and Buses Minister, Simon Lightwood, said: “Learning to drive is hard enough without an unfair booking system. Learners deserve clear, honest access to tests – not being ripped off by third-party sites.
“These changes put learners back in control, stop the system being gamed, and help make sure tests go to those who really need them. I welcome DVSA’s action to make things fairer and support learners on their journey to becoming safe, confident drivers.”
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Beverley Warmington, DVSA’s new chief executive, said: “We have listened to learners, driving instructors and voices from across the driver training industry on how to make the booking rules fairer. Our priority is to stop learners being exploited by third parties and put them in control of booking their driving test. The changes announced today will help us achieve that goal and build on the more than 149,000 additional tests delivered between April 2025 and February 2026.”
Driving test booking changes from May 2026
From May 12, 2026, third parties will not be able to book or change practical car driving tests for learner drivers. This includes unofficial test booking and cancellation finder services and driving instructors.
Learners who can’t book a test on GOV.UK and need additional support will still be able to book a test by calling DVSA’s customer service centre. DVSA said it would also introduce terms and conditions for public bookings and introduce a declaration that all car learner drivers must accept before they can complete or change their test booking.
This aims to allow DVSA to take action against those who knowingly break the rules, including where third parties book a driving test on behalf of a learner. Additionally, from June 9, 2026, learners will be able to move their driving test only to the three nearest driving test centres.
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It said that introducing a location restriction “will help deter bookings at locations where the learner doesn’t intend to take their test. This will give a clearer view on which areas have the highest demand, allowing DVSA to better manage and focus driving examiner resources”.
It added: “Introducing these changes will disrupt cancellation finding services and make it fairer for learner drivers when searching for and booking their test. When the new rules come in, learners should only ever pay the actual fee DVSA charges – £62 on weekdays and £75 on evenings, weekends and bank holidays – giving them greater control and confidence when booking a driving test.”
Driving instructors and driving schools will still be able to work with their learner drivers to agree when they are test-ready and offer advice and support throughout their learning and booking journey, including via the DVSA Ready to Pass? campaign. They will also be able to set times they’re available to take pupils to their test, preventing learners from booking tests at times that don’t work for their instructors.
Why the driving test changes are being made
The changes follow a consultation on improving driving test booking rules, which ran from May 28 to July 23, 2025 and received more than 100,000 responses. DVSA said that 70.7 per cent of respondents to the consultation agreed or strongly agreed with the idea of limiting bookings to learner drivers only. It added that 42.5 per cent agreed or strongly agreed to restricting the number of swaps or changes an individual could make to their test.
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The consultation looked at the ways DVSA could improve the rules for booking driving tests. Of the 93,421 responses we analysed, 72 per cent of respondents were learner drivers. 7.7 per cent of respondents were parents or guardians who booked a test for a learner and 9.9 per cent of respondents were an ADI or trainee driving instructor.
Respondents were asked for their views on two main areas where DVSA could change the driving test booking system. These involved who could book and manage driving tests and how driving test changes could be managed.
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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