Syrian authorities' new limits on alcohol sales in Damascus spark backlash

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Crowds of Syrians rallied Sunday to protest authorities' efforts to limit the sale and consumption of alcohol in Damascus, reflecting rising anxiety in the cosmopolitan capital that Syria's new Islamist government may threaten long-held secular freedoms.

Syria Alcohol Restrictions

Hundreds of residents from a range of religious sects poured into a grassy square in Bab Touma, a Christian neighborhood in Damascus, chanting "Syrians are united!" and brandishing signs that urged the government to safeguard personal liberties and religious minorities.

"This is not about whether we want to drink alcohol, this is about personal freedom," said Isa Qazah, a 45-year-old sculptor from the area who joined the protest along the medieval stone lanes near Damascus' Old City. "We have come here to defend an idea."

Heavily armed security forces surrounded the protesters. The demonstration passed without incident.

The controversy erupted last week, when the governor of Damascus issued a decree banning "the provision of alcoholic beverages of all kinds in restaurants and nightclubs" across the capital. Within three months, it says, restaurants must have tossed out their wine lists and bar and club owners must have traded their licenses for cafe permits.

The decision, which authorities said was made "at the request of the local community," came as the interim government of former Islamist rebel and nowPresident Ahmed al-Sharaafaces growing pressure from hard-liners to impose more conservative religious values. Al-Sharaa has not publicly weighed in on the alcohol debate.

More than a year after his movement oustedformer President Bashar Assad, Syria is still reeling from 14 years ofcivil warand five decades of dictatorship as it struggles todefine its future.

A member of theAlawite religious minority, Assad espoused a secular ideology to retain the support offellow minoritiesin the Sunni-majority nation. Under his family dynasty,Syrians had littlein the way of civic or political freedoms. But they could drink alcohol, party at nightclubs and dress how they pleased.

After beingnamed the interim president, al-Sharaa vowed to unite the country andrespect pluralism. He has so far tread lightly when it comes to imposing social restrictions. Yet Syria's many religious and ethnic groupsremain on edge.

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Sectarian attacksby pro-government Sunni fighters have killed hundreds ofAlawitesandDruzeover the past year.

Concerns over fresh violence

Protesters on Sunday said they feared the latest alcohol restrictions could further fuel thosetensions, as the decree allows alcohol to be sold in three predominantly Christian neighborhoods.

Still, establishments in Bab Touma, al-Qassaa and Bab Sharqi can't serve booze on site, and shops in those three areas can sell alcohol only in sealed take-away bottles. Vendors also must keep at least 75 meters (246 feet) away from mosques and schools, and 20 meters (65 feet) away from police stations and government offices.

Some said that in singling out Christians, authorities are framing them as responsible for what the decree describes as "violations of public morals." Although Islamic law prohibits the consumption of alcohol, Damascus is full of secular Muslims.

"How our are neighborhoods are violating public etiquette? The division this creates is unfair and irresponsible," said Fawaz Bahauddin Khawja, a Christian lawyer at the rally. "This is the real face of Damascus. The only flag we raise is the Syrian flag."

As criticism flared ahead of the protest, Damascus authorities issued a statement late Saturday apologizing to the city's Christian population "for any misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the decision." It also clarified that hotels will be spared the booze restrictions.

"This decision does not interfere with citizens' personal freedoms," the statement read. "The regulation of alcohol sales exists in all countries, with differences in how it's applied and enforced."

Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre in Beirut contributed to this report.

byAlex Forten

in

March 22, 2026

Syrian authorities' new limits on alcohol sales in Damascus spark backlash

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Crowds of Syrians rallied Sunday to protest authorities' efforts to limit the sale and consump...

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Cuba's deputy foreign minister says it is preparing for possible U.S. 'military aggression'

Cuba's deputy foreign minister said Saturday that the nation's military is preparing for "the possibility of military aggression" from the U.S. and that it would be "naive" for Cuba's leaders to ignore the possibility of conflict.

"Our military is always prepared, and in fact it is preparing these days for the possibility of military aggression," Carlos Fernández de Cossío told NBC News' "Meet the Press" in an interview that aired Sunday.

"We would be naive" not to consider the possibility of conflict, he added, "looking at what's happening around the world."

Fernández de Cossío said the country's leaders "truly hope that it doesn't occur. We don't see why it would have to occur, and we find no justification whatsoever."

Tensions between the U.S. and Cuba have been escalating following the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of that nation's president,Nicolás Maduro, who had a close relationship with Cuba's leadership.

During a press conference following the operation, U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that military intervention in Cuba could be next, with Rubiosaying at the time, "If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I'd be concerned."

In January, the presidentsigned an executive orderthreatening to impose tariffs on goods from countries that sold or provided oil to Cuba. Residents of the island havesuffered daily power outagesamidthe U.S. blockade. Power grids in the countrycollapsedSaturday, leaving the country without electricity for a third time this month.

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On Saturday, Fernández de Cossío said the oil blockade is the result of the United States' aggression against Cuba and it "cannot be sustained forever."

"What's happening today is that the U.S. is threatening with coercive measures countries that might export fuel to Cuba, and that's the reason why Cuba has not received fuel for a long time," the deputy foreign minister said. "It is very severe, and we are acting as proactively as we can to cope with the situation. We do hope that fuel will reach Cuba one way or the other, and that this boycott that the United States has been imposing does not last and cannot be sustained forever."

Earlier this month, Trump said that Cuba "is going to fall pretty soon" and its leaders "want to make a deal so badly." Later in the month, Trump told reportershe would have the "honor"of taking Cuba, saying, "I think I could do anything I want with it." Those comments came just a few days after Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canal acknowledged that Cuban leaderswere in talks with U.S. leadersto make a deal and avoid military conflict.

On Saturday, responding to Trump's comments about having the "honor" of taking over Cuba, Fernández de Cossío said, "We don't know what they're talking about. But I can tell you this, Cuba is a sovereign country and has the right to be a sovereign country."

Fernández de Cossío also responded to comments Rubio made at the White House this week in which the secretary of state told reporters that Cuba is "in a lot of trouble, and the people in charge are — they don't know how to fix it, so they have to get new people in charge."

The Cuban official insisted that regime change was not on the table in talks between the two nations.

"The nature of the Cuban government, the structure of the Cuban government and the members of the Cuban government are not part of the negotiation. That is something that no sovereign country negotiates," Fernández de Cossío told "Meet the Press."

Asked whether Cuban leaders would be prepared to allow more than one political party to operate in the country, Fernández de Cossío slammed the U.S. political system, saying, "It's a domestic issue of Cuba. The United States has only two political parties that can go to government. Are they ready to negotiate, to have 10 with equal possibilities of getting to the presidency, of getting in Congress? I'm sure the United States would not negotiate that with any country."

byAlex Forten

in

March 22, 2026

Cuba's deputy foreign minister says it is preparing for possible U.S. 'military aggression'

Cuba's deputy foreign minister said Saturday that the nation's military is preparing for "the possibility of...

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Iran refuses to back down after Trump issues 48-hour deadline over Strait of Hormuz

Tehran has threatened to escalate strikes on energy infrastructure and target critical water desalination facilities should PresidentDonald Trumpmake good on a promise to"obliterate" the country's power plantsif it does not reopen theStrait of Hormuz.

Trump on Saturday evening gave Tehran a48-hour deadlineto reopen the critical trade route, through which around 20% of the world's oil passes, threatening in a post onTruth Socialto target Iran's energy infrastructure if the demand is not met.

Iran has effectively blocked the strait since the U.S. and Israellaunched their attackson the country on Feb. 28, sparking swift retaliation from the Islamic Republic and triggering a wider war in the region.

Threats of retaliation

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told NBC News' "Meet the Press" on Sunday that the Trump administration was leaving "all options on the table" when it comes to seeing the strait reopened.

Asked by moderator Kristen Welker whether the U.S. was scaling back the war against Iran or escalating, he said those two things were "not mutually exclusive."

"Sometimes you have to escalate to de-escalate," he said.

Tehran on Sunday morning showed no signs of backing down, responding to Trump's ultimatum with its own threat of retaliation as it vowed to strike U.S. and Israeli infrastructure in the region in response to any attack on its power plants.

"If Iran's fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked, then fuel, energy, information technology systems and desalination infrastructure used by America and the regime in the region will be struck," Col. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesman for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya military command headquarters, warned on Sunday, according to the IRNA Iranian state news agency.

Desalination, the process of creating drinkable water from seawater, is critical to supplying water across Israel and many of Iran's Gulf neighbors.

Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament, echoed those threats in a post on X on Sunday, warning that "critical infrastructure, energy and oil across the region will be irreversibly destroyed and oil prices will rise for a long time" if Iran's power plants are struck.

Trump's ultimatum came as the war consuming the Middle East entered its fourth week, with Iran targeting a joint U.K.-U.S. base in the Indian Ocean on Saturday, whilenuclear sites in both Iran and Israelwere attacked.

The Iranian judiciary's official news agency, Mizan, reported that there was no leakage following the strike on its Natanz nuclear facility.

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The International Atomic Energy Agency said that no abnormal off-site radiation levels had been observed following that attack, or from an Iranian strike close to an Israeli nuclear site in Dimona.

'Limited options'

Ross Harrison, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and the author of "Decoding Iran's Foreign Policy," said Trump's threat suggested the president is facing "limited options to open the strait — and I think that may be dawning on him."

"Unless they completely obliterate all potential for the Iranians to respond, which is, I don't believe would be the case, military means alone to open the strait probably would not have the desired effect of easing up on the oil markets and on pricing," Harrison said in a phone interview Sunday.

"The ships are not going to pass, and insurance companies aren't going to insure ships as long as it's an active war," he said.

With Iranian attacks on ships in the area of the Strait of Hormuz effectively closing it off to maritime traffic, oil prices have soared globally, with retail gas prices rising 93 cents per gallon and the price of U.S. crude oil going up more than 70% since the start of the year.

Iran has allowed a small number of vessels to transit through the strait. Ali Mousavi, the country's representative to the United Nations maritime agency, told China's state news agency Xinhua on Friday that vessels except those that "belong to our enemies" could seek Tehran's permission to pass, though Iran has attacked a number of ships that are not American or Israeli.

The Trump administrationsaid Fridayit had lifted some sanctions to allow the sale of oil produced in Iran in the latest bid to temper soaring energy prices. Meanwhile, earlier this month, it also lifted the Jones Act, easing some shipping regulations on oil, with some sanctions on Russian oil also lifted temporarily.

Trump has repeatedlycalled on U.S. alliesto aid in clearing the Strait of Hormuz to little avail, telling reporters on Friday that China, Japan and NATO should be intervening.

Unlikely to capitulate

Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, an associate fellow at Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa program, said it was "unlikely" Tehran would "cave into the pressure" Trump is seeking to build.

"I think this is the result of lack of planning and the fact that the Trump administration didn't foresee the ... response from the Iranian side," she said on Sunday. "But the threats are not likely to have any impact, and Iran is actually going to continue trying to escalate the costs, thinking that this is the only way for the U.S. and therefore for Israel as well to stop threatening further action once this war is over."

Harrison said it was time for Trump to start looking for a viable off-ramp to exit the war against Iran, rather than "moving up the escalation ladder." The question remained, however, whether Tehran would be willing to "let him leave" the spiraling war.

Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said on Sunday that the armed forces' military doctrine had "changed from defensive to offensive" and that "battlefield tactics" had been adjusted accordingly, the semiofficial Fars news agency reported.

"The outcome of the war depends on the will of both sides and in Iran there is unified determination among the people, fighters and leadership to continue until the aggressor is punished, damages are compensated and future deterrence is ensured," he said.

byAlex Forten

in

March 22, 2026

Iran refuses to back down after Trump issues 48-hour deadline over Strait of Hormuz

Tehran has threatened to escalate strikes on energy infrastructure and target critical water desalination facilities shou...

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An injured star, dominant top seeds and Hall of Fame coaches face off. Here’s what to know for Sunday’s March Madness action

We've had buzzer-beaters,upsets, top seedsnarrowly survivingand national title contenders looking like, well, national title contenders.

It's been a mad, mad weekend and the Sweet 16 in the men's and women's NCAA tournament is starting to take shape.

With eight more games scheduled for Sunday, the men's tournament will wrap up its first two rounds on Sunday. The women, meanwhile, are just getting started with the Round of 32, finishing up their first weekend action on Monday.

Here's what you need to know for Sunday's action.

Iowa State and its injured star

The Midwest No. 2 seed Iowa State Cyclones looked like Final Four contenders on Friday as they eclipsed the century mark with a resounding 108-74 win over the Tennessee State Tigers.

But the joy was tempered by an injury to the Cyclones' second-team All-American Joshua Jefferson. The senior forward landed awkwardly after a layup and rolled his ankle. Jefferson left the court with assistance from athletic trainers and later returned with a boot on his injured left leg.

The 22-year-old was taken for an x-ray, which came back negative, and was diagnosed with a left ankle sprain, team head coach TJ Otzelberger told reporters after the game.

"We will continue to reevaluate over the next day or two and just see where things are when we get to Sunday and we figure out what time we play," Otzelberger added.

Iowa State will face the No. 7 seed Kentucky Wildcats in St. Louis, Missouri, in the second round. Kentucky is in the game thanks to the standout moment of the tournament,a buzzer-beating 3-pointerthat sent their game against Santa Clara into overtime, where they eventually pulled away.

Florida and Arizona look to cruise

The top seeds playing on Sunday barely broke a sweat in their opening games on Friday.

Florida put the hurt on Prairie View A&M on Friday, more than doubling them up with a 114-55 win. Arizona, meanwhile, barely had to get out of second gear against Long Island University, sending the viral 16-seed home after a 92-58 beatdown.

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The Gators and Wildcats are Final Four picks for many bracketologists (professional and amateur alike), and it's likely that they'll not exactly face huge tests on Sunday. The Gators take on Iowa and Arizona takes on Utah State.

If either the Hawkeyes or the Aggies pull off the major upset, ignore everything you just read.

Bill Self vs. Rick Pitino

What a tasty matchup of coaches we'll get in the Kansas-St. John's game.

Two Hall of Fame coaches with multiple national titles going up against each other for a spot in the Sweet 16 – there are few things better.

Self and Kansas have been to 11 Sweet 16s during their time together, which began in 2003, but are looking to get to the second weekend for the first time since winning the 2022 national title. Kansas put together a 24-10 record this year and escaped California Baptist with an eight-point victory on Friday in a game that the Jayhawks would have liked to be a little less stressful.

Pitino and St. John's, meanwhile, had that stressless experience. The Johnnies – smarting at being chosen as a 5-see despite being the Big East regular season and tournament champions – smacked Northern Iowa 79-53 and are looking to go further than they did in last year's tournament. In that Round of 32 defeat to Arkansas, Pitino was defeated by another Hall of Fame contemporary, John Calipari and Arkansas.

Pitino has been to the Sweet 16 with three different schools – Providence, Kentucky and Louisville – and will be looking to take St. John's to the second weekend for the first time this century; the last time St. John's made it to the tournament's second weekend was 1999.

Will there be any upsets in the women's tournament?

Friday was the chalkiest day possible in the women's bracket as not a single upset took place in the Round of 64. With those same teams taking to the court on Sunday, the question remains: Can any of the underdogs pull off a win?

With three different 4 vs. 5 matches, it's possible that one of those teams (Ole Miss, Maryland and Michigan State, which narrowly avoided an upset in its opening game) could pull off the mini upset and advance. But they'll face the unique challenge in the women's tournament that the opening rounds are played in the highest-seeded team's home arena so all three of those teams will playing road games against Minnesota, UNC and Oklahoma respectively.

Otherwise, expect more dominant performances by the tournament's top teams. Michigan, LSU, Duke, TCU and Texas all rolled in their opening games. The closest contest was Duke's 17-point win over the College of Charleston, and most of those games were decided by 30 or more points.

Men's schedule

• No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 7 Miami at 12:10 p.m. ET on CBS

• No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 7 Kentucky at 2:45 p.m. ET on CBS

• No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 5 St. John's at 5:15 p.m. ET on CBS

• No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 6 Tennessee at 6:10 p.m. ET on TNT

• No. 1 Florida vs. No. 9 Iowa at 7:10 p.m. ET on TBS

• No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 9 Utah State at 7:50 p.m. ET on truTV

• No. 2 UConn vs. No. 7 UCLA at 8:45 p.m. ET on TNT

• No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 5 Texas Tech at 9:45 p.m. ET on TBS

Women's schedule

• No. 4 UNC vs. No. 5 Maryland at noon ET on ESPN

• No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 7 NC State at 1 p.m. ET on ABC

• No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Ole Miss at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN

• No. 2 LSU vs. No. 7 Texas Tech at 3 p.m. ET on ABC

• No. 3 Duke vs. No. 6 Baylor at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN

• No. 1 Texas vs. No. 8 Oregon at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN

• No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 5 Michigan State at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN

• No. 3 TCU vs. No. 6 Washington at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byAlex Forten

in

March 22, 2026

An injured star, dominant top seeds and Hall of Fame coaches face off. Here’s what to know for Sunday’s March Madness action

We've had buzzer-beaters,upsets, top seedsnarrowly survivingand national title contenders looking like, well, nationa...

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Dan Hurley, Mick Cronin to meet in March Madness: 'We're not coaching Little League'

PHILADELPHIA, PA —ConnecticutandUCLAare two of the biggest brands incollege basketball,but have a sparse history against each other, meeting only once in the Elite Eight of the 1995 Men's NCAA Tournament.

That all changes at 8:45 p.m. ET on Sunday inside Xfinity Mobile Area, where aberth to the Sweet 16will be on the line.

REQUIRED READING:How UConn's Tarris Reed Jr. terrorized Furman to avoid March Madness upset

It also features two of the more passionate, emotional, and fierce coaches in men's college basketball with UConn's DanHurleyand the Bruins'Mick Cronin.

"It's ridiculous. Everybody needs to get a life," Cronin said Saturday, March 21 when asked if he cares about how people perceive Hurley and himself. "You want to win big? Do you think Coach Hurley's not supposed to be intense, but you want to win? We're not coaching Little League."

UCLA associate head coach Darren Savino knows about Hurley and Cronin's passion better than most. Savino grew up "literally on the same block" as Hurley in Jersey City, New Jersey and played for Hurley's father, Bobby Hurley Sr., at St. Anthony High School alongside Hurley's older brother, Bobby Hurley Jr. He has been on Cronin's staff at UCLA for seven years and has been coaching with Cronin for 18 seasons.

"Two of the most competitive coaches that you'll come across," Savino told USA TODAY Sports. "Both guys don't like to lose."

While there are other college coaches who are as fiery and competitive as Hurley and Cronin, Savino said what sets these two apart is how consistently they maintain their competitive edge.

"It's not just on game day or once in a while. They're elite at bringing the competitive edge every single day and that's why their teams play that way," Savino added.

REQUIRED READING:Top March Madness scorers: Who is leading scorer in 2026 NCAA Tournament?

Hurley and Cronin met three times in their careers, first in November 2016, as coaches at Rhode Island and Cincinnati, respectively. When Hurley moved to take over UConn in 2018-19, Cronin took a 2-1 lead in the all-time series, sweeping the regular-season series when both programs were in American Athletic Conference play.

Hurley recalled the culture of Cronin's teams and "how hard they play" from those matchups.

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"They (UCLA) play a lot differently than those teams played in Cincinnati, but the culture, the standards, how hard they play, the quality of shots they take, the discipline they play with. That never changes with a Mick Cronin team," Hurley said.

They also share similar sources behind their coaching intensity: They are sons of high school coaches.

Hurley is the son of Bobby Hurley Sr., the legendary andHall of Fame Jersey City basketball coach, while Cronin is the son of Harold Cronin, a Cincinnati high school coach.

"I think it's a huge advantage growing up the way we grew up in the gym, which you don't realize until you go into coaching," Cronin said. "Everybody else has got to learn things that you learn through osmosis. ... Everybody doesn't have those dads."

REQUIRED READING:UCLA basketball's Skyy Clark all smiles after procedure repairs damaged tooth

Hurley and Cronin's styles have helped them to tremendous success, as Huskies and Bruins' coaches are two of the best in their profession. They have combined for 873 wins — including 33 in the NCAA Tournament — 24 NCAA Tournament appearances, three Final Four appearances and two national championships (both Hurley's).

Sunday's coaching matchup nearly didn't happen, either, with both programs facing legitimate upset threats in their first-round games against 15-seed Furman and 10-seed Central Florida, respectively.

The Huskies saw their 11-point cut to four after with 5:49 to go, but a 12-4 run to end the game, fueled by Tarris Reed Jr., helped UConn pick up its 30th win of the season. Reed became the first player since Houston' Elvin Hayes in 1968 to finish with at least 30 points and 25 rebounds in a March Madness game.

The Bruins, who sawguard Skyy Clark lose a tooth during the game, had to withstand a late push from the Knights, who cut the Bruins' lead to just three points with 10 seconds left in regulation.

So, get the popcorn ready: It's not every year in March Madness, especially this early on, that you get a coaching matchup like this.

A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.

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See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men's2026 NCAATournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Dan Hurley, Mick Cronin in March Madness is box office, expect theatrics

byAlex Forten

in

March 22, 2026

Dan Hurley, Mick Cronin to meet in March Madness: 'We're not coaching Little League'

PHILADELPHIA, PA —ConnecticutandUCLAare two of the biggest brands incollege basketball,but have a sparse history against ...

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‘SNL UK’ savagely roasts disgraced ex-Prince Andrew — as show makes its debut

The first ever episode of"Saturday Night Live UK"aired across the pond — and it immediately took aim at disgraced Andrew-Mountbatten-Windsor.

During the very first Weekend Update, hosts Ania Magliano and Paddy Young did not hold back as they addressed the former prince, who wasarrested earlier this year on suspicion of misconduct in public officefollowingthe release of files connected to Jeffrey Epstein.

Before that, he had already been stripped of his royal title and asked to leave his Royal Lodge residence in Windsor.

"Coming up on Weekend Update: pedophilia. But first, war!" Magliano said at the start of the segment, drawing a strong reaction from the live audience.

After several jokes referencingthe Iran conflict, the focus returned to Andrew, whose permanent residency will be at Marsh Farm on King Charles' Sandringham Estate.

"Renovations to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's new home, Marsh Farm, have been taking place over the last month, including the installation of Sky TV. So, if you're watching this Andrew, hello!" Magliano joked. "You're not gonna like this next bit. Also, I'm older than I look.

"Andrew's new residence, Marsh Farm, is of course named after the nearby marsh where his body will be found."

"It was reported this week that the police investigation into Andrew is set to widen," Young said. "The big question now is, if Andrew is charged, found guilty and put in prison, will he be able to keep his mouth shut? I hope not, said his cellmate's penis."

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The segment also briefly turned its attention to another high-profile British family: the Beckhams.

"Feuding father and son David and Brooklyn Beckhamnarrowly missed each other whilst at the same Beverly Hills hotel," Young began. "The feud began when Victoria was, quote, 'inappropriately' close with her son at his wedding, and escalated after Brooklyn accidentally yelled out his wife's name during sex with his mum."

The episode marked the UK debut of the long-running American variety show. The British version follows the same structure, with a celebrity host, live sketches, and musical performances.

Ahead of its premiere, the series had already received a vote of confidence from its network, Sky.

Initially planned as a six-episode run, it was expanded to eight 75-minute episodes, with each installment written and rehearsed in the week leading up to its live broadcast.

The first episode was hosted by Tina Fey, whowrote for and starred in the US version between 1997 and 2006. Music for the night came from Wet Leg.

Future episodes are set to feature hosts including Jamie Dornan and Riz Ahmed, with musical guests Wolf Alice and Kasabian.

Alongside Weekend Update hosts Magliano and Young, the show's main cast is made up of Hammed Animashaun, Ayoade Bamgboye, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring, George Fouracres, Annabel Marlow, Al Nash, Jack Shep and Emma Sidi.

When the show was announced, a press release teased what's to come from the series, saying, "Together, this first wave of hosts, musical guests and cast members marks the beginning of a bold new chapter for the globally acclaimed 'SNL' franchise — blending its storied legacy with a fresh generation of British comedy voices."

byAlex Forten

in

March 22, 2026

‘SNL UK’ savagely roasts disgraced ex-Prince Andrew — as show makes its debut

The first ever episode of"Saturday Night Live UK"aired across the pond — and it immediately took aim at disgrac...

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Phillies agree to 6-year contract with opening day starter Cristopher Sánchez

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a new six-year contract with opening day starter Cristopher Sánchez.

WBC Nicaragua Dominican Republic Baseball

The deal announced Sunday for last season's NL Cy Young Award runner-up begins in 2027 and will run through 2032 with a club option for 2033.

Terms were not immediately available.

Sánchez had been pitching under a $22.5 million, four-year contract that was through 2028.

He went 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 32 starts last season and struck out a career-high 212 batters. He's 30-21 overall in four full big league seasons.

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Originally signed by the Tampa Bay Rays as an amateur free agent in 2013, Sánchez was acquired in a trade by the Phillies on Nov. 20, 2019, for infielder Curtis Mead.

Mead played in just 41 games for the Chicago White Sox last season while Sánchez has blossomed into one of the best pitchers in baseball and helped key the Phillies' run to consecutive NL East titles in 2024 and 2025.

The Phillies want to keep their postseason run going — four straight appearances headed into 2026 — and have locked up all veteran members of their staff to long-term deals.

Jesús Luzardo earlier this month finalized a$135 million, five-year contractthat starts in 2027. Zack Wheeler has a$126 million dealthrough the 2027 and Aaron Nola a$172 million, seven-year agreementthrough 2030. Rookie Andrew Painter is under team control through 2031 and earned the fifth starter spot in the rotation.

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

byAlex Forten

in

March 22, 2026

Phillies agree to 6-year contract with opening day starter Cristopher Sánchez

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a new six-year contract with opening day starter Cristopher ...

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