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Port Vale, led by manager Jon Brady, is set to face Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-finals, a match that promises to be a significant upset given the vast financial disparity between the two clubs. Chelsea, under head coach Liam Rosenior, has spent almost £1.5 billion on players since Todd Boehly's takeover in 2022.Brady, who moved from Australia at the age of 17 to chase his dream of playing in the UK, has managed over 500 league games. His team, Port Vale, sits bottom of League One, 14 points from safety, but has found success in cup competitions, having won seven matches in the FA and Carabao Cups.The team's Ben Waine, who scored against Sunderland in the last round, is set to play against Chelsea after traveling 27 hours from international duty with New Zealand. Waine left Wellington Phoenix to try his luck in England, joining Plymouth in 2023.Brady's approach to coaching focuses on details and giving players everything they need to know. He has asked his striker Andre Gray to share his experiences of playing at Stamford Bridge to prepare the team for the challenge ahead.Despite the financial disparity, Brady remains optimistic, stating, 'No one looks at a financial book or an accountancy book when you're out there going toe-to-toe against the opposition. No one cares. All people want to see is performance or result.'

The weekend's sports action kicks off with FA Cup quarter-final matches and the start of the county cricket season. In the FA Cup, Manchester City hosts Liverpool at the Etihad, with both teams seeking to advance to the semi-finals. Chelsea takes on Port Vale at Stamford Bridge, while Southampton faces Arsenal at St Mary's. In county cricket, Nottinghamshire begins their title defense against Somerset at Taunton. The season's early rounds will also see Surrey, the 2022, 2023, and 2024 champions, in action with a strong lineup including Alec Stewart, Ollie Pope, and Jamie Smith. Additionally, the 197-year-old Boat Races on the Thames between Oxford and Cambridge will take place, with the women's race followed by the men's. This event has moved to a new TV home on Channel 4 as part of a five-year broadcast deal. On Sunday, a bumper Easter Sunday schedule features multiple FA Cup matches, including West Ham vs Leeds and Livingston vs Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.

The latest Supergirl trailer has generated significant buzz, hinting at a fresh take on the iconic DC character. Director Craig Gillespie has revealed that the film will feature a nine-world structure and a considerable amount of planet-hopping, setting it apart from previous superhero films.Building on the success of James Gunn's Superman, which offered a unique twist on the Man of Steel, Milly Alcock's Kara Zor-El is poised to bring a new level of excitement to the DC Universe. The trailer showcases Alcock's character navigating alien landscapes and battling foes with a swagger reminiscent of a cosmic gunslinger.What sets this film apart is its exploration of Kara's vulnerabilities when she's away from Earth's yellow sun. In the comic book series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Kara encounters a world under a green sun that drains her powers, making her physically ill. This element could add a layer of complexity to the story, as Kara searches for an antidote across multiple planets.The film's setup has a video-game-like quality, with Kara's power levels potentially fluctuating as she navigates different environments. This mechanic could sharpen the drama and create a sense of tension, as Kara faces challenges that test her abilities.While there are risks involved in this bold new direction, the prospect of seeing a more vulnerable and dynamic Supergirl on the big screen is an intriguing one. As the DC Universe continues to evolve, fans are eager to see how this new take on a classic character will unfold.

Phil Foden must seize his chance as Manchester City face Liverpool on Saturday at 12:45 pm BST. After two lacklustre starts for England under Thomas Tuchel, the 25‑year‑old has recorded only one assist in his last 22 outings for club and country. Dropped below Rayan Cherki in Pep Guardiola’s hierarchy and yet to complete a full 90 minutes since January, Foden’s performance in the FA Cup could determine his future at both City and the national team.Manchester City v Liverpool – Saturday 12:45 pm BSTEstêvão Willian offers Chelsea a welcome boost. Following a Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint‑Germain and a heavy defeat to Everton, manager Liam Rosenior faces a must‑win against Port Vale at 5:15 pm BST. The 18‑year‑old Brazilian winger, who impressed as a substitute against Everton, could inject the speed and unpredictability Chelsea need to lift a disgruntled crowd and revive a faltering season.Chelsea v Port Vale – Saturday 5:15 pm BSTKepa Arrizabalaga gets a second chance ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Southampton. The former Athletic Bilbao keeper was at fault for the decisive goal in the Carabao Cup final, yet manager Mikel Arteta has kept him as the starting goalkeeper for the FA Cup tie. A solid performance could cement Arrizabalaga’s status as Arsenal’s long‑term No 2, while a repeat error may see him lose the role to David Raya.Southampton v Arsenal – Saturday 8:00 pm BSTWest Ham’s cup run doubles as a survival rehearsal. The Hammers host Leeds United on Sunday at 4:30 pm BST, a match that could swing the relegation battle. Despite a recent victory over Brentford, injuries – notably to winger Crysencio Summerville – threaten to undermine their league campaign. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo must balance the morale boost from the cup with the need to keep key players fit for the Premier League’s final stretch.West Ham v Leeds – Sunday 4:30 pm BST

The arrival of spring brings a cherished Easter tradition for many – a pilgrimage to witness the breathtaking bloom of pasqueflowers in the Chiltern Hills. Every year, as the days lengthen and the landscape awakens, enthusiasts make their way to the sunny slopes of Church Hill, where approximately 60,000 of these delicate flowers emerge.The pasqueflower, named from the Middle English 'paschal' meaning 'of Easter', is a rare sight in today's landscape. Its felty flower buds, surrounded by plumes of white-haired bracts, push through the shallow soil, and the undersides of the petal-like sepals feel warm and soft to the touch. As the flowers unfurl, they reveal hosts of golden anthers, creating a stunning mosaic of green, white, and violet across the hillside.However, the pasqueflower's presence is a conservation success story. Once found in 130 locations in 1750, changes in grassland management and ploughing have reduced its numbers drastically, leaving only 18 sites, with five locations containing 99.3% of the country's remaining plants. Church Hill, now a local nature reserve and site of special scientific interest, holds over a third of the UK's pasqueflowers, a plant classified as 'vulnerable' on the Great Britain Red List.The sight of these flowers is not just a natural wonder but also a testament to conservation efforts. The hope is that this precious site will continue to protect Hertfordshire's county flower for generations to come, allowing sundry folk to enjoy the beauty of nature rather than commemorating the past.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake erupted in the Northern Molucca Sea off the coast of Ternate, Indonesia, resulting in at least one fatality and an initial tsunami alert that was later rescinded.The United States Geological Survey (USGS) clarified that the tremor, first reported as magnitude 7.8, actually occurred at a depth of 35 km, deeper than the early estimate of 10 km. Apart from the confirmed death, no other immediate injuries were reported.The quake’s epicentre lay roughly 120 km (75 mi) from Ternate in the North Maluku province, prompting local authorities in Ternate and nearby Tidore to ready evacuation plans. Metro TV broadcast footage of damaged structures across the area.In Manado, North Sulawesi, a building collapse buried a resident, leading to the sole confirmed death; a rescue official added that another person sustained a leg injury.The Hawaii‑based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) warned of potentially hazardous waves within a 1,000‑km radius, affecting coastlines of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.Within thirty minutes, Indonesia’s BMKG agency recorded wave heights of up to 75 cm in North Minahasa and 20 cm in Bitung, both on Sulawesi’s northern shore, with an additional 30 cm rise in North Maluku.Just over two hours after the event, the PTWC lifted the tsunami warning, declaring that the threat had passed.Indonesia’s position on the Pacific Ring of Fire makes it especially vulnerable to such seismic activity, underscoring the importance of rapid monitoring and public‑safety measures.

Spain's coastal towns are taking proactive measures to prepare for tsunamis, a threat that has been historically underestimated. The town of Chipiona, located on the Atlantic coast, has become Spain's first 'tsunami-ready' community, recognized by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO in 2024. Chipiona's mayor, Luis Mario Aparcero Fernández, emphasizes the importance of public awareness and education in tsunami preparedness. The town conducts annual evacuation drills, and information boards have been installed to inform residents and tourists about what to do in case of a tsunami. The town's tsunami-ready status is part of a larger regional goal to establish 25 tsunami-ready communities by the end of this year and prepare all communities at risk by 2030. Jorge Macías, a tsunami modeller at the University of Málaga, stresses that preparedness is key, as the Mediterranean will experience a tsunami of at least a metre in height in the next 30 to 50 years with '100% certainty'. Spain's national tsunami warning system can detect an offshore earthquake and compute an initial assessment within three to five minutes. However, in the Mediterranean, this may leave only minutes to evacuate. Juan Vicente Cantavella, the director of the National Tsunami Warning System in Spain, notes that tsunami wave height is often underestimated, and even small waves can cause significant damage. Despite progress in some areas, much of the Costa del Sol remains in the earlier stages of planning, with sparse public signage and unclear evacuation routes. Miriam García, a geomorphologist and urban planner, highlights the vulnerability of Spain's Mediterranean coast, which was built without considering tsunami risks. The article concludes that preparedness is not about predicting the day and time of a tsunami, but about choosing not to be surprised when nature eventually repeats what history and geology say it will.

Google has announced a new feature that allows US users to change their Gmail address username without losing access to their account. This update enables users to appear more professional by changing the quirky usernames they may have chosen in the past. The tech company has introduced a limit of one name change per 12 months. For example, users with addresses like [email protected] can change them to more professional ones like [email protected]. Sundar Pichai, Google's chief executive, highlighted that users can now say goodbye to outdated usernames like [email protected] or [email protected] by updating their account settings. Previously, Gmail users with quirky email addresses had to create a new account to change their username. The new feature allows users to transfer all their emails, data, and future traffic to the new address while keeping their old address active. Users can change their Gmail address by going to their account settings, clicking on personal info, then email, and selecting the option to change their Google account email. Google has not indicated whether this feature will be rolled out worldwide. This update is particularly significant as email addresses are now integral to day-to-day online tasks, such as logging into streaming platforms, and are highly visible in professional interactions like job applications.

The Champions Cup’s single‑leg knockout stage has historically favoured hosts – only two of the 24 matches since the format’s introduction three years ago have seen the home side lose. This weekend’s fixtures threaten to upend that trend.Defending champions Bordeaux Bègles have been quoted at 1‑100 odds to defeat a severely weakened Leicester Tigers on Sunday – a price more suited to a two‑horse race. The Tigers will be without key internationals Ollie Chessum, Joe Heyes and Nicky Smith, all ruled out for the match.Coach Geoff Parling has elected to rest his forward trio to preserve a top‑four finish in the domestic league, a decision that underscores the growing difficulty English clubs face in juggling league ambitions with European knockout demands.Parling’s dilemma echoes a similar scenario a year ago when Saracens rested their stars and suffered a crushing 72‑point defeat to Toulon. Alongside Saracens, Harlequins, Leicester and Sale collectively conceded 215 points and exited the competition without a whisper of a fight. Only Bath Rugby has managed to maintain sufficient squad depth to compete on both fronts.The competition’s structure is locked in until 2030, with a 2028 twist that will see the eight quarter‑finalists face seven Super Rugby Pacific teams and one Japanese side, aiming to crown a true world club champion every four years. Yet the packed calendar – culminating in the 2027 World Cup and the 2028 Six Nations – raises serious questions about player availability.“I just don’t know how you fit everything in,” Parling admitted. “The game is very physical now. We all want the best versus the best, but it is what it is.”Knockout success now demands back‑to‑back weekend victories. For example, if Northampton Saints overcome Castres on Friday night, they will face a fully‑strengthened Bath the following week, unless Saracens can engineer a dramatic turnaround after their recent 62‑15 Premiership loss at the Rec.Other clubs face similar uphill battles: Harlequins could earn a Dublin trip after beating Sale, only to recall their heavy 62‑0 defeat to Leinster in April; Bristol might pull off a miracle in Toulouse but would likely meet Bordeaux in the last eight.South African provinces are gathering momentum, with the Stormers and Bulls arguably better placed to silence home crowds in Glasgow and Toulon than earlier in the season. Stormers coach John Dobson quipped, “What will it take us to win? Venus to align with Uranus and Saturn.”Meanwhile, Glasgow Warriors have become notoriously difficult to beat at Scotstoun. If any of the traditional powerhouses – Northampton, Bath, Toulon, Glasgow, Toulouse, Harlequins, Bordeaux or Leinster – fail to reach the quarter‑finals, their conquerors will have defied the odds.