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The Bradford Bulls and Leeds Rhinos are set to reignite their historic rivalry in Super League on Friday, marking the return of a fixture that defined the competition's early years. The two West Yorkshire clubs, separated by just 15 miles, have a long-standing and intense rivalry that has been missed in recent years.Legendary figures such as Lesley Vainikolo, known as 'The Volcano' for his incredible try-scoring record, and Jamie Peacock, who captained Bradford to the 2005 title before joining Leeds, have expressed their excitement for the fixture's return. Vainikolo, now director of rugby at Wesley College in New Zealand, will be watching the game with great interest, having starred in the derby during the early 2000s.Robbie Hunter-Paul, the long-serving captain of Bradford, recalled the significance of the rivalry, stating that it was 'genuinely the closest thing you could get to a Grand Final.' The fixture's importance extends beyond the clubs themselves, with Jamie Peacock emphasizing that 'you need your rivals and you need your enemies: that's sport.'The return of this rivalry is also significant for Super League, as it features two of the competition's biggest brands. With only four English cities represented in the league, the Bradford Bulls vs Leeds Rhinos fixture has 'huge cut-through on a wider scale than most others in the competition,' according to Peacock.

NASA's Artemis II mission is on track to make history as four astronauts prepare to leave Earth's orbit and embark on a journey towards the moon. This 10-day voyage marks a significant milestone in the US space agency's ambitious plan to land humans back on the lunar surface this decade and establish a permanent presence there.The crew, consisting of three Americans and one Canadian, launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday. After a series of tests and preparations, they are set to perform a translunar injection burn, a six-minute engine firing that will send the Orion spacecraft on its path to the moon.During their journey, the astronauts will loop around the back of the moon, becoming the four people to travel the farthest from Earth in history. They will then use the moon's gravity to launch back home. This mission is expected to break the record for distance traveled away from Earth, currently held by the Apollo 13 crew, who reached 248,655 miles (400,171km) in 1970.The Artemis II mission is a crucial test of NASA's capabilities, with future missions aiming to land astronauts on the moon's south pole as early as 2028. The US is in a new space race with China, which plans to send a crewed mission to the same lunar region as early as 2030. NASA's long-term goal is to build a lunar base that can house a permanent human presence, bringing humanity closer to living on the moon and Mars.

Nick Candy, who serves as the honorary treasurer of Reform UK and is among its top financial backers, has completed the sale of his Chelsea residence for an estimated £275 million. The transaction, first reported by Bloomberg, is believed to set a new benchmark for residential sales in London and ranks among the world’s most valuable property deals. Known as Providence House, the Grade II‑listed estate sits within the grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital and features a private lake and swimming pool. The identity of the purchaser has not been disclosed. Land Registry records list the current owner as Providence House LLP, a partnership controlled by Candy, with his estranged wife, former pop star Holly Valance, also named as a partner. A mortgage charge from First Abu Dhabi Bank is registered against the title. Candy’s involvement with Reform extends beyond his treasurer role; he contributed roughly £1 million to the party last year and has been instrumental in high‑profile fundraising events, including a 2024 gathering for Donald Trump Jr. at the estate. He has previously been seen alongside Nigel Farage as the party promoted a “billionaires’ bonanza” scheme offering wealthy individuals a £250,000 fee for ten‑year residency and a special tax regime. Candy also attended a meeting between Farage and billionaire Elon Musk at Mar‑a‑Lago in December 2024. Alongside his brother Christian, Candy amassed his fortune through global property ventures. He continues to market other high‑value assets, including a £175 million penthouse at One Hyde Park and a Los Angeles mansion, while maintaining office space in Mayfair that also houses Farage’s company, Thorn in the Side. Originally purchased by Christian Candy in 2012, the Chelsea mansion was later transferred to Nick Candy, underscoring the family’s long‑standing presence in the UK’s luxury property market.

UK drivers are being urged to hunt for the cheapest petrol as they prepare for an estimated 21.7 million journeys over the Easter bank‑holiday weekend – the busiest on the roads since 2022. Data from the RAC shows that the average price of a litre of unleaded petrol jumped 20p in March, rising from 132.83p on 1 April to 152.83p on 31 April. This is the fastest monthly increase on record, eclipsing the previous high of 16.6p recorded in June 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. RAC policy chief Simon Williams called the rise “unprecedented” but stressed that travellers should fill up as usual and seek the cheapest forecourts nearby ahead of the holiday rush. To ease congestion, National Highways will temporarily suspend 1,500 miles (2,400 km) of roadworks on motorways and major A‑roads in England from Thursday through Easter Monday. The AA predicts this will accommodate roughly 1 million additional trips compared with last year, with traffic expected to peak on Thursday when schools break up. Analysts warn that the sharp fuel‑price surge may curb spending on trips. Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at the Wealth Club, noted that shorter journeys and fewer on‑the‑road purchases, such as chocolate treats, are likely. AA survey data shows that just over half of travellers plan to drive less than 50 miles, 5 % expect journeys of 50‑100 miles, about 1 % aim for 100‑200 miles, and fewer than 1 % anticipate trips beyond 200 miles. Rail disruptions are set to push more motorists onto the motorways. Engineering works will suspend west‑coast mainline services between London Euston and Milton Keynes from Good Friday to 8 April, and there will be no trains on several routes—including Preston to Lancaster (4‑5 April), Winchester to Southampton, and Herne Bay to Ramsgate—while services between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction will be reduced. Despite domestic challenges, the travel trade body ABTA estimates that 2 million UK residents will travel abroad this weekend. EasyJet is gearing up for its busiest Easter period yet, planning to operate 16,000 flights from UK airports over the two‑week school break. Passengers heading to the European Union should also prepare for potential two‑hour delays due to the rollout of the EU’s Entry‑Exit System, which requires third‑country nationals, including UK travellers, to submit photographs and fingerprints before entering the Schengen area.

Fifa has announced a substantial increase in the top ticket price for the World Cup final, setting it at $10,990 for this year's tournament. This marks a significant jump from the $1,600 price tag for the 2022 World Cup final.The price hike is part of Fifa's dynamic pricing model, which adjusts ticket prices based on demand. This approach has been widely criticized for potentially pricing out fans and contradicting Fifa's mission to promote accessible and inclusive soccer globally.The increase in ticket prices has sparked concerns among fans and politicians. 69 Democratic members of US Congress wrote to Fifa's president, Gianni Infantino, expressing their concerns about the financial exclusionary nature of dynamic pricing.In contrast, Infantino has praised the sales process, stating that Fifa received a record number of requests, equivalent to "the request for 1,000 years of World Cups at once." The World Cup is set to take place in cities across the US, Mexico, and Canada, with the final on July 19 in New Jersey.The new batch of tickets released includes the final and 17 group stage matches, with additional tickets to be made available on a rolling basis. Fifa will also take a 15% cut from both buyers and sellers on the resale market.

The Black Country, a region in the West Midlands, is grappling with the highest levels of physical inactivity in England. With 1.2 million residents, it is one of the poorest parts of the country, and the statistics are stark: 28.4% of adults in the West Midlands are physically inactive, with some areas like Sandwell and Walsall recording even higher rates of inactivity.However, local volunteers and organizations are taking proactive steps to address this issue. Kelvin Gilkes, founder of the Pendeford Community Bike Hub, is working to encourage people to get active through cycling. His initiative not only provides a space for people to repair and ride bicycles but also aims to expand horizons and promote physical activity among community members.Another initiative is led by Tracy Tromans, who runs a weekly walking group through Leasowes park in Halesowen. Her group focuses on friendship and being aware of everyone's limitations, gently encouraging people to leave their homes and get moving. Nadia Inglis, director of public health for Walsall, emphasizes the benefits of physical activity, including lowering the risk of chronic conditions and improving mental wellbeing.Organizations like Sport England and Active Black Country are also playing a crucial role in supporting local initiatives. They are funding networks of 'place-based' Active Partnerships to improve physical activity in areas where it is scarce. The goal is to turn local insight into community action and create a broader impact.These community-driven initiatives offer a glimmer of hope in the face of a significant challenge. By making parks more accessible and promoting non-traditional activities, such as Nerf clubs, these efforts aim to unlock spaces and encourage people to get active. While change is slow, there is a sense of momentum and ownership within the community, which is essential for long-term success.

Marine archaeologists from Denmark’s Viking Ship Museum announced the discovery of the Dannebroge, the Danish flagship that was destroyed by Admiral Horatio Nelson during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. The wreck lies 15 metres (49 feet) below the surface of Copenhagen harbour, buried in thick silt that offers almost zero visibility.Divers working in the murky conditions described the operation as a “race against time” because the site will soon be covered by Lynetteholm, a massive housing development slated for completion by 2070. The excavation, which began late last year, targets the exact spot where historical records place the Dannebroge’s final moments.Among the artefacts recovered are two cannons, period uniforms, insignia, shoes, bottles, and a fragment of a sailor’s lower jaw – possibly belonging to one of the 19 crew members still unaccounted for. “When a cannonball hits a ship, the splinters are the real danger, like grenade debris,” explained marine archaeologist Morten Johansen, underscoring the brutal conditions aboard wooden warships.The 48‑metre (157‑foot) vessel was Nelson’s primary target. Intense cannon fire ripped through its upper deck, and incendiary shells ignited a devastating fire that eventually caused the ship to explode, producing a roar heard across Copenhagen.Experts confirmed the wreck’s identity through dendrochronological dating, which matched the wood’s tree‑ring pattern to the year the Dannebroge was built. The size and shape of the recovered timbers also correspond with contemporary ship plans.Historical context: the 1801 battle was part of Britain’s effort to force Denmark out of a northern alliance with Russia, Prussia and Sweden. After a fierce exchange, Nelson offered a truce, and a cease‑fire was negotiated with Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik.Marine archaeologist Marie Jonsson described the challenging dive conditions: “Sometimes you can’t see anything; you have to feel your way and rely on your fingers rather than your eyes.” The site remains littered with cannonballs, posing additional hazards for divers navigating the silt‑filled waters.The find not only enriches Denmark’s national narrative—often depicted in paintings and literature—but also provides a rare, tangible link to a pivotal moment in European naval history, just as modern development threatens to erase the physical remnants of that past.

When billionaire hedge‑fund manager Chris Rokos announced a £190 million contribution to the University of Cambridge, the move instantly became the largest single donation to any UK university in modern history. The funds will establish a new “school of government” aimed at bridging policy, science and emerging technologies. Rokos, a 55‑year‑old Oxford graduate, has amassed an estimated £2.6 billion fortune, primarily through his firm Rokos Capital Management (RCM), which he founded in 2015 after a high‑profile stint at Brevan Howard. RCM now oversees **over £22 billion** in assets, employs roughly 350 staff, and operates from offices in London, New York, Singapore and Abu Dhabi. In the most recent fiscal year ending March, Rokos paid himself nearly £500 million, according to Companies House filings, reflecting the firm’s strong performance amid volatile markets. Beyond finance, Rokos has kept a remarkably low public profile. He famously declined to provide a photograph when launching a £500 million fund in 2007, and he has avoided media attention despite owning one of England’s most expensive private residences. The £175 million refurbishment of the Grade I‑listed Tottenham House in Wiltshire – featuring a tennis pavilion, private cinema, basement squash court and a proposed “subterranean family link” to a pool house – has drawn local council scrutiny but stands as a tangible testament to his wealth. Rokos’s career trajectory began in banking at UBS and Goldman Sachs, moving to Credit Suisse where he was recruited by Alan Howard. He later joined the founding team of Brevan Howard in 2002, generating roughly $4 billion (≈£3 billion) in investor profits and about £600 million for himself before departing in 2012. His philanthropic philosophy emphasizes diversity of thought. In a video released by Cambridge, Rokos warned that a school populated only by “centrist, socially liberal” voices would be a failure, insisting on a broad spectrum of intellectual viewpoints. Earlier this year, RCM’s exploratory talks to bring former UK business secretary Peter Mandelson onto its advisory board collapsed after revelations about Mandelson’s connections to the late Jeffrey Epstein. Rokos also ranks among the UK’s biggest taxpayers and maintains a family office in Mayfair. A lingering legal dispute over a five‑year non‑compete clause with a former employer was settled out of court, clearing the way for his current venture. Overall, the record‑breaking Cambridge donation not only reshapes the university’s academic landscape but also underscores how hedge‑fund wealth is increasingly channeled into high‑impact philanthropy, blurring the lines between finance, education and public policy.

The global oil market is being significantly influenced by online prediction platforms such as Polymarket, with energy traders using data from these platforms to inform their multimillion-dollar trades. Market experts have noted that Polymarket's datafeeds are being used to create algorithms that impact trading in the global Brent crude futures market. The growing reliance on Polymarket has raised concerns that anonymous account holders may be using insider knowledge to place bets, potentially influencing pricing in the global oil market. One energy trader noted that Polymarket had become the best predictor of the oil market's direction since the US-Israel war with Iran triggered a global oil crisis. Ajay Parmar, head of oil trading at ICIS, stated that betting markets have a long history of strong prediction accuracy, and traders are increasingly turning to Polymarket for market indicators. Tim Skirrow, head of derivatives at Energy Aspects, also confirmed the adoption of prediction markets as a trading tool, noting that any data with alpha is considered in modern markets. The US investment bank Goldman Sachs has included analysis of prediction-market data in its oil market research, and the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has launched a trading tool providing a data feed of Polymarket's prediction markets to help traders make informed decisions. However, not all commodity traders are convinced by Polymarket's track record in predicting market-moving events. One trading analyst noted that Polymarket has made bad calls during the crisis, and that hedge funds may be more interested in the platform than traditional traders.