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Real Madrid's struggles continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Girona in La Liga on Friday, extending their winless run to three games in all competitions. This result gives leaders Barcelona the chance to stretch their advantage at the top of the table to nine points, with a game in hand against Espanyol on Saturday.Federico Valverde put Madrid ahead six minutes after half-time, but Girona levelled in the 62nd minute through Thomas Lemar. Despite dominating possession, Madrid lacked composure going forward, allowing Girona to secure a valuable point and move up to 12th in the league.The draw has significant implications for the title race, with Madrid now six points behind Barcelona. The hosts' fans expressed their frustration with the team's performance, jeering their players as they left the field.In other European matches, Marseille reclaimed third place in Ligue 1 with a 3-1 win over Metz, while Roma boosted their Champions League hopes with a 3-0 victory over Pisa, thanks to a hat-trick from Donyell Malen.

The Grand National, a premier horse racing event, is on the horizon at Aintree, with Jagwar emerging as a top contender. Trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, Jagwar has demonstrated remarkable attributes that make him a strong candidate to claim victory.At just seven years old, Jagwar has youth on his side and has only had eight starts over fences, indicating room for further improvement. His recent performance at Cheltenham, where he finished half a length behind Johnnywho in the Ultima Handicap Chase, showcased his potential. Jagwar's ability to appreciate the additional mile on Saturday could give him an edge over his competitors.While Jagwar does tend to make occasional mistakes, the current fence design is more forgiving than in previous years, mitigating this concern. His stable companion, Iroko, had a similar profile before last year's National but ran a fine race in fourth; however, his recent form has been less convincing.Other contenders, such as Gorgeous Tom and Stellar Story, have shown promise but may not offer the same level of appeal as Jagwar. Mark Walsh, riding for JP McManus, will be in the saddle on Saturday and could be poised to sign off his time with the green-and-gold by securing a major victory.Aintree's racing schedule also features other promising horses: Hold The Serve at 1.20, Scorpio Rising at 1.55, and Leave Of Absence at 2.30, all of whom have potential for strong performances.

Lachlan Kennedy made history at the Sydney Olympic Park national championships by becoming the first Australian 100m sprinter to break the 10-second barrier on home soil, clocking a time of 9.96sec with a modest tailwind of +0.2.The 22-year-old Queenslander stormed out of the blocks and surged through the finish line, lowering his personal best by two hundredths of a second. This achievement is significant as it's the first time a local has run under 10 seconds for 100 metres in an event in Australia.Kennedy expressed his excitement, stating, 'Honestly, I didn’t really even expect it. I was just super relaxed, super – not cruisey, I was definitely pushing it – but it just felt easy.' He believes he has potential to go under 9.9sec as soon as this year.In other events, Cam Myers came close to a new national record in the 1500m, running 3:29.85, less than half a second off the 2023 mark set by Olli Hoare.The women’s 1500m final was marred by drama when Jess Hull tumbled over on the final straight after being clipped by rival Claudia Hollingsworth. The incident sparked two protests and an appeal to be heard on Saturday.Hull, visibly deflated, finished at the back of the pack. Her father and coach, Simon, voiced his displeasure, claiming his daughter was 'robbed.' The result remains in limbo pending the appeal.

Connor King, a 29-year-old trainer from County Tipperary, is on the verge of achieving one of the most remarkable upsets in Grand National history with his horse, Oscars Brother. King's humble beginnings in the racing world, with just two horses in his stable and fewer than 30 runners in his entire training career, make his potential victory all the more extraordinary. King's journey to the Grand National is a fairytale-like story that began with his brother, Daniel, purchasing Oscars Brother for just €8,000. The horse has since become a compelling argument against the notion that the Grand National has lost its heart and soul due to changes in the course and race conditions over the years. Despite the odds being against him, King remains optimistic about his chances, stating that Oscars Brother has the potential to improve over the marathon four-and-a-quarter mile trip at Aintree on Saturday. The horse's performance in the Brown Advisory Novice Chase at Cheltenham last month, where he finished fourth out of 18-1 odds, has raised hopes for King's underdog story. The Grand National, known for its unpredictability, has seen a shift in recent years with younger chasers and novice runners standing a better chance of winning. This change has given hope to trainers like King, who are looking to make a name for themselves in the competitive world of horse racing. For King, having a runner in the Grand National is already a victory, as the exposure and attention have been invaluable for his young training career. As he prepares for the big event, King is focused on enjoying the experience and taking it all in, knowing that it doesn't happen every day.

A £7.5m refurbishment of a Derbyshire railway viaduct has sparked outrage among nature lovers and conservationists. The project, undertaken by Network Rail, has resulted in the blocking of swift nesting holes that have been used by the birds for generations.Campaigners had appealed to Network Rail to preserve the tiny gaps in the stonework, which serve as ancestral nesting sites for the swifts. However, three holes were filled with mortar in February, sparking concerns about the impact on the local swift population.“It’s utterly heartbreaking,” said Deb Pitman, a swift campaigner. “Seeing footage of what happens when swifts return to a blocked nest is deeply upsetting. They repeatedly try to access their entry point, sometimes with fatal consequences.”The swift population in Britain has declined by 66% between 1995 and 2022, largely due to the widespread loss of nesting holes in older roofs and buildings. Campaigners argue that preserving the swift holes in the viaduct would have no impact on the structural integrity of the structure.Network Rail claims to have consulted ecologists and created exclusion zones to protect the nesting swifts during the refurbishment work. However, campaigners dispute this, citing 38 pieces of evidence that show at least nine nest sites on the viaducts.The British Transport Police’s wildlife crime team is investigating whether nesting birds may have been disturbed during the refurbishment work. Campaigners plan to hold a vigil beneath the viaduct on Saturday in the hope that the holes will be unblocked before the swifts return around the end of April to breed.

York City, affectionately known as the Minstermen, are on the cusp of achieving a significant milestone in their football history. With 101 points on the board and an impressive 109 goals scored, they are firmly in the sights of a Football League return, a decade after their relegation.Their journey to this point has not been without its challenges. A near miss last season served as a catalyst for the current campaign, which has seen them dominate the National League. A recent last-gasp win against Altrincham has put them two points clear of Rochdale at the top of the league with three games to play. The tantalizing prospect of a final-day shootout for the one automatic promotion spot against Rochdale on April 25 has their fans on the edge of their seats.Despite their attacking prowess, York's run-in has required a different skillset, with their past three games delivering narrow wins: 2-1, 1-0, and 1-0. The team's resilience and determination are evident in the words of defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott, whose 96th-minute header clinched the recent victory. He emphasized the team's never-say-die attitude, stating, 'We never stop until the final whistle.'As the pressure mounts, York's manager, Stuart Maynard, insists that the team's approach has not changed, but acknowledges that opponents are now more focused on stopping them. The upcoming match against Tamworth on Saturday will be a crucial test of their resolve.The heartbreak of last season's failure to secure promotion has driven the team forward, with Fagan-Walcott highlighting the learning curve and the team's newfound robustness. The majority owners, Julie-Anne and Matthew Uggla, have played a pivotal role in turbocharging the club's fortunes, investing in both the team and the city.York's captain, Ollie Pearce, has been instrumental in their success, top-scoring with 32 National League goals and providing nine assists. With York just eight goals shy of eclipsing the National League scoring record for a single season, their fans are eagerly anticipating what could be a historic moment for the club.

Australia's quest for a spot in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals has gotten off to a rocky start, with the team losing both opening-day singles matches. Spearhead Talia Gibson was expected to give the tie a strong start at Melbourne's John Cain Arena on Friday but suffered a shocking 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 loss to British teenager Mika Stojsavljevic, ranked 275th in the world.Gibson, ranked 56th globally, had been in stellar form leading up to the tie, having recently beaten five top 20-ranked players and achieving a career-high ranking. However, she struggled against the 17-year-old Stojsavljevic, who claimed the first set in a tiebreak and dominated the second set to secure the win.Adding to Australia's woes, Kimberly Birrell was defeated 4-6 6-3 6-3 by top-ranked Brit Harriet Dart. This leaves experienced duo Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez needing to win the doubles on Saturday to keep Australia's hopes alive in the tie.The British team, missing their top four players, were considered underdogs, but Stojsavljevic's impressive performance, including 12 aces, turned the tide in their favor. Gibson acknowledged her nerves and praised Stojsavljevic for her strong serve and overall play.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that his government is ready to hold direct talks with Lebanon, following a series of devastating Israeli attacks that killed over 300 people and threatened a fragile US-Iran ceasefire.In a statement released on Thursday, Netanyahu said that the negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon. This move comes a day after Israeli attacks across Lebanon resulted in significant casualties and raised concerns about the stability of the region.The Israeli attacks have killed at least 303 people and wounded over 1,000 in central Beirut and other areas of Lebanon. Lebanon's Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, has declared Thursday a 'national day of mourning' in response to the attacks.Netanyahu's announcement comes as Hezbollah has rejected direct negotiations with Israel, stating that the Lebanese government should demand a ceasefire as a precondition before further steps. An official source has also confirmed that there will be no talks before a ceasefire is secured.The situation remains volatile, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warning that Israeli strikes on Lebanon would render negotiations meaningless. The US and Iran are set to meet in Islamabad, Pakistan on Saturday for talks on ending the war, with concerns growing about the impact of the conflict on the fragile ceasefire deal.

Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has declared a 'final victory' in the war against Israel and the United States, despite a fragile ceasefire being threatened by Israel's continued offensive on Lebanon.Marking 40 days since his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a US-Israeli attack, Khamenei stated that Iran had 'astonished the world' during the course of the war. He emphasized that Tehran is not seeking war but is fighting for its legitimate rights.Khamenei warned that Iran will not leave 'criminal aggressors' unpunished and will demand compensation for damages and the blood of martyrs and the wounded. He also mentioned that Iran will move towards a 'new phase' regarding the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively blockaded since the war began.The US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire mediated by Pakistan, allowing for negotiations to take place. However, Israeli air strikes across Lebanon on Wednesday killed over 300 people, threatening the truce amid disagreements on whether Beirut was part of the agreement.Khamenei stated that Iran is ready to respond if attacks resume, saying 'our hands are on the trigger'. Despite this, he emphasized that Iran will not renounce its legitimate rights under any circumstances, considering the entire resistance front as a whole.Delegations from Iran and the US are expected in Pakistan on Saturday to hold talks on ending the war.