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Wrexham pulled off a stunning comeback to draw 2-2 against West Brom, significantly boosting their chances of securing a Championship playoff spot. The match saw Isaac Price's deflected free-kick and Josh Maja's penalty give West Brom a strong lead heading into halftime.However, Wrexham mounted an impressive second-half recovery. Josh Windass scored a spectacular goal from 20 yards just two minutes after the restart, and Lewis O'Brien and George Dobson were involved in a controversy that led to an own goal, leveling the score for Wrexham.This draw propels Wrexham into sixth place, just a point above Southampton, who have a game in hand. The two teams are set to face each other in north Wales on Tuesday in a crucial matchup.In other matches, Hull drew 1-1 at Oxford, with Mo Belloumi scoring early in his return from injury. Leicester came from behind to draw 2-2 against Preston, with Patson Daka scoring twice after returning from international duty.Blackburn secured a vital 1-0 win over Birmingham thanks to Todd Cantwell's 69th-minute goal, moving six points clear of the relegation zone. Portsmouth boosted their survival hopes with a 1-1 draw at Norwich, while QPR beat Watford 2-1.In a thrilling match, Swansea came from two goals down to draw 3-3 at Sheffield United. Stoke secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over already-relegated Sheffield Wednesday, extending their unbeaten home run to five matches.

In a pulsating Friday night showdown, Northampton Saints held off a resilient Castres Olympique side to clinch a 49‑41 victory and book a place in the Champions Cup quarter‑finals.Castres were hampered by discipline, receiving three yellow cards – two within a three‑minute spell in the first half and another ten minutes from the break – and missed three of six conversion attempts, leaving valuable points on the board.Saints, however, kept the ball alive, launching an attack on every possession. They crossed the try line seven times, including a penalty try, with fly‑half Anthony Belleau successfully slotting six conversions.The French side struck first when wing Christian Ambadiang capitalised on a scrum‑half kick to score in the corner after just seven minutes. He added an early intercept try and later forced a penalty try after pulling Saints winger James Ramm over the line, earning himself a yellow card.Discipline continued to bite Castres when second‑row Guillaume Ducat was sin‑binned for a high‑impact collision with Saints flanker Henry Pollock. Even with a numerical advantage, Castres struggled to retain possession, conceding a penalty that scrum‑half Jérémy Fernandez converted.Early in the second half, Saints broke the deadlock with a try from Josh Kemeny, followed by a score from Tommy Freeman nine minutes later, widening the gap.Castres fought back when centre Tyler Ardron intercepted a pass to touch down, but a subsequent handling error by Saints’ Santiago Arata prevented a further Castres try. Saints responded with a rapid interception by Vuate Karawalevu, though the try was disallowed for a prior knock‑on. The Saints then exploited defensive lapses, with George Furbank and James Ramm each adding scores.In the closing stages, Castres’ Vilimoni Botitu found the line, yet a yellow card for Veresa Ramototabua’s high tackle and a late try from Fraser Dingwall sealed the Saints’ win. The victory propels Northampton, last year’s losing finalists, into a quarter‑final clash against either Bath or Saracens.

The 2026 County Championship kicked off on Good Friday, 3 April – the earliest start in the tournament’s 140‑year history. Surrey’s captain Rory Burns was run out just ten minutes into the day’s play at Edgbaston, setting a new record for the competition’s earliest dismissal. Despite a modest crowd of around 800 spectators and roughly 4,000 viewers on YouTube, the match featured a heavyweight lineup: nine current England Test players were named in the Division One clash, underscoring the Championship’s status as the premier development arena for the national side. Surrey’s top six have all earned England caps, fueling expectations that the club could secure a fourth title in five seasons. Yet the opening session was anything but smooth. Burns fell early, followed by Jamie Smith, who managed only nine runs before being dismissed. A sharp edge from Ethan Bamber and an lbw to Ollie Pope (20) further rattled the home side. Dom Sibley provided a glimmer of resistance with an unbeaten 21 off 81 balls, but the team slumped to a precarious 65 for six. The turning point arrived when Ben Foakes and fast‑bowling all‑rounder Tom Lawes combined for a 155‑run partnership – a Surrey club record for the seventh wicket. Foakes, a seasoned England fringe player, smashed a commanding 128 runs, while Lawes contributed a career‑best 83 off 121 balls, stabilising the innings and shifting momentum. Chris Woakes and medium‑fast seamer Ethan Bamber added valuable overs, but it was the Foakes‑Lawes stand that propelled Surrey to a total of 328 all out, setting a competitive target for Warwickshire. While the season’s early start may raise logistical questions, the match demonstrated why the County Championship remains the crucible for England’s future stars, blending veteran internationals with emerging talent in a fiercely contested opening day.

Roy Hodgson's return to management with Bristol City got off to a winning start with a hard-fought victory over Charlton. The 78-year-old, who first managed in 1982, oversaw a thrilling second half that saw both teams create numerous late chances. The match began with Emil Riis Jakobsen having a chance to open the scoring within three minutes, but he failed to capitalize. Hodgson was ecstatic when Max Bird set up Scott Twine to score the opening goal. Charlton equalized through Lyndon Dykes after a throw-in down their right side. Hodgson was visibly upset, questioning the throw-in decision. Scott Twine's free-kick proved decisive, as it led to Noah Eile scoring the winning goal from a tight angle. Bristol City could have extended their lead through Riis Jakobsen and Twine, while Charlton's substitutes Matt Godden and Tyreece Campbell also missed chances. Hodgson's victory comes 44 years after his first managerial stint. He emphasized the importance of humility in coaching, advising against getting too proud of wins. His interim role at Bristol City will last for six games before he steps down.

In a thrilling 130-year-old derby, St Helens pulled off an unlikely comeback against Wigan, the league leaders, thanks to a heroic performance from loan player Bill Leyland. Trailing by 14 points with just 20 minutes left, St Helens seemed doomed to defeat.However, Leyland, who had only joined the club on a one-match loan from Hull KR due to an injury crisis, scored two crucial tries, including the decisive one with just three minutes remaining. This gave St Helens the lead for the first time and sparked jubilation among the home crowd.The match was marked by significant adversity for St Helens, who were without a dozen first-team regulars, including prop Agnatius Paasi who limped off after just four minutes. Despite this, and with Wigan dominating for much of the game, St Helens showed remarkable resilience.Wigan, who had won their first five games, now face questions about their form after suffering back-to-back losses. Their coach, Matt Peet, acknowledged that his team must improve, stating, 'I can accept it was an intense game and finished in an exciting manner, but we’ve got to be better than that.'The victory was hailed by St Helens' coach, Paul Rowley, as a testament to his team's belief and character, saying, 'You know the saying, never write off the Saints. The belief and the character has never been questioned within this group.'

NASA's Artemis II mission has reached a critical phase as the four astronauts on board have successfully fired up their spacecraft's engine to break away from Earth's orbit and embark on a trajectory towards the moon. This historic moment marks the first crewed lunar flyby in over half a century. The Orion capsule's engine blasted off on Thursday, propelling the astronauts on their 10-day mission, which includes looping around the moon. The burn, lasting just under six minutes, provided enough thrust to accelerate a stationary car to highway-driving speed in less than three seconds. The mission control team in Houston confirmed the successful burn, stating, 'Looks like a good burn, we're confirming.' The astronauts, consisting of Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Jeremy Hansen, are now on a 'free return' trajectory, utilizing the moon's gravity to slingshot around it before heading back towards Earth without propulsion. The Artemis II mission is a crucial step towards establishing a permanent human presence on the moon, with the ultimate goal of landing humans on the lunar surface by 2028. This mission also marks a series of historic firsts, including the first person of color, the first woman, and the first non-American on a lunar mission. The spacecraft's crew spent their initial hours in space performing checks and troubleshooting minor issues, including a communications problem and a malfunctioning toilet. They also began their fitness routine on the spacecraft's 'flywheel exercise device' to minimize muscle and bone loss in microgravity. NASA's Artemis program has been portrayed as a competitive effort with China, which aims to land humans on the moon by 2030. The program has faced pressure from various quarters, including former President Trump, who has pushed for an accelerated pace. The mission's commander, Reid Wiseman, described the breathtaking view of Earth from space, saying, 'You can see the entire globe from pole to pole... It was the most spectacular moment and it paused all four of us in our tracks.'

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

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.