Marcus Rashford has faced scrutiny over his future but the Manchester United loanee issued the perfect response as he netted in Barcelona’s win over Getafe.

Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford found the back of the net for Barcelona in another week dominated by talk surrounding his future. The England international scored the second goal in their 2-0 win over Getafe as they capitalised on Real Madrid’s slip-up to 11 points clear.

Reports this week have suggested that Barcelona won’t exercise Rashford’s buyout clause, which would seal a permanent move to Catalonia. It has been said that Hansi Flick’s side have U-turned on their decision to trigger the option, reportedly around £26million, having failed to negotiate a deal to sign him permanently from United.

Speculation, namely from SPORT, suggests that sporting director Deco and Flick have reached an agreement that they are unwilling to pay the transfer fee or wages with the funds described as ‘too high’.

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Fermin Lopez broke the deadlock at the Estadio Coliseum on the stroke of half-time and Rashford rubber-stamped the points 16 minutes from time.

It was a trademark Rashford goal as he utilised his blistering pace to latch onto a long ball over the top with Getafe having committed men forward. The attacker drove forward and held off two defenders before drilling beyond the goalkeeper.

Barcelona now have a double-digit lead at the summit of Spanish football with only 15 points to play for. They can end their top-flight rivals’ aspirations of a late surge to hijack the La Liga procession when Real Madrid visit the Camp Nou on May 10.

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Flick hailed the United loanee as he put into context just how important the Englishman’s contribution, and 13th goal of the season, was.

He said: “Marcus came on in the second half and he used the space they give us. We spoke about this at half time.

“I am happy for the team, for us and also for him that he scored this goal because it was so important for him and also for us.

“We [only] celebrate the victory. It’s different. I said to the team before the game, we only focus on the day to day, on our job, what we have to do.

“When we play like this, I am really happy. I appreciate a lot what we do with the ball, but also against the ball. It’s not easy here, but today was nearly perfect.

“[The title] is not done. We have five games more and we focus only on the next game. We will celebrate when it’s time, not now.”

Meanwhile, at Old Trafford, uncertainty still looms with Michael Carrick’s future undecided as United have to wait until Monday to bolster their European aspirations.

Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace meant that they moved level on points with United but Carrick’s side remain above their North West rivals due to having scored more goals.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

As the Earth shifts to climates not seen for several hundred thousand years, we may need to look at ancient environments for clues about what could happen next.

Our new study of two whale fossils, with preserved fragments of shark teeth, suggests the modern descendants of these animals could once again roam the southern region of the North Sea, between the UK, Belgium and Denmark. Climate change may recreate the conditions that allowed the ancestors of great white sharks to hunt in these waters.

If you want information about how animals and other organisms might respond to the kind of climate changes our planet is experiencing right now, you need evidence of former responses to such changes.

Palaeoecology, the study of the interactions between organisms in the deep past, has been coopted in the service of conservation science for some years now.

One example of a past seascape which may tell us important information is that of the southern part of the North Sea, which was occupied a few million years ago by large marine animals. In modern times, the area has had a relatively low diversity in its wildlife.

But about 4-5 million years ago the North Sea was home to several large shark species, including the now locally extinct bluntnose sixgill shark and a relative of the modern great white shark. The Greenland shark used to live in this region, as well as tiny right whales, a relative of the beluga whale, and rorqual baleen whales. It was also home to extinct dolphins, such as Pliodelphis doelensis which was about the size of a common dolphin, plus porpoises and several seal species. Many of these animals, like all the cetaceans and seals, and some of the sharks, are now extinct. Others, including many other sharks, have since moved to distant oceans.

It appears that there was large-scale turnover of cetacean species in the southern North Sea during the ice age of the Pliocene-Pleistocene epoch, with the extinctions of most small baleen whales and the departure of other cetacean families (such as that of the beluga whale). This turnover may well have been responsible for the disappearance of the large sharks including the great white relatives and the bluntnose sixgill sharks, that were feeding on the smaller whales, from the North Sea.

Occasionally, the fossil record provides a glimpse of the past relationships between species. This can help scientists better understand these food webs and how ancient ecosystems worked.

Shark bite marks on fossil marine mammal bones are relatively common, revealing intervals of time when two animals interacted. However, it is often difficult to identify the predator species. Much more rarely, bite marks come with fossilised tooth fragments. This is what we found in two cetacean skulls from the Early Pliocene (approximately 5-4 million years ago) of the North Sea.

The first of these two skulls belonged to a diminutive extinct right whale which was found by father and son fossil enthusiasts (Robert and John Stewart – coauthor of this piece) in the mid-1980s in the docks in Antwerp, Belgium. Some 40 or so years later the skull was donated to the Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels where it was identified by one of us (Olivier Lambert) as one of only two fossil specimens of Balaenella brachyrhynus, a tiny right whale species only known from the North Sea.

Further examination revealed bite marks on the top of the skull and in one such mark there was a tooth fragment of a shark. In our study, with the help of the shark specialist Frederik Mollen, the tooth tip was identified using microCT scanning as belonging to part of a lower tooth of a bluntnose sixgill shark Hexanchus griseus, which today is common in the Mediterranean Sea. The position of the bites makes it likely that the whale was scavenged as it lay drifting belly-up.

The second skull, from a close relative of the extinct beluga whale Casatia thermophila was discovered in the early 1980s. It was found during the excavation of a new dock in the Port of Antwerp by another father and son team – Paul Gigase, a pathologist by profession, and his son Pierre.

In this case the whale, which also had bite marks with the tip of a shark tooth embedded, may have been attacked by an extinct mako shark, a relative of today’s great white shark. It appears that the shark was attempting to separate the whale’s head from the rest of the body and focusing on the fat-rich melon, a mass of tissue involved in echolocation on the top of the animal’s head.

These fossils represent direct evidence that relatives of sharks today fed on these whales. Even if the fossil evidence is limited to two pairs of animals, they are tangible examples of such behaviour.

The ongoing biodiversity crisis is directly related to climate change, and has (or will have) an impact on the distribution of marine mammals. Global warming is likely to affect shallow seas in particular. The southern part of the North Sea is not large or deep enough for modern baleen whales, which are larger than their ancestors and live in the North Atlantic, like the modern right whale, the humpback and fin whales. But warming seas could attract dolphins and seals, and in turn great white sharks or other large marine predators.

In the North Sea, scientists have already observed short-term changes in the distribution of porpoises and seals. New seal colonies have established along the coast of the southern North Sea and there have been abrupt fluctuations in the number of porpoises stranded yearly on Belgian beaches.

The fossilised behaviour of the disappeared whales and sharks emphasise that all is change in the ecology of the North Sea.

Tasha Farah faces a long road of ‘recovery and rehabilitation”

A family is pleading for support after a mum is fighting for her life in intensive care. Tasha Farah, 31, faces an “uncertain road of recovery and rehabilitation” after she suffered a catastrophic injury.

The mum-of-one, from the Old Colwyn area of North Wales, will require intensive assistance to regain ‘even the simplest parts of her life’. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to fund her care, and whilst thousands have been donated, her family are reaching out for further support.

Tasha’s mum Denise Farah, 52, said: “We’re in a living hell. Tasha has only got one boy, Roman, he adores his mum and she adores him and with everything going on right now we just want to do something to make him smile.”

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“Roman is passionate about football and devoted to Liverpool FC. Indeed, when Tasha first brought Roman to Anfield, he declared it the ‘best day of his life’.”

The family would love to see Roman attend Anfield as a team mascot, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Denise said: “My grandson is obsessed with football, he’s quite good himself he plays for The Falcons in North Wales. He loves Mo Salah too. With everything going on with his mum we just hoped we could do something nice to put a smile on his face and take his mind off it.

“He is going through hell and we’d love some sunshine in this very very dark time, a bit of light to see him happy.” Tasha remains in a critical condition and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her injuries is now under way.

‘A living hell’

Denise explained they are “taking it minute by minute, hour by hour” but acknowledged she is “not well.”

Tasha’s sister Samantha previously said: “My sister Tasha is currently in intensive care after a devastating injury. Right now, she is fighting for her life, and every moment is critical. Our family is by her side, holding onto hope and praying for her recovery.

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“She is facing a long, uncertain road of recovery and rehabilitation, and will need intensive care, therapy, and support to regain even the simplest parts of her life.

“Tasha is not just a sister – she is a mum to her beautiful eight-year-old son, Roman. Right now, he needs stability, love, and support more than ever while his mum fights to come back to him.”

Making an appeal for support, she added: “We are completely unprepared for the financial and emotional weight of what lies ahead-ongoing hospital care, rehabilitation, time away from work, and making sure Roman is safe, supported, and cared for through this trauma.

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“We are asking, from the bottom of our hearts, for any help you can give. Every donation, no matter how small, will go directly toward Tasha’s fight to recover and giving her the best possible chance to rebuild her life-and to be there for her son again.

“Please keep Tasha in your thoughts and prayers. Your support means more than we can put into words. We will continue to share updates as we hold onto hope.”

Tasha’s online fundraising appeal, which has now raised more than £9,000, is targeting a minimum of £11,000.

You can donate to the Gofundme on this link.

The iconic Glasgow-based drama has been axed after 24 years when bosses at BBC Scotland said it was “no longer value for money”.

The final scenes of River City have been filmed as Scotland’s longest-running drama series comes to end after 24 years. The iconic Glasgow-based drama set in Shieldinch has been axed as BBC Scotland said it was “no longer value for money”.

TV bosses refused to do a U-turn on the decision despite a ‘Save River City’ campaign backed by the cast, viewers, politicians and actors’ union Equity. The final episode filmed on Friday will be aired at the end of August.

It will be followed by a specially-commissioned documentary, taking the audience at home through two decades of drama, iconic moments and never seen before behind-the-scenes footage. Speaking to Glasgow Live, Executive Producer Martin McCardie said: “It’s a very emotional time.

“Since last week, people have been up and down – we are fighting to get to the very end of a really special finale. The audience deserve a character based ending, and I think that’s what we’ve done. It will bring a tear to the eye.”

Tony Kearney, who starred as Scott Wallace for nearly ten years, and is now Executive Producer and Director at Solus Productions, who are making the documentary, said he is “indebted” to River City. “I learned my craft of a director here”, he said.

“River City taught me about direction and how to handle performers – I went behind the camera and haven’t acted since. Once you’ve been a part of this team it’ll never leave you.”

Actor Stephen Purdon is the programme’s longest-serving cast member. Better known as ‘Shellsuit’ Bob O’Hara, he said it was “emotional, surreal, hard to put it into words” on their final day on set.

He added: “I’ve grown up here. When I started I was 19 and still living with my mum, now I’m nearly 43 with two kids and a wife.

“It’s funny, a lot of the things Bob’s went through on screen, I’ve went through in my personal life too. But it’s the people I’ll miss most, coming in here and seeing their faces, the banter, the chat and the actors you work closely with. It sounds cliché but it is one big happy family.

“I came in a bit earlier and just had a wee walk around myself and to try take it all in, but you’ve still got scenes to film, you’ve still got to be professional, you’ve still got to go and do your work.”

Sally Howitt, who plays Stephen’s on-screen mum Scarlett O’Hara said: “I’ll never not be Scarlett, I never want to lose that.

“I was first casted for one-month, and 23 years later here I am. It’s such a momentous time, it’s hard to believe it’s the end.”

And when some of the cast picked a memento to take home with them, Sally said: “I’ve had to take the Virgin Mary from my sideboard. I actually took a frying pan and a leopard print tray and some coasters too.

When asked what he’ll be nicking, Stephen jokingly said: “No comment. Next question.”

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Shrinking into her yellowing wedding gown with the decay of her wedding breakfast around her, Miss Havisham, from Charles Dickens’s 1861 novel, Great Expectations, is one of the best-known characters in English literature.

Jilted on her wedding day by her unscrupulous fiancé, Havisham can be understood by modern readers as a victim of “romance fraud”, where in a fraudster manipulates someone under the guise of courtship for their own financial gain. Although romance fraud is a 21st-century term, through the character of Havisham, Dickens clearly demonstrated its often-devastating effects.

In her youth, Havisham was manipulated by her fiancé, the conman Compeyson and her half-brother Arthur, in a plan to rob her of her fortune. Both the romance itself and wedding are a ploy and she is jilted at the altar, losing not only her wealth (which she had signed away prior to her nuptials) but also any hope of future romantic prospects due to the scandal that followed.

Alone, rich and looking for a companion, Havisham was particularly vulnerable to a criminal wanting to take advantage. Though she lost her fortune, Dickens makes it clear that the romantic betrayal is what had the biggest impact on her psychology.

The romantic duplicity shapes her relationships with both her adopted daughter, Estella, and Pip, the novel’s protagonist, making her cold and hostile toward them.

This article is part of Rethinking the Classics. The stories in this series offer insightful new ways to think about and interpret classic books, films and artworks. This is the canon – with a twist.

The psychological impact of romance fraud

Since being jilted, Havisham has become a recluse, “stuck” within the moment of her abandonment. She remains in the house with the clocks all stopped, perpetually wearing her wedding gown. Her decayed hopes of romance are reflected in the decayed objects which surround her. As Pip muses:

Avoiding her eyes … I took note of the surrounding objects in detail, and saw that her watch had stopped at twenty minutes to nine, and that a clock in the room had stopped at twenty minutes to nine. “Look at me,” said Miss Havisham. “You are not afraid of a woman who has never seen the sun since you were born?”

The clocks are all stopped at the time the promise of her future life ended – the moment that she received the letter from Compeyson which made the crime apparent.

Herbert (a relative of Miss Havisham and friend of Pip) recounts the story to Pip:

A certain man, who made love to Miss Havisham … Well! This man pursued Miss Havisham closely and professed to be devoted to her. I believe she had not shown much susceptibility up to that time; but all the susceptibility she possessed certainly came out then, and she passionately loved him.

This description mirrors many modern elements of romance fraud. Compeyson “made love” to her and she became “susceptible”. Like contemporary romance fraudsters, Compeyson inserted himself into Havisham’s life and manipulated and controlled her to believe that he loved her.

Romance fraud in Dickensian Britain

There was a lack of progression in fraudulent law during Dickens’ time. It wasn’t until the Fraud Act of 2006, that real change came about, making fraud by misrepresentation a criminal offence in the UK. Today, romance fraud is considered a “serious crime”.

Long before this most personal form of fraud became illegal, Dickens saw its prevalence and drew attention to it. Others followed in his path, such as Mary Elizabeth Braddon in Lady Audrey’s Secret (1862), Arthur Conan Doyle in A Case of Identity (1891) and Agatha Christie in Death on the Nile (1937).

Havisham can be viewed in two ways, either as a victim or a fool. It is hard to determine how Dickens wanted her to be interpreted. Was she the stereotypical hysterical Victorian woman, as seen in other novels such as The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (1860) or the character of Bertha Rochester in Jane Eyre (1847)?

I don’t think so. As he was with so many other social issues, I believe that Dickens was ahead of his time and was actively trying to raise the profile of the crime of romance fraud and the impact it has on his victims.

Beyond the canon

As part of the Rethinking the Classics series, we’re asking our experts to recommend a book or artwork that tackles similar themes to the canonical work in question, but isn’t (yet) considered a classic itself. Here is Emma Linford’s suggestion:

If you’re gripped by Dickens’s depiction of fraudsters and criminals, you may also enjoy Dickens’s Villains: Melodrama, Character, Popular Culture by Juliet John (2003). In it, John explores the complex villains and anti-heroes of Dickens’ novels. She looks at what inspired his writing, as well as the dramaturgical characteristics of his work.

This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something, The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

With still no sign of a first party Nintendo Direct, a reader lays out his theory for Nintendo’s strange behaviour and what their next big game will be.

The Nintendo Switch 2 will be a year old soon and by this point we’ve all got our opinions on how it’s gone. I think the majority believe it’s gone… okay. Not bad, not terrible, but not what you would’ve expected given how long Nintendo had to prepare. And if that’s not what most people think it is my opinion anyway.

I think last year had some strange mistakes for them but it’s this year that confuses me the most, with no proper Nintendo Direct, even though you’d think they’d need one now more than ever. But who can ever understand Nintendo, especially as they have announced Splatoon Raiders for July.

Whatever their big Christmas game is I’m going to assume it’s not Star Fox, but could it really be a Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake? I’m going to assume not, because that’s exactly what fans want, but you can’t rule out anything. You definitely can’t predict Nintendo either but I do have a theory for why they’re acting the way they are at the moment.

Now that we know the Switch 2 is more powerful than a lot of people expected I think we need to reassess what Nintendo was planning with the console. It may look very similar to the original console but it’s a lot more powerful, and as we’ve seen from games like Star Wars Outlaws and Resident Evil Requiem it can handle even current gen games very well.

Nintendo didn’t make it that powerful on accident and while they’ll be happy that it gets third party support, I’m sure they wouldn’t have made it that way if it wasn’t primarily to suit them. They made it that powerful because they were going to use it themselves and yet we’ve seen absolutely no sign of that from any game they’ve shown so far, including Splatoon Raiders – all of which just look like Switch 1 games.

To me, it seems likely Nintendo is preparing some high-tech games that look just as good as these third party ports, which in turn means maybe an Ocarina Of Time remake that looks (kind of) like Resident Evil really is a possibility.

It might also explain why we haven’t heard anything about a 3D Mario yet. Nintendo is famous for not releasing a game until it’s perfect, so maybe it’s just taking more time because of the high-end graphics. After all, that’s not something Nintendo has much experience with, in terms of high-res textures and ray tracing and all that jazz.

I realise I’m clutching at straws here but there has to be a plan of some kind. They’ve obviously got something lined up as their big Christmas game. And the simplest explanations are always the most likely, so maybe the reason they haven’t shown much this year is because they’re just not quite ready yet.

It’s obvious that things have only just begun for the Switch 2 and while Nintendo may seem to be acting illogically, I think it will all make sense in the end, mostly.

They still have some weird priorities, like that Kirby racing game, but I think the Switch 2 was designed to be a high-end console with current gen graphics. Maybe not as good as the PlayStation 5 but leagues ahead of the Switch 1 and probably on par with the Xbox Series S, which I seem to remember was the rumour before it even came out.

I don’t want to sound like a Nintendo zealot by saying just have confidence, and wait and see, but I do think the evidence points towards the Switch 2 being a bit of powerhouse and since Nintendo has not used that power yet, it only stands to reason that’s what’s coming next.

By reader Tom Meadows

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.

Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.

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Two people believed to be a mother and her son were recovered from the water and died at the scene

A woman and child have tragically lost their lives after “getting into difficulty” in the water at a park in west London.

The pair, understood to be a mother and her son, were pulled from the water after officers were called to Elthorne Park in Ealing shortly before 4.30pm this afternoon. Sadly, both died at the scene, reports the Mirror.

The Met Police are working to trace their next of kin. The force thanked emergency crews and members of the public for doing their “very best” in an “incredibly challenging situation”.

A spokesperson said: “Officers are at the scene of an incident in Elthorne Park, Ealing. Police were called at 4.29pm following reports of two people in difficulty in the water. Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade.”

“A woman and child were recovered from the water. We are not able to confirm their ages at this stage. Very sadly, despite the best efforts of the emergency services who provided urgent medical care, they were both pronounced dead at the scene.

“The woman and child are believed to be a mother and son. Officers are working to identify their next of kin.”

Detective Superintendent Pete Thackray, from the Metropolitan Police’s West Area Command Unit, said: “This is a tragic incident in which a woman and her young child have lost their lives. Our thoughts are with their loved ones.

“I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of the first responders and members of the public who did their very best in an incredibly challenging situation.”

“While an investigation into what took place is under way, all initial indications are that the circumstances are not suspicious.”

In a post on X, Jon Ball, Liberal Democrat councillor for Ealing Common, said: “My thoughts go out to the family of those involved in the tragic accident in Elthorne Park today.”

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There was a huge emergency services presence outside the London park as locals have been left “taken aback” by the tragedy that saw a mother and her child die in the water

The community have been left in shock after a mother and her child have tragically died after getting into difficulty in water in a London park.

Emergency services have left the scene at Elthorne Park near Ealing.

Police, fire, and paramedic vehicles had all left the scene outside Elthorne park by 10:30pm on Saturday, April 25.

The force thanked emergency crews and members of the public for doing their “very best” in an “incredibly challenging situation”.

Abis, an Uber driver from Ealing, saw the huge emergency response to the accident and the entrance to the park blocked off by police.

“I was driving along Boston Road just outside the park between 6pm and 7pm when I saw lots of blue flashing lights. There were at least two fire engines, two ambulances, and many police vehicles.”

He added, “I was driving a customer who had been walking his dog in the park. He told his wife that what we saw was ‘nothing compared to what was happening inside the park’. So, it was obviously even more serious than it looked.”

Abis was shocked to hear about the accident in the park, which is bordered by the River Brent and the Grand Union Canal.

“You can’t actually get to the river from the park, which is why I was so shocked to hear about it. For somebody to get to the river, they must’ve gone beyond the park boundary.”

He added that people do not usually go swimming in the river or the canal.

“I haven’t heard anything about people swimming in the river before. There’s a Lido nearby in Ruislip so lots of people do their outdoor swimming there. I just can’t understand why someone would go swimming in the river.”

Adis said the community would be “taken aback” by the tragedy.

“Theres lots of families and young children in particular living in the area, so we are very very conscious of that. I’ve got two young kids myself, so we obviously want to know how something like this could happen.”

A spokesperson for the Met said: “Officers are at the scene of an incident in Elthorne Park, Ealing.

“Police were called at 4.29pm following reports of two people in difficulty in the water. Officers attended with the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade.

“A woman and child were recovered from the water. We are not able to confirm their ages at this stage. Very sadly, despite the best efforts of the emergency services who provided urgent medical care, they were both pronounced dead at the scene.