What job is new Rangers boss walking into?

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A week in politics is allegedly a long time. Never mind that. Twelve days at Rangers will seem like an eternity at the moment.

Russell Martin’s tenure ended with the sight of him being secretly escorted out of Falkirk Stadium after another mistake on October 5 as he was relieved of the ever-increasing load on his shoulders that was the head coach’s job.

Some of the club’s supporters will remember this image and the team bus that was being blocked in for a lifetime.

The clamor for Steven Gerrard’s return has reached a sonic crescendo for not even two weeks, only to be met with a refusal from the then title-winning manager.

Danny Rohl, the ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss, was the subject of conversation before he abruptly resigned.

Fans of the Rangers are now closely following the progress of Chinese side Shanghai Port to see if Kevin Muscat’s departure from Glasgow has come to pass.

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    • 18 June 2023

How behind schedule do they have?

This has a literal and metaphorical response. The other is more difficult to explain.

The simple fact is that Rangers currently sit eighth in the Scottish Premiership table after drawing with Falkirk thanks to an injury-time winner away to newly promoted Livingston.

The rest of their recent efforts, which included five draws and one defeat, are left them at the top of the table, two points clear of 11th place, behind Motherwell and Hibernian.

League leaders Hearts are 11 points ahead of their city rivals, while Celtic are nine ahead of their city rivals when you look up.

On November 2, when the two teams square off in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final, Brendan Rodgers’ team will face off against Hampden, so whoever the new Rangers head coach is, one of their first responsibilities could be to lead the team out to the national stadium.

Rangers struggled to fire and lose points twice under Martin, including at Ibrox, throughout the city. However, there is still a lingering suspicion that Celtic still possess the necessary knowledge and experience to succeed while a young Rangers squad searches for new leadership.

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What do they currently need?

Stability is the first word that comes to mind.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst consoled his players in Seville’s sweltering heat as Rangers lost the Europa League final on penalties in May 2022. A Scottish Cup win was expected just days after the mesmerizing and heroic run, which ended in a sting in the tail.

The Dutchman was fired six months later, and the Rangers’ management merry-go-round started.

Michael Beale, Philippe Clement, Barry Ferguson, and Martin have all been in charge since then, with the exception of a League Cup victory.

Former Rangers striker Billy Dodds, who was a member of the coaching staff last season under Ferguson, said, “They’ll be looking for a little help, probably some guidance, to give them a little stability.”

There are things that can assist, they say. You get to the football field as well after you’ve been inside, and we’ve already gathered it right away.

There are many things that can be done right away, but long-term, they need someone who can lead, be good at wooing people, and then make sure the person they hire has strong values and sends the right message that this club is headed in the right direction.

Since Martin left the Falkirk Stadium behind a back-door exit, the fort has been led by under-19s coaches Steven Smith, B Team coach Brian Gilmour, performance coach Rhys Owen, and goalkeeper coach Sal Bibbo.

Rangers do have experience inside the dressing room. The senior leadership team includes captain James Tavernier, captain John Souttar, captain Jack Butland, and Kieran Dowell.

Dodds, however, thinks a powerful figurehead is urgently required.

He said, “He (Tavernier) can only do so much,” TV is a quiet, quiet guy who doesn’t speak out loud on the pitch.

It’s not like they’re going to gather all the team together and make a speech, but there’s a group called the leadership core.

They’ll probably be saying to one another, “We need it sorted, we need it sorted pretty quickly,” in my opinion.

Even though there is a captain and vice-captain, there is a leadership group, “there is no real standout leader.” Although the boys can only accomplish so much, I believe they must unite.

Is it a quick fix?

It is undeniable that the core group is capable of more than what has been provided this season by looking at them.

Rangers appeared passive from the back end in far too many games, and Martin’s tactics have been dissected and broken down. Add a porous defense, and you’re in trouble.

However, a team’s spine is present. After a disagreement with Martin, Lucas Raskin pledged his commitment to restoring Rangers’ momentum, while Bojan Miovski, a new signing, poses a threat in the form of attack.

However, supporters won’t have much patience when Muscat, or whoever it may be, arrives. Clement has a year and 131 days in place of Gerrard, making him the longest serving boss.

Small victories will be required to quickly reassure fans that the tanker is turning with such a terrible start to the campaign.

Dodds remarked, “There’s definitely confidence right away]that needs improved.”

They have been a problem for a while, but I believe defensively they need to be more sound. That will require the new manager to pursue that.

There is something to work with because there is a strong midfield there, and there is a strong midfield base, even when we were there. Additionally, they have added up front as well, so there is something to work with.

You can see the confidence seeping out of them as “there are things that need to be changed,” but overall you can see that.

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Portugal’s parliament approves far-right party’s bill to ban face veils

The far-right Chega party proposed a bill that would prohibit the use of face veils for “gender or religious purposes” in most public spaces. It also targets Muslim women’s burqas and niqabs.

The proposed fines for wearing face veils in public would range from 200 to 4 000 euros ($234 to $4, 670), as per the proposed legislation, which was approved by parliament on Friday. A person who is forced to wear one would face prison sentences of up to three years.

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Face veils could still be worn on diplomatic aircraft, in diplomatic buildings, and in places of worship.

The parliamentary committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms, and Guarantees, a body charged with reviewing constitutional legislation, is scheduled to hear the bill right away, according to local media reports.

Portugal would join other European nations like France, Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands, which are already subject to full or partial bans, if passed into law.

The bill could still be vetoed by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa or sent for review to the Constitutional Court.

Chega leader Andre Ventura was confronted by several left-wing lawmakers who opposed the bill during the parliamentary session on Friday, but it was supported by the centre-right coalition.

“We are today preventing female members of parliament, your daughters, our daughters from being required to wear burqas in this country one day,” Ventura said.

He wrote, “Today is a historic day for our democracy, the protection of our values, our identity, and women’s rights,” in a post on X.

Before the vote, Social Democratic Party lawmaker Andreia Neto stated: “This is a debate about gender equality.” No woman should be made to cover her face.

According to local media reports, two of the ten parliamentarian parties, including the People’s Animals-Nature party and the Together for the People party, disqualified from the vote.

The parties claim that the proposal promoted discrimination.

In Portugal, these veils are uncommon, and only a small minority of Muslim women in Europe cover their faces.

Navgire hits fastest ever women’s T20 hundred

Images courtesy of Getty

Nagpur Senior Women’s T20 Trophy

Punjab 110-6 (20 overs): Kumari 30 (23), Patil 2-26

Maharashtra 113-1 (8 overs): Navgire 106* (35), Chahal 1-21

Nine wickets later, Maharashtra won.

In a domestic match in India, starting pitcher Kiran Navgire scored a 34-ball hundred to set the record for the fastest century in women’s T20 history.

In India’s Senior Women’s T20 Trophy match, Navgire’s Maharashtra team defeated Punjab by nine wickets to win the unbeaten 106 off 35 balls.

With her 36-ball total for Wellington Blaze in January 2021, the 31-year-old former Indian batter shaved two balls off the previous record, held by New Zealand’s Sophie Devine.

Seven sixes and 14 fours were used in Navgire’s innings at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground by the hosts as they attempted to defeat 111 in just eight overs.

She became the only woman to score a century with a strike-rate of more than 300 as a result of her strike-rate of 302.86.

With a 38-ball hundred against South Africa in 2010, West Indies batter Deandra Dottin recorded the fastest century in women’s T20 internationals.

In October 2022, Navgire played her final of her six T20 matches for India.

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The six problems a Gaza ceasefire has brought Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu

In the eyes of some observers, peace has still come too soon for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despite the staggering death toll and human suffering Israel has caused Gaza over the past two years.

The Israeli leader has been accused of using the war to divert attention away from his position and even his freedom. None of those issues have been resolved because of the current ceasefire in Gaza.

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Even former Israeli ambassador Alon Pinkas, who was pressured into the White House over the growing financial and diplomatic costs of the Israeli conflict, sees the ceasefire as being stage-managed and forced upon him.

What issues does Netanyahu face before the upcoming Israeli elections and beyond, and how dangerous are they if he can’t find a second war?

Let’s examine this more closely.

Will the Israeli prime minister face isolation from other countries?

Netanyahu has become the face of Israel’s isolation on a global scale for many.

More than 67, 000 Palestinians were killed by Israel in the past two years, and Gaza is where it is now in the midst of a famine. The increased coverage of what his government has done to the enclave is likely to cement Israel’s pariah status for the time being until Netanyahu’s government can permanently ban international journalists from reaching Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the UN’s 80th General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City, US, on September 26, 2025 [Caitlin Ochs/Reuters]

Israel’s growing isolation has been apparent for months, and in September, Netanyahu appeared to be setting the stage for it to continue. In a reference to the martial ancient Greek state, Netanyahu depicted his vision for a future “Super Sparta” as a form of economic and diplomatic isolation and persistent conflict.

It wasn’t very well received. The shekel sank almost immediately in comparison to other currencies, and the Israeli stock exchange plummeted. We are not Sparta, according to the 200-strong Israel Business Forum, which stands for 200 of the country’s largest businesses.

Could Netanyahu’s coalition be scuttled by the right?

Netanyahu is already taking steps to prevent it, but it might.

Netanyahu has heavily relied on the support of Israel’s far right throughout the conflict and the earlier public disputes over the judiciary’s independence.

Italel Smotrich, the country’s finance minister, and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the country’s top security official, have both expressed opposition to the ceasefire while governing the country’s coalition, for the time being.

In the hope that this will lead to the return of ultra-Orthodox parties in the parliament and help his government survive in the event of any defections, Netanyahu is reported to be proposing legislation to exempt ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students from the draft.

Netanyahu and Israel could still be found guilty by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ)?

They could .

Israeli Prime Minister Yoav Gallant, former defense minister, and Hamas’s military commander Mohammed Deif, who Israel has since killed, were all the subjects of an international arrest warrant issued by the ICC in November 2024 for war crimes.

Many people are certain that Netanyahu will be held accountable for the genocide against Israel if a guilty verdict is handed down.

A verdict in the ICC case against Gallant and Netanyahu is not anticipated until the end of 2027, at the very least. The ICC may impose a 30-year prison sentence if found guilty, while the ICJ would typically send the guilty verdict to the UN Security Council for review.

Trump might choose Netanyahu over him.

It is a real possibility.

In the face of hostility from other countries, the US is currently Israel’s primary economic and military sponsor as well as its diplomatic bulwark. Without it, Netanyahu and Israel would be in serious trouble.

Whatever Netanyahu might say, there are bounds to the support of US President Donald Trump. When Netanyahu became one of the first leaders to congratulate former US President Joe Biden on his victory in the 2021 election, Trump reportedly expressed anger.

In May, he is said to have stopped speaking with the Israeli prime minister over concerns that Netanyahu was attempting to manipulate him.

During a recent alleged uproar over Israel’s alleged assault on Hamas negotiators in Doha in September, Trump reportedly said, “He’s screwing me.”

Trump and Netanyahu
Netanyahu’s relationship with the notoriously unpredictable [Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters] has a significant impact.

Trump has described how he “had it out” with Netanyahu and how he wouldn’t allow Israel to redeploy to Gaza until “I say the word” when describing the process of the ceasefire.

Trump later described the ceasefire as having been in place for 3, 000 years, telling his audience, “And it’s going to hold up, too” as he formally inaugurated it at the Israeli parliament.

He’s unlikely to enjoy being gambled away well.

Will Israel conduct an investigation into Netanyahu’s misdeeds ahead of the September 7 attack?

It appears to be getting more and more likely.

Separate investigations into the army’s and intelligence service’s failures in the months leading up to the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which claimed 1, 139 lives and about 250 were abducted, revealed flagrant errors and confusion in Israel’s security services as they struggled to deal with an assault they had not anticipated.

Following each inquiry, both the intelligence and army made their resignations.

Netanyahu did not object to those inquiries, but he has resisted one into the role of his own government, arguing that it would be politically biased and impossible to carry out in a wartime.

However, Israel’s High Court unanimously decided there was no longer “any real argument” to delay it, giving the government 30 days to respond.

FILES-COMBO-ISRAEL-PALESTNIAN-CONFLICT-ICC-JUSTICE
[Abir Sultan/AFP] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant are both charged with war crimes at the International Criminal Court.

Netanyahu might spend some time behind bars.

The Israeli prime minister’s option for jail time is still a possibility.

Trump almost made up his mind about Netanyahu’s corruption trial on Monday and Israel’s protracted war in Gaza.

Trump demanded that Israeli President Isaac Herzog pardon Netanyahu for what he characterized as “cigars and champagne” during his address to the Israeli parliament.

In reality, Netanyahu has been tried in three corruption cases throughout the war, all of which have continued despite lengthy delays.

Kate Garraway has hilarious response to Alan Carr’s brutal Celebrity Traitors dig

Kate Garraway poked fun at Alan Carr’s dig at her acting confused during filming of the show by posting a skit on her Instagram stories of her acting disorientated

Kate Garraway wasted no time in responding to Alan Carr’s cheeky quip of her while on Celebrity Traitors. The comedian and TV chat show host was seen poking fun at Kate, who he claimed didn’t appear to always be on the ball.

Alan made the cheeky dig while chatting with fellow Traitors Jonathan Ross and Cat Burns as they mulled over their decisions on who to ‘murder’ next. Standing in the Traitors Turret, Alan said of the Good Morning Britain star: “If Kate doesn’t come down for breakfast, people will just think she’s gone into a broom cupboard.” Which caused Jonathan to burst out in laughter.

And so in one of the best responses, the Good Morning Britain presenter filmed a skit showing off her funny side.

In the clip that she shared with her fans, Kate is seen emerging from a broom cupboard as she pretends to be looking for the breakfast room.

She is filmed saying: “Sorry that’s a broom cupboard. I’m just looking for the breakfast room.”

Kate captioned he post shared to her Instagram page, saying: “Me? Confused? Bumbling into the wrong room ? What can @chattyman mean ! #celebritytraitors.”

Within minutes, a host of friends and followers posted laughing emojis. One person wrote: “Just the best line from Alan! You have to laugh as he is probably spot on. I’m a broom cupboard girl too!”

And another said: “Does he mean, an area of the studio, such as, Andi Peters, ?, was he filming from a broom cupboard, or was it someone else ?”

Kate is part of a host of celebrities taking part in the one-off spin off show, including Jonathan Ross, Clare Balding and Charlotte Church.

And speaking about Alan’s comments during a segment of Good Morning Britain, Kate admitted to feeling a little overwhelmed “disorganised” and “a little confused by life” during the filming of the BBC show.

The 58 year old presenter explained on the morning news programme: “I love the way that Jonathan and Cat are using logic as Traitors, and Alan’s just like, ‘Oh… she’d go into a broom cupboard. She wouldn’t find a way out. We’d have no impact at all’.”

She added: “I think he’s trying to say that I can be occasionally a little chaotic, a little bit disorganised, a little confused by life. I did open a lot of castle doors thinking I was going into the billiard room and found myself in the laboratory. So that’s where that came from. They’re brutal. They may still murder me, despite saying all that.”

The spin-off series is hosted by Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman. And following the same format, the Faithfuls are tasked with identifying and banishing the Traitors in order to win a cash prize for their chosen charity.

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Already some of the celebrities are accusing Kate of showing signs of being a Traitor.

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