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Rangers turn to Steven Gerrard again as manager hunt begins

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is set to hold talks with Rangers about a potential return as head coach, as the Scottish Premiership side begins its search for a new manager following the dismissal of Russell Martin on Sunday.

According to BBC Sport on Wednesday, the club is open to reappointing Gerrard but has been awaiting confirmation of his interest in returning to Ibrox, where he previously guided Rangers to their first league title in a decade.

Sources are indicating that Gerrard is one of a number of candidates Rangers want to speak to, with the club determined to undertake a full process.

However, it is clear that Gerrard – who has backing from many supporters – is now emerging as one of the leading contenders for the position.

Gerrard was in charge of Rangers between 2018 and 2021, leading the club to their first domestic title in 10 years.

Rangers have not been champions since Gerrard decided to leave for Aston Villa in November 2021.

After a 14th-placed finish in his first season in charge of the Premier League club, he was dismissed 12 games into the following campaign.

Gerrard became manager of Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq in July 2023 but left by mutual consent in January and was subsequently linked with the Rangers job before Martin was appointed in June.

In an interview with former England team-mate Rio Ferdinand, Gerrard this week spoke of his desire to return to management but said he wanted “to be at a team that’s going to compete to win, because I think that suits me better”.

Martin won just five of his 17 matches, leaving Rangers eighth in the table – 11 points adrift of leaders Hearts.

Gerrard told the Rio Ferdinand Presents Podcast there had been “five or six really interesting phone calls” since he left Saudi Arabia, but said the timing had not been right. (Punch)

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Benin monarch warns against using market women for politics

The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, has warned against dragging market women in the kingdom into partisan politics, stressing that such interference undermines Benin’s traditional market structure and could lead to unrest.

This came amid controversy over the recent installation of Pastor Josephine Ibhaguezejele as the Iyaloja of Edo State by the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of President Bola Tinubu.

A statement issued on Thursday by the Osuma of Benin, Chief Norense Ozigbo-Esere; the Secretary, Benin Traditional Council (BTC), Frank Irabor; and four other palace chiefs, said the monarch will meet with all Iyekes (market heads) across Benin markets to provide further clarification on the issue.

Although details of the meeting were not immediately disclosed, palace sources said it was convened in response to the tension generated by Ibhaguezejele’s purported installation.

During Tinubu-Ojo’s visit to the palace last Thursday, Oba Ewuare II had explained that the Iyaloja concept was alien to Benin culture, noting that each market in the kingdom is traditionally headed by an Iyeki—a woman chosen by traders and spiritually connected to the palace.

“In Benin, there is nothing like an ‘Iyeki-General,’ which this Iyaloja title seems to suggest,” the BTC statement clarified.

“Each Iyeki emerges from among the market women, is presented to the Palace for confirmation, and once approved, is installed by her peers. Every Iyeki is independent, culturally and spiritually tied to the Palace, and performs specific rituals for the well-being of the market.”

The palace strongly cautioned against the politicisation of market leadership or the use of trade associations as political tools.

“These twin factors are antithetical and inimical to the essence of our market tradition in Benin culture,” the statement read.

“We advise that the function of Iyeki should not be politicised. Any deviation from this age-old cultural system may lead to a breach of peace. The BTC therefore urges the state government to take cognisance of this warning to avoid a breakdown of law and order.”

The palace also warned politicians and market leaders to stop invoking the name of the Oba to legitimise their political activities.

“We hear comments such as ‘the Oba’s word is final’ in this Iyaloja saga. But were these words respected in the past when some leaders used market women as political pawns?” the BTC queried.

“The former market leader, Blacky Ogiemien, was once advised by the Palace to desist from such practices but continued despite warnings.”

Meanwhile, reacting to the ongoing controversy, Ogiemien said market women in Edo State are apolitical and would continue to support any government in power while remaining loyal to the Oba.

Speaking by phone on Wednesday, she said, “We work with any government in power. It was Lucky Igbinedion who handed us to Senator Oserhiemen Osunbor; when Osunbor left, we worked with Oshiomhole, and he later told us to work with Governor Obaseki. There’s a process for leadership selection, and no one can just appoint themselves coordinator.”

On the Oba’s planned meeting and the directive against politicisation, she added, “We are all one. Anytime the Oba wants us, we will be there. If the Oba says we should not be involved in politics again, there’s no problem about that.” (Punch)

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French crisis: Ex-PM urges Macron to resign

Emmanuel Macron’s first prime minister on Tuesday urged the cornered French head of state to resign in a shock call that compounded an escalating political crisis.

The intervention by Edouard Philippe, Macron’s longest-serving prime minister from 2017 to 2020 and who now heads an allied political party, came as frustration grew even within the president’s own camp over the biggest domestic political crisis of his eight years in office.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, appointed less than a month ago, stepped down on Monday morning after failing to rally support across the centre-right coalition for his new government, which is also only supported by a minority in parliament.

Macron ordered him to make a last-ditch effort to rally support for a coalition government, but there was no sign of progress with the far-right refusing to even attend a meeting.

France’s next presidential elections are scheduled to take place in 2027 and are seen as a historic crossroads in French politics, with the French far right under Marine Le Pen sensing its best chance yet of taking power.

Macron is constitutionally barred from seeking a third mandate.

Philippe, who has already declared he will stand, said the polls should be held early once a budget is passed, in comments Le Parisien daily described as “political bomb”.

Denouncing a “distressing political game”, he said it was up to Macron to help France “emerge in an orderly and dignified manner from a political crisis that is harming the country”.

“He must take the decision that is worthy of his function, which is to guarantee the continuity of the institutions by leaving in an orderly manner,” Philippe told the RTL broadcaster.

France has been locked in a political crisis since Macron’s gamble to hold legislative elections in the summer of 2024 backfired and resulted in a hung parliament and a strengthened far right.

In a scathing editorial, the Le Monde daily said the crisis was “yet another demonstration of the unravelling” of Macron’s second mandate following his win in the 2022 presidential elections.

“The president finds himself in a major crisis,” it said.

The domestic isolation of the president, who was filmed Monday walking alone by the banks of the Seine deep in a telephone conversation, contrasts with his clout on the international stage where he is seeking to end Russia’s war on Ukraine alongside President Donald Trump. (Punch)

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Salah scores twice as Egypt qualify for 2026 World Cup

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah scored twice to help Egypt beat Djibouti 3-0 in Casablanca on Wednesday and qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The 33-year-old has now netted nine times in a marathon qualifying campaign that began two years ago, and victory for Egypt gave them an unassailable five-point lead over Burkina Faso in Group A.

Twice African Footballer of the Year, Salah helped Liverpool win the Premier League a record-equalling 20th time last season, and captured the Golden Boot award with 29 goals.

But the Egypt captain has lost his spark with Liverpool this season, scoring just three goals in nine matches in all competitions.

After Ibrahim Adel put Egypt ahead on eight minutes against opponents 158 places lower in the world rankings, Salah netted six minutes later and again on 84 minutes.

While Egypt have won the Africa Cup of Nations a record seven times, they have been less successful in the World Cup, qualifying just four times in 15 attempts — in 1934, 1990, 2018 and now 2026.

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey was among the goals as Ghana trounced the Central African Republic 5-0 in Meknes, and need one point from their final Group I match at home to Comoros to qualify.

Mohammed Salisu, Alexander Djiku, captain Jordan Ayew and Kamaldeen Sulemana were the other scorers for the Black Stars, who led 1-0 at half-time.

Ghana have 22 points and a vastly superior goal difference than Madagascar, who are three points behind. Mali, seeded to win the group, are out of contention with 15 points.

Cape Verde came from two goals behind in Tripoli to draw 3-3 with Libya and edge closer to a first World Cup appearance.

The island nation of about 550,000 inhabitants off the coast of Senegal will clinch first place in Group D if they defeat Eswatini in Praia on Monday.

Known as the Blue Sharks, the Cape Verdeans are two points ahead of Cameroon, who beat Mauritius 2-0 in Saint-Pierre with Manchester United striker Bryan Mbeumo scoring.

Cape Verde have 20 points after nine rounds, two more than Cameroon, the eight World Cup appearances in an African team. (Punch)

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UN chief urges compliance after Israel-Hamas agreement on Gaza peace plan

The United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, has called on all parties to adhere to the reached agreement between Israel and Hamas on the first phase of a U.S.-backed Gaza peace plan.

“All hostages must be released in a dignified manner. A permanent ceasefire must be secured,” Guterres said in a statement on X on Thursday, urging an end to fighting and immediate, unhindered access for humanitarian aid into Gaza. “The suffering must end,” he added.

Guterres praised diplomatic efforts by the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, which helped broker the deal at talks in the Egyptian coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The United Nations would support full implementation of the agreement, expand humanitarian aid and assist reconstruction efforts in Gaza, Guterres said.

The UN chief also encouraged both sides to seize this momentous opportunity to advance a two-state solution that would allow Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. “The stakes have never been higher,” he said.

The two-state solution envisages an independent Palestinian state coexisting peacefully alongside Israel.

Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas currently reject such an outcome. (Punch)

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Innovation minister Nnaji resigns amid allegations

The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, has resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet amid controversies surrounding his academic records and allegations of certificate forgery.

Nnaji, who was appointed in August 2023, announced his resignation in a letter to the President on Tuesday, expressing appreciation for the opportunity to serve.

Confirming the development in a statement on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, following some allegations against him. President Tinubu appointed Nnaji in August 2023.

“He resigned today in a letter thanking the President for allowing him to serve Nigeria. Nnaji said he has been a target of blackmail by political opponents. President Tinubu thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavours.”

Nnaji’s resignation comes amid a lingering controversy over alleged certificate forgery and questions surrounding his academic qualifications from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Nnaji and the Enugu State Government had traded words over allegations that he presented forged certificates.

The dispute intensified after the Federal High Court in Enugu rejected Nnaji’s bid to stop the University of Nigeria from releasing his academic records.

The court had ruled that the institution was within its rights to release the minister’s academic details in response to a freedom of information request, a decision that fuelled further public scrutiny.Nnaji, however, maintained that he was being blackmailed by political opponents determined to tarnish his reputation. (Punch)

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Court jails Japanese football official for child pornography

A senior Japanese Football Association official has been sentenced to an 18-month suspended jail term in France after looking at images of child pornography during a plane journey, a court official said Tuesday.

Masanaga Kageyama, the association’s technical director, was arrested during a stopover at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris on the way to Chile last week, according to Le Parisien newspaper.

It is believed he was heading to the Under-20 World Cup in Chile.

“The facts were discovered by the plane’s flight crew, who raised the alarm after noticing that the convicted man was viewing child pornography images on the plane,” the court prosecutor’s office in Bobigny, north of Paris, told AFP.

The court sentenced the 58-year-old on Monday to a suspended jail term of 18 months and a fine of 5,000 euros ($5,830) for importing, possessing, recording or saving pornographic images of a minor under the age of 15.

His sentence includes a ban on working with minors for 10 years and a ban on returning to France for the next decade.

Kageyama will also be added to the French national sex offenders’ register.

Le Parisien reported that flight attendants caught him viewing the images on his laptop in the business class cabin of an Air France flight.

He claimed to be an artist and insisted the photos had been generated by artificial intelligence.

The report said that during his court appearance he admitted viewing the images, that he did not realise it was illegal in France and that he was ashamed.

He was held in police custody over the weekend until his court appearance on Monday. He was released after the hearing.

Kageyama is responsible for implementing measures to strengthen Japan’s football teams including the national team, as well as educating coaches and nurturing youth players.

He was a professional J-League footballer himself and also coached several J-League clubs. He had also managed Japan’s under-20, under-19 and under-18 teams. (Punch)

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FIFA appoints Chadian referee for Lesotho, Nigeria clash

World football governing body FIFA has selected Chadian official Alhadi Mahamat as the referee for Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Lesotho next week.

The matchday nine encounter is scheduled for the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, South Africa, on Friday, October 10, 2025 and will kick off at 6pm South Africa time, which is 5pm Nigeria time.

Allaou, who was also in charge of Nigeria’s 1-0 win over Rwanda in Uyo on September 6 during matchday seven, will work with compatriots Bogola Issa as first assistant referee, Moussa Hafiz as second assistant referee, and Abdelkerim Ousmane as fourth official.

FIFA also appointed Kenyan official Alice Kimani as referee assessor, while William Shongwe from eSwatini will serve as match commissioner.

Nigeria, currently three points behind first-placed Benin Republic and second-placed South Africa, need an outright victory to enhance their chances of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, which will be jointly hosted by the United States of America, Canada and Mexico next summer.

The Super Eagles face a crucial double-header, with the Lesotho clash followed by a decisive home encounter against Benin Republic at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on October 14.

FIFA has confirmed that Egyptian referee Omar Amin Mohamed Amin Mohamed will officiate the Benin match, assisted by compatriots Mahmoud Aboulergal and Ali Teleb.

Nigeria’s qualification hopes received a boost after FIFA sanctioned South Africa for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their 2-0 win over Lesotho in March, awarding a 3-0 victory to Lesotho instead.

The decision reshaped the group standings, with Benin and South Africa now tied on 14 points at the top after eight matches, while Nigeria and Rwanda sit just behind with 11 points apiece.

A maximum of six points from their remaining fixtures could take Nigeria to 17 points, potentially enough to secure top spot depending on other results. (Punch)

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Private equity consortium offers to buy Electronic Arts for $80 billion

Electronic Arts, the company behind video games like Madden NFL, Battlefield and The Sims, is being acquired for $US52.5 billion ($80 billion), in what could become the largest-ever buyout funded by private-equity firms.

The private equity firm Silver Lake Partners, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF, and Affinity Partners will pay EA’s stockholders $US210 per share.

Affinity Partners is run by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

If the transaction closes as anticipated, it will end EA’s 36-year history as a publicly traded company.

PIF, which was already the largest insider stakeholder in Electronic Arts, will be rolling over its existing 9.9 per cent stake in the company.

The commitment to the massive deal is in line with recent activity by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, wrote Andrew Marok of Raymond James.

“The Saudi PIF has been a very active player in the video gaming market since 2022, taking minority stakes in most scaled public video gaming publishers, and also outright purchases of companies like ESL, FACEIT, and Scopely,” he wrote.

“The PIF has made its intentions to scale its gaming arm, Savvy Gaming Group, clear, and the EA deal would represent the biggest such move to date by some distance.”

Electronic Arts would be taken private and its headquarters would remain in Redwood City, California.

The total value of the deal eclipses the $US32 billion price paid to take Texas utility TXU private in 2007.

EA’s initial public offering on the stock market came seven years after it was founded by former Apple employee William “Trip” Hawkins, who began playing analog versions of baseball and football made by Strat-O-Matic as a teenager during the 1960s.

Chief executive Andrew Wilson has led the company since 2013 and he will remain in that role, the firms said on Monday, local time.

“Electronic Arts is an extraordinary company with a world-class management team and a bold vision for the future,” Mr Kushner, who serves as CEO of Affinity Partners, said.

“I’ve admired their ability to create iconic, lasting experiences, and as someone who grew up playing their games — and now enjoys them with his kids — I couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.”

This marks the second high-profile deal involving Silver Lake and a technology company with a legion of loyal fans in recent weeks.

Silver Lake is also part of a newly formed joint venture spearheaded by Oracle involved in a deal to take over the US oversight of TikTok’s social video platform, although all the details of that complex transaction have not been divulged yet. (ABC)

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Madagascar’s president appoints general as PM amid protests

Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina on Monday appointed an army general as prime minister, hoping to quell surging protests against his leadership that have plunged the country into crisis.

In the latest in days of youth-led marches, security forces dispersed hundreds of demonstrators with tear gas in Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, injuring at least one, AFP reporters saw.

Sparked by anger against persistent water and power cuts in the impoverished Indian Ocean island, the demonstrations started on September 25 and have grown into an angry campaign for Rajoelina to resign.

“With wisdom, I have decided to appoint Ruphin Fortunat Dimbisoa Zafisambo, divisional general, as prime minister of the government,” Rajoelina said late Monday in a declaration at the presidential palace.

The new premier should “serve the people” and be “someone clean, with integrity, and who works quickly”, he said, promising he was “ready to save Madagascar”.

The Gen Z movement that rallied the protests on social media responded by repeating calls for Rajoelina to resign.

It said it was giving him a 48-hour “ultimatum” to “respond favourably” to their demands.

“As long as Andry Rajoelina remains in power, we will continue to fight,” the group said on social media.

Rajoelina’s move to sack his entire government last week failed to placate the demonstrators.

University students and residents gathered near the University of Ankatso on the outskirts of the capital on Monday, the 12th day of the movement.

They then marched towards the city centre, where they were stopped by a barricade put up by security forces.

Clashes erupted throughout the afternoon, with at least one young man wounded and evacuated to the main hospital, AFP reporters saw.

“There are about 120 hours of power cuts per week where I live,” said 21-year-old protester Tommy Fanomezantsoa.

“We are protesting for everyone’s sake,” he told AFP. “The president is not listening to the anger of the people at the bottom. He always does what he wants.”

The Ankatso district was the birthplace of a 1972 revolt that led to the ousting of the first president of the poverty-stricken island, Philibert Tsiranana.

“The future of this country depends on me, on you, on all of us,” one of the protest leaders told the crowd of several hundred people, urging them not to allow the movement to lose momentum.

“We can clearly see that democracy in Madagascar is not respected at all,” said another protest leader.

“They are even destroying it with brutality,” he said.

He was referring to a United Nations statement last week that at least 22 people had been killed in the protests and more than 100 wounded, a figure rejected by the authorities. (Punch)