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Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Why Rangers fans owe ex-Ibrox chairman Dave King a debt of gratitude
Seeing Dave King, the then Rangers chairman, waiting to board a flight in Frankfurt Airport alongside dozens of Celtic fans as I returned from a Europa League play-off match in Stockholm back in 2019 was a downright bizarre, not to mention slightly concerning, sight. The improbable coming together of the two parties came, to pour further fuel onto an already combustible concoction, just two days before the bitter rivals met at Ibrox in the opening Old Firm game of the season. What could possibly go wrong? Quick, somebody call security! Mercifully, things passed off without incident. The Parkhead supporters, still elated in the wake of an emphatic 4-1 win over AIK which had secured their qualification for the group stages, were tickled by the unexpected encounter. King, meanwhile, appeared delighted by the attention. He happily posed for photographs, signed autographs, shook hands and chatted about the weekend fixture. Relations between the South Africa-based financier and Rangers fans have not always been quite so convivial. The scathing criticism which he has regularly aimed at his erstwhile associates on the board from afar since standing down as chairman five years ago have not gone down well in the Govan stands. Read more: There has not been a lot of love for Douglas Park, John Bennett and their fellow directors of late as Celtic have continued to dominate the Scottish game. Still, the very public potshots which their old ally has taken at them have not met with widespread approval. Quite the opposite. The general feeling is that his constant sniping has done nothing to help their cause and has even made them something of a laughing stock. He has tarnished his reputation. John Gilligan stated what many were thinking when he chatted to the media after being appointed interim chairman back in September. 'I just say to Dave, 'Please take it below the radar, behave like a proper shareholder, don't do what you are doing',' he said. 'It's just a shame because he is a great character and he had a massive influence on the club.' The narrative which King has consistently aired - that all was going swimmingly on the good ship Rangers when he, his work at his boyhood heroes complete, had sailed off into the sunset and his successors had shamefully taken their hands off the tiller and lost their bearings in his absence – was flawed. Those who came after him would argue they were left in the lurch, that they were forced to sort out the almighty mess they inherited, that he had high tailed it to the Highveld in their hour of need. Park and Bennett have certainly stumped up millions, tens of millions in fact, to keep them afloat since his sudden exit. (Image: SNS Group Craig Williamson) That came after he was 'cold-shouldered' – a punishment which meant that no company or individual authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority was allowed to act on his behalf - by the Takeover Panel for four years for acting in concert with Park, George Letham and George Taylor when he seized power in 2015. Would the majority shareholder have been able to continue in his role? Everything about the Glasgow-born, Castlemilk-raised businessman, it sometimes seemed, was shrouded in uncertainty. He was an enigmatic as well as an egotistical operator and then some. His tenure was beset by off-field legal wrangles, petty squabbles and internal strife. He was more mercurial than the flakiest winger who arrived on his watch. All of that said, there is a great deal that he can look back on and be immensely proud of. That day we bumped into each other in Frankfurt, for instance, he spoke stridently about ridding Rangers of the scourge of sectarianism. They had just been ordered by UEFA to close off 3,000 seats in the second leg of their Europa League play-off match against Legia Warsaw for the 'racist' behaviour of their fans in the qualifier against St Joseph's the previous month. The 'please stay away' statement which had been released sent out a very strong message to the 'FTP brigade' indeed. Chants about 'Fenian b*******' persist on match days. Still, King did not, despite the risk of angering a sizeable portion of the fanbase, shy away from the thorny issue. On top of that, he invested considerable sums of his own personal fortune, offset heavy annual losses, in an attempt to make Rangers a major force again domestically and in Europe. Read more: Bringing in Steven Gerrard as manager proved to be nothing short a masterstroke. The former Liverpool and England captain proved to be a huge personality who was unfazed by the scrutiny he was under, lifted everyone around him and drove up standards. The former Champions League winner enjoyed success on the continent and ultimately delivered the Scottish title. But most importantly Dave King, with a little help from Gilligan, Letham, Paul Murray, Park, Taylor and others, stepped up when Rangers needed him to and wrested control of the Ibrox club away from a despised and distrusted regime at a time when they were hurtling head first towards another cataclysmic financial implosion. The Scot has sold up his stake to a consortium of investors that comprises American billionaire Andrew Cavenagh and the San Francisco 49ers and severed his ties completely. But he will forever be owed a debt of gratitude for the important part he played in ensuring their survival. If he ever boards a flight to Glasgow to take in a game, he should be greeted as warmly as he was by those stunned Celtic fans in Germany.
The National
3 days ago
- Sport
- The National
Why Rangers fans owe ex-Ibrox chairman Dave King a debt of gratitude
Seeing Dave King, the then Rangers chairman, waiting to board a flight in Frankfurt Airport alongside dozens of Celtic fans as I returned from a Europa League play-off match in Stockholm back in 2019 was a downright bizarre, not to mention slightly concerning, sight. The improbable coming together of the two parties came, to pour further fuel onto an already combustible concoction, just two days before the bitter rivals met at Ibrox in the opening Old Firm game of the season. What could possibly go wrong? Quick, somebody call security! Mercifully, things passed off without incident. The Parkhead supporters, still elated in the wake of an emphatic 4-1 win over AIK which had secured their qualification for the group stages, were tickled by the unexpected encounter. King, meanwhile, appeared delighted by the attention. He happily posed for photographs, signed autographs, shook hands and chatted about the weekend fixture. Relations between the South Africa-based financier and Rangers fans have not always been quite so convivial. The scathing criticism which he has regularly aimed at his erstwhile associates on the board from afar since standing down as chairman five years ago have not gone down well in the Govan stands. Read more: There has not been a lot of love for Douglas Park, John Bennett and their fellow directors of late as Celtic have continued to dominate the Scottish game. Still, the very public potshots which their old ally has taken at them have not met with widespread approval. Quite the opposite. The general feeling is that his constant sniping has done nothing to help their cause and has even made them something of a laughing stock. He has tarnished his reputation. John Gilligan stated what many were thinking when he chatted to the media after being appointed interim chairman back in September. 'I just say to Dave, 'Please take it below the radar, behave like a proper shareholder, don't do what you are doing',' he said. 'It's just a shame because he is a great character and he had a massive influence on the club.' The narrative which King has consistently aired - that all was going swimmingly on the good ship Rangers when he, his work at his boyhood heroes complete, had sailed off into the sunset and his successors had shamefully taken their hands off the tiller and lost their bearings in his absence – was flawed. Those who came after him would argue they were left in the lurch, that they were forced to sort out the almighty mess they inherited, that he had high tailed it to the Highveld in their hour of need. Park and Bennett have certainly stumped up millions, tens of millions in fact, to keep them afloat since his sudden exit. (Image: SNS Group Craig Williamson) That came after he was 'cold-shouldered' – a punishment which meant that no company or individual authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority was allowed to act on his behalf - by the Takeover Panel for four years for acting in concert with Park, George Letham and George Taylor when he seized power in 2015. Would the majority shareholder have been able to continue in his role? Everything about the Glasgow-born, Castlemilk-raised businessman, it sometimes seemed, was shrouded in uncertainty. He was an enigmatic as well as an egotistical operator and then some. His tenure was beset by off-field legal wrangles, petty squabbles and internal strife. He was more mercurial than the flakiest winger who arrived on his watch. All of that said, there is a great deal that he can look back on and be immensely proud of. That day we bumped into each other in Frankfurt, for instance, he spoke stridently about ridding Rangers of the scourge of sectarianism. They had just been ordered by UEFA to close off 3,000 seats in the second leg of their Europa League play-off match against Legia Warsaw for the 'racist' behaviour of their fans in the qualifier against St Joseph's the previous month. The 'please stay away' statement which had been released sent out a very strong message to the 'FTP brigade' indeed. Chants about 'Fenian b*******' persist on match days. Still, King did not, despite the risk of angering a sizeable portion of the fanbase, shy away from the thorny issue. On top of that, he invested considerable sums of his own personal fortune, offset heavy annual losses, in an attempt to make Rangers a major force again domestically and in Europe. Read more: Bringing in Steven Gerrard as manager proved to be nothing short a masterstroke. The former Liverpool and England captain proved to be a huge personality who was unfazed by the scrutiny he was under, lifted everyone around him and drove up standards. The former Champions League winner enjoyed success on the continent and ultimately delivered the Scottish title. But most importantly Dave King, with a little help from Gilligan, Letham, Paul Murray, Park, Taylor and others, stepped up when Rangers needed him to and wrested control of the Ibrox club away from a despised and distrusted regime at a time when they were hurtling head first towards another cataclysmic financial implosion. The Scot has sold up his stake to a consortium of investors that comprises American billionaire Andrew Cavenagh and the San Francisco 49ers and severed his ties completely. But he will forever be owed a debt of gratitude for the important part he played in ensuring their survival. If he ever boards a flight to Glasgow to take in a game, he should be greeted as warmly as he was by those stunned Celtic fans in Germany.
Irish Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Woman 'tries to open plane door' mid flight after 'screaming about bomb'
An "erratic" passenger caused a plane to make an emergency landing over the weekend after allegedly "grabbing the emergency exit" and "screaming about a bomb". A witness told Manchester Evening News how the woman, who was travelling alone, caused havoc on board the easyJet flight from Dalaman in Turkey to Manchester Airport on Saturday night (May 24). The woman reportedly screamed that there was "a bomb" on the flight, before "grabbing the emergency exit door" and "reaching for life jackets". It was claimed she was then "wrestled away" before the flight made an emergency landing at Frankfurt Airport in Germany. EasyJet confirmed that a "disruptive" passenger had led to flight EZY2148 being diverted to Frankfurt. A passenger sitting close to the emergency exit, who asked not to be named, said: "Once the plane had took off, she began to run up and down the plane screaming about how it was going down and there was a bomb. She also tried to get life jackets and oxygen masks out." The passenger claims the woman then disturbed a couple, telling them the plane was "going down", before reaching for the emergency exit. The flyer added: "She then quickly jumped up and grabbed the emergency exit door handle cover and ripped it off. She then went for the handle but was stopped by other passengers. "It took three males to wrestle the woman away from the emergency exit. She was then taken the back of the plane by cabin crew and we were alerted that the plane would be doing an emergency landing." The flight had been due to leave Dalaman at 11pm, but departed at midnight local time. It landed at Frankfurt Airport at around 2.30am, when emergency services were seen boarding the flight. It is understood an investigation has been launched involving authorities in Germany. Passengers were reportedly kept on board the flight for a number of hours, before being allowed to leave for the airport at around 5am. An 'airport curfew' meant the flight could not depart Frankfurt until later, with the flight arriving in Manchester at 1.40pm, according to easyJet's website. An easyJet spokesperson said: "Flight EZY2148 from Dalaman to Manchester on May 24 diverted to Frankfurt due to a passenger behaving disruptively onboard. Unfortunately, due to the airport curfew, the flight had to be delayed overnight and has since continued to Manchester today. "Due to limited airport ground handling availability overnight, we are aware that customers were required to remain onboard for longer than usual before they could disembark and we did everything we could to mitigate the impact of the delay. "As there was unfortunately limited hotel availability in the area, some customers stayed in the terminal where we provided refreshment vouchers to help make them as comfortable as possible. "EasyJet's cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time. "Whilst such incidents are rare we take them very seriously and do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour onboard. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is easyJet's highest priority."
Time Magazine
20-05-2025
- Science
- Time Magazine
The Surprising Science Behind Your Intuition
Do you feel like the world (and your mind) is spinning? As if the ground beneath your feet isn't safe or solid? We now have access to an unprecedented amount of knowledge, data, and information brought to us in seconds. Artificial intelligence and complex crises are amplifying the pace and scale of change, from economic and political shifts to the flow of information, making it harder for us to see the big picture, and adapt and reflect. In this uncertain and fast-paced world, we need more than just logic and data to navigate. We need a strong inner compass—a well-honed intuition. Intuition has often been dismissed as vague or unscientific. But that's changing. An emerging body of evidence shows that a well-trained intuition, what we sometimes call 'gut feelings,' is key to our ability to make good decisions and innovate, especially in times of uncertainty. Intuition enables us to process a massive amount of information and sensory data, which we pick up with our whole body, not just the brain. It does this much faster than our conscious, focused mind. In The Intelligence of Intuition, Gerd Gigerenzer explores how intuition is our defining difference in the age of AI, and that without intuition, there wouldn't be much innovation. A 2017 study of a group of Nobel laureates showed that intuition played a major role in their discoveries, helping them connect seemingly disparate ideas and come up with 'aha moments'. A 2022 research study in the field of management argues that intuition and sense-making are indispensable for constructing knowledge, particularly in today's complex and uncertain context. But connecting to our intuition can be difficult in our overstimulated world. Social media, the 24-hour news cycle, and the clutter of modern life vie for our mental space. We've become disconnected from our attention—and our own bodies. I know this from my own experience. In my '20s, I worked in post-conflict development for the United Nations in Kosovo. I spent a year there, but it felt like 10 years packed into one. Going to Kosovo was like walking into an open wound. I could see and smell the aftermath of conflict in the air, in people's eyes, and in the ruined houses and buildings. I wanted to make a difference for the victims of war and contribute to a better future. But I had no idea how to set personal boundaries, nor did I even understand why that was important. I believed that taking time for myself, to recharge my batteries, would be a sign of weakness. My sleep deprivation grew, as did the nerve pain from slipped discs in my spine. And without my knowing, a new life was quietly forming inside me. One night, during a layover in Frankfurt Airport, on a work trip from Kosovo to Kazakhstan, I felt terrible pain and started to bleed. I didn't think much of it— I just took some painkillers and continued my journey. It was only later that I realized I'd had a miscarriage. Whether I'd been pushing myself too hard or the pregnancy just wasn't meant to be, this experience showed how disconnected I had become from my own body and emotions. It was only a matter of time until the circulation system of my mind, body, and soul froze to a halt. I hit a wall and was forced to connect within, as I had nowhere else to go. And it changed my life. During the process of healing, I returned to my home country, Iceland. In Icelandic, the word for intuition is InnSæi. The word is poetic and evokes 'the sea within,' the flow of our unconscious mind. If we put the sea within into boxes or silos, it ceases to flow. When we lose sight of the flow of life, we're less able to connect the dots and see the big picture. When we suppress our emotions and ignore our pain, "the sea within" freezes and turns into a glacier. We lose access to one of our most powerful tools for resilience, connection, meaning, and clarity. When we lose connection with our intuition, we lose our inner harmony that allows us to act with mastery and ease, as anaesthesiologist Ronald W Dworkin describes so eloquently in a recent Aeon article. In today's world, we also have a tendency to rely more on experts, browsers, and technology than our own judgment. As British physician Dr. Rangan Chatterjee said in a recent interview: 'We've outsourced our inner expertise." It's time to reclaim it. But to be able to align with our intuition, we need to become the stewards of our own attention. Start by paying attention to what you pay attention to, and document it in your journal. Attention journaling is a powerful tool to notice what our busy attention is picking up and filling our senses with. Notice with your whole body, skin, gut, and heart. Mind the inflow to improve the outflow. Mindfully create more headspace and clarity by filtering what you pay attention to, such as ads, media, and toxic relationships. Create space in your days for your mind to wander, to be inspired, and to find joy. Actively sense and observe gut cues and signals from your surroundings. Train yourself to understand your environment, teams, and markets through your senses and intuition. Learn to discern intuition from biases and 'misintuition". How we pay attention 'is a moral act," to quote Dr. Iain McGilchrist. What we pay attention to changes us and the world we experience. It brings certain aspects of things into being while others recede. In an age of information overload, uncertainty, and search for meaning, a well-honed intuition is a powerful inner compass that can help us find our way with greater clarity and purpose.
Washington Post
19-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Airliner flew 10 minutes without pilot in medical emergency, report finds
A flight from Germany to Spain flew for up to 10 minutes without a pilot at the controls last year after the co-pilot lost consciousness, a report from Spanish aviation authorities found. The aircraft in question, a Lufthansa Airbus A321, took off from Frankfurt Airport in Germany on Feb. 17, 2024, bound for Seville, Spain, according to the report released last week by Spanish government's Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission (CIAIAC). The co-pilot had a seizure tied to an undiagnosed neurological condition just as the pilot left the cockpit to use the restroom, according to the report — leaving the aircraft without an operator for several minutes before the pilot and crew realized something was wrong. None of the flight's 199 passengers were injured. 'After the captain left the cockpit and the co-pilot suffered sudden and severe incapacitation, the aircraft continued flying for approximately 10 minutes in cruise mode with the autopilot engaged, but without additional supervision from either pilot,' the report found. The incident prompted an official investigation, with the resulting report highlighting the benefit of having another authorized person on the flight deck when one of the two pilots has to leave. Lufthansa said in a statement Monday that it is aware of the report and has conducted its own investigation while providing 'intensive and comprehensive support' to Spanish authorities. A number of unrelated incidents, including mechanical failures, pilot errors, close calls and midair crashes, have made headlines and fueled fears of flying in recent years — even though aviation experts say these types of issues are rare and flying remains a very safe method of transport. The Lufthansa pilot, who is not named in the report but is identified as 43-year-old man, left the flight deck at 10:31 a.m. to go to the bathroom, after speaking with his co-pilot about the weather and the operation of the aircraft. The pilot told investigators that the co-pilot, with whom he had flown for three days out of a four-day rotation, appeared 'fit' and 'attentive.' When the pilot returned from the bathroom at 10:39 a.m., he was unable to access the flight deck. At first he assumed he had made a mistake in entering the standard access code, but after five failed attempts, and a failed attempt to contact the flight deck through the intercom, the pilot switched to an emergency procedure using a separate access code on a timer. Before that process was complete, the co-pilot opened the door from the inside. He was 'pale, sweating, and moving strangely,' the report said, so the pilot asked for assistance from the crew and took control of the aircraft at 10:42 a.m. Crew members administered first aid, and a doctor who was a passenger on the flight helped treat the co-pilot and diagnosed him with 'a possible heart condition,' the report said. The pilot declared a medical emergency and diverted the plane to Adolfo Suárez Madrid Barajas Airport and landed there about 20 minutes later, the report said. The incident has shone a spotlight on the issue of pilot incapacitation — a rare but not unheard of occurrence when a pilot becomes partially or totally incapacitated and is unable to perform their duties while flying. It comes amid efforts by some aircraft manufacturers to reduce the number of pilots needed on flights — and critics, including pilots unions, often cite pilot incapacitation as an example of why they believe two people are needed in flight decks at all times. Some recall the case of a Turkish Airlines pilot who died during an October flight from Seattle to Istanbul. In that incident, there were two other pilots in the cockpit, who were able to make an emergency landing in New York. Though incidents like these are highly publicized, in-flight incapacitation as a consequence of medical problems remains rare: A report released last year by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency states that it occurs only up to 0.45 times per 10 million flight hours. The report highlighted the importance of 'periodical medical screening' of pilots to minimize 'incapacitation risk.' According to the CIAIC report, the co-pilot, who is identified as a 38-year-old man, received a medical evaluation about nine months before he lost consciousness on the flight deck, and his medical clearance was valid for another three and a half months. His condition would only have been detectable during a medical examination if he had been having symptoms during the exam, the report said, citing the aeronautical medical service of the Spanish Air Safety Agency. Once on the ground, the co-pilot was taken to a hospital for treatment, according to the report. He stated that he recalled was flying over Zaragoza in northern Spain and that he suddenly lost consciousness but didn't remember when. Authorities suspended his medical certificate to fly while the investigation was underway. CIAIAC did not immediately respond to a question from The Washington Post on Monday about whether his certificate remains suspended.
