Proverbs 16:3

New International Version

Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.

David Wicks is back

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been appointed global head of soccer at Red Bull.

The 57-year-old German will begin the role on 1 January 2025.

"After almost 25 years on the sideline, I could not be more excited to get involved in a project like this," said Klopp.

"The role may have changed but my passion for football and the people who make the game what it is has not."

Energy drinks brand Red Bull owns RB Leipzig in Germany's Bundesliga, Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg and Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls, as well as Brazilian side Red Bull Bragantino.

It also took a minority stake in Championship side Leeds and became the club's front-of-shirt sponsor earlier this year.

Red Bull says Klopp will not be involved in day-to-day operations but will advise teams on playing philosophy, transfer strategy and coaching development.

"Jurgen Klopp is one of the greatest and most influential figures in world soccer, with extraordinary skills and charisma," said Oliver Mintzlaff, the company's CEO of corporate projects and investments.

"In his role as head of soccer, he will be a game-changer for our involvement in international soccer and its continued development."

Joe Root said there are “many more runs still to get” after he overhauled Sir Alastair Cook to become England’s all-time leading Test runscorer.

Root went past Cook’s mark of 12,472 when he got to 71 on day three of the first Test against Pakistan in Multan.

The 33-year-old carried on and on, registering his 35th Test century and batting through the day for his unbeaten 176, taking England to 492-3 and a deficit of only 64 runs.

“I’m obviously proud, but still feel there’s plenty more left to do,” said Root.

Root’s tireless effort in the heat, allied to 141 not out from Harry Brook, has put England in a strong position in the series opener, despite Pakistan racking up 556 in their first innings.

Only once before have England conceded more runs in the first innings of a match and gone on to win, 130 years ago against Australia in 1894.

“I’m sure I’ll look back at it when I’m finished and be very proud of it, but I think more than anything just the way we played today as a team is what stands out,” said Root.

“We’ve still got an opportunity to win the game, which is really exciting. Hopefully we can kick on tomorrow.”

Root is playing his 147th Test, 12 years after making his England debut in India.

By passing Cook, Root has climbed to fifth on the all-time list of Test runscorers from all nations, behind greats of the game Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar tops the list with 15,921, just over 3,000 ahead of Root.

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Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, will retire from tennis at the end of this season.

The 38-year-old will represent Spain in his final appearance at next month's Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.

Nadal has barely played over the past two seasons because of injuries and suggested last year he could retire at the end of the 2024 season.

In a video message released on Thursday, Nadal said: "I am here to let you know I am retiring from professional tennis.

"The reality is that it has been some difficult years, the last two especially.

"I don't think I have been able to play without limitations."

Nadal retires as the second-most successful men's singles player of all time, behind only long-time rival Novak Djokovic.

Dubbed the 'King of Clay', Nadal won the French Open singles title a record 14 times, winning 112 of his 116 major matches at Roland Garros.

No player has won as many Grand Slam singles titles at the same tournament.

Nadal is also a four-time US Open champion and won both the Australian Open and Wimbledon twice.

He also won Olympic singles and doubles gold and helped Spain to four Davis Cup titles, most recently in 2019.

Alongside enduring rivals Djokovic and 20-time major champion Roger Federer, Nadal formed the 'Big Three' that dominated the men's game from the early 2000s and drew in legions of fans.

"What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come," Federer, who famously cried alongside Nadal when he retired in 2022, said.

"Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love.

"It's been an absolute honour."

22 Grand Slam singles titles

Australian Open: 2 (2009, 2022)

French Open: 14 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022)

Wimbledon: 2 (2008, 2010)

US Open: 4 (2010, 2013, 2017, 2019)

2 Olympic golds

Singles: 2008; Doubles: 2016

4 Davis Cups

2004, 2009, 2011, 2019

92 ATP Tour titles

209 weeks as world number one

Scotland fans will only be able watch upcoming Nations League football matches against Croatia and Portugal on YouTube.

Norwegian broadcaster Viaplay holds the rights to all of the Scotland mens team's competitive matches until 2028 - but last year decided to scale back its UK football operation.

The Nations League qualifying matches will now only be available on the ViaPlay YouTube channel.

Steve Clarke’s side faces Croatia in Zagreb on Saturday at 17:00 before taking on Portugal at Hampden on Tuesday at 19:45.

As well as the Scotland men's matches, Viaplay held the rights to show the Scottish League Cup and URC rugby when it announced it would end all coverage of UK sports.

The Nordic media group then sold its UK sporting division back to Premier Sports earlier this year.

The transaction included its share of the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup, but did not include the rights to Uefa’s international competitions.

For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.

Hebrews 3:4

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Jack Leach took the three wickets England required for a record-breaking win over Pakistan and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Though Pakistan began the fifth day six wickets down, Abrar Ahmed was absent through illness, and England were initially held up by Salman Agha and Aamer Jamal adding 109 for the seventh wicket.

Leach needed only four deliveries to trap Salman lbw for 63, then took a sharp caught-and-bowled to remove Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Naseem Shah charged to be stumped, giving Leach 4-30 in his first Test since January.

Pakistan’s 220 all out left England victors by an innings and 47 runs. No team in Test history has ever conceded as many as the 556 as England did in Pakistan’s first innings then gone on to win by an innings.

It means England have now won on three successive occasions when they have leaked totals in excess of 500. Only once before have England fielded first, been hit for more runs and gone on to win and that was in 1894.

The turnaround was built on a staggering batting effort, when England amassed their highest total since 1938, 823-7 declared. Harry Brook’s 317 was England’s first triple-century for 34 years and his 454-run partnership with Joe Root, who made 262, their highest in Tests.

England have now won four consecutive Tests in Pakistan and can win the series in the second Test on the same ground, beginning on Tuesday.

Scotland's former First Minister Alex Salmond has died suddenly at the age of 69.

The former MP and MSP, who led the country between 2007 and 2014, became ill while attending an international conference in North Macedonia.

The North Macedonian government said Mr Salmond had lost consciousness at the Inex Olgica hotel, near the city of Ohrid, at about 15:30 local time on Saturday.

Local media reports said he collapsed during a lunch and was pronounced dead at the scene. The Alba party, which he led, believe the cause of death to be a heart attack, according to the Press Association news agency.

Tributes have poured in from across the policital spectrum, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer describing him as being a "monumental figure of Scottish and UK politics".

Salmond's succcessor as first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said he had been her mentor and that "for more than a decade we formed one of the most successful partnerships in UK politics".

King Charles said he and the Queen were "greatly saddened" to hear of Salmond's sudden death, adding: "His devotion to Scotland drove his decades of public service

"We extend our deep condolences to his family and loved ones at this time".

Salmond led the pro-independence side ahead of the referendum in 2014, and resigned as first minister after Scottish voters backed remaining in the UK by 55% to 45%.

He had led the SNP to power when they won the Scottish Parliament election in 2007, having previously been the party's leader between 1990 and 2000.

Salmond, Scotland's first pro-independence first minister, then led the SNP to an unprecedented majority in the election four years later - which paved the way for the referendum to be held.

Under his leadership, the Scottish government also introduced popular policies including free NHS prescriptions and free university tuition fees for Scottish students.

After quitting as first minister, he had a spectacular fallout with Sturgeon over her government’s mishandling of harassment complaints against him.

Salmond was also cleared of serious sexual offence charges after a trial in Edinburgh in 2020.

He had been charged with 13 offences, including attempted rape, but was acquitted of all of the charges against him after two weeks of evidence at the High Court.

The women who made the allegations against Salmond - which dated back to his time as first minister - had included an SNP politician, a party worker and several current and former Scottish government civil servants and officials.

During his evidence to the court, he said the claims made about his alleged conduct were "deliberate fabrications for a political purpose" or "exaggerations".

In his closing speech to the jury, Salmond's lawyer said the former first minister "could certainly have been a better man" but had not committed any crimes.

After quitting the SNP, Salmond set up an alternative independence supporting party, called Alba, of which he was the leader.

He also hosted his own show on the controversial Russian broadcaster RT, but suspended it following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Alba has approached the UK foreign office for help in returning Salmond’s body to the UK.

Its deputy leader Kenny MacAskill described Salmond as being "the outstanding Scottish politician not just of his generation but for generations far before" and said he had "possessed extraordinary charm and a common touch which endeared him to so many in Scotland".

Paying tribute to her former political mentor, Sturgeon said she was "shocked and sorry" to learn of Salmond's death.

She added: "Obviously, I cannot pretend that the events of the past few years which led to the breakdown of our relationship did not happen, and it would not be right for me to try.

"However, it remains the fact that for many years Alex was an incredibly significant figure in my life.

"He was my mentor, and for more than a decade we formed one of the most successful partnerships in UK politics."

First Minister John Swinney said he was "deeply shocked and saddened" at the news and extended his condolences to Salmond's wife Moira and his family.

Swinney added: "Alex worked tirelessly and fought fearlessly for the country that he loved and for her Independence.

"He took the Scottish National Party from the fringes of Scottish politics into government and led Scotland so close to becoming an independent country."

Former First Minister Humza Yousaf said he and Salmond had "obviously had our differences in the last few years", but praised the "enormous contribution he made to Scottish and UK politics".

The Scottish Parliament has lowered its flags as a mark of respect to Salmond.

Alex Salmond obituary:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd13102l9g5o

Elizabeth Gladys Millvina Dean (2 February 1912 - 31 May 2009)

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