Hearts track Falkirk's Spencer
Hearts are keeping close tabs on Falkirk midfielder Brad Spencer, with the 29-year-old entering the last year of his contract with the newly-promoted Scottish Premiership club. (Daily Record), externalRead the rest of Tuesday's Scottish gossip.
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Glasgow Times
22 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Judy Murray tennis initiative helps primary-age girls Learn To Lead
Ms Murray, a former GB Federation Cup captain who raised her children, Sir Andy Murray and Jamie Murray, to be international tennis champions, has been campaigning to keep girls involved in sport since 2014 with her UK-wide initiative Miss Hits. On Thursday, she is launching Learn To Lead in Scotland, training older primary pupils to mentor younger girls by playing tennis. Research conducted by Women in Sport found 1.3 million teenage girls who considered themselves sporty at primary school dropped out when they started high school, and the project is designed to combat this trend. Learn To Lead is aimed at girls aged between 10 and 12, encouraging them to become coaches at lunchtime or at after-school tennis clubs. Pupils in P6 and P7 will lead girls aged between four and nine, organising sessions and setting up in school gyms or playgrounds, teaching basic leadership and organisational skills in a bid to maintain participation in sport. Ms Murray will initially partner with 20 primary schools, targeting those with a local tennis club nearby to ensure a convenient place to continue playing. It follows a pilot in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire which organisers say has already seen 'huge benefits' for pupils. Training sessions will be held in schools ahead of the launch of each club, and videos, lesson plans and equipment will be provided. A teacher will be required to supervise, but Learn To Lead allows older primary pupils to plan, set up, and run activities for younger girls, sharing their knowledge and passion for the sport. Ms Murray said: 'As a female tennis coach, I want to inspire the next generation of girls to learn to lead sporting activity so I can be confident that once I have retired, we have a well-trained coaching workforce in place and ready to continue growing the girls' side of the game. 'I believe Learn To Lead will help us to not just get girls playing sport at a young age, but keep them engaged throughout their lives and perhaps even provide a route towards careers in coaching or developing sport. Launching my Learn to Lead (with Miss-Hits) programme for primary school girls to teachers next week @stgeorgesedin . Developing leadership skills in p6/7 and introducing starter tennis to p1-4. Big girls delivering FUN lunchtime clubs to wee girls. Perfect. ⬇️ — judy murray (@JudyMurray) May 27, 2025 'My life has revolved around sport and as well as the obvious physical and mental health benefits that brings, the life skills you develop really prepare you for what adulthood will throw at you. The friendships often last a lifetime. 'It worries me that so many girls drop out of sport in their teenage years. I hope this programme can help address some of the issues around this by providing a fun and friendly atmosphere with development options too. 'Whether girls go on to become competitive players, coaches or just develop a love for sport, this is about growing participation and getting young girls active. 'I am really proud of what Miss Hits has already achieved, and hope that over the coming months we can build on this with our junior workforce leading the way.' Sarah Fraser, lead active schools co-ordinator (projects) at Sport Aberdeen, said: 'Learn To Lead has been a huge hit. From our initial work with the programme we have already seen huge benefits for the girls involved. 'For some of the younger girls this has been the first sports club they've been involved in, and it has given them a chance to try out tennis. 'For the older girls leading the classes, we have been struck by the confidence and leadership skills they have gained. 'I would definitely encourage schools to get involved. 'Learn To Lead is easy to pick up and deliver, and it is a great way to support girls to not just try sports, but to continue playing and develop their skills as they approach their teenage years and beyond.'
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is meeting Donald Trump for the first time, so will it be another Starmer love-in, or a Zelenskyy-style brush off?
The German chancellor will hold his first face-to-face meeting with President Trump later. On the agenda are discussions around the war in Ukraine, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and tariffs. It's understood Donald Trump and Friedrich Merz will have a working lunch and early afternoon meeting before potentially holding a news conference. The question is, will Mr Merz emerge smiling like Sir Keir Starmer, or be berated like [Ukrainian President] Volodymyr Zelenskyy? There's no doubt the leader of Europe's largest economy has a lot to discuss with Mr Trump, the head of Germany's most important trading partner. Berlin was trying to recover from two years of recession, only to be hit by the Trump administration's 25% tariffs on vehicles and the new 50% tariff on steel and aluminium. The president's threat of a 50% tariff on all European goods is also still looming for July unless a deal with Brussels is struck. In the past, the US leader hasn't minced his words, calling the Germans "very bad" as he bemoaned "the millions of cars they sell to the US". 10:47 While the EU is leading negotiations on tariffs, Mr Merz knows he must be careful not to anger Mr Trump. The president has been clear that he believes Europe has been ripping America off and a misstep could reinforce this view, potentially making it harder to agree a deal. Germany's reliance on the US for defence has also triggered Donald Trump in the past. During his first term, he tweeted that Germany "owes vast sums of money to NATO and the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defence it provides to Germany". However, Mr Merz will be hoping to avoid a fight over this after Germany said it would boost defence spending and the chancellor vowed to create the strongest army in Europe. This, plus his efforts to crackdown on illegal migration, may help to counter views that German leadership is weak. While the Germans are focused on a productive meeting, Mr Merz's past criticism of the US could come back to haunt him. 👉 Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim on your podcast app 👈 Following a 10-day period of intense criticism of Europe and Ukraine by the Trump administration in February, the chancellor warned that Europe could no longer rely on Washington. Merz mimicked the US president Referring to the president's assertion that European security was no longer America's primary focus - a stunning reversal of decades of US foreign policy - he said it was clear that "the Americans, at least this part of the Americans, this administration, are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe". More recently, when asked about his first phone call with Mr Trump, he mimicked the president, highlighting how often he uses the word "great". Ahead of Thursday's meeting, a spokesperson for the German government played down concerns of a clash, saying the pair had spoken several times on the phone and that the chancellor was well prepared. It's understood he had a call with the French president in the lead-up. Perhaps Emmanuel Macron was able to offer some advice after he and Mr Trump rekindled their first-term bromance during their White House encounter in February. We have been told the chancellor will also be bringing a gift for the president. King's invitation went down well There's no doubt that when Mr Starmer produced an invitation to the UK from King Charles, it boosted the mood in the Oval Office during his first visit. From the moment the embossed letter was handed over, the atmosphere became more relaxed. The spokesperson wouldn't reveal what Mr Merz is bringing, clearly determined to maintain the suspense. It could potentially be something from Rhineland-Palatinate, the region in southwest Germany's wine country where Donald Trump's paternal grandparents were born. The chancellor knows the area well, having completed his military service there in the 1970s, and has already invited the president to visit his ancestral home. 3:12 Germans appear confident Whatever it is, the Germans seem confident the meeting between the two leaders will be a success, underlining the German leader's firm belief in the transatlantic relationship and his experience holding top-level meetings with politicians. In reality, however much he prepares, his team knows he must expect the unexpected. It could be that vice president JD Vance decides to revisit his blistering attack on Europe, which left the audience at the Munich Security Conference speechless, earlier this year. Or, perhaps the Trump administration will lash out again about the far-right Alternative for Germany party being classified as right-wing extremists by Germany's domestic intelligence service; the potential pitfalls are many. What will happen is anyone's guess and the uncertainty ensures this meeting of political heavyweights will be a fascinating watch.
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Judy Murray tennis initiative helps primary-age girls Learn To Lead
Ms Murray, a former GB Federation Cup captain who raised her children, Sir Andy Murray and Jamie Murray, to be international tennis champions, has been campaigning to keep girls involved in sport since 2014 with her UK-wide initiative Miss Hits. On Thursday, she is launching Learn To Lead in Scotland, training older primary pupils to mentor younger girls by playing tennis. Research conducted by Women in Sport found 1.3 million teenage girls who considered themselves sporty at primary school dropped out when they started high school, and the project is designed to combat this trend. Learn To Lead is aimed at girls aged between 10 and 12, encouraging them to become coaches at lunchtime or at after-school tennis clubs. Pupils in P6 and P7 will lead girls aged between four and nine, organising sessions and setting up in school gyms or playgrounds, teaching basic leadership and organisational skills in a bid to maintain participation in sport. Ms Murray will initially partner with 20 primary schools, targeting those with a local tennis club nearby to ensure a convenient place to continue playing. It follows a pilot in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire which organisers say has already seen 'huge benefits' for pupils. Training sessions will be held in schools ahead of the launch of each club, and videos, lesson plans and equipment will be provided. A teacher will be required to supervise, but Learn To Lead allows older primary pupils to plan, set up, and run activities for younger girls, sharing their knowledge and passion for the sport. Ms Murray said: 'As a female tennis coach, I want to inspire the next generation of girls to learn to lead sporting activity so I can be confident that once I have retired, we have a well-trained coaching workforce in place and ready to continue growing the girls' side of the game. 'I believe Learn To Lead will help us to not just get girls playing sport at a young age, but keep them engaged throughout their lives and perhaps even provide a route towards careers in coaching or developing sport. Launching my Learn to Lead (with Miss-Hits) programme for primary school girls to teachers next week @stgeorgesedin . Developing leadership skills in p6/7 and introducing starter tennis to p1-4. Big girls delivering FUN lunchtime clubs to wee girls. Perfect. ⬇️ — judy murray (@JudyMurray) May 27, 2025 'My life has revolved around sport and as well as the obvious physical and mental health benefits that brings, the life skills you develop really prepare you for what adulthood will throw at you. The friendships often last a lifetime. 'It worries me that so many girls drop out of sport in their teenage years. I hope this programme can help address some of the issues around this by providing a fun and friendly atmosphere with development options too. 'Whether girls go on to become competitive players, coaches or just develop a love for sport, this is about growing participation and getting young girls active. 'I am really proud of what Miss Hits has already achieved, and hope that over the coming months we can build on this with our junior workforce leading the way.' Sarah Fraser, lead active schools co-ordinator (projects) at Sport Aberdeen, said: 'Learn To Lead has been a huge hit. From our initial work with the programme we have already seen huge benefits for the girls involved. 'For some of the younger girls this has been the first sports club they've been involved in, and it has given them a chance to try out tennis. 'For the older girls leading the classes, we have been struck by the confidence and leadership skills they have gained. 'I would definitely encourage schools to get involved. 'Learn To Lead is easy to pick up and deliver, and it is a great way to support girls to not just try sports, but to continue playing and develop their skills as they approach their teenage years and beyond.'
