Health And Fitness: PORRIDGE: BOWL OF PORRIDGE A DAY COULD BE SECRET TO A LONGER LIFE

A large bowl of porridge each day could protect against death from cancer, the biggest ever analysis of the benefits of whole grains has shown.

Oats have long been considered a superfood, staving off illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

But now a review by Harvard University has found that whole grains also appear to prevent early death and lower the chance of dying from cancer.

A meta-analysis of 12 studies involving nearly 800,000 people found that eating 70 grams of whole grains a day – the equivalent of a large bowl of porridge – lowers the risk of all-cause death by 22 per cent and death from cancer by 20 per cent. It also reduces the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 20 per cent.

Scientists believe that whole grains help lower cholesterol and help regulate blood sugar, as well as making people feel full for longer, meaning they do no snack on unhealthy foods. The same affect could be gained from eating bran, quinoa or a mix of grains.

“Based on the solid evidence from this meta-analysis and numerous previous studies that collectively document beneficial effects of whole grains, I think health care providers should unanimously recommend whole grain consumption to the general population as well as to patients with certain diseases to help achieve better health and perhaps reduce death,” said Dr Qi Sun, assistant professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts.

AFN Mourn Akraka, Keshi

The President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Evang. Solomon Ogba and the athletics family has expressed great sadness over the death of former President of AFN Smart Akraka and former Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi.
A few hours after the news of Keshi hit the airwaves, the news of Akraka’s death also filtered in, throwing the nation into deep mourning.
Akraka, a former Nigeria international, was a member of the Nigerian quartet that won a bronze medal at the Kingston Commonwealth Games in Jamaica. He became President of AFN in 1994.
AFN President bemoan the death of the duo, ‘’ this is a very sad period for the sports family in Nigeria; we are yet to term with untimely death of Keshi when the news of Akraka death hit us. This is a very bad period for the sports family’’
Ogba recalled that Akraka was a great athlete and first class sports administration.
“He gave his best to his fatherland as an athlete and a sports administrator. His death is a big blow to the athletics family. We pray that the almighty God will give the family the courage to bear the loss of a great Nigerian’’ said Ogba.

IOC Chief Bach Lauds 'Beautiful' Rio Olympic Village

 International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach described the Rio Olympic village as "one of the most beautiful" he had seen during Wednesday unveiling of the 835 million US-dollar complex.

Located close to Olympic Park in Rio's Barra da Tijuca neighborhood, the village comprises 31 buildings covering 200,000 square metres of space.

It will accommodate almost almost 18,000 athletes, officials, staff and volunteers during the August 5-21 Games.

"It's one of the most beautiful Olympic villages I have ever seen," Bach said. "It is the heart of the Games and it's from here that the Olympic message will be spread to Brazil and the world.

"Athletes will be taking part in the most difficult competitions of their lives and, at the same time, will live together in peace and with respect for the entire world."

Rio city mayor Eduardo Paes said funding for the village was provided by the private sector.

The site will be transformed into a residential complex in 2017, with apartments to be sold to private investors.

Athletes are expected to start arriving at the village on July 24.

Own Goal, Late Goals Matter

Two late goals and an own goal played a key part in Monday's three matches of the UEFA EURO 2016.

In Toulouse, defender Gerard Pique scored a late goal to give the dominant Spain a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic in its first match in Group D.

The twice defending champion had a ball possession up to 68 percent, creating 14 corners and firing 17 attempts, but it just failed to turn those numerous chances into goals.

With the match more and more likely ending as a goalless draw, second half substitution Pedro Rodriguez and Andres Iniesta combined on the right before the Barcelona midfielder sent a cross towards the back post.

Pique jumped the highest and earliest to head the cross past Petr Cech, who should have earned his country a point nearly single-handedly.

In Paris, the Republic of Ireland's defender Ciaran Clark scored an own goal to help Sweden to draw 1-1 in Group E.

The Republic of Ireland was regarded as the weakest team in the Group of Death. The other two teams are Belgium and Italy.

Wes Hoolahan smacked home a half-volley from a dozen yards in the 48th minute to gift the Republic of Ireland an 1-0 lead.

However, Sweden leveled the score in the 71st minute when captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic clipped a ball across the goalmouth, which the Republic of Ireland's defender Ciaran Clark stooped to head into his own net.

In Lyon, Italy beat world No. 2 Belgium 2-0.

Bologona midfielder Emanuele Giaccherini, 31, lifted Italy to 1-0 lead with a clinical finish in the 32nd minute when Leonardo Bonucci curled a brilliant long pass over the Belgium defense. Giaccherini took a touch with his left foot and curled past Belgium keeper Thibaut Courtois.

As Belgians were throwing everything at pulling level in the rest of time, Southampton forward Graziano Pelle, 30, sealed the win for Italy with a bullet volley in the box in the 93rd minute when second half substitute Ciro Immobile drove off the left flank and found Lazio midfielder Antonio Candreva on the right. Candreva lifted a brilliant ball to the back post for Pelle to volley in.

Belgium's Everton forward Romelu Lukaku, 23, who had scored in each of his last four international matches, squandered the best chance to equal the score.

sports Business: Euro 2016:, Soccer Is A Money-Maker

The Euro 2016 soccer tournament kicks off this Friday in France. The month-long sport spectacle isn’t only a glorious television event - it’s also a massive business opportunity for sponsors, suppliers and pubs. Lots of companies will be cashing in on this year's European Championship, which for the first time will see 24 teams from Iceland to Turkey face off in France. That's especially true for Adidas, Europe's largest manufacturer of sporting goods.

The Herzogenaurach-based firm will be equipping nine teams, including world champion Germany and the defending European champion, Spain. Adidas' US rival Nike will be providing uniforms and gear for six teams, while Puma got five. The rest of the teams will be outfitted by smaller companies like Umbro, macron or Juma.

Of course, Adidas isn't only forking over money for the well-being of its national teams. It wants those three stripes to be splashed across TV screens around Europe and the world as often as possible.

"This year we'll also be outfitting referees, ball boys and girls and helpers, and we'll enjoy a high visibility in the stadium and on UEFA channels as part of our official partnership," Adidas said in a statement.

France Deports Russian Football Hooligans, Fan Chief

*Football commotion

French authorities announced the deportation order on Thursday, two days after prosecutors in Marseille stopped a bus full of Russian football fans following clashes with England supporters during the opening days of Euro 2016.

The leader of the "All-Russia Supporters Union," Alexander Shprygin, who was among the 20 fans to be deported on Thursday, had previously been photographed giving a Nazi salute. The supporters' association is also backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In response to Tuesday's arrests, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the French Ambassador, Jean-Maurice Ripert, calling the detentions "unjustifiable." "We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that [the French] are trying to ignore the absolutely provocative actions of fans from other countries," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Chelsea and Jose Mourinho Settle With Former Doctor

Chelsea and former manager Jose Mourinho have reached an undisclosed settlement with former team doctor Eva Carneiro at an employment tribunal in London, the Premier League club said on Tuesday (Wednesday,

Carneiro had claimed constructive dismissal by Chelsea and sexual discrimination by Mourinho who appeared at the tribunal and sat in the front row.

Terms of the settlement remained confidential. The doctor had rejected an earlier offer of £1.2 million ($2.34 million). In a statement Chelsea said they "regretted the circumstances" that led to Carneiro taking legal action and issued an unreserved apology. Carneiro worked for Chelsea for six years until she left in September after clashing with Mourinho in the closing minutes of their opening league match of the season against Swansea City at Stamford Bridge in August.

The 42-year-old ran on to the pitch with physio Jon Fearn after being called on by referee Michael Oliver to treat forward Eden Hazard.

Sharapova given two year ban after failing meldonium drug test : Slams Hash Ban

 Russian former world number one Maria Sharapova was handed a two-year ban by the International Tennis Federation on Wednesday following her positive test for banned drug meldonium at this year's Australian Open, a ban the tennis star has vowed to appeal.

In a statement the ITF said the 29-year-old five-times grand slam champion's ban would be back-dated to January 26 this year, meaning her results from the Australian Open where she reached the quarter-finals, would be disqualified.

Sharapova, the world's highest-paid female athlete, stunned the sporting world in March when she announced that she had tested positive for meldonium, a drug she said she had been taking for a decade to treat diabetes and low magnesium. Meldonium was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) list of banned substances at the start of the year after evidence that it boosted blood flow and enhanced athletic performance.

Sharapova responded in a statement posted on her Facebook page and vowed to fight the "unfairly harsh" ban.
"While the tribunal concluded correctly that I did not intentionally violate the anti-doping rules, I cannot accept an unfairly harsh two-year suspension," she said. 

"I will immediately appeal the suspension portion of this ruling to CAS, the Court of Arbitration for Sport," she said. 

The ITF tribunal agreed the contravention of the anti-doping rules was "not intentional as Ms Sharapova did not appreciate that Mildronate contained a substance prohibited from 1 January 2016."

But in a scathing criticism said if Sharapova had not concealed from her own doctors and support team, her use of the drug prior to its placement on the banned list at the start of 2016, then "the contravention would have been avoided."

"She is the sole author of her own misfortune," the tribunal concluded.

In statement, the ITF said: "An Independent Tribunal appointed under Article 8.1 of the 2016 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme has found that Maria Sharapova committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 of the Programme and as a consequence has disqualified the affected results and imposed a period of ineligibility of two years, commencing on 26 January 2016."

After her admission, Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer cut its ties with Sharapova while other brands such as Nike and Porsche distanced themselves from her.

The ban means she will miss this year's Wimbledon championships, the title she won as a teenager to launch her career into orbit in 2004, and the Rio Olympics.

At the time Sharapova, the highest-profile tennis player to fail an anti-doping test, insisted she had made "a huge mistake" blaming her failure to read an email sent by the ITF that meldonium had been added to the WADA list.

Sharapova has 35 WTA singles titles and has won all four of the sport's grand slam titles.

Her career earnings amount to $US36 million (or around $46 million) while her off-court earnings, according to Forbes, are around $US200 million (or $268 million).

Reuters and Fairfax Media

Gargo Shocked By Stephen Keshi’s Death

Former Ghana international Mohammed Gargo says he is shocked by news that former Nigerian player and coach Stephen Keshi has passed away.

The man who has been credited with helping some Ghanaian players secure lucrative moves in Europe passed away in Nigeria in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

“I am really surprised to hear that Keshi is no more I cannot even believe it,” Gargo said

“I am a Muslim and I believe that we will all die one day but to think that Kesi would be gone so soon was thinkable.”

Nigeria Football Legend Stephen Keshi: Dies Aged 54

One of African football's best-known figures, Stephen Keshi, has died at the age of 54, the Nigeria Football Association has said.

A former captain of the Nigeria national team, Keshi was one of only two men to win the Africa Cup of Nations both as a player and a coach.

He also managed Togo and Mali, and his playing career included a spell for Belgian club side Anderlecht.

He is thought to have suffered a heart attack, local media reported.

As a player, Keshi was part of the Super Eagles team that won the Nations Cup in 1994 and narrowly missed out on a World Cup quarter-final place the same year.

He coached the national side over three spells, leading Nigeria to the 2013 Nations Cup title in South Africa and the last 16 at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

His contract was not renewed after the World Cup but he later returned on a match-by-match deal following the team's failure to reach the 2015 Nations Cup finals.

He was then sacked as caretaker coach but reinstated after intervention from then Nigeria president Goodluck Jonathan. He was sacked for a final time last July.

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Mohammed Ali/s Final Photos

THIS is the last official portrait of Muhammad Ali.

Proud to the end, the boxing legend, 74, stares defiantly into the camera lens just two months ago.
Ali, weary from 32 years battling Parkinson’s disease, was unrecognisable from his heyday.
British photographer Zenon Texeira said “I felt his aura” during their time together.
Ali poses with his fists raised one last time in a haunting final photoshoot.
The pictures show The Greatest still refusing to give in to

Parkinson’s disease.
He even manages the unmistakeable hint of a playful smile in what was to be his last ever series of official portraits.
Ali, 74, was so frail he had to be helped into a chair in Phoenix, Arizona.
Texeira, who was invited into Ali’s home, has now told how the three-time heavyweight boxing champ had lost none of his fighting spirit.

“I knew I was in the presence of greatness,” he told The Sun.
His historic pictures showing a fragile but defiant Ali just weeks before his death have never been published before.
Zenon has told how the legend’s family gave their blessing to him being photographed.
Despite his crippling condition, father-of-nine Ali, famed not only as boxing’s greatest hero but also as a crusader for civil rights, was “in good spirits”. Zenon said: “It was an absolute pleasure and privilege to photograph one of the biggest icons this planet has ever

seen.
“Muhammad was a delight to photograph.
“I feel blessed to have met my all-time sporting hero.
“To capture his majesty with such intimacy fulfils a dream.”
He admitted he was racked with nerves while “photographing the most photographed icon of all time”. “It is the proudest moment for me,” he said.
“Muhammad Ali means a lot to so many people all over the world.
“His legacy will never be forgotten.

 “These unique portraits add to the giant tapestry of imagery that recorded the Champ’s life.”

Zenon was unsure when he travelled to the US whether Ali would be well enough to be photographed at all.
He was only too aware that the fight king’s 32-year battle with Parkinson’s had left him a shell of his former self. Recalling how the photos came about, the Brit said: “It’s Friday evening and I’m in the office trying to justify the gamble of catching an early morning flight to Phoenix, Arizona, to capture the portrait of the greatest of all time, Muhammad Ali.
“He’s 74-years-old and fragile but willing to be photographed in Phoenix.
“Arriving there on Saturday evening gave me a chance to Google the Champ and refresh myself on his life in and out of the ring.
“I go to sleep past midnight knowing I’ll have time to prepare before our scheduled 2pm shoot.
“I can’t sleep and I’m in bed, laptop by my side with a muted TV screen lighting up the room.
“Now and then my laptop pings with the arrival of a message.
“An email arrives and requests my attendance at 2pm that afternoon.”
Zenon told how in his eyes the boxer looked “as pretty as ever”.
-Agencies

'The 90 Minute War' - Peace On The Pitch

*THE MANAGERS

Could an irresolvable political conflict be decided with a game of soccer? The idea is absurd: The Israeli national team plays against a team from the Palestinian Territories and the winner gets to keep the land that has been in dispute since the founding of Israel in 1948. The loser has to find another piece of land somewhere else in the world.

In his film "The 90 Minute War," Israeli director Eyal Halfon poses the question: Can one of the world's longest and most difficult conflicts be solved by sports?

The last film about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

"People are tired of this conflict. And they're also tired of films about it," said Halfon, who was born in Israel in 1958. Since he can't stomach any more movies about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, his should be the last, added the filmmaker with a wink.

Being the last film on the topic, it only seemed fitting for Halfon that it should be "different and funny." And he achieved just that. It's a film where the cinema audience cracks up and then has to remind itself that it's fiction and that the reality out there cannot be altered so easily by a film. So what can viewers look forward to in "The 90 Minute War"? "Fun and an understanding of the complexity of our terrible conflict," promises Halfon. While many viewers are likely so be informed about the conflict in the Middle East, they likely haven't yet had it dished out in such an entertaining way.

How to organize the game of the century

The story opens in Portugal, where the match is to be organized in the soccer stadium in the city of Leiria. Portugal has been chosen to serve as neutral ground for carrying out the competition that is to decide the political future of the two sides. That's at least one thing they agreed upon - and so far, the only thing. The conflict over all the remaining aspects is what the rest of the film is all about - like who should be the referee, which players should participate on each side, and what the rules should be. One major bone of contention between the two protagonists of the film, the team managers of Israel and the Palestinian Territories, is the role of footballer Iyad Zuamut, who is an Israeli citizen with Palestinian roots. Other aspects that are hotly debated are training locations, equipment and lineup.

As soon as they make progress in their negotiations, another disagreement arises. The game suddenly seems a lot like real life: One step forward, two steps backward.

"I though the story was brilliant because it's so convincingly simple," said the film's producer, Steve Hudson. "It's like the idea of two army leaders that approach and fight each other and one of them wins. Then they all go home and no one has to die.  The German trainer cannot meet the challenge…

In 2008, Hudson and his wife Sonja Ewers founded a production company in Germany, which makes "The 90 Minute War" an Israeli-German co-production. That's one reason why a small German aspect was woven into the already complex plot: The Israeli national team is coached by a German, played by Detlev Buck, which complicates things even further. Considering the historical background of the Holocaust, a German coach would hardly be accepted in Israel, especially as this one seems to be overwhelmed by the extremely sensitive historical and political context, which adds an additional aspect to the film. 

Could Muhammad Ali's $108m Fortune Become Subject of Bitter Legal Battle?

Muhammad Ali's $108m AUD fortune could become the subject of a legal wrangle after he left behind a disparate family including his only known biological son who lives in poverty in Chicago's crime-plagued South Side.

In recent years Muhammad Ali Jr, 44, has repeatedly criticised Lonnie Ali, 59, the champion's fourth wife, blaming her for cutting him out of his father's life during his twilight years. He claimed the champion had seen his two granddaughters only once and that he was having to raise them in a two-bedroom flat, unable to 

pay electricity bills and accepting charity donations of food. Also at the hospital was the champion's brother Rahaman Ali, 72, who had previously publicly claimed in a US magazine that Lonnie had cast him out, and worse, although he later said he was misquoted.

After seeing his older brother for the last time in the hospital Rahaman said some of Ali's final words were about "going to Allah".

Rahaman said: "He said to me, shaking, 'Rahaman, how do I look?' I said 'Even with all that shaking you look the same to me.'

"He said to me 'I'm in no pain. No pain. Don't cry for me Rahaman. l'm going to be with Allah. I made peace with God, I'm OK.'

Rahaman added: "He was a wonderful angel. I miss him but I will see him again in heaven. He'll always be with me in my heart, in my bones, in my mind.

"My black brother who lived in Kentucky became the most famous man in the world. That's a blessing from God, and I was there from the beginning."

Bob Gunnell, a spokesman for the family, said relatives had shown "dignity" in putting aside any squabbles to be by the bedside at the Osborn Medical Center in Scottsdale, Arizona.

He said: "It was a beautiful thing to watch which displayed all that was good about Muhammad Ali. The champ would have been very proud of his family."

Ali had been taken into hospital on Monday night after which his condition deteriorated. The official cause of death was septic shock due to unspecified natural causes.

He lived nearby with Lonnie in a relatively modest $2.1 million six bedroom bungalow on a gated estate made up of 72 homes amid cacti and palm trees, looking on to a golf course.

Other members of the family have defended Lonnie who married Ali in 1986 and, along with her sister, cared for him throughout his battled with Parkinson's disease.

Their mothers Marguerite Williams and Odessa Clay were best friends and Lonnie first met Ali when he was 21, and she was aged six.

Speaking in 2010 she said: "I think I've always loved him. I knew, at the end, I was going to be the one married to him. It was like a road map."

She said Ali's children "do not see their father as much as they would like" but it was difficult because "with this disease you never know how long he can communicate".

Mrs Ali gained a masters business degree from UCLA and has been credited with turning around the boxer's chaotic finances.

She said she was "somewhat stunned" by his financial condition after he retired.

"I thought he should have been better off given the nature of who he was and the people he was taking care of," she said

"It was understandable. Muhammad is not a businessperson. Fortunately, as he got older, a little bit smarter and wiser, he has been more prudent and frugal."

Ali's estate is unlikely to benefit form the kind of money-spinning merchandising legacies of other celebrities like Michael Jackson or Prince.

In 2006 he sold 80 per cent of the rights to his image for $50 million, including the rights to trademarks like "Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee," "Thrilla In Manila," and "Greatest Of All Time.".

The rights are currently owned by the same company that licenses the images of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe.

However, the family still has input into how his image is used and has been very selective about licensing deals.

Among only a few dozen companies allowed to use Ali's image are Adidas, and an electronics company for video games in which players can box the champion.

The London Daily Telegraph

French-Open-2016-Rejuvenated-Stosur-Eyes-Wimbledon-Seeding

PARIS: Having broken back into the world's top 15 for the first time in three years with a French Open semi-final run, Samantha Stosur has no intention of slipping away again.

Stosur wound back the clock at Roland Garros this fortnight, taking down two former finalists as she reached the final four on the red clay of Paris for the fourth time.

But her dream of a second grand slam title - to join her 2011 US Open triumph - was trumped on Friday by the monster groundstrokes of Spanish sensation Garbine Muguruza.

Stosur was blown off the court 6-2 6-4 by the 22-year-old fourth seed, who will face 21-times grand slam champion Serena Williams in Saturday's final. But despite the one-sided end to her campaign, Stosur proved with victories over world No.6 Simona Halep and 11th seed Lucie Safarova that she's far from a spent force.

"Certainly I don't feel like the tennis I have played is out of myself or something that I'm not able to replicate," Stosur said.

"I mean, I've got to be able to do it, but I certainly feel like I'm able to continue on the form I have showed this week."

Having started the tournament ranked 24th in the world, Stosur will now climb to 14th - and would've cracked the top 10 had she downed Muguruza.

The rankings rise puts her in the box seat to get a top-16 seeding at Wimbledon later this month - and the fourth-round protection, where she cannot face one of the top eight seeds until the fourth round, it affords her.

Stosur will now turn her attention to the Eastbourne International, which starts on June 19.

"It's been a really great (fortnight at) Roland Garros for me," Stosur said.

"Semis is something I'm really proud of, and it's also really satisfying knowing that I had a really good leadup to here and then I was able to continue that form right through."

Ali: A Timeline Of Greatness

1942: Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17 in Louisville, Kentucky. 

1954: Learns to box so he could beat up a thief who had stolen his bike.

1959: Wins the Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in Chicago and the national Amateur Athletic Union light-heavyweight title. 

1960: Now 190cms tall with an equally sizeable ego beginning to emerge, the 18 year old Clay wins Olympic gold at the Rome games in the light heavyweight division, defeating three time European champ Zbigniew Pietrzkowski.  He is paid $10,000 when he turns professional.

1964: Wins the heavyweight championship against Sonny Liston in the seventh round. Joins the Muslim group the Nation of Islam after earlier meeting Malcolm X. He casts off his "slave name" for "Cassius X", which he then discards in March when he changes his name for Muhammad Ali. 

1965: Knocks out Sonny Liston in the first round of their rematch in Lewiston, Maine.

1966: Ali's 17-month marriage – the first of four – to Sonji Roy ends in divorce in January. The Vietnam War classifies him fit for service.

1967: Ali refuses to be drafted and requests conscientious-objector status. He is stripped of his title by American boxing authorities. A few months later, he is convicted of draft evasion, a verdict he appealed. He did not fight again until he was almost 29, losing more than three years of his athletic prime, reported USA Today.

1968: Ali is called a coward because he is unwilling to fight for his country. Martin Luther King Jr. says he gave up millions to do what his conscience said was right.

1971: After returning to the ring in  late 1970, Ali loses to Joe Frazier in the Fight of the Century at Madison Square Garden in March, 1971.

1973: Boxer Ken Norton breaks Ali's jaw. 

1974: Ali defeats Frazier in 12 rounds, allowing him to challenge George Foreman.  In October,  at the famous "rumble in the jungle" fight, Ali regains the heavyweight crown, defeating Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire.

1975: In the fight called "Thrilla in Manila," Ali fights Frazier for the third time. It goes 12 rounds. Both fighters are beaten to a pulp. When Ali wins, he is quoted as saying "This must be what death feels like." 

1979: Ali announces his retirement, but makes a comeback in 1980, before retiring for good in late 1981. 

1996: Lights the torch at the Atlanta Olympics. 

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/boxing/muhammad-ali-a-timeline-of-greatness-20160604-gpbr5k.html#ixzz4AjmqctsR
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Ali To be Buried In Louisville After Bill Clinton Gives Hero's Send-Off Date June 5,

Muhammad Ali's hometown of Louisville will honour the former boxing champion on Friday with a procession through the Kentucky city and public funeral at a sports arena, a tribute befitting a local hero who achieved global stature as a humanitarian.
The public service for Ali, one of the most celebrated figures of the 20th century whose death brought accolades from around the world, will feature eulogies by former President Bill Clinton, broadcaster Bryant Gumbel and comedian Billy Crystal, family spokesman Bob Gunnell said on Saturday.

The body of the former prize fighter, who died in Arizona after suffering for decades from Parkinson's syndrome, was expected to be returned within the next two days to Louisville, where flags were lowered at city hall in his honor.
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Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr in Louisville on January 17, 1942, and was known as the "Louisville Lip" early in his boxing career because of his playfully boastful nature.
Fans gathered on Saturday at his modest childhood home on Grand Avenue, which has been converted to a museum, and at the Muhammad Ali Center, a cultural and educational venue, to pay their respects.

Euro 2016: Bastian Schweinsteiger say he's fitter than at 2014 World Cup

Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger has played less than half an hour of football since March but insists he’s in better shape than he was when Germany won the World Cup two years ago.The Manchester United midfielder came on as a second half substitute in Germany’s 2-0 friendly win win over Hungary on Saturday and said the run out helped.

"Twenty-five to 30 minutes has done me good. But 90 minutes is too much for the first game," he said. "I am fitter going into the Euros than I was two years ago going into the World Cup."

The national team skipper also admitted that Germany’s tournament opener – against Ukraine on June 12 - would come too soon for him, a sentiment his coach seemed to agree with.

"He hasn't got any playing rhythm at the moment, so we'll have to see," said Löw when asked if Schweinsteiger will play in the world champions' opening game.

 

BOXING Muhammad Ali Died From 'Septic Shock' .

Boxing icon Muhammad Ali died as a result of septic shock, according to a family spokesman. Ali, who passed away late Friday aged 74, will be laid to rest in Kentucky next week

Ali had been admitted to an Arizona hospital earlier in the week, but his condition quickly deteriorated.

"We still had a lot of hope it was going to turn around," Gunnell said. "His final hours were spent with just 

immediate family," he added. "He did not suffer." The three-time world heavyweight champion and outspoken civil rights activist died Friday night at the age of 74. He had long suffered from Parkinson's disease, and had been hospitalized a number of times in recent years.

"He'll be remembered as a man of the world who spoke his mind and wasn't afraid to take a chance and went out of his way to be a kind, benevolent individual that really changed the world," Gunnell said.

Novak Djokovic claims maiden French Open with victory over Andy Murray

 In his fourth Roland Garros final, world number one Novak Djokovic finally completed the career Grand Slam. The Serb lost the first set but recovered to get the better of Andy Murray and record a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win. Novak Djokovic claims maiden French Open with

victoryover Andy Murray    

The victory is Djokovic’s 12th Grand Slam win but first on clay and when Murray netted a regulation forehand at the end of the fourth set, he sank to his back in celebration.

As has become his habit through the tournament, Djokovic celebrated with the ball girls and boys, gathering them together and then all raising their arms to the skies.

"It's really a very special moment, perhaps the greatest moment of my career. Perhaps. Thank you," Djokovic said. "I hope you felt joy seeing our tennis."

The win means Djokovic is the first man in nearly 50 years to win four consecutive major championships, he currently holds all four Grand Slam titles. His opponent said that was a significant achievement: "What Novak's achieved in the last 12 months is phenomenal, winning all the Grand Slams in one year is an amazing achievement. It's so rare in tennis and for me personally, it sucks to lose the match," said Murray.

Rod Laver was the last man to hold all four major titles simultaneously, in 1969, when he earned a calendar-year Grand Slam. Djokovic is now halfway to matching that achievement.

The 29-year-old Serb's first French Open trophy goes alongside six from the Australian Open, three from Wimbledon and two from the U.S. Open to give him a total of 12. Among men, only Roger Federer (with 17), Rafael Nadal (14) and Pete Sampras (14) own more.

LIFESTYLE : Europe In Football Fever

The UEFA Euro 2016 kicks off in a few days. Players, coaches and fans are getting ready for the big event. We would like to know: How do support your favorite soccer team?