Laughter, Tears And Politics At Ali Memorial

Bill Clinton has led tributes to Muhammad Ali at a star-studded memorial service in Louisville, Kentucky.

The former US president described the boxing legend as a man who "decided very young to write his own life story".

During his eulogy at a packed sports stadium in the city, Mr Clinton said: "I remember thinking when I was a kid, this guy is so smart. He never got enough credit for being as smart as he was."

Comedian Billy Crystal, renowned for his impersonation of the athlete known to millions as The Greatest, offered moments of levity during the emotive service.

"He was funny, he was beautiful, he was the most funny man you ever saw … and those were his words," he told the audience.

Crystal added: "Only once in a thousand years or so do we get to hear a Mozart, or see a Picasso, read a Shakespeare. Ali was one of them."

In tribute to Ali's once-controversial stance on the Vietnam War, and his impact as a civil rights activist, his long-time friend said: "Muhammad Ali struck us in the middle of America's darkest night."

At times, the interfaith memorial also had political undertones, with Rabbi Michael Lerner receiving a standing ovation for saying: "We will not tolerate politicians or anyone else putting down Muslims for a few people."

Ali, who had died last week at the age of 74 after battling Parkinson's disease for several decades, had converted to Islam in the 1960s - and had criticised Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for his remarks about the religion.

Rabbi Lerner received rapturous applause when he referred to the next president of the United States as a "she", in a nod to Hillary Clinton.

Ali's wife, Lonnie, told the crowds: "If Muhammad didn't like the rules, he rewrote them. His religion, his name, his beliefs were his to fashion, no matter what the cost."

President Barack Obama was unable to attend the memorial because of his daughter's high school graduation, but a letter read out on his behalf said: "Muhammad Ali was America. Brash. Defiant. Pioneering. Never tired. Always game to test the odds. He was our most basic freedoms: religion, speech, spirit."

The service, which saw thousands of ordinary people rub shoulders with the likes of David Beckham and Arnold Schwarzenegger, came after tens of thousands of fans lined the streets of Ali's hometown for a procession which saw his body carried past important landmarks in his life.

After Ali's body was carried to a hearse by pallbearers including boxers Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson, as well as actor Will Smith, a motorcade left the athlete's childhood home.

The procession travelled along a 19-mile route to the Cave Hill Cemetery, where the three-time world heavyweight champion was laid to rest in a private burial service.

Birthday Parade And Flypast To Mark Queen's 90th

The Queen will celebrate her official birthday today with Trooping the Colour and a flypast over Buckingham Palace.

The annual military parade, which always takes place on a Saturday in June, has special significance for Her Majesty’s 90th birthday. Some 1,500 soldiers, 400 horses and 200 musicians will march in front of her, watched by thousands of spectators.

It is a demonstration of respect and affection by the military to their Commander-in-Chief.

The head of the British military, speaking exclusively to Sky News, said there is nothing like it.

"I invite many of my international opposite numbers to come along to bear witness to Trooping of the Colour and they are blown away,” General Sir Nick Houghton, told me.

"It's not something that can be emulated anywhere else that I know in the world. It is the Tina Turner if you like, Simply The Best."

"It's not something that can be emulated anywhere else that I know in the world. It is the Tina Turner if you like, Simply The Best."

Voice Star Christina Grimmie Dies After Shooting

A former contestant on the American version of The Voice has died in hospital after being shot at a concert in Florida.

Christina Grimmie, who came third on the show in 2014, was targeted while signing autographs after performing at the Plaza Live venue in Orlando.

The unidentified shooter killed himself after being tackled by the singer's brother.

Christina Grimmie was shot at Plaza Live in Orlando. Pic: @OrlandoPolice

Orlando Police said in a statement: "With deep regret, we have confirmed Christina Grimmie, @TheRealGrimmie has died from her injuries."

The 22-year-old's publicist, Heather Walsh, later added: "We can confirm that Christina has passed and went home to be with the Lord."

Police said a man with two guns walked up to the 22-year-old near a merchandise table and opened fire.

Grimmie was hit at least once.

star had just opened for the band Before You Exit when the shooting occurred about 10.30pm local time.

Witnesses saw people trying to give her CPR at the scene and she was initially described as being "critical" in hospital.

Hot dog stand worker Josh Call heard four or five gunshots.

"It was quick like pow, pow, pow, pow," he said, adding that a security guard rushed to clear others from the area.

The hashtag #PrayForChristina was trending on Twitter before police confirmed her death.

The Voice paid tribute on its official Twitter page: "There are no words. We lost a beautiful soul with an amazing voice."

Vote Leave: 4,000 More EU Inmates By 2030

Seven new prisons will need to be built in the UK by 2030 to cope with the rising number of migrant criminals, the Leave campaign has claimed.

Former cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith has warned 3,993 additional jail places will be needed for EU convicts if current levels of migration continue, and if the percentage of migrants who commit prison-worthy crimes matches the rest of the UK population.

This is the equivalent of another seven jails the size of Full Sutton prison in York, which can accommodate 606 inmates.

Mr Duncan Smith believes that if the UK remains in the EU, the problem will only worsen in the years to come - with the likes of Turkey, Macedonia and Albania vying to join the bloc.

:: EU In Or Out? Put Your Questions To Jeremy Corbyn

The Conservative MP and Out campaigner said: "Our prisons already hold over 4,000 criminals from the EU, costing taxpayers more than £150m a year.

"Our analysis shows UK taxpayers will have to pay an extra £400m just to keep EU criminals in jail. It will mean prisons are more crowded, less safe and less able to prevent inmates returning to crime.

"If we vote to leave, we can take back control of our borders and send EU criminals back to their own countries. We will be able to keep out terrorists and kick out criminals."

Vote Leave's estimate, which is based on net migration levels from the EU continuing at a rate of 184,000 a year until 2030, have been questioned by Britain Stronger In Europe.

:: Brexit 'Won't Solve Immigration Problems'

spokesman for the In campaign said: "Even by their own standards, this is nasty scaremongering of the worst kind from Vote Leave.

"These made-up numbers are so baseless it's notable the current Justice Secretary, Michael Gove, won't put his name to it."

The latest claim followed an opinion poll by The Independent which gave the Leave camp a 10-point lead over Remain.

ORB's survey of 2,000 people found 55% of likely voters were in favour of withdrawing from the EU, compared to 45% who wanted to retain the UK's membership.

Man Jailed For Driving Into Crowded Marquee

A businessman has been sentenced to 16 months behind bars for drunkenly ploughing his car into a marquee full of people at a charity ball.

Peter Bialek, 66, from Salisbury, was trying to move his car out of a parking space after it had been boxed in.

He lost control and the vehicle lurched forward and surged 20 metres into the crowd inside the marquee.

Bialek was immediately pulled from the car and assaulted.

Bialek was leaving early because of back pain

At an earlier hearing he pleaded guilty to three counts of grievous bodily harm without intent and causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving.

Bialek had not intended to drive that night but his partner, who had not been drinking, was unable to manoeuvre their vehicle out of their parking space at the ball at Dene Farm near Andover, Hampshire, on 3 October last year.

Of the 21 people injured, a 65-year-old woman suffered a fractured ankle, her husband had three broken ribs and a 22-year-old woman had cuts to her legs.

Bialek's lawyer, Charles Gabb, told the court that he had lost control of the car because he had failed to find the brake pedal.

Mr Gabb said: "From the moment the car came to a stop when he turned the keys, he was expressing shock and horror at what happened.

The car went straight through the marquee and out the other end

And he added: "What happened on that night was a dreadful miscarriage of judgment. The consequences will live with all of the victims but he too will live with it for the rest of life.

"It has made the deepest impact on him possible, it will live with him until his dying day."

His stepdaughter Debbie Trant said: "He is a shadow of his former self. It's a terrible shame to see such a great man be reduced to this."

After the incident in Hampshire

In sentencing, Mr Justice Teare told Bialek: "I have given considerable weight to your qualities as a human being, I accept that you are in every other respect a good man."

Bialek has also been banned from driving for two years and ordered to pay court costs of £750.

Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Can 'Reverse Disease'

A radical treatment can halt the progression of multiple sclerosis and even reverse symptoms of the autoimmune disease, research suggests.

The "highly exciting" therapy involves destroying the patient's immune system and regenerating a new one using stem cells taken from their bone marrow.

A 13-year trial involving 24 people with a highly active, relapsing form of MS saw 70% of patients experience a complete halt in the disease's progression.

In 40% of patients, symptoms such as vision loss, balance problems and muscle weakness were reversed for prolonged periods of time.

Although doctors say the findings hold a lot of promise, experts have warned the treatment can have serious side effects and risks.

It is also thought the therapy will only help a small proportion of patients in the early stages of MS - and patients who have had significant disabilities for a prolonged period of time are unlikely to benefit.

One of the main dangers associated with the therapy is the threat of infection for patients while they are unprotected by an immune system.

The treatment is known as IAHSCT (immunoablation and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation) and a similar procedure has been used for treating patients with life-threatening leukaemia for several decades.

Jennifer Molson, who participated in the MS trial six years after she was diagnosed with the disease, said: "Before my transplant, I was unable to talk or work and was living in assisted care. Now, I am able to walk independently, live in my own home and work full time.

"I was also able to get married, walk down the aisle with my dad and dance with my husband. I've even gone downhill skiing."

The MS Society in the UK has welcomed the findings, published in the Lancet journal, as it "provided valuable information about the long-term safety and effectiveness" of the treatment.

Professor Siddharthan Chandran, from the Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, said the study appeared to render some of the patients in the study "effectively disease-free".

He added: "However, the treatment regime has substantial risks and safety concerns that underline the need for future studies with a larger sample size, control group and ideally identification of predictive markers to allow targeting of this treatment to those MS patients at greatest risk of rapid and severe decline."

Nigeria army denies claims of brutality against Biafra supporters

Nigeria's army has dismissed a report from the rights group Amnesty International that it brutally suppressed a celebration held by supporters of a separate state for Biafra.

The group said it received reports alleging that at least 40 people were killed and more than 50 other injured when the separatists held commemoration events in Onitsha, southeast Nigeria last month. 

Amnesty said it has gathered evidence that the Nigerian military opened fire on the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) supporters and bystanders at three different places.

In its statement, the army says that Ipob members "engaged in violent protests which were featured with outright disregard for law and order". 

It adds that the security forces acted to restore order.