The Foreign Post - FPI

This handout photograph taken on July 19, 2019 and released by LAM Museum on October 7, 2024 shows the art work "All The Good Times We Spent Together" by French artist Alexandre Lavet deployed at the Lisser Art Museum "LAM" in Lisse. Dutch museum LAM has recovered an artworks by French artist Alexandre Lavet that looks like two empty beer cans after a staff member accidentally threw it in the rubbish bin thinking it was trash. Froujke Budding, a spokeswoman for the LAM museum in Lisse, western Netherlands, told AFP that artworks are often left in unexpected places.

Trash art: Dutch museum finds 'beer can' artwork in bin

Weird World

The Hague, Netherlands- A Dutch museum has recovered one of its artworks that looks like two empty beer cans after a staff member accidentally threw it in the rubbish bin thinking it was trash.

The work, entitled "All The Good Times We Spent Together" by French artist Alexandre Lavet, appears on first glance to be two discarded and dented beer tins.

However, a closer look shows they are in fact meticulously hand-painted with acrylics and "required a lot of time and effort to create", according to the museum.

But their artistic value was lost on a mechanic, who saw them displayed in a lift and chucked them in the bin.

Froukje Budding, a spokeswoman for the LAM museum in Lisse, western Netherlands, told AFP that artworks are often left in unusual places -- hence the display in a lift.

"We try to surprise the visitor all the time," she said.

Curator Elisah van den Bergh returned from a short break and noticed that the cans had vanished.

She recovered them from a bin bag just in the nick of time as they were about to be thrown out.

"We have now put the work in a more traditional place on a plinth so it can rest after its adventure," Budding told AFP.

She stressed there were "no hard feelings" towards the mechanic, who had just started at the museum.

"He was just doing his job," she said.

Sietske van Zanten, the museum's director, said: "Our art encourages visitors to see everyday objects in a new light."

"By displaying artworks in unexpected places, we amplify this experience and keep visitors on their toes," added Van Zanten.

With this in mind, the cans are unlikely to stay on their traditional plinth for long, said Budding.

"We need to think hard about a careful place to put them next," she told AFP.

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This handout photo released by the California Department of Insurance on November 13, 2024 shows a bear costume found in the home of a suspect in an insurance fraud case. Four people who allegedly dressed as bears and damaged their own luxury cars in a bid to defraud insurance companies were arrested in the US state of California on November 13, 2024. Suspicions were aroused when a claim was made for ripped seats and damaged doors on a luxury Rolls-Royce Ghost, an exclusive vehicle worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Insurance fraudsters dressed as bears to wreck cars: US agency

Weird World

Los Angeles, United States- Four people who allegedly dressed as bears and damaged their own luxury cars in a bid to defraud insurance companies were arrested in the US state of California

Suspicions were aroused when a claim was made for ripped seats and damaged doors on a luxury Rolls-Royce Ghost, an exclusive vehicle worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Claimants said a bear had got into the car when it was parked in Lake Arrowhead, a mountain spot outside Los Angeles, wreaking havoc on its interior.

To back up their claim, they provided photos of the damage as well as footage from a security camera, which they said showed the animal inside the vehicle.

But the company smelled a rat and contacted insurance fraud detectives.

"Upon further scrutiny of the video, the investigation determined the bear was actually a person in a bear costume," said a release from the California Department of Insurance.

Investigators then combed through records and found two other claims against different insurance companies alleging bear damage to different vehicles -- a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350 -- at the same spot.

Both claims had also been accompanied by video footage of the same "bear" rampaging around the vehicles.

"To further ensure it was not actually a bear in the video, the Department had a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife review the three alleged bear videos and they also opined it was clearly a human in a bear suit," Wednesday's statement said.

"After executing a search warrant, detectives found the bear costume in the suspects' home."

Ruben Tamrazian, 26, Ararat Chirkinian, 39, Vahe Muradkhanyan, 32, and Alfiya Zuckerman, 39, have all been charged with insurance fraud and conspiracy over the claims, which were worth over $140,000.

Black bears, which are native to California, occasionally do get inside vehicles in the hunt for food, and can cause tremendous damage.

hg/amz/bjt

Customers line-up in front of a branch of chocolate producer Lindt before the sale of 100 Dubai Chocolate bars starts in Stuttgart, southern Germany, on November 15, 2024. The hype around the chocolate bar - usually filled with pistachio and tahini paste and crispy Kadaif noodles - has also sparked the interest in German customers and led to long queues outside shops.

Germany goes nuts for viral pistachio chocolate

Business

Berlin, Germany- When Ali Fakhro lays out a row of pistachio-filled chocolate bars in the morning at his bakery in Berlin, he knows they will be gone in a matter of hours.

Inspired by the viral success of the crunchy delicacy known as "Dubai chocolate", Fakhro, 32, hunted down a recipe and began making his own version two months ago.

"On the first day I made 20 bars, but they went fast. The next day, I made 50 -- all gone too," he said.

So-called Dubai chocolate was invented in 2021 by British-Egyptian entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda, who is based in Dubai.

The chunky treat consists of a blocky, hand-decorated chocolate bar with various quirky fillings -- the signature flavour being a rich pistachio cream.

The treat went viral when TikTok food influencer Maria Vehera posted a video of herself eating a bar in her car, which has since been viewed more than 100 million times.

The real thing is only available to local customers in limited quantities, but the trend has led to an explosion of copycat versions of the chocolate around the world.

- Queueing in the cold -

Fakhro, who runs Abu Khaled Sweets in Berlin, experimented "several times" with different recipes before finally landing on the right ingredient to give the pistachio cream its famous crunch -- a finely shredded Middle Eastern pastry known as kataifi.

Germans have been scrambling to get their hands on the chocolate with bars selling for over 100 euros ($104) on the internet.

Last week, a 31-year-old man was caught by customs attempting to smuggle 45 kilograms of the sweet treat into Germany from Switzerland.

When Swiss manufacturer Lindt launched its own version of the Dubai chocolate in Germany this month, customers queued for hours in the cold to get their hands on a bar.

At up to 20 euros per bar, the delicacy is far more expensive than your average chocolate bar -- but that didn't seem to be putting anyone off.

"I waited 10 hours. I've been here since midnight just to taste this chocolate," 18-year-old student Leon Faehnle told AFP outside a Lindt shop in Stuttgart.

- 'Easy money' -

Lindt launched the chocolate in Germany with 1,000 numbered bars in 10 shops, a spokesman for the group told AFP, and is planning a similar launch in Austria on November 30.

Dubai chocolate has also been a hit in France, with a version by chocolatier Jeremy Bockel on show at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris earlier this month.

Yannick Burkhard, 21, queued for three hours in Stuttgart to get his hands on the chocolate -- but is not planning to eat any of it himself. Instead, he will sell it on the internet.

"I would never pay that much for this. It's quick and easy money," he said with a smile.

"This bar cost 15 euros, but it can sell for almost 100 euros... There are lots of offers on eBay, up to 300 euros," said a customer who gave his name only as Lucas, 24.

Faehnle had a more wholesome plan for his bars as he exited the shop in Stuttgart beaming with pride at his purchase.

"Now I'm going to go home and share them with my grandparents," he said.

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This photo taken on August 2, 2024 shows a pedestrian walking past a signboard giving directions (3rd down) for the nearby Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Lost and Found Centre in the Iidabashi area of central Tokyo. Soft toys, forlorn suitcases and a forest of umbrellas: welcome to Tokyo's vast police lost-and-found centre, where everything is meticulously tagged and sorted to hasten a return to its rightful owner.

Tokyo police care for lost umbrellas, keys, flying squirrels

Weird World

Tokyo, Japan- Lost your umbrella, keys, or perhaps a flying squirrel? In Tokyo, the police are almost certainly taking meticulous care of it.

In Japan, lost items are rarely disconnected from their owners for long, even in a mega city like Tokyo -- population 14 million.

"Foreign visitors are often surprised to get their things back," said Hiroshi Fujii, a 67-year-old tour guide, describing Tokyo's vast police lost-and-found centre.

"But in Japan, there's always an expectation that we will."

It's a "national trait" to report items found in public places in Japan, he told AFP. "We pass down this custom of reporting things we picked up, from parents to children."

Around 80 staff at the police centre in Tokyo's central Iidabashi district ensure items are well organised using a database system, its director Harumi Shoji told AFP.

Everything is tagged and sorted to hasten a return to its rightful owner.

ID cards and driving licences are most frequently lost, Shoji said.

- Flying squirrels, iguanas -

But dogs, cats and even flying squirrels and iguanas have been dropped off at police stations, where officers look after them "with great sensitivity" -- consulting books, online articles and vets for advice.

More than four million items were handed in to Tokyo Metropolitan Police last year, with about 70 percent of valuables such as wallets, phones and important documents successfully reunited with their owners.

"Even if it's just a key, we enter details such as the mascot keychain it's attached to," Shoji said in a room filled with belongings, including a large Cookie Monster stuffed toy.

Over the course of one afternoon, dozens of people came to collect or search for their lost property at the centre, which receives items left with train station staff or at small local police stations across Tokyo if they are not claimed within two weeks.

"The first thing we think is that people who lost their items must be in trouble so I think it's normal for us that we report it to police," Shoji said.

If no one turns up at the police facility within three months, the unwanted item is sold or discarded.

The number of lost items handled by the centre is increasing as Japan welcomes a record influx of tourists post-pandemic, and as gadgets become smaller, Shoji said.

Wireless earphones and hand-held fans are an increasingly frequent sight at the lost-and-found centre, which has been operating since the 1950s.

But a whopping 200 square metres (2,100 square feet) is dedicated to lost umbrellas -- 300,000 of which were brought in last year, with only 3,700 of them returned, Shoji said.

"We have a designated floor for umbrellas... during the rainy season, there are so many umbrellas that the umbrella trolley is overflowing and we have to store them in two tiers."

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Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang delivers his keystone speech ahead of Computex 2024 in Taipei on June 2, 2024. Yulia Navalnaya, Leon Marchand, Gisele Pelicot or Charli XCX, are among the five personalities who left their mark on 2024.

Five people who defined 2024

The World

Paris, France- From the great leaps in artificial intelligence to spectacular feats on display at the European football championships, here are five figures who have left an indelible mark on 2024:

- Jensen Huang: chip magnate -

In all the frenzied excitement -- and anxiety -- generated by Artificial Intelligence in 2024, one AI chip giant has broken away from the pack: Nvidia, led by CEO Jensen Huang.

In the course of the year Nvidia surpassed Apple to become the highest public valued company in the world as the artificial intelligence boom continued to excite Wall Street.

Cutting a distinctive figure in his signature black leather jacket, Taiwan-born Huang founded Nvidia three decades ago.

At the root of its newfound success are graphics processors or cards -- chips with far greater computing capacity than conventional microprocessors.

Initially developed to improve the graphics quality of video games, Huang's company figured out the technology was perfectly suited for developing the large language models underpinning generative AI.

- Yulia Navalnaya: dogged Kremlin critic -

"My political opponent is Vladimir Putin and I'm trying to do and I will do everything to make his regime fall as soon as possible," said Yulia Navalnaya, widow of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in October.

The 48-year-old Navalnaya, who is a trained economist, has remained in the public eye as part of her pledge to continue her husband's work after he died in February in an Arctic prison.

She has lobbied against Putin's government from abroad, including with her call for Russians on election day in March to form long queues outside voting stations in protest.

In July Navalnaya, who lives outside Russia, was added to Moscow's "terrorists and extremists" blacklist.

- -Gisele Pelicot: feminist icon

Seventy-two-year-old Gisele Pelicot has been at the centre of one of France's most high-profile trials, making headlines across the world.

Her former husband, Dominique Pelicot, has admitted to drugging his then-wife with sedatives so strangers could sexually abuse her in her own bed for almost a decade. He and another 50 men are on trial.

The case has shed a deeply disturbing light on male attitudes and violence towards women.

In a move that has sparked global support, Gisele Pelicot insisted the trial should be open to the public.

"I wanted all women who are rape victims to say to themselves 'Mrs Pelicot did it, so we can do it too'," she said.

- Lamine Yamal: football whizz-kid -

One of Spain's kings of the wing, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal became a global football star after forming part of the most swashbuckling and explosive attack of this year's Euro 2024 championship.

He and fellow teenage winger Nico Williams were hailed as the attacking wizards inspiring Spain's record fourth men's European Championship triumph.

Baby-faced Yamal who has braces on his teeth came through Barcelona FC's youth team and is now one of the top team's most exciting talents.

During Euro 2024 he became the youngest ever goalscorer of the competition at 16 and celebrated his 17th birthday on the eve of the final.

"We have seen a genius, the product of a genius," Spain's coach Luis de la Fuente said of his player during the tournament.

Yamal was named young player of the championship.

- Charli XCX: 'Brat' phenomenon -

British pop sensation Charli XCX was already one of the top stars in 2024 with her hugely successful album "Brat".

Then Kamala Harris was catapulted into the US presidential campaign with just 100 days to go.

The "brat summer" meme sparked by the 32-year-old pop star's album with its lime-green cover and celebration of a relaxed, partying lifestyle became associated with Harris when fans began applying the coloured "brat" filter to the nominee's images.

Then Charli XCX, real name Charlotte Emma Aitchison, voiced approval with a sign-off -- "kamala IS brat" -- swiftly embraced by the Harris campaign.

In November, just days before Harris's presidency bid ended in defeat at the ballot box, Collins dictionary designated "brat" as the Word of the Year.

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This photo taken on November 13, 2024 shows a woman (R) walking past the four-storey Arimaston Building (L) by Japanese architect Keisuke Oka in the Mita area of Minato Ward in Tokyo. Passers-by stop and stare at the ramshackle, hand-built concrete tower that looks like it has been lifted right out of a Japanese animation and dropped onto a real-life Tokyo street. Oka started construction in 2005. Apart from the help of a few friends, he made the entire building himself by hand.

Hand-built fantasy tower brings value to Tokyo, creator says

Lifestyle

Tokyo, Japan- Passers-by stop and stare at the ramshackle, hand-built concrete tower that looks like it has been lifted right out of a Japanese animation and dropped onto a real-life Tokyo street.

Its creator, who spent almost 20 years making the distinctive four-storey Arimaston Building, thinks his slow approach to construction can be an example to the world.

"It used to be that there weren't enough things in the world, but now there are too many," 59-year-old Keisuke Oka told AFP inside the building's curved grey walls.

"We need to stop mass-producing things and find another way, otherwise we'll be in trouble."

With its wobbly lines and weird, wonderful ornamentation, Oka's building has been compared to the animated Studio Ghibli movie "Howl's Moving Castle".

The architect himself has been dubbed the Gaudi of Mita, referencing the famed Spanish architect and the Tokyo area where Arimaston Building is located.

Inspired by Japan's avant-garde butoh dance, Oka made up the design as he went along.

Growing up, he felt buildings in Japan's towns and cities looked "very sad and devoid of life", as if they were "all designed on a computer".

"The person who constructs a building and the person who designs a building are very far apart," he said.

"In order to give the building some life, I thought I would try to think and build together at the same time."

- High-rise contrast -

Oka started construction in 2005. Apart from the help of a few friends, he made the entire building himself by hand.

He claims the concrete -- which he mixed himself -- is of such high quality that it will last for over 200 years.

Oka says the structure is basically finished. He plans to live in the top three storeys and use the ground and basement floors as a studio and exhibition space.

When he started, he had no idea the project would take almost two decades.

"I thought with the ability I had, I could do it in three years," he said, explaining that the improvised nature of his design brought constant challenges.

Oka grew up in rural Japan and was an exceptional architecture student who was told by his teachers he would go a long way.

He suffered a physical breakdown in his 30s and gave up architecture for a while, before his wife persuaded him to buy a small plot and build a house.

He says making Arimaston Building has restored his confidence, and he enjoys the amazed reaction of people walking past.

"It's very easy to understand the contrast with the high-rise buildings right behind it," he said.

"I think there is some value that the city can take from it."

- Throw-away society -

Arimaston Building stands alone on a sloped street, making it all the more striking.

The area is undergoing large-scale redevelopment, and the apartments that once stood next door have been demolished.

As part of the changes, Oka's building is scheduled to be moved 10 metres backwards in a process that involves transporting the entire structure on rails.

Once that is complete, he intends to move in and continue working on the finishing touches, alongside his university teaching jobs.

Amid all the upheaval in the area, Oka hopes people will be able to see the value of making something by hand.

He says he was inspired by his upbringing, when his mother made clothes for the family because they couldn't afford to buy them.

"More than half of the clothes we make now, we throw away, he said, describing a world "overflowing with things".

"We need to start making things at a slower pace," Oka said.

amk/kaf/wp/rsc/cwl

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 11: (L-R) Rob Manfred, Commissioner, Major League Baseball and Adam Silver, Commissioner, National Basketball Association speak onstage during the Growing the Game panel, at the Fortune Global Forum on November 11, 2024 in New York City.

NBA legend Yao Ming says 'no way' sports can 'hide' from politics

Sports

Beijing, China- Chinese basketball great and NBA legend Yao Ming said that there was "no way" sports could "hide" from politics, though he cautioned for the need to avoid it.

Speaking in Beijing during a panel discussion on sports in the context of US-China relations, Yao was asked about politics in reference to a 2019 incident when then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted support for the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.

Yao, a former Rockets centre, said "there's no way we can hide" from politics.

But "as people who were in this industry, we should understand better what is 'in' the game, and what is 'out' and we will do our best and try to avoid (politics)," Yao said.

China is home to a huge basketball fanbase, but it has not hosted an NBA game in five years since two 2019 pre-season contests were played in controversy following Morey's comments.

The NBA subsequently lost hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of being taken off Chinese television until 2022.

Yao said that what happened in 2019 was an "instant accident" and Morey stepped "into a minefield that he was not really familiar with".

"So the minefield is there, but... we should help each other to cross it," Yao said.

When asked by AFP if he thought NBA games would make a return to China soon, Yao -- who had quit as the Chinese Basketball Association head last month after seven years in the job -- said he was "not in control" anymore and could not answer.

"But I can tell you that basketball is very popular in China, with all ages, whether played on court, or just watched from a TV," Yao said.

"The fans love to see all kind of basketball games."

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in October that he expects his league will once more play games in China, according to multiple media reports.

isk/dhc

India’s skipper Jasprit Bumrah (R) and Virat Kohli (L) speak as they walk back to the pavilion at the tea break on day four of the first Test cricket match between Australia and India at Optus Stadium in Perth on November 25, 2024.

Anderson to Starc: Five up for grabs in IPL player auction

Sports

New Delhi, India- Some of the world's top cricketers will be among 574 players seeking an Indian Premier League payday when the lucrative T20 tournament begins its annual auction.

AFP Sport looks at five stars up for grabs during the two-day bidding frenzy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The season is likely to start in March.

- James Anderson (England) -

The England Test great wants to add a final chapter to his storied career and is seeking an IPL berth for the first time, entering the auction at a base price of $148,115.

The 42-year-old fast bowler retired from Tests earlier this year after 704 wickets, the third-highest in five-day history after Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan and Australian spin king Shane Warne.

He has limited experience in 20-over matches, playing 19 internationals for England with his last 15 years ago.

But Anderson has said he isn't ready to call time on his career, prompting West Indies great Viv Richards to liken his longevity to LeBron James.

- Mitchell Starc (Australia) -

The 34-year-old smashed the IPL auction record last year when Kolkata Knight Riders netted his services for $2.98 million.

The left-arm quick and handy lower-order slugger was instrumental in their run to the title, including taking 2-14 in the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Kolkata nevertheless opted not to retain him. "It is what it is, that's franchise cricket," Starc said.

With 193 wickets in 142 T20 matches, the imposing Starc -- he is 1.96 metres (6 feet 4 inches) tall -- enters the auction at the top base price bracket of $237,000.

- Rishabh Pant (India) -

Pant, 27, was forced out of competitive cricket for more than a year after a serious car crash in December 2022 but returned to captain the Delhi Capitals this year.

India's top wicketkeeper-batsman and the franchise parted ways after their disappointing sixth-placed finish and Pant will also enter the auction at a $237,000 base price.

With his sharp glovework and knack of taking on bowlers with attacking and unconventional batting, pundits believe he is in the running to secure a record payday.

"Mitchell Starc's auction record is in danger," former India quick Irfan Pathan said on social media.

- David Miller (South Africa) -

Known as "Killer Miller" for his destructive batting, the South African has a T20 international strike rate of close to 140.

The 35-year-old is also looking for a new home after playing with Gujarat Titans since the team's inception in 2022, smashing 210 runs in nine matches in this year's season.

India's dismissal of Miller in this year's T20 World Cup final in Barbados was a key moment in the match and the Proteas went on to lose.

He is likely to set off a bidding war after registering for the auction at a base price of $178,000.

- Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand) -

Ravindra made an instant impact in his IPL debut this year, smashing 222 runs at a punishing strike rate above 161 for Chennai Super Kings.

The left-hander's ability to play spin with aplomb on subcontinent pitches saw him fare well during last year's ODI World Cup and in New Zealand's recent 3-0 Test whitewash in India.

The Wellington-born Ravindra's parents hail from Bengaluru and hopes abound there that he will join the city's franchise, which also features fan favourite Virat Kohli.

The 25-year-old's first name reflects his father's love of India's cricket greats -- "Ra" from Rahul Dravid and "chin" from Sachin Tendulkar.

Ravindra enters the auction at a $178,000 base price.

fk/gle/pst

Britain's Andy Murray waves after losing against Germany's Yannick Hanfmann at the end of their ATP 250 Geneva Open tennis tournament single match, in Geneva, on May 21, 2024. Novak Djokovic announced on November 23, 2024, that his retired long-time rival Andy Murray is joining the 24-time Grand Slam-winning player's coaching team, starting at the Australian Open in January.

Novak Djokovic: All-conquering, divisive tennis superstar

Sports

London, United Kingdom- Novak Djokovic launched his career in the shadow of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal but has surpassed them both and is widely considered the greatest player of all time.

The Serb, aged 37, has won 24 Grand Slam titles, equalling Margaret Court's record tally -- two more than Nadal and four clear of Federer with both rivals now retired.

He also has a stack of other records in men's tennis including a record 40 Masters-level titles, seven season-ending ATP Finals crowns and most weeks at number one -- a staggering 428.

He led Serbia to Davis Cup glory in 2010.

And on the red clay of Paris in August 2024 he completed a career Golden Grand Slam by beating Carlos Alcaraz in the Olympic final, shaking with emotion as he fell to his knees, describing victory as his "greatest achievement".

It was his 99th title, putting him four behind Federer's total of 103 and 10 behind Jimmy Connors' record of 109.

Djokovic did not launch his career in a vacuum -- he started out at a time when Federer and Nadal ruled the sport, with fans firmly in one camp or the other.

When the Serb won his first Grand Slam, at the Australian Open in 2008, Federer was already on 12 majors and Nadal had taken virtual ownership of the French Open.

Djokovic did not win another major until 2011 and was voracious in his appetite until this year when he failed to add to his Grand Slam tally, overshadowed by the success of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz who shared the four majors between them.

In an effort to stem the relative decline, on Saturday he hired old rival Andy Murray to help coach him at next year's Australian Open where he is a 10-time champion.

He has made no secret of his aim to be the greatest of all and few would now argue that he has not achieved it, with winning records against both of his rivals in the "Big Three" of men's tennis.

Despite his astonishing achievements, while the retired Nadal and Federer are adored across the world, Djokovic, even now, sharply divides opinion.

He famously had to battle Federer and a pro-Swiss crowd in the 2019 Wimbledon final, which he won after saving match points.

Djokovic is not afraid to go toe to toe with hostile fans, using their jibes to fuel his relentless quest for glory and showing the depth of his competitiveness.

But off the court he cuts an impressive figure -- urbane and thoughtful, and able to speak fluently in a number of languages.

An exasperated John McEnroe expressed his frustration at the way that Djokovic is sometimes treated during the 2024 Wimbledon tournament, where he lost in the final to Alcaraz.

"He's like the Darth Vader compared to two of the classiest acts we've seen play tennis -- Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer," he said.

- 'Greatest' -

The American three-time Wimbledon champion added: "He's by far the guy who's taken the worst heat and that's why I would say he's the greatest that's ever played."

Djokovic has been content to plough his own furrow and has shown an astonishing ability to shut out the noise and battle against the odds.

He grew up in war-torn Serbia and has spoken about how his turbulent childhood made him hungrier for success.

Djokovic made his ATP Tour debut in 2004, winning his first title two years later in the Netherlands.

He started to win tournaments regularly but struggled to make an impact at the Grand Slams after his 2008 triumph in Australia.

Djokovic dropped gluten early in his career, crediting the change with transforming his results.

The lithe physique of the rubber man of tennis enabled him to chase down seemingly lost causes and he combined a brutally efficient game with a rock-solid defence.

Half of his 24 Grand Slams have come after he turned 30 -- testament to how he has looked after himself.

In 2016 he became the third man in history to hold all four majors at the same time.

But agonisingly he fell at the last hurdle in 2021 as he attempted to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete a calendar Grand Slam.

Despite his extraordinary success, some personal stances have drawn criticism, such as a claim that it was possible to alter the composition of water and food through positive thinking.

His refusal to be vaccinated against Covid proved costly -- he was deported from Melbourne on the eve of the 2022 Australian Open.

And Djokovic's tennis has sometimes been overshadowed by controversies.

His infamous default from the US Open in 2020 for petulantly swiping at a ball that hit a female line judge gave a glimpse of his fiery character.

At the 2023 French Open, he wrote "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia" on a courtside TV camera lens as ethnic tensions were again rising in the Balkans.

jw/dj/gj

German Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher is lifted in triumph by his mechanics, May 27, 2001, after winning the 59th Monaco Formula One Grand Prix. If Red Bull's Max Verstappen sees off Lando Norris to seal the Formula One world championship in Las Vegas on Saturday, November 23, 2024, he will become just the sixth driver to win four titles. Five other drivers have achieved that feat: Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, and Sebastian Vettel.

Awesome foursomes: Formula One's exclusive club of four-time world champions

Sports

Awesome foursomes: Formula One's exclusive club of four-time world champions

Las Vegas, United States - Max Verstappen became just the sixth driver to win four Formula One world titles.

AFP looks at the other five who achieved the feat:

- Juan Manuel Fangio -

Titles won: 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957

Cars: Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Mercedes, Ferrari

Born in 1911, Fangio was a successful driver at home in Argentina, notably winning the gruelling 10,000 kilometre (6,250 miles) Gran Premio del Norte in 1940, before becoming the first superstar of Formula One.

He won the 1951 title with Alfa Romeo and went on to triumph with Maserati, Mercedes and Ferrari to become the first man to win five titles, a record that stood for 46 years. He died aged 84 in 1995.

In his own words:

"I learned to approach racing like a game of billiards. If you bash the ball too hard, you get nowhere. As you handle the cue properly, you drive with more finesse."

- Alain Prost -

Titles won: 1985, 1986, 1989, 1993

Cars: McLaren, Williams

The Frenchman, who was known as 'The Professor' for his analytical approach to the sport, is remembered by many as the dull counterpoint to the crowd-pleasing Ayrton Senna (three titles) in a rivalry that gripped F1 in the late 1980s, early 1990s.

But he was a gifted, methodical driver who won his first three titles with McLaren and a fourth with Williams. He might have had five had he not been pipped by half a point by Niki Lauda in 1984.

In his own words:

"My ideal is to get pole with the minimum effort, and to win the race at the slowest speed possible."

- Michael Schumacher -

Titles won: 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

Cars: Benetton, Ferrari

The year after Prost's final championship, up stepped the heir apparent in Michael Schumacher. The German, with his undoubted verve and pace mingled with an aggression that occasionally bordered on the dangerous, won twice with Benetton in the 1990s before switching to Ferrari.

From 2000 he dominated the track, winning five titles on the trot, eclipsing Fangio's record on the way. His 91 race wins was a new record until Lewis Hamilton passed him.

Schumacher suffered a serious brain injury in a 2013 skiing accident and has been in care at the family home in Switzerland since.

In his own words:

"Just being a mediocre driver has never been my ambition. That’s not my style."

- Sebastian Vettel -

Titles won: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

Car: Red Bull

Six years after Schumacher's last title, along came another German to take a firm grip of the sport. Vettel made his F1 debut in Indianapolis shortly before his 20th birthday in 2007 with Red Bull which had taken over and rebranded the Jaguar team four years earlier.

Three years later he became the youngest-ever champion, going on to win four in a row and frustrating the great Spaniard Fernando Alonso who was runner-up three times to Vettel. His 2013 title was the last won by Red Bull until Verstappen's first in 2021.

In his own words:

"It's correct that I'm a bad loser. Why should I lie? If I was good at losing I wouldn't be in Formula 1."

- Lewis Hamilton -

Titles won: 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Cars: McLaren, Mercedes

In a sport that had been exclusively white, Lewis Hamilton broke new ground for being the first Black driver and the first Black champion. He used his position to speak out on many social issues but kept his most telling actions to the track where he and his Mercedes team were in a class of their own.

After winning his first title with McLaren in 2008, he switched to Mercedes winning six further titles over a seven-year period. Arguably he should have made it eight when a controversial decision by the race director in Abu Dhabi ushered Verstappen through for the win instead -- and the title.

In his own words:

"If you don’t have the balls to brake late, that’s your problem."

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