Novak Djokovic is still trying to find his old form as he crashed out of Indian Wells tournament in his first match on Sunday.

He lost to 25 year-old qualifier American-born Japanese Taro Daniel in three sets, 7-6 4-6 6-1. Djokovic had won the tournament five times and came to win the sixth.

For me it felt like (the) first match I ever played on the tour. Very weird. I mean, I just completely lost rhythm, Djokovic said after the Daniel upset.

I had some inexplicable, uncharacteristic errors, Djokovic told reporters.

But thats, I guess, its all part of those particular circumstances that Im in at the moment, he added.

In contrast, Roger Federer is still having ball on the court, as the the 36 year-old defeated ArgentineFederico Delbonis in two sets, 6-3 7-6, in a rain delayed match.

Rain on Saturday had delayed the match, with Federer leading 6-3 2-2. Play resumed Sunday evening, with the second set going into tie brake.

Delbonis had defeated Federer at an ATP meeting in Hamburg in 2013, He won 7-6, 7-6.

Federer, whoregained the world No 1 ranking last month, is on a quest to make history in the California desert by winning an unprecedented sixth Indian Wells title. The 36-year-old Swiss marvel continues to defy the ageing process, claiming his 20th grand slam title and sixth Australian Open crown in January.

He has enjoyed a perfect start to 2018 by winning both events he has competed in and taking his career singles title tally to 97. Federer said on Thursday that he wont be taking anyone for granted in this draw.

I didnt come here to lose in the first round or two, he said. I care about the moment. I care about the results.

Source: NAN

The Express newspaper has reported that AC Milan are plotting a move forArsenaland England midfielder Jack Wilshere.

Wilsherescontract runs out in the summer, and is no closer to agreeing a new deal, with both parties refusing to budge on a suggested 25 per cent pay cut.

Arsenal want to reduce Wilsheres current salary of 120,000, but Wilshere is not prepared to accept the 90,000 on offer.

That has put Milan on red alert, as well as fellow Serie A sides Juventus and Sampdoria who are also keen on the England international.

The 26-year-old impressed in the Europa League first leg tie between Arsenal and Milan.

Wilshere made a glittering start in Arsenal jersey before going a run of chronic injuries that nearly ruined his football career. After having recovered from the injuries, the English international has been finding his feet again at the Emirates and has since featured frequently for Arsene Wenger including 2-2 Chelsea draw where he scored an opener.

Arsenal have struggled in midfield till they signed Granit Xhaka who has adapted to the English league, offering the physical presence in the centre of the park. This perhaps makes Wilsheres fate with the Gunners quite unclear.

Source: NAN

Mr. Daniel Arap Moi, Kenyas former President, has been flown to Israel for a medical check-up.

Moi has been booked at a hospital in Tel Aviv for a check-up on his knee which has been giving him discomfort.

Mzee (old man) Moi is accompanied by his physician Dr David Silverstein and his son Senator Gideon Moi, the brief statement read.

The former head of state has not been in active in politics in the recent past and has been out of the limelight.

In brief statement Senator Moi said: The old man is not feeling well. He will go for medical check-up. So, he needs your prayers as he leaves the country.

He said that the 93-year-old former president would visit historical sites in Jerusalem.

Mr Mois last public appearance was on October 26, 2017 where he cast his vote at the Kabarak University polling station during the repeat presidential election.

However, unlike other voters, the former head of state cast his ballot from his car with a polling clerk assisting him.

Moi has been meeting delegations at his Kabarak home.

Notable among the visitors was President Uhuru Kenyatta and his mother Mama Ngina Kenyatta.

On January 27, 2017 the former president underwent a minor surgery on his knee at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi.

The problem begun on July 30, 2006 after a crash while riding his Range Rover vehicle which collided with a pick-up vehicle at the Rukuma view point in Limuru, west of Nairobi.

Source;

Source: NAN

The National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone on Sunday released 75 per cent of the result of the presidential election held in the country on Wednesday, showing the opposition candidate, Julius Maada Bio is now ahead, with a narrow lead over the candidate of the ruling party, Samura Wilson Kamara.

Chairman of NEC, Mr Mohammed Conteh, declared the progressive result at the commissions headquarters in Freetown.

Conteh said that result representing 75 per cent of the polling stations in each of the 16 districts in the country had been cleared by NEC Tally Centre Information Technology Systems.

He said that the detail result are partial and does not represent the complete outcome of the election.

According to him, Maada Bio the candidate of the opposition, Sierra Leone People Party (SLPP), has taken the lead with 848,438 (43.33 per cent) votes, followed by candidate of the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC), with 833,519 (representing 42.7 per cent).

Kamaraimba Mansaray, candidate of the Alliance Democratic Party (ADP) has secured 20,234 votes; Musa Tarawally of Citizens Democratic Party (CDP) 8,740 votes and Samuel Sam-Sumana of Coalition for Change (C4C), 67, 132 votes.

Chernoh Bah of National Democratic Alliance (NDA), 6, 532 votes; Kolle Yemkulla of National Grand Coalition (NGC) 136,009 votes, John ODwyer of National Progressives Democrats (NPD) 3,307 votes.

Patrick Sandy, National Unity and Reconciliation Party (NURP), 1,816 votes and Baba Conteh of Peace and Liberation Party (PLP), 3, 373; Francis Margai, Peoples Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC)7, 521 votes and Victor Williams of Republic National Independent Party (RNIP) 1,976 votes.

Jemba Ngobeh of Revolution United Front Party (RUFP) got 9,866 votes ; Mohamed Sowa-Turay, United Democratic Movement, 4,477; Henry Kabuta, United National Peoples Party (UNPP), 2, 369 votes.

Olufemi Claudius-Cole of Unity Party (UP), scored 2,891 votes.

Conteh assured that the full certified result would be announced as soon as possible, under the one week timeframe stipulated by the countrys electoral law

Conteh also reading a statement issued by the commission said that the commission has continued to tally result at its five regional centres.

He said that while the majority of the results have now been entered into presidential election result sheet, NEC had identified some forms that require examination before they could be accepted as a genuine results.

He added that the processes were built into the system to ensure integrity and accuracy of the final results.

The Public Electoral Act 2012 allows NEC to take any necessary steps in examining these results. These can include the recount of these ballot papers in affected polling stations.

He disclosed that recount were underway now in relevant districts offices.

NEC will take any necessary step to ensure accuracy of results and to safeguard votes legitimately cast by Sierra Leoneans on 7 march

NEC commissioners are also aware of allegations against our own staff and we take these allegations very seriously.

In addition to the numerous safeguards that are already in place, we will continue to monitor the tally process at every stage.

Conteh said that the commission believes that trust is paramount. It also understands the danger of speculations and that false allegations have the potential to damage public confidence in the electoral process

We appeal to all citizens to respect the integrity of the electoral process, to refrain from speculations, to remain patient and uphold peaceful environment that has come to characterise Sierra Leone.

He said that the commission in carrying out its functions would continue to honour the choice of the electorate, which was the votes that they cast on election day.

Source: NAN

Deputy President of the Senate Ike Ekweremadu has denied the trending report that he called for military intervention in Nigeria, just as the labour has warned it would resist military in politics.

I never called for a military coup. I never said the military was planning any coup. Even the militarys statement admitted that my statement was only cautionary and that we were sincere. But they went as far as saying that the international community should ignore my words of caution.

According to the , Ekweremadu said in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Sunday that comments on the floor of the Senate, though unambiguously in defence of democracy.

The comments, he said, were either being twisted or misconstrued by some persons.
,
He was a guest of Governor Seriake Dickson when he and other African lawmakers attending the 74th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (Africa Region) Executive Committee were invited for a dinner, reported.

The denial was reported by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Uche Anichukwu.

Ekweremadu said he has respect for the Nigerian Armed Forces, and that comments made by lawmakers in the course of their duty should be situated within the proper context before any form of reaction.

Of course, some people took it out of context and said I was calling for a military coup.

I hold the Nigerian Army and the Armed Forces in high regard. They have defended our democracy, our people and have acquitted themselves creditably.

If they need anything now, it is encouragement because this is not the best of times for them. But we do hope that when parliamentarians make statements, they (the military) should be able to know exactly what they said before reacting so that we dont overheat the system.

Meanwhile, the organized labour has warned that irrespective of several challenges facing the country, it would resist any illegal and undemocratic takeover of government in Nigeria.

According to the , the labour said it was disturbed by some subtle insinuations from some quarters that the military would venture into the politics of the country.

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, cautioned those mooting the idea to desist from throwing Nigeria into anarchy.

ASCSN s position came on the heels of reports credited to Ekwueremadu.

In a statement issued in Lagos, ASCSN President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, and the Secretary-General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, contended that any takeover of government by military again would take the country 50 years backward.

It is common knowledge that since the elected government of Sir Tafawa Balewa in 1966, suspended the 1963 Federal Constitution and imposed a unitary system of government, the countrys growth has been stunted.

We are also aware that all democracies in the world including that of the United States of America, Canada, Europe, etc, are not perfect but are still evolving and being improved upon.

The shortcomings being experienced in building democratic institutions in Nigeria were not peculiar and that with time, some of the flaws would be rectified.

Thus, under no circumstances should individuals, no matter how highly placed, should begin to hint of military takeover of government in Nigeria.

Source: NAN

The body of Aliyu Akwe-Doma, former Governor of Nasarawa State, arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on Saturday night.

The remains were transported in a Turkish Airline.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the body was received by a delegation of the state government comprising commissioners, special advisers and interim management committee chairmen.

Others include Rep. Ogoshe Onawo, associates and family members of the deceased.

NAN reported that the body was taken to the residence of the ex-governor in Asokoro Abuja, from where it would depart to his home town for burial.

Doma, who died in a hospital in Israel on March 6, would be buried in Doma Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, on Sunday.

Doma was the second civilian governor of the state from 2007 to 2011. (NAN)

Source: NAN

The National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone has started releasing the results of the March 7 general election with All Peoples Congress (APC), and Sierra Leone People Party (SLPP) leading other parties.

The Chairman of NEC, Mr Mohammed Conteh, declared the progressive result at the commissions headquarters in Freetown on Saturday.

The results, representing 50 per cent of the polling stations in each of the five districts, he said, had been cleared by NEC Tally Centre Information Technology Systems.

According to him, Mr. Samura Kamara, candidate of the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC), has so far polled 566, 113 votes and is followed by his key rival and candidate of Sierra Leone People Party (SLPP), Maada Bio, who has 564, 687 votes.

Similarly, he announced that National Grand Coalition (NGC)s candidate, Kolle Yemkulla, got 87,722 votes while Samuel Sam-Sumana of Coalition for Change (C4C) polled 44, 685 voters.

Other candidates were Kamaraimba Mansaray of Alliance Democratic Party (ADP) who secured 13, 507 votes; Musa Tarawally of Citizens Democratic Party (CDP) with 5,682 votes and Chernoh Bah of National Democratic Alliance (NDA), 4, 144 votes.

The chairman also announced that John ODwyer of National Progressives Democrats (NPD) scored 2,063 votes; Patrick Sandy, National Unity and Reconciliation Party (NURP), 1,132 votes and Baba Conteh of Peace and Liberation Party (PLP), 2, 100.

According to him, Francis Margai, Peoples Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC), got 5, 216 votes while Victor Williams of Republic National Independent Party (RNIP) polled 1,252 votes.

Other results announced were 6,036 votes secured by Jemba Ngobeh of Revolution United Front Party (RUFP); Mohamed Sowa-Turay, United Democratic Movement, 2, 923; Henry Kabuta, United National Peoples Party (UNPP), 1, 468 votes.

Olufemi Claudius-Cole of Unity Party (UP), he said, got 1,643 votes.

Conteh assured that NEC, as the only authority responsible to announce election results, was committed to producing accurate results that reflected the will of Sierra Leoneans as expressed on the ballots.

He disclosed that the tally figures would again be released when result from 75 per cent polling stations in all districts had been cleared.

In the 25 per cent results earlier released by the commission, APCs Kamara polled 291,933 votes and Bio of SLPP had 274, 352 votes.

By the countrys electoral laws, results of the elections would to be announced in percentages starting from 25 per cent, 50 per cent and 75 per cent before the final results which would produce the winner of the contest.

A presidential candidate must receive 55 per cent of the total valid votes cast to win the election.

If no candidate reaches 55 per cent, the two candidates with the most votes will participate in a run-off or second round of the election.

Answering questions, Conteh said he was not under any pressure and that nobody could pressurise him to do something wrong.

He said that the commission, for now, was giving more attention to the presidential election results.

In the elections, votes were cast for parliamentary and local county seats, results of which were still awaited. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Popular entertainment star turned activist, Charley Boy has apologized to President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki over an unverified post to spite the lawmaker.

Charley had taken to his tweeter handle @Areafada1 to cast aspersion on the President of the Senate over a picture where Saraki was seen cleaning mud from his trousers.

Apparently misled by social media posts, Charley Boy had written: E never start. Saraki after he escaped the mob attack by people of lafiagi in his own state. May all those who have conspired to render us hopeless, penniless and frustrated, may nemesis catch up with them.

E never start. Saraki after he escaped the mob attack by people of lafiagi in his own state. May all those who have conspired to render us hopeless, penniless and frustrated, may nemesis catch up with them.

Charlyboy(Official) (@Areafada1)

However, hours later and upon realizing that the photograph was taken when Saraki led a delegation on an oversight visit to assess the level of oil spillage in Ogoniland in 2012.

The entertainment star therefore tendered an unreserved apology to the President of the Senate saying: APOLOGY TO SENATE PRESIDENT SARAKI My earlier post on Senate president Bukola Saraki was incorrect. I admit I was in a hurry to post before verifying the veracity of the story. I apologize for this avoidable error.

APOLOGY TO SENATE PRESIDENT SARAKI
My earlier post on Senate president Bukola Saraki was incorrect. I admit I was in a hurry to post before verifying the veracity of the story. I apologize for this avoidable error.

Charlyboy(Official) (@Areafada1)

Some Nigerians who reacted to the apology commended Charley Boy for the bold step and urged the President of the Senate to accept the apology.
See thread below:

Charlyboy(Official) (@Areafada1)

Source: NAN

Senator Stella Oduah has felicitated with Nigerian mothers on the celebration of the 2018 mothers day and have charged them to remain anchors of development.

In a message to Nigerian mothers on the occasion of the celebration, the senator who represents Anambra North in the National Assembly described women as special breed created for special purposes.

Happy mothers day to all my sisters, mothers and daughters. You are indeed the spice of the universe.

Women are special breed indeed. God took out a special day to perfect the creation of women.

Oduah who is the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs therefore charged women to use their special qualities to ensure the development of their zones stressing that women held the key to developing Nigeria.

As women and mothers, we must be tolerant and focused, we must be the anchor of community development.

God made us tenacious for a purpose. Let us work hard to build our zones for our children. The development of our zones will herald the development of our nation.

Women thou are blessed. Happy mothers day to you all, she said.

Source: NAN

Lightning has struck a Seventh Day Adventist Church in Rwanda, killing no fewer than 16 people and injuring dozens more, a local official said Sunday.

Fourteen victims were killed on the spot as lightning hit the church in the Nyaruguru district in the Southern Province on Saturday, local mayor Habitegeko Francois told AFP over the phone.

Two others died later from their injuries, he said.

He added that 140 people involved in the incident had been rushed to hospital and district health centres, but that many had already been discharged.

Doctors say that only three of them are in critical condition but they are getting better, he said.

According to the mayor, a similar accident took place on Friday when lightning struck a group of 18 students, killing one of them.

Source: NAN

The Nigerian Government has congratulated Mo Abudu, Chimamanda Adichie and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, over the honours recently bestowed on them on the global stage, calling them great ambassadors of Nigeria.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the three honorees are iconic women in the Creative Industry who have brought great honour not only to themselves, their families and their industry, but also to the country.

He described as well deserved the listing of Mo Abudu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EbonyLife TV, and Nollywood star Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde among the top 50 women who are doing extraordinary things on the worldwide stage by Variety magazine, a weekly American entertainment magazine.

Alhaji Mohammed also said the already well-adorned cap of Chimamanda Adichie has been further festooned after her novel, Americanah, was listed in the New York Times list of 15 remarkable books by women that are shaping the way we read and write fiction in the 21st century.

He said the women are role models whose achievements will inspire a generation of young Nigerians to also do extraordinary things.

Of more importance is the fact that these womens achievements have transcended gender, nationality or race, placing them on the rarefied class of global, timeless achievers, the Minister said.

He said the great honours bestowed on the women will further focus world attention on the nations burgeoning Creative Industry, thus placing it on the right pedestal to take the world by storm.

Source: NAN

UNAIDS is elated with mid-way results from two studies that show a vaginal ring releasing long-acting antiretroviral medicine to prevent HIV infection in women.

Reports say that the results show that studies is up to 54 per cent effective in preventing HIV.

The ring, which is replaced monthly, slowly releases the antiretroviral medicine dapivirine and could give women an additional HIV prevention option that is discreet and that they can control.

Michel Sidib, Executive Director of UNAIDS, said: These results are significant. Structural, behavioural and biological factors make women more vulnerable to HIV infection.

So it is extremely important that they have the opportunity to protect themselves from HIV, on their own terms.

The interim results are from two large open-label studies conducted in South Africa and Uganda, which trials enrolled women between the ages of 20 and 50 years.

Open-label studies are studies in which the participants know which medicine is being used; that is, no placebo substance or treatment with no active therapeutic effect is used.

The HOPE trial, which began in August 2016 and enrolled more than 1,400 women by October 2017 the time of the interim review found a 54 per cent reduction in HIV risk.

This means that the rate of new HIV infections was 1.9 women newly infected for every 100 participants in a given year.

Based on statistical modelling, the researchers determined that the rate of new infections would have been 4.1 for every 100 had the women not been offered the ring.

The DREAM trial, which enrolled 940 women from July 2016, had similar findings, with a 54 per cent reduction in the HIV incidence rate.

However, the final results from both studies are expected in 2019, according to the UN HIV/ AIDS agency.

UNAIDS said adherence was shown to be high in both of the trials, although the measures of adherence were not able to determine whether the women used the ring all of the time, most of the time or just some of the time.

It said the DREAM study showed that more than 90 per cent of the women in the study used the ring at least some of the time, based on residual drug levels, and the HOPE study showed that 89 per cent of returned rings indicated that the ring was used at least some of the time within the previous month.

This is the first time that efficacy of more than 50 per cent has been observed in HIV prevention trials involving only women.

Two previous phase III trials presented in 2016 ASPIRE/MTN-020 and the Ring Study/IPM 027 which did include a placebo group showed only modest protection (30 per cent) against HIV infection for women.

Women from both ASPIRE and the Ring Study were included in the HOPE and DREAMS trials, UNAIDS explained.

Other scientific advances in HIV prevention presented in recent years, according to UNAIDS, included the PROUD and IPERGAY studies, which in 2015 reported an 86 per cent reduction in HIV acquisition among HIV-negative men who took antiretroviral medicines to prevent HIV.

Another is the 2011 HPTN 052 trial announcement, which showed that early initiation of antiretroviral therapy can reduce the risk of transmission to an uninfected partner by 96 per cent.

Similarly, the 2011 Partners PrEP and TDF2 studies, showed that a daily antiretroviral pill taken by people who do not have HIV infection can reduce their risk of acquiring HIV by up to 73 per cent.

Finally, the South Africa Orange Farm Intervention Trial, funded by the French Agence Nationale de Recherches sur le SIDA (ANRS) and published in 2005, demonstrated more than a 60 per cent reduction in HIV infections among circumcised men.

These important breakthroughs show just how critical it is to continue to invest in research and development into new and effective HIV prevention options, Sidib said.

The latest reports show that in 2016, funding for HIV prevention research and development was its lowest level in a decade, with no indications that investments are set to increase.

UNAIDS stressed that in spite of the recent scientific discoveries, there was still no single method that was fully protective against HIV.

To end the AIDS epidemic, UNAIDS strongly recommended a combination of HIV prevention options.

These could include the correct and consistent use of male or female condoms, waiting longer before having sex for the first time, having fewer partners, and voluntary medical male circumcision.

Other options are avoiding penetrative sex, the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis for people at higher risk of HIV infection and ensuring that all people living with HIV have immediate access to antiretroviral medicine. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Kenyan health officials have issued an alert after samples taken from patients confirmed the presence of H1N1 prototype 9 influenza virus.

The samples were taken from the patients suffering from flu in Laikipia County, central Kenya, reports.

Mr Donald Mogoi, a chief officer in charge of health in the area, said a child is suspected to have died of the flu two weeks but the deadly virus was confirmed on Tuesday by the National Public Health Laboratories.

The five-year-old boy died at the Nanyuki Cottage Hospital and was being treated for pneumonia, his dad said.

Mrs Evelyn Obongo, a clinical officer at the regional hospital, Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital, said Wednesday that her team is attending to at least 60 cases with 15 cases already admitted to the wards.

Most of the patients are children, Mrs Obongo said.

Cases of the flu have been on the rise in the last two weeks, she added.

The diseased is characterised by high fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, dry cough and general body weakness.

Source: NAN

Anita Eboigbe

Popular rapper Olamide Adedeji aka Baddo, has proposed to his long standing girlfriend and mother of his son, Adebukunmi Aisha Suleiman.

The love birds have been together since 2011 and have a son Maximilaino Adedeji, born in 2015.

He announced the proposal on Snapchat @baddosneh, some hours after wishing her a happy birthday on the same platform.

The YBNL boss is said to have bent on his knee before Aisha as he proposed to her birthday on Thursday which coincidentally was marked International Womens Day with the theme: Press for Progress.

Olamide wrote: My senior wife Oya we have a wedding to plan.

Olamide, who raps mostly in Yoruba, has been described as the voice of the ghetto.

The Bariga born artist recently released a seven minutes visual to his hit song Science Student amidst controversies surrounding the message of the song.

He recently bagged the Listeners choice award at the just concluded Sound city MVP awards.

Olamide came into limelight in 2011 with his debut album Rapsodi before starting his label YBNL in 2012.

Source: NAN

Disney will in the 2019 summer launch its Cruise Line, the first-ever round trip cruise route starting from the port of Civitavecchia, a town near Rome, Italy.

Disney fans will be able to see Italy and Southern Europe in a more magical way than ever before.

The first voyage begins on June 14 with stops in Italy, France and Spain.

Guests will be able to visit Salerno, on Italys Amalfi Coast; La Spezia, a common launch point for visiting the picturesque towns of Cinque Terre; Villefranche-sur-Mer and Marseilles, on the French Riviera; and Spains vibrant beach city of Barcelona.

The Rome-based cruise is just one of seven new cruise routes that Disney has to offer in Europe.

The others are Cartagena, Spain; Toulon (Provence) and Brest, France; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Gothenburg and Nynashamn (Stockholm), Sweden; and Fredericia, Denmark, according to the Disney Parks Blog.

We dare you not to sing Its A Small World After All.

And closer to home for Americans, Disney Cruise Line is also returning to their popular ports in Alaska, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Source:

Source: NAN

Former US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle are in negotiations with Netflix about producing a series of shows for the online streaming giant, according to US media reports.

Obama and former first lady Michelle would provide Netflix with exclusive content, with the format and number of shows yet to be determined, The New York Times reported citing people familiar with the matter.

Netflix declined to comment.

As the worlds leading on-demand internet television service, Netflix would offer Obama a global platform to delve into topics that marked his presidency, such as health care, immigration, foreign policy, and fighting climate change.

His wife, Michelle, would also have a stage to explore subjects she was passionate about while first lady, such as nutrition.

The format could include talk-show-style or documentary productions. Obama does not plan to use shows to respond directly to President Donald Trump or other critics, but instead to showcase inspirational stories, according to the Times.

Netflix said it ended last year with about 117 million users, including slightly more than 110 million paid subscribers.

Having shifted its focus to original content, Netflix has scooped awards and helped shake up both the television and film industries with its deep pockets.

Netflix is available in some 200 markets worldwide and produces programs in several languages.

It said it expects to spend between $7.5 billion and $8 billion on content for 2018.
*AFP

Source: NAN

Manny Pacquiao is to fight Argentinas World Boxing Association welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse in Malaysia on June 24, the Philippine ring legend has announced.

The 39-year-old will be co-promoting the bout after rejecting an offer to fight in Las Vegas on an undercard to his recent conqueror Jeff Horn, who will be facing Terence Crawford on April 14.

Pacquiao said he considers himself the underdog against the brawling Matthysse, 35, who has 39 wins all but three of them via the short route against four losses.

This is going to be a tough fight. Matthysse is also a knockout artist. But Im excited to fight and be a world champion again, he said in a statement announcing the bout late Thursday.

Im the underdog in this fight but Im used to it. It serves as a big motivation for me to train and fight hard to win the crown, said Pacquiao, who has won world titles in an unprecedented eight weight divisions.

I like his aggressive fighting style. Thats what I want, to entertain the boxing fans, said the elected Philippine senator, adding that the Argentine was not a dirty fighter.

The Filipinos trainer Restituto Fernandez said he expects the Kuala Lumpur bout, co-staged by Oscar De La Hoyas Golden Boy Promotions, to be a real brawl because Matthysse is an aggressive fighter.

Pacquiao, winner of 59 bouts against seven losses and two draws, lost his World Boxing Organisation welterweight title to Australias Horn last year.

The Filipino southpaw, who has enjoyed a glittering, 23-year pro career, retired briefly in 2016 but made a comeback to retake his WBO title from Jessie Vargas just months later.

The last of his 38 knockout wins came more than eight years ago.
AFP

Source: NAN

By Iyiola Pedro

Teenage qualifier Felix Auger-Aliassime scored a superb 6-2 7-6(4) first-round victory over fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California early today.

The 17-year-old displayed lightning-quick footwork in his bright pink shoes, and delighted the packed crowd with his formidable serve and powerful forehand.

He pounded down 11 aces and saved all three break points he faced en route to his first career victory.

To come here, beat one of my growing idols, Vasek, it felt kind of surreal at first, Montreal-born Auger-Aliassime told Tennis Channel.

All the emotions kicked in. I was trying to stay calm the whole second set, the whole tiebreak. After I let everything go. It felt great.

Auger-Aliassime, the youngest player in the mens draw and who shares a birthday with Roger Federer (Aug. 8), will face another Canadian in the second round, 32nd seed Milos Raonic.

Its quite funny to see these guys in my draw, he said.

I used to watch these guys on TV growing up, and now to stand in front of them, its crazy, but I guess thats where my level is at right now and Im just enjoying it.

Another teenager enjoying the winning feeling on Friday was 19-year-old Australian wild card Alex de Minaur, who beat 56th-ranked German Jan-Lennard Struff 3-6 7-6(3) 7-6(5).

De Minaur, ranked 141st, started the year by making the final of the Sydney International, where he lost to Daniil Medvedev.

He also took Alexander Zverev to five sets before losing a deciding tiebreak in a Davis Cup tie against Germany in early February.

His Davis Cup team mate Nick Kyrgios withdrew on Friday ahead of his first match, citing an on-going right elbow injury.

Kyrgios, who had not played since the Davis Cup tie, was scheduled to play Medvedev on Saturday but had been replaced by lucky loser Matteo Berrettini.

In other matches, wild card Ernesto Escobedo beat fellow American Frances Tiafoe 7-5 6-3, while lucky loser Dudi Sela of Israel edged German Peter Gojowczyk 6-4 6-4.

Source: NAN

Lionel Messi announced today that he and his wife Antonella Roccuzzo have become parents for a third time.

Welcome Ciro!!! Thank God, everything went perfectly. He and his mummy are doing very well. We are super happy!!! wrote Messi on his Instagram account, accompanying the post with a photo of the babys hand.

Ciro is a brother to five-year-old Thiago and Mateo, who is two.

Messi had pulled out of Barcelonas squad for Saturdays La Liga match at Malaga to be present for the birth.

The club tweeted: Change to the squad. Messi is out for personal reasons and Yerry Mina takes his place.

The Argentinian couple, both 30, first met in their home town, Rosario, in 1996 and started going out a decade later. They were married last year in Rosario.

Barcelona, who face Chelsea in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, have an eight-point lead over Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga.

Source: NAN