Djokovic seeks to turn up heat in California desert…See full details

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Serbia's Novak Djokovic / AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BUREAU

Five-time champion Novak Djokovic will be out to reassert his dominance on the hard courts of Indian Wells this week, seeking to shake off the slump that has dogged him into 2017.

Djokovic’s five titles in the California desert include the last three.

But the Serbian star arrives at a tournament he has owned shaken by a second-round exit at the Australian Open, which was followed by a shocking quarter-final loss to young Australian Nick Kyrgios in Acapulco.

The setbacks come on the back of a troublesome second half of 2016, when he lost his world number one ranking to Andy Murray and relinquished his Wimbledon and US Open titles.

Acknowledging that his longed-for first French Open crown last year left him emotionally depleted, Djokovic nonetheless says his game remains good enough to get him back to the summit.

“Right now I feel like it was better than it was, especially in the second part of last season,” Djokovic said Thursday as unseeded men swung into action in the first ATP Masters tournament of the year.

“Particularly after the US Open I had those couple months where I wasn’t myself on the court. Now I’m at the better place and I believe that I’m headed in the right direction.”

Djokovic, who lifted the trophy in Doha this year before his Australian Open defeat, insisted the latest setbacks haven’t discouraged him.

“Generally if I see myself kind of (in) larger perspective today compared to end of last season, I’m a different player,” he said. “I feel more comfortable, I feel more fresh. I look forward to competing and I feel more confident on the court.”

But he’s got a monumental task in Indian Wells, where he anchors a bottom quarter that also includes four-time champion Roger Federer, and three-time winner Rafael Nadal.

– Dangerous draw –
The talent-laden section also includes former US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro, Kyrgios and young German Alexander Zverev.

“I haven’t had too many draws like that,” Djokovic said. “It’s quite amazing to see that many quality players are in one quarter.

“It is what it is,” he added. “Obviously Nadal and Federer are starting to build their rankings. They haven’t played, especially Roger hasn’t played for six months of the last season.

“Winning the Australian Open he got in the top 10 but he’s still not top eight, obviously that’s potentially putting him in position to play last 16 with a top eight player.

“We’ll see what happens. I guess in the first four or five days of the tournament we’ll have some very, very strong matches.”

Murray heads the draw that gives all 32 seeded players a first-round bye.

Among Thursday’s matches, Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi downed Robin Haase of the Netherlands to book a first-round meeting with third-seeded Swiss Stan Wawrinka.

Canadian qualifier Vasek Pospisil defeated Taiwan’s Lu Yen-Hsun 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-3 to earn a clash with Murray, while France’s Jeremy Chardy beat Moldovan qualifier Radu Albot 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 to book a meeting with eighth-seeded Austrian Dominic Thiem.

The 23-year-old Thiem, who won his eighth ATP title in Rio last month, is among the young players keen to muscle in on the game’s “Big Four” of Murray, Djokovic, Nadal and Federer.

Even after his 2016 Australian Open victory more than a year ago, Djokovic indicated he could feel them coming, telling reporters that wolves running up the hill are hungrier than the wolf at the top.

“I guess I’m one of the wolves going up now,” Djokovic said Thursday. “And I’m hungry.”

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New Music: No Fake by Lil Kesh | Mp3 download

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Lil Kesh – No Fake Love Mp3 Download

Yagi Boss Lil Kesh Finally Drops His First Single In 2017 with This New Tune ‘Titled’ No Fake Love..

Download and enjoy below

DOWNLOAD

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China urges US-North Korea deal to avert ‘head-on collision’…Read full details

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China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi . / AFP PHOTO / WANG ZHAO

China on Wednesday called on North Korea to suspend its nuclear and missile activities in exchange for the US and South Korea halting annual military exercises, to prevent what it called a “head-on collision.”

Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s proposal came after a cascade of events that has sent regional tensions soaring, including a volley of North Korean missile tests that flew provocatively close to Japan.

China is particularly concerned over the deployment this week of an American missile-defence system being rolled out in South Korea as a shield against the growing North Korean threat.

Wang warned of a “looming crisis” unless the antagonists cooled down.

“The two sides are like two accelerating trains coming toward each other with neither side willing to give way,” Wang said at a press conference on the sidelines of China’s annual parliament session.

“The question is: are the two sides really ready for a head-on collision? Our priority now is to flash the red light and apply the brakes on both trains.”

He proposed that North Korea “suspend its nuclear and missile activities in exchange for the halt of the large-scale US-ROK exercises,” using the acronym for South Korea.

Pyongyang blasted at least four missiles toward Japan on Monday, three of which splashed down in waters within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

Seoul and Washington have begun annual joint exercises that always infuriate Pyongyang, and the US has begun deploying its THAAD anti-missile system which, though directed at North Korea, is seen by Beijing as a threat to its own defence interests.

Wang said China’s proposal could help bring the US and North Korea back to negotiations on ending Pyongyang’s weapons programmes.

– ‘Destabilising behaviour’ –
But it mirrors past North Korean offers that were rejected by the US, which said Pyongyang had no right to demand concessions in return for abiding by UN resolutions.

Six sets of UN sanctions since Pyongyang’s first nuclear test in 2006 have failed to halt its drive for what it insists are defensive weapons. It held its most recent nuclear test last September.

Wang continued China’s hammering of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, which he said “undermines China’s strategic security.”

North Korea has said its missile launches were tests for a possible strike on US bases in Japan.

The UN Security Council on Tuesday strongly condemned the launches as a “grave violation” of its resolutions barring North Korea from developing missile technology.

The Security Council, of which both the US and China are permanent members, denounced Pyongyang’s “increasingly destabilising behaviour” and vowed further measures.

An emergency council meeting has been called for Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump reiterated Washington’s “iron-clad commitment” to Japanese and South Korean security and threatened “very dire consequences” over the launches.

The US State Department said Wednesday that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will visit Japan, South Korea and China from March 15-19, his first trip to the region.

His talks would focus on “strategic coordination to address the advancing nuclear and missile threat from North Korea”.

THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles.

The South Korean conglomerate Lotte Group has come under growing pressure in China for providing a site for the system, triggering concerns of a broader backlash in China against Seoul.

Chinese authorities have shut down 39 of the 99 Lotte Mart retail outlets over supposed fire-safety concerns, a Lotte spokesman said, and Chinese travel agencies have told AFP they were ordered to stop arranging Chinese tourist trips to South Korea.

North Korea is also squaring off against Malaysia over the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam, brother of Pyongyang’s leader Kim Jong-Un.

South Korea says the killing in Kuala Lumpur’s airport using a banned chemical weapon was orchestrated by the North.

Pyongyang has accused Malaysia of smearing its reputation with the murder investigation.

On Tuesday it barred Malaysians from leaving its borders, prompting a tit-for-tat measure by Kuala Lumpur.

Daniel Pinkston, an analyst at Troy University in Seoul, said the North’s recent escalation of confrontations follows a well-worn playbook.

“There is a famous quote in their literature: if someone brings a pistol, bring a cannon. That’s how they operate,” he said.

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Bipasha Basu Accused Of Unprofessionalism After She Canceled A Fashion Show At The Last Moment…Read full details

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Bipasha Basu was recently in London for the India – Pakistan London Fashion Show, where she was walking the ramp for London-based designers, Lubna and Uzma Rafiq. However, according to reports, Bips refused to come out of her hotel room or speak to anybody barely 4 hours before the show was supposed to begin.

Her manager, Sana Kapoor reportedly tried to convince her to come out, but Bipasha allegedly abused her and threw her out of the room. Reports also suggest that she insulted the show’s founder & organiser, and slammed the door in her face.

Bipasha’s spokesperson denies all the allegations against her and said:

Bipasha has always had a spotless reputation for more than 15 years in the industry and has been a thorough professional. Unfortunately, the organisers didn’t honour their commitment as promised in terms of hospitality and logistics, on landing Bipasha had to book her own hotel stay. What happened was completely unprofessional on the organisers part.

The official talent scout for the show, Ronita Sharma Rekhi related the entire incident to MumbaiMirror, and plans to sue the actress for their damages and financial loss amounting to 7800 pounds. She also alleged that Bipasha left the hotel with hubby Karan Singh Grover to explore the city while the organisers were left stranded.

You can read all the details here.

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Source: Miss Malini

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Awkward: Deepika Padukone Was Mistaken For Priyanka Chopra In LA…Read full details

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Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra are both two of our favourite power women of all times. The ladies are taking over the world, one cool move at a time and it is almost ridiculous that the two of them are pitted against each other. In fact, DP recently even went on record to say that she finds the comparison bizarre.

At the LA airport recently, Deepika was mistaken for Priyanka by the photographers and check out Deepika’s reaction – cool as a cucumber, smiling away for the shutterbugs.

Check it out!

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Source: Miss Malini

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Cross River commend Ayade for providing transformers (Read full details)

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Some residents of communities in Obudu Local Government Area, Cross River have lauded Gov. Ben Ayade for providing them with seven 300KVA transformers to improve power supply.

NAN reports that the benefiting communities are Okutia, Ukpe, Betia, Ohon, Bebwagbon, Ikwumukera and Pan New Layout. Dr Peter Ogban, a leader in Okutia community, told NAN on Sunday that the governor had fulfilled one of his campaign promises to the community.

According to him, the transformers would improve power supply and boost economic activities in the area. “We have been living in darkness for a long time. This transformer is like a new born baby to us and we will protect it.

“I must commend our governor, for fulfilling his promise to improve electricity supply in this community,” he said. A traditional head in Betia community, Mr Ashipu Adie, said that electricity was essential for community development.

Adie thanked the state government for choosing the community as one of the beneficiaries of the gesture.

Mr Solomon Ubi, the Youth Leader of Ohon community, said constant power supply in the area would encourage the youths to engage themselves in meaningful ventures to generate income.

“Power supply is very crucial to the development of any society. “I can assure you that when this transformer is connected to the grid, our young men and women will engage themselves in profitable ventures,” he said.

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Conte warns Chelsea not to rest on their laurels…See full details

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Chelsea's Italian head coach Antonio Conte/ AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK /

Chelsea may now be nine points clear at the top of the Premier League but Antonio Conte is experienced enough to know the title race is far from over.

Conte’s side make the trip to Burnley on Sunday in high spirits thanks to their 3-1 victory over title rivals Arsenal last weekend.

The Blues have won 16 of their last 18 league matches and are odds-on favourites to be crowned champions.

But Conte is not getting carried away because the Chelsea manager is well aware any slip could allow one of the chasing pack to close the gap.

“Until the end of the season you have to live with this pressure,” Conte said.

“If the opponent win they close the gap. If they don’t win you have the opportunity to take more points. But we have the experience to live with this situation.

“It is important to live with yourself. We are top of the table and can count only on our game. Good news from other teams and we will be happy.

“Honestly, I think there are six teams very strong and can fight to win the title. Also Manchester United.

“They have a great squad and a lot of players they trust to win the title. This is the truth and we must know this.

“If we think we have nine points and we are close to the title it is a great mistake.

“There are 14 games to play. There are five teams, six with Chelsea who can fight until the end to win the title. It is important not to make a big mistake in this race.”

Burnley have seven straight wins at Turf Moor and Conte will not underestimate the size of his side’s task this weekend.

“It will be a tough game,” he said. “I read the stats. Burnley took 28 points at home and only one away.

“They score a lot at the end of the game. We must pay great attention. Burnley is a really strong team at home.

“They are in good form. For sure, they want to beat us because we are top of the table. We are preparing very well. My players know really well the game we face.”

– Warrior –
Conte said David Luiz is fit despite a minor knee problem and he will need the Brazil defender at his best to subdue the Burnley forward line.

“He is available,” said Conte. “He’s playing with this little pain in his knee. But he is a warrior.

“He is playing very well. I hope to continue in this way. He shows me great attitude and great well despite a little pain.”

Burnley manager Sean Dyche says his players can learn from Chelsea’s ability to exploit the flexible 3-4-3 system that Conte has introduced with such success at Stamford Bridge this season.

Dyche, who has varied his own formation this season, said: “The change seems to have worked well for them and it looks like they’ve got that feeling where everyone knows their job.

“Everyone knows the expectation of their role. They can keep the ball when they need to, and they can defend. There’s a good mixture there I think.

“I don’t get the feeling the manager is looking at any one particular style. He’s saying ‘we need to be a team that can operate in different ways’ and I quite like that, that’s how I want my team to operate.”

Dyche has strengthened his squad since a 3-0 defeat at Chelsea in August, notably adding winger Robbie Brady from Norwich for a club record £13 million ($16 million) on transfer deadline day, but he will be without midfielder Jeff Hendrick, who begins a three-match suspension.

“They played miles better than us on the day. We’ve morphed into a stronger unit now, with a bit more experience and knowledge of what the Premier League is about,” Dyche said.

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Trump says considering ‘brand new’ immigration order…Read full details

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US President Donald Trump. PHOTO: AFP

US President Donald Trump said Friday he is considering drafting a new order to ban migrants from majority-Muslim nations after his initial decree fell afoul of the law.

Insisting that he has the law on his side despite two defeats in federal court in quick succession, Trump said security concerns may necessitate a quicker response than legal channels would allow.

“The unfortunate part is that it takes time statutorily, but we will win that battle. We also have a lot of other options, including just filing a brand new order,” he said, adding that any action would not come before next week.

The statement represents an embarrassing climbdown for Trump, who has insisted that the order was well drafted and who has nevertheless vowed to fight on in the courts.

“We need speed for reasons of security, so it very well could be,” Trump said when asked if his plan was to have a new measure drafted.

Trump said Friday at a joint press conference with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that as president, he has learned of “tremendous threats to our country.”

“We’ll be going forward and continuing to do things to make our country safe. It will happen rapidly,” he told reporters.

“We will not allow people into our country who are looking to do harm,” he said. “We will allow lots of people into our country that will love our people and do good for our country.”

– ‘Whatever is necessary’ –
Trump’s executive order issued in late January summarily denied entry to all refugees for 120 days, and travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days. Refugees from Syria were blocked indefinitely.

The White House has not provided any evidence to support Trump’s view that a ban on travelers from the seven countries was urgently needed.

An appellate court decided unanimously on Thursday to maintain a block on Trump’s order put in place by a lower court judge a week before.

The debacle has raised questions about the competence of Trump’s White House in working through the practical and legal implications of the order.

The property mogul-turned-president was forced to sack the acting attorney general — an Obama administration holdover — after she refused to defend the order.

After first suggesting a quick appeal to the Supreme Court was off the table, US officials reversed course, insisting a legal challenge had not been dropped, including a possible motion to the high court.

“We’re keeping all our options open,” one official said.

Nevertheless, an appeal on the temporary freeze in the lower courts now seems unlikely.

Earlier Friday, Trump vowed to do “whatever is necessary to keep our country safe.”

“We’ll be doing something very rapidly having to do with additional security for our country. You’ll be seeing that sometime next week,” the president said.

“In addition we will continue to go through the court process, and have no doubt we’ll win that particular case,” he said.

– ‘Disgraceful’ –
The measure — given with no notice — set off detentions of incoming travelers, protests at airports and international condemnation until a federal judge in Seattle stepped in and suspended the order a week later.

In upholding the suspension, the US court of appeals in San Francisco said Thursday the government had provided no evidence that any alien from the countries named in the order had carried out a terrorist attack on US soil.

“We hold that the government has not shown a likelihood of success on the merits of its appeal, nor has it shown that failure to enter a stay would cause irreparable injury,” the three-judge appellate panel ruled.

Trump’s initial reaction came minutes later on Twitter: “SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!”

He followed up early Friday with a tweet calling the court’s ruling “a disgraceful decision!”

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Liverpool losers must accept attacks, says Klopp

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Liverpool's German manager Jurgen Klopp gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Hull City and Liverpool at the KCOM Stadium in Kingston upon Hull, north east England on February 4, 2017. PHOTO: Lindsey PARNABY / AFP

Jurgen Klopp said faltering Liverpool must take the blame for their performances after a 2-0 defeat at lowly Hull added to their miserable run.

The German boss said the Reds have got to turn words into actions after failing to win any of their five league games this year — the first time that has happened since 1954.

Klopp said there has got to be an immediate change to reach the “big, big target” of the Champions League.

Liverpool’s only victory in the last 10 matches in all competitions came in an FA Cup replay at fourth tier Plymouth.

More damning, Saturday’s loss at Hull means the relegation-threatened hosts joined a list that features Burnley, Swansea and Bournemouth among clubs to have inflicted league defeats on Liverpool this season.

In contrast, Liverpool have the best record in the Premier League when playing sides currently in the top six.

“We have to take all the criticism from everywhere,” said Klopp when asked if he thought there was a flaw in his team’s attitude.

“I don’t think there is. I don’t want to give an answer now, but from outside, I can understand why you ask that if we have that record we have against those teams and another record against other teams.

“I know the boys, I see them every day and I don’t see this during the week but I understand how you could see it like this from outside.

“We expect more from ourselves and we have to show more than we did today and it’s my responsibility to make it possible for the players to show more than we showed today.

“We didn’t show the right mood. I don’t know if it was attitude, but all football performances are a mixture of everything – confidence, attitude, passion, a lot of things.

“But the only answer we can give is on the pitch, I can’t give you an answer here, now.”

– Big target –

Liverpool have long since abandoned hopes of catching runaway leaders Chelsea at the top of the Premier League but, on current form, even a top-four finish and place in next season’s Champions League looks beyond them.

“The title is not my biggest problem,” Klopp said. “I want to play much better football with my team.

“But it’s not about talking about where we want to be. We have to show it. We have shown it a few times this season but obviously it is a long time since we showed it consistently.

“That’s what we have to change immediately. The Champions League is an outstanding, big, big target.

“So many teams want to play there but to qualify for the Champions League from England is difficult. But on performances like today, we don’t have to talk about this.”

Two Senegalese players signed on loan during the January transfer window – Villarreal forward Alfred N’Diaye and Oumar Niasse from Liverpool’s rivals Everton – scored the goals late in each half.

The victory continued the remarkable improvement shown by Hull under new manager Marco Silva who, in addition to drawing at Manchester United in the league in midweek, has now won all four of his home league and cup games.

“Of course it is a very good result and gives us confidence – it shows this is the right way,” Silva said.

“The players believe in our way and how we work because if they don’t it is impossible.

“When I came the atmosphere was maybe not the best, the team was in last position in table. In the first match I didn’t see our fans in our stadium and today I did – it was a fantastic atmosphere.

“If all the people believe it is possible we can change. It’s important we play and work as a team.”

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Gambia’s new government mired in controversy

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Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang is often described as the woman who persuaded The Gambia's divided opposition parties to club together and field a single candidate in the December 1 election Barrow eventually won. PHOTO: YOUTUBE

Gambian President Adama Barrow’s administration faced a backlash Tuesday after admitting its new vice-president may be constitutionally barred from serving and confirming ex-leader Yahya Jammeh will be permitted to keep a fleet of luxury cars.

One day after naming Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang as deputy leader, an outcry broke out after local media alleged she was 67 years old, two years over the legal maximum to serve in the post.

Barrow spokesman Halifa Sallah told journalists he was aware of the reports and advisors were recommending a parliamentary vetting process be put in place to avoid a similar situation, without confirming Jallow-Tambajang’s true age.

Several phone calls to Jallow-Tambajang by AFP went unanswered on Tuesday.

“I have spoken to President Barrow that many concerns are being raised,” Sallah said.

“The president has been carefully advised that he constitute a vetting committee,” Sallah added, while asserting that “the appointment was done in good faith based on the facts that were available”.

Barrow was in “final discussions with west African leaders “in order to announce the hour of coming,” Sallah said, adding that he would arrive “very soon”.

Barrow is currently living in Senegal until his safety can be guaranteed by thousands of soldiers from five African nations currently deployed in The Gambia, but unease is growing over his prolonged absence.

Equatorial Guinea Tuesday for the first time confirmed the presence of Jammeh in the small west African country, where he had been offered refuge as “a political exile”.

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, another long-serving African leader, had convinced Jammeh “to avoid any situation of armed confrontation”, government spokesman Eugenio Nze Obiang said.

– Bentley and Benz –
The news came on the same day it was confirmed that ex-leader Jammeh had struck a deal with Barrow to keep a fleet of luxury cars in exchange for leaving the country on Saturday for exile in Equatorial Guinea.

An airport source who saw the cargo being prepared on Saturday night when Jammeh flew out of the country said “two Rolls Royces and one (Mercedes) Benz” were loaded onto a Chadian cargo plane, while 10 others await shipment.

“The government was fully prepared and supportive of ex-president Jammeh to leave and as a result they found it is better to leave with all his properties,” his spokesman said.

The airport source even reported a tussle over whether to take Bentleys or Rolls Royces onto the cargo flight, before settling for the latter.

The news is likely to anger Gambians who have also learnt Jammeh took off with $11 million of state funds, according to one of his Dakar-based advisors, leaving the coffers nearly empty.

“I am so sickened by the deal; but I guess saving just one life on either side is worth more than all of his wealth,” Twitter user @YesWeCan_Gambia wrote.

An “entry-level” Rolls Royce costs $250,000, and most Gambians live on less than $2 a day.

Meanwhile a top judicial official told AFP the country’s sole remaining Supreme Court judge has resigned following attempts by Jammeh to overturn the result of a December 1 election won by Barrow.

“It is true that the chief justice has resigned from his position. His resignation letter is dated 20th January. He is out of the country. He has gone back to Nigeria,” judicial secretary Landing Sanneh told AFP.

Emmanuel Fagbanle had deferred a decision on hearing Jammeh’s legal complaint over a lack of other judges to hear the case, but was known to be uneasy with the mercurial strongman’s use of the court system to pursue his personal grievances.

Jammeh’s defiance over the election result prompted more than 76,000 people to seek shelter in Senegal, the UN refugee agency said Tuesday, citing Senegalese authorities.

The agency said “more than an estimated 8,000 people, as of Monday, have returned to their native Gambia since the political crisis there ended” when Jammeh left the country on Saturday night.

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