Hail mary to win state title

MELBOURNE: A very different Australian Open came to a familiar close on Sunday, with Novak Djokovic crowned champion for a record-extending ninth time and Serbian fans hailing a one-sided win over another would-be challenger in Daniil Medvedev. The world number one's 7-5 6-2 6-2 win on his favourite court secured his 18th Grand Slam title, bringing him within tantalising reach of Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal's all-time men's record of 20. "I would like to thank Rod Laver Arena. I love you each year more and more. It's been a love affair that keeps growing. Thank you so much," Djokovic said as he cradled the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup once again. With a fortune spent to put on a biosecure tournament amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Djokovic came into the Grand Slam under fire after offending the Australian public for petitioning organisers to ease quarantine conditions for players. He suffered a painful abdominal injury in the first week and had to manage it through the … [Read more...] about Djokovic on cloud nine in Australia after Medvedev mauling

Paramount Plus is the subscription streaming-video service set to replace CBS All Access , costing $10 a month ad-free when it launches Thursday in the US and 18 Latin American countries. Paramount Plus will include live news and sports as well as on-demand shows and movies, including originals -- all of which leaning into parent company ViacomCBS ' brands like CBS , MTV , BET , Comedy Central , Nickelodeon and Paramount Network, plus movies from the Paramount Pictures studio. But Paramount Plus won't have the one show most associated with the Paramount name: Yellowstone . The first three seasons of the cowboy drama are streaming exclusively on rival service Peacock . Down the line, Paramount Plus will have exclusive Yellowstone spinoffs, though, like a prequel Y:1883 expected later this year. Paramount Plus will have a library of more than 30,000 episodes and 2,500 movies, plus 36 original series debuts this year. Among those originals will be a … [Read more...] about Paramount Plus: Everything to know about CBS All Access’ revamp

LONDON: Myanmar’s popular leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been in custody since the country’s military seized power in a coup on Feb 1, has been charged with a new crime : That of violating the country’s National Disaster Management Law. It’s proof, if any were needed, of the extent to which the country’s military leaders are willing to subvert the COVID crisis to their own ends. The new charge carries a maximum three-year prison sentence. But an amendment to Myanmar’s penal code instituted by the junta on Feb 14 permits the army to detain people without having to go to court. Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested on Feb 1 along with other members of the NLD government which had been re-elected in a landslide in December. She was charged with possession of illegally imported walkie-talkies. READ: Commentary: US sanctions on Myanmar will not reverse the coup READ: Commentary: Myanmar resistance against coup taps on powerful ethnic nationalism with large grassroots base … [Read more...] about Commentary: How Myanmar’s military leveraged the COVID-19 pandemic in its power grab

GERARD HUTCHING/STUFF Bringing it all back home - Zespri shares kiwifruit pointers with Chinese growers. This video was first published in 2018. Zespri's contentious China deal was rejected by the industry regulator due to concerns intellectual property would "leak" into China, and the company’s relationship with its largest market could be damaged. An independent assessment of the kiwifruit giant's China project – a trial of buying and branding counterfeit SunGold kiwifruit grown in China – also canvassed a “wider geo-political risk”, but further details have been redacted in documents obtained by Stuff. China expert Anne-Marie Brady​ says references to geo-political risk show China considers the proposal a political relationship, not a business relationship, risking the banning of exports if offence is caused. However, Zespri remains convinced the trial won’t initially compromise its intellectual property (IP), and that its “upfront” approach has gained it support … [Read more...] about Zespri’s contentious China deal rejected by regulator over IP leakage and China relationship concerns

Kyle Larson can’t wait for Sunday’s Cup race. And it’s not because Homestead-Miami Speedway is among his best tracks. He just wants to be back in the car. “These weeks are long,” Larson told NBC Sports. While most drivers have become acclimated to no practice and qualifying at most NASCAR events, it is new to Larson, who missed the final 32 Cup races last season after losing his ride at Chip Ganassi Racing . With less time in the car, he has spent more time on race preparation. Still, a racer wants to race. “It’s been probably since 2009 or ’08 or even before that where I’ve only been in a race car one day a week,” Larson said. “If I’m only racing one day a week with NASCAR, you’re usually in the car practicing for a couple of days. They’ve been long weeks waiting for the weekends. Just ready to get down to Florida and hopefully have a good weekend at one of my best tracks and lead some laps and finally close one out.” In 14 races across the Cup, Xfinity and … [Read more...] about Friday 5: Studious Kyle Larson looks to ‘finally close one out’ at Miami