NBA: Embiid, Paul shine as Sixers, Suns clinch series

The Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns booked their place in the NBA playoff conference semi-finals on Thursday after wrapping up series-clinching victories in contrasting fashion.

In Toronto, Joel Embiid scored 33 points in a 132-97 Sixers blowout over the Raptors to seal a 4-2 series victory that sets up a showdown with top seeds Miami.

Western Conference top-seeds Phoenix, meanwhile, were pushed all the way by a gutsy New Orleans Pelicans team before completing a nerve-jangling 115-109 win in the Big Easy.

Veteran Chris Paul led Phoenix through a bruising battle with 33 points -- including a perfect 14-from-14 from the field -- while Deandre Ayton added 22 points and Mikal Bridges 18. 

The Suns' 4-2 series win sees them advance to a semi-final meeting against the winner of the Dallas-Utah series. The Mavericks can clinch later Thursday with victory over the Jazz in Salt Lake City.

It marked an emotional return to New Orleans for 12-time NBA All-Star Paul, who began his professional career in the city with six seasons for the then New Orleans Hornets.

"I always say this city raised me," Paul said afterwards. "It's nice to do it here in New Orleans...It's home for me. I root for this team when I'm not playing against them. So to beat them was nice."

The Suns were also buoyed by the return from injury of Devin Booker, whose 13-point haul included a crucial three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to edge Phoenix ahead.

"Having Book back was everything," Paul added. "Down the stretch they started to blitz and they forgot we had Devin Booker standing over there on the wing."

Booker, meanwhile, paid tribute to the performance of the 36-year-old Paul.

"I've been watching him since I was eight years old," Booker said of Paul. "It doesn't surprise me. 

"The most surprising thing is after the games we dropped, the disrespect that was put on his name. He's a first ballot Hall-of-Famer, arguably the GOAT in his position. And he deserves those flowers."

The Suns will play the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semi-finals. 

The Mavericks dug deep to defeat Utah, 98-96, on the road in Salt Lake City to complete a 4-2 series win over the Jazz.

Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson scored 24 points apiece as Dallas fought back from a 12-point third-quarter deficit for a gutsy win. 

Utah's Bogdan Bogdanovic missed a wide-open three to win the game on the buzzer as Dallas escaped with victory.

Embiid dominant

Earlier in Toronto, the Sixers made sure there was no chance of a game seven decider as they thrashed the Raptors.

Embiid, who has been bothered by torn ligaments in his thumb in recent games, delivered a dominant display which also included 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals.

MVP candidate Embiid was given backing by Tyrese Maxey with 25 points while James Harden also came up big with 22 points, 15 assists and six rebounds.

It was a welcome return to form for the Sixers, who had looked vulnerable after losing games four and five to Toronto after earlier leading the series 3-0.

"We had a great practice yesterday and we needed that," said Embiid, who said the Sixers had been motivated by their back-to-back losses.

"It was a blessing in disguise to lose those two games, because that wasn't us," he said. "We didn't play the way we wanted to. We were extremely sloppy.

"Tonight we wanted to come in here and play with more intensity. Especially me. I was really bad last game, defensively. I wanted to play with a lot of energy and be physical."

Maxey meanwhile said the Sixers had been ready for a "fight."

"Whether we get hit in the mouth we get back up and keep fighting, and that's what we did tonight," he said.

"Joel (Embiid) told me on the plane on the way up here 'We lose if we don't be aggressive.' And that's what I tried to do."

The Sixers edged into a 62-61 lead at halftime after two hard-fought opening quarters.

But Philadelphia erupted after the break to outscore Toronto 37-17 in the third quarter and effectively ice the contest.

The Sixers kept the hammer down in the fourth quarter, never giving Toronto any kind of opportunity to cut into Philadelphia's double-digit lead.

Tobias Harris added 19 points for Philadelphia, while Danny Green also posted a double digit total with 12 points.

Chris Boucher led the Raptors scoring with 25 points off the bench while Pascal Siakam added 24.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Rivers defends playoff record as Sixers prepare for Raptors

LOS ANGELES -- Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers defended his record in the NBA playoffs on Wednesday as his team prepared for a nervy game-six duel with the Toronto Raptors.

After surging into a 3-0 series lead, the Sixers have missed two chances to clinch the series, losing game four last Saturday before being defeated at home on Monday in a lackuster 103-88 defeat.

The nature of Monday's loss -- and the fact that Sixers star Joel Embiid is nursing a thumb injury -- has raised the prospect of Philadelphia becoming the first team to blow a 3-0 series lead in NBA history.

It has also invited scrutiny of Rivers' record in the playoffs. 

The Sixers coach is the only coach in the NBA who has blown multiple 3-1 playoff series leads in his career. 

Rivers' Orlando Magic were pipped in seven games by the Detroit Pistons in 2003 after taking a 3-1 lead in the playoffs, and the Los Angeles Clippers suffered the same fate twice during Rivers’ reign, losing in 2015 to the Houston Rockets and in 2020 against the Denver Nuggets.

Rivers bristled on Wednesday when quizzed by reporters about his history of playoff near-misses ahead of Thursday's game six in Toronto.

"Well, it's easy to use me as an example," Rivers said. "But I wish y'all would tell the whole story with me. All right?

"My Orlando team was the eighth seed. No one gives me credit for getting up against the Pistons, who won the title. 

"That was an eighth seed. I want you to go back and look at that roster. I dare you to go back and look at that roster. 

"And you would say, 'What a hell of a coaching job.' Really."

Rivers added that his Clippers team in 2015 was hobbled by an injury to Chris Paul, while the team that lost to Denver in 2020 were playing in the unique fan-free environment of the pandemic bubble in Orlando.

"The 2015 Clipper team that we lost 3-1, Chris Paul, didn't play the first two games, and was playing on one leg, and we didn't have home court," Rivers said.

"And then the last one (in 2020) to me, is the one we blew. That's the one I took. We blew that. And that was in the bubble. 

"And anything can happen in the bubble. There's no home court. Game seven would have been in LA."

"But, it just happens. So I would say with me, some of them is ... I got to do better always. I always take my own responsibility. And then, some of it is, circumstances happen. 

"This one, let's win it, and we don't have to talk about it."

Agence France-Presse

Cloud computing helps power strong Microsoft quarter

SAN FRANCISCO, United States - Microsoft on Tuesday reported strong quarterly earnings, powered by demand for cloud computing.

The tech titan said it made a profit of $16.7 billion on revenue of $49.4 billion in the first three months of this year, eight percent and 18 percent, respectively, more than in the period a year earlier.

"Going forward, digital technology will be the key input that powers the world's economic output," said Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella.

"Across the tech stack, we are expanding our opportunity and taking share as we help customers differentiate, build resilience, and do more with less."

Microsoft shares rose more than four percent to $282.44 on the earnings figures, which came with an optimistic outlook for the current financial quarter.

Revenue in the company's "intelligent cloud" unit that meshes datacenter-hosted software with artificial intelligence surged from the same period a year earlier, Microsoft reported.

"Continued customer commitment to our cloud platform and strong sales execution drove better-than-expected commercial bookings growth" along with cloud computing revenue, Microsoft chief financial officer Amy Hood said in the earnings release.

The pandemic accelerated a shift to relying on the internet for work, education, shopping, socializing and entertainment, with Microsoft seemingly positioned to benefit from lifestyle changes that will remain even as people return to being out and about.

A business and productivity unit at Microsoft that includes its online suite of Office 365 software saw revenue grow with the help of a 34 percent increase in money taken in by career-focused online social network LinkedIn, the earnings report showed.

"Growth for LinkedIn was the most surprising," CFRA equity research vice president John Freeman told AFP.

"LinkedIn continued to be Microsoft's lower profile success story. That acquisition is looking better and better every year and every quarter."

Microsoft bought LinkedIn for slightly more than $26 billion in 2016.

Money taken in for content and services at Microsoft's Xbox video game division rose four percent in the recently ended quarter as the company works to beef up its cloud-based games subscription offering.

Microsoft is seeking regulatory approval for its $69 billion deal to buy video game powerhouse Activision Blizzard.

Merging with troubled Activision will make Microsoft the third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony, it said, a major shift in the booming world of games.

Activision, the California-based maker of "Candy Crush," has been hit by employee protests, departures, and a state lawsuit alleging it enabled toxic workplace conditions and sexual harassment. 

"Acquiring Activision will help jump start Microsoft's broader gaming endeavors and ultimately its move into the metaverse with gaming the first monetization piece of the metaverse in our opinion," Wedbush analysts said after the news broke.

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Asia facing 'stagflationary outlook' amid Ukraine war: IMF

WASHINGTON - Asian nations, like the rest of the world, are being battered by countervailing forces such as the war in Ukraine that are raising prices while holding back growth, the IMF said.

"The region faces a stagflationary outlook, with growth being lower than previously expected, and inflation being higher," said Anne-Marie Gulde-Wolf, acting director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department.

The regional outlook, which follows the World Economic Outlook released last week, shows the growth forecast for Asia was cut to 4.9 percent, impacted by the slowdown in China, which is having ripple effects on other closely-linked economies.

Inflation is now expected to rise 3.2 percent this year, a full point higher than expected in January, she said.

"Despite the downgrade, Asia remains the world's most dynamic region, and an important source of global growth," Gulde-Wolf said in remarks prepared for delivery to a press briefing.

But the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions on Moscow have driven up food and fuel prices worldwide, while major central banks are raising interest rates to combat inflation, which will pressure countries with high debt loads.

A larger-than-expected slowdown in China due to prolonged or more widespread Covid-19 lockdowns or a longer-than-expected slump in the property market presents "a significant risk for the region."

"This a challenging time for policymakers as they try to address pressures on growth and tackle rising inflation," the IMF official said, noting that the headwinds will exacerbate the damage from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Outlooks vary within the region, depending on countries' reliance on imported energy and links to China, with growth in Pacific island nations slowing sharply, while Australia saw a slight upgrade, she said.

Governments will need strong responses, starting with targeted aid to poor families most harmed by higher prices, the IMF said.

Many will need to tighten monetary policy amid rising inflation, while those with high debt loads may have to cut spending and even seek debt relief, the fund economists said in a blog post.

"Slower growth and rising prices, coupled with the challenges of war, infection and tightening financial conditions, will exacerbate the difficult policy trade-off between supporting recovery and containing inflation and debt," the blog said.

Agence France-Presse

China lockdowns, rate hike fears batter stock markets

HONG KONG - Stock markets sank Monday on growing concerns that lockdowns in China aimed at fighting a worsening Covid outbreak could threaten the country's economy and global supply chains.

The losses extended a sell-off across the world last week fuelled by comments from Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell indicating officials will hike interest rates by half a point next month and possibly several times more by year's end.

China's struggle to get a grip on a Covid outbreak that has forced Shanghai -- the country's biggest city -- into lockdown and dealing a blow to demand.

Officials in the finance hub reported 51 deaths Monday, its highest daily toll despite weeks of strict containment measures, while Beijing warned of a "grim" situation as infections rise.

The lockdowns will "cause a logistical problem that's going to affect not just China but also the rest of the world", OANDA's Jeffrey Halley told Bloomberg TV.

Officials' determination to continue with a zero-Covid policy as well as a lack of government stimulus, "that all points to lower China stocks and we are going to see a weaker yuan going forward".

Investors were already fleeing risk assets as they become worried that the Fed tightening -- to fight inflation at more than 40-year highs -- will knock the pandemic economic recovery off course and dent companies' bottom line.

With earnings season under way, a close eye is being kept on what firms say about the impact on and the outlook for business in light of inflation, forecast rate hikes, supply chain snarls and the Ukraine war.

"Having spent most of the last few weeks trying to put to one side concerns about events in eastern Europe, a slowdown in China, and the increasing risks of what inflation might do to company earnings, as well as consumer incomes, the final straw appears to be a concern about the prospect of a policy mistake by central banks, and a possible recession by the end of the year," said Michael Hewson of CMC Markets.

And Geir Lode, at Federated Hermes, added: "There has been little to avert the investor pessimism as inflation and interest rate expectations start to bite.

"In particular due to the uncertainty of the macro environment, expectations are low with regard to forward estimates and guidance, building on lowered expectations from the previous quarter."

All three main indexes on Wall Street ended more than two percent down Friday, and Asia followed suit with hefty losses.

Hong Kong and Shanghai led the selling, with both markets suffering hefty losses, while Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Mumbai, Bangkok and Jakarta were also deep in the red.

London, Paris and Frankfurt were sharply lower in the morning.

Sydney and Wellington were closed for holidays.

The hit to demand for energy in China also dragged on crude. WTI fell below $100 a barrel, even as the war in Ukraine hits supplies of the black gold owing to embargoes on Russian exports.

"Oil is rerating lower due to the China consumption hit while the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates to slow down the US economy," said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management.

"Those are two gusty headwinds suggesting some oil bulls will give way to recession fears and demand devastation."

On currency markets, the euro was unable to hold a brief rally that came on the back of Emmanuel Macron's victory in France's presidential election, seeing off far-right challenger Marine Le Pen.

Agence France-Presse

Boxing: Fury beats Whyte to retain world heavyweight title

LONDON -- Tyson Fury retained his WBC heavyweight crown on Saturday, stopping Dillian Whyte in round six of an all-British bout at a delirious Wembley Stadium before repeating his suggestion that he would now retire.

The win for the self-styled 'Gypsy King', fighting on UK soil for the first time in four years, was witnessed by 94,000 fans in London -- a post-war British record crowd.

Unbeaten Fury, 33, had said this would be his last fight and announced immediately afterwards: "This might be the final curtain for the Gypsy King. And what a way to go out."

After a cagey opening the defending champion took the initiative, controlling the fight and landing some telling blows to the head and body of his opponent.

Whyte could have few complaints at a halt being called with just one second remaining before the fight reached the midway point as he was clearly on unsteady legs after the first significant strike of the bout, a brutal right uppercut from Fury.

The 6 feet 9 inch (206-centimetre tall) Fury was able to use his considerable height and reach advantage to keep Whyte at bay while the challenger was made to look clumsy and cumbersome.

Whyte, cut over his right eye after an accidental clash of heads, was first installed as the WBC's number one contender nearly four years ago but he was unable to impose himself.

"I'm overwhelmed with the support," said Fury. "I can't believe that my 94,000 countrymen and women have come here tonight to see me perform. 

"I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, 'Thank you so much to every single person who bought a ticket here tonight or stayed up late to watch it on TV'."

- Unification bout -

If Fury does follow through with his plan to quit, he would spurn the chance to face either Oleksandr Usyk -- the current WBA, IBF and WBO champion -- or fellow British fighter Anthony Joshua for the undisputed crown.

No boxer has held all the major world heavyweight belts since Britain's Lennox Lewis, who became the undisputed champion in 1999.

But Fury, now unbeaten in 33 fights, appears to be sticking to his guns.

"I promised my lovely wife Paris of 14 years that after the Wilder three fight, that would be it," he said.

"And I meant it. We had a war. It was a great trilogy. And I meant that. But I got offered to fight at Wembley at home, and I believe that I deserved -- that I owed it to the fans."

Jamaica-born Whyte, 34, was greeted with boos as he emerged into the cavernous stadium, dressed in black.

Excitement levels hit fever pitch as Fury entered to the strains of Don McLean's "American Pie", which accompanied a video montage of his career.

Fury, wearing a white and red robe and gloves featuring the Cross of St George -- the flag of England -- sat on a gold throne as fireworks shot into the air before jogging to the ring.

After delighting the crowd with his victory, he led them in another rendition of "American Pie".

Fury hailed Whyte as a "warrior", predicting he would be a world champion one day but said his opponent had met a "great" in the sport.

"I'm one of the greatest heavyweights of all time," he said. "And unfortunately for Dillian Whyte, he had to face me here tonight. There's no disgrace."

Agence France-Presse

Grizzlies rally to shock Timberwolves in NBA playoffs

The Memphis Grizzlies clawed back from a 26-point deficit to stun the Minnesota Timberwolves, 104-95, on Thursday and take a 2-1 lead in their NBA playoff series.

Down 26 points in the second quarter and 25 with 3:10 left in the third, the Grizzlies held their nerve in Minneapolis, where they out-scored the Timberwolves, 37-12, in the fourth quarter to match the fourth-largest comeback in NBA playoff history.

Desmond Bane scored 26 points and Brandon Clarke added 20 -- 12 of them in the fourth quarter -- off the bench for Memphis.

Ja Morant connected on just five of 18 shots from the field but put together a triple-double of 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Memphis, who used a 21-0 fourth-quarter scoring run to turn the tables on the Timberwolves.

"Everybody stayed with it, stayed resilient throughout the whole entire game," Bane said. "Whether we were up, down, whatever -- it was enough to get it done."

Minnesota led, 47-21, with 10:28 left in the second quarter when the Grizzlies mounted their first charge, trimming the deficit to seven points at halftime.

The Timberwolves regained the upper hand with a quick start to the third quarter, taking a 73-50 lead on Jaden McDaniels' three-pointer with 4:28 left in the period.

D'Angelo Russell's three-pointer with 3:10 left in the third put Minnesota up 79-54, and despite the Grizzlies' scoring surge to end the period they trailed by 16 going into the fourth.

Bane drilled a three-pointer with 8:33 to play to cap a 21-0 scoring run that tied the game at 83-83.

Tyus Jones drained a three-pointer to put Memphis up for the first time, 86-85, and they didn't trail again.

"It was just effort and fighting," Clarke said. "We were down by, like 25, it was looking bad. But our team has always found a way this year."

Russell led the Timberwolves with 22 points, but he missed all three of his shots from the field in a scoreless fourth and teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, limited by foul trouble and aggressive defense from the Grizzlies, was held to just eight points.

"It's an emotional victory -- coming from being down a lot," Bane said, but he cautioned that there was still a lot of work to do in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.

"We've got to keep our heads. It's first to four."

Brunson powers Mavs

In Salt Lake City, the Dallas Mavericks took a 2-1 lead over the Utah Jazz in their series with a 126-118 victory.

Jalen Brunson shook off a sore back to score 31 points for Dallas.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 10 of his 20 in the fourth quarter and Maxi Kleber added 17 as the Mavericks held off the Jazz despite again playing without injured star Luka Doncic, who has missed all three games of the series so far with a calf strain but appears set to return for game four.

Donovan Mitchell scored 28 of his 32 points in the second half for Utah, who cut the deficit to one point on Mike Conley's three-pointer with 6:42 left in the fourth quarter, but couldn't get in front.

"The most important thing was sticking together," said Brunson, who appeared to hurt his back in the second quarter after Royce O'Neale collided with him.

He briefly left the court but returned to complete another big game.

"This is a tough place to play," Brunson said. "Their fans are great for them. When they had their runs, we didn't fold."

Agence France-Presse

Boxing: Fury wary of Whyte threat as tensions mount before title fight

LONDON -- World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury said he will need his "A-game" to beat Dillian Whyte on Saturday as the tensions mounted ahead of the bout with his British rival.

Fury and Whyte joined forces to play peacemaker at their final pre-fight press conference on Friday after the champion's father John and a member of Whyte's camp became involved in a heated exchange on stage.

The unbeaten Fury is widely expected to retain his WBC title in front of a post-war British record boxing crowd of 94,000 at Wembley.

But, in what he says is the last fight of his career, the 33-year-old has no intention of taking a farewell victory for granted.

"I think everybody is underestimating how good this fight is going to be. I see the odds and laugh at them because they're obviously coming from people who don't know boxing," Fury told reporters on Friday.

"This is a heavyweight boxing fight, anybody can win with one punch. If I'm not on my A-game then that man's going to knock my head right off my shoulders.

"I'm going to have to be on form to beat him and he will have to perform at his best to beat me. He's definitely a man that needs a lot of respect and that's what I've given him.

"I've done everything I can possibly do to train for this. I've trained as hard for Dillian as I have for (Deontay) Wilder or (Wladimir) Klitschko. He'll be fighting the best Tyson Fury."

Ahead of Fury's first on British soil since August 2018, the mutual respect between the champion and his former sparring partner was evident as they shared a handshake after their staredown for photographers.

Mandatory challenger Whyte has waited years for his world title shot.

The Jamaica-born 34-year-old is no stranger to adversity, having been shot and stabbed when he was drawn into London's gang culture in his youth.

Whyte, who fathered the first of his three children aged 13, has turned his life around through boxing and is relishing the opportunity to fight for a world title.

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes. I'm that kind of fighter where whatever I've got to do I will do: it's victory by any means necessary," Whyte said.

"It means everything to fight in my home country for the world title. It's massive. I'm not scared to take risks, I've taken risks my whole life so it's nothing new. I'm ready to rock and roll."

Agence France-Presse

Johnny Depp rejects 'heinous' abuse charges by ex Amber Heard

US — "Pirates of the Caribbean" star Johnny Depp denied ever physically abusing Amber Heard as he took the witness stand on Tuesday at the US defamation trial against his former wife.

"There were arguments and things of that nature but never did I myself reach the point of striking Miss Heard in any way," Depp told the jury hearing the case at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Virginia.

"Nor have I ever struck any woman in my life," he said.

Depp said the "heinous and disturbing" allegations of domestic abuse made against him by Heard were "not based in any species of truth" and came as a "complete shock."

Depp was asked by one of his lawyers why he had brought the defamation case against his ex-wife.

"I felt it my responsibility to stand up not only for myself, but stand up for my children," Depp said. "I wanted to clear my children of this horrid thing that they were having to read about their father that was untrue."

"It's strange when one day you're Cinderella, so to speak, and then in 0.6 seconds you're Quasimodo," he added.

The 58-year-old Depp, his hair slicked back in a ponytail and wearing a black suit, black shirt and floral pattern tie, took the stand on the fifth day of the blockbuster defamation trial.

Depp filed the defamation suit after Heard, who turns 36 on Friday, wrote a column for The Washington Post in December 2018 in which she described herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse."

The actress never named Depp, whom she met in 2009 on the set of the film "The Rum Diary," but he sued her for implying he was a domestic abuser and is seeking $50 million in damages.

Heard, who was married to Depp from 2015 to 2017, countersued, asking for $100 million and claiming she suffered "rampant physical violence and abuse" at his hands.

Depp accuses Heard of seeking to "generate positive publicity for herself" ahead of the release of the film "Aquaman," in which she had a starring role.

Depp filed the defamation complaint against Heard in the United States after losing a separate libel case in London in November 2020 that he brought against the tabloid The Sun for calling him a "wife-beater."

'Never seen Johnny abuse anybody' 

In opening arguments, Heard's lawyers alleged that Depp became a "monster" during drug- and alcohol-fueled benders and physically and sexually abused Heard.

Depp's attorneys rejected the allegations as untrue and said they have had a "devastating" impact on the actor's Hollywood career.

He left his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and was asked to step down from the "Fantastic Beasts" series based on the book by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.

Depp took the witness stand following testimony from a member of his security detail, Sean Bett, and Keenan Wyatt, who worked as a sound engineer on many of his movies.

Both men testified that they had never seen Depp be violent in any way.

"I've never seen Johnny abuse anybody ever," Wyatt said.

Bett said he had witnessed Heard though once throw a "water bottle or a plastic cup" at Depp.

Depp filed his case in Virginia since the Post is printed there but he is not suing the newspaper itself.

Virginia also has defamation laws considered to be more favorable to plaintiffs than those in California, where the two actors live. 

In 2016, Heard sought a restraining order against Depp amid abuse allegations. Their divorce was finalized in 2017. — by Jim Watson with Chris Lefkow in Washington

Agence France-Presse

Football: Ronaldo announces death of baby son

Cristiano Ronaldo and his partner Georgina Rodriguez announced on Monday that their newborn baby son has died.

Ronaldo revealed in a social media post last October that the couple were expecting twins.

In a post released on the Manchester United forward's Twitter account, they confirmed the birth of a baby girl.

"It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away. It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel," Ronaldo and Rodriguez said in a jointly-signed statement.

"Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness. We would like to thank the doctors and nurses for all their expert care and support.

"We are all devastated at this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time."

The couple, who met during Ronaldo's time at Real Madrid, have a four-year old daughter together, while Ronaldo has three other children.

Your pain is our pain, Cristiano," Manchester United tweeted. "Sending love and strength to you and the family at this time."

Agence France-Presse