Even though Netflix's subscriber growth hit an eight-year low recently, there's no doubt more of us are turning to streaming platforms for our nightly fix of television.
As more content floods our screens, it's becoming increasingly difficult to discern what's worth watching, however.
Here, The National rounds up some of the best new TV shows, films and seasons coming to our screens this month, to make it easier for you.
‘Selena: The Series’ (season two)
Release date: May 4
Streamer: Netflix
The second season of the popular Netflix show which is based on the life of Mexican-American superstar Selena Quintanilla is set for release on Tuesday. Now on the brink of stardom, Selena fights to remain true to herself, spend quality time with her family and her new husband, and expand her businesses. All the while, her journey to becoming the most successful female Latin artist of all time continues.
'The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness'
Release date: May 5
Streamer: Netflix
Get your true crime fix this month with The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness. The Son of Sam case, which centres around serial killer David Berkowitz, who terrorised New York City in the 1970s, killing six and wounding seven others with a gun, became a lifelong obsession for journalist and author Maury Terry. He believes Berkowitz did not act alone and the murders were linked to a satanic cult. This documentary shows how he tries to prove just that, and how his investigation cost him everything.
'Monster'
Release date: May 7
Streamer: Netflix
This Netflix Original film tells the story of Steve Harmon (played by Kelvin Harrison Jr), 17, an honour student whose world turns upside down when he's charged with a felony murder. Watch as he fights for his innocence against a criminal justice system that's already judged him in a battle that could leave him to spend the rest of his life in prison.
‘Jupiter’s Legacy’
Release date: May 7
Streamer: Netflix
From the mind of comic book creator Mark Millar, this new sci-fi drama tells the story of the world’s first generation of superheroes who kept the planet safe for nearly a century. Now, however, it’s time to pass the baton to their children, who must continue their legend and legacy. However, they have different ideas, and with tensions rising, the old rules no longer apply.
'Mine'
Release date: May 8
Streamer: Netflix
Korean drama Mine is expected to become one of the most popular K-series on Netflix this summer. It's an internationally licensed Netflix Original written by Baek Mi-kyung and directed by Lee Na-jeong. It tells the story of two women from South Korea's most affluent families, who are encaged in a life of secrets and lies and seek to find true joy – no matter what stands in their way.
'Love, Death & Robots: Volume 2'
Release date: May 14
Streamer: Netflix
The Emmy-winning animated anthology returns with yet another crop of provocative tales spanning a variety of genres, from science-fiction to fantasy and horror to comedy. Described by some as Black Mirror meets Devilman Crybaby, the show's volume two features giants, Christmas demons and robots gone wild.
'The Woman in the Window'
Release date: May 14
Streamer: Netflix
Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie and Julianne Moore star in this drama based on a bestselling novel, which follows protagonist Anna Fox (Adams), a woman with agoraphobia who only feels safe when she's watching the world from behind her window. The psychologist soon becomes obsessed with her new neighbours after she witnesses a brutal crime, and works to uncover what really happened.
‘The Underground Railroad’
Release date: May 14
Streamer: Amazon Prime
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead of the same name, The Underground Railroad tells the story of Cora Randall's desperate bid for freedom from a Georgia plantation, following in the footsteps of her mother, who was the only slave to ever successfully escape. The series follows her as she flees to an underground railroad, pursued by a bounty hunter who is fixated on bringing her back to the plantation. Created by Academy Award-winner Barry Jenkins, and starring newcomer Thuso Mbedu alongside Joel Edgerton, the 10-part series will premiere on Friday, May 14.
'Army of the Dead'
Release date: May 21
Streamer: Netflix
Filmmaker Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300) is back with a film about Las Vegas after a zombie outbreak. The Nevada city is in ruins and walled off from the rest of the world, but that doesn't stop Scott Ward (Dave Bautista), a former zombie war hero, from being lured into a heist that'll involve breaking into the undead-infested quarantine zone to retrieve $200 million in a vault before the city is nuked by the government. Watch as he and a ragtag team of experts race against the clock for what might just be the greatest heist ever attempted.
'Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous' (season three)
Release date: May 21
Streamer: Netflix
This is one for the children in your household. The teen campers on Isla Nublar have returned for another season of attempting to escape from the island of free-roaming dinosaurs. They uncover more details about Dr Wu’s secret research and, when a tropical storm delays their departure, their lives are thrown into extreme peril. How will they get out?
‘P!nk: All I Know So Far’
Release date: May 21
Streamer: Amazon Prime
International superstar P!nk is the subject of this documentary, which follows her as she embarks on her record-breaking 2019 Beautiful Trauma world tour. Mixing footage from the road, behind-the-scenes interviews and personal material, director Michael Gracey of The Greatest Showman fame offers fans a glimpse behind the curtain as the star balances her superstar status with being a wife and a mother.
'Blue Miracle'
Release date: May 27
Streamer: Netflix
This heartwarming film, based on a true story, stars Jimmy Gonzales and Dennis Quaid and centres on Casa Hogar, a Mexican orphanage that struggled to survive after Hurricane Odile hit the Baja California peninsula in 2014. To save the boys’ home from bankruptcy, a man and his crew team up with a gruff boat captain to enter a lucrative fishing tournament, the biggest of its kind.
‘Lucifer’ (season five, part two)
Release date: May 28
Streamer: Netflix
Part 2 of Season 5 of hit Netflix drama is set to drop at the end of May. Lucifer makes a tumultuous return to the land of the living in the hopes of making things right with Chloe. However, a devil's work is never done, so expect emotional chaos in the penultimate season of the show, as characters grapple with a new family dynamic.
‘Panic’
Release date: May 28
Streamer: Amazon Prime
Based on the best-selling novel by Lauren Oliver, young adult drama series Panic takes place in small-town Texas, where each summer, the batch of graduating seniors take part in a series of winner-takes-all challenges, which they believe is their only chance at escaping and building a better life for themselves. However, this year, the rules have changed, making it the most dangerous challenge yet, forcing players to come face-to-face with their darkest fears.
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Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes
Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.
Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.
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Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi
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WWE Super ShowDown results
Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title
Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns
Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party
Randy Orton beats Triple H
Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley
Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal
The Undertaker beat Goldberg
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
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88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
