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Nadal denies Murray again
5/17/2014 4:28:59 AM
- Defending champion Rafael Nadal wins through to semifinals of Rome Masters
- Spaniard battles back to stay unbeaten on clay against Britain's Andy Murray
- Second-ranked Novak Djokovic also through to Saturday's last-four matches
- Women's No. 1 Serena Williams progresses but second-ranked Li Na loses
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(CNN) -- Rafael Nadal's "King of Clay" crown may have slipped a little this year, but the world No. 1 is not giving up his reign without a fight.
Having suffered shock quarterfinal defeats in his former strongholds of Monte Carlo and Barcelona, the Spanish tennis star rallied to retain his Madrid title -- and on Friday he battled back from the brink of defeat in Rome to reach the semifinals.
Two-time defending champion Nadal overcame Andy Murray in three sets, having been thrashed in the opener and then trailed 4-2 in the decider before prevailing 1-6 3-6 7-5 in two hours and 40 minutes.
As a measure of his recent struggles, it was the first time since 2005 that Nadal had been taken the distance in three consecutive matches on his favorite surface at the same tournament.
Murray, seeking to regain the form that took him to second in the rankings, had been poised for his first win over Nadal on clay but the seventh-seeded Brit ultimately failed to press home his advantage.
Nadal, seeking his eighth title in the Italian capital, will next face Grigor Dmitrov on Saturday.
The 14th-ranked Bulgarian celebrated his 23rd birthday with easy passage against German veteran Tommy Haas, who retired with a shoulder injury after losing the first set 6-2.
"I'm just a happy birthday birth today," said Dimitrov, who received a cake in the face after the match courtesy of his coach.
World No. 2 Novak Djokovic also battled into the semifinals, beating Nadal's Monte Carlo conqueror David Ferrer 7-5 4-6 6-3 in two hours 32 minutes.
"It was the most physical match I had on clay this year," said the Serbian, who will next play Canada's Milos Raonic.
The eighth seed was also taken to three sets by Frenchman Jeremy Chardy -- who upset Roger Federer on Wednesday -- before triumphing 6-3 5-7 6-2.
In the women's draw, world No. 1 Serena Williams set up a semifinal with former top-ranked Serbian Ana Ivanovic.
The American defending champion defeated China's Shuai Zhang 6-1 6-3, while 11th seed Ivanovic followed up her win over two-time Rome winner Maria Sharapova by beating Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 6-4 3-6 6-4.
Ivanovic's only win over 17-time grand slam champion Williams came at January's Australian Open, but the 2008 French Open winner then lost to young Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in the quarterfinals.
World No. 2 Li Na suffered a 6-3 4-6 6-2 loss against Italy's 2012 French Open runner-up Sara Errani, who will next play Jelena Jankovic in her home event.
Ivanovic's compatriot, also a former No. 1, upset Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 6-4 to give herself a chance of reaching the final for the third time.
Jankovic, still seeking her first grand slam title, was Rome champion in 2007-08 and losing finalist in 2010.
Read: Sharapova exits in Rome
Read: New dad Federer defeated
Read: Nishikori injury gives Nadal title in Madrid
Erdogan: 'If you boo country's PM you get slapped'
5/17/2014 3:21:44 AM
- NEW: "If you boo the country's prime minister, you get slapped," Turkey's PM says in video
- At least 298 have died as a result of the coal mine fire, according to disaster officials
- Mine owner says the Soma site met the standards required by Turkish law
- Ruling party spokesman says PM's aide kicked a protester after he was attacked by him
Soma, Turkey (CNN) -- Police in Soma, Turkey, used tear gas, plastic pellets and a water cannon Friday on protesters angry over the government's response to a coal mine fire that killed at least 298 people.
Protesters chanting "Don't sleep, Soma, remember your dead!" coursed through city streets a few miles from the disaster site, trying to reach a statue honoring miners.
The clash came two days after a photograph surfaced of an aide to Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan kicking a protester, an image that quickly became a symbol of the anger felt by many against the government, and amid mounting questions over safety practices at the mine.
A video taken the same day in Soma showed Erdogan telling another man "don't be nasty," according to the footage aired Friday by Turkish broadcaster DHA. The remarks initially reported and translated by DHA were confirmed by a CNN native Turkish speaker.
"What happened, happened. It is from God... If you boo the country's prime minister, you get slapped," Erdogan can be heard saying.
The mine complex exploded into fire for unknown reasons Tuesday -- trapping many miners deep underground.
Among other issues, mine officials indicated Friday that workers may not have had access to an emergency refuge where they could have sheltered from the flames and choking fumes.
Site manager Akin Celik told reporters that the mine had closed one emergency refuge when excavation work moved to a lower area. Miners were building, but had not finished, a new safety chamber at the lower level, he said.
The owner of the company, Alp Gurman, said the mine met the highest standards laid out by the law in Turkey. The company, he said, had no legal obligation to build safety chambers.
Early Satuday, the Natural Disaster and Emergency Coordination Directorate said the number of dead in the mining disaster is now 299. It wasn't immediately clear how many miners may still be inside; authorities earlier said 18 had remained trapped, and the death toll has inched up since then.
If and when they are found, hopes have dwindled that they'll be alive. Rescue workers haven't found anyone alive since Wednesday.
Smoke and fumes were still hindering search and recovery efforts Friday, officials said.
Authorities have previously said the fire was sparked by a transformer explosion, but Celik told reporters Friday that the cause of the fire was still unknown.
Asked what had happened, he said, "We don't know either. Never seen anything like this before. We are trying to find out."
Kicking a protester
Friday's clashes are likely to further anger Soma residents already seething over the disaster and the treatment of the protester kicked by Yusuf Yerkel, an adviser to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The man, detained by special forces, can be seen lying on the ground as the suited adviser to Erdogan appears to aim a kick at him.
The shocking image outraged many in Turkey, prompting an outpouring of anger on social media, and is seen as symbolizing the increasingly polarizing impact of Erdogan's authority in the country.
Yerkel was quoted by Turkey's semiofficial Anadolu news agency Thursday as saying that he had been deeply saddened by the previous day's events.
"I am sad that I could not keep my calm in the face of all the provocation, insults and attacks that I was subjected to that day," he reportedly said.
In another incident Wednesday, video footage showed a crowd outside a grocery store angrily booing Erdogan. As the Prime Minister entered the crowded store, he appeared to put his arm around the neck of a man who was later identified as a miner.
After the confrontation, the video captured what appeared to be Erdogan's security guards beating the same man to the floor. The miner said later that Erdogan slapped him, possibly by mistake. He wants an apology for the way he was treated by the Prime Minister's staff.
Huseyin Celik, a spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, dismissed the grocery store incident and said the image of Yerkel kicking the protester was misleading.
Political bonfire
Besides the anger prompted by the photo, Erdogan's comments Wednesday to relatives of dead and injured miners were seen as highly insensitive and drew scathing criticism.
1942 Honkeiko Colliery, China: 1549 dead
1906 Courrières, France: 1,099 dead
1914 Hojo Colliery, Japan: 687 dead
1960 Laobaidong Colliery, China: 682 dead
1963 Mitsui Miike, Japan: 458 dead
The Prime Minister glossed over the issue of mine safety, describing the carnage that was suffered as par for the course in the dangerous business.
As public anger mounted through the evening, hundreds took to the streets in anti-government protests in Istanbul and Ankara, with police answering, in some cases, with water cannons and tear gas.
As Erdogan took a stroll through the city, onlookers showered him with deafening jeers as well as chants of "Resign, Prime Minister!"
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu defended Erdogan in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Thursday.
"He was feeling all these pains in his heart," he said. "Everybody knows that our Prime Minister is always with the people, and always feels the pain of the people. Otherwise, he wouldn't get such a high support in eight elections in (the) last 10 years."
But the disaster opened up an old political wound.
Opposition politician Ozgur Ozel from the Manisa region, which includes Soma, filed a proposal in late April to investigate Turkish mines after repeated deadly accidents.
Erdogan's government rejected the proposal. It claimed that the mine, owned by SOMA Komur Isletmeleri A.S., had passed recent inspections.
A Turkish engineers' association criticized mine ventilation and safety equipment this week as being "insufficient and old."
A lack of safety inspections has caused 100 coal mines to be closed in the last three years, according to Turkey's Energy Ministry.
A 'sorrow for the whole Turkish nation'
President Abdullah Gul offered words of comfort as he visited Soma on Thursday, the day after his premier attracted public ire.
The disaster is a "sorrow for the whole Turkish nation," Gul told reporters, and he offered his condolences to the victims' families.
An investigation has begun, Gul said, adding that he was sure this would "shed light" on what regulations are needed. "Whatever is necessary will be done," he said.
Despair, anger, dwindling hope after Turkey coal mine fire
Diana Magnay, Gul Tuysuz and Ivan Watson reported from western Turkey, and Laura Smith-Spark wrote and reported from London. CNN's Ben Brumfield and Talia Kayali contributed to this report.
9/11 'sacred' memorial dedicated
5/15/2014 6:53:20 PM
- NEW: Obama: "No act of terror can match the strength or the character of our country"
- President Barack Obama attends September 11 Memorial Museum dedication
- Memorial will take visitors back to the day the twin towers fell
- The museum will open to the public May 21
New York (CNN) -- President Barack Obama marked the dedication of the long-awaited September 11 Memorial Museum Thursday with families, survivors and rescuers at the site, saying the "sacred place of healing and hope" will ensure that "generations yet unborn will never forget" the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
"It is an honor for us to join in your memories, to recall and to reflect, and above all to reaffirm the true spirit of 9/11: love, compassion, sacrifice and to enshrine it forever in the heart of our nation," the President said before the gray bedrock of the fallen towers.
Both chilling and somber, the memorial will take visitors back to the day the twin towers of the World Trade Center were felled by hijacked jet planes on a clear September morning nearly 13 years ago. It also remembers those who lost their lives outside of New York the same day, when a hijacked jet flew into the Pentagon and another went down in a field in Pennsylvania.
"Here we tell their story so that generations yet unborn will never forget," Obama said. "Of coworkers who led others to safety, of passengers who stormed the cockpit, our men and women in uniform who rushed into an inferno, our first responders who charged up those stairs, a generation of service members, our 9/11 generation who have served with honor in more than a decade of war."
The sacrifices of that day and the toil to build the museum demonstrates that the United States is "a nation that stands tall and united and unafraid because no act of terror can match the strength or the character of our country," the President said.
"Nothing can ever break us," he added. "Nothing can change who we are as Americans."
The ceremony was attended by dignitaries such as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, former New York mayors Michael Bloomberg and Rudolph Giuliani and relatives of the more than 2,700 people who perished at the site.
Before his speech, the President and first lady Michelle Obama viewed the museum with former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, along with others. Obama said the museum, which includes a mangled firetruck and a memorial wall with photos of the victims, provided a "profound and moving experience."
Speakers recounted stories of random acts of kindness and courage that marked the fateful day, of firefighters who died climbing up stairs to save lives, of 24-year-old Welles Crowther -- who emerged from the smoke wearing a red bandana and calmly led survivors to the stairs in one of the towers.
"They didn't know his name," Obama said. "They didn't know where he came from but they knew their lives had been saved by the man in the red bandana."
Crowther led survivors to safety during the chaos of the terrorist attack, before going back up the stairs to save others and losing his life. One of his red bandanas is on display in the museum.
"All those who come here will have a chance to know the sacrifice of a young man, who like so many, gave his life so others might live," Obama said.
Crowther's mother, Alison, said the memorial was a symbol of "how people helped each other that day" and she hoped it would inspire others "to do the same in ways both big and small."
She stood alongside Ling Young, one of the people her son rescued.
"It was very hard for me to come here ... but I wanted to do so, so I could say thank you to his parents," Young said.
The museum will open to the public May 21. Also memorialized inside are the victims of the 1993 bombing at the World Trade Center.
The museum and memorial plaza, which opened in 2011, were built with $700 million in donations and tax dollars following construction problems and disputes over how best to remember the thousands of lives lost that day.
The site, which has risen up from the ashes of suffering and tragedy, is expected to stand as a symbol of resilience, organizers said.
It holds some 12,500 objects, 1,995 oral histories and 580 hours of film and video.
9/11 museum: Tragedy turns the mundane into memorial
Measles virus fights woman's cancer
5/15/2014 1:53:46 PM
- Researchers inject highly concentrated dose of measles virus into cancer patients
- Woman's cancer went into remission; a second patient responded but not as well
- This experimental treatment is a long way from being commonly used to fight cancer
(CNN) -- A woman with an incurable cancer is now in remission, thanks, doctors say, to a highly concentrated dose of the measles virus.
For 10 years, Stacy Erholtz, 49, battled multiple myeloma, a deadly cancer of the blood. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic say she had received every type of chemotherapy drug available for her cancer and had undergone two stem cell transplants, only to relapse time and again.
Then researchers gave her and five other multiple myeloma patients a dose of a highly concentrated, lab-engineered measles virus similar to the measles vaccine. In fact, the dose Erholtz received contained enough of the virus to vaccinate approximately 10 million people.
"The idea here is that a virus can be trained to specifically damage a cancer and to leave other tissues in the body unharmed," said the lead study author, Dr. Stephen Russell.
It's a concept known as virotherapy, and it's been done before. Mayo Clinic scientists say thousands of cancer patients have been treated with viruses, but this is the first case of a patient with a cancer that had spread throughout the body going into remission.
Erholtz was cancer-free for nine months.
"I think we succeeded because we pushed the dose higher than others have pushed it," Russell said. "And I think that is critical. The amount of virus that's in the bloodstream really is the driver of how much gets into the tumors."
In simple terms, the measles virus makes cancer cells join together and explode, Mayo Clinic researcher Dr. Angela Dispenzieri explains. There's also some evidence to suggest, she says, that the virus is stimulating the patient's immune system, helping it recognize any recurring cancer cells and "mop that up."
This treatment is still in the early testing stages, though. Doctors recently used radiation therapy to treat a small, localized tumor in Erholtz's body.
And the other patients in the trial did not go into remission. Tests showed the virus helped shrink one woman's tumors, but they started growing again soon after. The other patients' cancers did not respond to the treatment.
Researchers also don't know whether this virotherapy will help other patients or whether it can be applied to other types of cancer. The measles virus worked with these multiple myeloma patients because they are already immune-deficient, meaning their bodies can't fight off the virus before it has a chance to attack the cancer cells.
More of the highly concentrated measles virus is being created now to be used in a larger clinical trial, Mayo Clinic researchers say. They've developed a manufacturing process that can produce large amounts of the virus, Russell says.
"We recently have begun to think about the idea of a single shot cure for cancer -- and that's our goal with this therapy," he said.
Narendra Modi claims victory for Indian opposition
5/16/2014 9:59:23 AM
- Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi claims victory
- He is viewed as a pro-business candidate
- But controversies in his past have led to strained relations with the U.S.
New Delhi (CNN) -- Narendra Modi, the leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, claimed victory as India's next prime minister Friday, bringing to power a man whose controversial past at one point led the United States to deny him a visa.
Official results were expected late Friday.
Viewed as pro-business, Modi, 63, has pledged reforms to revive the nation's flagging economy.
Manmohan Singh, India's outgoing Prime Minister, will tender his resignation to the nation's President on Saturday, said Singh's spokesman, Pankaj Pachauri. The Prime Minister's official Twitter account said Singh had called Modi to congratulate him on his "party's victory."
Analysts predict his arrival in India's top office will bring a marked change in direction for the world's most populous democracy, a nation whose modern character has been defined by the defeated Indian National Congress Party, which has been dominant since the country's independence in 1947.
Modi's victory had long been anticipated, as polls indicated a slump in support for the ruling Indian National Congress Party, which has been dogged by high-profile corruption scandals amid stubborn inflation and a slowed economy.
Congress Party spokesman Randeep Surjewala told CNN, "Trends indicate a victory for the opposition alliance.
"We bow before the wishes of the people of India with all humility. We will continue to play the role assigned to us. We will try with greater vigor and determination to work with the large populace of this country."
Modi's ascent to the national stage
Celebrations broke out as updates from the five-week-long election were released throughout the day. Modi's supporters sang, danced, played music, threw flowers and even brought elephants into the mix as initial results indicated a huge lead for the BJP. Supporters celebrated outside the party's office and in the streets in Gujarat, the state where Modi has served as chief minister since 2001.
He tweeted: "Good days are here to come."
India has won! भारत की विजय। अच्छे दिन आने वाले हैं।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2014 At a news conference, BJP chief Rajnath Singh declared, "Till some time ago, it was said India's success story is over. Now, the time has come to rewrite India's success story."
India's potential for growth was once mentioned in the same breath as that of China. But the world's second-most populous nation has not delivered.
Modi, a former tea seller, sprang into the national spotlight for his work in Gujarat, where he cultivated an image of a man who gets things done.
Gujarat, a state of some 60 million people, has seen China-like rates of growth in recent years, which have been eyed enviously by the rest of the country. The "Gujarat model" of development means a focus on infrastructure, urbanization and eradicating red tape.
India's stock market surged Friday as initial results suggested a huge lead for Modi and his party.
Modi's relationship with the rest of the world
Throughout his campaign, his relationship with the country's huge Muslim minority has come under scrutiny.
In 2002, Gujarat was wracked with anti-Muslim violence, in which more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed. Modi was criticized for not doing enough to halt the violence, but a Supreme Court-ordered investigation absolved him of blame last year.
The United States denied Modi a visa over the anti-Muslim violence in 2005, suggesting a strained relationship between the U.S. and India's next Prime Minister.
The U.S. State Department has not said what it will do when Modi applies for a visa in the future now that he is an elected leader, but reiterated that India is an important partner.
"We don't talk about visa applications," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said this week. "We're looking forward to working with the new Indian government when they're elected."
The tensions between Modi and the United States in the past could have an impact on relations during his term, said Arati Jerath, an analyst and journalist in India.
"There is a feeling that Narendra Modi will be much more pro-China than pro-U.S., and that could be rooted to the fact that he's had this tension with the United States over his visa, whereas the Chinese laid out the red carpet for him," Jerath said.
UK Foreign Minister William Hague congratulated Modi and his party, saying Britain looked "forward to forging an even closer partnership with India."
CNN's Mallika Kapur, Sumnima Udas and Tim Hume contributed to this report.
FIFA boss: Qatar World Cup a 'mistake'
5/16/2014 7:28:02 AM
- FIFA denies Sepp Blatter said Qatar unfit to hold World Cup
- Blatter said it was a 'mistake' to organize summer tournament in Gulf State
- FIFA president made comments in interview with Swiss media
(CNN) -- FIFA has moved quickly to deny claims its president, Sepp Blatter, suggested Qatar is unfit to host the 2022 World Cup -- despite his admission that it was "a mistake" to schedule a summer tournament in the Gulf State.
Blatter, who oversees the game's global governing body, appeared to cast doubt over Qatar's right to welcome the football world, following an interview with a Swiss television station Friday.
When asked by RTS if it was an error to award Qatar the World Cup, Blatter said: "Of course, it was a mistake. You know, one makes a lot of mistakes in life.
"The technical report indicated clearly that it was too hot in summer, but despite that the executive committee decided, with quite a big majority, that the tournament would be in Qatar."
In October 2013, Blatter set up an executive committee taskforce to examine whether the World Cup in Qatar should be switched to winter because of extreme summer temperatures.
A decision is expected to be made following the conclusion of the upcoming World Cup in Brazil.
Blatter's comments sparked a frenzy on social media and led to criticism of the 78-year-old and the organization's decision to award the tournament to Qatar.
But speaking to CNN, a FIFA spokesman said: "The comment by the FIFA President concerning the organization of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar to Swiss TV station RTS is in line with previous comments on this matter.
Blatter admits it was a mistake to award WC to @Qatar in '22 as it's too hot in summer. You have one decision to make every 4 years! HELP!!
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 16, 2014 " As explained in his answer to the journalist, the president reiterated that the decision to organize the World Cup in summer was an 'error' based on the technical assessment report of the bid, which had highlighted the extremely hot temperatures in summer in Qatar.
"At no stage did he question Qatar as the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup."
Harold Mayne-Nicholls led the FIFA inspection team which examined each of the bidding countries for the 2022 World Cup before delivering his report in October 2010.
Mayne-Nicholls concluded that Qatar was a high-risk option because of its soaring temperatures -- but it was still chosen by 14 of the 22 executive committee members in the final round of voting in December that year.
"In June and July you cannot play," Mayne-Nicholls told CNN last November when asked about the conditions in Qatar.
"It's not for the players. The players will be OK with the cooling system but what about the fans?
"You'll have 50,000 fans walking three, four, even six blocks or more like in South Africa where I walked 10 blocks.
"They will be walking in 40 degrees and it's too much. One or two crucial cases will damage the entire image of the World Cup and we must be careful."
If the World Cup was to be held between November and January, it would probably create a logistical headache for many major European leagues -- such as the English Premier League -- and for the prestigious Champions League, organized by the continent's UEFA confederation.
American broadcaster Fox, which paid $425 million for the rights to broadcast the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, has expressed concern that a "winter" World Cup could clash with the National Football League's regular season and the Super Bowl.
The decision to award Qatar football's showpiece event has drawn widespread condemnation and focused attention on workers' rights in the state.
Imagine the shock at FIFA HQ when, 2 years after the vote, someone spotted that Qatar's a tad warm in summer.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) May 16, 2014 A report released by Amnesty International last November alleged that the abuse of migrant workers was rife within Qatar's construction sector, while British newspaper The Guardian likened the conditions for such workers to "modern-day slavery."
The furor which surrounded "stranded" footballer Zahir Belounis also raised questions regarding Qatar's Kafala law.
Blatter himself described the conditions for migrant workers in Qatar as "unacceptable," but has so far refused to entertain the idea of moving the 2022 competition to another location.
In response to Amnesty's allegations, the director of the Human Rights Department at Qatar's Foreign Ministry said laws are in place to protect workers from mistreatment.
Read: Blatter says 'Qatar working conditions unacceptable'
Read: Qatar set deadline by FIFA
Indian opposition celebrates as election victory looms
5/16/2014 4:03:21 AM
- India begins counting votes after a five-week general election
- NEW: Congress party spokesman concedes it's likely to head to defeat
- Exiting PM, Manmohan Singh's two-term government hit by corruption scandals
- Exit polls predict victory for Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and pro-business leader, Narendra Modi
New Delhi, India (CNN) -- After a decade in power, India's ruling Congress party concedes that it is headed to defeat as vote counting in the world's largest election was underway.
The mammoth election appears likely to unseat Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's two-term Congress Party after a rash of high-profile corruption scandals, stubborn inflation and slowed economy.
The party's spokesman Randeep Surjewala told CNN, "Trends indicate a victory for the opposition alliance.
"We bow before the wishes of the people of India with all humility. We will continue to play the role assigned to us. We will try with greater vigor and determination to work with the large populace of this country."
The party has dominated Indian politics since the nation's independence in 1947. Seen as father of India's economic reforms, the 81-year-old, Oxford-educated Singh has been prime minister for India's governing coalition led by his Indian National Congress party since May 2004.
On Tuesday, he bade farewell to his staff, just three days ahead of the vote count. He will tender his resignation to the nation's president Saturday, said his spokesman Pankaj Pachauri. The official prime minster Twitter account stated that Singh had called Modi to congratulate him on his "party's victory."
Exit polls, released after the five-week general election, have portended a majority for the opposition alliance led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that has fielded a pro-business leader, Narendra Modi, as its candidate for the prime minister's post. Stock markets surged to a record high Friday after initial numbers suggested a huge lead for the party.
Celebrations broke out with singing, dancing, bands and even elephants in the mix as initial Election Commission numbers indicated a huge lead for the BJP. Supporters celebrated in the streets in Gujarat, the state where Modi has served as chief minister since 2001. He tweeted: "Good days are here to come."
India has won! भारत की विजय। अच्छे दिन आने वाले हैं।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2014 The South Asian democracy, the world's largest, recorded a provisional turnout of 66.4% of its 814 million eligible voters in its nine-phased elections that began on April 7, said India's election commission spokesman Rajesh Malhotra.
The count from electronic voting-machines began 8 a.m. local time Friday. As is the norm, the Indian president will invite the party or the alliance with the largest number of elected lawmakers to stake claim to government formation.
In 2009, the Congress party, headed by Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, won 206 of 543 boroughs, its best performance in almost two decades that mostly saw coalition governments running the country.
Within a couple of years since assuming power for a second term, Singh's administration has had its popularity plummet over a spate of corruption allegations that sparked widespread street protests by anti-graft activists. High prices, slowing growth and what observers call policy-paralysis dented Singh's image as a reformist.
"The Underachiever — India needs a reboot," wrote the U.S.-based Time magazine in its Asia edition in 2012 that featured Singh on its cover. "Is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh up to the job?' the title posed.
"I have every reason to believe when history is written of the period, we will come out unscathed," Singh told a news conference in January as he announced he would not run for another term after the general elections.
He, however, defended his governance.
"This is not to say there were no irregularities. There were irregularities, but the dimensions of the problems have been overstated by the media, by the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General), sometimes by other entities," he had said.
According to a damning report by India's national auditor, the CAG, the national treasury lost as much as $31 billion from the 2008 sale of the wireless frequencies.
The scandal rocked Singh's government during its second term, as it also struggled with accusations of large-scale fraud in the sports, real estate and coal sectors.
"We are deeply committed to the objective of combating corruption," Singh told reporters. "An array of historical legislations has been enacted to make the work of the government transparent and accountable."
CNN's Mallika Kapur, Sumnima Udas and Madison Park contributed to this report.
Nadal denies Murray again
5/16/2014 5:38:24 PM
- Defending champion Rafael Nadal wins through to semifinals of Rome Masters
- Spaniard battles back to stay unbeaten on clay against Britain's Andy Murray
- Second-ranked Novak Djokovic also through to Saturday's last-four matches
- Women's No. 1 Serena Williams progresses but second-ranked Li Na loses
Follow us at @WorldSportCNN and like us on Facebook
(CNN) -- Rafael Nadal's "King of Clay" crown may have slipped a little this year, but the world No. 1 is not giving up his reign without a fight.
Having suffered shock quarterfinal defeats in his former strongholds of Monte Carlo and Barcelona, the Spanish tennis star rallied to retain his Madrid title -- and on Friday he battled back from the brink of defeat in Rome to reach the semifinals.
Two-time defending champion Nadal overcame Andy Murray in three sets, having been thrashed in the opener and then trailed 4-2 in the decider before prevailing 1-6 3-6 7-5 in two hours and 40 minutes.
As a measure of his recent struggles, it was the first time since 2005 that Nadal had been taken the distance in three consecutive matches on his favorite surface at the same tournament.
Murray, seeking to regain the form that took him to second in the rankings, had been poised for his first win over Nadal on clay but the seventh-seeded Brit ultimately failed to press home his advantage.
Nadal, seeking his eighth title in the Italian capital, will next face Grigor Dmitrov on Saturday.
The 14th-ranked Bulgarian celebrated his 23rd birthday with easy passage against German veteran Tommy Haas, who retired with a shoulder injury after losing the first set 6-2.
"I'm just a happy birthday birth today," said Dimitrov, who received a cake in the face after the match courtesy of his coach.
World No. 2 Novak Djokovic also battled into the semifinals, beating Nadal's Monte Carlo conqueror David Ferrer 7-5 4-6 6-3 in two hours 32 minutes.
"It was the most physical match I had on clay this year," said the Serbian, who will next play Canada's Milos Raonic.
The eighth seed was also taken to three sets by Frenchman Jeremy Chardy -- who upset Roger Federer on Wednesday -- before triumphing 6-3 5-7 6-2.
In the women's draw, world No. 1 Serena Williams set up a semifinal with former top-ranked Serbian Ana Ivanovic.
The American defending champion defeated China's Shuai Zhang 6-1 6-3, while 11th seed Ivanovic followed up her win over two-time Rome winner Maria Sharapova by beating Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 6-4 3-6 6-4.
Ivanovic's only win over 17-time grand slam champion Williams came at January's Australian Open, but the 2008 French Open winner then lost to young Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in the quarterfinals.
World No. 2 Li Na suffered a 6-3 4-6 6-2 loss against Italy's 2012 French Open runner-up Sara Errani, who will next play Jelena Jankovic in her home event.
Ivanovic's compatriot, also a former No. 1, upset Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 6-4 to give herself a chance of reaching the final for the third time.
Jankovic, still seeking her first grand slam title, was Rome champion in 2007-08 and losing finalist in 2010.
Read: Sharapova exits in Rome
Read: New dad Federer defeated
Read: Nishikori injury gives Nadal title in Madrid
Turkey's Dickensian dystopia
5/16/2014 5:08:36 PM
- Karabekir Akkoyunlu: Disaster exposes Turkey as 21st-century Dickensian dystopia
- Those in power have displayed a brazen lack of humility and sense of responsibility, he says
- Akkoyunlu: Erdogan views such "accidents" as unfortunate but unavoidable side effects
- Erdogan cannot sustain his popularity through nationalist propaganda, he writes
Editor's note: Karabekir Akkoyunlu is researcher at the London School of Economics where he focuses on socio-political change in Turkey and Iran. Follow him on Twitter. The views expressed in this commentary are solely the author's.
(CNN) -- The Soma mining disaster is already the deadliest industrial catastrophe in Turkey's history. Yet Turks are unable to grieve for the appalling loss of human life. Utter shock and fury are the overriding public sentiments against the brazen lack of humility and sense of responsibility displayed by those in positions of power, both in the government and private sector.
But Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's scandalous attempt to justify the death of more than 280 miners by pointing to mining disasters that occurred in France, Britain and the United States more than a century ago reveals more than the worldview of a ruthless politician with a skewed sense of chronology.
It also exposes Turkey for what it has become: a grim 21st-century Dickensian dystopia, where a new class of political and business elite grows rich and powerful on the back of cheap labor and expendable lives.
The comparison with 19th century Europe is hardly superfluous: worker's rights have been systematically weakened and are routinely violated in Turkey since the 1980s, to the extent that the country was "blacklisted" by the International Labor Organisation (ILO) in 2008. Trade unions, once powerful and influential, have been emasculated and seen their ranks dwindle. Over a million subcontracted workers in the public and private sector are without job security, deprived of their right to join unions and participate in collective bargaining.
Cheap labor and weak regulation make Turkey an attractive destination for industrial production and fuel the country's construction sector, which has been driving growth over the past decade. Yet they also come with a terrible price tag: the ILO ranked Turkey first in Europe and third in the world for fatal work accidents in 2012. Coal mining is among the deadliest of professions. According to a 2010 report by the Turkish think tank TEPAV, the ratio of deaths to production capacity in Turkey was five times the figure for China and 361 times the figure for the U.S., two of the world's leading coal producers.
An overwhelming majority of the work related deaths are caused by poor working conditions, inadequate training and a general lack of job security, and are thus preventable. Erdogan seems to disagree. "Dying," he declared following an explosion that killed 30 workers at a Zonguldak mine in 2010, "is the fate of the miner." In Soma, he casually suggested that accidents were in the nature of this work; they were "usual things."
As he spoke, his normally animated face remained calm and expressionless, devoid of any visible sign of remorse or empathy. He accepted no responsibility, including for his party's rejection of a parliamentary proposal by the opposition CHP only three weeks ago to investigate a string of past accidents and deaths at the very mining facility in Soma.
It would appear that Erdogan views such "accidents" as unfortunate but unavoidable side effects of Turkey's rise as a regional power under his leadership. After all, no empire is built without the blood and sacrifice of the nation, whose "will" he claims to embody and grandeur he seeks to restore.
As in Britain and France at the turn of the last century, tales of imperial glory constitute a central part of the ruling AKP's populist discourse. And in a country that is deeply divided along identity issues, especially along the secular versus religious fault line, such discourse has powerful appeal.
But even Erdogan cannot sustain his tremendous popularity through nationalist propaganda and perpetuated feelings of social resentment, if he and his aides continue to dismiss the plight of "his people" and respond to their ultimate sacrifice with kicks and punches.
In this regard, the Soma disaster may turn out to be a watershed moment. Numerous times in recent years, the government's security apparatus harassed those who were experiencing unspeakable agony for having lost loved ones, some at the state's own hands. The families of those killed in an airstrike near the Kurdish village of Roboski in December 2011, in the terror attack in Reyhanli in May 2013, or during the anti-government protests across the country since last June have been deprived of their right to grieve and forced into a continuous state shock and outrage.
But these were mostly poor Kurds, Alevis or secular Turks, who are unlikely to support Erdogan's party. In Soma, on the other hand, the AKP is popular. It carried the town comfortably both in the general election in 2011 and the municipal election held in March this year. And it is here that the AKP's headquarters have been ransacked, and the prime minister hackled and called on to resign by furious residents.
In Huxley's Brave New World, "soma" was the hallucinogenic substance used by the state to induce a feeling of contentment and happiness among citizens. It remains to be seen whether in Erdogan's Brave New Turkey, Soma will have the opposite effect.
READ: Image of PM's aide kicking protester stokes anger over Turkey mine fire
READ: Despair, anger, dwindling hope after Turkey coal mine fire
Soccer's big spenders fined $80M
5/16/2014 4:22:36 PM
- Manchester City and Paris St. Germain accept punishments for breaking spending rules
- UEFA imposes sanctions to nine European clubs under financial fair play regulations
- English and French champions are bankrolled by Middle East owners
- Three Russian clubs and three Turkish teams also punished, plus one from Bulgaria
Follow us at @WorldSportCNN and like us on Facebook
(CNN) -- Big-spending Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have been heavily sanctioned by European football body UEFA for breaching new rules on Financial Fair Play.
The respective champions of England and France are among nine clubs that have failed to comply with rulings brought in with the aim of making football more financially stable.
City has been bankrolled by Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan since 2008, while PSG was bought by the Qatar Investment Authority in 2011.
Both clubs have leaped to prominence on the back of massive investments, signing top players and announcing lucrative sponsorship deals with companies closely linked to their owners -- such as Etihad Airlines and the Qatar Tourism Authority.
The latter was identified by UEFA as having broken its financial rules -- it said Friday that its valuation of PSG's reported €700 million ($960 million) four-year agreement was "significantly below that submitted by the club."
Despite such revenue, City and PSG exceeded the permitted losses of $62 million over the course of the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
City, which last weekend won the Premier League title for the second time in three years, said it would accept punishments including a fine of €60 million ($82 million), a restriction on transfer spending and a reduction in the club's squad size for the European Champions League.
Of the fine, €10 million will be taken from earnings in this season's Champions League and the same amount from the next campaign -- while the rest will be returned if City meets its financial obligations over a three-year period.
It will have to limit spending on new players to €60 million for the upcoming transfer window, on top of funds raised by sales of existing squad members.
"This will have no material impact on the club's planned transfer activity," City said Friday, having negotiated a settlement with UEFA in talks over the past month.
"At the heart of those discussions is a fundamental disagreement between the club's and UEFA's respective interpretations of the FFP regulations on players purchased before 2010," City said.
"The club believes it has complied with the FFP regulations on this and all other matters."
City, which reached the last 16 in this season's Champions League, can only register 21 players for the 2014-15 competition -- the usual maximum is 25. However, it noted that manager Manuel Pellegrini used only 21 of 23 players registered for 2013-14.
The whole club's salaries -- those of its players are the largest in world sport -- for next season must stay at the same level as the one just completed, though City said: "In reality, the existing MCFC business plan sees a natural decline in that wage bill."
City made a record British loss of $307.8 million in 2010-11 and $192 million the year before -- all of which were covered by billionaire Sheikh Mansour.
In 2012 its deficit was $160 million and last year $87 million, but the club said it expects to break even for the period ending May 31.
"Operating with no debt, the club is realizing its football and commercial opportunities whilst continuing unprecedented investments in both youth development and the local community," City said.
PSG said Friday it would accept the financial sanctions imposed by UEFA -- the same that City faces -- despite "irreconcilable differences" over its sponsorship with the QTA.
It said the measures imposed would mean a "tremendous handicap" as it seeks to establish itself as one of Europe's leading clubs, having reached the Champions League quarterfinals this season.
"We will continue to invest in developing a highly competitive team and we will continue our investments in our stadium and training infrastructures while at the same time remaining, as we are today, debt free," PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said in a statement.
Turkish clubs Galatasaray, Bursaspor and Trabzonspor were also sanctioned for exceeding spending limits, being fined €200,000 and told to meet break-even limits, as was Bulgaria's Levski Sofia.
Russia's Zenit St. Petersburg, Rubin Kazan and Anzhi Makhachkala must reduce their operating deficits to break-even by 2016 and freeze wage bills, while also facing reduction in squad sizes and limits on new player registrations for European competitions.
An announcement had been expected at the start of this month but was delayed by the complexity of the legal proceedings involved, UEFA secretary general Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday.
The financial fair play rules are supposed to stop clubs getting into unmanageable debt, or allow wealthy benefactors to give top teams and unfair advantage.
Earlier this month, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger argued that any team that broke Financial Fair Play rules should be excluded from European competition.
In 2012, UEFA began withholding prize money from clubs which did not meet the financial restrictions, and at the end of that year Spanish club Malaga was banned from European competition for a season and fined €300,000 due to unpaid bills.
Read: Man City boss plans 'dynasty'
Read: EPL title for Manchester City
Read: Financial Fair Play -- fair or farce?
Soccer's big spenders fined $80M
5/16/2014 9:27:05 PM
- Manchester City and Paris St. Germain accept punishments for breaking spending rules
- UEFA imposes sanctions to nine European clubs under financial fair play regulations
- English and French champions are bankrolled by Middle East owners
- Three Russian clubs and three Turkish teams also punished, plus one from Bulgaria
Follow us at @WorldSportCNN and like us on Facebook
(CNN) -- Big-spending Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have been heavily sanctioned by European football body UEFA for breaching new rules on Financial Fair Play.
The respective champions of England and France are among nine clubs that have failed to comply with rulings brought in with the aim of making football more financially stable.
City has been bankrolled by Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan since 2008, while PSG was bought by the Qatar Investment Authority in 2011.
Both clubs have leaped to prominence on the back of massive investments, signing top players and announcing lucrative sponsorship deals with companies closely linked to their owners -- such as Etihad Airlines and the Qatar Tourism Authority.
The latter was identified by UEFA as having broken its financial rules -- it said Friday that its valuation of PSG's reported €700 million ($960 million) four-year agreement was "significantly below that submitted by the club."
Despite such revenue, City and PSG exceeded the permitted losses of $62 million over the course of the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
City, which last weekend won the Premier League title for the second time in three years, said it would accept punishments including a fine of €60 million ($82 million), a restriction on transfer spending and a reduction in the club's squad size for the European Champions League.
Of the fine, €10 million will be taken from earnings in this season's Champions League and the same amount from the next campaign -- while the rest will be returned if City meets its financial obligations over a three-year period.
It will have to limit spending on new players to €60 million for the upcoming transfer window, on top of funds raised by sales of existing squad members.
"This will have no material impact on the club's planned transfer activity," City said Friday, having negotiated a settlement with UEFA in talks over the past month.
"At the heart of those discussions is a fundamental disagreement between the club's and UEFA's respective interpretations of the FFP regulations on players purchased before 2010," City said.
"The club believes it has complied with the FFP regulations on this and all other matters."
City, which reached the last 16 in this season's Champions League, can only register 21 players for the 2014-15 competition -- the usual maximum is 25. However, it noted that manager Manuel Pellegrini used only 21 of 23 players registered for 2013-14.
The whole club's salaries -- those of its players are the largest in world sport -- for next season must stay at the same level as the one just completed, though City said: "In reality, the existing MCFC business plan sees a natural decline in that wage bill."
City made a record British loss of $307.8 million in 2010-11 and $192 million the year before -- all of which were covered by billionaire Sheikh Mansour.
In 2012 its deficit was $160 million and last year $87 million, but the club said it expects to break even for the period ending May 31.
"Operating with no debt, the club is realizing its football and commercial opportunities whilst continuing unprecedented investments in both youth development and the local community," City said.
PSG said Friday it would accept the financial sanctions imposed by UEFA -- the same that City faces -- despite "irreconcilable differences" over its sponsorship with the QTA.
It said the measures imposed would mean a "tremendous handicap" as it seeks to establish itself as one of Europe's leading clubs, having reached the Champions League quarterfinals this season.
"We will continue to invest in developing a highly competitive team and we will continue our investments in our stadium and training infrastructures while at the same time remaining, as we are today, debt free," PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said in a statement.
Turkish clubs Galatasaray, Bursaspor and Trabzonspor were also sanctioned for exceeding spending limits, being fined €200,000 and told to meet break-even limits, as was Bulgaria's Levski Sofia.
Russia's Zenit St. Petersburg, Rubin Kazan and Anzhi Makhachkala must reduce their operating deficits to break-even by 2016 and freeze wage bills, while also facing reduction in squad sizes and limits on new player registrations for European competitions.
An announcement had been expected at the start of this month but was delayed by the complexity of the legal proceedings involved, UEFA secretary general Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday.
The financial fair play rules are supposed to stop clubs getting into unmanageable debt, or allow wealthy benefactors to give top teams and unfair advantage.
Earlier this month, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger argued that any team that broke Financial Fair Play rules should be excluded from European competition.
In 2012, UEFA began withholding prize money from clubs which did not meet the financial restrictions, and at the end of that year Spanish club Malaga was banned from European competition for a season and fined €300,000 due to unpaid bills.
Read: Man City boss plans 'dynasty'
Read: EPL title for Manchester City
Read: Financial Fair Play -- fair or farce?
Landslide win offers chance to change India
5/16/2014 8:12:18 PM
- NEW: President Obama congratulates Narendra Modi and invites him to Washington.
- Official results show a clear majority for one party, a first in three decades for India
- Narendra Modi is a Hindu nationalist who was viewed as a pro-business candidate
- But controversies in his past have led to strained relations with the United States
New Delhi (CNN) -- Narendra Modi, the leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, claimed victory as India's next Prime Minister on Friday, bringing to power a man whose controversial past at one point led the United States to deny him a visa.
Official results show his party winning at least 275 of 543 parliamentary seats, bringing a clear majority, according to the India Election Commission.
It's the first time in three decades that India's 540 million voters delivered a resounding mandate to a single party to rule the world's second-most populous nation.
Fractured electoral verdicts leading to coalition governments had been common in India since 1989.
Manmohan Singh, India's outgoing Prime Minister, called Modi to congratulate him on his "party's victory," said Singh's Twitter page.
Viewed as pro-business, Modi, 63, has pledged reforms to revive the nation's flagging economy.
But his past is not without controversy. Throughout his campaign, his relationship with the country's huge Muslim minority came under scrutiny.
In 2002, Gujarat state was wracked with anti-Muslim violence, in which more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed.
Modi, the state's chief minister, was criticized for not doing enough to halt the violence, but a Supreme Court-ordered investigation absolved him of blame last year.
Analysts predict his arrival in India's top office will bring a marked change in direction for the world's most populous democracy, a nation whose modern character has been defined by the defeated Indian National Congress Party, which has been dominant since the country's independence in 1947.
Modi's victory had long been anticipated, as polls indicated a slump in support for the ruling Congress Party, which has been dogged by high-profile corruption scandals amid stubborn inflation and a slowed economy.
Congress Party spokesman Randeep Surjewala told CNN, "We bow before the wishes of the people of India with all humility. We will continue to play the role assigned to us. We will try with greater vigor and determination to work with the large populace of this country."
Modi's relationship with the rest of the world
The United States denied Modi a visa over the anti-Muslim violence in 2005, suggesting a strained relationship between the United States and India's next Prime Minister.
But President Barack Obama called Modi to congratulate him on winning the election and to invite him to Washington, according to the White House.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also congratulated Modi, saying in a tweet that he looks forward to "growing shared prosperity." State Department officials told CNN that Modi will be given a visa to the United States once he takes office and forms a government.
The tensions between Modi and the United States in the past could have an impact on relations during his term, said Arati Jerath, an analyst and journalist in India.
"There is a feeling that Narendra Modi will be much more pro-China than pro-U.S., and that could be rooted to the fact that he's had this tension with the United States over his visa, whereas the Chinese laid out the red carpet for him," Jerath said.
Modi's ascent to the national stage
Celebrations broke out as updates from the five-week-long election were released throughout the day. Modi's supporters sang, danced, played music, threw flowers and even brought elephants into the mix as initial results indicated a huge lead for the BJP. Supporters celebrated outside the party's office and in the streets in Gujarat, where Modi has served as chief minister since 2001.
He tweeted: "Good days are here to come."
India has won! भारत की विजय। अच्छे दिन आने वाले हैं।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2014 At a news conference, BJP chief Rajnath Singh declared, "Till some time ago, it was said India's success story is over. Now, the time has come to rewrite India's success story."
India's potential for growth was once mentioned in the same breath as that of China. But the world's second-most populous nation has not delivered.
Modi, a former tea seller, sprang into the national spotlight for his work in Gujarat, where he cultivated an image of a man who gets things done.
Gujarat, a state of some 60 million people, has seen China-like rates of growth in recent years, which have been eyed enviously by the rest of the country. The "Gujarat model" of development means a focus on infrastructure, urbanization and eradicating red tape.
India's stock market surged Friday as initial results suggested a huge lead for Modi and his party.
UK Foreign Minister William Hague congratulated Modi and his party, saying Britain looked "forward to forging an even closer partnership with India."
CNN's Mallika Kapur, Sumnima Udas and Tim Hume contributed to this report.
The worst World Cup slogans?
5/16/2014 12:03:46 PM
- FIFA reveals slogans that will appear on team buses at World Cup in Brazil
- Australian fans nonplussed by trite "Socceroos: Hopping Our Way Into History" slogan
- UK marketing expert says competition is "a good idea" but not very "far-reaching"
Follow us at @WorldSportCNN and like us on Facebook
(CNN) -- A ball hasn't been kicked yet, but have we seen the World Cup's first own goal?
Football fans around the world have been having their say on social media after FIFA announced the results of a slogan competition run by Korean car company Hyundai, one of the tournament's sponsors.
The "winning slogans," which will be emblazoned on team buses for the month-long event, are anything but in some fans' eyes.
News that the Australian team bus will wear the words "Socceroos: Hopping Our Way Into History!" was met with derision.
"Whose mum came up with that ultra cheesy slogan?" read one tweet.
Australian Football Federation CEO David Gallop took an equally dim view of it as the country's 30-man preliminary squad for Brazil was announced.
"Don't worry too much about the other slogans that you might have read about. Just say, 'Go you Socceroos,' " Gallop said, The Australian reported.
Simon Chadwick, Coventry University
Other national teams' nicknames have been put to better use, with Ghana's slogan perhaps being the highlight.
The quarterfinalists in South Africa four years ago will travel in a bus bearing the phrase, "Black Stars: Here to illuminate Brazil," while Ivory Coast's slogan, "Elephants charging towards Brazil!" also has some fun with the team's alias.
Other teams, however, will have to make do with more enigmatic messages.
One of the tournament favorites, Argentina, won't win any prizes for "Not just a team, we are a country," and nor will 2006 champions Italy with "Let's paint the World Cup dream blue."
The Japan world cup slogan is brilliant "SAMURAI, THE TIME HAS COME TO FIGHT !"
— James Sherwood (@Sherwood_23) May 12, 2014 The U.S. stick with the motoring theme with "United By Team, Driven By Passion," while Dutch fans will hope the slogan "Real Men Wear Orange" can help steer the Netherlands all the way this time around after losing to Spain -- "Inside our hearts, the passion of a champion" -- in the 2010 final.
"In principle, at least, it was a good idea to run this competition ... but quite how significant and far-reaching having a slogan on the side of a bus is a moot point," Simon Chadwick, professor of Sport Business Strategy and Marketing at the UK's Coventry University, told CNN.
Simon Chadwick, Coventry University
"Right now in sponsorship, and football generally, there is a big emphasis on fan engagement -- trying to get the fans as close as you possibly can to having an association with the sponsorship deal you are involved in," he told CNN.
"Effectively what you've got here is a collective view of what your country brand stands for. By using these slogans you are positioning your country as a brand in a particular way.
"So, if you look at Greece for example -- 'Heroes play like Greeks' -- you're then into Trojans, (being) resolute, and that works very, very well, and Japan -- "Samurai, the time has come to fight!
Why must we keep embarrassing ourselves on a global stage, Hopping our way into history.. Really @Socceroos?? #Brasil2014
— Andrew French (@Frenchyy91) May 13, 2014 "These are, in many ways, all very good positioning statements or very good brand slogans."
But Chadwick has some sympathy for Gallop and the Australian team.
"How is it that a commercial partner of FIFA rather than the football association itself decided what would be on the side of the bus?" he says.
"I think there is a broader issue about corporate influence on the World Cup and on football in this.
"It's an issue about joined-up thinking. I can understand why FIFA has done this, but I don't think you can do it without involving the national association as well."
Here's the list in full. Let us know what you think.
Algeria
Desert Warriors In Brazil
Argentina
Not Just A Team, We Are A Country
Australia
Socceroos: Hopping Our Way Into History!
Belgium
Expect The Impossible!
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dragons In Heart, Dragons On The Field!
Brazil
Brace Yourselves! The Sixth Is Coming!
Cameroon
A Lion Remains A Lion
Chile
Chi Chi Chi!, Le Le Le! Go Chile!
Colombia
Here Travels A Nation, Not Just A Team!
Costa Rica
My Passion Is Football, My Strength Is My People, My Pride Is Costa Rica
Ivory Coast
Elephants Charging Towards Brazil!
Croatia
With Fire In Our Hearts, For Croatia All As One!
Ecuador
One Commitment, One Passion, Only One Heart, This Is For You Ecuador!
England
The Dream Of One Team, The Heartbeat Of Millions!!
France
Impossible Is Not A French Word
Germany
One Nation, One Team, One Dream!
Ghana
Black Stars: Here To Illuminate Brazil
Greece
Heroes Play Like Greeks
Honduras
We Are One Country, One Nation, Five Stars On The Heart
Iran
Honour Of Persia
Italy
Let's Paint The FIFA World Cup Dream Blue
Japan
Samurai, The Time Has Come To Fight!
South Korea
Enjoy It, Reds!
Mexico
Always United, Always Aztecas
Holland
Real Men Wear Orange
Nigeria
Only Together We Can Win
Portugal
The Past Is History, The Future Is Victory
Russia
No One Can Catch Us
Spain
Inside Our Hearts, The Passion Of A Champion
Switzerland
Final Stop: 07-13-14 Maracana!
Uruguay
Three Million Dreams ... Let's Go Uruguay
U.S.
United By Team, Driven By Passion
Man City boss plans 'dynasty'
5/15/2014 12:34:10 PM
- Manuel Pellegrini is preparing long-term vision for English champion
- Chilean won Premier League title and League Cup in debut season
- City reached last 16 of the European Champions League
- Former Real Madrid coach is already planning for next season
Follow us at @WorldSportCNN and like us on Facebook
(CNN) -- Forget the English Premier League title -- Manuel Pellegrini wants to build a dynasty at Manchester City.
The 60-year-old, fresh from leading City back to the top of English football at the first attempt, is already planning for next season -- and, by the sound of it, many years to come.
Pellegrini, who signed a three-year deal last June after replacing Roberto Mancini, also won the League Cup and reached the last-16 of the European Champions League.
And now, with his players enjoying an end-of-season break in Abu Dhabi, home of owner Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Pellegrini is plotting further success.
It comes at a time when city rival Manchester United is in disarray, struggling to fill the vacuum left by Alex Ferguson, who led the Old Trafford club to unparalleled success over two decades.
"It depends on the owners of the club," Pellegrini told CNN when asked about his plans to take City forward.
"My way of thinking is that if you want to develop a club, the best way is to keep the manager for so many years if you can.
"Of course, at important clubs, the results are always very important, but with patience I think you can do better.
"A big club must always have ambition. We will start thinking about how we can improve, we will analyze a lot of things and will try and be a very competitive team next year in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League."
Under Pellegrini, City has become a far more attractive side to watch and the team's goalscoring record has been remarkable.
In the Premier League alone, City plundered 102 goals in 38 games, while also triumphing at Wembley by defeating Sunderland 3-1 in the League Cup final.
Yaya Toure scored 20 league goals from midfield, while Sergio Aguero -- who missed a large part of the season through injury -- hit 17, and fellow striker Edin Dzeko came up trumps with 16.
The shift in style from a more cautious approach adopted under Mancini has been well received by the City fans, and Pellegrini feels vindicated after the early doubts surrounding his appointment.
"It's a style of football that I've played wherever I've worked in South America and different countries such as Chile, Argentina and Ecuador," said Pellegrini, who then went on to manage Spanish clubs Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga.
@Toure_yaya42 with the silverwear! #mcfc #TOGETHER pic.twitter.com/2NBsBaUzvA
— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) May 12, 2014 "I also tried to play attractive football in Spain and be an offensive team. So doing it in a new league and the most difficult league in the world, it's not just about winning the title it's about winning with a style of football.
"I don't want to compare one with the other. Roberto won a title before me and had another idea of the best way to play. I think he was very important for the club also."
One area in which City is yet to taste success is the Champions League -- which its owners are desperate to win.
In May 2013, chief executive Ferran Soriano stated that he wanted the club to win "five trophies in the next five years."
"I think we were very unlucky in the Champions League," added Pellegrini, whose team lost to Barcelona in the second round.
CHAMPIONS !! #MCFCParade pic.twitter.com/Yw3G6YZyfK
— Vincent Kompany (@VincentKompany) May 12, 2014 "But I'm sure that we've made a step forward this year and I hope next year will be better, including the Champions League."
In recent weeks City has reportedly been in discussions with UEFA as to the severity of sanction it will face under the European governing body's Financial Fair Play regulations.
That wait appears to have been increased following Thursday's death of former Belgian Prime Minister, Jean-Luc Dehaene.
The 73-year-old was presiding over the investigatory chamber of the Club Financial Control Body, and was expected to sign off any agreement with the Premier League club.
Read: EPL title for Man City
Read: Man City tops wage bill survey
Hindu nationalist Modi to lead India's 1.2 billion
5/16/2014 11:01:38 AM
- NEW: John Kerry congratulates Modi, says he looks forward to "growing shared prosperity"
- Three State Department sources say Modi will get a visa
- Narendra Modi is a Hindu nationalist who was viewed as a pro-business candidate
- But controversies in his past have led to strained relations with the United States
New Delhi (CNN) -- Narendra Modi, the leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, claimed victory as India's next Prime Minister on Friday, bringing to power a man whose controversial past at one point led the United States to deny him a visa.
Official results were expected late Friday.
Viewed as pro-business, Modi, 63, has pledged reforms to revive the nation's flagging economy.
But his past is not without controversy. Throughout his campaign, his relationship with the country's huge Muslim minority came under scrutiny.
In 2002, Gujarat state was wracked with anti-Muslim violence, in which more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed.
Modi, the state's chief minister, was criticized for not doing enough to halt the violence, but a Supreme Court-ordered investigation absolved him of blame last year.
Manmohan Singh, India's outgoing Prime Minister, will tender his resignation to the nation's President on Saturday, said Singh's spokesman, Pankaj Pachauri. The Prime Minister's official Twitter account said Singh had called Modi to congratulate him on his "party's victory."
Analysts predict his arrival in India's top office will bring a marked change in direction for the world's most populous democracy, a nation whose modern character has been defined by the defeated Indian National Congress Party, which has been dominant since the country's independence in 1947.
Modi's victory had long been anticipated, as polls indicated a slump in support for the ruling Congress Party, which has been dogged by high-profile corruption scandals amid stubborn inflation and a slowed economy.
Congress Party spokesman Randeep Surjewala told CNN, "Trends indicate a victory for the opposition alliance.
"We bow before the wishes of the people of India with all humility. We will continue to play the role assigned to us. We will try with greater vigor and determination to work with the large populace of this country."
Modi's relationship with the rest of the world
The United States denied Modi a visa over the anti-Muslim violence in 2005, suggesting a strained relationship between the U.S. and India's next Prime Minister.
Before the election, U.S. State Department had not said what it would do when Modi applies for a visa in the future, but reiterated that India is an important partner.
"We don't talk about visa applications," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said this week. "We're looking forward to working with the new Indian government when they're elected."
On Friday, three State Department officials told CNN that Modi will be given a visa to the United States once he takes office and forms a government.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry congratulated Modi, saying in a tweet that he looks forward to "growing shared prosperity."
The tensions between Modi and the United States in the past could have an impact on relations during his term, said Arati Jerath, an analyst and journalist in India.
"There is a feeling that Narendra Modi will be much more pro-China than pro-U.S., and that could be rooted to the fact that he's had this tension with the United States over his visa, whereas the Chinese laid out the red carpet for him," Jerath said.
Modi's ascent to the national stage
Celebrations broke out as updates from the five-week-long election were released throughout the day. Modi's supporters sang, danced, played music, threw flowers and even brought elephants into the mix as initial results indicated a huge lead for the BJP. Supporters celebrated outside the party's office and in the streets in Gujarat, where Modi has served as chief minister since 2001.
He tweeted: "Good days are here to come."
India has won! भारत की विजय। अच्छे दिन आने वाले हैं।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2014 At a news conference, BJP chief Rajnath Singh declared, "Till some time ago, it was said India's success story is over. Now, the time has come to rewrite India's success story."
India's potential for growth was once mentioned in the same breath as that of China. But the world's second-most populous nation has not delivered.
Modi, a former tea seller, sprang into the national spotlight for his work in Gujarat, where he cultivated an image of a man who gets things done.
Gujarat, a state of some 60 million people, has seen China-like rates of growth in recent years, which have been eyed enviously by the rest of the country. The "Gujarat model" of development means a focus on infrastructure, urbanization and eradicating red tape.
India's stock market surged Friday as initial results suggested a huge lead for Modi and his party.
UK Foreign Minister William Hague congratulated Modi and his party, saying Britain looked "forward to forging an even closer partnership with India."
CNN's Mallika Kapur, Sumnima Udas and Tim Hume contributed to this report.
NBA: Sterling 'won't pay $2.5M fine'
5/16/2014 10:36:29 AM
- Source: Sterling says he'll sue NBA if he's punished
- The longtime Clippers owner is banned from team operations, facilities
- He also owes a $2.5 million fine
- His lawyer has successfully sued the NFL before
(CNN) -- Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has sent a letter to the National Basketball Association telling the league he won't pay his $2.5 million fine and rejecting his lifetime ban, a source close to the situation said Friday.
The letter also threatens the NBA with a lawsuit if Sterling's punishment for making racist remarks, handed down by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in April, is not rescinded, the source said.
"We reject your demand for payment," the letter says, according to Sports Illustrated.
In an exclusive interview with CNN's "AC 360" this week, Sterling repeatedly denied he is a racist despite remarks made in a private conversation with his friend V. Stiviano that were released online.
In the recording, which drew widespread condemnation from fans, players and the league after it appeared on TMZ, Sterling chastises Stiviano for posting pictures online of her posing with African-Americans, including NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson. He tells her not to bring Johnson to Clippers games.
"Admire him, bring him here, feed him, f**k him, but don't put (Magic) on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me," he said.
"In your lousy f**ing Instagrams, you don't have to have yourself with -- walking with black people," he said during a different portion of the recording.
Sterling said he was baited into saying those remarks.
Silver and the league moved quickly, announcing the punishment three days after the recordings were released.
"I'm apologizing, and I'm asking for forgiveness," Sterling told Cooper. "Am I entitled to one mistake? After 35 years. I mean, I love my league, I love my partners. ... It's a terrible mistake, and I'll never do it again."
The league's 29 other owners have taken the initial steps to force Sterling to sell the franchise he has owned for 33 years, with an advisory committee meeting three times so far.
Sterling's estranged wife, Shelly, has said she wants to keep her 50% ownership in the team, which is through a family trust.
The NBA last week tapped Dick Parsons, a former chairman of Citigroup and Time Warner, to be the team's interim chief executive.
Sterling has hired Maxwell Blecher, an antitrust lawyer, to represent him with the NBA, Sports Illustrated and USA Today reported.
Blecher represented the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in its lawsuit victory against the NFL that allowed the Raiders to move to the city from Oakland without approval from other owners before the 1982 season. The Raiders returned in 1995.
According to a 1982 Washington Post article, Blecher also represented Sterling when the Clippers owner wanted to move the team from San Diego to Los Angeles. The NBA fined the franchise $25 million when he did so in 1984, but Sterling sued until the league reduced the fine, according to multiple media reports.
CNN reached out to Blecher and the NBA on Thursday night but didn't hear back immediately.
Blecher reportedly argued that Sterling was being denied due process rights and he hadn't violated the NBA constitution.
The Clippers' turbulent season ended late Thursday in a 104-98 loss to Oklahoma City. The Thunder won the series four games to two.
At a post-game news conference, Clippers coach Doc Rivers said he didn't think the team could use the controversy surrounding their owner as an excuse for bowing out of the playoffs.
"Obviously, it's nothing that anybody wants to go through -- nothing I want to go through -- but overall, I thought our fan base, I thought the city, and I thought our guys really hung in there ... very proud of them," Rivers said. "None of us signed on for this, but this is what happened."
Clippers point guard Chris Paul was in no mood about Sterling after the game.
"That's the least of our worries right now is him. We just lost the damn series," he said. "That's the last thing on our mind. We gave him too much attention as it is."
New Messi deal boosts Barcelona
5/16/2014 12:02:55 PM
- Argentine striker Lionel Messi agrees a new contract at FC Barcelona
- Spanish club announce "an agreement to adjust the terms in the contract"
- New deal will be signed in the next few days say the Spanish champions
- Barca face title decider against Atletico Madrid on Saturday
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(CNN) -- It is a timely boost for Barcelona heading into their Spanish title showdown with Atletico Madrid.
Lionel Messi, one of the world's best soccer players, is on the verge of a penning a new deal at the club.
The Argentina striker has had a lean season by his own impossibly high standards, but has still scored 28 La Liga goals in his 30 games.
Barcelona head into Saturday's epic title decider against Atletico knowing a win will secure their second successive La Liga crown.
And news that the club's record goalscorer is set to extend his stay at the Camp Nou is a huge fillip for the Catalans after weeks of negotiations.
A statement on the club's official website read: "FC Barcelona has reached an agreement to adjust the terms in the contract binding Leo Messi to the club as a professional first team player.
"The revised and updated contract will be signed over the next few days."
Messi joined the Catalans in 2000 at the age of 13 and has gone on to win 21 trophies with Barca, including six La Liga titles and three European Champions League crowns.
The 26-year was also voted World Player of the Year in four successive seasons, between 2009 and 2012, and will be one of the biggest names at the World Cup in Brazil.
News of his new contract comes just 24 hours before the biggest match of the season in Spain, as the two title contenders go head-to-head.
Atletico, who will also contest the Champions League final next weekend against city rivals Real Madrid, top the table and lead Barcelona by three points.
A Barca victory will hand Gerardo Martino's men the title courtesy of a better head-to-head record against their opponents. Atletico need only to avoid defeat.
Just a few weeks ago, after a disappointing home draw with Getafe, Martino said Barca's title race was run, but an unexpected dip in form by Atletico has presented them with a second chance.
And midfielder Xavi, who is chasing an eighth title in Barca colors, insists they must seize this opportunity. "We really believed we had no chance, but maybe we gave up too soon," he told the club's website.
"We thought we'd lost the league and these things happen in football, and now it's in our hands. It's a very important title, and we have to be together. It's an historic opportunity. It will be a great final match.
"(Atletico) are the best in defense, they pressurize you, support each other, and have different options up front. We are still hungry and people should be encouraged. La Liga should be seen as it is, competing until the end.
"Up against us are a great team. We are still hungry and people should be encouraged. This is a great generation, and this is an historic opportunity for us.
"It's a unique game and I don't know if it will happen again. It would be the icing on the cake for this generation, playing such an important match."
Read: Spanish title race goes to wire
Read: Dani Alves winning racism fight
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