Brazilian organizers acknowledge there were setbacks in the inauguration of the stadium which will host the opener of the Confederations Cup, vowing to try to fix the problems in time for the second and final test event at the venue next Sunday.
The stadium in Recife, meanwhile, was inaugurated on Monday, becoming the last of the six Confederations Cup venues to receive a test event.
Full StoryJose Mourinho will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season after three years at the Spanish club, paving the way for his expected return to Chelsea.
The Portuguese coach's final season at Madrid has been blighted by divisions and a lack of trophies, but he is free to leave three years early from his contract after the final match on June 1 without any compensation involved.
Full StoryNew Zealand cricket fans reacted with mild surprise on Tuesday to news that veteran left-arm spinner and former captain Dan Vettori may be rushed into the lineup for the second test against England at Headingley.
News of 34-year-old Vettori's likely recall did little to lift the spirits of fans still digesting New Zealand's dismissal for 68 in the second innings of first test at Lord's which resulted in their defeat by 170 runs.
Full StoryCharlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan is changing his team's name to the Hornets, said a person familiar with the situation.
The person said Jordan will detail the timetable for the change to be completed at a news conference the Bobcats have scheduled for Tuesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press Monday on condition of anonymity because the name change has not been publicly announced.
Full StoryAntonio Banderas will star in a movie as one of the 33 Chilean miners trapped deep underground for more than two months in 2010, and the charismatic survivor he's playing couldn't be happier.
Mike Medavoy, producer of "The 33," announced on Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival that Banderas will play Mario Sepulveda, who known as "Super Mario" became the public face of the miners.
Full StoryRescuers recovered another four bodies from a collapsed underground room at a giant U.S.-owned gold and copper mine in Indonesia, bringing the confirmed death toll to 21, mine officials said Tuesday. Seven others were believed buried under the rubble.
The Big Gossan underground training facility at the PT Freeport Indonesia mine collapsed last week when 38 workers were undergoing safety training. Ten injured miners were rescued.
Full StoryAfter all these years, Rafael Nadal still knows how to dominate Roger Federer.
In the 30th meeting between the two tennis greats, Nadal controlled the final from start to finish to win 6-1, 6-3 Sunday for his seventh Italian Open title.
Full StoryArsenal qualified for the Champions League for the 16th straight season after edging Tottenham to fourth place in the Premier League, as Alex Ferguson bowed out as Manchester United manager with a 5-5 draw against West Bromwich Albion.
Laurent Koscielny's 52nd-minute volley sealed an unconvincing 1-0 for Arsenal at Newcastle, rendering Spurs' 1-0 victory over Sunderland — courtesy of a late screamer from Gareth Bale — meaningless.
Full StoryParis Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti wants to leave the club and says Real Madrid is a possible destination.
The Italian had a meeting to discuss his future with club President Nasser Al-Khelaifi and sporting director Leonardo on Sunday. But it's believed the recently crowned French league champions are reluctant to release him a year before his contract expires.
Full StoryThe mountains of Sochi are now home to Potanin's slope, Gazprom's gondola lift and Sberbank's ski jump. The nicknames used by locals and an army of construction workers leave no doubt about who is paying for the 2014 Winter Games: Russia's business powerhouses.
Other countries that have hosted the Olympics have overwhelmingly used public funds to pay for the construction of needed venues and new infrastructure. The Russian government, however, has gotten state-controlled companies and tycoons to foot more than half of the bill, which now stands at $51 billion and makes the 2014 Winter Games by far the most expensive Olympics in history. In contrast, the much-larger 2012 Summer Olympics in London cost about $14.3 billion and the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing cost about $40 billion.
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