An Indian man allegedly killed 14 family members

An Indian man allegedly killed 14 family members, including eight children, with a knife before taking his own life Sunday, a police spokesman said.

Husnain Anwar Warekar, 35, put sedatives in his relatives' food before slashing their throats with a knife, according to Gajanan Kabdule, a police spokesman in the western Indian city of Thane.

The victims included Warekar's 28-year-old wife and two daughters who are between ages three months and 6.

He also killed his 65-year-old father and 55-year-old mother; three of his sisters between ages 28 and 34; and six of the sisters' children.

One woman survived the attack and called for help, but by the time police arrived, Warekar had hanged himself, police said.

The incident happened in Thane on the outskirts of Mumbai, India's financial capital. The family had gathered for an event at Warekar's home Saturday, and were staying overnight.

Kabdule said the motive for the killings is unknown, but an investigation is underway.

Preliminary results in Iran's first major election

Preliminary results in Iran's first major election since last year's landmark nuclear deal show moderates making a strong showing in a high-stakes ballot that could shape the future of the country and its relationship with the West.

Voters cast ballots Friday for members for parliament as well as a powerful clerical body -- the Assembly of Experts, the committee of clerics that chooses the Islamic Republic's supreme leader.

Iran's Interior Ministry said Saturday that with about one-third of the votes counted in Tehran, reformers were leading the parliamentary elections. Results from outside Tehran also indicated a strong showing by moderate candidates.

In one significant result, former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and President Hassan Rouhani, both reformists, were in the top two spots for the Assembly of Experts in Tehran as of Saturday afternoon.

Rafsanjani called for national unity following the divisive vote, according to Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA.

"The competition is over and the era of unity and cooperation has arrived," Rafsanjani said, according to IRNA. He said he hoped the final results would promote Iran's position in the region and across the globe.

"In the current highly sensitive situation in the region (where) insecurity has engulfed some countries, the lively holding of the elections of the Assembly of Experts and Majlis (parliament) in a completely calm and orderly atmosphere can serve as a model of democracy for nations," Rafsanjani said.

The Interior Ministry said final results will be declared Tuesday.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said Saturday that some 33 million people -- nearly 60% of eligible voters -- turned out in the twin elections.

More than 4,800 candidates, including about 500 women, competed for a place in the 290-seat parliament, according to Iran's Press TV.

A total of 159 others were running for the 88-member Assembly of Experts.

Members of the Assembly serve eight-year terms, while members of parliament are elected every four years.

Assembly of Experts and the Ayatollah

Both the elections are equally important for Iran and its people, said Reza Marashi, research director at the National Iranian American Council, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization promoting greater understanding between Americans and Iranians.

"In the short term the parliamentary elections will impact Iran's economic policies. But for the long term, this assembly could elect the next supreme leader, which has greater long-term implications for Iran and its people."

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is 76 and has been rumored to be ill. If he were to die in the next eight years, the Assembly of Experts voted into power will select the next supreme leader.

Referendum on Rouhani

In many ways, this election is seen as a referendum on President Rouhani, a moderate who campaigned on a reformist platform before his 2013 election.

Rouhani follows Mahmoud Ahmadinejad into office. The 2009 election in which Ahmadinejad won a second presidential term was widely believed to be rigged and sparked major protests in Iran.

During his two and a half years, Rouhani, a former nuclear negotiator, was instrumental in signing a deal that limited Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

"In this campaign Rouhani and his coalition have been saying that the nuclear deal was first step to economic and political dignity, and that these elections were the next step," said Marashi of the National Iranian American Council.

"If the election is favorable to Rouhani, it becomes his responsibility to fulfill campaign promises."

One of Rouhani's vice presidents told CNN earlier that a win for the Rouhani camp would help them continue their course.

"If we have a parliament in our favor we could do a lot to make Iran a strong player in this region and to continue to foster relations with the West," said Masumeh Ebtekar.

If more hardliners are elected, relations could regress to stalemate days, putting in jeopardy much of the recent progress, such as the nuclear agreement.

Tough Campaign

Campaigning in Tehran was fierce, with candidates' billboards vying for attention, and with activists from both sides flocking to the streets.

A month before the election, many pro-reform candidates who might support Rouhani and his more moderate agenda were disqualified from participating. Thousands of candidates were blocked from running by an unelected, conservative 12-member group called the Guardian Council.

Some have even deemed the election as the most important non-presidential race since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Many Iranian youths favor Rouhani, and that demographic group's support is critical, as more than 60% of Iranians are under the age of 30, according to World Bank figures from 2013. Youth unemployment and underemployment have been significant issues for young people.

While many young people say life has improved under Rouhani, conservatives express concerns about Western influence in the country. They accuse reformers of selling out to the West and have alleged foreign interference in the election. "Death to America" chants are still common.

Many Iranians hope the elections will lead to a better future.

"After these elections there will be a more diverse range of voices, and that will better reflect the will of people," said Marashi of the National Iranian American Council. "It's not perfect, but will be better."

Iran's elections

Iran has been in the news a lot lately. The nuclear agreement has been implemented, prisoners have been freed, sanctions lifted. All is right with the world, and Iran is on track to becoming a friend of the West, right?

Not so fast.

Iran is holding elections Friday, and many pro-reform candidates who might support President Hassan Rouhaniand his more moderate agenda have been disqualified from participating.

Here's are some things to look out for:

What makes these elections different?

For the first time, Iranians will vote to elect two important government bodies at the same time: lawmakers to the parliament and members to the Assembly of Experts. Results of both have serious consequences.

How so?

Well, the parliament passes laws, and it approves the national budget. So, much like Britain's Parliament or the U.S. Congress, it controls the purse strings. That purse is set to get much fuller, given that economic sanctions have been lifted as part of the nuclear deal. If Iranians see a tangible benefit to reformist policies, they could vote to preserve those policies.

And the Assembly of Experts?

This is actually a more important race. The Assembly of Experts chooses the supreme leader. And in Iran, the real power doesn't lie with the president but with the supreme leader. The man who holds that title, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is in his mid 70s and is rumored to be ill. Given that, each political group wants to be represented on the assembly in case Khamenei dies before the next election. They want to have a say on who the next supreme leader will be.

How does it concern anyone outside Iran?

The outcome could determine the future of Iran's relationship with the West. If more centrists or reformists win in either election, we could see continued progress in that relationship. More reformists in parliament means more support for Rouhani, and more reformists in the Assembly of Experts could mean a more moderate next supreme leader.

A more open Iran also would be a more positive force in the region, said Adel Abdel Ghafar, a visiting fellow with the Brookings Doha Center. Long term, it could also mean that Iran wouldn't be in interested in prolonged conflicts in the region, such as in Syria, among other things.

However, if more hard-liners are elected, relations could regress back to stalemate days, putting in jeopardy much of the recent progress -- such as the nuclear agreement.

Bottom line: Both reformers and hard-liners believe the election to be "a referendum on the revolution's future direction," according to Katayoun Kishi, a research assistant at the U.S. Institute of Peace.

So who's expected to win?

Candidates only have a week to campaign, so it's safe to say that an established politician will be more likely to win than someone unknown to voters. Another factor -- many reformist and centrist candidates have been prevented from running.

Who's doing that?

A 12-member group called the Guardian Council -- half of whom are appointed by the supreme leader. They vet candidates for all Iranian elections, says Alireza Nader, a senior international policy analyst with Rand Corp. They have a vested interest in who runs and who wins.

Why are they doing that?

The conservatives are desperate and on the defensive, according to Abdel Ghafar of the Brookings Doha Center. They're going to do whatever they can to retain power, including disqualifying candidates they think might jeopardize the religious nature of the Islamic republic and open the door to greater U.S. influence. Candidates who are secular or who've sided with reformist or centrist policies in the past will most likely be disqualified.

Does this mean that reformists can't win?

Not necessarily. Iranian politics aren't that monolithic. Elections in Iran are instead vibrant affairs, at least by Middle Eastern standards -- marked by fiercely competitive factions, heated arguments and a tough press.

Reformists have done a great job mobilizing supporters and expect a high turnout, says Farideh Farhi, an independent scholar and expert on Iranian elections. There's also a greater sense of optimism in the country, Abdel Ghafar said. Both agree these developments favor reformers.

Rouhani has criticized the disqualification of reform-minded candidates.

What's the impact on the current president?

Rouhani, who campaigned on a reformist platform before his 2013 election, has a lot riding on this round of voting. Conservatives have long controlled the levers of power in Iran, but a more reform-minded parliament could help Rouhani loosen restrictions on society and the press, according to Kishi, the U.S. Institute of Peace researcher.

It could also help him pursue greater engagement with regional governments and the United States, according to Kishi.

He needs to deliver in ways that satisfy Iranian voters. Presidential elections are scheduled for next year.

Lionel Messi strikes as Barcelona beats Arsenal: Champions League

For 70 minutes the plan had worked perfectly.

Barcelona, unbeaten in 32 consecutive games and with the best attacking trio on the planet, had been frustrated at every turn.

Arsenal, so often guilty of gifting its opponents goals at the last 16 stage of the Champions League in previous years, had defended with all its might.

It made what must have felt like hundreds of tackles, given everything in its locker and yet within the blink of an eye all of its hard work was undone by that Barcelona brilliance which makes football so wonderful to watch.

As Arsenal were caught up the field, perhaps seduced by the ridiculous notion it could yet somehow win this tie, Barcelona struck.

A rapid counter attack which ripped straight through the heart of the Arsenal defense concluded with Lionel Messi applying the finishing touch.

BT Sport Football

The same man then added further gloss from the penalty spot after he had been upended by Mathieu Flamini's clumsy challenge.

Two away goals and a 33rd consecutive game without defeat leaves Barcelona perfectly poised to progress to the quarterfinal stage after this 2-0 first leg win.

The margin of victory could have been greater had Luis Suarez not hit the post when clear on goal, but such failures will not worry Luis Enrique, the manager of Barcelona.

He can now surely look forward to the last eight and the opportunity to ensure his team become the first to retain the Champions League title since the competition was revamped.

MSN

All the hype before the contest had surrounded Barcelona's incredible front three -- Messi, Suarez and Neymar -- or as they've been nicknamed, MSN.

Going into this game, the three had amassed 91 goals between them this season -- that's 30 more than the entire Arsenal team.

But the trio were largely contained in the first half and it was Arsenal which should have moved ahead early in the contest.

A neat counter attack ripped through the Barcelona defense with Mesut Ozil finding Hector Bellerin but when the Spaniard's shot was blocked, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could only fire the loose ball into the body of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, the Barcelona goalkeeper.

Barcelona, despite dominating possession, struggled to find any rhythm as Arsenal stuck to its task of frustrating its opponent at every opportunity.

It was not until the final seconds of the half that Barcelona found a way through the home side's defense but Suarez headed wastefully wide when well placed.

After a frustrating opening 45 minutes, Barcelona began the second half on the front foot.

Neymar, who had been a peripheral figure, was denied by Cech after running onto a through pass by Andres Iniesta as the game moved from end to end.

Olivier Giroud, the Arsenal striker, had his header well saved by ter Stegen while Suarez fired wide at the other end as both teams moved through the gears.

Arsenal, beaten at this stage last year by Monaco, were beginning to believe that it could pull off the impossible.

No team had beaten Barcelona since October when Sevilla edged out Enrique's men in La Liga.

But just as the home side started to believe, Barcelona struck -- and did so to devastating effect.

A three man move including Neymar and Suarez dissected the Arsenal defense and Messi was the grateful recipient, firing the ball past Cech from close-range.

Shocked by its concession, Arsenal nearly fell further behind when Suarez hit the post after Neymar's effort had been blocked.

Arsenal was beginning to rock and it came as little surprise when Barcelona doubled its advantage with seven minutes remaining.

Champions League

An awful error by Per Mertesacker inside the penalty area presented Messi with the opportunity to take possession but the Argentine was sent tumbling to the ground illegally by Flamini.

Messi, who had failed to score against Cech in his six previous encounters against the goalkeeper, kept his nerve to score from the penalty spot.

It leaves Arsenal with an uphill task to progress -- and few if any will give Arsene Wenger's side a chance in the return leg at Camp Nou on March 16.

Ivan Rakitic

"Barcelona is a great team," Wenger told BT Sport. "We put a lot of energy in the game and technically we were very average.

"The regret I had was once we looked like we dominate the game, we gave the goal away.

"Similar to Monaco last season, naive, and that is frustrating. When we looked like we could win the game, we just gave it away.

"Realistically it is very, very difficult, if not impossible. We have to go there and fight. We had the chances, we didn't score."

Juventus fightback

Juventus came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Bayern Munich in Turin.

Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben had given the visitors a two-goal lead as Pep Guardiola's men took control.

Juventus, which reached the final last season where it was beaten by Barcelona, fought back with Paulo Dybala and Stefano Sturaro on target.

The two teams will meet in Munich on March 16 to decide which team makes it through to the last eight.

Why Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo should head to MLS: Welcome to America

They are the undisputed heavyweight stars of European soccer, with seven World Footballer of the Year titles between them.

But Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are being seriously encouraged by the current crop of high-profile MLS stars -- including Frank Lampard, Kaka, Steven Gerrard and Clint Dempsey -- to think about moving to the U.S.

"I think that's a real possibility," Lampard, the former Chelsea and England midfielder who now plays for New York City FC, told CNN Sport.

"I think they'll want to, and I think they'll be embraced if they came here. Cristiano, particularly, I could see playing in America.

"I think the lifestyle would suit him -- he's a showman and a great player."

Cristiano Ronaldo

Made for Hollywood?

Showman is right: Ronaldo's superstar status and marketable personality are tailor-made for Hollywood.

The Portuguese is the world's second most expensive player, with Real Madrid having splashed out a whopping $115 million to sign him from English Premier League club Manchester United in 2009.

Ronaldo is a limelight-loving extrovert who often appears disgusted if his teammates don't pass to him, and he has previous with Tinseltown.

Real are frequent pre-season visitors to the U.S., and Ronaldo has been romantically linked with two of Hollywood's most famous inhabitants -- Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian.

At 31, the Portuguese star is close to entering the twilight phase of his career and he has won all there is to win at club level.

New York City FC

He has also hinted that he'd be keen to finish his career stateside, telling the MLS website in 2012: "This country is brilliant. The mentality of the people, the conditions, they're in the right place.

"And I think the soccer here, they do the best they can -- it's good, but I think it can be better. I hope to come here to play one day."

A 'retirement home' no more

MLS has long had to face accusations that it is nothing more than a lucrative retirement home for players who are past their prime.

But those naysayers have become quieter in recent years, with a clear spike in the league's quality evident to those who watch and play in it.

Lampard and another former English Premier League star, Steven Gerrard, say MLS is as demanding as they anticipated.

Former Liverpool and England captain Gerrard told CNN that any players thinking they could head to the States and put their feet up would be in for a "very big shock."

Major League Soccer

He also pointed to the fact that Mexico's Giovani Dos Santos, one of the Galaxy's star players and a former Barcelona and Spurs striker, had opted to join MLS at 26, in his peak years.

On the potential for Messi and Ronaldo to head Stateside, Gerrard said: "I hope so. I'd certainly recommend it, not just to those two but to players around the world.

"I'm sure they'll enjoy the life on and off the pitch because America's a super country to come and work in and enjoy.

"I know from playing with players in the English dressing rooms at home that everybody is talking about MLS now.

"Maybe five or 10 years ago it wasn't on the radar so much -- but it is now, and I'm talking about big players."

The magic of Messi

They don't come bigger than Ronaldo and Messi.

The latter is regarded by many as an all-time football genius. While not as powerful in the air as Ronaldo, he is just as prolific in front of goal and has mesmerizing close control.

leomessi

He's scored an astonishing 301 goals in 335 league games for Barcelona and has won seven La Liga titles as well as four Champions League crowns -- double Ronaldo's tally.

There's no hint of Messi leaving Spain any time soon, but Brazilian Kaka, another of the jewels in the MLS crown, thinks both the Argentine and Ronaldo will end up in the States.

"I think one day, probably, they're going to come to join MLS," the 2002 World Cup winner told CNN. "I know that depends on a lot of things.

"But both already said that they wanted to play here, they like the possibility to live in America. So probably one day we will have the joy of seeing these guys playing here."

Beckham: The Game changer

The arrival of David Beckham in 2007 was a pivotal moment in MLS history.

The darling of English football and a recognizable face the world over, his five-year contract with LA Galaxy was seen as a game-changer for the league.

That deal is also helping to play a part in the MLS expansion, with the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star exercising his option to own a franchise at a discounted fee.

Miami is one of four new teams scheduled to join the league -- Minnesota and Atlanta in 2017, another LA team in 2018, and Beckham's outfit in 2020.

Major League Soccer

More teams means more competition, on and off the pitch, and more scope for better players to make the transition.

'The sky is the limit'

Clint Dempsey, who began his career with New England Revolution before a successful six-year stint in the EPL with Fulham and Spurs, thinks the "sky is the limit" for MLS.

"It's only going to continue to grow," the Seattle Sounders star told CNN.

"More money's going be involved with it. The quality of players is going continue to increase. Competition is just going to get better and better.

"As long as you can keep on track and keep everything in order, I think there's no reason why the game shouldn't continue to grow with what we've seen in recent years."

David Villa was in the same team as Messi at Barcelona, and was part of the all-conquering Spain side that won the 2008 European Championships -- its first since 1964 -- before landing a maiden World Cup triumph in 2010.

Now playing alongside Lampard and former Italy, Juventus and AC Milan star Andrea Pirlo for New York City FC, Villa agrees with the rest when asked about the potential arrival of Messi and Ronaldo.

"I hope both of them may be here," he said. "Obviously they are both two of the greatest players of today and in the history of football.

"The MLS is making a better impression on European soccer players, and many of them want to be here -- and that will improve the league a lot."

Donald Trump will face Hillary Clinton

Donald Trump's general election prediction: He'll face Hillary Clinton, and the two will bring out "the greatest turnout in history."

"Frankly, if she gets indicted, that's the only way she's going to be stopped. I think it's going to be Hillary and myself," the Republican real estate mogul said Sunday in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union."

Trump's comments came the morning after he cruised to victory in South Carolina's primary -- giving him two wins and one second-place finish in the first three GOP contests.

Trump said he expects to win enough delegates to clinch the Republican nomination before the party's convention in July.

"I don't think we're going to have a convention, a brokered convention. I think it's unlikely. I think I'm doing better than that," he said.

He laid out his own road map to general election victory, pinpointing two states -- Michigan and New York -- that he said he'd sweep into the Republican column.

"I'll win states that aren't in play. I'll win states that Republicans don't even think of," Trump said.

And he predicted he'd earn a "tremendous amount" of support from African-Americans.

"I'm going to do great with the African-Americans. African-American youth is 58% unemployed. African-Americans in their prime are substantially worse off than the whites in their prime, and it's a very sad situation," he said.

For Trump, Saturday's South Carolina victory was an important one in stunting challenges from top-tier rivals like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz -- but also because it knocked his foil, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, out of the race.

Trump didn't mention Bush in his victory speech Saturday night, and he noted the attacks that Bush and his allies had launched against Trump on Sunday.

"He's a good person, he's a good man, but he really hit me with a lot of commercials," Trump said.

Still, Trump offered some praise to Bush, saying he "fought very hard" and could have defeated Mitt Romney for the GOP nomination in 2012.

"It was really just not his time. You know, four years ago, I think he would have won," Trump said, adding: "But this was not really his time."

Trump acknowledged he could still lose the GOP nominating contest -- "certainly nobody's unstoppable," he said -- and launched another broadside at establishment politics, saying that "the day I decided to run, which was June 16, I became an outsider."

He even broached the subject of the military-industrial complex in lamenting the way Washington operates.

"The drug companies control the drug industry, I mean it's ridiculous, and the military companies -- I mean it's ridiculous," Trump said.

And he explained away a moment in Thursday night's CNN town hall in South Carolina in which he seemed to suggest he supports the individual health insurance mandate included in President Barack Obama's health care law.

"We were talking over each other, and it wasn't Anderson's fault," Trump said of CNN's Anderson Cooper, who was the moderator. "There's no mandate, no mandatory anything. We're gonna end Obamacare, we're gonna terminate it. It's going to be repealed and it's going to be replaced by something much better."

Still, he expressed his support for at least some forms of government-provided health care.

"People are not going to die on the streets of any city or of any place if I'm president," Trump said. "And every time I say it, I get standing ovations from Republicans. ... We have to take care of people."

In an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation," Trump also defended his foreign policy credentials, saying other Republicans could "start World War III over Syria."

He said he has "great knowledge for the military and I have better vision for Syria than a lot of the so-called 'great military geniuses' that are saying how to fight the War with Syria."

"And in my opinion, they're doing just the opposite. I mean, are we going to start World War III over Syria?" he said. "Are we going to be there for the next 40 years? We've been there for 15 years in the Middle East and much more than that, probably."

Trump also defended his attacks on Ted Cruz's Christianity -- particularly after Trump criticized Pope Francis for questioning his own faith over his proposal to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"I'm not questioning his Christianity, I just think it's inappropriate to hold up the Bible and lie," Trump said of Cruz.

Trump has promised to release his tax returns -- but he won't put a timetable on when those will come.

On ABC's "This Week," he said he won't release them by the March 1 "Super Tuesday" set of contests.

"No, no, no, I won't. I'm working on it. We're working on, they're massive," he said.

Asked of they'll come before he's the Republican nominee, Trump said "at some point" he'd release them.

"There's no rush," he said. "Why is there such a rush? I'm supposed to rush like crazy?"

Trump added: "By the way, I released my financial statements which are much more important. I released my financial statements and everybody was amazed at how big and how great the company is, much bigger than they thought and it's a great company. Very little debt, tremendous cash flow, some of the best assets in the world."