NCAA bans Penn State from bowl games for 4 years, $60 million fine

(Reuters) - The National Collegiate Athletic Association on Monday banned Penn State University from post-season bowl games for four years, fined the university $60 million and imposed other sanctions in an unprecedented punishment for its inaction when officials were alerted to child sex abuse by former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

At a news conference in Indianapolis, NCAA Mark Emmert said Penn State football scholarships would be reduced to 15 from 25 and team wins would be vacated from 1998-2011.



Syria says will use chemical weapons if attacked

BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian regime threatened Monday to use its chemical and biological weapons in case of a foreign attack, in its first ever acknowledgement that it possesses weapons of mass destruction.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi stressed, however, that Damascus would not use its unconventional arms against its own citizens. The announcement comes as Syria faces international isolation, a tenacious rebellion that has left at least 19,000 people dead and threats by Israel to attack to prevent such weapons from falling into rebel hands.

"No chemical or biological weapons will ever be used, and I repeat, will never be used, during the crisis in Syria no matter what the developments inside Syria," Makdissi said in news conference broadcast on Syrian state TV. "All of these types of weapons are in storage and under security and the direct supervision of the Syrian armed forces and will never be used unless Syria is exposed to external aggression."

At least 13 dead as crowded pickup hits trees in South Texas

Police: Ariz. girls could face false report charge

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Prosecutors are expected to decide this week whether to file charges against two sisters who police say called them claiming to be a missing Arizona girl.

The 9-year-old and 11-year-old girls were arrested over the weekend on suspicion of false reporting to authorities.

The Arizona Daily Star (http://bit.ly/LHv5Po ) reports the girls were taken to the Pima County juvenile jail. But officials say they didn't meet the court's criteria for detention.