Newcastle manager Alan Pardew was handed a seven-match ban by the English Football Association on Tuesday for head-butting an opposing player during a Premier League match.

The FA said Pardew will serve a three-match stadium ban before being suspended from standing on the touchline for the other four games.

On a chilly morning last weekend, a 57-year-old Japanese man adjusted his diving mask before heading out to sea from the tsunami-hit northeast coast.

Yasuo Takamatsu is learning to scuba dive in hopes of finding the remains of his wife.

The Syrian government freed only 25 prisoners — and not the 150 reported by foreign mediators — in exchange for 13 Greek Orthodox nuns who had been held by al-Qaida-linked rebels, the country's information minister said Tuesday.

Qatari and Lebanese officials, who were mediating between Damascus and the rebels holding the nuns, said previously that 150 women prisoners were released early Monday.

Defending champions Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova were upset in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open on Monday.

First, Sharapova went down to qualifier Camila Giorgi, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, giving the young Italian her first victory over a top-five player. Then, Nadal followed on the main stadium court, losing 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5) to Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine.

The New York Knicks defeated Philadelphia 123-110 on Monday to send the 76ers to their 17th straight loss, while the Miami Heat edged the Washington Wizards to clinch an NBA playoff spot.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 28 points for the Knicks, Amare Stoudemire added 23 points, and J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony each had 22 as New York won its fourth game in a row.

Fans attending the inaugural match at the new stadium in the jungle city of Manaus were not completely satisfied and reported a lot of unfinished work at the venue, which is set to host its first World Cup match in about three months.

Local media also reported a series of problems at the Arena da Amazonia, which opened on Sunday with a local match attended by about 20,000 people, including workers who helped build the 44,000-capacity stadium.

The good news? Miranda Lambert has completed her much anticipated, though somewhat overdue, fifth album. The bad news? You have to wait until June 3 for "Platinum," a full two years and eight months since her last LP.

Why the wait? Lambert released an album with her Pistol Annies trio in 2013 and extended her tour. She also decided she was at a place in her career where she'd earned the time to fulfill her entire creative vision, and it simply took time.

"You Must Remember This: Life and Style in Hollywood's Golden Age" (Viking), by Robert J. Wagner with Scott Eyman

Long before movies could talk, the people on the big screen were setting trends and styles for the rest of us. Even today, there's a sense of curiosity about what the stars are doing behind the gates of those great old mansions. If only we knew somebody who could get us in the door for a peek.

Justin Bieber didn't attend a court proceeding related to an assault charge he faces in Toronto, but that didn't prevent his fans from showing up anyway.

Police allege Bieber hit a limousine driver several times in the back of the head after he and five others were picked in the early hours of December 30th.

In a severe blow to the Netherlands' World Cup hopes, midfielder Kevin Strootman looks certain to miss the tournament in Brazil because of a serious knee injury.

AS Roma said Monday that the 24-year-old Strootman will undergo surgery after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and possibly damaging the meniscus in his left knee during Sunday's 1-0 loss at Napoli.