Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger got a three-match touchline ban from UEFA on Friday for comments directed at the referee after his team's Champions League elimination this month.

UEFA said its disciplinary panel found Wenger guilty of "improper conduct," and fined him €40,000 ($53,000).

China said Friday that rebels fighting in Syria had to commit to talks and stop attacks they have been carrying out, mirroring demands from embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad.

A peace plan put forward by U.N. envoy Kofi Annan includes a call for a full cease-fire, but Assad's condition that there be an express promise from the opposition to stop attacks could complicate Annan's attempts to bring an end to more than a year of violence that the U.N. says has killed more than 9,000 people.

An Afghan policeman killed nine of his fellow officers as they lay sleeping in a village in the eastern Paktika province on Friday, police said, blaming the attack on the Taliban.

Provincial police chief Dawlat Khan Zadran said the incident took place in Yayakhil town of Yayakhil district.

Brazil coach Mano Menezes says he has doubts over whether Kaka can force his way into the 2014 World Cup team, putting the onus on the Real Madrid player to prove he is worthy of a spot.

Menezes told Brazilian channel SporTV on Thursday that he thinks Kaka could be key for Brazil in the World Cup, but said "next season will tell if Kaka can still play for Brazil in a World Cup. We all have doubts."

Diego Maradona was restrained by security staff as he confronted opposition fans in the stands on Thursday, angry at threats and abuse directed toward wives and girlfriends of his al-Wasl players.

Maradona called the al-Shabab fans "cowards" after they heckled the women during his team's 2-0 loss.

At 18 months, Cristina Astacio spoke only a few words, wouldn't respond to her name and shunned other kids in her day care group. Last October, her worried parents found out why.

She has a mild form of autism, a diagnosis being given to more U.S. children than ever before, largely because of more awareness and better diagnosis.

Stocks fell Thursday for the third day in a row after reminders that Europe has not solved its debt crisis and the U.S. economy is far from healed, despite progress on both fronts.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 58 points in early trading to 13,069. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 fell nine points to 1,397. The Nasdaq composite index fell 15 to 3,090.

The Gulf country that gave the world indoor skiing in the desert, a Ferrari theme park and a half mile-high skyscraper is back at it with plans for an entire resort island based around the brand of one of the world's richest football clubs.

If all goes according to plan, the $1 billion Real Madrid Resort Island should open in January 2015 on a now nearly barren manmade island in the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, a little more than an hour's drive north of Dubai.

Barcelona has filed a complaint to UEFA about the state of the San Siro pitch in its 0-0 draw with AC Milan in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

The defending champions said they filed the complaint late Wednesday after the match in which their players lost their footing and kicked up clumps of turf from the ground.

In the past, if you wanted to listen to a thumping, European-flavored dance jam on the radio, you waited for that Friday or Saturday night club mix.

Today, you can shake your body on your daily drive to work.