Authorities in Northern California made a snappy discovery during a routine probation check: An alligator-like reptile named "Mr. Teeth," who was apparently protecting a stash of marijuana.

When Alameda County Sheriff's deputies entered the Castro Valley home on Tuesday, they not only found 34 pounds of marijuana valued at an estimated $100,000, but also the 5-foot (1.52-meter)-long caiman inside a Plexiglas tank guarding it in a bedroom.

An 18th century cannon was found loaded with gun powder and a cannon ball Friday during a routine cleaning at the Central Park Conservancy.

Residual gun powder was spotted after a piece of rust was removed from the cannon, exposing the cannon ball, New York City Police said. Authorities were summoned to remove the gun powder and make the cannon safe for public display. The cannon came from a British Royal Navy Ship, the HMS Hussar, circa 1763 to 1780.

John Terry could play for Chelsea for the first time in two months after being named in the squad for Saturday's Premier League match at Stoke.

The former England captain has been out since damaging ligaments in his right knee following a collision with Liverpool striker Luis Suarez in a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on November 11.

French motorcyclist Thomas Bourgin was killed in the Dakar Rally when he collided with a Chilean police car on Friday.

Race officials say the incident occurred as Bourgin was traveling from Calama on the Chilean side of the Andes to the start of the seventh stage in Argentina. They say the police car was going in the opposite direction.

The Food and Drug Administration is requiring makers of Ambien and similar sleeping pills to lower the dosage of their drugs, based on studies suggesting patients face a higher risk of injury due to morning drowsiness.

The agency said Thursday that new research shows that the drugs remain in the bloodstream at levels high enough to interfere with alertness and coordination, which increases the risk of car accidents.

A 24-year-old contestant in this year's Miss America pageant is delivering a message about breast cancer prevention.

Miss DC Allyn Rose plans to undergo a double mastectomy after Saturday's contest — win or lose.

Rebels Friday overran Taftanaz airbase in north Syria, a watchdog said, marking a significant advance

"The fighting at Taftanaz military airport ended at 11:00 am (0900 GMT) and the base is entirely in rebel hands," said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman.

It's not wise to Google the nearest gas station, compose email, or use your smartphone to check the latest sports scores while driving. But many Americans do.

Drivers have grown so accustomed to their on-the-go tasks that automakers are increasingly trying to make those things easier to pull off with both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road.

The German Football Federation has fined Bayern Munich a total of €15,000 ($19,670) for fan trouble during Bundesliga games.

The DFB says Bayern fans set off flares causing smoke plumes during a game at Fortuna Duesseldorf on October 20 and let off fireworks at Nuremberg on November 17, while a home supporter ran toward the pitch when the club hosted Borussia Dortmund on December 1.

Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams are in the same half of the draw at the Australian Open, setting up the prospect of a semifinal match between the defending champion and the title favorite.

Top-ranked Azarenka has lost 11 of her 12 matches against Williams, who increased her career haul to 15 Grand Slam titles last year by winning at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Williams has won five Australian titles, more than any other woman in the Open era, and is in dominant form after winning 35 of her last 36 matches.