Families of a Japanese journalist and Jordanian military pilot remained in limbo.

Novak Djokovic did enough to beat defending champion Stan Wawrinka in a semifinal match that lacked the intensity of their recent five-setters, setting up an Australian Open final against long-time friend and rival Andy Murray. The top-ranked Djokovic beat Wawrinka in a peculiarly seesawing 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 match Friday night to ensure two members of the so-called Big Four will meet the season-opening Grand Slam final. Djokovic has a 100 percent winning record in finals at Melbourne Park, claiming his first Grand Slam title here in 2008 and winning three straight years from 2011 before his streak was ended in the quarterfinals last year by Wawrinka. The previous three Grand Slam meetings between Djokovic and Wawrinka had gone five sets, including two at the Australian Open that lasted a combined nine hours.

'Suge' Knight faces murder charges

NFL officiating chief Dean Blandino says the inspection of the footballs by referee Walt Anderson before the AFC championship game was handled properly. Blandino also said Thursday the process of checking the footballs and security surrounding the inspections will be enhanced for Sunday's Super Bowl. As the league's investigation into the Patriots' use of under-inflated footballs moves along, Blandino made it clear the officiating crew for New England's win over Indianapolis did its job. ''My major concern is did we follow proper protocol?'' Blandino said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Declaring an end to "mindless austerity," President Barack Obama called for a surge in government spending Thursday, and asked Congress to throw out the sweeping budget cuts both parties agreed to four years ago when deficits were spiraling out of control.

Tiger Woods helped attract a record, raucous crowd to the Phoenix Open on Thursday, the first big event in a week that concludes with the Super Bowl. They didn't see much of a game - at least not from Woods. It was the first time in his career that Woods shot over par in his first round of the year.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Death Row Records founder Marion "Suge" Knight was arrested on suspicion of murder early Friday, hours after the rap music figure turned himself in to authorities in a hit-and-run wreck that killed a man and injured another near Los Angeles.

Serena Williams cut short a practice on the eve of the Australian Open final against Maria Sharapova due to a cold she's been battling for the past week. The No. 1-ranked American was shown in footage on Australia's Channel 7 network coughing into a towel and blowing her nose before she abandoned the practice session on Friday.

(Reuters) - An elderly man and woman found dead outside their homes in separate coastal Massachusetts communities were likely victims of a massive blizzard that hit New England earlier this week, police said on Thursday. Olive Dupuis, 84, was found dead Thursday morning next to her car, near her home in the coastal city of Salem, north of Boston, police lieutenant Matt Desmond said, adding weather was likely a factor with sub-freezing temperatures and snow. The Massachusetts cases, which are still under investigation, bring the death toll from a wind-whipped blizzard that slammed the northeastern United States earlier this week to at least four. The blizzard disrupted life for millions of residents across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York, dumping up to 3 feet (90 cm) of snow in places, though it largely bypassed New York City.

Marshawn Lynch changed the script and fired back at his critics. After two days of giving only scripted answers, the Seattle Seahawks' star running back gave his most extensive comments of Super Bowl week, mostly telling reporters why he won't talk to them.