10 things you need to know today: August 24, 2012

Lance Armstrong at the start of stage 13 of the 2010 Tour de France: The seven-time Tour winner has been stripped of all his wins and banned from cycling by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, after

(Image credit: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

1. NORWAY'S MASS KILLER SENTENCED TO 21 YEARS

A Norwegian court ruled Friday that Anders Behring Breivik, convicted of the bloody bomb and gun attacks that killed 77 people in July 2011, is sane, sentencing him to 21 years behind bars — the maximum sentence in the country. The 33-year-old had previously said that he wanted a prison term and did not want to be ruled insane for the deadly rampage. Prosecutors, however, had asked that he be ruled insane and locked up indefinitely in a psychiatric hospital. Instead, Breivik, 33, will serve his sentence in isolation in Ila Prison on the outskirts of Oslo. Officials can put off his release indefinitely, and will likely do so after his 21 years are up if he still poses a threat. [Associated Press]

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Cyclist Lance Armstrong will be stripped of his seven Tour de France medals and barred from competing for life over charges of doping, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced Thursday night. Armstrong said he would not fight the charges, declaring "enough is enough." The 40-year-old reiterated his claims that he never tested positive for drugs. He insisted he wasn't admitting guilt but was choosing to spend more time with his family and Livestrong Foundation. In a statement, Armstrong said, "I know who won those seven Tours... Nobody can never change that." [USA Today]

At least 100 people were killed in Syria on Thursday as the country's military revved up its attacks in Daraya, a Damascus suburb. The latest raid comes as President Bashar al-Assad tries to reassert his control against rebel fighters, and coincides with the departure of U.N. military observers, who failed to maintain peace in the country. Human rights groups predict that anywhere between 100 and 250 people are dying at the hands of the Syrian government every day. [Associated Press]

Team Romney is coming under the microscope for demanding that if a Denver television reporter wanted an interview with him, she better not ask any questions about abortion or embattled Senate candidate Todd Akin of Missouri. CBS-affiliated reporter Shaun Boyd told an anchor after the interview that "the one stipulation to the interview was that I not ask him about abortion or Todd Akin." Seeking to quell the flames, a Romney campaign source said, "This is not how we operate. The matter is being addressed." [Washington Post]

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee split from the GOP establishment on Thursday and defended Todd Akin, the Senate candidate from Missouri who is taking heat for his comments about "legitimate rape." Huckabee wrote an email to his supporters in which he accused Republicans of a "carefully orchestrated and systematic attack" on Akin. Huckabee, who has a prime speaking spot on Monday at the Republican National Convention, is the first major GOPer to so explicitly come to Akin's defense. House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, and National Republican Senatorial Committee boss John Cornyn have all suggested that the Missourian reconsider his candidacy. Akin refuses to drop out. [Politico]

U.S. drone strikes on three militant compounds in Pakistan have killed at least 15 people. The attack on Friday, in Tundar village, near the Afghan border, came a day after Pakistani officials urged a U.S. diplomat to object to such "unlawful" strikes. The attack is likely to come under scrutiny by Pakistani officials, who believe drones are counterproductive and result in civilian casualties. The U.S. considers them crucial in the war against terrorism. [AFP]

Mitt Romney, under fire from President Obama to release more of his tax returns, is arguing that he won't make the documents public because he doesn't want to reveal how much money he gives to the Mormon church. "Our church doesn't publish how much people have given," the presumed Republican presidential nominee told Parade magazine in an interview that will be published Sunday. "It's a very personal thing between ourselves and our commitment to our God and to our church," Romney added. Romney has disclosed his 2010 tax returns and estimates for 2011 but has said he won't reveal any more years of returns. [Salt Lake Tribune]

Mark David Chapman, convicted decades ago of killing Beatles legend John Lennon, was denied parole for the seventh time, New York corrections officials said on Thursday. The 57-year-old is currently serving a 20 years to life sentence for shooting Lennon outside his New York City apartment in 1980. Chapman, who is being held at a correctional facility in Alden, N.Y., is eligible to ask for parole again in two years. [Reuters]

LL Cool J followed his mama's advice when he knocked out an alleged burglar in his Los Angeles home, leaving the thief with a broken nose, jaw, and ribs. Jonathan A. Kirby, a homeless man, was charged with first-degree burglary on Thursday, and under California's "Three Strikes" law faces a sentence of 38 years to life in prison if convicted. Authorities said the rapper found the suspect in his kitchen on Wednesday. What happened next is unclear, but cops said LL Cool J was "in control of the suspect" when they arrived. The actor was not injured. [AFP]

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