[World] Italy election: Berlusconi tax letter causes outrage

Italy election: Berlusconi tax letter causes outrage
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21521877
Silvio Berlusconi is trying to buy votes in Italy's election on Sunday by sending out letters promising a tax rebate, his rivals have alleged.

Pope Benedict studying edict to change conclave rules
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21522069
Pope Benedict is considering changes to Catholic Church rules which may speed up the process to select his successor, the Vatican says.

South Korea Brushes Off North's 'Final Destruction' Threat
http://www.voanews.com/content/south-korea-brushes-off-norths-final-destruction-threat/1607099.html
SEOUL - South Korea's top national security official, in an exclusive VOA interview, says there is no cause for alarm amid a fresh North Korean threat to destroy the South.

Tunisia seeks new premier to escape political crisis
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/tunisia-pm-hamadi-jebali-quits-after-failing-to-form-new-government/374021-2.html
By Tarek Amara. TUNIS | Wed Feb 20, 2013 9:32am EST. TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian leaders began the search for a new prime minister on Wednesday to try to lead the North African nation out of its gravest political crisis since an uprising that inspired a wave ...

Photographs suggest Tamil leader's son, Balachandran Prabhakaran, was ...
http://www.livemint.com/Politics/vsr8ttloPbxxKbuNMalBLP/Channel-4-documentary-alleges-Sri-Lanka-executed-Prabhakara.html
A NEW photograph showing the 12-year-old son of a Tamil Tiger commander apparently in the custody of the Sri Lankan army just hours before his death in May 2009 has raised fresh questions over whether the boy was executed in the last moments of the ...

Time to end the war in Syria â€" Lavrov
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Feb-20/207191-russia-warns-syria-rivals-risk-mutual-destruction.ashx
Russia's Foreign Minister, on calling for the cessation of violence in the Arab Republic, has warned against the use of force as a means of resolving the two-year conflict.

PM Rajoy says 'Spain's head out of the water,' claims 2012 deficit slashed to ...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/getty/article/ALeqM5gBpNVttciyZEPS4nFvyDUC6Wv6wA?docId=162199277
MADRID - Spain is on the mend, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy claimed Wednesday as he revealed that the government's budget deficit fell to less than 7 percent of GDP in 2012, from nearly 9 percent a year earlier.

France asks nationals to leave north Cameroon
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/02/20/vacationing_family_held_hostage_in_nigeria_kidnapping_odious_act_says_hollande.html
France has urged its citizens to leave north Cameroon "as quickly as possible" after seven of its nationals were kidnapped by gunmen on Tuesday.

US Lawmakers Meet With Jailed American in Cuba
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-lawmakers-meet-jailed-american-cuba-18539766
US lawmakers have confirmed they visited Alan Gross, an American man whose detention in Cuba has hampered efforts to improve relations between the countries.

UPDATE 4-Armenian president wins re-election, exit poll shows
http://armenianow.com/vote_2013/43762/armenia_presidential_election_2013_raffi_hovannisian_rally_serzh_sargsyan
Mon Feb 18, 2013 4:10pm EST. * Sarksyan had big lead in polls before vote. * Campaign tainted by assassination attempt on rival. * Police received 70 allegations of voting violations (Adds details of alleged violations, partial results).

Vicky Pryce jury discharged in Huhne speeding points case
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21516473
The jury trying ex-minister Chris Huhne's former wife Vicky Pryce has failed to reach a verdict on a charge relating to speeding points she took for him 10 years ago.

Missing Canadian woman's body found at LA hotel
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/02/19/missing-woman-body-found.html
The body found in a water tank atop a Los Angeles hotel has been identified as that of a missing 21-year-old Vancouver woman, local police say.