[World] Pistorius Denies Murder in Killing of Girlfriend

Pistorius Denies Murder in Killing of Girlfriend
http://sports.nationalpost.com/2013/02/19/oscar-pistorius-admits-shooting-girlfriend-reeva-steenkamp-says-he-thought-she-was-a-robber/
PRETORIA, South Africa - Facing a charge of premeditated murder following the killing of his girlfriend, Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee track star and one of the world's best-known athletes, flatly denied on Tuesday that he intended to take her life when ...

Robbers breach gate, steal $50 million in diamonds at Belgian airport
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/02/19/gigantic_belgium_diamond_heist_as_cargo_snatched_from_plane.html
(CNN) -- Eight masked thieves stole $50 million in rough and polished diamonds in a lightning-fast heist Monday at Brussels Airport, the Antwerp World Diamond Centre said Tuesday.

Afghan civilian casualties rose in 2nd half 2012
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/19/taliban-targeting-women-un-report
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - The number of Afghan civilians killed and wounded in the last half of 2012 rose sharply compared with the same period in 2011 as insurgents took advantage of warmer weather to carry out more ...

Sarkisian Easily Wins Armenian Presidential Vote
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/sarkisian-set-win-armenian-presidential-vote-18534151
Armenia's president easily won a second term, according to preliminary election results Tuesday, but international observers said the vote "lacked competition.

The West's contribution to Mali's tragedy
http://ncronline.org/news/global/west-s-contribution-mali-s-tragedy
A Malian soldier checks two civilians riding on a motorcycle Jan. 24 in Diabaly, which was recently liberated by French and Malian forces from Islamic rebels.

Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners join one-day hunger strike
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Feb-19/207074-palestinian-prisoners-announce-solidarity-strike.ashx
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Some 800 Palestinians serving time in Israeli jails were on Tuesday refusing food in solidarity with four fellow inmates who have been on long-term hunger strike, officials said.

Injured assistant political agent Landi Kotal dies
http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-88740-Assistant-political-agent-wounded-in-attack-dies-in-hospital
PESHAWAR: Assistant Political Agent Landi Kotal, Khalid Mumtaz Kundi, who was critically injured in an attack a day earlier, succumbed to his wounds in Combined Military Hospital Peshawar thirty hours after, Geo News reported.

Yemeni warplane crashes in residential district of capital, killing 11
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/official-military-training-plane-crashes-yemen-18534443
Reuters reports - A Yemeni air force plane crashed in the center of the capital Sanaa on Tuesday, killing at least 11 people and wounding 15, security sources said.

* Singapore, Malaysia agree to high-speed rail link
http://www.skynews.com.au/world/article.aspx?id=847234
A US company has accused a Chinese military intelligence unit in Shanghai of conducting a huge cyber-espionage campaign against western companies, in the most specific allegations that the People's Liberation Army sponsors hacking.

Afghan forces arrest Pakistan Taliban commander
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21504250
Maulvi Faqir Mohammad was detained in Nangarhar province, close to the Pakistani border, officials say. In March 2012, he was demoted from being deputy commander of the Pakistani Taliban, but had since reportedly been reconciled with the movement.

Leading Australian Jewish group breaks silence on Prisoner X affair
http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/leading-australian-jewish-group-breaks-silence-on-prisoner-x-affair.premium-1.504490
A week after the story about Ben Zygier broke, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry issues a statement welcoming calls in Israel and Australia for further investigation into the dual citizen's death.

Hollande says France to miss 2013 growth target
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/19/3241934/hollande-says-france-to-miss-2013.html
ATHENS, Greece (AP) - French President Francois Hollande has said his country will miss its economic growth target this year. Speaking during a brief visit to Athens on Tuesday, Hollande said that "everyone knows that for 2013, we will not reach our target, ...