WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former American diplomat Thomas Pickering said what struck him most during a review of last year's attacks on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, were the frequent personnel changes, second-guessing on security upgrades, and dismissive attitude toward dozens of security incidents. The temporary status of the mission also led to uncertainty about providing additional funding, including for security, he said in an interview. The United States established a diplomatic presence in the eastern Libyan city after the 2011 revolt against former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. … Ronda Rousey tested, but beats Liz Carmouche with armbar in historic women's debut at UFC 157
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Ronda Rousey won the first women’s bout in UFC history Saturday night, beating Liz Carmouche on an armbar with 11 seconds left in the first round of their bantamweight title fight at UFC 157.
Kerry makes first foreign trip as top U.S. diplomat
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – John Kerry views his first trip as U.S. secretary of stat e as a listening tour, but the leaders he meets will want to hear whether he has any new ideas on Syria, Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Kerry leaves on Sunday for London, the first stop on a nine-nation, 11-day trip that will also take him to Berlin, Paris, Rome, Ankara, Cairo, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Doha before he returns home on March 6. It is an introductory trip for a man who needs little introduction abroad after spending 28 years in the U.S. … Matt Stajan scores twice for struggling Flames in 3-1 win over Wild
CALGARY – Matt Stajan scored twice including the go-ahead goal Saturday night as the Calgary Flames got a much needed two points with a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild.
NASCAR fans at Daytona injured when large chunks of debris from car fly into grandstands
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – At least 33 fans were injured Saturday during a NASCAR race when a car flew into the fence at Daytona International Speedway, hurling a tire and large pieces of debris into the stands. 
KARACHI (Reuters) – When Aurangzeb Farooqi survived an attempt on his life that left six of his bodyguards dead and a six-inch bullet wound in his thigh, the Pakistani cleric lost little time in turning the narrow escape to his advantage. Recovering in hospital after the ambush on his convoy in Karachi, Pakistan's commercial capital, the radical Sunni Muslim ideologue was composed enough to exhort his followers to close ranks against the city's Shi'ites. … 
TOKYO (Reuters) – Former top bureaucrat Toshiro Muto is losing some momentum in the race to become Japan's next central bank governor, making for a more open contest, which will kick off in full force this week following Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's return from his U.S. trip. Muto had been considered the leading candidate to replace incumbent Masaaki Shirakawa, who leaves on March 19 after a five-year term. Muto remains on the short list with strong backing from bureaucrats at the powerful Ministry of Finance. … 
ROME (Reuters) – Italy pressed citizens to get out and vote in one of the most closely watched elections in years on Sunday and Monday, with markets on edge at the prospect of a political stalemate that could reignite the debt crisis. A campaigning ban kicked in the day before the vote but center-right leader Silvio Berlusconi, on trial for a sex crime, broke the rules to launch an attack on magistrates, saying on Saturday that claims he held "Bunga Bunga" parties were a sham. … 
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – The jailed leader of Turkey's Kurdish rebellion on Saturday signale d that his followers could release captives and further a fledgling peace process that may be the best hope in years of ending the decades-long conflict. The call by Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the autonomy-seeking Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), came after a rare meeting with members of parliament's only pro-Kurdish party at his prison on an island in the Sea of Marmara south of Istanbul. … 
(Reuters) – The Royal Bank of Scotland will unveil plans next week to float a portion of its stake in U.S. retail bank Citizens Financial Group Inc, the Telegraph newspaper reported late on Friday. A full sale of Providence, Rhode Isl and-based Citizens could raise more than 8 billion pounds ($12.21 billion) for Britain's largest state-backed lender, which has been under pressure from regulators to strengthen its balance sheet. … 
MADRID (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched through cities across the country on Saturday to protest deep austerity, the pri vatization of public services and political corruption. Gathering under the banner of the "Citizen Tide", students, doctors, unionists, young families and pensioners staged rowdy but non-violent demonstrations as a near five-year economic slump shows no sign of recovery and mass unemployment rises. "I'm here to add my voice. They're cutting where they shouldn't cut; health, education … basic services. … 
PARIS (Reuters) – French President Francois Hollande sang the praises of local produce at the annual French farm show, where the horse meat scandal added to French cattle breeders' downbeat mood. Hollande, who was long the head of the rural Correze region, spent hours talking to livestock farmers, who worry that the discovery of horse meat in lasagnas and other processed foods labeled as beef-based will cast another cloud over their sector. "We need to promote French quality, French production and French cattle breeding," Hollande told reporters at Europe's largest farm show. … 
ROME (Reuters) – Two Italian marines charged in India with killing two fishermen while on anti-pirate duty a year ago arrived home on Saturday to vote in parliamentary elections this weekend. "We are happy to be back home. This has been possible because India's Supreme Court … has shown itself to be very democratic by recognizing our right to vote," Massimiliano Latorre said on arrival at Rome Fiumicino airport with his colleague, Salvatore Girone. … 
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – New fighting erupted between Arab tribes in Sudan's troubled Darfur region, tribal leaders said on Saturday, threate ning to displace more people after clashes last month killed more than 100 and forced around 130,000 to flee. Law and order has collapsed in swathes of the arid western region since mainly non-Arab tribes revolted against the Arab government in Khartoum in 2003, accusing it of neglect. Violence has ebbed since 2004 but picked up again in recent months. … 
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Palestinian officials on Saturday demanded an international investigation into the death of a Palestinian detainee who died in an Israeli jail hours earlier. A spokeswoman for Israel's Prison Authority said that the detainee, 30-year-old Arafat Jaradat, had apparently died of cardiac arrest. An emergency service team had tried to resuscitate him but failed, she said. … 
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan's cabinet gave preliminary approval to a long-delayed package of laws to govern mining, which officials hope will become a key driver of the troubled country's economy, the government said on Saturday. The news will be greeted with relief by Wester n donors, who committed to provide $4bn in aid from 2012 to 2015 based partly on projections of future mining earnings, only to see cabinet reject the legislation in July due to concern the laws failed to protect national interests from foreign exploitation. … 
JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- Far from the courtroom drama that has gripped South Africa, the family of Oscar Pistorius' slain girlfriend has struggled with its own private deluge of grief, frustration and bewilderment. 
ROME (Reuters) – Italy pressed citizens to get out and vote in one of the most closely watched elections in years on Sunday and Monday, with financial markets on edge at the prospect of a political st alemate that could reignite the euro zone debt crisis. A campaigning ban kicked in at midnight on Friday after leaders held final rallies. Comedian-turned-politician Beppe Grillo stole the spotlight in Rome by attracting an estimated half a million people to hear his tirades against corrupt politicians and bankers. … 
PARIS (AP) -- A vow to keep his private life out of the public eye helped sweep Francois Hollande to power last year as France's president, attracting voters tired of his flashy predecessor's amorous exploits. Now, the words of the one-time dull Socialist are back to bite him in a new play. 
CAIRO (AP) -- A key opposition leader called Saturday for a boycott of upcoming parliamentary elections, saying he will not take part in a "sham democracy." 
In recent weeks, the Pakistani government and Taliban forces fighting in northwestern tribal areas have expressed an interest in peace talks to end the years-l ong conflict. An estimated 30,000 civilians and 4,000 soldiers have died in terrorist attacks in Pakistan since Sept. 11, 2001 -- many at the hands of the Pakistani Taliban. Many of those victims are angry at the prospect of peace talks with their attackers. 
BEIRUT (AP) -- The battle for Syria's second-largest airport intensified on Saturday as regime troops tried to reverse rebels' strategic gains in the northeast recently. 
VATICAN CITY (AP) -- The Vatican lashed out Saturday at the media for what it said has been a run of defamatory and false reports before the conclave to elect Pope Benedict XVI's successor, saying they were an attempt to influence the election. 
JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- The father of Oscar Pistorius' slain girlfriend has told a South African newspaper that the athlete will have to "live with his conscience" if he is lying about how he killed her. 
PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain (AP) -- Protesters jeered the Spanish king's son-in-law before he was questioned Saturday by a judge about allegations he and a partner funneled away millions of euros through fraudulent deals. 
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) -- North Korea warned the top American commander in South Korea on Saturday of "miserable destruction" if the U.S. military presses ahead with routine joint drills with South Korea set to begin next month. 
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – John Kirwan's reign as Auckland Blues coach got off to a winning start with a deserved 34-20 bonus point victor y over the Wellington Hurricanes in their Super Rugby opener in the New Zealand capital on Saturday. The former All Black great and Italy coach has been charged with reviving the fortunes of the three-time champions and there was much to please him about his team's performance in a tough encounter at Wellington Regional Stadium. … 
KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) – Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is now able to talk, his doctor said, adding he was hopeful the Kurdish statesman would soon be fit to return to Iraq from Germany, where he has been receiving medical treatment for a stroke. A peace-maker who often mediated among Iraq's Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish factions, 79-year-old Talabani was flown abroad in December in critical condition. "I am in continuous contact with the German team treating President Talabani," said Najmaldin Karim, who is also governor of the city of Kirkuk. … 
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea on Sunday warned the top U.S. military commander stationed in South Korea that his forces would "meet a miserable destruction" if they go ahead with scheduled military drills with South Korean troops, North Korean state media said. Pak Rim-su, chief delegate of the North Korean military mission to the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom, gave the message by phone to Gen. James Thurman, the commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, KCNA news agency said. … 
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) -- Hazratullah Khan, who lost his right leg below the knee in a car bombing, answers immediately when asked whether the Pakistani government should hold peace talks with Taliban leaders responsible for attacks like the one that maimed him.