Pistorius selling house to pay fees

1: Army general fined, reprimanded in case

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A U.S. Army general who had a three-year affair with a captain and had two other inappropriate relationships with subordinates was reprimanded and docked $20,000 in pay Thursday, avoiding jail time in one of the military’s most closely watched trials.

Legal experts, a women’s group and Congress members condemned the sentence as shockingly light.

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair was believed to be the highest-ranking U.S. military officer ever court-martialed on sexual assault charges, but earlier this week those charges were dropped when he pleaded guilty to inappropriate relationships.

Defense attorney Richard Scheff said Sinclair, 51, will retire from the military.

2:

JOHANNESBURG — Oscar Pistorius is selling the house where he killed Reeva Steenkamp to raise money for his legal bills, the athlete’s lawyer said Thursday.

Pistorius has not returned to the upscale Pretoria villa since the day he shot his girlfriend in a bathroom over a year ago and “cannot contemplate ever returning to live there again,” lawyer Brian Webber said.

Pistorius’ murder trial was initially planned to run March 3 to March 20, but prosecutors are still presenting evidence and expect to continue with their case until the middle of next week.

The high-profile trial is expected to run into April and maybe longer.

3: Protesters, police clash amid strike

ATHENS, Greece — Greek riot police clashed with protesters who gathered outside the office of a government minister Thursday, the second day of a nationwide civil ser- vants’ strike.

Police reported no arrests or injuries and said the minister wasn’t present.

The clashes occurred outside the private central Athens office of Administrative Reform Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, where protesters remained for several hours and reached the roof of the apartment building.

Greece’s bailout lenders have demanded extensive public sector staff cuts, and this week reached an agreement with the government for continued cuts and austerity taxes in ex- change for restarting rescue loan payments.

4: Italy picks up 4,000 at sea over 4 days

ROME — Italian authorities say they have rescued more than 4,000 would-be migrants at sea over the past four days as the war in Syria and instability in Libya spawn new waves of refugees.

The numbers of migrants reaching Italian shores generally rise this time of year as warm weather and calm seas make the Mediterranean Sea crossing from North Africa easier.