Somali leader asks for Minnesota's help

A DAY after the US officially recognised Somalia's government for the first time in two decades, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called on Somalis living in Minnesota to help rebuild their war-torn homeland.

Mohamud spoke to about 4000 people at the Minneapolis Convention Center on Friday night.

He said US recognition was "the beginning of a new foundation."

Omar Jamal, first secretary of the Somali Mission to the United Nations, said the president asked the crowd to assist their nation - either by returning to Somalia or from their homes in Minnesota.

Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the US.

On Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had joined the Somali president in Washington DC to announce the change in diplomatic relations.

After Friday's speech, Ilhan Omar said she felt there was a plan to rebuild her homeland.

"I felt like it was the first time in 20 years that we can see a light at the end of the tunnel," said Omar, 30.

Amira Adawe hopes the US government's recognition of Somalia will open the door to widespread international aid.

"I can't wait to go back home and help," she said.

Clinton cited the militant group al-Shabab's retreat from every major Somali city. The US has provided $US780 million ($A743.18 million) to African forces to help that battle.

Authorities say more than 20 young Somali men have left Minnesota since 2007 to join al-Shabab, a terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda. A Minneapolis man was convicted in October of sending young men to Somalia to join the group.

Roda Rabi, who protested the president's visit, said many Somalis were unhappy with Mohamud's efforts since his election in September. Rabi said Mohamud has failed to follow the UN plan for Somalia's reconciliation.

Saeed Fahia, executive director of the Confederation of the Somali Community in Minnesota, said it's too early to judge the new president. Too much has happened in the past two decades to be solved in a matter of months, he said.

"It would be difficult for any human being to take on Somalia's problems," he said.

"After 23 years, Somalia is back in the world community.

"After all these years of fighting and drought ... we will be able to work toward rebuilding."

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Heavy snow brings travel chaos to UK

BRITAIN faces another day of travel disruption as heavy snow that blankets much of the country turns to ice.

Hundreds of passengers were left stranded on Friday as airports across the UK suspended flights and motorists struggled through blizzards along treacherous roads.

British Airways apologised to people trapped on planes in appalling weather at Heathrow airport as they waited for a slot to take off, and hundreds of others had flights cancelled.

More than 400 flights were cancelled at the airport, and hundreds of people spent the night on the floor as they waited for flights to be rescheduled.

The arctic blasts forced nearly 2000 schools to shut their doors, meaning some sixth-form and college students had their A-level exams postponed.

But the weather heaped misery on more than 10,000 households in south Wales, where residents found themselves with no power on Friday morning.

There are warnings of further misery on Saturday.

The UK's weather bureau, the Met Office, is forecasting less snow, but has issued yellow warnings for ice over much of the country. A fleet of snow ploughs and gritters will continue to be out in force across the weekend.

Rail travellers also experienced upheaval on Friday as operators scrapped services.

Snow fell across much of the UK, with south Wales experiencing the worst of the weather, forcing the Met Office to issue a "red" severe weather warning.

Sennybridge in Powys had 25cm of snow, while many other places across the UK saw between 5cm and 10cm.

Further snow fell overnight in the Midlands and London, while Suffolk and Essex had up to 4cm.

Heavy snow showers are expected to develop across parts of northern England and eastern parts of Scotland.

Temperatures are likely to remain low - down to about -3C, and ice is expected to form on any untreated roads.

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Flood deaths in Jakarta rise to 14

THE death toll from floods in Indonesia's capital Jakarta has climbed to 14 after searchers pulled three more bodies from the waters.

Indonesia's national disaster management agency said on Saturday that the body of a 35-year-old member of the city's search and rescue team was found on the banks of an overflowing river late on Friday. Another man was found dead near his flooded home in western Jakarta.

The third body of a male worker was found on Saturday in the flooded basement parking of a building in a central area of the city.

The agency said most victims were electrocuted or drowned. Electricity supplies have been cut to several flooding areas to prevent electrocutions.

A dyke in central Jakarta collapsed late on Wednesday amid floods that swamped the city. Successive governments have done little to mitigate the flooding threat.

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Myanmar's leader vows to help poor

THE leader of Myanmar (Burma) has vowed to put the nation's impoverished people at the heart of reforms in a speech wooing international donors whose help is badly-needed to rebuild the battered economy.

After decades of kleptocratic junta rule, Myanmar's people remain among the world's poorest, prompting President Thein Sein's pledge to raise living standards, boost jobs and support farmers and small businesses.

The government "must be people-centred" and respond to their "needs, expectations and wishes", Thein Sein told donors - including officials from the United States, European Union, Japan, World Bank and IMF - in Naypyidaw, according to an English transcript of his comments.

"While focusing on improvements in productivity, job creation and income opportunities we will also need to help people have better access to education, healthcare, social welfare, electricity and telecommunications," he said.

Myanmar will fulfil those aspirations "more effectively and successfully if we... receive assistance from the international community", he added.

The country has asked the IMF for help in 2013, according to a report released this week by the body.

The study says the country's economy bounced along in the 2011-12 financial year, posting a 5.5 per cent growth rate that is expected to hit 6.25 per cent this year.

Speaking at the donor forum, Kan Zaw, Minister for National Planning and Economic Development, said the government was crafting a 20-year economic plan and welcomed "ideas, knowledge, systems and technology" as well as cash assistance.

Since taking power in March 2011, the government has introduced a range of reforms, including allowing elections, freeing many political prisoners and encouraging foreign investment to boost the impoverished nation's economy.

But there are daunting challenges ahead after decades of corrupt and brutal rule by the junta whose bungled economic policies ruined the once-thriving farming sector - which employs more than 60 per cent of the population.

Thein Sein's government has begun to reach out to the public, pledging to slash the poverty rate from 26 to 16 per cent by 2015.

In December, Myanmar's leader pledged to make good governance the "third step" of the nation's reform strategy, following sweeping political and economic changes in the former authoritarian country.

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Islamists still holding hostages: Algeria

Twelve hostages have been killed since the Algerian army launched an operation against militants. Source: AAP

ISLAMISTS are holding a number of foreigners hostage at a gas plant deep in the Algerian desert, nearly 48 hours after a failed rescue attempt killed at least 12 of them, a security source says.

Al-Qaeda-linked gunmen said after Thursday's rescue raid they still held seven foreigners - three Belgians, two Americans, one Japanese and a Briton - inside the sprawling Sahara complex in northeast Algeria near the border with Libya.

An Algerian security official put the number of foreign hostages at 10, but more workers also remain unaccounted for, including at least 10 Japanese and eight Norwegians.

"There's no change since yesterday, the situation remains the same," the security official told AFP on Saturday.

Algerian media slammed the authorities' silence on the incident, saying that most of the information about the attack had come from international news outlets via the Mauritanian news agency ANI, which had received messages from the group.

A spokesman for the "Signatories in Blood," headed by jihadist commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar, said 34 hostages were killed when Algerian special forces raided the plant on Thursday a day after they seized it.

The group is demanding an end to French intervention in neighbouring Mali, ANI quoted sources close to Belmokhtar as saying. The veteran Algerian Islamist has claimed responsibility for Wednesday's militant assault on the gas plant.

According to Algeria's national news agency APS, the military operation on Thursday killed 12 hostages and 18 of their captors, but also freed 100 of the 132 foreigners held.

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Russia's Bolshoi theatre director attacked

THE artistic director of the Bolshoi Theatre Sergei Filin has been hospitalised with severe burns after an assailant threw acid on his face.

Filin, who is a former acclaimed dancer and was appointed to his post in 2011, suffered injuries to the face, head and eyes late Thursday when the attacker cornered him near a residential house in central Moscow, police told Russian news agencies.

The attacker fled the scene and no suspects have been identified so far.

The 42-year-old director is an integral part of the Bolshoi's recent artistic remake, and is known for beginning to stage innovative repertoire in Russia's most famous theatre, which has earned both applause and scorn from critics.

Bolshoi's spokeswoman Katerina Novikova told AFP that Filin is in the hospital and doctors are battling to save his eyesight. He sustained third-degree burns.

"His condition is grave, but his life is not in danger. Right now the main thing is to save his eyes," she said, adding that the attack is most likely connected to professional rivalries and conflicts over prominent roles in the theatre's productions.

"That such things can happen in the sphere of culture is hard to fathom," she said.

Filin has constantly received threats, Ms Novikova added.

Police launched a probe into malicious damage to a person's health, a crime that could lead to eight years in prison.

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US must lead Mideast peace talks: AUKMIN

Australia and the UK have called on the US to be a leader in encouraging peace in the Middle East. Source: AAP

THE United States must be a leader in facilitating "urgent" progress for peace in the Middle East, Australian and British leaders say.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr, British Defence Secretary Philip Hammond and Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith issued a communique after the annual Australia/UK Ministerial (AUKMIN) summit in Perth on Friday.

They said the Palestinians and Israelis needed to sit down for "negotiations without preconditions".

Mr Carr told reporters the US needed to lead a major effort this year to achieve a negotiated two-state solution with a secure Israel alongside a Palestinian state.

"There must be an urgent, concentrated effort and only the United States has the capacity and the authority and the influence that will bring this to fruition," he said.

"But it's in the interest of the region and the interests of the world that the cycle of violence in the Middle East over Arab-Israel conflict is brought to a peaceful end."

Mr Hague said "the alignment of circumstances", including the Israeli election coming to an end next week, the US elections now over and the political situation in the Middle East becoming more difficult, meant now was the time for action.

"That requires a particularly strong international effort," he said.

"We lay no criticism or blame on previous attempts that have not been successful - it's been right to attempt it - but I do think it requires the US administration to be a strong leader and other countries to support it."

Mr Carr agreed that both countries acknowledged the "hard slog" so far but time was running out.

The UK and Australia also jointly called for the Israelis to halt settlement activity, labelling it illegal under international law and said it undermined prospects for peace.

The ministers also condemned the violence in Syria and continued to call on President Assad to step aside so that peaceful political transition could occur.

"We support the efforts of the Joint Special Representative of the UN and the Arab League, Lakhdar Brahimi, to end the violence in Syria and bring about a process of political transition," the communique said.

"We shared concerns about the stockpile of chemical weapons in Syria and agreed that any use of these weapons would be unacceptable.

"We will maintain pressure on the Assad regime never to use these weapons and to take all responsible measures to keep the weapons secure."

They also shared concerns over the nature of Iran's nuclear program and the threat it posed to regional stability and security, calling on the country to comply with resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and International Atomic Energy Agency.

Both also voted not to oppose enhanced Palestinian status in the UN and called on the Palestinian Authority to exercise restraint and avoid provocative actions at international forums.

"Australia and the United Kingdom urge the Palestinians to resolve their internal differences, unite for peace and cease acts of violence against Israel," they said in the communique.

"In particular, we call for the Palestinians to abide by the terms of the Gaza ceasefire and to stop all rocket attacks."

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Two homes destroyed in Bega fires

A BUSHFIRE in the NSW Bega Valley that razed two properties continues to pose a threat to more properties, the RFS says.

The fire, west of Merimbula, crossed the Princes Highway on Friday afternoon and was threatening properties between Wolumla and Millingandi, an RFS spokeswoman said.

"There is still a threat to those properties," she told AAP at 9pm (AEDT) on Friday.

Two properties and the two sheds were lost in the blaze, which has burnt 150 hectares.

About 100 firefighters will work through the night, but three assisting aircraft were stood down as darkness fell.

Residents were being advised to head north to Bega or south to Merimbula if they wished to leave the area.

No mandatory evacuation order has been put in place.

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Ex-federal MP Peter Shack convicted

A FORMER federal MP Peter Shack has been convicted of stealing $100,000 from a family trust.

The Liberal member for the West Australian seat of Tangney from 1977 to 1993, had claimed during his trial that his mother-in-law agreed to lend him the money in 2004 for an investment.

He claimed his mother-in-law wanted to keep the loan a secret from her children to avoid jealousy.

However, on Friday, a jury in the Perth District Court found Shack guilty after deliberating for several hours.

He will be sentenced in April.

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Rescuers make contact with solo yachtsman

A SEARCH and rescue aircraft has made contact with a solo round-the-world yachtsman who is floating in a life raft in remote waters after abandoning his vessel southwest of Tasmania.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) says the man was located in his life raft in remote waters on Friday night, about 946km from Hobart.

The sailor, believed to have been at sea for several months, had abandoned his yacht after it lost its mast and suffered hull damage in rough conditions.

A second life raft containing communications equipment has been dropped to him, an AMSA spokeswoman said.

She said contact had been made with the Frenchman but officers were not able to get much information because he spoke very little English.

A second search and rescue plane, with French-speaking Victoria Police officers onboard, was on its way to the scene to monitor the man overnight and try to make contact with any nearby vessels that could rescue him, she said.

Shipping in the area has been alerted and the Orion cruise liner is making its way to assist the man but is still two days away, the spokeswoman said.

"It is incredibly remote waters, a very, very remote area," she said.

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Hague defends Afghan 2014 pull-out

INSIDER attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan are tragic but should not change the overall "strategic" direction, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague says.

Mr Hague defended the 2014 withdrawal date for combat troops in Afghanistan against criticism that the strife-torn nation is not ready.

"If we didn't set a date, then there's no knowing when that date would ever come," Mr Hague told ABC TV on Thursday.

"It seems a bit arbitrary but it's an essential part of this process."

Most security operations in Afghanistan are being handled by the Afghan security forces, he said.

"The whole point of this is for Afghans to run their own affairs, without presenting a danger to the rest of the world," Mr Hague said.

"There has to come a point when they are looking after their own affairs."

Asked whether the Afghan security forces were functional, in light of the two deaths of British soldiers from insider attacks this year, Mr Hague replied: "These are tragic events. But they shouldn't change the overall strategic picture in Afghanistan."

He said there were 300,000 Afghan security force members trained up and "many were performing well in operations against the Taliban and keeping their own citizens secure".

Earlier this week, Australia's Defence Minister Stephen Smith hinted that an Afghan-led takeover of security in Oruzgan province is set to occur ahead of schedule, raising the likelihood some Australian troops may be withdrawn sooner than expected.

Australia still has some 1550 troops in Afghanistan, most operating in Oruzgan Province.

The United Kingdom has around 9500 soldiers in the troubled country.

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Asian shares mixed, Nikkei ends flat

ASIAN markets were mixed on Thursday, with Tokyo ending flat after a seesaw session that saw parts suppliers hit after global aviation agencies grounded Boeing's Dreamliner.

The euro and US dollar resumed their upward trend against the yen after Japan's economy minister Akira Amari distanced himself from his earlier reported comments, that too sharp a fall in the yen could be bad.

Tokyo edged up 9.20 points to 10,609.64, after heavy losses in the previous session on the back of a strengthening yen.

Seoul lost 0.16 per cent, or 3.18 points, to 1974.27 but Sydney added 0.38 per cent, or 18.2 points, to 4756.6.

Shanghai fell 1.06 per cent, or 24.59 points, to 2284.91, while Hong Kong was flat in the afternoon.

The yen had strengthened after Amari on Tuesday was quoted as saying that the currency's rapid decline in recent weeks was putting Japan's fragile recovery at risk by making imports more expensive.

The rise in the currency hit the Nikkei, which tumbled Wednesday after hitting a 32-month high earlier in the week.

But the unit eased back on Thursday after Amari said his comments had been misinterpreted.

In afternoon trade the dollar bought 88.55 yen, up from 88.37 yen in New York late Wednesday, while the euro rose to 117.76 yen from 117.42 yen.

The single currency bought $US1.3300 ($A1.26) Thursday, from $US1.3286.

Eyes are now on a Bank of Japan rate-setting meeting next week to see if it follows a monetary policy line closer to the new government, which is calling for more loosening.

Shares in two of the country's biggest airlines ended with mixed fortunes after suffering a sell-off in the wake of their announcement that they would ground their Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleets.

The news from All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL) came after an ANA plane was forced to make an emergency landing Wednesday owing to problems with a battery.

The incident is the latest in just over a week to hit the aircraft, including engine problems and fuel leaks.

US, Indian and Chilean authorities later ordered airlines to stop flying the troubled aeroplanes, meaning that 39 out of 50 Dreamliners in operation worldwide have now been grounded.

Japanese authorities said the grounding would continue indefinitely until all batteries were confirmed to be safe.

However JAL finished the day 0.27 per cent higher -- a reversal from the 1.0 per cent loss in mid-session -- while ANA ended 0.54 per cent off after slipping more than one per cent earlier.

Component suppliers fared worse but still pared their morning losses. Carbon fibre maker Toray Industries lost 1.96 per cent and battery maker GS Yuasa tumbled 4.98 per cent.

Wall Street provided an anaemic lead, with the Dow falling 0.17 per cent, the S&P 500 flat and the Nasdaq up 0.22 per cent.

Dealers are also eyeing Friday's release of Chinese growth data, with expectations high that it will show a further pick-up in the economy as it emerges from a drawn-out slumber.

Oil prices slipped. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in February, shed 23 cents to $US94.01 a barrel. Brent North Sea crude for March delivery fell 83 cents to $US109.78.

Gold was at $US1679.40 at 0710 GMT (1810 AEDT) compared with $US1678.80 late on Wednesday.

In other markets:

-- Taipei lost 1.09 per cent, or 83.79 points, to 7616.64.

Leading smartphone maker HTC fell 3.29 per cent to Tw$279.5 while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co was 0.1 per cent higher at Tw$99.3.

-- Wellington rose 0.66 per cent, or 27.58 points, to 4196.81.

Fletcher Building was up 2.47 per cent at $NZ9.11 and Telecom gained 0.85 per cent to $NZ2.37 while Air New Zealand was down 1.17 per cent at $NZ1.27.

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Sydney traffic eases after peak hour chaos

TRAFFIC congestion has eased in Sydney CBD after commuters were hit with lengthy delays following an accident on the Harbour Bridge.

Three cars collided around 3pm (AEDT) on Thursday near the north pylon of the bridge, causing one of the cars to crash into the pylon.

A 40-year-old woman, two men aged 30 and 50 and a five-month-old baby were trapped in their cars for some time before they were taken to hospital in a stable condition.

The crash sparked traffic chaos in the CBD, with just one northbound lane and two southbound lanes open while emergency services worked to free the victims.

Even after the lanes reopened, the gridlock continued well into peak hour, with huge traffic queues on the southbound lanes stretching back as far as Artarmon at 6.30pm (AEDT).

Traffic in much of the CBD also came to a standstill, with buses leaving Circular Quay running 20 minutes behind schedule.

The NSW Transport Management Centre urged commuters to take trains or ferries wherever possible, with bus tickets valid on those modes of transport until 7pm.

By 7.30pm traffic was once again flowing on the bridge although some buses crossing were still slightly delayed.

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McMahon 'victim of a homicide': WA coroner

THE West Australian coroner has found that a 20-year-old woman missing for more than 12 years was a victim of a homicide, but has refused to rule on whether a suspect in the case was involved in the crime.

Sarah Anne McMahon disappeared on November 8, 2000 after telling a colleague she was meeting a friend at 5.30pm and then failing to pick up her sister at 8.30pm that evening.

Donald Victor Morey, 57, has long been considered a suspect in her disappearance and was the last person to speak to Ms McMahon before she disappeared.

After the initial police investigation drew a blank, a further investigation was launched after Morey was convicted of the attempted murder of a Perth prostitute in 2004 and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

He had also been a person of interest in the death of another prostitute the previous year.

However, police were again unable to substantiate enough evidence against Morey, who has consistently denied any involvement in Ms McMahon's disappearance.

A cold case review of both investigations was launched last year and Morey said he was still in contact with Ms McMahon, who he claimed was living in Canada with her two children.

Coroner Alastair Hope said on Thursday that because Ms McMahon had not contacted her loved ones in more than 12 years, he was confident she was dead.

"The circumstances in which Ms McMahon disappeared are sinister and I have confidently been able to exclude the possibility that she died by way of natural causes, accident or suicide," he said.

"In my view, the evidence points overwhelmingly to the proposition that she died by way of unlawful homicide."

Mr Hope said there was no evidence that Ms McMahon left the country and there were no records held in Medicare, Centrelink, the Australian Taxation Office, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or her bank that would suggest that she was alive in Australia after that time.

A key piece of evidence examined at the inquest was a statement from Natasha Tracy-Ann Kendrick, dated November 11, 2011.

In her statement, Ms Kendrick said she walked into Morey's room and saw a bloodied naked girl on the bed with an "old fashioned rope" around her neck.

Ms Kendrick claimed that she later saw Morey carrying "something wrapped in a quilt over his left shoulder" and said she knew it was McMahon's body.

However, Mr Hope noted that police were unable to find evidence to corroborate her account.

He said there was also evidence capable of supporting a conclusion that Morey lied to police about his movements on November 8, 2000 and falsified documents to support those lies.

"It is always possible that some further evidence may come to light which could result in criminal charges being laid at some later date," he said.

"In that context, I do not propose to make any finding in relation to Mr Morey's involvement."

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Syrian assault 'kills women, children'

A SYRIAN army assault killed more than 100 civilians, including women and children, on farmland on the outskirts of the central city of Homs, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

It said the attack took place on Tuesday.

"The Syrian regime carried out a new massacre on Tuesday claiming 106 victims, including women and children," in an assault lasting 24 hours around Homs, said the watchdog.

The killings took place in farmlands in an area between a military academy, an army checkpoint and an industrial district north of Homs, the Britain-based Observatory said.

The Observatory said the area had become a refuge for around 1000 people who fled fighting in the city of Homs, where regime forces and rebels have been battling for dominance for months.

It quoted witnesses as saying that among those killed were families who died in fires that raged through their homes and others - including three children from a group of 14 family members - killed in cold blood.

At least 32 other members of one clan were shot dead, the Observatory said, adding however that it was not immediately able to establish their identities.

Meanwhile the pro-government Al-Watan newspaper reported that troops had gained ground against "gunmen" around Homs, referring to rebels fighting the regime. The claim was denied by militants on the ground.

Homs, dubbed "the capital of the revolution" by the rebels, is the largest and most strategic city in Syria, lying on key trade routes near the borders with Lebanon and Iraq, and with its southwestern areas not far from Damascus.

The Observatory urged the UN to send a fact-finding team to probe the latest killings.

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Russia plans unmanned moon mission

THE Russian Space Agency says it will send an unmanned spacecraft to the moon in 2015 from a new launch pad in the country's far east.

Roscosmos head Vladimir Popovkin told Russian news agencies on Tuesday that the rocket booster would deliver a 500-kilogram space exploration vehicle with up to 25 kilograms of scientific equipment that would search for water and take soil samples.

Popovkin said the moon-bound spacecraft would be launched from Russia's new Vostochny cosmodrome.

President Vladimir Putin has vowed to invest $US1 billion ($A950.53 million) in building the launch pad in the Amur Region not far from the Chinese border.

Russia's last and only moon mission was accomplished in 1973.

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Three arrests made in Logan race dispute

THREE people have been arrested as a fierce racial clash continues between two families in a street at Logan, south of Brisbane.

Police have maintained a presence in Douglas Street in suburban Woodridge since the feud began between the Aboriginal and Pacific Island groups on Saturday night.

On Tuesday night, an Aboriginal man and a Pacific Island man were arrested amid the riots, following the arrest of a Caucasian man whose car was searched in connection with unrelated matters earlier in the day.

Police have set up a makeshift barrier between the feuding families while searching cars and people for weapons when they attempt to enter the street.

Tempers flared throughout the day on Tuesday after officers had been able to get between the groups on Monday night, when youths were seen ripping palings off fences to use as makeshift weapons.

Superintendent Noel Powers had said on Tuesday that arrests were a "last-resort" option.

"It was an extremely volatile situation last night and any enforcement action would have escalated that," he told reporters.

The bitter feud looks unlikely to be resolved in the near future, with both sides blaming the other and refusing to back down.

Tongan local Sione Palau, 26, says the Pacific Islanders have banded together to protect themselves from indigenous residents.

"The Tongans and Samoans are together because they are after us," Mr Palau told AAP.

But indigenous community leader Paul Butterworth insists his people are the victims.

"We are defending ourselves. We're not going to just lay down like doormats," he said.

Community leaders are now struggling to resolve the stand-off.

Premier Campbell Newman has suggested the state government would consider moving families from public housing in the area if they wanted to escape the racial tension.

Logan Mayor Pam Parker is organising a ministerial summit and community forum to work towards solutions.

The situation hasn't been helped by a widely-condemned tweet from federal MP Andrew Laming, who wrote: "Mobs tearing up Logan. Did any of them do a day's work today, or was it business as usual and welfare on tap?"

Tension between the groups has been brewing in the multicultural city since indigenous man Richard Saunders was bashed to death in a Woodridge park in 2008.

Indigenous residents also hold their Pacific Islander neighbours responsible for last month's death of Aboriginal 17-year-old Jackson Doolan, despite police finding he accidentally fell into the path of an oncoming train.

Rumours have been circulating that he was chased by a group of Pacific Island youths.

The latest stoush ignited on Saturday night when a group of Pacific Islanders, armed with machetes, bricks and metal poles, set upon an indigenous family's house in the street, forcing the occupants to barricade themselves inside a back room.

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Hong Kong in wrangle over lawyers' wigs

HONG Kong's lawyers are embroiled in a legal wrangle with a difference - over whether solicitors should be allowed to don horse-hair wigs traditionally worn by barristers in court.

While only barristers and judges are currently allowed to wear the curled, 17th century-style wigs, the city's 8000-strong Law Society says solicitors should be able to wear them during certain hearings.

Following a rule change that will soon allow solicitors to represent clients in the High Court and the Court of Final Appeal, the Society fears jurors may see their wig-wearing contemporaries as more authoritative, leading to prejudice in jury trials.

"Solicitors should not be put in a position that there could be a perception of being inferior," the Society's vice president Stephen Hung told AFP.

Hung said although only a small number of Hong Kong's criminal trials are heard by a jury, solicitors should be given the right to wear hairpieces to avoid any risk of bias.

"If there is there one possibility that the public will be misled or confused, we should do away with that risk," he said.

The Bar Association, which represents more than 1100 barristers, however, reacted angrily to the suggestion, dismissing the possibility of prejudice and blasting the Law Society's stance as "insecurity".

"If they want to wear wigs, why don't they call to the bar?" Kumar Ramanathan was quoted by South China Morning Post as saying.

The horse-hair wig for Hong Kong barristers is a throwback to the English legal system, which saw headpieces introduced in court at the end of the 17th century, following the fashions of the day.

As they fell out of favour in wider society and among professions including coachmen and bishops, they were retained in the legal sphere.

The legal profession in Britain has for some years debated whether to axe the headgear and adopt a more modern dress code.

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BA airline dress code discriminated: court

A BRITISH Airways employee who claimed she suffered discrimination at work because of her faith has won a landmark legal battle at the European Court of Human Rights.

Nadia Eweida, 60, took the airline to a tribunal after she was forced out of her job for wearing a cross in breach of company uniform codes.

Her case was rejected in Britain but on Tuesday European judges found in her favour. They ruled against three more Christians who launched similar action.

Ms Eweida, from Twickenham, southwest London, was sent home in September 2006 for displaying a small silver cross on a chain around her neck which she wore as a personal expression of her faith.

She took British Airways to a tribunal but a panel rejected her claims and ruled she was not a victim of religious discrimination.

The decision was upheld by The Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court before Miss Eweida took her fight to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

She returned to work in customer services at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 in February 2007, after BA changed its uniform policy on visible items of jewellery.

At the ECHR, Ms Eweida argued BA's action contravened articles nine and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights which prohibit religious discrimination and allow "freedom of thought, conscience and religion".

Lawyers for the government, which contested the claim, argued her rights were only protected in private.

But judges on Tuesday ruled there had been a violation of article nine (freedom of religion), by five votes to two.

The judgment, published in Strasbourg, found a fair balance was not struck between Ms Eweida's desire to demonstrate her religious belief and BA's wish to "project a certain corporate image".

It found the airline's aim was "undoubtedly legitimate" but said domestic courts accorded it "too much weight".

It concluded: "Ms Eweida's cross was discreet and cannot have detracted from her professional appearance.

"There was no evidence that the wearing of other, previously authorised, items of religious clothing, such as turbans and hijabs, by other employees had any negative impact on British Airways' brand or image.

"Moreover, the fact that the company was able to amend the uniform code to allow for the visible wearing of religious symbolic jewellery demonstrates that the earlier prohibition was not of crucial importance.

"The court therefore concludes that, in these circumstances where there is no evidence of any real encroachment on the interests of others, the domestic authorities failed sufficiently to protect the first applicant's right to manifest her religion."

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France to triple Mali deployment to 2500

FRANCE is planning to deploy a total of 2500 troops in Mali, more than three times the number sent so far to its former colony, defence sources say.

The revelation suggests the government is ready to commit to a far bigger - and inevitably far longer - role in the campaign against Islamist groups in northern Mali than previously indicated.

President Francois Hollande said earlier on Tuesday that there were currently 750 French soldiers in the former colony but acknowledged that this figure would increase.

"There will be a gradual build-up to a figure of 2500," a source close to Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.

The plans to deploy a force of that size is at odds with suggestions by government ministers that the involvement of French ground troops would be limited to protecting Mali's capital, Bamako.

According to Le Monde newspaper and other French media, France is also planning to base a substantial contingent of troops at Mopti in central Mali, from where they will be able to carry out operations in the north of the country.

Until now, ministers have portrayed France's involvement as restricted to stopping the Islamists' push south with the subsequent task of regaining control of the north to be handed over to the Malian army with the support of troops from neighbouring West African states.

Military analysts have described this scenario as optimistic given the limited capacity of the Malian army and the West African forces lack of experience in combating battle-hardened, well-armed guerilla fighters in unfamiliar desert terrain.

Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Sunday that he thought involvement in the Mali campaign would essentially be aerial and claimed France's mission could be completed in a matter of weeks.

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Swatch to buy US jeweller Harry Winston

SWATCH, the world's leading watchmaker, says it will acquire US jeweller and watchmaker Harry Winston for up to $US1billion ($A952.70 million).

The Swiss group will pay $US750 million to acquire the company and add a maximum of $US250 million to take over its net debt, a statement on Monday said.

The transaction, which still needs the go-ahead from regulatory authorities, does not include the mining activities of the Harry Winston Diamond Corporation, it said.

Swatch said it would take over the Harry Winston brand and all the activities related to its jewellery and watches business, as well as 535 of its employees worldwide.

Swatch chairwoman Nayla Hayek said the deal made sense since "Harry Winston does brilliantly complement the prestige segment of the (Swatch) Group".

"Diamonds are still a girl's best friend," she added in the statement.

Harry Winston's chief executive Robert Gannicott also hailed the deal.

"The Harry Winston brand now has a new home that can provide the skills and support that it deserves to realise its true potential," he said in the statement.

Analysts were also enthusiastic about the purchase, although they said the price was steep.

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North Korea vows to bolster war deterrence

NORTH Korea has vowed to strengthen its defences, amid concerns the country may conduct a nuclear test as a follow-up to last month's long-range rocket launch.

Citing US hostility, Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry said in a memorandum on Monday North Korea will "continue to strengthen its deterrence against all forms of war".

The memorandum carried by state media did not say what action North Korea would take to defend itself.

However, North Korea has claimed the right to build atomic weapons to protect itself from the United States, which stations more than 28,000 troops in South Korea.

North Korea sent a satellite into space on December 12 aboard a long-range rocket, a launch the US and its allies have criticised as a test of banned ballistic missile technology.

In 2006 and 2009, Pyongyang conducted atomic tests after being slapped with UN security council condemnation and sanctions for similar launches of long-range rockets.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry urged the Washington to dismantle the US-led UN Command, which oversees an armistice signed at the close of the Korean War in 1953. It accused the US of trying to turn the UN Command into a NATO-like regional military bloc.

"Whether the US immediately dismantles the UN Command or not will serve as the acid stone in deciding whether the US will maintain or not its anti-(North Korea) hostile policy," said the memorandum, which was carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

The Korean War armistice was never replaced with a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula in a technical state of war 60 years later.

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Eight arrested over UK girl's shooting

EIGHT suspects have been arrested over the fatal shooting of an eight-year-old British girl on holiday in Jamaica.

Imani Green was killed when a gunman opened fire at her cousin's shop in the rural village of Duncans on Friday.

Three of her relatives are recovering in hospital after they were wounded in the hail of bullets.

Police believe the killing could have been a revenge attack by gangsters on the Caribbean island.

Imani, who suffered from the blood condition sickle cell anaemia, is not believed to have been the target.

Deputy Superintendent Steve Brown, from the Jamaica Constabulary Force, said eight suspects were being questioned.

He has dismissed suggestions linking the shooting to gang warfare.

"Over the last 24 hours there have been some developments where the police have taken eight persons into custody and we're confident we will make a breakthrough on this one very soon," he told the BBC.

"We've heard about gang warfare but we find it a bit difficult to believe because where the incident took place it is a sleepy community, nothing happens there.

"This is just an isolated incident but it could well link to a number of things and we are looking at all possibilities and following all the leads that we are getting."

Imani, from Balham in south London, was shot twice in Friday's attack - once in the head and once in the shoulder.

She had been given extended leave from Fircroft Primary School in Tooting to visit Jamaica and take advantage of the warmer climate.

She was attending a local primary school while on the island and had been due to return to the UK on January 25.

Her grandmother Sandra Fisher said she found Imani lying in a "pool of blood" after she asked to visit the grocery shop in the quiet Red Dirt district of Duncans in Trelawny parish.

Imani's sister, Janella Parmer, told the BBC: "We heard gunshots. We ran outside and shouted 'Imani, Imani, Imani'.

"I picked her up off the ground and realised she was still breathing. I flagged down a car and they drove us to hospital. The rest is history."

The high command of Jamaica's police force said Imani was "mercilessly slaughtered in front of family members in a hail of bullets as gangsters sought to exact revenge on their rivals".

The island's government said police were conducting an "extensive investigation into the matter and will expend every effort to ensure that the perpetrator is apprehended and brought to justice".

It has been suggested Imani might have been the victim of a feud over an illegal lottery scam, the attack being a reprisal for a shooting last year.

The racket, which reportedly involves duping Americans into believing they have scooped the lottery and asking them to wire an "advance fee" to collect their winnings, has been linked to more than 500 murders over the past five years.

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News Corp takes majority in German pay TV

BERLIN Jan 14 AP - A wholly owned subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp has taken a majority stake in German pay-TV Sky Deutschland.

The Munich-based channel said in a statement on Monday News Adelaide has increased its holding in Sky Deutschland to 54.5 per cent for 347.4 million euros ($A443.76 million).

Sky Deutschland says News Corp has also agreed to guarantee a 300 million euro bank loan and the channel's licence fee payments to the German Football League for the Bundesliga seasons through 2016/2017.

Some 3,363,000 customers paid for Sky Deutschland's subscription service last year.

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Vic faces severe fire danger on Thursday

AUTHORITIES are urging Victorians to recheck their bushfire plans ahead of a scorcher forecast for Thursday.

Severe fire danger conditions, the third highest rating, are predicted in the state's central region, including Melbourne and Geelong, north central and south west districts.

Melbourne is expected to reach 39 degrees.

"We're certainly bracing for a potentially bad day on Thursday," a CFA spokesman told AAP on Monday.

Acting Victorian chief health officer Michael Ackland issued a heat health alert for Thursday, reminding people at risk - including those aged over 65, pregnant women or people with existing illnesses - to take precautions.

He urged those people to keep cool, drink plenty of water and stay out of the sun.

It was also important for people to check on their elderly neighbours or relatives, he said.

In the state's southwest, firefighters are continuing to work on containment lines at the Kentbruck blaze, which has burnt 11,964 hectares of national park, forest plantation and agricultural land.

The CFA is urging nearby communities to continue monitoring conditions.

In the state's east, there is an underground peat fire at Cabbage Tree-Conran Road near the Princes Highway in Cabbage Tree Creek.

A large grassfire that started at Little River, southwest of Melbourne, at 3.30pm (AEDT) was brought under control by 7.20pm thanks to the work of 40 CFA crews and four aircraft.

The fire had burned out 350 hectares of paddock before firefighters got on top of it.

The blaze had been creating spot fires about two to three kilometres ahead of it.

So far, the fires have not claimed any lives in the state but Victorian firefighter Peter Cramer, 61, died on Sunday in Taranna, east of Hobart.

He was one of more than 70 Victorian emergency services workers sent to Tasmania on Thursday to help fight the state's devastating fires.

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W. African leaders to hold emergency talks

AN emergency summit of leaders from West African bloc ECOWAS has been set for Wednesday in Abidjan, as countries in the region ready troops to assist Mali's fight against Islamists.

"It's an extraordinary summit," Sunny Ugoh, spokesman for the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States, said on Sunday.

"This one is just dedicated to Mali."

Chiefs of defence staff from the region were also set to meet in the coming days, but Ugoh did not yet have precise details.

The first troops promised by African nations were expected in Mali on Sunday to join local forces who, backed by French air support, have driven back an advance by Islamist fighters.

The UN security council has approved an African force of 3300 soldiers to help Mali take back its north.

Islamists seized northern Mali, a territory the size of France, in the wake of last year's March 22 coup which ousted democratically elected president Amadou Toumani Toure.

The Islamists' advance has intensified fears over whether the country could become a safe haven for Al-Qaeda linked extremists who could pose a threat to the region as well as Europe and beyond.

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AIG sues New York Fed over lawsuit rights

American International Group (AIG) has filed a lawsuit against an investment structure. Source: AAP

AMERICAN International Group has filed a lawsuit against an investment structure created by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to help bailout the insurer, in a bid to sue mortgage debt issuers.

According to the complaint filed in the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, AIG is seeking a declaration that the bailed out insurance giant has not abandoned its right to file suit against banks and other creditors by selling residential mortgage-backed securities to Maiden Lane II in 2008.

Maiden Lane II was created to purchase the securities, which had become unsellable at the the height of the financial crisis, from AIG.

The government took control of AIG in September 2008 through a $US182 billion ($A172.50 billion) federal bailout to prevent its imminent collapse from sparking a cascade of gigantic failures throughout the global financial system. The bailout was fully paid off last year.

AIG, which accuses Bank of America and other issuers of mortgage debt to have misled it about the value of the securities, is not seeking financial compensation from Maiden Lane II but wants the court to state whether AIG can still sue entities that issued securities in Maiden Lane II.

The insurer has filed a $US10 billion lawsuit against Bank of America as reparations for fraud claims.

On Wednesday, AIG decided not to join a private shareholder lawsuit against the US government over its bailout.

The lawsuit filed by Starr International, which is controlled by former AIG chief executive Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, argued that the massive bailout of AIG did not fairly compensate shareholders.

Starr sued the government for about $US25 billion in November 2011.

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Tens of thousands protest Taiwan president

Taiwan has seen the largest anti-government action since President Ma Ying-jeou was re-elected. Source: AAP

TENS of thousands of opposition demonstrators have taken to the streets of Taipei to protest the policies of Taiwan's China-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou.

Sunday's demonstration is the largest anti-government action since Ma was elected to a second four-year term a year ago.

Protesters called on the president to fire Prime Minister Sean Chen over the island's lacklustre economic performance - growth was less than two per cent in 2012 - and demanded regulatory bodies stop a consortium widely seen as pro-China from purchasing a mass-circulation newspaper.

The consortium includes businessman Tsai Eng-meng, who already owns a popular cable TV news station and another mass-circulation newspaper.

Opponents of the latest media deal say it would concentrate too much power in the hands of an individual.

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Tas road reopens to bushfire-hit Dunalley

Police are planning to reopen the Arthur Highway on the bushfire-ravaged Tasman Peninsular. Source: AAP

POLICE have reopened the Arthur Highway in Tasmania that runs from Sorell to Port Arthur on the bushfire-ravaged Tasman Peninsula.

Motorists are being asked to drive with caution, particularly between Sugarloaf Road and the Dunalley Bridge, with work crews still restoring essential services to the area.

Drivers of light vehicles who want to go south of Dunalley are being advised to detour via Sugarloaf and Fulham Roads to avoid lengthy delays.

Police say large vehicles, those towing trailers, service vehicles and tourist buses should stay on the Arthur Highway which has a speed limit of 60km/h.

They say motorists also need to be mindful of stock on the road due to the destruction of fences, particularly in the Sugarloaf Road and Fulham Road areas.

Peninsula residents were allowed to return last Friday.

Meanwhile, fire crews have made solid progress on consolidating containment lines around bushfires still burning ahead of higher fire danger conditions forecast for Thursday.

Tasmania Fire Service has issued a watch and act message for the uncontained 24,040-hectare Forcett blaze where 150 firefighters using 39 tankers and four aircraft continue working on the fire which has a 200km perimeter.

Firefighters had been strengthening containment lines around Bream Creek and Marion Bay and also at Lagoon Bay, but had to eventually pull out due to increased winds, TFS spokeswoman Shannon Fox said on Sunday.

"In Taranna, we've got a good, strong containment line in but we're working on looking after some hot spots that are within the already burnt out areas," she told AAP.

"What we are really trying to do is be prepared for Thursday when we expect fire danger ratings to increase again."

At Lake Repulse, fire crews consolidated containment lines to the south of Brown Mountain and New Zealand firefighters worked on containment lines at the Broad River Valley, Ms Fox said.

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Veteran stage actor Bille Brown dies

VETERAN Australian stage actor Bille Brown has died after a short battle with bowel cancer.

Brown, 61, a lifelong friend of Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush, was one of the first actors to join the Queensland Theatre Company (QTC).

He died on Sunday at Brisbane's Holy Spirit Northside Hospital in Chermside, two days after his birthday, and surrounded by friends. He was hospitalised a week ago.

QTC artistic director Wesley Enoch described Brown on Sunday evening as a distinguished individual and a superb actor, forging the way for so many and most certainly putting Queensland on the map.

His work with the QTC spanned four decades, following his first main stage production in 1971, Wrong Side of the Moon.

He was cast in 29 productions and produced four of his own written works.

In recognising his contribution and support for the arts in Queensland, The Bille Brown Studio was officially opened in 2002.

It is now home to QTCs Greenhouse program, a space for emerging artists, new works, ideas and constant debate.

"The artistic community of Queensland and Australia has lost a true gentleman. We are part of Bille's legacy," Mr Enoch said.

"Every actor, playwright, director, stage manager, designer, musician and all the teams who work in theatre in Queensland owe Bille a huge debt.

"He brought a sense of adventure, love and respect. His talent and love survives in us all."

The Biloela-born actor worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company for a number of years between 1976 and 1996 and toured throughout Europe with them.

His film work includes roles in The Chronicles of Narnia (2010), The Dish (2000) and Oscar and Lucinda (1997).

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