Suu Kyi 'should' help with Kachin

MEDIATORS trying to broker a peace deal between the military and ethnic minority rebels in northern Myanmar have appealed to Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to help end the bloody conflict.

The military's use of air strikes against the rebels has stoked international concerns about a civil war that has overshadowed widely praised political reforms seen since the end of junta rule in 2011.

"Aung San Suu Kyi also has responsibility to implement ethnic peace," Yup Zaw Hkaung, a local businessman and peace negotiator in the Kachin state capital Myitkyina, told AFP by telephone on Saturday.

"When she came to Kachin State to campaign for votes, she talked about peace. She cannot abandon Kachin," he said, adding that neither the opposition leader nor President Thein Sein had replied to letters asking for help.

Civil war has plagued parts of the country formerly known as Burma since it won independence from Britain in 1948.

Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner turned lawmaker, used her maiden speech to parliament in July last year to call for greater protection of ethnic minority rights.

But the veteran activist has disappointed rights campaigners by not speaking out more vocally in support of another minority group, the Rohingya, in the violence-torn western state of Rakhine.

In northern Kachin, tens of thousands of people have been displaced since June 2011 when a 17-year ceasefire between the government and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) broke down.

The number of casualties is unknown. The Kachin accuse the government of pushing dialogue only on the basis of a ceasefire and troop withdrawals, neglecting to address longstanding demands for greater political rights.

Myanmar has reached tentative ceasefires with most of the other major ethnic rebel groups, but several rounds of talks with the Kachin have shown little tangible progress.

"The fighting has been escalating," Yup Zaw Hkaung said.

"We are urging dialogue as soon as possible. People are in big trouble."

He said his Peace Creation Group, a mediation team formed with three other local businessmen, wanted to meet Thein Sein face-to-face to discuss the conflict with the former general, whose office said in December 2011 he had ordered an end to military offensives against the rebels.

"As air strikes with jets have been used in the attacks, hatred between the two sides could be growing," Yup Zaw Hkaung said. "We assume that the military is fighting based on the decision of the union government."

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Bali stab victim remains critical

INDONESIAN police are waiting to speak to a West Australian man who was stabbed seven times while defending his Bali villa against armed robbers.

Paul Gill, 42, was in a critical condition on Saturday and not well enough to speak to police.

The attack occurred while Mr Gill's wife, two daughters and visiting friends slept at their home in the early hours of Friday morning.

Badung Police Station Chief Komang Suartana said Mr Gill's injuries were concentrated around his back and neck.

He said Mr Gill's wife had told police two men were responsible for the attack.

Police hoped Mr Gill would help them identify the attackers once he was well enough to speak.

Mr Suartana said the attackers had managed to evade two security guards on a rainy night.

He said burglary was the motive.

"The perpetrators chose the villa because the security is not very strict compared to other tourism destinations.

"The perpetrators are still in Bali and we're tightening the exit gate from Bali."

Bali's Provincial Governor, Made Mangu Pastika, said he was saddened by the incident.

"There's got to be real measures taken to catch the perpetrators. I will talk to (Bali) provincial police to increase security so that such incidents won't happen again that could taint Bali's image."

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Boats rescue people stranded by Tas fire

A FLOTILLA of boats is the lifeline for thousands of people stranded on the Tasman Peninsula as bushfires continue to rage out of control.

People braced for a second night of bushfire horror with two major blazes, which have emergency warnings, threatening more homes and businesses.

Recreational and commercial vessels are being used to bring in thousands of meals and other essential supplies and to evacuate people most in need.

Police said on Saturday that 600 people, many of them visitors to the area, were set to spend a second night at convict ruins. There were 2000 people at a temporary refuge in Nubeena and another 100 at the Dunalley Hotel.

The road into the peninsula, the Arthur Highway, has been closed since Friday.

Boats delivered 3000 meals as well as fuel, water and health workers. A generator was being sought as power is out in much of the area.

Acting police commissioner Scott Tilyard said he was hopeful some vehicles could be escorted from the peninsula.

He said tourists were obviously keen to get out.

It had been "a long night for many people but the main thing is that they have been safe", he said.

Up to 1000 people were reported to have been taken out by boat overnight, but police could not confirm the number.

"I would imagine there'll be numerous stories about the heroic and risky approaches that were taken out there," Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) chief commissioner Mike Brown said.

Although conditions had eased after record temperatures on Friday, firefighters were facing serious fires on two fronts on Saturday evening.

The TFS had upgraded a bushfire burning between Forcett, southeast of Hobart, and the Tasman Peninsula to a "very high" emergency warning level.

A second serious blaze cut off parts of Tasmania's east coast, with the holiday town of Coles Bay isolated on Saturday afternoon.

More than a dozen properties had been lost south of Bicheno, with more than a 100 feared lost overall.

Victoria was planning to send 65 firefighters to help on Saturday night.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard threw the federal government's support behind the firefighting and support efforts in Tasmania and said disaster assistance would start flowing in coming days.

"My message is there's only one you," Ms Gillard told ABC radio.

"Everything else in life, at the end of the day, no matter how precious, can be replaced."

Insurers declared the bushfire-hit towns a catastrophe and police powers were increased when the Tasman Peninsula was declared a serious-incident site.

Electricity company Aurora said it could take several weeks to restore power in some areas, with 300 poles down on the Tasman Peninsula.

Property losses have been huge, with 30 per cent of the buildings in the small community of Dunalley destroyed, including the school and police station.

At Connellys Marsh, 40 per cent of the buildings are gone, along with three houses at Copping and several at Primrose Sands.

Twenty houses have been lost around Murdunna and there are reports of more at Eaglehawk Neck.

No deaths or serious injuries have been confirmed, despite conditions comparable to 1967 when 2000 homes and 62 lives were lost.

"Until we have the opportunity to get in and literally go through property by property we can't confirm there hasn't been one or more deaths," Mr Tilyard said.

"That is a time-consuming process that has to be done thoroughly and safely."

A fire in the Derwent Valley, northwest of Hobart, was affecting the communities of Ellendale and Karanja, with several properties believed lost. Lawrenny and Hamilton were also in danger on Saturday evening.

The TFS was being inundated with offers of support.

"All donations are greatly appreciated. However, we would prefer donations that will assist those who have been affected be directed to the appropriate welfare providers," a statement said.

People concerned about relatives and friends can call a police hotline on 1800 567 567.

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Nation braces for wicked weekend heatwave

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned high temperatures will continue "unabated" well into next week. Source: AAP

MUCH of Australia will be on high bushfire alert this weekend as a prolonged heatwave pushes across the country, with record temperatures already experienced in some centres.

A number of bushfires are being fought in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Authorities in those states are urging people to prepare themselves and their properties in case of fire.

Firefighters in Tasmania fear some houses have been lost at the township of Dunnalley near Hobart.

Health bodies are urging people to drink plenty of water and stay out of the heat.

The Bureau of Meteorology's acting regional director in South Australia, John Nairn, says while heatwaves are a normal part of the Australian summer, the current blast is unusual for the large area it is covering.

"More than 70 per cent of the continent is currently experiencing heatwave conditions," he said.

"Severe heatwave conditions across the interior of Australia are set to continue for a while yet."

Among the hottest parts of the country on Friday were Wudinna, on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula, which hit 48.2C. Adelaide reached 45C and Hobart reached a record 41.8C - one degree hotter than the record set in 1976.

Tasmania Fire Service chief officer Mike Brown said conditions at times on Friday reached the catastrophic level developed after the Black Saturday fires in Victoria, with up to 40 fires burning around the state.

"We reached catastrophic fire danger ratings at times during this afternoon," Chief Officer Brown told reporters.

"I don't think we're quite out of the woods yet."

But it is the Dunnalley and Forcett fires, which the 100 fire crews fighting them say they can't contain, that are causing most concern ahead of a mild southerly change due in Hobart around midnight.

On South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, three farming properties were under threat on Friday, while fires were also being fought near Currency Creek, on the Yorke Peninsula, in the Clare Valley, and at Truro, north of Adelaide.

Country Fire Service spokesman Mal Watts said while a cooler change was expected to bring temporary relief to coastal areas of the state on Saturday, fire fighters would remain on high alert.

"We are throwing everything that we are able to at incidents as they occur," he said.

"We've got to get through today, then we get a bit of a lull and then we're back into it again next week.

Victoria's Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley said Saturday would be a fire day of significance in northeastern Victoria.

Temperatures across the state have tipped past 40C in many communities with extreme fire danger ratings.

A fire in a pine plantation at Mt Richmond in the state's southwest is a "major concern".

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) issued an emergency warning for the fire, which could affect the Lake Monbeong and Swan Lake camp grounds.

He said the fire had no major settlement in its path. However, farming communities could be threatened, and people considering leaving should head for Portland.

The bureau of meteorology says the scorching heat bearing down across many states will continue "unabated" well into next week.

The National Heart Foundation is advising those with heart disease to take it easy during the next few days, with studies showing an increase in heart attacks and death from extreme heat.

The foundation says people most at risk are those with a chronic disease, such as heart disease, and the elderly, children, people on certain medications and those engaged in strenuous outdoor activity.

Police have also warned that leaving children, elderly people or pets unattended in cars could prove fatal in hot weather.

Surf lifesavers are expecting to have to rescue hundreds of beachgoers this weekend as swimmers escape the heatwave in NSW.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called on people to be careful.

"Take care and stay safe as we face extreme heat around our nation. Listen to warnings on the high bushfire risk. JG," she tweeted on Friday.

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Major fires threaten southern Tasmania

TASMANIAN firefighters' worst fears have been realised with catastrophic conditions in the state's south leading to the loss of property, most likely including houses.

Huge plumes of smoke are visible from Hobart as the island capital swelters through its hottest day on record.

Accompanying winds have whipped up blazes that started on Thursday at Forcett, east of the capital, and Lake Repulse northwest of Hobart.

Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) Chief Officer Mike Brown says conditions on Friday have reached the catastrophic level developed after the Black Saturday fires in Victoria.

He says he suspects houses are among properties destroyed around the small community of Dunalley, 56km southeast of Hobart.

There are no reported injuries.

"We reached catastrophic fire danger ratings at times during this afternoon," Chief Officer Brown told reporters.

"I don't think we're quite out of the woods yet.

"The latest reports we've got have been that there's been structural damage and structural losses in the communities around Copping and Dunnalley.

"It will be some time before we can confirm how much damage has been done."

Chief Officer Brown said it was likely some of the damaged structures were houses.

On a day Hobart hit a top temperature of 41.8C - smashing the previous record of 40.8 set in 1976 - up to 40 fires were burning around the state.

The 100 fire crews say they can't contain the two largest fires, which are causing most concern ahead of a mild southerly change due in Hobart around midnight.

The TFS has used its emergency phone warning system to ask residents to leave the affected areas and police say around 80 per cent have chosen to go.

The popular Port Arthur tourist area has been cut off after police closed the Arthur Highway, isolating the Tasman Peninsula.

Earlier, residents in the small communities of Dunalley, Copping, Boomer Bay, Connellys Marsh, Primrose Sands and Carlton River were told to leave and head to refuges set up nearby.

The other major fire, which authorities suspect was started by a campfire, is affecting communities including Broad River, Jones River and Ellendale.

Conditions are now considered worse than 2006/07 when houses were lost on the state's east coast.

Late on Friday afternoon, the TFS upgraded a warning for another fire near Bicheno in that area.

Campers were being evacuated and residents were being encouraged to act on their bushfire plans or leave.

A large grass fire at Epping Forest in the state's north was also causing concern.

The change is unlikely to bring rain but could ignite more fires with lightning strikes, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

"Lighter winds tomorrow and milder temperatures and higher relative humidities will be of help," senior forecaster Malcolm Downing told AAP.

Hobart hit 41.8C at 4.05pm (AEDT) on Friday, its highest temperature since records began being kept in 1883.

Authorities say smoke is likely to be visible for several hours and people affected by it should stay indoors.

The TFS said it was too late to leave the communities of Connellys Marsh or Primrose Sands.

Those at Connellys Marsh were being advised that the nearby beach was a safer option for them.

Carlton River Road was considered impassable and Primrose Sands residents were also being told to head to the nearby beach.

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Hobart swelters through hottest on record

HOBART has sweltered through its hottest day since records began in 1883.

The island capital hit 41.8C at 4.05pm (AEDT), smashing the previous high of 40.8C set in January 1976.

That record had stood since 1899, when the mercury hit 40.1C.

The searing heat came after residents tossed and turned their way through a record overnight January temperature - 23.4C.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Malcolm Downing said hot air from Western Australia and South Australia had not cooled as it was drawn across the Great Australian Bight.

"Although you may think that length of passage over the water is enough to cool it down, it only really produces very shallow cooling," he told AAP.

"So once it gets back over Tasmania it has a chance to mix up again and that hot air comes back down to the surface."

The temperatures and gusty winds of up to 90km/h were making it difficult for firefighters battling several big blazes across the state.

And in another freak of the weather, the rising heat from one fire east of Hobart had created its own thunderstorm, the bureau said.

Huge smoke plumes and thunderclouds were seen east of the River Derwent on Friday afternoon with lightning flashes created by the mini-storm.

A southerly change was expected to hit Tasmania late on Friday night, bringing little rain but a top temperature of just 26C for Hobart on Saturday.

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More than 100 dead as cold snap hits India

POLICE say more than 100 people have died of exposure as northern India deals with historically cold temperatures.

Police spokesman Surendra Srivastava said on Thursday at least 114 people have died from the cold in the state of Uttar Pradesh, at least 23 of them in the previous 24 hours.

Srivastava said many of the dead were poor people whose bodies were found on footpaths or in parks.

The weather department said temperatures in the state were 4 to 10 degrees below normal.

Temperatures in New Delhi, which borders Uttar Pradesh, hit a high on Wednesday of 9.8 degrees Celsius, the lowest maximum temperature in the capital since 1969.

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Mexican troops kill 12 in gun battle

MEXICAN soldiers have killed 12 suspected criminals in a running gun battle across the central state of Zacatecas, officials say.

The clash erupted when the two sides ran into each other in the city of Rio Grande, sparking a pursuit along 50 kilometres that ended in the town of Sombrerete, a state official said on Wednesday on condition of anonymity.

The death toll may be higher. Defense Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment.

Zacatecas has not been spared from the drug violence afflicting Mexico that has left at least 70,000 people dead across the country since 2006, when troops were deployed to battle cartels.

Earlier, the navy said marines had detained 18 people, including 12 minors and a woman holding a baby, on New Year's Eve in the Zacatecas town of La Estacion San Jose.

The marines seized a cache of weapons, including two grenade launchers, and bags of cocaine and marijuana from the group.

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Fires continue to cause concern in Tas

A BUSHFIRE threatening the historic southern Tasmanian town of Richmond has been brought within containment lines, but crews are wary of an imminent heatwave throughout the state.

Dozens of people were evacuated from the town after the fire breached containment lines and put properties under direct threat around 2pm (AEDT) on Thursday.

A Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) spokesman said the fire was back within the containment lines by Thursday evening.

"The last operational information received was that the fire was holding within containment lines, and crews are working on a number of flanks to bring the fire to a central area," he told AAP.

There were no reports of property damage, he said.

One of the town's main access routes, Middle Tea Tree Road, was closed to all traffic for several kilometres.

Elsewhere, a large number of crews battled hard to bring a blaze at Forcett under control, while campers were moved on from Lake Repulse because of a nearby bushfire.

The TFS spokesman said firefighters would work hard in the cooler evening conditions ahead of another predicted scorcher on Friday.

"We are expecting worse fire behaviour tomorrow, with poorer weather indicators," he said.

Hobart is tipped to reach 39C on Friday, with strong northwesterly winds forecast.

A total fire ban has been declared for the state.

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Man drowns at popular Gold Coast beach

A man has died in hospital after being pulled unconscious from surf at a popular Queensland beach. Source: AAP

A MAN has died after being pulled unconscious from heavy surf at a popular Gold Coast beach he was reportedly visiting with his two young children.

The Queensland Department of Community Safety was called to Kirra Beach about 2pm (AEST) on Wednesday after a 33-year-old man was rescued from the surf.

When paramedics arrived rescuers had started CPR on the unconscious man.

The incident was apparently watched live by hundreds of web users on a popular surf cam website.

The man was transported to Tweed Hospital, just over the NSW border, but died shortly after arriving.

A spokesmen for the Northern NSW local health district told AAP: "We can unfortunately confirm a man who was pulled out of the water at Kirra Beach died in hospital."

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Fiscal cliff agreement not enough: Swan

Treasurer Wayne Swan says the last-minute deal to end the "fiscal cliff" doesn't go far enough. Source: AAP

AUSTRALIAN Treasurer Wayne Swan says the last-minute passage by the US Congress of a deal to avert the "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and massive spending cuts is welcome, but doesn't go far enough.

The deal - passed by Congress an hour before midnight on New Year's Day US time (Wednesday AEDT) - increases taxes on the rich and puts off $US109 billion ($A105 billion) budget cuts for two months, lifting the clouds of immediate crisis.

Had the deal failed, the combined $US500 billion shock of tax hikes and spending cuts could have rocked the fragile recovery - and the global economy.

Mr Swan has been warning for days that if the US Congress failed to pass a bill to comprehensively deal with the issue, the Australian economy could be hurt despite its relative soundness.

He says the last-minute deal is not enough.

"While it is welcome to see progress towards a deal in the US with passage through Senate and the House, more will need to be done to achieve the enduring deal the world needs," Mr Swan said in a statement on Wednesday.

"It is absolutely critical that the outcomes reached through this process are comprehensive in their nature.

"As the IMF have said, anything short of a deep and wide reaching resolution will not be good enough this time around."

Mr Swan said the Gillard government would monitor the situation because it has "a significant impact on the entire global economy, including Australia and our region".

Mr Swan has previously said the US budget drama, combined with Europe's economic woes, was having a "real impact" on the global economy.

Down the line this had hurt Australia's revenue base, a key factor which led the government to announce just before Christmas that it was unlikely to deliver on its promised budget surplus.

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Adelaide heading for hot blast

ADELAIDE is bracing for a blast of extremely hot weather with forecast temperatures set to soar into the low 40s.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a top temperature of 41 degrees on Thursday and 42 on Friday.

A milder change will bring some relief over the weekend before the mercury tops 40 degrees again on Monday and Tuesday.

The hot conditions have prompted warnings from both SA Health and SafeWork SA, urging people to avoid heat stress.

Director of public health Kevin Buckett said it was important for people to stay well hydrated during prolonged periods of hot weather.

"If you do need to go into the sun, do so for limited periods and wear a long-sleeved, light coloured shirt, a hat, sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen," he said.

"Try to make the most of fans and air-conditioners, or if that is not an option, you can cool down by placing wet towels on your neck and underarms or by having a cold shower or bath."

Dr Buckett said the elderly, babies and young children were most at risk from heat-related conditions.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include nausea, faintness and dizziness, loss of appetite, weakness, headaches, vomiting, lack of sweating and reduced urine output.

SafeWork SA said workplaces should ensure they had measures in place to cope with the heat.

"Hot weather is a hazard that needs to be considered when planning work activities," acting executive director Robin Scott said.

"Heat stress can afflict workers at outdoor locations such as construction sites, storage yards, roads and farms.

"It is also important to recognise that heat poses a risk in confined spaces. Temperatures in industrial sheds can exceed 50 degrees, placing workers at risk."

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Bomb found near home of Delhi rape suspect

INDIAN police have arrested a man who was allegedly trying to plant a crude bomb near the home of one of the accused in the New Delhi gang-rape and murder case.

The 37-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday in the narrow bylanes of Ravi Dass Camp, a slum in southwest Delhi where four of the six accused lived, an officer in the city police control room said.

The low-grade device was filled with explosives usually used in firecrackers, he said.

Two of the other accused come from outside Delhi, according to police.

The incident reflects growing anger across the country since the 23-year-old medical student was repeatedly assaulted and violated with an iron bar while being driven around in a bus on the night of December 16.

The suspects, some of whom were reportedly attacked in jail last week, are to be formally charged with rape and murder on Thursday.

The victim died of her grievous injuries in a Singapore hospital at the weekend.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has said the suspects risked the death penalty if found guilty and the case against them appeared very strong.

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Senate passes bill to avert fiscal cliff

COMING together in the early hours of 2013, the US Senate overwhelmingly passed a last-gasp bill to avert huge tax increases and draconian spending cuts making up the so-called "fiscal cliff."

Senators voted 89-9 on Tuesday to approve the measure, which now goes to the House of Representatives where it faces a less certain fate, although the chamber's Republican Speaker John Boehner said he would bring the bill to the floor soon.

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Man charged over Hobart alleged rape

A MAN has been charged in connection with an alleged rape close to the centre of Hobart's New Year's Eve celebrations.

Police have interviewed and charged a 35-year-old man following a complaint from a 26-year-old woman about the alleged incident near Tasmania's Parliament House.

The parliament building sits opposite the Hobart waterfront, where an estimated 10,000 people flocked to see in 2013 on Monday night.

It is also close to the city's party precinct at Salamanca.

Detectives are requesting information from anyone who may have seen a woman in distress near the Parliament House car park between 1.30am and 3am (AEDT) on Tuesday morning.

The man was due to appear in court on Tuesday evening.

Police said Hobart was largely free of drunken incidents which have marred celebrations in previous years.

In the state's north, 12 people were arrested after police trying to break up a fight were pelted with stubbie bottles.

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Two dead in NSW waters

TWO men pulled from the water at NSW beaches have died despite efforts by paramedics to revive them.

Just before 1pm (AEDT) on Monday, a snorkeller found a 29-year-old man unconscious under a rock shelf off Delwood Beach near Manly in Sydney's north.

Police said the man was believed to be a Korean national who had been swimming with friends who lost sight of him when they reached shore.

The snorkeller who found him a short time later went ashore and raised the alarm before returning with friends to pull him from the sea.

Emergency crews arrived and performed CPR before taking him to Manly Hospital in a critical condition, a NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said.

A hospital spokeswoman said despite the efforts of staff the man was unable to be revived and was pronounced dead.

Police said the death did not appear to be suspicious and a report would be prepared for the coroner.

Earlier on Monday at about 10am a 32-year-old bodyboarder who entered the water at Inyadda Beach at Bendalong, near Nowra, was pulled ashore by local surfers.

It's suspected he suffered a medical emergency.

A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said a doctor who was at the beach administered CPR until paramedics arrived.

They spent about 20 minutes trying to revive the man but he died at the scene.

He may have had a pre-existing medical condition.

The incidents happened on the same day a woman's body was found in Sydney harbour after she went missing from her family's 12-metre cruiser that was anchored in Rose Bay.

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Chris Brown misses 'African Grammys'

A MUSIC awards show dubbed the "African Grammys" was hit by an embarrassing series of hitches culminating in the absence of star Chris Brown and an apology by the organiser.

The show had been delayed from Saturday to Sunday to enable rapper Brown to attend, with organiser Ernest Adjovi initially blaming the delay on Brown missing his flight but later saying heavy rains and other logistical hiccups were behind the postponement.

Brown finally arrived with singer Rihanna in the Ivory Coast city of Abidjan on Sunday, when he was due to perform at the glitzy Kora Awards that recognise musical achievements from around the continent.

But while the Koras were going on at a luxury hotel, the US singer was a few minutes away in the national stadium performing at a much-delayed concert for Peace in Africa.

Benin businessman Adjovi later apologised for the numerous "dysfunctions" that had occurred during the three-hour ceremony.

Rihanna, who hails from Barbados, was by Brown's side when he arrived.

The pair have a tumultuous history, and celebrity watchers obsess about whether they are an item again after Brown admitted assaulting Rihanna in a case dating back several years.

Brown was sentenced to five years probation, a year-long domestic violence program and 180 days of community labour after pleading guilty to assaulting Rihanna on the eve of the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 2009.

Ivorian quartet Magic System won the Kora award for best African group of the year while best artiste from the continent was DJ Arafat, another Ivorian.

"Mama" Patience Dabany, former first lady of Gabon and mother of current head of state Ali Bongo, was proclaimed woman of the year.

Past Kora ceremonies have been attended by South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela and the late Michael Jackson.

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Malaysia protesters rally against Lynas

A CONVOY of cars carrying protesters has driven across Malaysia in the latest demonstration against an Australian rare earths plant that activists claim will produce dangerous radioactive waste.

It came as demonstrators launched a hunger strike in the capital Kuala Lumpur in protest at the plant run by Lynas Corp, which began processing rare earths last month after a delay of more than a year due to strong opposition.

The Australian miner hopes the $US800 million ($A775.23 million) plant can help break the Chinese stranglehold on the market for rare earths, used in everything from missiles to mobile phones, but the project has been dogged by controversy from the start.

Some 100 activists in 20 cars wearing green T-shirts began their protest from the headquarters of the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, located just outside the capital Kuala Lumpur.

At least 150 cars are expected to join the convoy during the six-hour journey to the Lynas plant in eastern Pahang state, organisers said.

"It is our struggle to bring down this corrupt regime and evict Lynas from Malaysia," said activist Wong Tack, chairman of the Himpunan Hijau movement which is spearheading the anti-Lynas campaign.

The protest will culminate with a rally and a candlelit vigil outside the Lynas plant, said Wong.

In central Kuala Lumpur, more than 30 people including children began a 100-hour hunger strike to oppose the Lynas refinery.

Residents and activists say the plant will release radioactive gases and solid waste such as radium and lead, as well as small amounts of uranium.

But Lynas has insisted that any radioactive waste would be low-level and not harmful and that it would be safely disposed of.

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Abalone fisherman drowns off WA coast

A MAN diving for abalone has drowned off the coast off Western Australia, police have confirmed.

The man in his 40s, believed to be of Chinese origin who was living in Perth, was fishing in the waters near Cape Leeuwin in the state's southwest when he got into trouble.

He had been in a group of about 10 people fishing for the delicacy when disaster struck.

St John Ambulance crews attended the scene and attempted to revive the man but were unsuccessful.

The fisherman is the second person within two months to die while attempting to catch abalone in the waters off WA.

In November, a 20-year old was swept out to sea in treacherous conditions while on an abalone hunt north of Perth.

The Malaysian man was caught in a strong rip in Yanchep Lagoon, 55 kilometres north of Perth, and was swept away.

That group was searching for the expensive delicacy on the first day of the heavily restricted recreational fishing season.

The disaster triggered calls for metropolitan abalone fishing spots to be closed in dangerous weather.

However, the ocean conditions in the Lighthouse Bay area where Sunday's incident occurred were not thought to be dangerous.

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Indian gang-rape victim cremated

India has been engulfed by an outpouring of grief as the body of a gang-rape victim arrived home. Source: AAP

THE victim of a gang-rape which triggered an outpouring of grief and anger across India has been cremated at a private ceremony in New Delhi as it emerged she was planning to get married in February.

The unidentified 23-year-old, the focus of nationwide protests since she was brutally attacked on a bus in New Delhi two weeks ago, died on Saturday of her injuries in a Singapore hospital where she had been airlifted for treatment.

She was cremated on Sunday away from the public glare only hours after her body was repatriated.

The funeral pyre was lit after traumatised relatives and friends said their final prayers at a ceremony in southwestern Delhi, according to mourners who revealed she had been due to wed her boyfriend, who was injured in the same attack.

"They had made all the wedding preparations and had planned a wedding party in Delhi" for February, said Meena Rai, a close friend and neighbour.

"I really loved this girl," she said. "She was the brightest of all."

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the main ruling Congress Party, were at Delhi airport to console the victim's parents as they arrived home on a chartered plane with their daughter's body at 4.00am (0930 AEDT) on Sunday.

The victim's death has prompted government promises of better protection for women and deep soul-searching in a nation where gang-rapes are a daily occurrence and sexual harassment is routinely dismissed as "Eve-teasing".

Waves of protests have erupted across India since the attack on the night of December 16 when the woman was not only repeatedly raped but also sexually assaulted with an iron bar, leaving her with terrible intestinal injuries.

Thousands took part in late-night candlelit vigils on Saturday after Singh led appeals for calm to prevent a repeat of the sometimes violent protests.

As police said the six accused of murdering the unnamed woman could face the death penalty, there was a widespread determination that the killing would serve as a tipping point for how the nation deals with violence against women.

"We are aware that this is not the first case, nor will it be the last case of gang-rape in India, but it is clear that we will not tolerate sex crimes any more," said Bela Rana, a lawyer who joined a rally in central Delhi.

The city has been dubbed the "rape capital" of India. A report in Sunday's Hindustan Times said more than 20 women had been raped there since December 16.

According to police and prosecutors, the murder victim's ordeal began when six men lured her and her male companion onto a bus that they thought would take them home.

Instead a group of joyriders, who had been drinking heavily, launched a savage attack lasting some 40 minutes that only ended when the victims were thrown off the bus.

The attack has prompted intense debate among Indians who had grown almost inured to an epidemic of violence against women.

Gang-rapes are so common that they rarely get a mention in the newspapers. Victims are often deterred even from reporting them for fear of shaming their families or receiving a brush-off from police.

The Times of India said in an editorial on Sunday that two key questions must be addressed in the aftermath of the incident: "What exactly will the government do now to make the country a safer and better place for all women? And what will all of us do to tackle deeply entrenched prejudice and misogyny in our society?"

The government has already promised to bring in tougher sentences for the most extreme sex crimes and speed up a notoriously slow justice system.

A statement issued by United Nations spokesman Martin Nesirky said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "offers his sincerest condolences" to the victim's family and "utterly condemns this brutal crime".

"Violence against women must never be accepted, never excused, never tolerated," the statement said. "Every girl and woman has the right to be respected, valued and protected."

Ban urged the Indian government to take steps to deter such crimes and bring perpetrators to justice, and to "strengthen critical services for rape victims", the statement said.

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19 Shi'ites killed in Pakistan bus blast

A CAR bomb attack on buses carrying Shi'ite Muslim pilgrims to Iran has killed 19 people and wounded 25 in Pakistan's insurgency-hit southwest, officials say.

The remotely-triggered bomb hit a convoy of three buses in Mastung district on Sunday and set one of them ablaze, said Tufail Baluch, a senior government official in the district.

"At least 19 people have been killed and 25 injured. All of them were Shi'ite pilgrims," he told AFP, adding most of those killed were burnt to death.

"The bomb was planted in a car. The condition of some of the injured is critical," Baluch said.

Some 180 Shi'ite pilgrims were on their way to Iran in the buses when the bomb ripped through one of them, said Akbar Hussain Durrani, a senior government official in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province.

One bus carrying some 45 pilgrims was badly damaged, he said.

Mastung is some 30 kilometres south of Quetta.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

The province has become an increasing flashpoint for sectarian violence between Pakistan's majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shi'ites, who account for around a fifth of the country's 180 million people.

Baluchistan is also rife with Islamist militancy and with a regional insurgency which began in 2004. The insurgents demand political autonomy and a greater share of profits from the region's oil and gas resources.

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