Muslim world body urges Mali ceasefire

THE Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), of which Mali is a member, has called for a ceasefire in the African country where French troops have intervened to battle Islamists.

OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said in a statement on Tuesday the military offensive was "premature" and called for "an immediate ceasefire in Mali and for all parties to go back to the negotiations which were led by Burkina Faso" in December.

Ihsanoglu, who "expressed his deep concern over the military escalation" also called for "maximum self-restraint from all parties at this critical time in order to reach a peaceful solution to this conflict".

France launched air strikes on Friday to back the Malian army in an operation against Islamist rebels, and has also sent troops into the West African nation.

It has secured fresh UN backing for its military action and reinforced its ground forces with an armoured column after driving Islamists from their northern bases with air strikes.

A meeting of the 15-nation UN Security Council on Mali expressed unanimous "understanding and support" for the military intervention, France's UN ambassador Gerard Araud said late on Monday.

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Government grants to help Tas fire victims

AS Tasmania's bushfire victims try to piece their lives together after the devastating fires, the federal and state governments announced grants to help with the massive clean-up and rebuilding.

Up to $25,000 will be available to eligible small businesses, not-for-profit organisations and primary producers in the Sorell, Tasman and Glamorgan/Spring Bay local government areas in an effort to get businesses back on their feet as quickly as possible,

Tasmanian Bushfires Recovery Taskforce co-ordinator Michael Stevens says there is a wide range of assistance payments and programs available.

"We believe some people may be unclear about their eligibility for grants and other forms of assistance so we're urging them to visit the websites and talk to the Bushfire Recovery Unit and other departments about what is available," Mr Stevens said.

The grants include temporary living assistance of up to $8875 over a maximum period of six months to assist with living expenses and an essential household goods grants of up to $5600 per household (plus $500 per additional household member up to a maximum of $8875) for costs not covered by insurance.

Mr Stevens said the state government is bearing the cost of the clean-up of homes and other structures destroyed by bushfires.

People should register and request a consent form to participate in the clean-up.

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Taiwan sees baby boom in year of dragon

THE number of births in Taiwan reached a 10-year high in 2012, buoyed by the Chinese zodiac's year of the dragon that is considered an auspicious year to have a child.

A total 234,599 babies were born, raising the fertility rate to 1.27 births per woman, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

Chinese tradition holds that those born in the year of the dragon, the symbol of China's past emperors, are likely to be successful and wealthy.

Taiwan has experienced a decline in birth rates and a rapidly ageing population over the last two decades. Factors including a greater number of career-oriented women and rising cost of living have contributed to the drop.

The island territory is beginning to see the impact of low birth rates, with declining enrollment in universities and government warnings that the pension system could go bankrupt by 2027.

The government has tried several policies to boost marriage and fertility rates including organised matchmaking tours, subsidies for child care and fertility treatments, and cash bonuses per birth.

The fertility rate hit a record low of 0.89 in 2010, when Taiwan ranked lowest in the world. The 2012 rate was still far below the 2.1 replacement rate that demographers have set for stable populations in industrialised countries.

Government planners forecast a slight decrease in the birth rate in 2013, the year of the snake. Snakes are not so bad, because many Chinese believe they resemble "little dragons".

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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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Helicopter pilot survives crash

A HELICOPTER pilot has survived a crash in central Queensland this afternoon.

The pilot was travelling over the Yo Yo Park station near Allandale Warrah Road when he crashed into a dam just after 5pm.

The man, believed to be 25-years-old, managed to escape with burns to his body and face.

He was taken to Augathella Hospital by road where he is expected to be flown to a Brisbane hospital.

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Man killed in fiery Bruce Hwy crash

A MAN has been killed in a fiery crash between a truck and car north of Gympie tonight.

The vehicles collided on the Bruce Highway at Glenwood about 6.30pm, with the truck carrying fertiliser bursting into flames.

The male driver of the car died on the scene.

The 45-year-old male truck driver managed to escape the blaze but suffered burns to 15 per cent of his body, including to his face, leg and hands.

He was flown by the AGL Action Rescue Helicopter to the Royal Brisbane Hospital.

The fire spread to nearby grassland.

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Man charged over 7kg of cocaine

A CANADIAN man will face a Sydney court after customs seized a package containing just under seven kilograms of cocaine worth more than $2 million.

The package, sent as an air cargo consignment from Canada, was intercepted on December 30 following a joint agency investigation involving NSW and federal police and the NSW Crime Commission.

Customs officers found 6.95kg of cocaine, with an estimated potential street value of $2.4 million, hidden in the package.

Following investigations, a 55-year-old Canadian man was arrested on Sunday and charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled substance.

The offence carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

He was refused bail to face Central Local Court on Monday.

NSW Police Organised Crime Targeting Squad Commander, Detective Acting Superintendent Jon Beard, said a strong partnership between the agencies had again prevented a significant shipment of drugs making it onto the streets of NSW.

"The NSW Police Force will continue to work in close collaboration with its partners to detect criminals involved in the importation and supply of illicit drugs in our community," he said.

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French air strikes in Mali enter third day

Mali's army has taken back a key town from Islamist rebels aided by French air power. Source: AAP

FRENCH Mirage fighter jets have pounded Mali for a third straight day and a top Islamist leader has been reported killed as troops head to the west African country.

"There were (air strikes) last night, there are now and there will be today and tomorrow," Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in televised remarks on Sunday.

"Our intervention is ongoing and we will continue in order to make (Islamist fighters) retreat and allow Malian and African forces to go forward and re-establish the territorial integrity of the country."

The first troops promised by African nations were expected in Mali on Sunday to join the campaign.

Burkina Faso, Niger and Senegal on Saturday each pledged 500 troops for an African-led intervention force.

Also on Sunday a security source said a lieutenant of Ansar Dine chief Iyad Ag Ghaly was killed in fighting to recapture the central town of Konna from the rebels.

"The Islamist fighters suffered a real setback with the death of Abdel 'Kojak' Krim," the source said.

On Saturday French troops arrived in the capital Bamako, flying in from bases in Ivory Coast and Chad, a Malian officer told AFP.

Colonel Paul Geze, the French mission's commander, told Mali's ORTM television he hoped their mission would succeed "as quickly as possible, in the best conditions possible".

ORTM said the French contingent would be at full strength by Monday. It has been deployed in the capital to protect the 6000-strong expatriate community.

Both France and Mali on Saturday hailed the success of their joint operation to push back an advance by the Islamists who control the north of the country.

Since taking power in the north last year, the Islamists have destroyed centuries-old Muslim mausoleums they see as heretical and imposed an extreme form of Islamic law including floggings, amputations and sometimes executions.

"Our foes have suffered heavy losses," French President Francois Hollande said, stressing that the French intervention had "only one goal, which is the fight against terrorism".

A statement issued late on Saturday from Mali's interim president Dioncounda Traore said 11 of their soldiers had died and about 60 had been wounded in the fighting.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said French Mirage fighters had carried out a second day of air strikes Saturday to stop columns of Islamist fighters from driving south.

A French pilot carrying out air raids had been killed, he added. But the Islamists reportedly suffered heavy losses.

A Malian officer in the central town of Mopti, near the front line, said dozens, possibly as many as a hundred Islamists had been killed in Konna, which was recaptured on Friday.

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Clashes 'near Damascus' after rebel gain

Syrian Rebels have taken control of a strategic airbase in north-western Syria, a watchdog says. Source: AAP

SYRIAN activists say the outskirts of the capital Damascus have been rocked by clashes a day after rebels seized a key regime airbase in the north.

The opposition British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said two children and a man were killed when Mleha just southeast of the capital was bombarded, and that two rebels battling forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad were also killed there.

The organisation says it relies on a network of activists and medics on the ground in Syria when compiling its reports and death tolls.

It said violence across the country on Friday claimed the lives of 86 people, among them 30 civilians.

Regime artillery also opened up on Beit Sahem south of Damascus, as well as Jdaidet Artuz and Daraya to the southeast, the group said on Saturday.

It reported that regime air raids on Rastan in the central province of Homs caused casualties, without giving an immediate toll of the dead and wounded.

One insurgent was also killed in clashes there, it added.

In the east of the country, a man was killed when artillery pounded Deir Ezzor, the Observatory said.

Among Friday's casualties were nine rebels, eight soldiers and two regime militiamen killed when insurgents overran the key Taftanaz air base in one of their most important military gains to date.

Capturing Taftanaz, from which regime forces launched deadly helicopter gunship sorties, eases the pressure on rebels who already control vast swathes of Syria's north and east.

"This is the largest airbase to be seized since the revolt began" nearly 22 months ago, the Observatory's Rami Abdel Rahman said on Friday.

The Observatory said government forces managed to evacuate most of the 60 helicopters deployed there, leaving behind 20 that are no longer serviceable.

The United Nations says more than 60,000 people have died in the Syrian conflict since March 2011.

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