Tear gas fired at teenager's funeral

CLASHES broke out overnight at the funeral of a teenager killed in demonstrations to mark the second anniversary of Bahrain's Shiite-led uprising.

The security forces blocked access to the funeral of Hussein al-Jaziri in the Shiite-populated village of Daih near the capital Manama, firing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse dozens of people trying to push their way through.

Jaziri died on Thursday after being shot in the stomach by security forces, according to Al-Wefaq, Bahrain's main Shiite opposition bloc, during Shiite-led protests against the kingdom's Sunni rulers, in which a policeman also died.

Earlier, the authorities said four people were arrested after an overnight attack on security forces that wounded four policemen.

The attack took place during unrest that began on Friday when protesters blocked a highway linking a string of Shiite villages with the capital.

The interior ministry said in a statement that it had "arrested four terrorists possessing weapons with which they had fired on security forces in Karzakan," a Shiite village southwest of Manama.

A police officer and three policemen were taken to hospital after being wounded "by buckshot fired by a terrorist group," police chief Tarek al-Hassan said in statement.

The security forces "had to respond to the attack to defend themselves," Mr Hassan added, without giving further details of the attack or the police response.

Bahrain has seen two years of political upheaval linked to opposition demands for a real constitutional monarchy, with the unrest claiming at least 80 lives, according to international rights groups.

Thursday's violence, in which Jazira and police officer Mohamed Atef were killed, began with demonstrations to coincide with the actual anniversary of the start of the uprising on February 14, 2011.

Clashes raged sporadically in Shiite villages through the night and into the early hours of Friday.

The latest unrest comes amid a fresh round of a national dialogue between opposition groups and the government.

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'We won't devalue currency' - G20

G20 finance ministers moved to calm fears of looming "economic warfare" on the currency markets.

The jitters - similar to previous disputes with China -- have been set off by Japan's plan of monetary easing to boost inflation and activity by reducing the value of the yen under new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

"We will refrain from competitive devaluation. We will not target our exchange rates for competitive purposes," said the communique after the G20 finance meeting meeting in Moscow under Russia's presidency.

It echoed a similar recent statement by the G7 richest nations which like the G20 statement was also approved by Japan, whose monetary policy has been vehemently criticised by the West in recent weeks.

The statement made clear that forex rates should be set by markets, and not intervening governments.

It affirmed the G20's commitment to move "more rapidly toward more market-determined exchange rate systems and exchange rate flexibility to reflect underlying fundamentals."

Striving to give the impression of a united front among the world's top 20 economies, the G20 ministers vowed to "work more closely with one another so we can grow together.

British Finance Minister George Osborne had earlier warned of the dangers of slugging out "economic warfare" as countries tried to outdo eachother with successive devaluations.

"Currencies should not be used as a tool of competitive devaluation. The world should not make the mistake that it has made in the past of using currencies as the tools of economic warfare," the British chancellor of the exchequer said.

European capitals fear that devaluations of currencies like the yen would make their own exports less competitive and harm extremely fragile economic recoveries at home.

For the first time in several international meetings, the concerns over currencies have overshadowed the economic troubles of the debt-ridden euro zone which leaders hope is heading to a gentle recovery.

All the G20 states are to a greater or lesser extent faced with the same dilemma - how to boost fragile growth rates without overextending budget deficits or alienating international partners.

The final communique - as expected - stopped short of giving precise budget deficit targets which many governments would have found too tough to stomach.

But it said that "credible medium-term fiscal consolidation plans will be put in place" and implemented taking into account the economic conditions and fiscal possibilities.

Earlier, Britain, France and Germany also launched a new drive to help national budgets by making big business pay full taxes and not minimise payments through schemes such as offshore companies.

The G20 ministers agreed to take measures to combat corporate tax avoidance in coordination with the Organisation for Cooperation and Economic Development (OECD) which is preparing an action plan on measures to be taken in a coordinated move by national governments.

"We are determined to develop measures to address base erosion and profit shifting, take the necessary collective action and look forward to the comprehensive action plan the OECD will present to us in July," the final statement said.

Profit shifting is the practice of shifting profits from the company's home country to pay less tax under another jurisdiction.

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Big swing against NT govt in by-election

THE Northern Territory government says it has heard the message, after a big swing against it in the by-election for the seat of Wanguri.

Australian Labor Party (ALP) candidate Nicole Manison secured her place in the NT parliament after capturing 69.7 per cent of the two-party vote, late counting showed.

The result was about a six per cent swing towards the ALP from the last election, making the seat now the safest ALP electorate in the NT.

The ALP had called on voters to send a message to the Country Liberal Party (CLP) that rules the NT, and the government said it had heard it.

"This government acknowledges the message contained in the result tonight," NT Chief Minister Terry Mills said.

"We will continue to work with, and engage the community in this period of change."

Commentators had thought it would be tough for the CLP to win Wanguri, which Labor has held since 1989, particularly after recent 30 per cent electricity price hikes and government cutbacks.

The CLP had said the price rises were needed to alleviate the debt held by the public-owned Power and Water Corporation.

But Ms Manison said the result was Territorians sending Mr Mills a message he couldn't ignore.

"People are unhappy with his broken promises and unfair price hikes," she said.

The by-election was sparked by the resignation of former chief minister Paul Henderson.

Counting will continue on Sunday with about 89 per cent of the vote counted so far.

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Pistorius is 'numb with shock and grief'

OSCAR Pistorius' uncle says the Olympic athlete is "numb with shock, as well as grief" over the shooting death of his girlfriend.

Arnold Pistorius spoke with The Associated Press and two South African journalists about his nephew's arrest for the killing of Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius remains held at a Pretoria police station over the slaying.

Prosecutors say they will pursue a charge of premeditated murder against him.

Arnold Pistorius said the family "strongly refutes" any murder charge against him, though he did not elaborate on what sparked the shooting on Valentine's Day.

Arnold Pistorius said: "They had plans together and Oscar was happier in his private life than he had been for a long time."

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Vatican could hold early Pope vote

THE Vatican says it could speed up the election of a new Pope as lobbying for Benedict XVI's job intensified amid speculation over who had the best chance to succeed him.

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi, who earlier said the conclave would probably start on or after March 15 after the Pope resigns on February 28, said the issue of bringing forward the date "has been raised by various cardinals".

Benedict's decision to step down for age reasons has revealed tensions at the heart of the Church, emphasised by a battle between top cardinals over whose candidate should be appointed to head up the Vatican's scandal-hit bank.

The choice of German financier Ernst Von Freyberg on Friday was seen by some as a snub to the Vatican's powerful number two, Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who had backed another candidate, religious watchers said.

"The appointment is fruit of a bitter compromise," Il Messaggero daily said.

It appeared to bring to the fore a power struggle between Bertone's allies and his rivals reminiscent of Renaissance conspiracies -- a bid to shape the hierarchy within the Vatican first revealed in a leaks scandal last year.

In an interview carried out 10 weeks ago but published on Saturday, Benedict spoke about the scandal, which some believe was a factor in his resignation.

"I simply couldn't understand it," he told his biographer Peter Seewald in the interview published in Focus magazine, referring to his former butler Paolo Gabriele's decision to leak secret memos revealing intrigue at the Vatican.

"I don't know what he was expecting. I can't understand his thought process," said the 85-year-old, who pardoned Gabriele just before Christmas.

Seewald had also asked Benedict six months ago what people could expect from the rest of his papacy: "From me? Not much. I am an old man, running out of energy. I also think what I have done is enough," he replied.

On Saturday, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said that once Benedict steps down, he will stay in the papal summer seat in Castel Gandolfo near Rome for around two months before moving to a monastery within the Vatican walls.

He is expected to take some of his current household to the modern monastery, which is currently undergoing restoration works.

Thousands of faithful are expected to flock to St Peter's Square on Sunday to pay tribute to the German pontiff in one of his last public appearances.

The secret conclave set to meet under Michelangelo's famous frescoes in the Sistine Chapel to select a new Pope had been scheduled for mid-March, but could be brought forward as long as cardinals from around the world are in Rome.

Rules laid down by John Paul II stipulate that between 15 and 20 days must pass after the end of the pontificate before the conclave meets.

But a clause in the constitution allows exceptions in case of an agreement between the cardinals, who are already gathering at the Vatican. Most are expected at a final audience with Benedict on February 28.

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BMW recalls nearly 570,000 cars

BMW is recalling almost 570,000 cars in the US and Canada because a battery cable connector can fail and cause the engines to stall.

The recall affects the popular 3-Series sedans, wagons, convertibles and coupes from the 2007 through 2011 model years. Also included are 1-Series coupes and convertibles from 2008 through 2012, and the Z4 sports car from 2009 through 2011.

The cable connectors and a fuse box terminal in the cars can degrade over time, and that can break the electrical connection between the boot-mounted battery and the fuse box at the front. If that happens, the cars could lose electrical power, causing the engines to stall unexpectedly, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in documents posted on its website.

The company says in documents sent to the NHTSA that the problem stems from movement between the battery cable and the fuse box.

BMW says it knows of one minor collision in Canada due to the problem, but no injuries.

The German automaker says dealers will replace the battery cable connector and secure it for free. It will start notifying owners in March.

The 3-Series is BMW's most popular car in the US, dominating the small luxury car market. The company sold nearly 100,000 of them in the US last year.

The recall affects more than 504,000 cars in the US and another 65,000 in Canada.

BMW, Toyota and other automakers have experienced large recalls in recent years because they use common parts on multiple models in order to save money.

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Third death linked to Vic cheese company

A THIRD person has died following a listeria outbreak linked to soft cheeses produced in Victoria.

Victoria's acting chief health officer, Dr Michael Ackland, has confirmed the death of a 68-year-old New South Wales man in late January was linked to the listeria contamination of Jindi cheese products, Fairfax reported on Sunday.

An 84-year-old Victorian man and a 44-year-old Tasmanian man have also died of listeria infection. A pregnant NSW woman miscarried. More than 20 other cases have been reported.

Jindi has voluntarily recalled all batches of cheese manufactured up to January 6.

Listeria, a bacterial infection, has a long incubation period and more people could become ill.

The Victoria health department says it acted promptly to contain the outbreak, but has warned there could be more cases.

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Man gets bail after train station assault

A SYDNEY hotel worker has been charged with the sexual assault of a young male who was passed out drunk at a train station.

The man was granted bail during a brief appearance in Central Local Court on Friday.

Police allege the heavily intoxicated 18-year-old victim had been out with friends before he made his way to Central railway station in the early hours of January 8.

He passed out sometime before 3.30am (AEDT) and awoke to find the man allegedly performing a lewd act on him.

Following inquiries by police, the man was arrested at a hotel in Darling Harbour on Thursday and charged with one count of sexual intercourse.

He was granted conditional bail which included a surety of $10,000.

His wife was among family members who supported him in court.

He will appear before Downing Centre Local Court on April 9.

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Merkel ally resigns in plagiarism scandal

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel has suffered a major political blow with the resignation of her education minister over plagiarism allegations.

Merkel said she had accepted the resignation of Annette Schavan "with a heavy heart". Schavan's former university stripped her of her doctorate, saying she had plagiarised parts of her thesis, Person and Conscience, 33 years ago.

Schavan reiterated her vow to fight the allegations but said she did not want the claims to damage the office, the party or the federal government.

"I think today is the right day to leave my ministerial post and to concentrate on my duties as a member of parliament," said a visibly moved Schavan on Saturday.

Schavan, 57, became the second close ally of Merkel to step down over plagiarism after Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, a popular defence minister, resigned in 2011.

The extent of Schavan's alleged plagiarism is thought to be less than that of zu Guttenberg's, whose actions earned the aristocrat the nicknames Baron cut-and-paste and zu Googleberg.

Nevertheless, Schavan's mistakes were seen as indefensible given her position as education minister in a country where academic titles are taken extremely seriously.

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Hundreds of Vic firefighters kept busy

VICTORIAN firefighters have been kept busy battling two major fires in the state's east and a number of smaller blazes closer to Melbourne.

A control centre spokesman said 195 firefighters battled the 81,000-hectare Aberfeldy fire in Gippsland in Victoria's east on Saturday.

"It's burning in steep difficult terrain," the spokesman said.

Closer to Melbourne, a watch and act alert was downgraded to an advice warning for communities near an out-of-control fire at Kerrie, northwest of Melbourne.

There are 22 trucks at the scene.

"That's likely to burn into the night and probably won't be brought under control till morning," the spokesman said.

"There's a lot of smoke and activity but it's not threatening houses or property."

A fire at Arthurs Creek, northeast of Melbourne, is under control.

Conditions at a second major fire at Harrietville in alpine country in the northeast had eased, the spokesman said.

A watch and act alert has also been downgraded to an advice warning for the Hotham Heights and Dinner Plain areas, but all residents are believed to have been evacuated.

Wind gusts and spot fires were still a worry in the area as 312 firefighters, 11 aircraft and 60 vehicles worked on the fire on Saturday.

The spokesman said wind gusts were making the fire difficult to predict.

A watch and act warning is in place for Dargo at the southern side of the Harrietville fire that has so far burned around 16,000 hectares.

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