Boy drowns off Tas coast, father missing

THE body of a little boy has been pulled from the waters off Tasmania's northeastern coast after he was swept into the sea with his father.

Police are still searching for the six-year-old boy's father, but pulled the child's body out of the ocean near Bicheno on Saturday evening.

The pair had been standing on rocks near a boat ramp when a wave pulled them into the water, police said.

A major search with aircraft and rescue boats began after witnesses called triple-zero around 5pm (AEST).

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Hamas executes two Israel 'collaborators'

HAMAS has hanged two men accused of collaborating with Israel, a statement from the interior ministry of the Islamist movement's government in the Gaza Strip said.

The ministry said on Saturday that it had executed the two men in accordance "with what Palestinian law stipulates", identifying them as "the collaborator with the occupation A.G., 49, and the collaborator H.K., 43."

A military court in Gaza had sentenced the two to "death by hanging after the tribunal convicted them 10 years ago of charges ranging from collaborating with a hostile foreign entity", to involvement in "killing and espionage".

A number of representatives from civil organisations attended the execution, the statement said.

The Hamas government executed three men in April 2012 after they were accused of "collaborating" with Israel.

On Thursday, a Palestinian man found guilty of the same charge was sentenced to death by a military court in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas.

It was the fifth such sentence handed down by the authorities in the coastal enclave since the beginning of the year.

Under Palestinian law, collaboration with Israel, murder and drug trafficking are all punishable by death.

All execution orders must be approved by the Palestinian president before they can be carried out, but Hamas no longer recognises the legitimacy of Mahmud Abbas, whose four-year term ended in 2009.

Israeli security forces use Palestinian informers to thwart militant attacks and assist in the assassination of top militants.

Since the September 2000 outbreak of the Palestinian uprising, dozens of Palestinians accused of collaborating have been condemned by Palestinian martial courts or killed by militants in both Gaza and the West Bank, which is governed by Abbas's Palestinian Authority.

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Malaysian rally calls for polls reform

ABOUT 20,000 Malaysian opposition supporters have gathered in the capital demanding the resignation of the country's Election Commission in the wake of contentious polls.

The opposition claims bias by the commission cost them a historic win against Malaysia's 56-year-old ruling coalition and has filed petitions challenging results in some areas, claiming fraud.

The rally in central Kuala Lumpur on Saturday was the 15th since the May 5 elections, in which the Barisan Nasional (National Front) clung to power despite losing the popular vote in its worst showing ever.

"We have won the elections," opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim told the crowd.

"So we will continue our protests in parliament and outside."

The rallies had raised the spectre of political instability but fears have ebbed as the opposition has tempered its demands after initially refusing to accept the results.

Turnout on Saturday was far lower than opposition officials had predicted, perhaps in part due to a recent spike in pollution from forest fires in nearby Indonesia that also has blanketed Singapore.

"The momentum is dying down," rally participant Faisal Ooi, 55, told AFP.

The government, led by Prime Minister Najib Razak, has rejected charges of cheating. Ruling party figures accuse Anwar of risking instability out of sour grapes over the election result.

Parliament opens Monday and the opposition has said it will not boycott.

The opposition says voter rolls for May's elections were full of irregularities. Supposedly indelible ink introduced by the Election Commission to prevent multiple voting also easily washed off.

Barisan developed Malaysia's economy over the decades but many analysts say the country is losing its competitive edge. The opposition has blamed corruption and repressive tactics by Barisan, and pledged to free up society and improve governance.

The opposition says the Barisan-constructed electoral system unfairly favours the ruling bloc.

Anwar points to the May 5 polls - in which the opposition won the popular vote, but Barisan won more seats thanks to the layout of constituencies - as proof.

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Militants kill two police in India Kashmir

TWO Indian policemen have been shot dead by suspected militants in a high security area of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, police say.

The policemen were shot from point blank range when they were on a regular patrol near the main court complex located in a busy commercial district of Srinagar, a senior police official said on Saturday.

"Both the policemen died at the spot. We don't know as yet who carried out the attack," city police chief Ashiq Bukhari said.

The attack comes at a time when security is being stepped up in the region ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh early next week.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan along the UN-monitored Line of Control (LoC), but both countries claim the region in full and have fought two of their three wars over it.

Rebels opposed to Indian rule of the territory have been mounting shoot-and-run attacks on security personnel at regular intervals in recent times.

In April, armed militants attacked a police patrol near the northern Kashmir town of Sopore, killing four.

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Super increase goes ahead on July 1: ATO

The ATO is pushing ahead with plans to increase the compulsory superannuation guarantee. Source: AAP

THE Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is pushing on with plans to increase the compulsory superannuation guarantee to 9.25 per cent, despite the federal opposition threatening to suspend any rise if in government.

The super guarantee increase from its current rate of nine per cent starts on July 1.

ATO deputy commissioner for superannuation Alison Lendon said there has been confusion around the super guarantee rate rise following recent commentary regarding potential deferments.

"Employers and individuals should be in no doubt that the scheduled super guarantee rate rise in 2013 is law and will apply from July 1 this year," she said in a statement.

Ms Lendon also confirmed the existing upper age limit for employee super guarantee eligibility will be removed, meaning employers need to start making contributions to eligible employees who are aged 70 or over.

Under a Labor government the super guarantee will continue to increase each year until it reaches 12 per cent from July 1, 2019.

But the coalition has said if it wins power at the September 14 election, such increases will be suspended for two years.

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Bob Brown applauds SA same sex bill

Former MP Bob Brown has applauded the introduction of same sex marriage laws in the SA parliament. Source: AAP

SOUTH Australian legislation to allow same sex marriage could survive a High Court challenge, former Greens leader Bob Brown says.

Mr Brown has applauded the introduction of marriage equality legislation in the SA parliament and said if passed it would be a fitting tribute to former social-reforming premier Don Dunstan.

"What a great follow-through from the great premier Don Dunstan, who made such a breakthrough for equal rights in this country," he said.

Mr Brown said the suggestion that any state-based legislation would ultimately fail in the High Court cut across the justice of the proposed laws.

"The High Court can look at it and the High Court can make a decision, but to pre-judge the High Court is not the way our constitution and the balance between the states and the commonwealth works," he said.

"I expect the High Court will endorse it."

The SA legislation was introduced to parliament on Thursday with a vote expected by the end of the year.

Premier Jay Weatherill has pledged to support it and other Labor MPs will be allowed a conscience vote.

However Liberal MPs are expected to vote against it on party lines.

Opposition Justice spokesman Stephen Wade said any state-based laws for marriage equality would be ruled unconstitutional.

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Thousands stranded by north Indian floods

Some 50,000 people are stranded after flash floods and landslides in northern India. Source: AAP

THOUSANDS of pilgrims and tourists are sheltering in forests awaiting rescue, almost a week after flash floods and landslides hit northern India, wiping out villages and leaving at least 150 dead, officials say.

Helicopters and thousands of soldiers have been deployed to rescue people stranded at remote pilgrimage sites after devastating torrential monsoon rains hit the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand last weekend.

Rescue workers who have managed to reach those stranded are racing to cut down trees and clear vegetation to allow military helicopters to land and evacuate those most in need, a state official said on Friday.

"Thousands of tourists are waiting in the dense forests. They had all taken refuge in the jungle after hotels and other buildings collapsed," said the state's principal secretary Rakesh Sharma.

"We are trying all possible ways to rescue them. Roads are totally destroyed," he said.

More than 150 people have been killed in Uttarakhand and neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, their state control departments said.

But officials have warned the death toll could rise dramatically as flood waters recede and rescue workers reach isolated areas.

Some 50,000 people are still stranded after the floods swept away houses and other buildings, while bridges and narrow roads leading to pilgrimage towns have also been destroyed, the national government said.

More than 34,000 people have been rescued in recent days, unconfirmed reports of another 13,000 people missing.

Torrential rains four and a half times as heavy as usual have hit Uttarakhand, known as the "Land of the Gods", where Hindu shrines and temples built high in the mountains attract many pilgrims.

The military operation was concentrating on reaching the worst-hit Kedarnath temple area, with many of those rescued taken to the Uttarakhand capital Dehradun.

Some of those stranded in mountain areas are trying to walk to safer ground, with photos showing pilgrims, aided by soldiers, using ropes to climb down cliffs.

Soldiers have also reached some of the villages in lower lying areas by boat, ferrying women clutching babies, children and elderly men to safety.

Video footage shows only roofs of the houses visible above the water line.

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Stonehenge draws 20,000 for solstice

POLICE say more than 20,000 celebrants have gathered at England's famed Stonehenge monument to mark the summer solstice.

The cloud cover on Friday morning prevented bright sunshine at dawn of the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere but a joyous spirit prevailed.

Police say there were fewer arrests than usual with 22 people taken into custody, most for drug-related offences.

The solstice has typically drawn a wide and varied crowd to the mysterious set of standing stones whose purpose remains unclear.

The ancient stone circle on the Salisbury Plain about 130km southwest of London, was built in three phases between 3000BC and 1600BC.

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Two dead in seperate NSW car crashes

TWO people have died in separate car crashes in NSW.

On Wednesday evening, a 74-year-old man who smashed a ute into a tree in the state's north was found dead by emergency services.

Police are preparing a report for the coroner and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash at Evans Head.

Meanwhile, a 68-year-old woman has been found dead after her car ran off the road and crashed near Orange on Thursday afternoon.

A report is being prepared for the coroner.

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Gay marriage debate reignites in parly

LNP Senator Sue Boyce expresses her support for a bill to recognise overseas same-sex marriages in Australia.

A LIBERAL senator who crossed the floor to vote in favour of recognising same-sex couples who wed overseas has been praised for acting "with her heart and her mind", even though the bill was overwhelmingly defeated.

Senator Sue Boyce's support wasn't enough to carry the bill to amend the Marriage Act, so that same-sex marriages in foreign countries including New Zealand were recognised under Australian law.

The private member's bill, moved by the Australian Greens, was shot down in the Senate on Thursday by 44 votes to 28.

DLP senator John Madigan again called for a federal referendum on same sex marriage after the vote.

"We're often told that a majority wants same-sex marriage, well I'm saying put it to the people," Senator Madigan said.

He vowed to push for a referendum to define the definition of marriage as just between a man and a woman.

Senator Boyce said such a referendum would fail because it was a "disgusting and immoral idea".

She said she didn't favour the "backdoor" approach the Greens were taking to build groundswell support for same-sex marriage.

But she supported gay marriage, and as this bill would bring that closer to reality, she defied the party line to support it.

"There is no reason not to allow same-sex mariage in Australia," she said.

"I believe that this bill will assist us in moving towards that, and if we are to vote on this bill I will be supporting it."

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said he didn't counsel Senator Boyce against voting for the bill, and defended her right to cross the floor even though the coalition does not support changes to the Marriage Act.

"People on our side of the political fence have always had the right if they feel strongly enough about something to make their own decision," Mr Abbott said.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said Senator Boyce's decision to cross the floor was an important step, and congratulated her for voting with "her heart and her mind".

Finance Minister Penny Wong said Mr Abbott had ensured the legislation would fail by refusing to allow opposition MPs a conscience vote.

Senator Wong, who is in a same-sex relationship, also hit out at the "hurtful and divisive" debate on gay marriage but said she respected that some people held different views.

"What I do disagree with however is their right to impose that opinion on me and upon others in my situation," she told the upper house.

"It (marriage) is special, it is unique ... and that is why those of us who are in same-sex relationships also want to be able to demonstrate our love and commitment through marriage."

Senator Wong's home state of South Australia introduced a bill in state parliament on Thursday to allow same-sex marriage.

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I'm a lecher, not a crook: China official

CALL me a lecher but don't call me a crook, an ex-city official at the heart of a Chinese sex tape scandal has said in his unusually spirited courtroom defence against corruption charges.

The case of Lei Zhengfu, former party chief of a district in the southern city of Chongqing, has riveted the Chinese public since video clips went viral of the portly 55-year-old having sex with a woman hired by property developers allegedly in an elaborate extortion scheme.

In a country where corruption trials of high-level officials typically look like the scripted outcome of backdoor bargaining, Lei's case has offered a rare look at what happens when a lower-level official is caught in a high-profile crackdown - with few political cards to play.

Lei is accused of accepting more than 3 million yuan ($A541,560) in bribes from a developer to pay off a businessman who was allegedly using the tape to blackmail him. Lei rejects the charge of bribery, saying the money was a loan.

"Although I'm quite lecherous, I'm not greedy for money," he said in a Chongqing court Wednesday, reading out a personal statement.

Public anger and disgust over official corruption found an easy target in the images of his jowly, pop-eyed face in the throes of passion. Lei was soon fired from his post, and in ensuing weeks, more tapes were found, felling 11 other Chongqing officials.

The scandal has exposed in lurid detail the shady intertwining of sex, business and politics in Chinese society at a time when a newly installed generation of Communist Party leadership has vowed to crack down on widespread graft. It also tapped into public outrage over what is seen as the moral degradation of the country's leaders.

"The people's hatred of official corruption is not only because of their illegal behaviour but because of resentment that they enjoy a special status that is higher than others and lets them enjoy more social resources," said Liu Shanying, a politics researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. "They hope to see them punished by the law, which would help them vent that anger."

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Bob Hewitt to face South African court

Australian tennis great Bob Hewitt has been summonsed to appear in a South African court. Source: AAP

FORMER tennis doubles champion Bob Hewitt has been summonsed to appear in a South African court following allegations he sexually abused young girls he coached decades ago.

South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority told The Associated Press on Thursday that the summons had been served on the 73-year-old Australian on Saturday.

Hewitt was ordered to appear at Boksburg Magistrate's Court near Johannesburg on August 16, when he will learn what criminal charges he faces.

The NPA would not say what the charges are against Hewitt.

NPA spokesperson Phindi Louw said Hewitt, who is believed to live in the town of Addo on South Africa's south coast, would be informed of the charges when he appears in court.

Hewitt denied all the accusations when contacted by the AP.

Hewitt confirmed by telephone that he had received the summons and would "of course" appear in court, but wouldn't say what the charges were as "they had not been made public".

"I'll keep it private," he said. "I'm innocent of all charges and these accusations have caused untold hardship on my family."

Hewitt also said he intended to sue his accusers.

Hewitt has been at the centre of a long investigation into accusations he abused and raped girls as far back as the 1970s and through to the 1990s.

Recognised as one of the greatest doubles players of all time and a winner of 15 Grand slam doubles titles, Hewitt was indefinitely suspended from the International Tennis Hall of Fame last year due to the allegations.

When contacted by the AP on Wednesday, a man who identified himself on the telephone as Hewitt said he had no knowledge of any charges.

"I think it is best you call me in a month or so," he said, before declining further comment.

Two of Hewitt's alleged victims, Suellen Sheehan and Twiggy Tolken, accuse him of abusing them when he was their coach in South Africa.

Sheehan asked South African police to open an investigation in 2011, and accuses Hewitt of raping her when she was 12.

Tolken, who now lives in New Zealand, said Hewitt also began abusing her when she was 12.

A third woman, Heather Conner, of West Newbury, Massachusetts, also accuses Hewitt of abuse in the United States.

Conner said she was sexually abused from the age of 15, being forced to have sex with him near a high school in Massachusetts.

All three women agreed to be named by the AP.

Sheehan said she felt "numb" at the news that he was to appear in court and face charges.

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SA premier's Twitter feed cut

SA Premier Jay Weatherill has had his Twitter feed to his own department blocked. Source: AAP

THE tweets of South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill have been blocked from an internal feed to public servants in his own department.

The South Australian opposition said a number of public servants had contacted the party concerned over the use of the taxpayer-funded intranet for party political purposes.

Opposition frontbencher Rob Lucas emailed the premier's department chief executive Jim Hallion over the issue.

Mr Hallion responded by blocking the tweets appearing on the internal website from Mr Weatherill, all the other SA ministers and the government's media unit.

Mr Lucas said it was contrary to every principle of an independent public service to feature party political advertising on a taxpayer-funded internal government website.

"Public servants should be able to work and do their jobs without having partisan political messages appearing on their computers," he said.

A spokesperson for the premier said the Twitter feed had been put up without reference to the premier's office.

"We do not think it is appropriate for political tweets to be displayed on a departmental website," the spokesperson said.

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Somali insurgent attack repelled: police

SOMALI and African Union soldiers have regained control of a United Nations compound in Mogadishu ending an hour and an half attack by al-Qaeda linked Shebab insurgents, police and witnesses say.

"The situation is under control now... Somali soldiers along with African Union forces stormed the compound and killed the attackers," said Somali police official Abdulahi Osman.

He said that at least three civilians were killed outside the compound in Wednesday's attack but that there were no initial reports of UN casualties.

The compound under attack lies just across the street from the secure airport complex, where African Union forces are based.

The UN compound is used by agencies like UNICEF, WHO and UNDP.

The top UN official on Somalia, Nicholas Kay, also works out of the building. He was not inside the compound when it was attacked and is safe inside the airport compound, one of the UN officials said.

Mogadishu fell into anarchy in 1991 and is just beginning to move past years of sustained conflict.

The UN and foreign embassies were absent from Mogadishu for close to two decades.

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Three dead after falling into Dutch manure

THREE people have died after falling into a farm manure silo in the northern Netherlands and a survivor has been flown to hospital in a critical condition, police say.

"Three men have died in the workplace accident in Makkinga and one was taken to hospital in a critical condition," police from the Friesland province tweeted.

Emergency services, including helicopters and rescue divers, scrambled to the farm after the men fell into the silo on Wednesday morning (local time).

"Police are investigating how the accident happened. All four casualties worked at the business," police said.

Makkinga is surrounded by farmland around 50 kilometres southeast of provincial capital Leeuwarden.

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Brazil to deploy special police for soccer

Brazil's president has vowed to listen to youths staging Brazil's biggest protests in 20 years. Source: AAP

BRAZIL will deploy a special police force to help provide security for the Confederations Cup tournament following mass protests against government spending, the state news agency says.

Officers belonging to the National Force, a branch of the federal police deployed in cases of social unrest, will be sent to five of the six cities where the tournament is being played, Agencia Brasil reported on Wednesday, citing the Justice Ministry.

The government reaction is notable given that the Confederations Cup is seen as a dry run for the World Cup next year.

The National Force, composed of police and firefighters from different states that are called up for duty on special occasions, is a "conciliatory, mediating" force, "not repressive," the Justice Ministry said.

The special police will be sent to cities in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Ceara and the capital Brasilia, but not to Pernambuco.

National Force police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to break up a protest on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro outside the Maracana stadium, during a Italy-Mexico game.

The Confederations Cup opened on June 15 and lasts for two weeks. Eight national teams from around the world are participating.

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Lego to expand Czech production

Danish toymaker Lego will expand a factory in the Czech Republic, creating around 800 new jobs. Source: AAP

DANISH toymaker Lego says it will expand a factory in the Czech Republic and create some 800 jobs to meet growing regional demand for its popular building blocks.

Carsten Rasmussen of Lego's European packing division did not reveal the size of the investment except to say it was "a large two-digit million euro figure".

Rasmussen said on Tuesday that the privately owned company's strategy of having factories close to core markets in Europe and North America had proved successful.

The expansion, of some 30 per cent, is expected to be completed by 2015.

Last year, Lego saw sales climb 25 per cent in part due to a new series of building blocks designed for girls that sold better than expected with production units unable to meet demand.

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China ban on adopting abandoned children

CHINA has announced individuals and groups are banned from privately adopting abandoned infants.

Tens of thousands of babies are abandoned each year in China, where baby trafficking has been a perennial problem.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs announced on Tuesday that people who find an abandoned child must immediately tell local residential committees and the police and not adopt the child at will.

The abandonment of children is a big problem in China.

Its strict one-child policy - which limits most urban couples to one child and rural couples to two if their first-born is a girl - and a traditional preference for male heirs result in the abandonment of girls and disabled children.

Poverty and the social stigma for unwed mothers are also factors.

China's adoption law forbids baby trafficking and trafficking abandoned babies in the name of adoption, but doesn't mention whether individuals are allowed to keep abandoned babies.

The new rules that forbid keeping such babies are outlined in a document from several government departments was posted on the Ministry of Civil Affairs's website.

The new rules state people wanting to adopt must go through official channels and meet requirements, which under Chinese law include being healthy, over 30 and childless.

People who use abandoned children for illegal and profitable ends will be severely punished, the rules say, without specifying.

The document also sets out measures that should be taken when an abandoned baby is found, requiring that police try to track down the parents or guardians, and transfer children to a government-sanctioned nursing home for temporary care if they fail.

These homes should only take the children under official care if no guardian is found within a certain period.

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Twelve killed in Nepal landslides

AT least 12 people have been killed in landslides triggered by three days of heavy monsoon rain in remote parts of Nepal, officials say.

Seven members of the same family, including five children, were killed Monday after a landslide buried their house in a village in northwestern Nepal, a local police officer told AFP on Tuesday.

"Part of a hillside above Malika village broke away and smashed into the house below, killing all the family members," the officer, Prakash Gharti Magar, said.

In Baitadi district in the country's west, five people were killed on Tuesday morning after a landslide also buried their homes, a local police officer said.

"Their houses were in a gorge in the remote Siddheswar village. Two women, a 12-year-old boy and two toddlers were killed by the landslide," local police inspector Manoj Kumar Shahi said.

Hundreds of people die every year from flooding and landslides during the monsoon season in Nepal.

The annual monsoon has also struck early over the border in India, with flash floods washing away homes and roads, leaving at least 60 people feared dead.

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Suicide bombs kill 31 in Baghdad attacks

TWIN suicide bombs on a Shi'ite Muslim religious hall in north Baghdad on Tuesday killed 31 people and wounded 57 others, officials say.

The two attackers struck after Tuesday midday prayers at the Habib ibn al-Mudhaher Hussainiyah in the capital's Qahira neighbourhood, an interior ministry official and medical sources said.

The first bomber blew himself up at the entrance to the hall, while the second ran through the ensuing chaos and set off his explosives inside the building itself, said the officials.

The Hussainiyah, a Shi'ite Muslim hall that can be used for religious functions as well as prayers, lies adjacent to the Imam al-Sadiq university, a private teaching institution.

As a result, many of the victims were students, the police source said.

Bombings elsewhere in Baghdad and north of the capital in Salaheddin province, meanwhile, left two people dead and six others wounded.

Violence has surged across Iraq recently, with May the deadliest month in Iraq since 2008, sparking fears of a revival of the brutal sectarian war that left tens of thousands killed in 2006 and 2007.

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