White House, Pentagon 'disagree over Mali'

THE White House and the US Defense Department are at odds over the danger posed by radical Islamic groups that have taken control of parts of Mali and are stirring up trouble in other parts of West Africa, The Los Angeles Times has reported.

Citing unnamed US officials, the newspaper said the events in Mali and neighbouring Algeria have prompted sharp debate within President Barack Obama's administration over whether these radicals present enough of a risk to warrant a military response.

Islamist militants associated with al-Qaeda have seized control of a significant part of northern Mali, prompting France to launch a military operation there a week ago to prevent the rebels from capturing Bamako, the capital.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Paris had increased its troop numbers by 400 in a single day - from 1400 on Thursday to 1800 on Friday - "and the progress on our presence on the ground continues."

France plans to deploy 2500 soldiers in the country.

Some top Pentagon officials and military officers warn that without more aggressive US action, Mali could become a haven for extremists, akin to Afghanistan before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the report said.

But many top White House aides say it is unclear whether the Mali insurgents, who include members of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), could threaten the United States, the paper said.

Those aides worry about being drawn into a messy conflict against an elusive enemy in Mali just as US forces are withdrawing from Afghanistan.

"No one here is questioning the threat that AQIM poses regionally," the paper quoted one administration official as saying.

"The question we all need to ask is, what threat do they pose to the US homeland? The answer so far has been none."

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Bull shark gets into swimming enclosure

A LARGE shark managed to get into a swimming enclosure near a popular picnic spot on Macleay Island, off the southeast Queensland coast.

Police were alerted to the bull shark in the swimming area, which is surrounded by a net, at Macleay Island in Moreton Bay about 7.30am (AEST) on Saturday.

The shark stayed in the enclosure near the picnic spot Pats Park for some time before swimming out about 11am (AEST), according to police on the island.

"The shark net there isn't real flash. It doesn't quite go down to the sea bed so anything can slide in underneath," Sergeant Dave McDougall told AAP.

He said it was the first time he heard of a shark swimming into the section.

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Intel 4Q profit down 27 per cent

INTEL Corp, the world's largest chipmaker, says its fourth-quarter net income has fallen 27 per cent from the previous year, as PC sales continued to weaken.

Net income was $US2.47 billion ($A2.35 billion), or 48 US cents per share, for the October to December period. That was down from $US3.36 billion, or 64 US cents per share, a year ago.

Intel still beat earnings expectations for the quarter by 3 US cents per share relative to the average of analysts polled by FactSet. That was due to slightly higher-than-expected prices for its chips and lower-than-expected costs for starting up new production lines.

Revenue fell 3 per cent to $US13.5 billion, matching analyst expectations.

Intel is challenged by a shift in consumer spending from PCs - most of which use Intel chips - to smartphones and tablets, which don't.

Research firm Gartner said this week that global PC shipments fell 4.9 per cent in the fourth quarter from a year ago. Households are letting tablets replace their secondary PCs, it said.

On a call with analysts, Intel chief financial officer Stacy Smith admitted on Thursday that tablets are affecting sales of PC chips, which fell 3 per cent in the quarter.

Intel is trying hard to get its chips into smartphones and tablets. On the call, CEO Paul Otellini touted the company's latest "Atom" processors, which are used in 10 tablet models, he said, and can yield the same or better battery life as the competition.

Intel had warned that the fourth quarter would be lacklustre, and that the usual holiday bounce in PC shipments would be cut in half, even though Microsoft launched its new operating system, Windows 8, in the quarter.

The Santa Clara, California, company expects about $US12.7 billion in first-quarter revenue, below the analyst forecast of $US12.9 billion but in line with usual seasonal variations.

For the full year, Intel is forecasting a revenue percentage increase in the low single digits, in line with Wall Street's 2 per cent expectation.

Intel shares fell $US1, or 4.4 per cent, to $US21.68 in afterhours trading, after the release of the results. That more than wiped out the day's gain of 57 US cents in regular trading.

For the full year, Intel earned $US11 billion on $US53.3 billion in revenue. Both figures were down slightly from the year before, when it earned $US12.9 billion on $US54 billion in revenue.

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Granville train crash victims remembered

THE 83 victims of Australia's worst train disaster have been remembered in a moving ceremony in Sydney's west.

The packed 6.09am Mount Victoria to Sydney train, locomotive No.4620, derailed and crashed as it approached Granville station at about 8.10am on January 18, 1977.

The train smashed into a bridge which collapsed onto two carriages. In addition to the death toll, 210 people were injured.

About 250 survivors, relatives, emergency service workers and dignitaries gathered near the crash site on Friday to mark the 36th anniversary.

"The thing that surprised me is that crowds are still very large, even after all these years," John Hennessey, president of the Granville Memorial Trust told AAP.

"It's still very raw and you could hear that in their voices and the stories they tell you."

The ceremony centred around a large granite memorial stone at Granville Station which has the names of all the victims inscribed upon it.

There were also 26 roses laid on the memorial stone to commemorate the six teachers and 20 children who died at the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Connecticut in December.

Mr Hennessey said the gesture was made to show solidarity with the victims and survivors of the American shooting.

Parramatta Lord Mayor John Chedid described the crash as a "very, very sad day" in Australia's history.

"It was the worst tragedy that we've ever had - so many lost lives, and it was so sad," he said.

Earlier, Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) national secretary Bob Nanva said the lessons of Granville must never be forgotten.

"The Granville Rail Disaster will live in our memories forever," he said in a statement.

"We must ensure we never see another disaster on the same scale."

He urged the NSW government to put more funding into rail maintenance.

A report into the Granville crash concluded that a derailment was "inevitable" because the condition of the track was poor.

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Aust bonds rally on jobs figures

AUSTRALIAN bond futures prices have rallied on news Australia's unemployment rate rose to 5.4 per cent in December and weakness in Asian stock markets.

RBC capital markets fixed interest strategist Michael Turner said there had been strong demand for safe-haven investment like bonds during the local session on Thursday.

"We started the day off quite strongly and we haven't really looked back from there," he said.

Mr Turner said weaker Australian employment data and falls in Asian stock markets helped fuel the rally in bonds.

Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday showed Australia's unemployment rate rose to 5.4 per cent in December, from 5.3 per cent in November.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai's and Tokyo's share markets were both lower on Thursday afternoon.

Mr Turner said strong demand for Australian bond futures was likely to continue during the European and US sessions overnight.

At 1630 AEDT on Thursday, the March 10-year bond futures contract was trading at 96.735 (implying a yield of 3.265 per cent), up from Wednesday's close of 96.665 (3.335 per cent).

The March three-year bond futures contract was at 97.310 (2.69 per cent), up from 97.240 (2.760 per cent) previously.

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Aust stocks close at 19-month high

AUSTRALIAN shares have closed at a fresh 19-month high as firming expectations of a February interest rate cut helped banking stocks.

At the close on Thursday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was 18.3 points, or 0.38 per cent higher at 4,756.6, while the broader All Ordinaries index was up 14.7 points, or 0.31 per cent, at 4,779.7.

It was the S&P/ASX200's highest close since it finished the local trading day at 4,780.2 points on May 11, 2011.

On the ASX 24, the March share price index futures contract was 16 points higher at 4,721, with 31,483 contracts traded.

Banking stocks performed strongly on Thursday, following Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing the national unemployment rate rising by 0.1 percentage points to 5.4 per cent in December.

City Index chief market analyst Peter Esho said the economic news helped banking stocks, as financial markets firmed their expectations for a near-term rate cut.

"We're more likely to see the Reserve Bank move in February," he told AAP.

"It will help the banks with their margins and it will make dividend yields more attractive."

Mr Esho said lower mortgage rates meant banks could deliver lower interest rates on deposits.

ANZ Banking Group posted the strongest gains, rising by 21 cents, or 0.83 per cent, to finish at $25.57.

National Australia Bank climbed by 19 cents, or 0.74 per cent, to close at $26.04 while Westpac, which also gained 19 cents, or 0.72 per cent, ended at $26.62.

The Commonwealth Bank added 17 cents, or 0.27 per cent, to finish at $62.46.

The energy sector in general also performed strongly after Woodside Petroleum revealed production and revenue had risen by about 30 per cent in 2012 to new records, because of its massive Pluto liquefied natural gas operations in Western Australia.

Oil and gas company Santos also revealed it was on track to meet its 2013 production forecasts after enjoying a 10 per cent rise in 2012.

Woodside shares, however, finished flat at $35.20, after earlier hitting an intraday high of $35.56 during late morning trade.

Santos, meanwhile, finished up eight cents, or 0.69 per cent, at $11.72.

Uranium miner Paladin Energy's share closed three cents, or 2.6 cents, higher at $1.185 after it revealed it was on track to meet full-year production targets.

Billabong shares closed 4.66 per cent firmer at $1.01 on Thursday, two days after the stock soared when US retailer VF Corporation's takeover bid stirred hopes of a bidding war.

Conversely, Qantas shares finished 1.3 per cent weaker, despite earlier gains, after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission gave interim authorisation of the airline's alliance with Emirates.

National turnover was 1.427 billion shares worth $4.146 billion with 483 shares higher, 482 lower and 361 unchanged.

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Aust dollar closes flat

THE Australian dollar has closed flat after a quiet domestic session, with investors focused on the upcoming release of local and overseas economic data.

At 1700 AEDT on Wednesday, the local currency was at 105.53 US cents, little changed from 105.48 US cents at Tuesday's close.

During the day, the Australian dollar moved in a tight range between 105.80 US cents and 105.49 US cents.

The currency opened the Australian trading day at 0700 AEDT at 105.61 US cents after moving in line with gains on Wall Street during the overnight offshore session.

However, the currency drifted back towards 105.5 US cents as market players stayed on the sidelines ahead of some important economic data releases both at home and abroad in the days ahead.

"It's very, very quiet," Rochford Capital director of market risk Derek Mumford said.

"The Australian (dollar) has just been drifting around really."

"There is a lot of data out tonight in the United States and big numbers on Friday from China."

Figures on US industrial production, inflation and housing were due for release during Wednesday night's (AEDT) offshore session, with market players also expected to focus on any progress over the US debt ceiling.

Meanwhile, Chinese economic growth, retail sales and industrial production data was due out on Friday.

Moves were also limited ahead of domestic jobs data for December due out on Thursday.

The Japanese yen continued to appreciate, following comments on Tuesday from a Japanese government minister who said a stronger yen was adversely impacting on the livelihoods of the Japanese people.

At 1700 AEDT, the Australian dollar was at 93.03 yen, down 0.9 per cent from 93.87 yen previously.

In terms of local data published on Wednesday, Mr Rochford said the consumer confidence report from Westpac and the Melbourne Institute was in line with expectations, while new car sales figures were strong.

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Minister defends SA treasurer Snelling

SOUTH Australian Sports Minister Tom Kenyon had defended Treasurer Jack Snelling ahead of a cabinet reshuffle that could result in Mr Snelling losing his hold on the state's finances.

Mr Kenyon said Mr Snelling had been a good treasurer since taking over from his long-serving predecessor Kevin Foley.

"I think Jack has worked very, very hard in treasury," Mr Kenyon told reporters on Wednesday.

There is speculation that Mr Snelling will be moved to health with Premier Jay Weatherill taking over as treasurer in a new look ministry that will take the Labor government to the next state election in 2014.

Mr Kenyon said he wouldn't want the treasury job and didn't expect anyone to offer it to him.

But beyond that he said there was little point in speculating on who might be in or out in the premier's revamped team.

"We can speculate about what will and won't happen and we can talk around and we can all dance around it," he said.

"But it's pure speculation and I'm not in a position speculate."

The Labor caucus is expected to meet on Monday in what could be a gathering to endorse the new line-up.

Mr Weatherill has made it clear he will be picking his new team, suggesting an end to the factional deals which previously determined the MPs in the ministry.

Mr Kenyon said the premier would have a "very big say" in the make-up of the cabinet but also indicated that the party would still play a role.

The shake-up has been forced by the decision of Health Minister John Hill and Infrastructure and Transport Minister Pat Conlon to quit cabinet and head to the backbench ahead of retiring at the next election.

There is some suggestion Mr Weatherill might take the opportunity to reduce the size of cabinet from 15 to 13, something Family First MP Robert Brokenshire has backed as an appropriate austerity measure.

The Liberal opposition has also called for Education Minister Grace Portolesi to be moved over he handling of child abuse allegations in local schools.

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Firefighter death in Tas raises questions

Victorian firefighter Peter Cramer's family have questioned why he was allowed to work alone. Source: AAP

THE family of a Victorian firefighter who died in Tasmania say they cannot understand why he was working in the bush alone and on foot.

Peter Cramer, a Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) firefighter and CFA volunteer from Tyers in Gippsland, was part of a contingent of more than 70 Victorian emergency services workers sent to Tasmania to help fight the state's devastating fires.

The 61-year-old died on Sunday at Taranna, east of Hobart, while working on foot to identify potential containment lines on the southern boundary of the Forcett fire, about 2-3 kilometres from the active fire edge.

His body was found after he failed to make a scheduled call-in on Sunday afternoon.

Mr Cramer's son-in-law, Brendan Ketteringham, said his family was struggling to accept why he was allowed to be in the field without fellow firefighters around him.

"How they let him get up there and plan firebreaks and walking up through the tracks on his own, we just can't work it out," Mr Ketteringham told Fairfax Radio on Tuesday.

"(He didn't usually work) on his own. He's always a team leader or along that line.

"He's either got blokes under him that he sort of runs and they sort of control all that from either the base or from the back of a ute.

"To me he should have been planning the back burn from the maps, not out on foot by himself."

A respected firefighter, Mr Cramer was a DSE training co-ordinator who also volunteered his time to train CFA volunteers.

Mr Ketteringham said his father-in-law had health problems which would probably have prevented him from travelling again to the United States, where he had twice been deployed in the past.

The DSE said Mr Cramer had passed fitness and medical tests before travelling to Tasmania.

His cause of death is yet to be determined.

When pressed on whether Mr Cramer should have been working alone, Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu said that was a matter for authorities to determine.

"There is an investigation that will take place and I think we owe it to Peter Cramer and his family and his colleagues to let that investigation continue," he told reporters.

"Suffice to say, he was a very experienced firefighter in his own right and had training responsibilities as well."

Mr Baillieu said he had spoken with several of Mr Cramer's colleagues at Melbourne Airport on Tuesday after they returned from Tasmania.

"He was clearly much loved, a very experienced firefighter," he said.

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Afghan transition ahead of schedule: Smith

Defence Minister Stephen Smith says the transition to Afghan security takeover is ahead of schedule. Source: AAP

AN Afghan-led takeover of security in Oruzgan province is set to occur ahead of schedule, raising the likelihood some Australian troops may be withdrawn sooner than expected.

"All of our assessment and analysis and view is now that transition will be complete in Oruzgan Province by the end of this year," Defence Minister Stephen Smith told reporters in Perth on Tuesday.

Previously, the timetable for a formal transition extended to the first quarter of 2014.

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

Security responsibility has been handed over progressively to the Afghan army and police.

Mr Smith gave no indication of when troops numbers could be reduced.

But Prime Minister Julia Gillard last year said Australia's commitment would look very different once the transition had been completed, with the majority of troops returning home.

Mr Smith said completing the transition remained a major challenge for the Australian Defence Force, as were post-2014 arrangements.

Australia had made it clear it was prepared to continue some training of Afghan army officers and provide special forces for training or counter-terrorism operations under an appropriate mandate.

"These discussions will now become a priority for not just Australia but the international community," he said.

Mr Smith said he would anticipate an ongoing but reduced US military presence in Afghanistan after 2014 and a status of forces agreement was now being negotiated with the Afghan government.

"I am certainly not envisaging that Australia will be there by ourselves or on our lonesome," he said.

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Urgent CO2 cuts may ease hardship: report

Scientists say emission cuts now could delay some crippling impacts of climate change by decades. Source: AAP

TENS of millions of people may be spared droughts and floods by 2050 if Earth-warming carbon emissions peak in 2016 rather than 2030, scientists say.

Climate researchers in Britain and Germany say emission cuts now would delay some crippling impacts by decades and prevent some altogether.

By 2050, an Earth heading for warming of 2.0-2.5C by 2100 could have two very different faces, depending on the route taken to get there, says their study, published in the journal, Nature Climate Change.

Policies that cap Earth-warming carbon emissions in 2016 and then reduce them by five per cent per year could result in between 39 and 68 million people being spared exposure to a higher risk of water shortages by 2050, Nigel Arnell of the University of Reading told AFP.

This is the best-case scenario, though.

In contrast, if emissions peak in 2030 and fall by five per cent annually, the number who escape this risk drops to between 17 and 48 million.

Similarly, about 100-161 million people would avoid a higher risk of river flooding on the 2016-peak scenario.

This compares to 52-120 million people if emissions peak 14 years later, said Arnell, director of the university's Walker Institute on climate change.

"Basically in 2050, the 2030-peaking policy has about half to two-thirds of the benefit than the best (2016) policy," even though both lead to a similar temperature peak of about 2.0-2.5C by 2100, he said.

"You may hit the same (temperature) point at the end of the century but ... the mayhem that's been caused on the way to that point is different under the different pathways."

Under a scenario without any emissions curbs, temperatures could rise as much as 4.0-5.5C, said the new paper, which claimed to be the broadest assessment yet of the benefits of avoiding climate change impacts.

Global average warming of 4C would lead to almost a billion people having less water in 2100 than they have now, and 330 million will be at greater risk of river flooding, Arnell told a pre-release news conference.

A peak in 2016 seems unlikely, with the world's nations aiming to adopt a new global climate pact by 2015 for entry into force only five years later.

Many scientists believe Earth is set for warming that will be far above the United Nations' 2C target on pre-industrial levels.

"Reducing greenhouse gas emissions won't avoid the impacts of climate change altogether of course, but our research shows it will buy time to make things such as buildings, transport systems and agriculture more resilient to climate change," said Arnell.

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Depardieu slams Russia protest movement

Actor Gerard Depardieu has defended the Kremlin's treatment of the Pussy Riot protest punks. Source: AAP

FRENCH actor turned Russian national Gerard Depardieu has accused President Vladimir Putin's opposition of lacking vision and defended the Kremlin's treatment of the Pussy Riot protest punks.

Depardieu received a Russian passport at a January 6 dinner with Putin that followed a bitter and very public fight with the French authorities over a disputed new tax on the super-rich.

The screen star has denied seeking to profit from Russia's flat 13 per cent tax on incomes and has never specified whether he intends to live in Russia long term.

But he has been feted as a hero by Russian state media for offering the Kremlin a chance to highlight the benefits of its policies in the face of broad criticism of Putin abroad.

Both Putin and Depardieu refer to each other as friends and the French actor offered a severe criticism of those who oppose the Russian leader's 13-year rule.

"The Russian opposition has no program - it has nothing," he told Rossiya state television's weekly analytical program in comments carried by local news agencies.

"Unfortunately, the masses are stupid. Only the individual is beautiful," Depardieu was quoted as saying in remarks translated to Russian from French.

Russia's first mass post-Soviet rallies emerged a year ago in response to a fraud-riddled December parliamentary poll in which the ruling party barely hung on to power.

The opposition held a series of subsequent protests that reached up to 120,000 people at their height.

But Putin's thumping presidential return in May cast a pall over the movement and just over 20,000 turned out for a march held on Sunday in protest against a new law banning adoptions by American families.

Depardieu said the opposition had "very smart people" such as former chess champion Garry Kasparov in its ranks.

"But that is good for chess and not much else," said the star of films such as Cyrano de Bergerac and the Asterix & Obelix series.

He also heavily criticised the anti-Putin protest stunt that the Pussy Riot all-female punk band performed last year in Russia's main cathedral.

Two band members are serving two-year sentences in Russia's notorious manual labour camps.

Depardieu almost directly repeated Putin's argument that the band members would have been treated much more severely had they gone to an Arab country and performed in a mosque.

"Imagine if these ladies walked into a mosque; they would not come out alive," said the actor.

"But when I say such things in France, I am considered an idiot."

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New fire tax in train for NSW

A new fire tax on NSW homeowners will be fairer for funding the state's fire and emergency services. Source: AAP

A NEW fire tax on NSW homeowners will be fairer than the current system which exempts people without home insurance from helping fund fire and emergency services, the state government says.

The proposed blanket tax could see all homeowners and landowners billed to fund the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), NSW Fire & Rescue and the State Emergency Services (SES).

But volunteer firefighters are gearing up to fight the proposed tax which they say would see funding for emergency services fall as community donations dried up.

The government has not decided on a funding formula yet but under one proposed model, a household with a land value of $250,000 would be charged $267 annually.

The government's funding overhaul would replace the current system under which households that have taken out insurance pay a levy added onto their insurance premium.

Emergency Services Minister Mike Gallacher said on Sunday it was unfair that people who did not have home insurance were not contributing to the funding of the RFS, the states's fire brigade and the SES.

"We haven't committed to an amount, it's the process and the principle in terms of a levy that people within government believe is worthwhile," he told ABC Radio.

Mr Gallacher said the government had yet to finalise its decision on the proposed levy but extensive consultations had been held and many submissions received, which would be gone through early this year.

He said there would be a chance for public discussion on the proposal.

All other states had moved towards or had introduced such levies, the minister said.

NSW Fire Service Association President Brian McKinley says a tax-based funding system will lead to a reduced firefighting budget because people will stop donating when they think they are already paying through a tax.

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Armed, barefoot man on the run in Qld town

A BAREFOOTED armed man is on the run in a southeast Queensland town, and should not be approached, police say.

Officers wanted to speak to the man about in incident in Kingaroy on Sunday morning.

But as they arrived at a home in the town, where he was staying, they saw him running away.

The man wasn't wearing any shoes and police believe him to be armed.

People who see him are being urged not to approach and to contact police.

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