Syrian forces make gains in Homs

REGIME forces backed by Hezbollah now control half of the Khaldiyeh district of Homs after ousting rebels in fierce fighting in the central Syrian city, a watchdog says.

"Loyalist forces backed by fighters from Hezbollah have advanced over the last 24 hours and now control 50 per cent of Khaldiyeh," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday.

Its chief, Rami Abdel Rahman, said "there was continuous heavy mortar and artillery fire" and the rebel district was still being pounded.

He said rebels were putting up "fierce resistance" amid "very intense clashes".

Militant network the Syrian Revolution General Commission also reported heavy fighting in the district that has been besieged by regime forces for more than a year.

"Khaldiyeh is being targeted by an uninterrupted heavy bombardment, and on the ground there is fierce fighting between Free Syrian Army fighters and regime forces backed by Lebanon's Hezbollah trying to take the district," an SRGC statement said.

It and the observatory both said the Old City district of Homs - dubbed the "capital of the revolution" against President Bashar al-Assad - was being pummelled too.

The latest regime offensive on besieged rebel-held neighbourhoods of Homs is now in its fourth week.

Government forces are seeking to secure another victory like the one in Qusayr near the border with Lebanon in June, when Hezbollah was key in retaking the strategic town.

Hezbollah, the most powerful military force in Lebanon and a staunch ally of the Assad regime in Syria, has had its military wing blacklisted by the European Union as a terrorist group.

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Funeral for Tunisian opposition leader

Tunisia has marked a day of mourning after gunmen killed a leading opposition figure. Source: AAP

THOUSANDS of Tunisians have taken to the streets for the funeral of an assassinated opposition leader, as tensions soar after anti-government protests.

Draped in the red and white Tunisian flag, Mohamed Brahmi's coffin was saluted by soldiers as the cortege left his home in the Tunis neighbourhood of Ariana for El-Jellaz cemetery on Saturday.

Emotions were high as supporters of Brahmi, who included members of his family, lifted the coffin to their shoulders before carrying it away under armed escort.

A military helicopter overflew the capital as a sea of flags fluttered among the crowd waiting for the funeral procession along Mohamed V Avenue, an AFP correspondent reported.

"For our soul, with our blood, we will avenge the martyr," the crowd shouted in unison.

Brahmi, 58, was shot dead outside his home on Thursday with the same weapon used to gun down fellow opposition politician Chokri Belaid in February, Interior Minister Lotfi Ben Jeddou said.

He will be buried next to the grave of Belaid, in line with a wish he had expressed before his death.

Brahmi's state funeral was being held in the absence of any representatives of the government led by the Islamist Ennahda party.

Hours before the funeral got under way, a bomb exploded near a police post in the port of Tunis on Saturday, damaging a police jeep, the interior ministry said.

A resident said the blast, the first known attack of its kind against a military vehicle in Tunisia, slightly wounded a policeman and caused panic among some residents of La Goulette district.

The ministry said nobody was hurt.

The bombing comes a day after a general strike and an anti-government demonstration during which one person was killed.

Brahmi was an MP with the leftist and nationalist Popular Movement, but on July 7 quit the party he founded, saying it had been infiltrated by Islamists.

His widow Mbarka told AFP he would be buried next to Belaid, the leftist politician assassinated in February whose funeral was attended by tens of thousands and turned into an anti-Ennahda protest.

The families of both men have accused Ennahda of being implicated in the deaths, but the authorities said on Friday the investigation pointed to extremists with links to al-Qaeda.

The powerful General Union of Tunisian Labour, or UGTT, called Friday's general strike in protest at "terrorism, violence and murders", while national airline Tunisair and some European carriers cancelled flights to Tunis.

The state prosecutor's office said an autopsy found Brahmi had been hit by 14 bullets.

Balkis Brahmi, 19, one of Brahmi's five children, told AFP her father had been killed by two men in black on a motorbike.

"At around midday, we heard gunfire and my father crying with pain. We rushed out - my brother, mother and I - to find his body riddled with bullets at the wheel of his car parked in front of the house," she said.

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Hague condemns Egypt's use of force

BRITISH Foreign Secretary William Hague has condemned the use of force against protesters during deadly clashes in Cairo and accused Egyptian security forces of using live rounds.

Hague also called on Egyptian authorities to either release or charge all political leaders detained since the army toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on July 3. Morsi himself remains in detention.

"I am deeply concerned by recent events in Egypt, and condemn the use of force against protesters which has led to the loss of lives," Hague said in a statement released by the Foreign Office.

"I call on the Egyptian authorities to respect the right of peaceful protest, to cease the use of violence against protesters, including live fire, and to hold to account those responsible."

Egypt's police chief on Saturday denied security forces had used live rounds against protesters.

Hague called on "all sides to refrain from violence" and said it was "time for dialogue, not confrontation."

"I also call on the Egyptian authorities to release political leaders detained following the events of 3 July, or charge them in accordance with the law. Such charges must be free from any suspicion that they are politically motivated," Hague said.

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Libyans ransack offices after killings

THOUSANDS of Libyans have protested against parties, including the Muslim Brotherhood, blamed for a wave of violence a day after a series of deadly attacks in the Libya's east.

Protesters ransacked offices of both the Brotherhood's political wing the Party of Justice and Construction (PJC) and its liberal rival the Alliance of National Forces (NFA) on Saturday.

In Benghazi, youths stormed and ransacked the building housing the PJC, after hundreds took to the streets overnight to denounce the assassination of Abdessalem al-Mesmari, an anti-Islamist lawyer who campaigned for a civil state.

The demonstrators accuse the Brotherhood of being behind killings that have targeted dozens of officers, especially in Benghazi, the cradle of the 2011 armed uprising that ousted dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

In Tripoli, hundreds of people gathered on Saturday at Martyrs' Square in the heart of the capital to demonstrate in "solidarity with Benghazi" and against the Islamist movement.

Chanting "the blood of martyrs was not shed in vain," the protesters converged on the square as they left mosques after morning prayers, an AFP correspondent reported.

About 100 youths then descended on the PJC offices in the Ben Ashur district, smashing its windows and looting furniture.

From the outset, the demonstrators chanted slogans against the Muslim Brotherhood, but they later also targeted the NFA which won July 2012 elections.

Around 100 protesters converged on the alliance's offices in the Hay al-Andalus neighbourhood of Tripoli, invading the premises and throwing documents out of windows.

"We want all political parties to be dissolved," said one protester, Ahmed Trabelsi.

"They're the cause of all our problems. First we need a constitution, then laws regulating political life before parties can begin operating," he said.

The PJC and NFA are accused of manipulating the militias left over from the revolution that toppled Gaddafi in a country still awash with weaponry not in state hands.

NFA leader Mahmud Jibril was an economic adviser to the Gaddafi regime in its final years, before joining the revolution in 2011 and briefly serving as premier.

The NFA has 39 out of the 80 seats reserved for political parties in the 200-seat General National Congress, the country's highest political authority, while the PJC has 17.

The remaining 120 seats are held by independents.

Mesmari was shot dead as he left a mosque in Benghazi on Friday as an army and a police officer were also killed in separate attacks in Libya's restive second city, a security official said.

The prominent activist was among the first Libyans who launched the 2011 uprising. He helped found the political wing of the rebel movement that later overthrew Gaddafi's regime.

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Afghan governor, chief escape bombings

TWO Afghan civilians have been killed and several injured following two failed Taliban assassination attempts targeting a provincial governor and a police chief.

In the first incident, a remote-controlled bomb rigged to a bridge was detonated early on Saturday morning as a vehicle transporting Asadullah Shirzad, police chief of the northeastern Baghlan province, passed by, provincial police spokesman Ahmad Jawed Basharat told AFP.

"It was very close, the bomb planted under the bridge detonated seconds after the police chief's car passed over it, thank God he is unhurt, but sadly two civilian bypassers were killed, and one policeman injured," he said.

Hours later a vehicle carrying Khairullah Anosh, governor of the northern Samangan province, hit another improvised explosive device as the politician was heading to work in the provincial capital Aibak.

"As a result of the attack, the governor along with his two bodyguards were slightly wounded," his spokesman Sediq Azis said.

The Taliban, who have been fighting a decade-long insurgency to overthrow the Western-backed Kabul government, claimed responsibility for both attacks and vowed to continue targeting the officials.

"They are strong supporters of foreign forces and enemies of the Taliban," spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement.

"They escaped this time, but they will be punished and killed the next time," he said in the statement.

Taliban insurgents have carried out a campaign of assassinations of pro-government figures and warned Afghans to distance themselves from the government.

On Friday a suicide bomber on a motorbike detonated himself in a busy marketplace in eastern Ghazni province in an apparent attempt to kill an influential local anti-Taliban leader, Dawlat Khan.

Khan, who led a group of militiamen who were taking on the Taliban in several villages in the province was killed in the deadly blast along with three of his bodyguards and three civilians, officials confirmed.

Government forces have formally taken responsibility for security from US-led NATO troops who are due to leave the country next year. But there are concerns about their ability to stand against the Taliban unaided.

Afghanistan's 350,000-strong security forces are suffering a steep rise in attacks as the NATO combat mission winds down.

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Seven killed in Florida hostage drama

SIX people have been shot dead in a hostage drama near the US city of Miami that ended when police killed the suspect.

The man allegedly took neighbours hostage in a Hialeah apartment building for reasons not immediately known, said police spokesman Sergeant Eddie Rodriguez on Saturday.

"Six innocent people died and also the suspect who initiated this situation," Rodriguez added.

He said the incident began at 6.30 pm local time on Friday and ended eight hours later when a police SWAT team moved in.

The team "entered the apartment where the suspect was holding a neighbour couple as hostages," Rodriguez said.

Among the dead were an elderly couple identified by their daughter as Italo Pisciotti and Samira Pisciotti.

Rodriguez said they were the building's landlords.

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Snowden issue 'not on Putin's agenda'

THE fate of US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden is not on President Vladimir Putin's agenda as the fugitive stranded at a Moscow airport has made no direct approach to the Russian leader, the Kremlin says.

Snowden, who the United States wants to put on trial for leaking details of a massive surveillance program, has been marooned at Sheremetyevo airport for over a month without ever crossing the Russian border.

He has asked Russia for asylum and wants to live in the country. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday indicated that Putin was in no mood to fast-track the issue.

"Looking at the president's schedule you can conclude that he is not cancelling anything for the sake of Snowden," Peskov said, quoted by Russian news agencies.

"As far as I know, Snowden has not made any request that would require examination by the head of state. Correspondingly, the question has not stood and does not stand on the agenda."

He said that Putin was not involved in communications with the American side over the issue, which he stressed was being handled by the head of the FBI Robert Mueller and the head of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov.

There had been expectations that Snowden could emerge this week from the transit zone of the airport with a document allowing him freedom of movement in Russia while his application is considered. But he and the document never materialised.

The head of a civic panel that advises the Russian migration service warned on Friday that Snowden could still stay half a year in Sheremetyevo while his asylum application is considered.

Vladimir Volokh told the Interfax news agency said: "The three months (asylum procedure) could be extended by another three months. So he could be in the transit zone for a maximum of six months."

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Ex-IMF chief Strauss-Kahn to face trial

FRENCH former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn will face trial on pimping charges along with 12 others in connection with an alleged prostitution ring at a Lille hotel, the local prosecutors' office says.

Prosecutors had in June called for the charges of "aggravated pimping as part of an organised gang" against Strauss-Kahn to be dropped, but investigating magistrates have decided he should face trial.

Strauss-Kahn was charged last year with "aggravated pimping as part of an organised gang", in one of a string of cases that came to light after he was forced to resign from his IMF job over an alleged sexual assault on a New York hotel maid.

Prosecutors had in June called for the charges against Strauss-Kahn, 64, to be dropped, saying there was insufficient evidence to proceed to trial.

But in a statement the Lille prosecutors' office said investigating magistrates had ordered Strauss-Kahn and the other defendants to face trial, though on a lesser charge of "aggravated pimping as part of a group".

It was unclear whether prosecutors would appeal the decision to proceed to trial. In the French legal system, investigating judges can overrule recommendations from prosecutors and force them to take suspects to trial.

One of Strauss-Kahn's lawyers, Richard Malka, denounced the decision to go to trial as part of a "relentless" judicial campaign against his client.

He said Strauss-Kahn would appear at the trial "to denounce the absurdity and abnormality of this aggravated pimping complaint".

The case, known in France as the "Carlton affair", centres on allegations that business leaders and police officials in Lille operated a vice ring supplying girls for sex parties, some of which are said to have taken place at the city's Carlton Hotel.

Strauss-Kahn, who before the scandals was considered a top candidate for the French presidency, had admitted to attending sex parties in France and the United States but insisted he did not know some of the women were being paid.

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Castro agrees to plea in US kidnap case

A JUDGE says a man accused of holding three women captive in his home for about a decade has a plea deal.

Ariel Castro is in court on Friday. He had been charged in a 977-count indictment that could lead to the death penalty.

Castro is scheduled for trial August 5 on allegations that include repeatedly restraining the women and punching and starving one woman until she had a miscarriage.

The women disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 and 20 years old. Each said they had accepted a ride from Castro.

They escaped Castro's house on May 6 when one kicked out part of a door and called to neighbours for help. Castro was arrested within hours and has remained behind bars.

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At least 25 dead in twin Pakistan blasts

AT least 25 people have been killed and more than 100 others injured when twin explosions ripped through a busy marketplace in northwest Pakistan, administration and hospital officials say.

The attack occurred on Friday in Parachinar, the main town of Kurram tribal district on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, as people were buying food to open their daily fasts during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Police spokesman Fazal Naeem Khan said the two bombs ripped through the main bazaar.

Dr Zahid Hussain, who works in the main hospital in the town of Parachinar, said the bombs went off in two places in the bazaar as people were doing their evening shopping.

He said one bomb was believed to have been planted on a motorcycle. He said explosives experts are still examining the site.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

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IMF sees slower-than-expected US growth

THE US economy looks like it grew more slowly than expected in the second quarter, the International Monetary Fund has said in a report.

"Recent indicators point to a sharper than expected slowdown in economic activity in the second quarter," IMF experts said on Friday following annual consultations with the US.

"This reflects weakness in inventory accumulation and net exports as well as slower private consumption growth as suggested by retail sales in June."

The pullback in consumer spending poses a sharp drag on growth as it fuels about two-thirds of activity in the world's largest economy.

The US government is set to release its first estimate of gross domestic growth for the second quarter on Wednesday.

First-quarter GDP growth was at a tepid annual rate of 1.8 per cent as the economy still struggles to recover from the Great Recession that ended four years ago.

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US won't seek death penalty for Snowden

ATTORNEY General Eric Holder has told the Russian government that the US will not seek the death penalty for former National Security Agency systems analyst Edward Snowden.

In a letter dated July 23, the attorney general said the criminal charges Snowden faces do not carry the death penalty and that the US will not seek the death penalty even if Snowden were charged with additional death penalty-eligible crimes.

Holder says his letter follows news reports that Snowden, who leaked information on largely secret electronic surveillance programs, has filed papers seeking temporary asylum in Russia on grounds that if he were returned to the United States, he would be tortured and would face the death penalty.

The attorney general's letter was sent to Alexander Vladimirovich Konovalov, the Russian minister of justice.

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Togo 'shuts radio station' over reports

AUTHORITIES in Togo have shut down a radio station that aired reports of fraud as the country holds elections, the opposition says.

The polls in the west African nation had been delayed for months by waves of protests and the opposition had voiced concern about the prospect of cheating ahead of the vote.

The authorities accused Legende FM of broadcasting false allegations of ruling party fraud, said Louis-Rodolphe Attiogbe of the main opposition coalition Let's Save Togo.

"We were told it was (the authorities) that closed the station," Zeus Adjavon, Let's Save Togo's spokesman, told AFP.

A crowd protesting outside the station's building in the capital Lome was growing rowdy, but no teargas had been fired and there were no incidents of violence.

The polls mark the latest step in the impoverished country's transition to democracy after Gnassingbe Eyadema's rule from 1967 to his death in 2005, when the military installed his son Faure Gnassingbe as president.

Opposition leaders had threatened to boycott the vote after the government refused to implement sweeping electoral reforms, but ultimately decided to take part.

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Facebook shares soar, lifting Nasdaq

FACEBOOK shares have soared on strong earnings in opening trade, lifting the Nasdaq, while overall the markets were in negative territory.

In the first 10 minutes of trade on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 47.60 (0.31 per cent) at 15,494.64.

The broad-market Standard & Poor's 500 edged down 1.52 (0.09 per cent) to 1,684.42.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite headed higher, adding 6.53 (0.18 per cent) at 3,586.13.

Facebook shares skyrocketed 25.8 per cent to $33.35. The leading social network company surprised Wall Street with a strong earnings report after the market closed on Wednesday.

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US jobless claims climb

MORE people filed new claims for US unemployment insurance benefits last week as the jobs market slowly improves.

Initial jobless claims rose to 343,000 in the week ending July 20, an increase of 7,000 from the previous week's upwardly revised 336,000 claims, the Labor Department reported on Thursday.

Last week's increase in claims, an indicator of the pace of layoffs, was larger than the 340,000 reading expected on average by analysts.

Analysts noted the weekly claims reporting was being affected by car plant shutdowns for retooling that were not occurring in their normal fashion this year.

"Unemployment insurance claims have been see-sawing for the past four weeks or so as the Fourth of July holiday and annual shutdowns at auto manufacturing plants make it difficult to seasonally adjust the data," said Marisa Di Natale of Moody's Analytics.

Overall, claims were grinding lower. The four-week moving average, which smooths out weekly volatility, fell by 1,250 to 345,250.

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United boosts 2Q earnings 38 per cent

THE parent of United Airlines says its profit rose 38 per cent as it spent less on fuel and slightly boosted fares.

United cut flying by 2 per cent compared to a year earlier, but passengers paid slightly more to fly. Also, United's fuel bill dropped 10 per cent as it flew less and the price of fuel dropped.

Lower fuel bills helped all of the big airlines in the most recent quarter. In the quarter ended June 30, the per-gallon cost of United's fuel fell 8 per cent. But oil prices have risen in recent weeks, likely dampening the relief for airlines.

A year ago, United was struggling to merge some of its large computer systems with United, resulting in snafus that frustrated passengers and hurt fares.

A key measure of per-seat passenger revenue rose 1 per cent in the most recent quarter as United recovered.

"I am encouraged by the progress we made in the second quarter - in our operations, in our customer service and in our financial performance," said Jeff Smisek, the airline's chairman, president, and CEO.

United Continental Holdings Inc earned $US469 million ($A514 million), or $US1.21 per share, for the quarter. It would have earned $US1.35 per share if not for special items. That's a penny better than expected by analysts surveyed by FactSet.

A year ago it earned $US339 million, or 89 cents per share.

Revenue rose almost 1 per cent to $US10 billion, about what analysts had expected.

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UN says Syria death toll above 100,000

UN leader Ban Ki-moon says more than 100,000 people have been killed in the Syrian civil war.

Ban and US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters before talks at the UN headquarters that there could be no military solution to the 28-month-old conflict.

While Syrian activists say well over 100,000 people have been killed, the UN has been more cautious about the toll.

But Ban said: "More than 100,000 people have been killed, millions of people have either been displaced or become refugees in neighbouring countries.

"We have to bring this to an end, the military and violent actions must be stopped by both parties and it is thus imperative to have a peace conference in Geneva as soon as possible."

The US and Russia have vowed to press for a follow up to a peace conference held in Geneva last year, which set out a transition plan.

Divisions between Syrian opposition groups and diplomatic hurdles thrown up by President Bashar al-Assad's government have blocked efforts to call a new meeting.

Syrian National Coalition president Ahmad Jarba is in New York and was to hold talks with Kerry ahead of a meeting with UN Security Council envoys on Friday.

Ban has previously said he would like a peace conference in September. But UN diplomats say the conflict is now so bitter that they doubt the two sides can be brought to the negotiating table.

Kerry said there is "enormous levels of suffering, suffering that is growing by the day which requires all of us to work even harder to try to bring about peace negotiations".

He added: "There is no military solution to Syria, there is only a political solution. That will require leadership in order to bring people to the table."

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Facebook surges on mobile ad results

SHARES of social networking giant Facebook have vaulted more than 25 per cent in early trading following a surprisingly good earnings report.

Facebook shares were up 26.0 per cent to $33.39 at 1354 GMT on Thursday (2354 AEST), the highest level since May 2012.

The surge came after the company's earnings report showed large increases in ad revenue from mobile technology.

Facebook shares have not appreciably moved higher since the company's high-profile public offering in May 2012.

But the company has made a priority of following its more than one billion members onto smartphones or tablets as lifestyles increasingly revolve around accessing the internet from mobile devices.

Facebook reported net income in the second quarter of $US331 million ($A362 million) compared with a loss of $US157 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue for the quarter that ended June 30 climbed to $US1.81 billion, up 53 per cent from the same period a year earlier.

Facebook said 41 per cent of its ad revenues came from mobile, compared with 30 per cent in the prior quarter and virtually nothing a year ago.

"We've made good progress growing our community, deepening engagement and delivering strong financial results, especially on mobile," said Facebook chief executive and Mark Zuckerberg .

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Caterpillar earnings drop on weak mining

INDUSTRIAL giant Caterpillar has cut its 2013 profit forecast after reporting a 43.5 per cent drop in second-quarter earnings due to weak demand in its operating segments, especially mining.

Caterpillar, which sells machinery and engines to the construction, mining and petroleum sectors, said net income came in at $US960 million ($A1.04 billion) on revenues of $US14.6 billion, down from last year's profit of $US1.7 billion on revenues of $US16.7 billion.

Those results translated into $US1.45 earnings per share, below the $US1.70 forecast by analysts. Revenues also fell short of the $US14.9 billion estimate.

The company lowered its 2013 global economic growth outlook to just over 2 per cent, compared with its previous forecast of 2.5 per cent.

"Although we expect some improvement in the second half, the improvement will be less than previously expected," the company said.

The company had previously flagged mining equipment demand as a weak point given that several large miners like Rio Tinto had cut back capital spending in light of weaker metals demand in China and elsewhere. Revenue in the resource segment, which is dominated by mining, tumbled 34 per cent to $3.6 billion.

Dow member Caterpillar's shares were down 1.1 per cent in pre-market trading on Wednesday.

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Dell buyout offer boosted; vote postponed

THE buyout offer for Dell led by company founder Michael Dell has been raised slightly, and a shareholder vote on the plan postponed until August 2.

The offer from Michael Dell and the private equity firm Silver Lake was boosted to $US13.75 per share, from $US13.65 a share, a company statement said.

A letter to shareholders said the new offer adds $US150 million ($A162 million) to the prior bid of $US24.4 billion, and said it was "our best and final proposal".

It said the offer was contingent on a modification of the approval process to require a majority of shares voted, instead of a majority of all outstanding shares held by the unaffiliated stockholders.

"We are not willing to discuss any further increase in the merger consideration nor are we willing to increase the merger consideration to $US13.75 per share without the change to the Unaffiliated Stockholder Approval requirement," the letter said.

"There is simply no rational basis for shares that are not voted to count as votes against the merger agreement for purposes of the unaffiliated stockholder vote."

The move came amid stiff opposition to the buyout by some shareholders who argued that Michael Dell's bid undervalued the former number one computer maker.

Opponents have been galvanised by corporate raider Carl Icahn, with some other institutional investors also opposing the effort.

The buyout aims to take Dell private to allow the company to restructure in a rapidly changing tech landscape. While Dell is flush with cash it has been losing market share and has failed to make an impact in the growing area or mobile computing.

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PepsiCo's profit climbs

PEPSICO Inc has reported a higher quarterly profit that topped Wall Street expectations, as price increases for its popular Frito-Lay snacks helped lift revenue.

In its Americas beverage unit, volume fell 3.5 per cent, with sodas in North America falling in the mid-single digits.

For the quarter, PepsiCo earned $US2.01 billion ($A2.17 billion), or $US1.28 per share. That's up from $US1.49 billion, or 94 cents per share, a year ago.

Not including one-time items, it earned $US1.31 per share, above the $US1.19 analysts expected.

Revenue rose to $US16.81 billion, more than the $US16.79 billion Wall Street.

The results come a week after investor Nelson Peltz said he wants PepsiCo to drop its beverage business and buy Oreo cookie maker Mondelez. Peltz says the company's snacks unit is being overshadowed by its underperforming drinks unit.

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Aust science prepares for pandemic

AUSTRALIAN researchers are joining forces with scientists overseas to prepare for the next human pandemic.

A new SARS-like virus has emerged in the Middle East and killed 45 people, and in China a new strain of bird flu is killing people instead of chickens.

CSIRO Biosecurity Flagship Director Gary Fitt will tell Australia's leading biosecurity researchers on Thursday recent global events highlight the need to ramp up research into viruses that spread from animals to humans.

"We now know that 70 per cent of new diseases in people have originated in animals," he says in a statement.

"We are lucky to have a strong biosecurity system, backed by world-class science, but we live in an increasingly connected world with trade and people movements putting us at greater risk."

He says CSIRO and Duke-NUS (an alliance between Duke University in the US and the National University of Singapore) have signed a relationship agreement with a view to forming an International Collaborative Centre for One Health.

That $20 million partnership would take a new approach to tackling these deadly viruses, he says.

The virus in the Middle East has already killed 45 of 82 people infected since September 2012. Dr Fitt says it is still unknown how the new strain in China of the highly pathogenic bird flu, known as H7N92, is spreading undetected.

CSIRO Science Leader and Director of the Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases at Duke-NUS, Linfa Wang, says responding to the emerging threats needs a new approach that integrates medical, veterinary, ecological and environmental research.

"Bringing all of these disciplines together to develop a One Health approach rather than working independently is what our new international partnership is all about," he said in a statement.

They are already combining CSIRO's world-leading bat virology research with Duke-NUS medical expertise in the development of new and more effective methods for the discovery, treatment, prevention and control of new and emerging diseases in people.

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Ford earns $US1.2bn in second quarter

FORD Motor Co says it's earned $US1.2 billion ($A1.3 billion) in the second quarter as US pickup truck demand and growing sales in China offset losses in Europe.

Ford raised its forecast based on the April-June results. The Dearborn, Michigan-based car maker now expects its full-year pre-tax profit to be equal to or better than the $US8 billion it reported a year ago.

Previously the company had expected to match last year's results.

Ford's earned 30 cents per share in the latest quarter, the same as a year ago.

Without one-time items, including separation payments in Europe, the company earned 45 cents per share. That surpassed analysts' forecast of 37 cents, according to FactSet.

Revenue was up 14 per cent to $US38.1 billion.

Ford earned $US2.3 billion in North America and a best-ever profit of $US177 million in Asia.

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Royal Bank of Scotland fined STG5.6m

STATE-RESCUED Royal Bank of the Scotland has been fined more than STG5.6 million ($A9.3 million), mainly for incorrect reporting of transactions over a six-year period.

"The Royal Bank of Scotland has been fined STG5,620,300," the Financial Conduct Authority said.

This was for "incorrectly reporting transactions they made in wholesale markets, and in some instances, failing to report transactions at all," the financial watchdog said in a statement.

RBS was rescued with STG45.5 billion of British taxpayers cash following the 2008 global financial crisis, making it the world's biggest ever banking bailout.

RBS "failed to properly report STG44.8 million transactions between November 2007 and February 2013; and failed altogether to report STG804,000 transactions between November 2007 and February 2012", the FCA said.

The FCA said that many of the problems had been compounded by the bank's takeover of Dutch rival ABN Amro at the height of the market in late 2007 that preceded the global economic crash the following year.

"Effective market surveillance depends on accurate and timely reporting of transactions," said Tracey McDermott, the FCA's director of enforcement and financial crime.

"We have set out clear guidance on transaction reporting, backed up by extensive market monitoring, and we expect firms to get it right."

RBS said it had co-operated full with the regulator over the issue, adding in a statement: "We regret the failings that were uncovered and have subsequently made significant investments to our systems and controls in this area."

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US stocks open mixed as earnings pick up

US stocks have opened mixed after an uneven batch of earnings reports painted a so-so picture of economic activity.

Five minutes into trade on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 14.79 (0.10 per cent) to 15,528.95.

The broad-based S&P 500 added 0.57 (0.03 per cent) at 1,692.66, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index rose 8.19 (0.23 per cent) to 3,595.80.

The results came as Dow member McDonald's released disappointing earnings and a mediocre outlook, while oil services giant Halliburton narrowly topped expectations.

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Keli Lane's two-day appeal set to start

KELI Lane is set to appeal her conviction more than two years after she was jailed for murdering her newborn baby.

The former elite water polo player was jailed in 2011 for at least 13 years and five months for the 1996 murder of her two-day-old daughter Tegan.

Lane's case will be heard in front of three judges in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The 38-year-old's legal team - lead by barrister Winston Terracini SC - will appeal the conviction on a number of grounds, including that an alternative count of manslaughter should have been open to the jury as there was no evidence "of infliction of any harm with any intent".

They are also expected to argue her trial's crown prosecutor, Mark Tedeschi QC, had reversed the onus of proof by posing questions to the jury during his closing address.

Lane's appeal comes after Justice Anthony Whealy last year said he wasn't convinced the crown had proved its case.

Lane has steadfastly maintained she handed Tegan over to the infant's father, with whom she'd had a brief affair. Tegan's remains have never been found.

Lane had two terminations as a teenager and had kept three pregnancies and births secret from family and friends, adopting out two children.

The crown contended Lane murdered Tegan because a child would have interfered with her sporting, sex and social life.

Earlier this month, Lane's partner Patrick Cogan told Woman's Day that Keli was confident Tegan was alive, but has more than one theory about where the little girl is.

Mr Cogan said Lane watched a television report about an Indian boy trying to find his family and said "that is going to be me".

"She said,'Tegan is going to grow up and have brown eyes and realise that mum and dad don't'."

Lane was sentenced to a maximum of 18 years.

If her appeal is unsuccessful her earliest release date is in May 2024.

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Mirren ponders royal baby's name

BRITISH actress Helen Mirren says it will be "very interesting" if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge name their first child Diana.

Mirren, who won an Oscar for her lead role in 2006 film The Queen, claimed Kate would feel uneasy about the attention given to her pregnancy.

"That's weird isn't it, everyone knowing you're in labour," she said. "That must be so uncomfortable."

Mirren says it will be "great" if the baby is a girl because "we need more Queens in our life".

When asked what she thought about the name Diana for a girl - after William's mother - she replied: "I wonder if they'll go there. That would be interesting, wouldn't it? That would be very interesting.

"Her second name will be Elizabeth without a doubt."

Mirren said Queen Caroline "would work" - after Kate's mother Carole - while she also liked Charlotte and Victoria.

"It would be nice to have one of those ancient Anglo-Saxon names," she added.

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Businesses did it tough in 2012/13

AROUND half of Australian businesses say they recorded no revenue growth in the past 12 months, but most believe the future is looking brighter.

A survey of almost 450 business owners and executives found 51 per cent of companies experienced no revenue growth during the 2012/13 financial year.

But the Australian Business Growth Monitor, produced on behalf of office space provider Servcorp, also showed 60 per cent of those surveyed expect revenue to pick up in 2013/14.

"These forecasts are in line with broader optimism about the Australian economy," Servcorp chief executive Marcus Moufarrige said.

Many of those surveyed cited difficult economic conditions, reduced consumer spending and increased competition as significant barriers to growth.

The survey also showed around two-thirds were dissatisfied with the level of federal government support.

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US existing-home sales slip in June

SALES of previously owned US homes unexpectedly slipped in June but prices continue to rocket higher, a real-estate report shows.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) says home sales fell 1.2 per cent to an annual rate of 5.08 million in June, from a downwardly revised 5.15 million in May.

The average analyst estimate was for a rise to a 5.28 million pace in June.

Still, June sales were up 15.2 per cent from a year ago as the housing recovery continued to build solid traction six years after the collapse of a price bubble.

Home prices clocked up the seventh consecutive month of year-over-year double-digit gains.

The national median price was $US214,200 in June, up 13.5 per cent from June 2012 and the 16th straight month of year-over-year price gains, NAR said.

The last time there was such a long-running streak was from February 2005 to May 2006, at the peak of the price bubble.

Total housing inventory rose 1.9 per cent but remained tight. At the end of June there were 2.19 million previously owned homes on the market, a 5.2-month supply at the current sales pace. The pace was 5.0 months in May.

"Inventory conditions will continue to broadly favour sellers and contribute to above-normal price growth," Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said in a statement.

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Yahoo! buys back shares from hedge fund

YAHOO! has agreed to buy back 40 million shares from a hedge fund which sought a shakeup of the internet giant last year.

The company said it agreed to buy the shares from Third Point LLC, led by activist investor Daniel Loeb, at Friday's closing price of $US29.11 per share.

After the transaction Third Point will hold some 20 million shares, or less than two per cent of Yahoo!'s outstanding common stock.

Yahoo! shares have nearly doubled over the past year since Marissa Mayer took over as chief executive.

The company also said that Loeb and two of his associates, Harry Wilson, and Michael Wolf, have submitted their resignations from Yahoo!'s board, effective July 31.

The board will then have seven members including Max Levchin, who was appointed as a director upon mutual agreement between Third Point and the board.

"Daniel Loeb had the vision to see Yahoo! for its immense potential - the potential to return to greatness as a company and the potential to deliver significant shareholder value," said Mayer.

"On behalf of the board and our entire team, I'd like to take this opportunity to personally thank Dan, Michael, and Harry for the tremendous opportunities they created here at Yahoo!"

Third Point boosted its stake last year and sought changes in management after Scott Thompson was named chief executive.

Thompson resigned after acknowledging an error in his resume, which wrongly indicated that he had a degree in computer science.

AFP go

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NAB, ANZ least popular of Big Four

NATIONAL Australia Bank and ANZ are the least popular of the big four banks as far as business customers are concerned.

A survey of satisfaction among the big four's business customers shows NAB and ANZ ranked below the Commonwealth and Westpac for every one of the past 12 months.

Commonwealth and Westpac finished the financial year with average business customer satisfaction ratings of 7.4 and 7.3 out of ten, respectively.

By comparison, ANZ and NAB both had an average satisfaction rating of 7.0 in June.

The DBM Consultants' Business Financial Services Monitor (BFSM) tracks customer service ratings among the big four clients on a monthly basis through interviews with 20,000 businesses annually.

DBM managing director Dhruba Gupta said Westpac and the Commonwealth had done a better job of keeping their customers happy.

"While all financial institutions have heavily invested in delivering improved customer service, business decision makers have consistently rated Westpac and the Commonwealth Bank highest, clearly appreciating the initiatives brought in by these banks," Mr Gupta said.

"This includes activities such as making relationship managers more accessible and returning calls within 24 hours."

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WA still top state, job market helps ACT

CANBERRA, July 22 AAP - Western Australia remains the top performing economy in the nation, while the ACT has jumped into second position as its jobs market improves.

The Commonwealth Securities quarterly 'State of the States' report shows while WA remains at the top of the ladder, it has seen some slippage in indicators such as unemployment.

This has also occurred in the Northern Territory, which declined to third spot after it was leapfrogged by the ACT where the population has grown to drive housing activity and a stronger job market.

Report author CommSec's chief economist Craig James says while new investment in the mining and engineering construction sectors is easing across the country, the housing sector is a source of new growth, especially in regions where population growth is strongest.

"All economies should lift, once the uncertainty of the federal election is finally out of the way later in 2013," Mr James said.

Each quarter CommSec assesses the economic fortunes of the states and territories by studying eight key indicators - economic growth, retail spending, equipment investment, unemployment, construction work done, population growth, housing finance and dwelling commencements.

WA comes out top on three of the eight criteria - housing finance, retail spending and equipment investment - is still second on three other indicators, third on dwelling starts and fifth on unemployment.

There is little separating the nation's three most populous states in terms of relative economic performance.

But NSW claims fourth spot on the overall rankings, from Victoria and Queensland, by having the strongest jobs market.

Then there is a gap to South Australia and then another gap to Tasmania.

SA lags on economic growth, retail spending and equipment investment, while Tasmania remains locked at the bottom, underperforming on all eight indicators.

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Unexploded NATO ordnance killing Afghans

UNEXPLODED ordnance left behind by NATO troops as they leave Afghanistan is killing and injuring a rising number of civilians, a United Nations demining group says.

Mohammad Sediq Rashid, director of the Mine Action Coordination Centre, told AFP on Sunday the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) must fully clean up military bases and firing ranges being vacated ahead of a final withdrawal due next year.

A total of 53 Afghan civilians, mostly children, have been killed or injured by unexploded ordnance found in or around ISAF bases and firing ranges since 2008, he said.

The 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, signed by most ISAF contributing nations, requires militaries to remove all unexploded ordnance from areas they vacate.

All ordnance, including those left by Soviet troops and mujahideen, caused 363 civilian casualties in 2012 compared to more than 240 between January and June 2013: a rise from an average of 30 a month to 40 a month so far this year, Rashid said.

"We believe if this problem is not sorted out, the casualty rate is very highly likely to increase because there are many people looking for unexploded ordnance to be sold as scrap metal," he told AFP.

"I think the main reason (for this increase) is because of these firing ranges," he said. "The evidence suggests there is a problem, this job is not being done properly," he added.

He said weaponry left behind included unexploded mortars and grenades.

In January, three civilians were killed and five injured in a village in Kohi Safi district of Parwan province, adjacent to the largest US-run base Bagram, Rashid said.

His team found more than 400 items of unexploded ordnance in the area, where a military base had been abandoned and there was also a firing range nearby, he said.

In February, two teenage boys were seriously injured in Bamyan province.

"We deployed another team there and so far half of the job is done, more than 500 items unexploded ordnance were found, most of them munitions that belong to ISAF," Rashid said.

"We think this is a major issue. There are hundreds of military bases... a considerable number of them will be closed, some of them will be handed over to local forces and some will be abandoned, so we think the casualties will increase," he added.

ISAF told AFP in an emailed response to the accusations that "the safety of civilians is one of our highest priorities".

"We're aware of reports concerning unexploded ordnance on the firing ranges of former bases in Afghanistan," Lieutenant Colonel Will Griffin told AFP.

"We have standard procedures in place to mitigate unexploded ordnance on firing ranges at ISAF bases throughout Afghanistan. These procedures include mitigating ranges that are no longer in use", he said.

But Rashid said the military was not doing enough.

"We want ISAF to pay attention to this. They are spending huge amounts of money and resources in this country. Why they are not paying attention to this issue?" he said.

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Napthine gains in Vic voter approval

VICTORIAN Premier Denis Napthine has a few more reasons to smile this week with voter satisfaction soaring under his leadership.

The latest poll shows his approval rating in the state continues to climb and he's increased the coalition's two-party preferred lead over Labor.

Voters give Dr Napthine a 53 per cent leadership satisfaction rating in the state, up three points since the last survey, according to the latest Newspoll published in The Australian on Monday.

It also found the coalition has increased its two-party preferred lead by one percentage point to 51 per cent over Labor at 49 during the May and June survey period.

Dr Napthine also remains preferred premier, leading Labor's Daniel Andrews by 49-26 in the poll, and he now sits 22 points ahead of former Liberal premier Ted Baillieu's last polling figures before his stepped down as party leader and premier in March.

Voters appear to be effectively split on whether to like or dislike Labor leader Daniel Andrews.

His satisfaction rating has fallen seven points to 35 per cent while his dissatisfaction has jumped six points to 34 per cent.

The poll was taken during the height of turmoil and instability in federal Labor leadership and it's not know what impact this may have had on state Labor's standings.

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Syria pro-regime gunmen kill 13 in family

A SYRIA pro-regime militia has killed 13 members of the same family, including six children, in the Mediterranean coastal village of Bayda, a watchdog has charged.

"The number of people from one family who were killed by regime forces in the village of Bayda ... has risen to 13," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Sunday.

The killings came to light one day after they occurred, while fierce clashes pitting rebels against troops raged in Banias nearby.

"The three men, unarmed, were shot dead outside their home. The militiamen then broke in, and killed the women and the children," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said.

He did not know how the women and children were killed by what he said were members of the pro-regime National Defence Force.

"We have conflicting reports. Some say they were shot dead, others that they were burnt alive," he added.

Abdel Rahman attributed the violence to a revenge attack motivated by sectarian hatred.

"The Banias area is home to a mixture of Sunnis and Alawites. On Saturday, four Alawite members of the National Defence Force were killed in fighting there," he told AFP.

"The pro-regime militiamen took revenge for their deaths by killing this family," he added.

On May 2 and 3, some 300 people were massacred in Banias and Bayda, according to a toll compiled by the Observatory.

While Banias was one of the first towns to see demonstrations calling for the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad's regime, its location in Tartus province - an Alawite bastion - has prompted particularly fierce crackdowns there.

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Man hurt in Sydney home invasion

A MAN has been assaulted by a gun-wielding attacker during a home invasion in Sydney's northwest.

Police were called to a unit complex in Telopea at about 6pm (AEST) on Sunday where a man allegedly had entered a unit armed with a pistol and argued with the occupants.

During the incident a man aged in his forties was struck to the back of the head and sustained a deep cut, police said.

His assailant fled the scene before police arrived.

The injured man was taken to Ryde Hospital where he remains in a stable condition.

The man is described as being of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, aged in his twenties and last seen wearing a white T-Shirt and black pants.

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