Applications for US unemployment aid dive

THE number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell sharply last week, a sign that a recent string of strong job gains may continue.

THE US Labor Department says weekly applications for unemployment aid dropped 21,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 283,000. The four-week average of applications, a less volatile number, fell 6500 to 289,750, its lowest level in 15 weeks.

Applications are a proxy for layoffs. They have been near or below 300,000 since September, a very low reading by historical standards that points to solid hiring. The average has dropped 16 per cent in the past year.That decline has coincided with much stronger job gains. Employers added more than 1 million jobs from November through January, the strongest three-month pace in 17 years.

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Man to be interviewed over Vic hit-run

A 33-year-old man has been arrested over a hit-run accident that killed a teenager in Melbourne. Source: AAP

POLICE will interview a man suspected to be involved in a fatal hit-and-run incident in Melbourne.

A 33-YEAR-OLD Hillside man was arrested on Thursday after a police officer spotted a light-coloured SUV that allegedly hit two teenagers while they were crossing a road in Delahey.

A 17-year-old boy died in the Royal Melbourne Hospital from his injuries, and a 17-year-old girl remains in a critical condition.The pair were crossing on a green pedestrian light when they were struck by the vehicle in Melbourne's northwest, about 11.30pm on Tuesday.The vehicle allegedly ran a red light and did not stop.A police spokeswoman said the man would be interviewed on Friday morning.A second man is assisting police with inquiries.

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Vic park killer spent night drinking

A man who pleaded guilty to murdering a woman in a Melbourne park spent the previous night drinking. Source: AAP

A WOMAN who was raped and killed by a homeless man spent her final evening practising hymns for a performance at a Melbourne aged-care centre.

AT the same time, her killer, Scott Allen Miller, 43, was drinking in city bars and harassing women.

He told one woman he had an ability to "mentally" ask strangers if he could slap their bottoms and would then do so, according to documents tendered in the Melbourne Magistrates Court.Miller was kicked out of the Carlton Club on Bourke Street just after 5am on June 28 last year.He walked along St Kilda Road, where he crossed paths with Renea Lau, 32, and brutally attacked her.Miller pleaded guilty to two charges of rape and one charge of murder on Thursday.Court documents also indicate he initially frightened Ms Lau, who was on her way to her job at a chocolate shop in South Yarra.She ran across four lanes of St Kilda Road, but was chased by Miller.The next morning, walkers found her bloodied body near the police memorial in the Kings Domain park.Miller, who had been sleeping rough in the botanic gardens since arriving in Victoria the previous month, fled the city.He was arrested near Eden, NSW, and extradited to Victoria where he was charged.Miller told police in an interview he was blind drunk and had been stoned for five days when he attacked Ms Lau.He said he had not intended to kill the Chinese national, but he deserved to go to jail."I just exploded into this violent, violent rage," Miller told police in a transcript of an interview."I'm happy because I'll be in jail and I'll have a place to stay and I'll have food and I'll be able to speak to people, and so I do accept that I'm going to go to jail for this," he said.Ms Lau's boyfriend, Chun Hang Wong, said in a statement to police she was very much loved and was loyal to her friends.He last saw her late on June 27, at their church choir leader's house, where they practised the hymns they planned to sing at an aged-care centre."I said goodbye to Renea knowing we would see each other the following day at church," Mr Wong said."Renea was in a good and happy mood having spent the evening singing hymns."Miller will next face the Victorian Supreme Court on January 20.A date for his sentencing is yet to be fixed.

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Thieves crash car into WA toy shop

Ram raiders have left a WA toy shop with a damage bill of more than 20-thousand dollars. Source: AAP

RAM raiders have cost a WA toy shop more than $20,000 in damages and $1200 in stolen toys.

WA Police say offenders used their vehicle to burst through the doors of a toy shop in Balcatta just after midnight on Christmas Day.

They stole more than $1200 worth of items before fleeing in the same vehicle.The estimated damage bill is estimated to be more than $20,000.

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Bentley expands HQ, boosts jobs

Bentley will expand its UK headquarters, spending STG 40 million and creating 300 jobs. Source: AAP

LUXURY car company Bentley is to spend STG40 million ($A73.01 million) expanding its headquarters in a project that will create 300 jobs.

BENTLEY is building a new research and development (R&D) centre at its site at Crewe in Cheshire, with the new facility housing 1300 of the company's engineers.

In addition, 300 new posts have been created, with the staff working within engineering, manufacturing, quality, sales and marketing and project management.It is the latest step in getting Bentley ready to bring an ultra-luxury SUV model on to the roads in 2016.Chancellor George Osborne hailed the new jobs, describing Bentley as "an iconic British brand that exports around the world"."These highly skilled jobs in this export industry are exactly the kind of opportunities we want to see created which is why in yesterday's autumn statement I provided further incentives for R&D in the UK," Osborne said."The investment will not only create jobs at Bentley, but support many more through suppliers across the UK. I want Britain to be a country where companies want to invest and create jobs, as Bentley is doing today."Bentley Motors chairman and chief executive Wolfgang Durheimer said: "With Bentley's new R&D centre, we will develop a new generation of Bentleys, which will continue our commitment of luxury, performance, quality and engineering excellence. "

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Tax settlement boosts Comcast Q3 results

COMCAST Corp's third-quarter net income jumped 50 per cent in the third quarter, helped by a one-time tax settlement, growth in internet subscribers and fewer defectors from its cable service.

COMCAST is in the midst of a $US45 billion ($A48.69 billion) takeover of Time Warner Cable, a deal that is under regulatory review.

Cable providers have been consolidating as more viewers shift to watching video on mobile tablets, computers and smartphones rather than through traditional cable TV stations.AT&T is planning to buy satellite service DirecTV for $US48.5 billion in a merger also under review. Meanwhile, channels like HBO and CBS have announced standalone streaming services, signalling the industry is undergoing a sea change.The nation's largest cable provider says its net income rose to $US2.59 billion, or 99 US cents per share. That compares with net income of $US1.73 billion, or 65 US cents per share last year. Excluding a hefty one-time tax settlement, net income totalled 73 US cents per share, beating analyst expectations of 71 US cents per share, according to FactSet.Revenue rose 4 per cent to $US16.79 billion from $US16.15 billion last year. Analysts expected $US16.8 billion.Cable hookup revenue, up 5 per cent to $US11.04 billion, nearly matched the $US11.09 billion expected. NBCUniversal revenue rose 1 per cent to $US5.92 billion, also nearly matching the $US5.94 billion analysts expected.The company added a net 315,000 high-speed internet customers since the last quarter, bringing the number to 21.6 million. That's 6 per cent more than it added in the same quarter a year ago.It lost 81,000 video subscribers, ending with 22.4 million. But that's the lowest third-quarter decline in seven years. In the prior-year quarter the company lost 127,000 subscribers. Comcast said the loss was due to tough competition in the sector from other cable and satellite providers.The average customer bill edged up 4 per cent to $US137.24 per month after a 2 per cent price hike at the beginning of the year. Customers added more services and business client revenue rose.At NBCUniversal, advertising revenue rose 4 per cent to $US1.15 billion, helped by high ratings for NBC shows like The Voice, The Blacklist, Sunday Night Football and news programming.Film revenue fell 15 per cent to $US1.19 billion due to tough comparisons with last year, when the popular animated movie Despicable Me 2 was released.

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Carr dishes up conundrum for NSW govt

EIGHT years after ending his reign over NSW, Bob Carr is still giving the state Liberals a headache.

THIS time, he's forced Premier Mike Baird to reconvene a "slimmed-down" joint sitting of parliament.

The procedure is so the former premier and foreign minister can be excused from the Senate and return to private life.Mr Baird was left with a conundrum after Mr Carr decided to retire from federal politics despite winning his Senate seat last year.The premier received legal advice that Mr Carr's resignation wasn't constitutional and a joint sitting of the NSW parliament was needed to replace him.But the problem was parliament was on Thursday preparing to close its doors for its winter recess and not planning to sit again until August, well after the July 1 date of the new Senate term.The premier eventually decided to hold a very short joint sitting session in July, which would only last a few minutes, to sort the issue out.Once that happens, Labor's Deb O'Neill will formally replace Mr Carr in the Senate.

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