Philip Morris reports $A2.34b profit

TOBACCO giant Philip Morris International has reported first-quarter profit of $US1.8 billion ($A2.34 billion).

THE New York-based company said it had profit of $US1.16 per share.

Thursday's result topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of eight analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $US1.02 per share.The seller of Marlboro and other cigarette brands posted revenue of $US6.62 billion in the period.Philip Morris expects full-year earnings to be $US4.32 to $US4.42 per share.The company's shares have decreased four per cent since the beginning of the year.

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Rock-throwing NT kids threatened with care

IF the parents of children responsible for attacking authorities and damaging property in Alice Springs can't control them they'll be taken into care, the NT chief minister has warned.

ADAM Giles says he won't tolerate a situation, which early on Tuesday escalated to a group of more than 50 youths throwing rocks at police, starting several fires and damaging property in the central Australian town.

Police say they are concerned they are being targeted.Over the past two weeks there have been other rock-throwing incidents, one resulting in a damaged ambulance being taken off the road.The government says many of the young people responsible are from outlying, predominantly indigenous communities.Over Easter, Alice Springs hosted a metal concert, a national bike race and the AFL's Lightning Cup Carnival, with many attendees staying on for the school holidays.But there have been numerous reports of property damage since."I'm giving the parents of the children responsible for this spate of violence a very clear message: get your kids off the streets, get them back to communities and back into school," Mr Giles said in a statement late on Wednesday."Otherwise, these children will be regarded as requiring protection and we will take immediate action. Parents should not doubt our resolve to do this."Any school-age child found on the streets during school hours will now be issued with a $298 fine by school attendance officers.Minister for Children and Families John Elferink said he had directed the department "to take strong action" and put children into care where legally possible."Normally the department would see this as a last resort and be willing to work with parents but these are not normal circumstances," he said."If parents don't want to see their children in care then they need to get off the grog and head back to their home community."The government will organise bus transport for families to get them home.Mr Giles said in light of the violence the government is reconsidering supporting the Lightning Cup Carnival next year."If the organisers want taxpayers support, they best think long and hard about how they conduct their event and how to reduce the impact it has created on the town in the subsequent days," he warned.

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WA's Water Corp cuts 300 jobs

About 300 full-time workers at WA's Water Corporation will lose their jobs over eight months. Source: AAP

THE hundreds of jobs to go from Western Australia's Water Corporation reflect the high human cost of the Barnett government's post-mining boom mismanagement, the opposition says.

THE state-owned company will would cut 10 per cent of its workforce over the next eight months, with about 300 full-time jobs to go.

Chief Executive Sue Murphy said the decision followed an organisation-wide review as the company transitions from capital investment to operations and maintenance.But Labor opposition spokesman for water Dave Kelly said this was an excuse that flew in the face of the company's five-year plan released by the minister in parliament last August.The plan called for it to be given more resources in coming years to maintain its infrastructure."It looks to everybody that these 300 jobs that are going are really about budget cuts rather than a well thought out business plan for the Water Corporation," Mr Kelly said on Tuesday."The constant stream of job losses that we're seeing at the moment in the WA economy really reflects badly on the way the government has managed the post-mining sector boom."The first round of Water Corp redundancies will be announced over the next few weeks.JOBS SHEDDING IN WA* 300 full-time positions Water Corporation* 200 jobs oil giant BP's Kwinana refinery, about half of staff* 70 mining jobs junior iron ore producer Karara Mining* Rio Tinto sheds hundreds of jobs in Pilbara* Atlas Iron suspends operations, threatening trucking contractor McAleese* Mining services firm Ausdrill cuts jobs* Fortescue Metals restructures rosters, job cuts flagged

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Lane's alleged US murderer faces trial

The murder of Aussie Chris Lane had such an impact on locals it may take 4 days to select a US jury. Source: AAP

JUST before 3pm on a scorching August day in 2013 Chris Lane, a good-looking athlete from Melbourne, set off for a jog along Country Club Road in the southern Oklahoma city of Duncan.

LANE, 22, had a baseball scholarship at Oklahoma's East Central University and was visiting girlfriend Sarah Harper at her home in the rural city of 23,000.

As Lane approached an intersection in an affluent area of Duncan a bullet from a .22 calibre revolver was fired into the Australian's back.The bullet collapsed both lungs, fractured two ribs and tore through his aorta and pulmonary artery.Lane collapsed on the side of the road.A 911 phone call made by a frightened Duncan local, Joyce Smith, who saw Lane covered in blood gives insight into the terrible last seven minutes of Lane's life.On Monday (Tuesday AEST) Chancey Luna, the boy prosecutors allege pulled the trigger that ended Lane's promising life will be escorted by sheriffs into Duncan's Stephens County courthouse for his first-degree murder trial.Luna was 16 when he allegedly murdered Lane.If found guilty he faces life in prison without the prospect of parole.There are many theories in Duncan why Lane was shot."They wanted to be Billy Bob Badasses," Duncan police chief Danny Ford told AAP in the days after the shooting."They" are Luna and his two teenage mates, James Edwards who was 15 at the time of Lane's death, and Michael Jones, then 17.Chief Ford said one of the boys admitted, "We were bored and didn't have anything to do, so we decided to kill somebody".Edwards has become a prosecution witness and is expected to testify at the trial, which could last 10 days.Edwards had a murder charge replaced by an accessory count.In evidence at a preliminary hearing last year Edwards said Jones was driving a Ford Focus, he was in the front passenger seat rolling a joint and Luna was in the back seat.Edwards said they saw a man jogging on the side of the road, the car accelerated and veered near the jogger and to his surprise a gun was fired from the back seat."Who shot the gun?" assistant district attorney Leah Edwards asked."Mr Luna," Edwards replied.Edwards testified Luna later handed Jones the gun and said, "I thought there were supposed to be blanks in the gun," and Jones replied, "Me, too".Luna's lawyers, cousins Jim and Howard Berry, told reporters Edwards' evidence pointed to an accidental shooting.Last month Jones entered a guilty plea to second degree murder and was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 38 years.A fourth defendant, Oddesse Barnes, 23, who was given the handgun after the shooting, pleaded guilty to accessory to murder and is eligible for release in 12 years.Edwards hasn't been sentenced.Lane's death shocked Duncan and the Berrys fear Luna will not get an impartial jury.About 400 potential jurors have been summoned for jury duty, with selection for Luna's trial possibly taking four days.

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