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More than 250,000 private sector workers in the US lost their jobs in November, according to new figures from the Institute of Supply and Management (ISM).As the credit crunch further takes its toll on the country's already fragile economy, the ISM's employment index plunged to a record low of 31.3 last month, from 41.5 in October. Any mark below 50 signifies a contraction as opposed to growth.Paul Ashworth, the enior US economist at consultants Capital Economics, said that the data puts it at a "level consistent with monthly declines in service sector payrolls of more than 500,000". He said there had probably been a 650,000 drop in overall non-farm payroll employment in the month, comprising "half a million job losses in services, then conservatively add on another 150,000 job losses in manufacturing and construction".The non-manufacturing index also plummeted to a record low of 37.3 in November, down from 44.4. A number of economists polled by Reuters had predicted a score of 42.The index is now at a level consistent with a 3% annual contraction in GDP. "That is even worse than what the manufacturing index is telling us," Ashworth said. Every major category in the ISM survey hit a record low including the service sector, which takes in businesses such as banks, airlines, hotels and restaurants and accounts for 80% of economic activity in the US.US economyGlobal recessionUnited StatesCredit crunchguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Apple has won a trademark lawsuit against the New Apple Concept Digital Technology Co (Ltd) in China that used an apple logo strikingly similar to the US computer- and gadget-maker's. Apple operates business in China, so it's not surprising that it ran into conflicts with another company trying to use an Apple logo.
iSuppli is estimating that solid state disk (SSD) drives shipped over the next year will leap 6x.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says Pakistan must "co-operate fully" to bring Mumbai's attackers to justice.
Nigeria is flying in an antidote to stem the deaths of babies poisoned by a teething syrup.
The nine-inch ball is covered with swirly red and white stripes -- and, in tiny glued-on text, salutes Jim McDermott 's support for a resolution to impeach President Bush.
BA has suffered a significant drop in premium class passengers as the economic slump and rising unemployment hits the transport sector
A measure of the US service sector dropped to a record low in November, showing further weakness in the sector.
Highlights from a century's worth of romantic fiction told through 100 years of Mills & Boon covers. Plus your chance to win them all
Microsoft has started to roll out a series of changes, outlined in November, that give Windows Live a more social networking-like feel.
Police in Zimbabwe break up a march by nurses and doctors angered at the worsening cholera outbreak.
When Steve Sinofsky told everybody at PDC 2008 that Beta 1 would ship sometime early next year, apparently he meant really early, Jan 13 08!
New York City bus drivers have been given contradictory instructions on how to deal with fare evaders and belligerent passengers.
A French aid worker who was kidnapped in Kabul has been released, according to France's President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The Zimbabwe government is set to greatly increase the amount of money people can withdraw from banks from tomorrow in an attempt to quell growing unrest, including riots and looting by soldiers this week, over a drastic cash shortage caused by hyperinflation. The central bank has raised the withdrawal limit from the equivalent of just 18p a day to about £33 a week following the protests in which scores of troops apparently angry at waiting in long bank queues targeted shops in Harare that will only accept payment in US dollars and blackmarket money changers openly dealing on the streets. The growing anger among soldiers and other Zimbabweans is due in part to the increasing difficulty of using the national currency to buy anything but a few locally produced vegetables and bread after the US dollar was made legal tender. The central bank is also issuing new Zimbabwe dollar bank notes tomorrow worth Z$50m (£17) and Z$100m to keep pace with inflation officially put at 231m% in July but which economists now estimate runs in to the billions.Riot police today arrested trade union leaders and broke up a small protest over the limits on cash withdrawals. The union leaders were detained as they led a march of a few dozen people to deliver a petition to the central bank demanding an end to the restrictions. The demonstrators carried placards reading "No to cash limits" and "We are tired of sleeping at the banks" because many people spend hours queuing every day just to get enough money to cover transport and a few basic foodstuffs.The police today also broke up a protest by doctors and nurses attempting to deliver a petition to the health ministry in Harare objecting to the lack of medical supplies and the closure of some large government hospitals. "We are forced to work without basic health institutional needs like drugs, adequate water and sanitation, safe clothing gear, medical equipment and basic support services," the letter said.The collapsing health service is now grappling with the additional burden of cholera. The UN said today that it had confirmed 565 deaths from cholera among 12,546 reported cases but medical charities say the real toll is at least double. One-third of the deaths were in the capital, Harare, where water has been cut off for days because of a lack of chemicals to treat the supply.The government said it will punish troops involved in the protests but some of Mugabe's critics suspect the demonstrations may have been orchestrated to justify a further crackdown on his opponents and possibly the introduction of a state of emergency. The former home affairs minister Dumiso Dabengwa, who has joined a breakaway faction from Mugabe's Zanu-PF party, told the IRIN news service that the protests may not be what they seem. "I do hope the demonstrations by the soldiers are genuine, and that it is not a ruse to come up with an excuse to crack down against the people, or even worse," he said. "You can't rule out what they [the government] might do. They have so many problems ... such as cholera and money shortages. They want to rule a country where they have total control over the people. Anything is possible - they face so many problems that I don't rule out any move to contain the situation."Suspicion is rife because the government has sought to retain the backing of the army by ensuring that banks regularly delivered cash to the barracks. However, the troops still have much to be disgruntled about. The central bank is issuing the new bank notes tomorrow as the national currency continues its interminable decline. A new Zimbabwe dollar was launched in August after 10 zeros were wiped off the currency because banks and shops could no longer handle the numbers.But the new dollar has plummeted just as fast, falling from about Z$10 to the pound in early August to Z$3m today for cash. Twenty-seven new currency denominations have been introduced in Zimbabwe this year alone.The rioting soldiers told bystanders they were angry that what little money they have can be used for little more than paying for transport and buying a few of the sparse locally produced goods. The government caught up with reality by legalising the use of US dollars and other hard currency in September. Dollars and South African rand were already in widespread use in what amounted to underground supermarkets selling imports. Now the transactions are legal, it is almost impossible to buy anything in Zimbabwe dollars. The Spar in Ballantyne Park, in northern Harare, is used by middle-class Zimbabweans and their domestic workers. It prices almost everything in US dollars and will accept payments only in the American currency, rand or sterling. Change is given in bread rolls because of a shortage of small foreign notes. Only locally produced vegetables, eggs and bread can be paid for in Zimbabwe dollars.Zimbabweguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
The number of homes being repossessed will rise sharply to 75,000, the Council of Mortgage Lenders has estimated.
Georgia's Chambliss credited Gov. Sarah Palin with firing up his base. See also: Chambliss wins runoff
Amazon, the world?s largest online retailer, is under attack by online pirates. An addon for the Firefox browser called ?Pirates of the Amazon? makes it possible to shop at the Amazon store but leave without paying a dime. Instead, on Amazon product pages the addon integrates links to ?free? copies on The Pirate Bay.
Manny is a professional baseball player and a future Hall of Famer. His preternatural talent for hitting the ball to every part of the field (including 527 hits that have landed in the bleachers) and his comfort at the plate with two strikes against him, make Manny a valuable contributor to his organization.
Doctors have used a revolutionary stem cell treatment to restore the power of speech for a stroke victim.
A Dutchman known as Europe's most committed sperm donor says he's fathered 46 children and is willing to keep at it.
The Beatles once penned the song "I am the Walrus" but now this whiskered marine mammal has proved that the animal kingdom can blow its own trumpet. Under the direction of her trainer, Sara the Walrus grips the brass instrument between her flippers and blasts out a note. Wetsuit-clad Russian trainer Sergiy has also taught her to strike a...
The row over the arrest of Damian Green took a sensational new turn today when Commons Speaker, Michael Martin, revealed that police did not have a warrant when they searched the Tory MP's parliamentary office.In a stunning intervention, Martin insisted he did not authorise the raid, nor was he aware that officers did not have a warrant.The surprise revelation went some way to placate MPs outraged at the heavy-handed treatment of an elected member of parliament over what some regard as a relatively trivial matter ? a string of Home Office leaks that embarrassed the government.In a Commons statement to explain why the Metropolitan police were allowed to search the shadow immigration minister's parliamentary office, Martin revealed:? The Metropolitan police informed Jill Pay, the serjeant at arms, last Wednesday that the arrest of an MP was being contemplated. The identity of the MP was not disclosed.? At 7am on Thursday police called on the serjeant at arms and explained the background to the case and disclosed to her it was Damian Green, the shadow immigration minister.? Police did not explain that a warrant could be insisted upon.? The serjeant called Martin to relay the information.? Martin was never asked whether consent for the raid should be granted.Martin was told that a search might take place of Green's offices in the house."I was not told that the police did not have a warrant," he added, to cries of surprise and a shout of "Shame!"Martin added: "I have been told that the police did not explain, as they are required to do, that the serjeant was not obliged to consent or that a warrant could have been insisted on ?"I regret that a consent form was then signed by the serjeant at arms without consulting the clerk."He added: "I was not asked whether consent should be given."Martin said the events surrounding Green's arrest were of "grave concern" to all MPs and announced that he would set up a committee of seven senior MPs, nominated by him, to investigate the case and make recommendations.The police raid on Green's offices last Thursday prompted outrage among MPs on all sides, who considered it a breach of parliamentary privilege.However, Martin reminded MPs that chapter seven of Erskine May ? parliament's rule book ? states that parliamentary privilege has never "prevented the operation of the criminal law".The Speaker said police contacted the serjeant at arms to request access to search Green's office.In points of order that followed the statement, Green thanked MPs for their support but said he wanted to make it clear that MPs were not above the law.However, he added "releasing information that is merely embarrassing to the government is not against the law".Michael Howard, the former Tory leader, said Green's arrest and the search of his offices had been "a deplorable affair".David Winnick, the Labour MP for Walsall North, said that Martin's statement showed that the raid was "totally without justification" and he demanded the officers involved to be called to the bar of the house to explain their conduct."We need an explanation and we need it promptly," he said.Jacqui Smith, the home secretary, is expected to make a statement to the Commons tomorrow regarding Green's arrest.Michael MartinDamian GreenConservativesPoliceHouse of Commonsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds