US economy adds 227,000 jobs in February
The US economy created 227,000 jobs in February, while the unemployment rate stayed at 8.3%, the lowest level in nearly three years.
The Labor Department report also showed that job-creation figures in December and January were even stronger than first estimated.
President Barack Obama said the figures showed the economy "getting stronger".
Employment has been rising for the past six months, but the jobless rate has been stuck above 8% since early 2009.
That, largely, can be explained by the changing size of the workforce.
Americans who had given up looking for work have started streaming back into the labour market.
Those who re-enter the market but do not secure jobs are in effect counted afresh as unemployed.
That's why the unemployment rate in February remained unchanged at 8.3%.
The number of new jobs being created has been consistently above 200,000 in each of the past three months, fuelling hopes that the US recovery is gathering pace.
"Our job now is to keep this economic engine churning. We can't go back to the same policies that got us into this mess," Mr Obama said at a Rolls Royce plant in Virginia, insisting that better times lay ahead.
"We can't go back to an economy that was weakened by outsourcing and bad debt and phoney financial profits."
Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney said that the president had promised three years ago to get unemployment below 8%.
"It has not been below 8% since. This president has not succeeded. This president has failed and that's the reason we're going to get rid of him in 2012," Mr Romney said.
Fellow White House hopeful Newt Gingrich said: "Any new job is a welcome paycheque for the American worker, but as past recoveries show, the current rate of growth will leave the American economy sputtering for years to come."
Earlier, the head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, said the US may exceed a previous forecast of 1.8% growth in 2012.
On Friday, new figures showed the US trade deficit higher than expected in January.
High oil prices and renewed demand helped to push imports to a record high of $233.4bn, according to the Department of Commerce, with imports from China rising 4.7% to $34.4bn.
The trade gap was $52.6bn in January, the highest since October 2008, and its estimate of December's trade deficit was revised up to to $50.4bn from a previous figure of $48.8bn.
Expansion
Employment in February rose in professional and businesses services by 82,000, with half of that in temporary help services.
Jobs growth also occurred in health care and social assistance, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, and mining.
Manufacturing added 31,000 jobs, with most car makers been taking on new workers and adding shifts and overtime to meet pent-up demand after production was disrupted early last year following the tsunami and earthquake in Japan.
Another positive note was provided by a revision to data showing that the economy had created 61,000 more jobs in December and January combined than was previously estimated.
Paul Ashworth, chief US economist at Capital Economics, said the figures added to evidence that the US jobs market had turned a corner: "Overall, another very strong payroll report and there's every chance that March will bring more of the same."
The number of people without a job remained all but unchanged last month, at 12.8 million, and the number of those working part time because their hours have been cut back or because they have been unable to find a full-time job was also stuck at 8.1 million.
Unemployment is one of the most hotly contested topics among the candidates battling to win November's presidential election.
An improvement in the figures is seen as favourable to the incumbent, President Barack Obama.
-BBC
Eurozone shows 'tentative' signs of recovery
The eurozone is showing "tentative" signs of recovery, according to the latest report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The OECD researches economics for the 30 nations that make up its membership.
For the eurozone, its leading indicator of economic activity rose in January and also turned positive for Britain.
The United States and Japan also continued to show signs of a pick-up.
"The United States and Japan continue to drive the overall position but stronger, albeit tentative, signals are beginning to emerge within all other major OECD economies and the euro area as a whole," the OECD said.
However, Brazil and China showed signs of weakness in January, according to the OECD report.
The OECD publishes its Composite Leading Indicators every month. The measure is designed to anticipate turning points in economic activity.
Aviation plea to leaders over EU price on carbon
Seven European aviation firms have written to governments complaining about the inclusion of airlines in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
The signatories, which include Airbus, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, argue the move threatens jobs.
They are concerned about trade retaliation by countries not complying with the ETS, which puts a cost on carbon emissions beyond set limits.
China and the US both oppose the move.
"The measure is threatening more than 1,000 jobs (at Airbus) and another thousand through the supply chain," Airbus chief executive Thomas Enders is quoted as saying.
The boss of EADS, the parent company of Airbus, Louis Gallois told reporters last week that China had suspended the purchase of planes made by European manufacturers because of the levy.
"The ETS issue... is turning into a trade conflict," an Airbus spokesman told the Financial Times.
In a draft of the letter seen by the BBC, the companies urge politicians to pursue a "compromise solution... which will mitigate third-country concerns whilst protecting the environmental integrity of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme".
They believe that the proposals should be put on hold until a global plan for carbon emissions is agreed.
"Trying to impose a scheme on flights outside of Europe risks retaliatory action against EU airlines and EU trade at a time when the European economy is under severe pressure," a spokesperson from BA said in a statement.
"The amount of resistance to the EU's plans shows that the European Commission needs a Plan B in case there is retaliatory action," the statement goes on to say.
The European Union has gone it alone with its ETS, which levies a charge on flights in EU airspace based on carbon emissions.
The opposition campaign is being led by Airbus and has the support of the chief executives of British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, Air France, Air Berlin and Iberia.
Letters have been sent to leaders including Britain's David Cameron, Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Francois Fillon.
Taliban Vows Revenge for Killing of 16 Afghan Civilians
The Taliban has vowed to seek revenge against what it called “American savages” after a U.S. Army sergeant went on an apparent shooting spree in southern Afghanistan, killing 16 Afghan villagers — many of them children.
U.S. and Afghan officials say the U.S. soldier walked off his base and attacked homes in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province early Sunday, shooting and killing civilians. Villagers say he set some of the bodies on fire.
U.S.-forces stepped up security a day later, as the American embassy warned U.S. citizens in Afghanistan of the possibility of reprisals. The Taliban said Monday it would avenge the death of every Afghan who was killed.
The Afghan parliament condemned the killings, urging the U.S. government to punish the culprits and put them on trial in a public court. Afghan lawmakers said Monday they have “run out of patience” with the lack of oversight of foreign solders.
The killings were the latest in a series of actions by international troops that have provoked outrage in Afghanistan. Last month, nearly 40 people were killed in deadly protests against the burning of Qurans at a U.S. airbase.
ISAF spokesman Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson said Monday the recent incidents are of grave concern.
“From ISAF’s point of view, of course, these incidents and in particular, the short distance between the incidents that we have seen in the recent weeks, are a burden and are of concern for ISAF.”
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has demanded an explanation for attack, in which nine children and three women were killed. He said the act was “an intentional killing of innocent civilians that cannot be forgiven.”
U.S. President Barack Obama called the Afghan leader Sunday to extend his condolences to the Afghan people. He also issued a statement, saying the “tragic and shocking” incident “does not represent the exceptional character of our military and the respect that the United States has for the people of Afghanistan.” Mr. Obama said he stands behind Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s call for a quick investigation and his commitment to hold accountable anyone responsible.
NATO officials say the suspect, identified as U.S. Army staff sergeant from a unit based in Washington state, turned himself in following the early morning shooting rampage in Kandahar. Many witnesses have said there were several attackers, but U.S. officials say the soldier acted alone and then surrendered.
U.S. military officials said the detained sergeant was married with children. They said he had served three tours in Iraq but was on his first Afghan deployment.
Sunday’s shooting in southern Afghanistan is likely to further fray Afghan-U.S. ties, just as U.S. and Afghan officials try to make progress on a strategic agreement outlining the U.S. role in Afghanistan after all American combat troops leave the country in 2014.
A day after the killings, German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a previously unannounced trip to visit German soldiers serving with the NATO-led security force. She arrived in the city Mazar-e-Sharif on Monday and telephoned President Karzai to express her “deepest condolences” for the incident.
Germany is the third largest contributor of troops the NATO force in Afghanistan, with some 5,000 soldiers in the country.
-VOA
Afghan MPs 'out of patience' after Kandahar massacre
Afghans "have run out of patience" with foreign troops, the country's MPs have warned, after a US soldier killed 16 Afghan civilians.
The strongly-worded resolution came as US officials issued an alert, fearing reprisals after the Kandahar rampage. Nine children were among those killed.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai said the act was "unforgivable" and Taliban militants have vowed revenge.
The soldier is being questioned. Nato has promised to deliver justice.
The killings could further fuel calls for a more rapid withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.
They come amid already high anti-US sentiment in Afghanistan following the burning of Korans at a Nato base in Kabul last month.
US officials have repeatedly apologised for that incident but they failed to quell a series of protests and attacks that killed at least 30 people and six US troops.
The soldier, believed to be a staff sergeant, is reported to have walked off his base in Kandahar at around 03:00 on Sunday (22:30 GMT Saturday).
In the villages of Alkozai and Najeeban, about 500m (1,640ft) from the base, he reportedly broke into three homes.
At one house in Najeeban, 11 people were found shot dead, and some of their bodies set alight. At least three of the child victims are reported to have been killed by a single shot to the head.
The US military said reports indicated that the soldier returned to his base after the shootings and turned himself in.
His motives are unclear - there is speculation that he might have been drunk or suffered a mental breakdown. Officers are worried that the attack might have been planned.
The detained soldier has not been identified, although US officials quoted by the Associated Press news agency said he was from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, 38 years old, married with two children. The reports say he had served three tours in Iraq and was on his first deployment in Afghanistan.
"This is an assassination, an intentional killing of innocent civilians and cannot be forgiven,'' Mr Karzai said in his statement.
President Barack Obama phoned him on Sunday to express condolences over the "tragic and shocking" incident.
In its resolution, the lower house of the Afghan parliament said Afghans had "run out of patience with the arbitrary actions of foreign forces".
"We seriously demand and expect that the government of the United States punish the culprits and try them in a public trial before the people of Afghanistan."
The call came despite an Afghan agreement with Nato for foreign soldiers to be tried in their own countries.
-BBC
45 Feared Dead in Afghan Avalanche
At least 45 people are feared dead after an avalanche struck remote villages in eastern Afghanistan.
Heavy snow engulfed homes in Nuristan province on Monday. Provincial officials say the affected area has been cut off, making it difficult for rescuers to reach trapped villagers.
Avalanches are common in Afghanistan's mountainous north and east, but analysts say this is the country's worst winter in decades.
Last week, an avalanche in the northeast province of Badakhshan killed at least 47 people.
In February 2010, a series of avalanches killed at least 165 people near the high-altitude Salang Pass through the Hindu Kush mountains that connects the Afghan capital, Kabul, with the north.
China railway workers repair 'collapsed' new line
A newly built section of a high-speed rail line has collapsed in China's central Hubei province following heavy rain, state media reports.
The line was set to open in May and had been in use for test runs.
About 300m of the embankment in Qianjiang city collapsed last Friday, Xinhua news agency says. News of the incident only emerged on Monday.
China has embarked on an ambitious project to expand its high-speed rail network across the country.
But this is just the latest incident to tarnish the reputation of the new network, says the BBC's Michael Bristow in Beijing.
The collapsed embankment is part of the Hanyi High Speed Railway, which links the provincial capital Wuhan with Yichang to the west.
Hundreds of workers have been sent to the site to repair the damage. Photos from a local newspaper show workers removing rails and sleepers from the scene.
Heavy rain apparently caused the foundations to give way on the railway line, which forms part of the trunk route of the national high-speed network.
But one report from the local official news portal says the owner of the railway has rebuked initial local reports, saying they are "untrue".
"It is part of the process to rectify quality problems spotted on the embankment in pre-launch tests," the railway company claims.
Some internet users in China, however, are not convinced by the explanation. They ask if there are any flaws in the construction process.
On microblogging site Sina Weibo, a user from Yichang said: "Thank goodness that it collapsed early enough, or it would be yet another tragedy if it happened after launch."
Another user, from Wuhan, said: "I was longing for a more convenient journey home, now I'd better have no expectations."
China's leaders have praised rail network plans, but it has not been free from controversy, our correspondent says.
Forty people died last summer in a crash on a rapid train line in eastern Zhejiang province and the entire high speed scheme has been dogged with reports of corruption
-BBC
Porn site breached in hack attack
Hackers claim to have stolen the details of more than 73,000 subscribers to porn site Digital Playground.
The data includes user names, email addresses and passwords. Also taken were the numbers, expiry dates and security codes for 40,000 credit cards.
The attack is the second successful breach of a site run by website management company Manwin.
A previously unknown hacker group called The Consortium said it was behind the attack.
'Tempting target'
While Manwin investigates, the Digital Playground site has been left online but is not accepting new members and its members area has been taken offline.
The Consortium posted some of the data it stole on the web and said security on the site was full of holes that "made it too enticing to resist" stealing the data.
"This company has security, that if we didn't know it was a real business, we would have thought to be a joke - a joke that we found much more amusing than they will," wrote The Consortium in a log posted on the web.
Visible in the log were admin login names and passwords as well as a selection of the email addresses and user names of some members. Internal emails, details of the four servers underpinning the site and software licence keys were also posted.
The Consortium claims some of the credit card data was stored in plain text form. The group claims to be connected to the Anonymous and Lulzsec hacker groups.
Porn producer Digital Playground is based in California but its website is managed and run by Canadian firm Manwin. The London office of the company declined to comment on the attack.
In a statement provided to porn industry news site AVN, Manwin said it took over management of the site on 1 March and said the breach may have occurred before it took charge.
Manwin management was overseeing the investigation and Digital Playground subscribers had been contacted to let them know what had happened.
In late February, details of more than 6,000 users of YouPorn's discussion forums, known as YP Chat, were stolen. YP Chat is also administered by Manwin. Lax security at a third-party provider was blamed for the breach.
Adele’s ‘21’ Outsells Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’ in the UK
Sales of Adele’s Grammy-winning second album “21” have now overtaken Michael Jackson’s seminal album “Bad” in the UK.
The singer, who collected two Brit Awards last week, including Best Album, now has the eighth biggest selling album of all time in the UK, with sales of 4.02 million, according to the Official Charts Company.
Adele is also fast closing in on Dire Straits’ “Brothers In Arms” and Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side Of The Moon,” which are the sixth and seventh biggest sellers of all-time in the UK. To leapfrog both albums, “21” only needs to shift another 150,000 copies.
The top five selling albums of all time in the UK have been unchanged for a long time. Queen’s “Greatest Hits” is #1 with sales of 5.83 million. The Beatles’ classic LP “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band” is in second place with 5.04 million.
Abba’s “Gold” is third, Oasis’ “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory)” is fourth and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is fifth.
Adele recently stated that she will be heading into the studio to begin work on the follow-up to “21” in the coming weeks.
Broadway director Theodore Mann dies aged 87
Award-winning US director and producer Theodore Mann has died, aged 87.
Mann, who co-founded New York's Circle in the Square Theatre and its school, passed away on Friday of complications from pneumonia.
Charlotte St Martin from The Broadway League said his contributions to theatre were "immeasurable".
Mann, who directed more than 200 productions, received his first Tony award in 1957 for Long Day's Journey into Night.
In 1976 he was presented with a special Tony for 25 years of work with the Circle in the Square and its school for young actors, which he co-founded in 1951.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kevin Bacon, Lady Gaga and Benicio Del Toro were all students at the school.
"His contributions to Broadway and off-Broadway are immeasurable, both in the productions he created and the talent that he nurtured,'' said St Martin.
Together with Paul Libin, president of the Circle, Mann presented many new and classic works at the theatre.
Notable productions they include The Lady from the Sea, which marked Vanessa Redgrave's first Broadway appearance, and Oscar Wilde's Salome, which starred Al Pacino.
Mann, who married the late soprano singer Patricia Brooks in 1953, is survived by two sons and five grandchildren.