The latest news on Unemployment, Economy, Homeowners, Gun Laws, Obama's Network, Happiness, Military Policy, Iraq, Measles, Canada, Pakistan-India, Israel, Zimbabwe, Congo, and Russia-India.

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Unemployment. Economy bleeds jobs "U.S. employers axed payrolls by 533,000 jobs in November, the most in 34 years and far more than expected, government data on Friday showed, as the year-old recession hammered every corner of the U.S. economy." More Bad Economic News on the Labor Front "The new job losses pushed the unemployment rate from 6.5 percent to 6.7 percent, the highest rate since the recession of the early 1990s. The figure was tempered by the fact that 422,000 workers left the labor market, many of them discouraged by their inability to find a job. The unemployment rate only includes people actively looking for work."

Economy. Lawmakers Still Not Sold on Auto Rescue "The chief executives of Detroit's automakers returned to Capitol Hill bearing austere business plans and a dose of humility, but they failed to close the deal for as much as $38 billion in federal loans." Retailers Report a Crisis in All Aisles "Retailers posted the worst November sales in more than 30 years yesterday, as holiday shopping not only failed to lift the economy but showed that the financial crisis is further distressing everyday consumers."

Homeowners. Washington's New Tack: Helping Homeowners "After pouring vast amounts of money into financial institutions of almost every type, and having little to show for it, the Bush administration and the Federal Reserve are suddenly taking a new look at ordinary homeowners." Bernanke calls for new steps to stem foreclosures "Among the steps, Bernanke suggested that lenders need to write down the principal of loans owed by homeowners whose property is worth less than the amount they owe." Late mortgage payments and foreclosures hit record "Late mortgage payments and the rate of home loans in foreclosure rose to record highs in the third quarter, threatening to escalate as the recession erases jobs and further strains homeowners."

Gun laws. Report Links State Gun Laws To Rates of Slayings, Trafficking "States with lax gun laws had higher rates of handgun killings, fatal shootings of police officers, and sales of weapons that were used in crimes in other states, according to a study underwritten by a group of more than 300 U.S. mayors."

Obama's network. Barack Obama's grass roots in search of new turf "Amid Obama's transition to power, a spirited and often secretive debate has broken out among top campaign staff members over how to refashion the broad network of motivated volunteers into a force that can help Obama govern."

Happiness. Happiness is contagious, research finds "In a study published online today by the British Medical Journal, scientists from Harvard University and UC San Diego showed that happiness spreads readily through social networks of family members, friends and neighbors." Happiness Can Spread Among People Like a Contagion, Study Indicates "Happiness is contagious, spreading among friends, neighbors, siblings and spouses like the flu, according to a large study that for the first time shows how emotion can ripple through clusters of people who may not even know each other."

Military policy. Robert Gates lays out agenda for U.S. military "The U.S. military must do more to improve its ability to respond to the low-intensity, irregular fights it is likely to face in the years to come, even if the nation avoids another experience like Iraq or Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said. Gates wrote in an article released Thursday that the fight against extremism was a 'prolonged, worldwide, irregular campaign.'" Strategic Command Chief Urges Quick Nuclear Weapons Modernization "The leader of the U.S. Strategic Command said yesterday that 'time is not on our side' to modernize the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile, particularly as China and Russia upgrade their nuclear warheads and delivery systems."

Iraq. Iraq Approves U.S. Security Pact as Violence Flares "Iraq's three-person Presidency Council on Thursday approved the security agreement that calls for the withdrawal of American forces, taking the last necessary step for its official adoption." Iraq approves military pact with U.S. "The U.S.-Iraq military pact that allows U.S. forces to stay until the end of 2011 has won final Iraqi government approval." Top U.S. commander: U.S. troops to work in Iraq under new rules of engagement set by security pact "A security pact that sets a timetable for troops to leave Iraq requires a shift in how the U.S. carries out combat missions during its remaining time in the country, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq said Friday."

Measles. Global measles deaths decline 74 percent, with dramatic drops in Africa, parts of Middle East "Measles deaths worldwide declined dramatically to about 200,000 a year, continuing a successful trend, global health authorities reported Thursday. From 2000 to 2007, annual measles deaths dropped 74 percent, largely because of vaccination campaigns."

Canada. Parliament closed as PM clings to power "The unelected Governor-General of Canada agreed to order an unprecedented suspension of Parliament yesterday to save the Conservative minority Government from almost-certain defeat in a no confidence vote." Parliament suspended after GG agrees to Harper request "Parliament was suspended midday Thursday after Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean agreed to a request from Prime Minister Stephen Harper to interrupt the session, a decision that means his government has staved off certain defeat in a non-confidence vote scheduled for next week." Rae steps in as coalition's chief salesman "Bob Rae is preparing a coast-to-coast campaign to sell Canadians on the concept of a coalition government, taking over as chief salesman and maneuverings around Stéphane Dion, whose leadership is becoming increasingly irrelevant."

Pakistan-India. Terror Attacks Traced to Two From Pakistan "Fresh evidence unearthed by investigators in India indicated that the Mumbai attacks were stage-managed from at least two Pakistani cities by top leaders of the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba." Mumbai attacks put spotlight on Lashkar-e-Taiba "Lashkar-e-Taiba, the self-styled 'Army of the Pure,' has left its footprints in the snows of Kashmir, the back alleys of Lahore and Karachi, the harsh terrain along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier -- and now, investigators say, in Mumbai, India, the scene of last week's horrific rampage by gunmen." Indian airports on alert for '9/11 attack' "India's main airports were on a state of high alert last night amid fears that 14 terrorists given the same training as the Mumbai gunmen are preparing to mount a 9/11-type attack using hijacked passenger aircraft."

Israel. Israeli Troops Evict Settlers in the West Bank "Israeli troops forcibly evicted about 200 hard-line Jewish settlers from a contested building in this volatile biblical city on Thursday, the first serious clash in what seems to be a spiraling confrontation between the government and defiant settlers." Israel braces for settler violence in wake of Hebron house evacuation "The Israel Defense Forces and police are preparing for a wave of violence by extremist West Bank settlers against Palestinians after Thursday's evacuation of Hebron's so-called House of Contention."

Zimbabwe. Rice calls for Mugabe to quit "Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. secretary of state, has said Robert Mugabe should resign as president of Zimbabwe."

Congo. Congo agrees to rebel peace talks "The Democratic Republic of Congo government has agreed to a long-standing rebel demand for talks, to start on Monday, officials say."

Russia-India. Russia and India seal nuclear deal "Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, has arrived in New Delhi for talks on joint defense and civil nuclear projects. The two countries signed an agreement on Friday allowing Russia to build four nuclear reactors in southern India."