BBC News with Marion Marshall
Stronger-than-expected official figures in the United States show that unemployment fell last month to 8.5% - the lowest level in nearly three years. The number of new jobs rose by about 200,000. A BBC correspondent in New York says that if the employment trend continues, it'll help
blunt
attempts by President Obama's Republican opponents to discredit his economic
stewardship
ahead of the presidential election in November. The president welcomed the figures, adding that more needed to be done.
"The American people, I think, rightly understand that there are still a lot of struggles that people are going through out there. A lot of families are still having a tough time. A lot of small businesses are still having a tough time. But we're starting to rebound. We're moving in the right direction. We have made real progress. Now is not the time to stop."
The Syrian government has
blamed terrorists for
a suicide bomb attack in Damascus, but the opposition accuses the government of staging it as a
diversionary
tactic. Syrian officials say up to 25 people were killed and many more wounded. A British reporter who went to the scene said he saw body parts and blood, but no actual bodies or injured people.
Tens of thousands of Yemenis have once again held street protests to put pressure on President Saleh to honour his agreement to step down next month. The slogan for this week's rallies after Friday prayers was for the authorities to release all detainees jailed in connection with the anti-government demonstrations.