San Francisco - Apple has fired some 1,600 employees from its chain of retail stores due to slackening consumer demand, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
The job cuts were referenced in a securities filing by Apple Thursday in which the company said it had 14,000 full-time equivalent employees in its retail division as of March 28, down from the 15,600 as of the end of December.
The move came as Apple's recent earnings report showed a drop in sales for its Mac computer line, which is the biggest earner at the stores.
Washington - US President Barack Obama on Friday called 
Washington - Finance ministers and central bank heads from the world's seven major economies pointed to signs that their countries are emerging from a crisis that has led the world into its first recession in 60 years, and in a draft statement Friday promised to do everything possible to quicken the pace.
Washington - As early as Friday, the US government is expected to announce the results of its "stress tests" for 19 major banks - a report that could force some banks to sell ownership stakes to the US government.
Washington - A pilot flying a small plane violated the tight airspace regulations around Washington, prompting orders to briefly evacuate Congress and parts of the White House, media reports said.
San Francisco - A remote town in Montana has come up with a new proposal for its empty jail - turning it into a replacement for the US government's notorious facility in Guantanamo, Cuba.
