News Headlines - 18 January 2012

▽Costa Concordia captain claims he tripped and fell into a lifeboat - The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/18/costa-concordia-captain-tripped-lifeboat
The cruise liner captain accused of abandoning ship after he struck rocks off the Tuscan coast last Friday has reportedly claimed he was unable to lead the evacuation because he slipped and tripped into a lifeboat while helping passengers leave the stricken vessel.

▽Divers suspend search of capsized Italy liner - Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/18/italy-ship-idUSL6E8CI0B820120118
Divers searching the capsized Italian cruise liner Costa Concordia suspended work on Wednesday after the vast wreck shifted slightly, but officials said they are hoping to resume as soon as possible.

▽UK unemployment increases to 2.685m - BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16608394
UK unemployment rose by 118,000 in the three months to November to 2.685 million, official figures show.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the unemployment rate also rose to 8.4% from 8.3%, the highest since January 1996.

▽UK 'would look at' IMF cash request - The Press Association
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5h2AHYOfygMA7G3fSR91e7GpOoLHg?docId=N1058721326888005612A
Britain is ready to consider a request from the International Monetary Fund for additional resources to shore up ailing economies, Downing Street has said.
A spokeswoman said that Chancellor George Osborne will put any "decent request" from the international financial body to Parliament for approval by MPs.
But she stressed that any increase in UK funding would have to be designed to assist struggling countries and not to bail out the euro.

▽Apple Files New Lawsuit Against Samsung in Germany - PCWorld
http://www.pcworld.com/article/248276/apple_files_new_lawsuit_against_samsung_in_germany.html
Apple continues to hound Samsung Electronics at the district court in Düsseldorf, and has now filed another lawsuit aimed at 10 models in its Galaxy family of smartphones, according to Peter Schütz, spokesman at the court.