Washington manufacturer Danaher announces 1700 job cuts over the next year

As HSBC's management rolls around the world conducting its staff and efficiency review, an additional 500 jobs have been earmarked to be cut from the UK workforce of more than 58,000.

As the financial crisis hits the top end of spending Aston Martin, which had previously announced an extension of its Christmas shutdown has now said it will have to cut 600 jobs from its manufacturing plant.

Global banks are in global crisis and Credit Suisse says that it is to cut 650 jobs, mainly in its flagship investment banking division.

Barclays' Bank announced 3,000 job losses in October - but it is now thought to be preparing for more.

Around 25,000 jobs at Woolworths retail arm and 5,000 at the entertainment division are under threat as the 800-store retail giant collapses as the UK economy founders.

MFI, which suffers badly in every UK housing slump, has called in the administrators, putting 1,200 jobs at risk.

The UK has backtracked on a high-cost "showroom tax" on cars, and whilst the cost will reduce substantially for all cars, for some the tax will actually turn into a rebate. But it won't save the UK car industry. And behind it all, there are some very questionable dealings.

Spain, Belgium and Sweden will be the primary places that the pharmaceuticals giant will cut most of the 1400 jobs it has announced it will remove - but over a period of up to 2013.

200 jobs are to go at defence contractor BAe. It says the British government is spending less on armoured vehicles.

The announcement that General Motors wanted to buy Chrysler raised a few eyebrows. First, why would the venture capital company that only recently bought it from Daimler-Benz want out so soon; would competition authorities agree; but most of all, where would the money come from?

Holden says you'll be able to buy its electric car in 2012; Renault and Skoda both bring new mid-size SUV's, Mazda shows it's frankly startling Taiki concept car and the industry says it expects to sell one car for every twenty people in Australia in the next year. But some big names don't think it's worth making the trip.

Ford has announced that its next generation of cars will feature parental controls.