Debt crisis: Live

Bad weather and weak demand from the crisis-hit eurozone left Britain’s manufacturing sector contracting for a second successive month in March. Despite a small pick-up in the monthly survey of industry from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and Markit, the index of activity remained below the recession cut-off point of 50.

Courtesy of a Barclays Capital email here are the latest unemployment numbers in Europe. Euro Area: +0.2 to 10.4% based on slight upward revisions in November, September, August. This was the 8th consecutive rise. Austria 4.1% unchanged Belgium: 7.2% unchanged Finland 7.6% unchanged France 9.9% +0.1 Germany: 5.5% -.1 Italy 8.9% +0.1 Ireland 14.5% +0.1 Netherlands 4.9% unchanged Portugal 13.6% +0.4 Slovakia: 13.4% -.1 to Spain 22.9% unchanged

The Markit Eurozone Composite PMI Final Data shows the Eurozone downturn accelerates. Key Points: Final Eurozone Composite Output Index: 47.9 (Flash 47.3, January 48.6) Final Eurozone Services Business Activity Index: 47.9 (Flash 47.3, January 48.6)

Car sales are up in the UK, but down 10% on average in the EU. Overall sales, including the UK, are down for the 14th consecutive month. From Google Translate Car sales plunge another 10% in Europe and UK only grows.

Markit Eurozone Services and Composite PMIs show renewed contraction due to drop in services activity, making it extremely difficult to deny that Europe is in a recession. Let's take a look at some numbers. Markit Eurozone Composite PMI®

In the wake of Papandreou's Call for Voter Referendum on EU Debt Deal sovereign debt yields plunged in Germany and surged higher in most other European countries, but most notably Italy and France.