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[John]

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama on Monday gave a sense of his foreign policy priorities by saying he sees much work to do on reining in Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs and promoting Middle East peace.
"There is much to do, from preventing the spread of nuclear weapons to Iran and North Korea, to seeking a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, to strengthening international institutions," Obama said as he announced his choice of Sen. Hillary Clinton to be his secretary of state.

-Yahoo.

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Investment bank Credit Suisse has announced plans to shed around 650 jobs in the UK.

The cut represents about 10% of the company's UK workforce and comes as a further blow to the financial services sector.

A spokesman for Credit Suisse said: "Due to market conditions and projected staffing levels required to meet client needs, we are reducing headcount by approximately 650 in the United Kingdom."

Founded in 1856, Credit Suisse is Switzerland's second-largest bank and employs more than 48,500 people in over 50 countries.

It has offices in London, Birmingham and Manchester.

On Monday HSBC said it planned to reduce its UK workforce by around 500 following a review of the business and "current economic conditions".

-Nova

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Unemployed people should do a 9 to 5 day looking for work or undertake community service style duties such as digging gardens under moves to tackle the hardcore of joblessness, the author of a Government-commissioned report said.

Professor Paul Gregg said there should be a completely new approach towards people such as parents of young children and those on incapacity benefit.

Virtually everyone on benefits should be required to take steps towards finding a job and should face having their benefits stopped for up to four weeks if they repeatedly refuse to co-operate with attempts to find them work, it was suggested.

Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell said he "strongly welcomed" the report, adding: "The direction of travel is the right way."

A welfare reform bill will be included in the Queen's Speech on Wednesday, and the report is part of the Government's drive to get more people into work and cut down the numbers on benefit.

Mr Purnell said: "The approach that virtually everyone should be doing something in return for benefits is the right one.

Professor Gregg, of Bristol University, recommended that sanctions should be quicker, clear and more effective, with a simple system of fixed penalties and an escalating series of sanctions for repeat offenders.

Prof Gregg said it was important not to let people drift away from the labour market, especially as a result of the current economic downturn.

The report recommends a swift escalation of sanctions for jobseekers who fail to turn up to meetings and interviews.

After a written warning for a first transgression, they would thereafter lose a week's Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) each time they did not comply with conditions. After a fourth offence, they would be required to undertake community service. If they refused, they would lose four weeks' JSA.

-Nova

[JohnCenaFan28]

A senior police officer has been appointed by Acting Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson to review the handling of the police inquiry into Home Office leaks.

Sir Paul has asked British Transport Police Chief Constable Ian Johnston to report to him within seven days.

In the meantime, the investigation team - who last week arrested Conservative immigration spokesman Damian Green - will consult with the Crown Prosecution Service about further steps in the inquiry.

Mr Johnston, who is chairman of the Association of Chief Police Officers crime committee, has been asked to look into the Metropolitan Police's "decisions, actions and handling of the investigation", said Sir Paul.

The decision to call him in reflects concern at Scotland Yard over the political furore which has blown up over Mr Green's arrest on suspicion of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office. The Ashford MP denies all wrongdoing and has been released on bail until February.

His arrest provoked a furious response from London Mayor Boris Johnson, the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority and other senior politicians, including Conservative leader David Cameron, who described it as "heavy-handed".

MPs have questioned the decision to conduct a police search of Mr Green's House of Commons offices, which some regard as a breach of parliamentary privilege.

In a statement released by Scotland Yard, Sir Paul said: "I am properly concerned about the issues being raised within the continuing debate surrounding the ongoing investigation into the leaking of Government information.

"I have therefore appointed Ian Johnston, chairman of the Acpo crime committee and the Chief Constable of British Transport Police, to conduct an urgent review of our decisions, actions and handling of the investigation to date and to provide me with an interim report within seven days and a further report within two weeks.

"In the meantime, the investigation team will be meeting the CPS to review progress and consider next steps."

-Nova