US official signals future end to war against Al-Qaeda

Google – AFP, Dan De Luce (AFP), 1 December 2012

Defense Department General Counsel Jeh Johnson speaks in June 2012

 (Getty Images/AFP/File, Alex Wong)

WASHINGTON — The United States must prepare for a time when it no longer is at war with Al-Qaeda, and when sweeping federal powers ushered in after the September 11, 2001 attacks come to an end, the Pentagon's top lawyer said.

The address by Pentagon general counsel Jeh Johnson marked the first time a senior US official publicly raised the possibility of an end to the so-called "war on terror," launched by former president George W. Bush in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington.

With the US military campaign against Al-Qaeda now entering its 12th year, "we must also ask ourselves: how will this conflict end?" Johnson said Thursday in remarks delivered at the Oxford Union in Britain.

The terror network, which is under steady pressure, eventually will become so weak that it would no longer will make sense to maintain a legal framework for all-out war, Johnson said, according to a text released by the Pentagon.

"I do believe that on the present course, there will come a tipping point -- a tipping point at which so many of the leaders and operatives of Al-Qaeda and its affiliates have been killed or captured, and the group is no longer able to attempt or launch a strategic attack against the United States, such that Al-Qaeda as we know it, the organization that our Congress authorized the military to pursue in 2001, has been effectively destroyed," he said.

It would then fall to law enforcement and intelligence agencies to go after Al-Qaeda's remnants, said Johnson, a long-time political ally of President Barack Obama.

"At that point, we must be able to say to ourselves that our efforts should no longer be considered an 'armed conflict' against Al-Qaeda and its associated forces," he said.

Instead, the government would pursue "a counter-terrorism effort against individuals who are the scattered remnants of Al-Qaeda... with our military assets available in reserve to address continuing and imminent terrorist threats."

The war against Al-Qaeda has been cited to justify covert intelligence operations and unilateral military action around the world against suspected militants, including a major drone bombing campaign in Pakistan and the indefinite detention of alleged Qaeda members at a US-run prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The US administration chose to address the issue before an audience in Britain, where the government has harbored misgivings about the legality of the drone bombing raids.

The drone air war dramatically increased since Obama entered the White House in 2009, causing an unknown number of civilian casualties.

US officials, however, reportedly are examining stricter rules that would limit the open-ended, ambiguous nature of the drone raids.

With Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden dead and other senior figures killed however, US officials reportedly are examining stricter rules that would limit the open-ended, ambiguous nature of the drone raids.

Johnson's speech also signaled a possible path to closing the controversial prison at Guantanamo, since the legal rationale for holding detainees would no longer apply once the war was declared over.

"At that point we will also need to face the question of what to do with any members of Al-Qaeda who still remain in US military detention without a criminal conviction and sentence," Johnson said, noting that after World War II, the release of some Nazi prisoners of war was delayed.

Johnson, considered a possible candidate to become the next US attorney general, warned that the country must not accept the idea of a permanent state of war with no end in sight.

"'War must be regarded as a finite, extraordinary and unnatural state of affairs," he said.

"War violates the natural order of things in which children bury their parents. In war, parents bury their children," he said.

"In its 12th year, we must not accept the current conflict, and all that it entails, as the 'new normal'," he added.

"Peace must be regarded as the norm toward which the human race continually strives."

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"The End of History" – Nov 20, 2010 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll)

(Subjects: Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Muhammad, Jesus, God, Jews, Arabs, EU, US, Israel, Iran, Russia, Africa, South America, Global Unity,..... etc.) (Text version)

" ..... If an Arab and a Jew can look at one another and see the Akashic lineage and see the one family, there is hope. If they can see that their differences no longer require that they kill one another, then there is a beginning of a change in history. And that's what is happening now. All of humanity, no matter what the spiritual belief, has been guilty of falling into the historic trap of separating instead of unifying. Now it's starting to change. There's a shift happening. ....."

Several HSBC staff leave amid laundering probe: report

The Daily Star, AFP, November 30, 2012

A woman leaves an ATM of an HSBC branch in Hong Kong on July 30, 2012.
 (AFP PHOTO / Philippe Lopez)

                              

GENEVA: Several employees at the HSBC bank in Geneva have left "by mutual agreement" after the unravelling of a 100 million euro ($130 million) drug and money laundering ring in France and Switzerland, Swiss daily Tribune de Geneve reported Friday.

While it remained unclear how many workers had left, one of the employees to go was the eldest brother of no fewer than three suspects accused of involvement in the ring, including the main suspect for Switzerland operations Meyer Elmaley, the daily said.

"He is not suspected of any involvement (in the money laundering probe)", said the man's lawyer, Marc Bonnant, adding that it was his client's idea to leave HSBC's Supervisory Executive Committee to protect against any question of wrongdoing.

"He wasn't even questioned by police," the lawyer said, adding that his client, whose name was not given, had gone to live in Israel but was still working with HSBC before French and Swiss police cracked down on the ring on October 10.

HSBC, which declined to comment on the development to AFP, has also come to a similar arrangement with other employees in a bid to protect its reputation, the lawyer added.

Two of the former HSBC executive's brothers -- one of them a former HSBC colleague -- are being held in Swiss custody over their involvement in a drug and money laundering racket Paris says legitimised at least 100 million euros.

A third brother is being held in France in connection with the same case.

According to reports, the two brothers held in Switzerland are suspected of laundering cash through a Geneva-based finance company, with the possible unwitting participation of French tax evaders.

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Accused WikiLeaks informant Manning testifies for first time

Deutsche Welle, 30 November 2012

The US soldier accused of providing secret documents to the website Wikileaks has testified, giving the details of his pre-trial detention. They are the first public comments since his arrest two years ago.

US Army Private Bradley Manning said Thursday (local time) during a pre-trial military hearing in Ft. Meade, Maryland that he was confined to a "cage" in the days following his arrest, and that his isolation led to a swift decline in his awareness and health.

"My nights were my days and my days were my nights," said Manning while on the witness stand. "It all blended together after a couple of days."

Defense lawyer David Coombs has demanded the court throw out the case due to Manning's mistreatment during his pre-trial detention.

The 24-year-old was arrested in Iraq in May 2010 on charges of leaking thousands of classified documents to the website Wikileaks. Their subsequent publication resulted in embarrassment to the US government and its allies.

The hearing is to determine whether Manning's case should go to a full military court martial. He potentially faces life imprisonment if convicted.

Forced isolation

Manning was moved to Kuwait shortly after his arrest, where he lost phone privileges, had his cell frequently searched and his possession scattered.

"I totally started to fall apart," Manning said, explaining that he soon began having suicidal thoughts.

He said his mood toughened after being transferred to Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, and he never returned to the levels of despair he felt in Kuwait, but he was kept in isolation and placed under suicide watch - despite objections from psychiatrists.

Confined to his cell for 23 hours a day, he said he was forced to strip naked, had his glasses taken away and had to request toilet paper.

Unnecessary conditions

Two military psychiatrists earlier told the court that the conditions imposed upon Manning were unnecessary, unprecedented in their duration and against their medical advice.

In March of this year, UN special rapporteur Juan Mendez said the US government subjected manning to cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

The US military defended its treatment of manning, saying they were trying to ensure his safety.

Manning was held at Quantico from July 2010 to April 2011, after which he was transferred to a prison at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. Authorities there concluded he was not a suicide risk and he was granted regular privileges.

He is scheduled take the witness stand again Friday.

dr/mz (Reuters, AFP, AP)

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Nobel peace laureates call for Israel military boycott over Gaza assault

Letter with 52 signatories including artists and activists also denounces US and EU 'complicity' through weapons sales

guardian.co.uk, Chris McGreal in Jerusalem, Wednesday 28 November 2012

A man looks at the ruins of a Hamas police station destroyed by an Israeli
air strike in Gaza City. Photograph: Oliver Weiken/EPA

A group of Nobel peace prize-winners, prominent artists and activists have issued a call for an international military boycott of Israel following its assault on the Gaza Strip this month.

The letter also denounces the US, EU and several developing countries for what it describes as their "complicity" through weapons sales and other military support in the attack that killed 160 Palestinians, many of them civilians, including about 35 children.

The 52 signatories include the Nobel peace laureates Mairead Maguire and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel; the film directors Mike Leigh and Ken Loach; the author Alice Walker; the US academic Noam Chomsky; Roger Waters of Pink Floyd; and Stéphane Hessel, a former French diplomat and Holocaust survivor who was co-author of the universal declaration of human rights.

"Horrified at the latest round of Israeli aggression against the 1.5 million Palestinians in the besieged and occupied Gaza Strip and conscious of the impunity that has enabled this new chapter in Israel's decades-old violations of international law and Palestinian rights, we believe there is an urgent need for international action towards a mandatory, comprehensive military embargo against Israel," the letter says.

"Such a measure has been subject to several UN resolutions and is similar to the arms embargo imposed against apartheid South Africa in the past."

The letter accuses several countries of providing important military support that facilitated the assault on Gaza. "While the United States has been the largest sponsor of Israel, supplying billions of dollars of advanced military hardware every year, the role of the European Union must not go unnoticed, in particular its hefty subsidies to Israel's military complex through its research programmes.

"Similarly, the growing military ties between Israel and the emerging economies of Brazil, India and South Korea are unconscionable given their nominal support for Palestinian freedom," it says.

The letter opens with a quote from Nelson Mandela: "For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

The other signatories include John Dugard, a South African jurist and former UN special rapporteur in the occupied territories; Luisa Morgantini, former president of the European parliament; Cynthia McKinney, a former member of the US Congress; Ronnie Kasrils, a South African former cabinet minister; and the dramatist Caryl Churchill.

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"THE BRIDGE OF SWORDS"– Sep  29, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Text version)

“… Let us talk about the swords: When you hear the word sword, the first thing that occurs to you is battle. The Bridge of Swords is a battle and we told you that as well. Swords are metaphoric and they mean many things, so let us describe the things we mean them to say to you.

Number one: They are indeed a weapon in a battle. There is a battle coming. "Kryon, does that mean there's going to be a war?" Potentially, yes. Right now we will tell you that the Middle East cooks itself. You've noticed, haven't you? What do you know about the Middle East, dear one? Let's start examining things for a moment. What energy did you grow up in? What was the energy of the Middle East? In the '40s, what was the energy? With the establishment of the state of Israel, you built a wall of hate, both sides. The wall was so thick that the children of both sides were taught to hate one another as soon as they were able to understand the language. They were told who their enemies were. Now, where were you then?

Some of you weren't here yet. By the time you arrived, in your youth, were you aware of the Middle East? Not particularly. "What's the hatred about?" you might ask. What if I told you it's about a family feud? Two sons of a Jewish master are involved. One founded the Arabs and one remained a Jew. They don't want to hear this, but they are all Jews. (Don't tell them this.)

If you look at the lineage, it's pretty obvious and yet it's a complete and total set-up for either solution or war. The set-up would have this world ending in a conflagration that would have been brought about by this hatred. That's in the prophecy of Nostradamus and your scripture, but it is no longer the prophecy of the planet. Yet the hatred still exists. The hatred is as great today as it was then, but where was all the terrorism 40 years ago? It was isolated.

Those in Israel and Palestine and surrounding areas took the brunt of it, but now it's seemingly everywhere - and you're worried. Why would this be? The answer is that the old energy was happy to have this hatred contained, for it would keep it going and never involve outsiders. Outsiders tend to bring unwanted light to the party. Suddenly, the whole earth is involved and can see the entire scenario before them. The old guard wants war, just like all the eons before them. The ones on the bridge are holding the light and showing the earth how to cross. Even many younger ones in Israel and Palestine and Iran are holding light! It's all around the old guard and they are furious, for they are losing the "battle of hatred." …”

(Religions – Zionism - March 1, 2012 - Matthew Channelled by Suzanne Ward)

9. It can be no other way—simply, this is the physics that governs life in this universe. As Earth continues apace into successively higher planes, nothing with low vibrations in any form—physical bodies, subversive plans, theft, dishonesty, unjust laws and imprisonment, bigotry, cruel customs and deeds—can survive.

10. Moving on, no, it will not be quite like religions being “totally discarded and replaced by universal laws in the Golden Age.” When the truths come forth that science and spirit are one and the same and that religious dogmas were originated by early leaders of church and state to control the masses, people whose consciousness has risen beyond the constraints of third density will adhere to the spiritual aspects of their respective religions and the devised, controlling aspects will fall by the wayside.

11. One of the truths to come forth is that Zionism, which by dark intent has been made synonymous with Judaism, actually is a bellicose political movement within the Illuminati, and its aim for more than six decades has been to create conflict and instability in the entire Middle East. Zionists, who have wielded powerful influence within and behind major governments and their military forces, do NOT represent the Jewish peoples in Israel or anywhere else. And, like all other Illuminati factions, they have been committed to that cabal’s goal of global domination.

12. Although Semites are of diverse national origins and religions, the Zionists have been successful in convincing many that “anti-Semitic” is exclusively prejudice against the Jewish peoples and opposition to Israel’s right to defend itself from its “enemies.” By means of that blatant distortion, they obtained not only world sympathy, but also massive defense funding from Israel’s allies, most especially the United States, all of which served to increase the Illuminati’s vast profits from their industrial-military machine.

13. In addition to controlling the masses through dogmatic teachings, religions have served the dark purpose of divisiveness to such an extent that it resulted in centuries of trauma and bloodshed. Witness the Crusades, wars between Catholics and Protestants, pogroms against Jews, executions of “blasphemous” individuals who refused to “recant.”  (Read More …)

Botswana to ban wildlife hunting

Yahoo – AFP, 29 November 2012

An elephant is pictured at Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape

 region of South Africa, near Port Elizabeth, on July 9. Botswana, one of Africa's

 premier safari destinations, said Thursday it will ban commercial hunting of wildlife 

because of a decline in animal populations.

Botswana, one of Africa's premier safari destinations, said Thursday it will ban commercial hunting of wildlife because of a decline in animal populations.

The government has decided to "indefinitely suspend commercial hunting of wildlife in public or controlled hunting areas" from January 1, 2014, the environment ministry said in a statement.

The government of the diamond-rich country stated that the killing of wild game for sport was no longer seen to be "compatible with either our national commitment to conserve and preserve local fauna or the long term growth of the local tourism industry".

Tourism contributes about 12 percent to Botswana's gross domestic product.

Hunting concessions in the vast southern African country currently exist in the Okavango Delta and in parks in the Kalahari region, famous for its high-end tourism facilities.

The country boasts large numbers of big game like elephant, lion and buffalo, but the government has voiced concern over a sharp decline in some species.

"If left unchecked this decline poses a genuine threat to both the conservation of our natural heritage and the long term health of the local tourist industry which currently ranks second to diamonds in terms of its revenue earnings," the ministry said.

It added that individual licences for specific game, in specific circumstances, would be assessed.

The ban was foreshadowed by President Ian Khama in his state of the nation address last month.

Earlier this year Spanish King Juan Carlos, 74, went on what was to become an infamous elephant hunting trip in Botswana's northern Okavango region.

The trip attracted widespread criticism back home, as the country was battling an economic decline.

His expedition was cut short after he suffered a hip injury. 

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Nuclear lobbyists wined and dined senior civil servants, documents show

Office for Nuclear Development officials received hospitality from industry representatives at luxurious restaurants and clubs

guardian.co.uk, Leo Hickman, Wednesday 28 November 2012

The Lancaster hotel in London, where Mark Higson, the chief executive of the OND,
 was entertained by a nuclear plant construction company, weeks after the office's
creation. Photograph: Rex Features

Senior civil servants responsible for ensuring the building of the UK's new fleet of nuclear power stations have been extensively wined and dined by nuclear industry lobbyists, documents released under freedom of information reveal.

A hospitality register (.zip) released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) show that the three most senior officials at the Office for Nuclear Development (OND) have received hospitality from nuclear industry representatives on dozens of occasions since the office's formation in September 2009. Many of the meetings have taken place at some of London's most luxurious restaurants, hotels and private members' clubs.

Mark Higson, the OND's chief executive, received his first hospitality in the role just a few weeks after the office's creation with a dinner at the Lancaster hotel in Kensington hosted by Westinghouse, the US nuclear plant construction company, and the Nuclear Industry Association. In the intervening period up to last month, Higson and his colleagues Hergen Haye and Stephen de Souza separately accepted hospitality from a range of companies with a vested interest in the nuclear industry, including Babcock, EDF, Areva, and GE Hitachi, as well as a range of industry consultants and trade associations.

In the year between June 2010 and June 2011, Higson received hospitality on four separate occasions from KPMG, the global financial consultants. The hospitality included two dinners at the five-star Berkeley hotel, which hosts Marcus Wareing's two-Michelin star restaurant where the tasting menu costs £98 a person.

The period covered a time when KPMG was working for companies with a potential key stake interest in the UK's nuclear industry, as well as advising investors in the nuclear industry. In July 2010, KPMG published a report commissioned by RWE npower which said that unless the government raised the carbon "floor price", large utility companies would not deem it economic to invest in the UK's new nuclear sector.

Other venues for hospitality enjoyed by the OND's senior officials include the Reform Club, the Cavalry and Guards Club, the Royal Horseguards hotel, the RAC Club, Roux at Parliament Square, the Naval & Military Club, 1 Lombard Street and the Cinnamon Club.

In 2008, Higson was among the civil servants criticised by Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, for "entirely inappropriate behaviour" after the Independent of Sunday reported that civil servants working in the nuclear consultations and liabilities unit at the now disbanded Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform had enjoyed hospitality paid for by nuclear industry representatives at venues such as the Ritz, Royal Ascot and the Café Royale. At the time, Higson headed the unit.

According to its website, the OND provides "advice to ministers on regulatory decisions" and "focuses on removing potential barriers to investment, and signals clearly to the industry the serious intent of the government to push forward nuclear new build". It adds that it is "facilitating new nuclear investment in the UK, by enabling new nuclear to make the fullest contribution it is capable of, with no public subsidy, and with unnecessary obstacles removed".

A Decc spokesman told the Guardian: "The government has made it clear that nuclear should be part of the UK's energy mix. Decc officials work closely with industry to bring on new investment in nuclear as well as renewables and oil and gas. All hospitality is accepted in line with Cabinet Office policy."

Asked why so many of the meetings take place at such luxurious venues, the Decc spokesman said: "Industry meetings are hosted at our offices as well as at external events. The choice of location for external events is a matter for the hosting organisations." He added that such meetings are considered to be "informal" and that, as a result, minutes of conversations are not kept by the department. Ministers are not routinely informed of the meetings, he said, as all hospitality is recorded in accordance with Cabinet Office policy.

Craig Bennett, the director of policy and campaigns at Friends of the Earth, said: "It is the worst kept secret in Whitehall that the energy bill due out on Thursday is almost entirely being done to rig the market in favour of nuclear power. The so-called contracts for difference are all about providing not-so-hidden subsidies for nuclear. What the taxpayer should be asking is whether this succession of lavish hospitality has resulted in lavish subsidies for nuclear."

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"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version) 

“…  4 - Energy (again)

The natural resources of the planet are finite and will not support the continuation of what you've been doing. We've been saying this for a decade. Watch for increased science and increased funding for alternate ways of creating electricity (finally). Watch for the very companies who have the most to lose being the ones who fund it. It is the beginning of a full realization that a change of thinking is at hand. You can take things from Gaia that are energy, instead of physical resources. We speak yet again about geothermal, about tidal, about wind. Again, we plead with you not to over-engineer this. For one of the things that Human Beings do in a technological age is to over-engineer simple things. Look at nuclear - the most over-engineered and expensive steam engine in existence!

Your current ideas of capturing energy from tidal and wave motion don't have to be technical marvels. Think paddle wheel on a pier with waves, which will create energy in both directions [waves coming and going] tied to a generator that can power dozens of neighborhoods, not full cities. Think simple and decentralize the idea of utilities. The same goes for wind and geothermal. Think of utilities for groups of homes in a cluster. You won't have a grid failure if there is no grid. This is the way of the future, and you'll be more inclined to have it sooner than later if you do this, and it won't cost as much….”

New York nanny Yoselyn Ortega denies murder charges

BBC News, 28 November 2012

Related Stories

• Nanny charged with child murders
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Ortega had been employed by the
 family for two years before the
childrens' killings, police said

A New York City nanny has pleaded not guilty to stabbing to death two young children in her charge last month.

Yoselyn Ortega entered the plea in hospital, where she is being treated for stab wounds. Police say she stabbed herself after killing the children.

Ms Ortega, 50, has been charged with murdering Lucia Krim, six, and her two-year-old brother Leo on 25 October.

Their mother, Marina Krim, returned home to find the children dead in a bathtub and Ms Ortega bleeding heavily.

Father Kevin Krim, a CNBC television executive, was away on a business trip.

On Wednesday a judge ordered Ms Ortega held without bail pending a psychiatric examination.

Ms Ortega was handcuffed to a bed at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York's Manhattan borough during the proceedings.

She wore a blue hairnet, had a tube in her throat, and lay under a white blanket, appearing alert, the Associated Press reported.

No flowers photographs or other personal items were displayed in the hospital room.

Ms Ortega was charged with four counts of murder.

She entered her pleas through her lawyer, Valerie Van Leer-Greenberg, who said: "I ask you to enter a not guilty plea on behalf of my client."

Ms Leer-Greenberg told a judge her client was "profoundly, medically impaired and in need of medical attention".

Mrs Krim had chronicled her children's upbringing in a blog, Life with the Little Krim Kids, which has since been taken offline.

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Canada's Mark Carney to head Bank of England

France 24, AFP, 26 November 2012 

Mark Carney speaks at a press conference in Mexico City earlier this month.
 Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer on Monday named Mark Carney, chief of the
Bank of Canada, as the new governor of the Bank of England.

AFP - Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer on Monday named Mark Carney, the current chief of the Bank of Canada, as the new governor of the Bank of England.

"I can tell parliament and the public that the next governor of the Bank of England is Mark Carney," Chancellor George Osborne told MPs.

"He is quite simply the best, most experienced and most qualified person in the world to be the next governor of the Bank of England."

Carney, 47, who is currently governor of the Bank of Canada and chair of the global Financial Stability Board, will take over from Mervyn King, who has lead the BoE since 2003 and will step down on June 30.

He comes from outside Europe, but in his role at the FSB has been involved in dealing with some of the fallout from the global financial crisis and fighting the eurozone debt crisis.

Britain is not a member of the eurozone, but is deeply concerned that the thrust of European Union policies to reform finance threaten the City of London.

Osborne described Carney as "the outstanding central banker of his generation with unparallelled expertise in financial regulation" who has helped steer Canada through the global financial crisis.

Carney, who intends to take on British citizenship, will serve as BoE governor for a five year term and stand down at the end of June 2018.

"He will bring a fresh perspective," Osborne told parliament. "He has got what it takes to help bring families and businesses through these incredibly challenging economic times.

"My responsibility was to get the best for Britain, and with Mark Carney we've got that."

The announcement took markets by surprise because the bookies' favourite had been current deputy governor Paul Tucker.

Carney will succeed King, 64, under whose watch the British central bank played a vital role in stabilising world financial markets following the 2007/2008 global financial crisis.

The governor leads the Bank of England, an independent body which sets interest rates and has pumped out billions of pounds under its radical quantitative easing policy since 2009 in order to stimulate economic growth.

Carney takes the helm with the BoE due to take over banking regulation from Britain's Financial Services Authority (FSA) next year, as part of a regulatory overhaul aimed at avoiding a repeat of the devastating financial crisis.

The appointment also comes amid a series of damaging scandals that have rocked London's financial district and sparked fresh concerns over the banking sector's conduct.

Aside from Carney and Tucker, other candidates in the running were believed to be FSA chairman Adair Turner, Santander UK chairman Lord Terence Burns, and John Vickers, who chaired the government's recent Independent Commission on Banking.

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JPMorgan's Dimon's aggressive style may hurt bank cause

(Reuters) - Masters of the universe are not always so masterful after all.

Jamie Dimon, CEO and chairman of JPMorgan Chase & Co., 

poses for  a portrait in his office in New York, in this photo

taken December 22, 2010. (Credit: Reuters/Lucas Jackson)

(Jamie Dimon is "In Containment" according Archangel Michael)

An Hour with an Angel with Archangel Michael – July 16, 2012 (Archangel Michael channeled by Linda Dillon)

SB: It’s my guess that you do not speak about a person in containment, say, without their permission, as with John Roberts and Jamie Dimon. Am I correct in that hunch?

AAM: That is absolutely correct.

Even in containment, we do not override or disregard — let us put it that way, because we are already overriding them — we do not disregard what they in their heart wish the human collective to know.

SB: Can you tell us for what purpose John Roberts and Jamie Dimon would allow their cases to be discussed?

AAM: They have volunteered on a soul level to allow their beings to be disclosed simply because of the impact and the signal of hope that it can offer for so many.

Australia apologises for sex abuse in military

Yahoo – AFP, Martin Parry, 26 November 2012

Photo illustration. The Australian government has made a parliamentary apology

 to victims of abuse in the military and set up a compensation fund after allegations

of rape and sexual assault

The Australian government on Monday made a parliamentary apology to victims of abuse in the military and set up a compensation fund after hundreds of claims of rape and sexual assault.

Defence Minister Stephen Smith also established an independent taskforce to individually assess each allegation uncovered by a report commissioned by the government last year.

The taskforce will be able to refer appropriate matters to police for formal criminal investigation, while offering victims help in accessing counselling, health, and other services.

Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith,

 pictured on November 14, says the 

government will no longer turn a blind 

eye to "inappropriate conduct" in the military

"Young men and women have endured sexual, physical or mental abuse from their colleagues which is not acceptable and does not reflect the values of a modern, diverse, tolerant Australian society," Smith told parliament.

"Such experiences have had a lasting, serious, traumatic and adverse impact on the people who have experienced them."

In his statement, Smith lashed out at senior military figures who occupied positions of trust and who "abused that trust through their behaviour, including through the turning of a blind eye".

"Today's men and women of the Australian Defence Force or the Department of Defence who have suffered sexual or other abuse, on behalf of the government I say sorry," he said.

"You should never have experienced this abuse. Again, I say sorry."

A capped compensation fund was set up with the taskforce, headed by former West Australian Supreme Court judge Len Roberts-Smith, to determine who qualifies for payouts of up to Aus$50,000 (US$52,000).

The move follows an independent report sparked by the so-called Skype scandal in 2011, when footage of a young male recruit having sex with a female classmate was streamed online to cadets in another room without her knowledge.

The report detailed 24 allegations of rape that never went to trial, among more than 1,000 claims of sexual or other abuse from the 1950s to the present day, involving both men and women.

As well as the rape claims, it said that "from the 1950s through to the early 1980s, many boys aged 13, 14, 15 and 16 years of age in the defence force suffered abuse including serious sexual and other physical abuse".

Until the 1960s, boys as young as 13 were recruited into the Navy, while 15-year-olds were accepted into the Army, Navy and Air Force up until the early 1980s. The minimum enlisting age is now 17.

The report also highlighted brutal initiation ceremonies and depicted a culture in the military of covering up, failing to punish perpetrators and hostility towards victims who complained.

Smith said the Defence Force would bear the financial burden of any compensation, with military and government officials "committed to zero tolerance in the future".

"Acknowledging the past and taking responsibility for it is only the first step," he said.

"We must ensure that such abuse can never be tolerated again."

Defence Force chief General David Hurley also apologised, saying he recognised "the damage and suffering that has been caused to some".

"The Australian Defence Force has begun addressing these causes through its cultural reform programme," he said.

"On behalf of the Australian Defence Force, I say that I am sorry to those who have suffered sexual, physical or mental abuse while serving."

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