JUST say yes to considering relaxed drug controls, urged a panel of UK parliamentarians this week - but Prime Minister David Cameron has rejected the calls.
Many countries have loosened their penalties for drug use, including the Czech Republic and Portugal, which introduced a "de-penalisation" strategy in 2000. Citizens caught in possession avoid criminal records but must attend drug advice sessions. Last month, the US states of Colorado and Washington voted to legalise the recreational use of cannabis.
The UK report calls for the effects of these legal moves to be monitored. "Drugs policy ought to be evidence-based as much as possible," it concludes. "We recommend that the government fund a detailed research project to monitor the effects of each legalisation system."
The report notes that 21 countries have now introduced some form of decriminalisation. But the government's response has been lukewarm. "I don't support decriminalisation," said Cameron. "We have a policy which actually is working in Britain. Drugs use is coming down."
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HONG KONG: Asian stock markets mostly rose Thursday as the US Federal Reserve announced fresh monetary easing and said it would not lift interest rates until unemployment was under control.
However, the gains were capped after the central bank's chief Ben Bernanke said the looming fiscal cliff of huge tax hikes and deep spending cuts was already hitting the economy.
The yen continued its slide ahead of the weekend's general election in Japan that is expected to see a victory for the opposition, whose leader has vowed to press for more aggressive measures to kickstart growth.
Tokyo climbed 1.15 per cent, lifted by the weakening yen, Hong Kong gained 0.22 per cent, Sydney added 0.10 per cent and Seoul was 0.60 per cent higher, but Shanghai lost 0.36 per cent.
After a two-day meeting the policy committee of the US central bank said it would replace its "Operation Twist" bond swapping programme with $45 billion a month in straight bond buys, on an open-ended basis.
That comes on top of the $40 billion a month purchasing announced in September.
The Fed also provided a surprise by saying it would not lift rates as long as the inflation outlook was below 2.5 per cent and the jobless rate, now at 7.7 per cent, stays above 6.5 per cent.
"The Fed's decisions did not really surprise anyone, although its comments about expecting rates to remain very low as long as unemployment remains above 6.5 per cent were somewhat novel," said Hiroichi Nishi, general manager of equities at SMBC Nikko Securities.
"The bottom line is that it will continue its aggressive steps to foster economic growth," he told Dow Jones Newswires.
However, the Fed's announcement was followed by a warning by Bernanke that Washington needed to come to an agreement in their talks on avoiding the fiscal cliff, adding that the lack of action was already causing problems.
"Even though we have not even reached the point of the fiscal cliff potentially kicking in, it's already affecting business investment and hiring decisions by creating uncertainty or creating pessimism," he said at a news conference.
On Wall Street the Dow and S&P 500 ended flat, while the Nasdaq fell 0.28 per cent, with earlier gains from the Fed announcement cut back by Bernanke's comments.
On currency markets the yen remained under pressure as Sunday's poll approaches, with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's Democratic Party of Japan likely to lose to the Liberal Democratic Party, which is headed by Shinzo Abe.
Abe, a former prime minister, has promised to push a more aggressive monetary easing policy to jumpstart the economy.
The dollar was changing hands at 83.42 yen in early Asian trade, from 83.24 yen in New York late Wednesday, while the euro was at 108.95 yen from 108.85 yen. That compares with 82.67 yen and 107.48 yen earlier on Wednesday in Asia.
The euro bought $1.3063 against $1.3075.
Oil was lower in Asia Thursday, with New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in January, falling 19 cents to $86.58 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for January delivery shedding 15 cents to $109.35.
Gold was at $1,699.60 at 0230 GMT compared with $1,713.22 late Wednesday.
IBM plans to contribute only once every December to its employees' 401(k) accounts.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
IBM said it would contribute once every December to its employees' 401(k) plans
Teresa Ghilarducci: This type of payment benefits the company rather than workers
She says relative to other companies, IBM actually has a good retirement plan
Ghilarducci: Most companies are reducing retirement benefits; workers lose
Editor's note: Teresa Ghilarducci is a professor of economics and director of the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis at The New School.
(CNN) -- IBM, one of America's largest companies, shook the employee compensation world when it announced recently that it would contribute only once every December to its employees' 401(k) accounts. Any employee who leaves before December would not be able to collect the company's match.
Workers at IBM aren't marching to the picket line like Walmart workers and longshoreman who protest pay and working conditions, but you just never know.
Only about 9% of the nation's employers make matches once a year. IBM's move is paving the way for big companies to go down this road.
If I were an IBM manager, I would love this once-a-year lump payment. First, my buddies in Human Resources would have much less hassle with fewer deposits to make. By delaying payment to the end of the year, "the float" -- interest accrued -- would go to the company instead of the workers. In other words, the company saves money.
Moreover, few IBM workers are going to voluntarily leave before December, which means projects can be planned better and employees can be asked to do more.
QUIZ: The ultimate portfolio -- 15 questions to help you define your financial goals
A few years ago, in 2008, IBM made news by transforming its traditional defined benefit plan, a pension, into a 401(k)-type plan. That move saved money, but the company lost an important personnel tool.
Defined benefit plans are designed to encourage employees to exit or retire when it is optimal for the company. A 401(k) is cheaper, but it is a "cash and carry" account that does not have the element of timing finesse. A 401(k) plan does not reward loyalty, and its value is not predictable as it fluctuates all over the place depending on the financial markets.
By making workers stay until December before they can receive the company's 401(k) match, IBM is putting back, albeit with an anemic substitute, a reward for workers to stay at least until December.
The company can be pretty sure that there will be very few workers exiting during crunch time season: September, October and November. It would really be IBM's choice in determining which employees to let go. This incremental addition to IBM's control over their employees is surely the main reason IBM changed its 401(k) payment timing.
But let's step back. Relative to other companies, IBM actually has a good retirement plan. It matches more than 6% of a worker's contribution, which is above the national average. Only 7% of companies do not make matches to 401(k) plans, so at least IBM is, for now, in the majority of companies that match their employees' contributions. Not many people know that just because a company sponsors a 401(k) plan doesn't mean that it will pay a cent.
In the Great Recession of 2008 to 2009, more than 11% of companies stopped their 401(k) match. Because they are voluntary, most workers do not even have a retirement account plan, which means many middle-class and upper-middle-class workers will only have Social Security to rely on for retirement.
These workers face considerable chance of downward mobility later in life because Social Security is not designed to replace pre-retirement living standards for anyone but the lowest paid workers. Middle-class workers will need at least a $500,000 payout on top of Social Security checks to have a chance of remaining middle class when they retire. Most of us could only dream of accumulating that amount or its equivalent by saving for retirement at work or being in a pension plan.
IBM looks better than most companies because most companies are whacking their workers' retirement plans or don't sponsor any at all. GM offered its salaried, white-collar workers a lump sum -- the worst way to get a retirement account because people spend a lump sum too fast -- instead of an annuity. Ford will follow GM's example next year. Fortunately, very few auto managers and workers are taking up such an offer; they must know an annuity is more valuable.
What is there to stop companies from ending retirement accounts altogether? Nothing.
Unions represent less than 11% of the private sector workforce and the unemployment rate is high enough that anyone who has a job feels lucky to have a job. I don't see anything on the horizon that will encourage companies to maintain or improve retirement programs at the workplace.
Political leadership and bravery is needed to call out the failure of the voluntary retirement system and to secure retirement income and savings for all American workers.
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The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Teresa Ghilarducci.
Music filled New York's Madison Square Garden Wednesday night for the "12-12-12" gig all in the name of helping superstorm Sandy victims.
13 Photos
12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief
Bruce Springsteen kicked off the star-studded concert, a fitting start for the benefit, which will aid hard-hit storm areas such as the rocker's native New Jersey. The Boss launched into "Land of Hope and Dreams" as audience members rose to their feet, before singing "Wrecking Ball," a song he wrote about Jersey and Giants Stadium at The Meadowlands. He changed a lyric to "My home is on the Jersey shore."
And it's no surprise Springsteen performed "My City of Ruins," a song that has taken on various meanings through the years, especially having debuted around the 9/11 attacks. But Wednesday night, it meant something different to many people watching.
"This was a song I wrote for my adopted hometown -- Asbury Park, which was struggling through hard times," he said, later adding, "Tonight this is a prayer for all of our struggling people in New York and New Jersey."
After slipping in a few lines of "Jersey Girl," Springsteen brought out his friend Jon Bon Jovi for a New Jersey-rocker musical mash-up of "Born to Run."
"The size of the destruction was shocking," said Springsteen in a taped interview with concert organizers prior to the show. "It took days and days to even understand the level of destruction that occurred along the Jersey shore."
After Springsteen and Bon Jovi left the stage, Billy Crystal took the reins, injecting some humor into the night, mixed with touching remarks about the devastation that Sandy brought along with it.
"You can feel the electricity in the building, which means that Long Island power isn't involved," said Crystal, a Long Beach, Long Island, native, before rattling off a series of other jokes that took jabs at New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. Chris Christie.
Play Video
Roger Waters performs at "12-12-12" Sandy benefit concert
Roger Waters took the stage next, playing Pink Floyd classics, including "Us and Them," "Another Brick in the Wall" and "Money."
Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder joined Waters for a collaboration of "Comfortably Numb," a highlight for Waters.
Waters described the Vedder collaboration as "magical" when speaking with reporters in the press room backstage.
"Eddie was absolutely amazing. It that was like a dream come true...it was magical. I think i stopped singing to kiss him at one point, which is weird," Waters said laughing.
Adam Sandler performed a very different version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," swapping lyrics out for the occasion, singing: "Halleluja/Sandy screw ya/We'll get through ya."
Actress Kristen Stewart introduced Bon Jovi before the band played "It's My Life" and "Wanted Dead or Alive." Springsteen came out to return the favor from earlier, performing "Who Says You Can't Go Home." While backstage, E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt talked about how Bon Jovi and Springsteen have been friends for years, having both got their start in Jersey.
"There have been hurricanes, there have been storms," said Bon Jovi before the show. "But I've never seen anything remotely close to what Hurricane Sandy was."
After comments from Jon Stewart the evening continued with Eric Clapton doing what he does best. He put on a rocking, blues-heavy performance that included "Crossroads."
Music-lover Jimmy Fallon was in his element on Wednesday and reveled in the opportunity to introduce The Rolling Stones: "Here they are, I always wanted to say this...Ladies and gentleman, The Rolling Stones."
The members of The Stones have been playing some shows in support of their new album, and on Wednesday, they did not disappoint, playing "You Got Me Rockin'" and "Jumping Jack Flash."
Wearing a red dress, Alicia Keys sat along at the piano for a version "Brand New Me."
"I was born and raised in New York City. I still live right now down the street in New York City. This is our city. This is everybody's city," Keys said before breaking into an emotional rendition of "No One."
The Who stormed onstage for an energetic set that began with "Who Are You" and included fan-favorite "Pinball Wizard."
Also in attendance? Steve Buscemi, Martha Stewart, Blake Lively, Scarlett Johansson, James Gandolfini, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremey Piven, Olivia Wilde, Susan Sarandon, Jessica Chastain, Chelsea Clinton, Sean Combs, Leonardo DiCaprio, Katie Holmes, Jake Gyllenhaal, Karlie Kloss, Seth Meyers, Bobby Moynihan, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart and Quentin Tarantino, among others.
Sarandon was one of the stars answering calls at the evening's telethon.
"It's so moving every time you see a grassroots movement," Sarandon said backstage in the press room. "It's just great that people found a way to come out."
Producer John Sykes said the fundraiser features "the greatest lineup of legends ever assembled on a stage."
The sold-out "12-12-12" concert is being aired on 37 TV stations in the United States and more than 200 others worldwide. Thirty websites are streaming the show live. All together -- more than two billion people around the world have access to the show, which benefits the Robin Hood Foundation.
The October storm left millions of people in several states without power or heat. It's to blame for at least 125 deaths and damaged 305,000 homes in New York.
Software mogul John McAfee has been released from detention in Guatemala City and has landed in Miami.
Immediately upon landing, according to passengers on the plane, McAfee's name was called and he was whisked off the aircraft. Federal officials escorted the 67-year-old Internet antivirus pioneer through customs spirit him out a side door, out of the view of reporters, according to Miami International Airport's communication director, Greg Chin.
It was not clear whether officials intended to help McAfee avoid the inevitable media circus or wanted to question him. However, he has not been charged with committing a crime in Guatemala or Belize, where the authorities have sought to question him about the murder of his neighbor.
McAfee's departure from Guatemala came earlier today.
"They took me out of my cell and put me on a freaking airplane," he told ABC News. "I had no choice in the matter."
McAfee said, however, that Guatemalan authorities had been "nice" and that his exit from the Central American country was "not at all" unpleasant.
"It was the most gracious expulsion I've ever experienced," he said. "Compared to my past two wives that expelled me this isn't a terrible trip."
McAfee said he would not be accompanied by his 20-year-old Belizean girlfriend, but is seeking a visa for her. He also said he had retained a lawyer in the U.S.
Guatemala's National Police/AP Photo
John McAfee Arrested in Guatemala Overnight Watch Video
Software Founder Breaks Silence: McAfee Speaks on Murder Allegations Watch Video
When he was released earlier today, McAfee told the Associated Press, "I'm free. ... I'm going to America."
McAfee, who had been living in a beachfront house in Belize, went on the run after the Nov. 10 murder of his neighbor, fellow American expatriate Greg Faull. Belize police said they wanted to question McAfee about the murder, but McAfee said he feared for his life in Belizean custody.
He entered Guatemala last week seeking asylum, but was arrested and taken to an immigration detention center. He was taken to the hospital after suffering a nervous collapse and then returned to the detention center. The U.S. State Department has visited McAfee, who is a dual U.S.-British citizen, several times during his stay in Guatemala.
During his three-week journey, said McAfee, he disguised himself as handicapped, dyed his hair seven times and hid in many different places during his three-week journey.
He dismissed accounts of erratic behavior and reports that he had been using the synthetic drug bath salts. He said he had never used the drug, and said statements that he had were part of an elaborate prank.
Investigators in Belize said that McAfee was not a suspect in the death of Faull, a former developer who was found shot in the head in his house.
McAfee told ABC News that the poisoning death of his dogs and the murder just hours later of Faull, who had complained about his dogs, was a coincidence.
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NEW: One witness says he tried to help a woman who was shot in the chest
The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot, a sheriff's official says
The mall's Santa says he heard gunshots and "hit the floor"
One witness in Macy's says she saw a man wearing a hockey mask
Editor's note: Follow continuing local coverage on CNN affiliates KPTV, KATU, KGW and KOIN.
(CNN) -- Panicked customers rushed to the exits when a gunman opened fire Tuesday at a mall outside Portland, Oregon. Some people huddled behind store counters and hid behind racks of clothing. The mall's Santa dropped to the ground.
Three people were killed, including the shooter, said Lt. James Rhodes of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot, he said. One person suffered a traumatic injury.
A witness told CNN he tried to help a wounded woman who was lying on the ground by a cell phone store.
"She had apparently been shot in the chest, and I couldn't get her turned over to help her," said Antonio Charro, who had been shopping at the mall with his daughters. "There was no one around. She wasn't breathing."
Witnesses said a masked man with a gun headed toward the food court at the two-story Clackamas Town Center mall, located about 11 miles southeast of downtown Portland.
Read tweets from people at the scene
A woman told CNN affiliate KOIN that she saw a man wearing a hockey mask jogging through Macy's and wielding an assault rifle.
"Everyone ran toward the exits at that point to get out," she said.
Outside Macy's, gunshots echoed where a man portraying Santa Claus was snapping photos with kids.
"I heard two shots, then 15 or 16 more shots," he told CNN affiliate KGW. "I hit the floor."
The sounds of gunfire rang out through the mall, witnesses said.
"We heard one gunshot. It sounded like something fell," David Moran, an employee at the mall, told CNN. "Then it was a matter of two or three seconds, and then it was just rapid gunfire."
Customers and employees alike started running for the exits, Moran said.
"I thought I was going to die," he said. "The gunshots were so loud, it was very scary. ... Kids were crying. Parents were crying, too."
Inside Sears, some customers burst into tears as word spread of the shooter going store to store, Christina Fisher told KOIN.
"We were told to stand in a group by the top of the escalators and stay away from the windows out of the aisle. ... We stood there for probably a good 20 minutes," she said. "All of the sudden, somebody came through with a radio, yelling 'get down!'"
Are you there? Share your stories, videos and images.
A group of customers inside Sears watched television news reports about the shooting inside the store's entertainment center, witness Tylor Pedersen told CNN affiliate KGW.
Pedersen said he heard about the shooting when people ran into the store, saying they had heard shots fired in the middle of the mall.
"I didn't think it was real at first until I saw the reactions on their faces," he said. "They were serious."
Authorities put the mall on lockdown as they searched for the shooter, witnesses said.
Later, they escorted people outside.
"All of us had to have our hands raised, because they didn't know who the shooter was yet," said Larisa Terekhova, who posted a video online that showed people leaving the mall with their arms in the air.
Gov. John Kitzhaber praised first responders for reacting quickly to the shooting.
"I have directed State Police to make any and all necessary resources available to local law enforcement," he said in a statement.
Authorities closed entrances and exits into the mall parking lot Tuesday evening, said Lt. Gregg Hastings of the Oregon State Police.
A spokesman for General Growth Properties, which owns the mall, referred questions about the shooting to the sheriff's office.
"Our hearts and prayers are with everyone who was in the mall at the time of this incident," said David Keating, vice president of corporate communications. "Our priority is always for their safety and well-being."
Timeline: Worst mass shootings in U.S.
CNN's Chandler Friedman, Cristy Lenz, Tom Watkins, John Fricke, AnneClaire Stapleton and Joe Sutton contributed to this report.
PORTLAND, Oregon A gunman opened fire in a suburban Portland shopping mall Tuesday, killing two people and wounding another before apparently killing himself as people were doing their Christmas shopping, authorities said. One other person was reported injured.
Clackamas County sheriff's Lt. James Rhodes said authorities were still trying to get more details about the situation at the Clackamas Town Center. So far, the shooter has only been described as an "adult male."
Authorities said there was no indication that there was more than one gunman. Officials say police did not fire a shot during the incident.
Play Video
Cell phone video: Ore. mall evacuated after shooting
"At first no one really knew what was going down," Mario, a kiosk worker inside the mall, told CBS affiliate KOIN in Portland. "We heard six shots at first, and then people scattered like crazy, everybody left."
"The shots were really loud and really scary... It was echoing all through the mall, so nobody knew where it was coming from at first," witness Larisa Tereahova said.
Another witness said the Macy's inside the mall opens into the food court area, where it was reported the shootings took place. Bautista said it sounded like the shots were coming from that direction.
Macy's employees Pam Moore and Austin Patty told the AP the shooter was short, with dark hair, dressed in camouflage. He had body armor and a rifle and was wearing a white mask, they said.
"I heard about 20 shots and everyone hit the ground," Moore said. "That's when we all just ran."
Governor John Kitzhaber released a statement late Tuesday, saying: "My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. I appreciate the work of the first responders and their quick reaction to this tragic shooting. Oregon State Police Superintendent Rich Evans is on the scene. I have directed State Police to make any and all necessary resources available to local law enforcement."
A masked gunman opened fire today at Clackamas Town Center, a mall in suburban Portland, Ore., killing two people, injuring one, and then killing himself.
"I can confirm the shooter is dead of an apparent self inflicted gunshot wound," Lt. James Rhodes of the Clackamas County, Ore., Sheriff's Department said today. "By all accounts there were no rounds fired by law enforcement today in the mall."
Police have not released the names of the deceased. Rhodes said authorities are in the process of notifying victims' families. The injured victim has been transported to a local hospital.
Rhodes described the shooter as an adult male.
Witnesses from the shooting rampage said that a young man in a white hockey mask and bulletproof vest tore through the Macy's, food court, and mall hallways firing rounds at shoppers beginning around 3:30 p.m. PT today.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from the busy mall full of holiday shoppers after the shooting began.
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The gunman entered the mall through a Macy's store, ran through the upper level of Macy's and opened fire near the mall food court, firing multiple shots, one right after another, with what is believed to be a black, semiautomatic rifle, according to witness reports.
Katie Tate said she was in the parking lot of the mall when she saw the shooter run by, wearing a mask and carrying a machine gun, headed for the Macy's.
"He looked like a teenager wearing a gun, like a bullet-proof vest and he had a machine, like an assault rifle and a white mask and he looked at me," she said.
Witnesses described the shooter as being on a mission and determined, looking straight ahead. He then seemed to walk through the mall toward the other end of the building, shooting along the way, according to witness reports.
Those interviewed said that Macy's shoppers and store employees huddled in a dressing room to avoid being found.
"I was helping a customer in the middle of the store, her and her granddaughter and while we were looking at sweatshirts we heard five to seven shots from a machine gun fire just outside my store," Jacob Rogers, a store clerk, told ABC affiliate KATU-TV in Portland.
"We moved everyone into the back room where there's no access to outside but where there's a camera so we can monitor what's going on out front," Rogers said.
Evan Walters, an employee at a store in the mall, told ABC News Radio that he was locked in a store for his safety and he saw two people shot and heard multiple gunshots.
"It was over 20, and it was kind of surreal because we hear pops and loud noises," he said. "We're next to the food court here and we hear pops and loud noises all the time, but we don't -- nothing like that. It was very definite gunshots."
Police are tracing the weapon used in the shooting.
