4,500 British soldiers to be axed
london: Cash-strapped Britain on Tuesday axed nearly 4,500 Army personnel in the third and biggest round of job cuts since the 2010 defence review. A total of 4,480 have been told to leave as the Cameron Government tries to reduce the number of regulars by about 20 per cent to 82,000. Those who take voluntary redundancy will be leaving within six months, and compulsory redundancies will be completed in a year, the Defence Ministry announced. The Ministry said that the move was necessary to address the multi billion-pound deficit and bring the defence budget back into balance, but insisted that the operational capability would not be affected.
Turkey PM claims victory after crackdown
Ankara: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday claimed victory over anti-government protesters after a heavy crackdown on the movement, as police raided homes and arrested dozens of demonstrators to stamp out nearly three weeks of unrest. After a weekend of heavy clashes sparked by the eviction of protesters from Istanbul's Gezi Park, the focal point of the protests, demonstrators struggled to regroup and police have since fought only sporadic battles with smaller groups of demonstrators across the country.
UK’s prospects to deport Qatada brighten
london: Britain’s plans of deporting radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada, known as Osama bin laden’s point man in Europe, came closer to reality as the King of Jordan endorsed a treaty with the UK. King Abdullah’s nod paves the way for the treaty to become law as soon as the document is published in the Jordanian government’s official gazette. In the UK, the treaty is expected to be passed by MPs and become law on Friday.
Top Nazi war crimes suspect charged in Hungary
Budapest: Top Nazi war crimes suspect laszlo Csatari, accused of overseeing thousands of Jewish deportations during World War II, was charged with war crimes today in Hungary, prosecutors said. The 98-year-old, under house arrest since last year, is listed by the Simon Wiesenthal Center as its most-wanted alleged Nazi war criminal.
The Nazi-hunting organisation says that Csatari was a senior Hungarian police officer in charge of the Kosice ghetto, in what is now Slovakia.
Grandson takes up Mandela challenge to serve
Mvexo (S Africa): Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla wanted to be a disc jockey but his illustrious grandfather had other ideas for him passing down a lesson on the responsibility that South Africa's most famous surname carries. The anti-apartheid hero chose his 38-year-old grandson as the first Mandela in decades to be chief of his rural birthplace Mvezo in the Eastern Cape six years ago.