London, Oct 29 : New British Defence Secretary John Hutton has said that the Iraq war would be over by 2010 when all of UK’s forces would be substantially withdrawn from Basra. A rapid drop in troop numbers is also expected during early 2009.

Hutton stressed that withdrawal of troops would remain subject to conditions on the ground, but added he was “optimistic”.

Even as more than five years after the invasion, there are still around 4000 British soldiers stationed on the outskirts of the southern Iraqi city.

London - Newcastle United beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 Tuesday to climb out of the relegation zone.

Tokyo  - Britain's Prince Charles on Tuesday called for concerted efforts to build a low-carbon society to combat global warming while on a visit to Japan.

"We must not abandon the drive towards a low-carbon economy," the prince of Wales said in a speech marking the 150th anniversary of bilateral relations between Japan and Britain.

He arrived in Tokyo late Monday with his wife, Camilla, for a five-day visit.

The prince called climate change "the biggest challenge our planet has ever seen."

He said that even as the world now faces a financial crisis, it should not divert attention and efforts from protecting the earth.

London, Oct 28 : Nazi memorabilia being auctioned in London has raised a whopping 90,000 pounds, despite the recent credit crunch shaking the world.

Jonathan Humbert, of Northamptonshire-based J. P. Humbert Auctioneers, claimed that his three-day grand sale had fetched a massive 90,000 pounds thus far. 

The Nazi items that have been put up for going under the hammer includes a death head ring owned by Nazi SS leader Heinrich Himmler, which was sold for 2,200 pounds.

A number of other Nazi daggers and swords raised hammer prices ranging from 200 to 800 pounds each.

There was also a Nazi pin badge that sold for 180 pounds. 

London, Oct 28 : Ferrari believes that a move to use standardised engines would negate their reason for existing in Formula One. 

Ferrari warned on Monday that they could quit formula one if the sport’s governing body continues with its plans to slash costs, the Guardian reported. 

The famous Italian team, which has been in Formula One since its inauguration in 1950, sent a firm signal to the FIA president, Max Mosley, that his idea of introducing so-called standard engines into the sport would take away their raison d’être for competing in motor racing.

London, Oct 28 : British Airways has stopped being the UK’s national carrier and effectively become London Airways. 

Though the airline still operates flights from Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, but passengers choice of destination from these cities is limited: They can fly to any other city they like – so long as it is London, The Independent reported. 

At the weekend, the airline axed the last international flight that neither departed from nor arrived at one of the London airports, the 44-year-old link from New York to Manchester. 

The slots at JFK have been redeployed for a new BA route from Gatwick.