Summary
Various media report that the MOD is set to announce a further 3,000 job losses among civilian staff in the next few days as it begins to deal with a £2bn overspend in its budget. | BBC online reports that US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has announced that the size of the US 'active duty' Army will fall to 490,000 over five years, down 80,000 from its peak of 570,000 in 2010. | The Daily Telegraph reports that a team of Taliban diplomats has arrived in Qatar to open a political office that will host negotiations between America, insurgents and the Afghan Government. | The Financial Times reports that France is to sign a bilateral agreement outlining its commitment in Afghanistan over the next two decades. | The Daily Mail and Daily Express report that Tehran is ready for talks over its nuclear programme, but has insisted that it will not back down in the face of tightening sanctions. | The Press Association reports that the Duchess of Cornwall is today presenting medals to Royal Navy medical personnel in Portsmouth for service in Afghanistan. | A Sun reporter recounts how he narrowly escaped death when he was caught in an IED strike yesterday. | The Daily Mirror reports that British Corporal Andy Garthwaite who was injured by a Taliban rocket-propelled grenade is the first person in the UK to be given a bionic arm. | The Daily Telegraph reports that Royal Navy nuclear submarines would remain in Scotland after devolution as the infrastructure to house them could take a decade to build. | The Sun reports that an SAS soldier smashed a military van into a house in Hereford, causing over £40,000 of damage, after a late-night drinking session. | The Daily Mail reports that a boy soldier hid his age so he could fight in Afghanistan. | The Daily Telegraph reports that a proposal to sell RAF Northolt to private investors is being opposed by the Royal Family and senior government figures.
Reports that the MOD is to axe a further 3,000 civilians
Various papers including the Guardian, Financial Times and the Daily Mail claim that the MOD is set to announce a further 3,000 job losses among civilian staff as it begins to deal with a £2bn overspend in its budget.
A MOD spokesman said: "Reports that the MOD will make a further 3,000 civil servants redundant are untrue. There are no plans to make any further civilian redundancies beyond what has already been announced to Parliament."
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