European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 22, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday june 22, 1994 world i the stars and stripes Page 9 defense cuts expected to shrink Raf by a thirds Kyul of Winter goodies greets Antarctic posts from wire reports Christchurch new zealand pigs feet sports videos and blocks of chocolate fell from the Antarctic sky tuesday Courtesy of the . Air Force which began its midwinter Airdrop on the longest night of the year. A c-141 cargo plane was delivering More than 66,000 pounds of supplies to americans at Mcmurdo station new sealanders at Scott base and scientists and support staff from various nations at the Amundsen Scott South pole station. The Airdrop to Antarctica includes thousand of pounds of mail fruit and vegetables and recreational items along with 90 dozen eggs. Cargo in bundles weighing More than a ton a falling at 60 Mph is kept upright by High velocity parachutes. A honeycomb Structure and plywood absorb the Shock of  sock paychecks Rome a women flight attendants at state run a italia Are paying an extra Price for the carriers financial woes loss of a Day off during their menstrual cycles. Beginning july 1, when the Cost cutting package takes effect women attendants can no longer claim the paid personal Day. The measure is part of a three year plan to reduce Al italian a operating costs by $413 million. Last year the airline posted losses of $230 million. The restructuring plan seeks to eliminate 4,000 employees from its present work Force of about 18,000.vermin shut Down hotel Moscow a the City a biggest hotel once the worlds largest is closing its doors because its rooms Are full a of rats and Roaches. The hotel Rossiya a 3,200-room Monolith just Steps from the Kremlin was ordered by health officials to close by july 1. Management must disinfect the building before it can reopen the mayors office told the inter fax news Agency. The City also fined hotel director Sergei Smirnov $500, inter fax said monday. Soviet leaders demolished an entire City Quarter of old churches and Homes to build the Rossiya in the Early 1970s. It often housed important communist visitors and delegates attending Kremlin  consent age retained London a the House of lords voted monday to Back a House of commons Law setting the age of consent for male homosexuals at 18, defeating amendments that proposed lowering it to 16 or raising it to 21. A controversial amendment had threatened to restore the age of consent to 21, Only four months after the House of commons voted to lower it from 21 to 18. After a lengthy sitting 176 lords voted to stand by current legislation which makes 18 the age at which consenting males can legally have sex with one another and 113 voted against that age. Only 71 supported lowering the age of consent to 16 a the age of consent for heterosexuals and lesbians a and 245 voted against it. The debate stemmed from amendments to the criminal Justice Bill put Forward by lords who opposed the reduction to 18 agreed by the British parliament in february. The House of commons would have been Able to reverse any lords vote to change its  returned to Church Moscow a More than a dozen religious relics including a 16th-Century icon commissioned by Ivan the terrible were returned to the russian orthodox Church by the former Kab on monday. Officials said the items were seized by customs officials in St. Petersburg before smugglers could ship them to Germany for Sale. Sergei Stepahin director of the Federal counterintelligence service presented the items to patriarch Alexy ii during a ceremony at the Danilov monastery residence of the Church Leader. Stepahin said he was ashamed at the greedy and disrespectful attitude shown by some russians toward sacred objects the itar Tass news Agency reported. The works included 12 icons dating As far Back As the 16th Century officials said. Itar Tass said one to Kevin Mother of cod with Miracle icon was painted at the request of Ivan the terrible. By Peter Beaumont and Paul Beaver London observer service London a the Royal air Force is set to lose As much As a third of its military and civilian manpower by the end of the Century dropping from 76,000 personnel to around 52,000 in the latest round of British defense cuts. Senior British defense sources say the cuts in Raf personnel will be achieved in three separate moves. One called a options for change a is already in place and will account for 6,000 jobs by the mid-1990s. Further major reductions in Raf personnel Are expected in two separate announcements. The first and largest is expected to Sec widespread privatization of the rafts support and maintenance operations. Defense Secretary Malcolm Rifkind is expected to announce the plan which also includes cuts across Britain a armed forces on july 14. A second announcement of a reorganization of squadrons which would effectively end the Raf presence in Germany is expected later in the year. Under that plan the number of squadrons would be reduced while the size of those remaining would be increased from 12 to 18 aircraft. Plans for a slimmed Down Raf with fewer officers Singapore apr an american teen Ager whose flogging for vandalism set off a rancorous International controversy was released from prison tuesday. The 19-year-old Michael Fay was Pale and subdued As he left the prison where he had spent nearly 12 weeks and had received four strokes with a Rattan Cane. He quickly became impatient with reporters waiting outside the prison and snapped a efm not Gonna answer any  later at the . Embassy he took a different tone in a statement to journalists. A i am Happy to be out. My health is Good. In a looking Forward to the future very much a he said. A i am looking Forward to going Back to my own country. That s All i have to  family members said Fay who has lived in Singapore since 1992 with his Mother and Stepfather planned to Fly Back to the Dayton Ohio suburb of Kettering today. His father George Fay came to Singapore to escort him Home. He said there would be no party because a this is not a time for  a we Are going to try to pick up our lives and get Back to at least Semi normalcy a he said. A a he a been through a horrific experience and 1 think he s extremely reluctant to talk while in this particular  family members arrived at the prison at 8 . And were surrounded by scores of reporters. The teen Ager walked out 20 minutes later. Michael Fay was later taken to the . Embassy for a medical checkup. Come at the same time the British Navy is bracing itself for cuts of about 8,000 personnel from its present 56,000, by the late 1990s. Further Cost cutting efforts Are expected in the Navy which appears set to reduce the number of refits for ships and submarines. The personnel cuts come against the background of Britain a plans to reduce defense spending by up to 14 percent a from its current level of $35.1-7 billion a by the end of the Century. Vigorous lobbying by the individual services is continuing. A the arguments Are still going on a said one source Quot and until they have finished nothing is set in Concrete a most of the cuts Are expected to be achieved in a series of reorganizations of the armed forces. This is expected to Lead to shared Headquarters and staff colleges for the three services and an Effort to centralize and largely privatize catering for the armed forces. The reorganization also would Call for widespread reduction of staff officers in All three services and the subsequent downgrading of three and four Star postings. One of the most controversial moves however is Likely to be the merging of the three staff colleges. The expectation is that the Raf will suffer most. A i think physically he a been treated Well. Obviously i exclude the caning. What in a More concerned about is whether they worked on him mentally and then what does that really mean a his father said. Fay became the Center of a Stormy debate Over cultural norms after a Singapore court sentenced him to six lashes of a Rattan Cane for two counts of vandalism. He and eight other foreign youths were accused of spraying paint on cars and other vandalism in a 19-Day spree last september. Singapore a City state noted for its extensive social control measures mandates flogging As a punishment for vandalism. . Critics said the punishment was too harsh. Singaporeans replied a and Many americans agreed a that lenient sentences handed Down in the United states Foster teen age vandalism. But with the White House appealing for leniency singaporean authorities reduced the sentence to four lashes and the punishment was administered May 5. Caning Breaks the skin takes weeks to heal and usually leaves permanent scars. Fay who attended the Singapore american school had pleaded guilty to vandalism but later said the police bullied him into a false confession. Police have denied the accusation. After his sentence was reduced authorities said they also would reduce the sentences imposed on others involved in the vandalism spree. Shiu Chi to 17, a Hong Kong chinese had his punishment reduced from 12 lashes to six and his prison term Cut from eight to six months saturday. Michael Fay who was flogged for vandalism is driven away from a Singapore prison after three months behind bars. Fay leaves jail will Fly Home today