Prime Minister Gordon Brown says Britain will halve its force in Iraq to 2,500 troops from spring next year, after handing over responsibility for the southern province of Basra to Iraqi forces, and in London thousands take to the streets to protest the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Britain will reduce its force in Iraq -- now numbering more than 5,000 -- to 2,500 troops from spring next year, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Monday (October 8) in his parliamentary statement on Iraq. In his first major foreign policy speech to parliament, Brown also announced plans to allow Iraqis who have worked for British troops to apply for funds to resettle in Britain, Iraq or other countries in the region. Brown announced during a visit to Iraq last week that 500 more soldiers would be home from the unpopular war in Iraq by year's end. The force had already been due to fall from 5,500 to 5,000, and will now fall to 2,500 from spring next year. Brown, who took over from Tony Blair as prime...