May 2013 - Page 5 of 6 - Armoured & Luxury

Death Toll Passes 700 in Bangladesh Factory Collapse

May 8, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The death toll from the collapse of an eight-storey factory building near the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, has passed 700, officials say.

The announcement came after workers pulled dozens more bodies from the rubble. Many people are still missing.

Several people, including the building’s owner, have been arrested.

The collapse of the Rana Plaza on 24 April stands as Bangladesh’s worst industrial disaster. It sparked outrage among workers in the country.

The previous most deadly structural failure in modern times – excluding the 9/11 terror attacks in New York – was the Sampoong department store in Seoul, South Korea, in 1995, in which 502 people died.

North Korea Removes Missiles From Launch Site

May 8, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

North Korea has removed two medium-range missiles from a coastal launch site, indicating a lowering of tension on the peninsula, a US official said.

Pyongyang was believed to be preparing for a launch last month, having threatened attacks in the region.

The threats followed tough new UN sanctions imposed on North Korea in March after its third nuclear test.

North Korea has been angered by wide-ranging annual US-South Korea military drills, which ended a week ago.

The news that the missiles had been removed from the site on the east coast came on the eve of a summit in Washington between the US and South Korean presidents.

Democratic Republic of Congo toughest place for mothers

May 8, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the world’s toughest place to raise children, Save the Children reports.

Finland was named the best place to be a mother, with Sweden and Norway following in second and third places.

The charity compared factors such as maternal health, child mortality, education and income in 176 countries.

In India, over 300,000 babies die within 24 hours of being born, accounting for 29% of all newborn deaths worldwide, the report says.

The 10 bottom-ranked countries were all from sub-Saharan Africa, with one woman in 30 dying from pregnancy-related causes on average and one child in seven dying before his or her fifth birthday.

Queen to miss Commonwealth meeting

May 8, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

For the first time since 1973 the Queen will not be attending the Commonwealth heads of government meeting this year, Buckingham Palace has said.

She will be represented by the Prince of Wales at the summit in Sri Lanka in November.

Buckingham Palace said it was reviewing the amount of long-haul travel the Queen undertook.

The Queen, 87, is the head of the Commonwealth and every two years leaders meet to discuss global issues.

The Queen was first present at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm) in Ottawa, Canada, in 1973 – missing the first one in 1971 – and has been at every summit since. The last one, in 2011, was held in Perth, Australia.

President Mohamud and David Cameron discuss Somalia

May 8, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says Somalia has entered a new era that will herald the end of more than two decades of conflict.

He was speaking at a major international conference in London to help Somalia rebuild itself.

The UK and other donors pledged some $130m (£84m) in aid for Somalia.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said huge progress was being made in curbing piracy and tackling an Islamist insurgency in Somalia.

Somalia is widely regarded as a failed state, hit by numerous conflicts since the overthrow of long-serving ruler Siad Barre in 1991.

The United Nations (UN) estimates that nearly 260,000 people died during a famine in the East African state from 2010 to 2012.