John Colvin: A British Spy

November 11, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Many sons have difficulty deciphering their father, but few more than Mark Colvin.

As a boy in the 1950s and 1960s, Colvin knew his dad as a dedicated British diplomat whose job took their family all over the globe. The pair had a strong bond, but there were unexplained questions. John Colvin worked long hours, shared few details about his job and sometimes kept his family at arm's length.

Colvin and his sister, Zoe, sometimes joked their father might be a spy. Only years later, in 1976-77, did they learn he worked for MI6.

A Double Life

IS Hangs 40 Civilians From Electricity Poles After Shooting Them Dead

November 11, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

So-called Islamic State (IS) shot dead 40 civilians on Tuesday in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul after accusing them of treason, the United Nations says.

Their bodies were then hung from electricity poles in several districts, the office of the UN Human Rights Commissioner said, citing sources.

A man was also reportedly shot dead in public in central Mosul for ignoring an IS ban on using mobile phones. Iraqi security forces are continuing their push to take Mosul back from IS.

Armistice Day 2016

November 11, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

A two-minute silence has been observed across the UK to remember the nation's war dead for Armistice Day.

Prince Harry has laid a wreath at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire for the commemorations.

Silence fell at 11:00 GMT to remember servicemen and women killed in battle.

England and Scotland footballers are expected to risk breaking Fifa rules forbidding "political statements" when they wear poppy armbands at their World Cup qualifying match at Wembley later. People gathered at war memorials and in schools, offices and other public places across the UK to pause for two minutes t…

Escaped Prisoner From Pentonville Arrested

November 10, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

One of two men who escaped from London's Pentonville prison on Monday has been recaptured, police have said.

Matthew Baker, 28, was arrested at an address in Ilford, north-east London, on Wednesday night and is being held in police custody. A 21-year-old woman and a man aged 33 were also arrested.

Baker was awaiting sentencing for attempted murder when he broke through cell bars at the north London prison with fellow inmate, James Whitlock, 31.

Election Win For Donald Trump Sees Wave Of Protests

November 10, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of several US cities to protest against the election of Donald Trump.

Many shouted the slogan "Not my president". Others burned orange-haired effigies of the businessman.

Mr Trump will become the 45th US president after securing a surprise victory over Hillary Clinton. He is due to meet current White House incumbent Barack Obama for talks aimed at ensuring a smooth transition. Mr Obama - who had branded Mr Trump "unfit" for office and campaigned against him - urged all Americans to accept the result of Tuesday's election. "We are now all rooti…

German Police Raid Sees Five Arrested With Links To IS

November 9, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Five people linked to the so-called Islamic State (IS) group have been arrested in co-ordinated raids in Germany, including a senior Islamist figure, reports say.

Flats were raided in northern and western Germany and a mosque was searched near Hanover. Among those arrested was an Iraqi who goes by the alias Abu Walaa, or "the preacher without a face".

Germany's NDR TV has identified him as Ahmad Abdelazziz A.

Belgian Jihadist Oussama Atar Believed To Have Organised Deadly Attacks

November 9, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

A Belgian-Moroccan jihadist operating in Syria is believed to have organised the deadly attacks on Paris and Brussels, sources say.

For months intelligence teams have been trying to identify a man known as Abou Ahmad, involved in recruiting a number of Islamist militants for attacks across Europe. They now believe they have identified him as Oussama Ahmad Atar. He is linked to bombers who targeted Paris in 2015 and Brussels in March.

British Banker Guilty Of Murder In Hong Kong

November 8, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

British banker Rurik Jutting has been found guilty of murdering two Indonesian women in Hong Kong, in a case that has gripped the city.

A jury took around four hours to find an expressionless Jutting, who denied murder but admitted manslaughter, guilty on both counts. He was sentenced to life in prison for the killings of Sumarti Ningsih and Seneng Mujiasih. Their mutilated bodies were found in Jutting's apartment in November 2014.

Murder carries a mandatory life sentence in Hong Kong. The women murdered by Jutting and forgotten at home

Mass Grave Discovered As Forces Advance Towards Mosul

November 8, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Iraqi forensic experts are investigating a mass grave that was discovered by troops advancing towards the Islamic State-held city of Mosul.

The Iraqi military has said the grave, in the grounds of an agricultural college in the town of Hamam al-Alil, contains about 100 decapitated bodies. Most have been reduced to skeletons, so it is unclear who the victims were.

Diver May Have Found 1950's 'Missing Nuke' Off The Coast Of British Columbia

November 7, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

A commercial diver may have discovered a lost nuclear bomb off the coast of British Columbia near the Haida Gwaii archipelago.

Sean Smyrichinsky was diving for sea cucumbers when he discovered a large metal device that looked a bit like a flying saucer.

The Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) believes it could be the "lost nuke" from an American B-36 bomber that crashed in the area in 1950.