Malaria Cases Left Untreated As Ebola Epidemic Continues In Guinea

June 25, 2015 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The continuing Ebola epidemic in Guinea has set back the country's fight against malaria, say experts.

They estimate 74,000 cases of malaria went untreated in 2014 because clinics were either closed or patients were too scared to seek help.

They warn that malaria deaths since the Ebola outbreak began will far exceed the number of Ebola deaths in the country - which now stand at 2,444.

Their report is in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

US Hostage Families May Pay Ransoms

June 25, 2015 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The White House has announced changes to how the government handles hostage situations that involve US citizens. President Barack Obama has directed the US government not to threaten the hostages' families with prosecution if they attempt to pay captors' ransom.

Mr Obama has drawn criticism for the long-standing policy of prohibiting concessions to militant groups. The shift raises questions about whether it makes US citizens more lucrative targets for hostage-takers. The changes come at the conclusion of a review into the US policy, which was ordered after the deaths of several US hostages in…

Governor Of Louisiana Makes Bid For 2016 Presidency

June 25, 2015 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has launched his bid for the US presidency, joining a large field of Republican candidates vying for the White House.

The Oxford-educated son of Indian immigrants, Mr Jindal is known for his policy credentials. As governor, he overhauled his state's health and education systems.

However, in recent months Mr Jindal has sought to appeal to conservative voters, taking hard lines on gay rights and Islamic extremism.

Diplomat Targeted By al-Shabab In Somalia

June 25, 2015 / By Armoured Cars / In security

A military vehicle escorting a United Arab Emirates' diplomatic convoy was hit by a car bomb in Somalia's capital, killing at least 12 people, police say.

The UAE ambassador survived the suicide attack as he was riding in a bullet-proof land cruiser vehicle, the BBC's Mohamed Moalimu reports from Mogadishu.

The militant Islamist group al-Shabab says it carried out the attack, to target "a foreign enemy". Al-Shabab is battling Somalia's government for control of the country.

Kurds Advance On IS In Northern Syria

June 25, 2015 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Islamic State (IS) militants are reported to be shoring up the defences of Raqqa, the northern Syrian city that acts as the group's headquarters.

The move follows the capture on Tuesday by Kurdish fighters of a strategically -important town and nearby military base only 50km (30 miles) to the north.

The Kurds said on Wednesday that trenches were being dug around Raqqa. The prices of basic supplies are also said to have risen in the city because key supply routes have been cut. IS has suffered a string of defeats to the Kurds in areas along the Turkish border since being forced to withdraw from K…

Iran's Supreme Leader Rejects US Demands

June 25, 2015 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Iran's supreme leader has hardened his stance on the nuclear negotiations with world powers, with the deadline for a comprehensive agreement only days away. In a speech on Tuesday night, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted Iran would only dismantle its nuclear infrastructure if economic sanctions were lifted first. He also ruled out a freeze on research and development for 10 years, as well as inspections of military sites. The demands appear to undercut a framework deal announced in April. They could also limit the ability of Iran's negotiating team to make key concessions as the self-imposed 30 June deadline approaches. As supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei has final say on all state matters. The so-called P5+1 - the US, UK, France, China and Russia plus Germany - want Iran to scale back its sensitive nuclear activities permanently to ensure that it cannot build a nuclear weapon. Iran insists its nuclear work is peaceful.

Rental Property In The UK Most Expensive In Europe

June 25, 2015 / By Armoured Cars / In security

UK rental costs are the highest in Europe but homeowners are benefiting from cheap mortgages, data suggests. Tenants typically spend 39.1% of their income on rent compared with a European average of 28%, figures from the National Housing Federation suggest. The federation, which represents housing associations, also said that renters were less secure in their homes, owing to short tenancies. However, homeowners are benefitting from competition between lenders. The British Bankers' Association (BBA) said that there was "fierce competition" among lenders which meant that "great mortgage deals" were available. Low interest rates, a trend of owners sticking with long-term tracker deals, and a lack of properties on the market are all contributing to lenders lowering the cost of home loans to try to tempt owners to their mortgage products. The contrasting fortunes of renters and owners will be a concern for those who see little prospect of getting on the housing ladder in the short term.

Police Checkpoint In China Attacked Leaving 18 Dead

June 25, 2015 / By Armoured Cars / In security

A US media report says at least 18 people have been killed in the Chinese region of Xinjiang during a clash at a police checkpoint. According to US-based Radio Free Asia, ethnic Uighurs - part of China's Muslim minority - attacked the police on the outskirts of Kashgar city on Monday. The Chinese authorities have refused to comment on the incident. Hospital workers in Kashgar told the BBC several injured police received medical treatment. Radio Free Asia reports the attackers killed police officers using bombs and knives after speeding through the checkpoint at night. One possible motive could be the tight restrictions placed on Muslim Uighurs during Ramadan. Muslim party members, civil servants, students and teachers are stopped from observing the period when Muslims fast - one of the five pillars of Islam. There is frequent unrest in Xinjiang between the Chinese authorities and the Uighurs, and hundreds have died in attacks over the past three years. Uighurs say Beijing's repression of their religious and cultural customs is provoking the violence. But China insists the attacks are being carried out by what it calls Islamic terrorists supported by overseas groups.

Trial Of Woman Who Stabbed Alleged Paedophile Begins

June 25, 2015 / By Armoured Cars / In security

A woman stabbed a suspected paedophile to death in east London before handing herself into police, a court has heard. Sarah Sands, 32, killed her 77-year-old neighbour Michael Pleasted weeks after finding out he allegedly abused three boys, the Old Bailey was told. She told police that Mr Pleasted, who had been charged with sexual assaults on two children aged under 13, had been "asking for trouble". He was killed in his Canning Town flat on 28 November. Ms Sands denies murder. Familiar figure The court heard how Ms Sands armed herself with a knife after drinking two bottles of wine and a bottle of brandy. The case's prosecutor Jonathan Ree said CCTV footage showed she was in his block of flats for 20 minutes. Mr Pleasted, who was stabbed eight times, had been on bail awaiting trial. Police were also investigating an allegation he had abused a third boy. Ms Sands had befriended the pensioner who was a familiar local figure and ran a bric-a-brac shop from a Mace convenience store, the court heard.

Tanks & Artillery Deployed By US In European Nations

June 25, 2015 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The US is to deploy heavy weapons - including tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery - in a number of European nations, amid Nato concerns over Russia's role in Ukraine. US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter said the equipment would be placed in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. Nato has vowed to boost defences in the east as ties with Russia have soured. Russia has condemned the new Nato and US moves. Responding earlier to reports of the planned deployment, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Nato of "coming to our borders". On a visit to the Estonian capital, Tallinn, Mr Carter said each set of equipment would be enough either for a military company, or about 150 soldiers, or a battalion - roughly 750 soldiers. Much of the equipment was already in Europe, officials said. In addition to the six nations, Germany will also take part in the expanded military effort, but already has the US materiel. Mr Carter said the equipment would be moved around the region to help forces in Europe train better and be more mobile. "We intend to move those equipment sets around as exercises move around,'' he said. "They're not static." According to a fact-sheet provided by the US military, the deployment would include 250 tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles and self-propelled howitzer artillery guns. Mr Carter's announcement is the latest in a battery of measures intended to reassure Nato allies in the face of a resurgent Russia. In 2013, the last US tanks left Europe - part of the draw-down at the end of the Cold War. About a year later, small numbers were sent back to a training range in Germany, but now much more significant numbers of armoured vehicles are being deployed. In an effort to spread the reassurance as widely as possible, the tanks and other combat vehicles will go to seven countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. This may be intended to send a signal to Moscow as well; penny packets of vehicles dispersed to a number of countries may look less threatening than a full armoured brigade in a single location.