Mass Prison Breakout In DR Congo

May 18, 2017 / By Armoured Cars / In security

More than 3,000 prisoners are believed to have escaped the main prison in Democratic Republic of Congo, security sources report.

The authorities say only around 50 prisoners got away when armed men attacked the prison on Wednesday.

The security sources also said dozens of people were killed during the attack on Makala prison. Ne Muanda Nsemi, leader of the political-religious sect Bundu Dia Kongo, is among those who escaped.

Suspect Arrested Over PC Fletcher Shooting Released Without Charge

May 17, 2017 / By Armoured Cars / In security

A man arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder PC Yvonne Fletcher three decades ago has been released without charge.

The officer died in April 1984 after shots were fired from the Libyan Embassy in London at a protest outside.

A man in his 50s, arrested in November 2015, was released from police bail on Tuesday due to "insufficient admissible evidence", Scotland Yard said. PC Fletcher's family said they were "deeply disappointed and frustrated".

UN Begin Syria Peace Talks In Geneva

May 17, 2017 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The United Nations has convened a new round of indirect Syrian peace talks in Geneva, despite President Bashar al-Assad dismissing them as irrelevant.

The government and opposition have agreed to discuss four "baskets" - a political transition, new constitution, elections and combating terrorism.

Mr Assad has said "nothing substantial" will come out of the talks. But UN envoy Staffan de Mistura insists that the government's 18-strong delegation is in Switzerland "to work".

North Korea May Be Linked To Ransomeware

May 16, 2017 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Who was behind the huge global cyber-attack? One prominent theory right now is North Korea - but what we know is far from conclusive.

You may not have heard of the Lazarus Group, but you may be aware of its work. The devastating hack on Sony Pictures in 2014, and another on a Bangladeshi bank in 2016, have both been attributed to the highly sophisticated group.

It is widely believed that the Lazarus Group worked out of China, but on behalf of the North Koreans.

Mexican Reporter Shot Dead

May 16, 2017 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Mexican journalist Javier Valdez, known for his award-winning coverage of the drug trade, has been shot dead.

Unidentified attackers opened fire on him on Monday in Culiacan city in the north-western state of Sinaloa, where he lived and worked.

Valdez, 50, received the International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in 2011 for his work. He is one of several journalists who have been killed in Mexico this year.

Valdez was shot dead on the street near the premises of the Mexican news weekly he had founded, Ríodoce.

New Missile Launched By North Korea

May 15, 2017 / By Armoured Cars / In security

North Korea has claimed that the missile it tested on Sunday was a new type of rocket capable of carrying a large nuclear warhead.

The missile, launched at a steep angle, reached an altitude of 2,000km (1,242 miles) and travelled about 700km, landing in the sea west of Japan.

North Korea said on Monday it was a test of the abilities of a "newly developed ballistic rocket".

150 Countries Hit By Cyber Attack So Far

May 15, 2017 / By Armoured Cars / In security

A cyber-attack that has hit 150 countries since Friday should be treated by governments around the world as a "wake-up call", Microsoft says.

It blamed governments for storing data on software vulnerabilities which could then be accessed by hackers. It says the latest virus exploits a flaw in Microsoft Windows identified by, and stolen from, US intelligence.

There are fears of more "ransomware" attacks as people begin work on Monday, although few have been reported so far.

Bomb Blast In Pakistan Leaves 17 Dead

May 12, 2017 / By Armoured Cars / In security

At least 17 people have been killed in an explosion in Pakistan's Balochistan province which appears to have targeted a top lawmaker.

The blast took place near a convoy carrying Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, the deputy chairman of Pakistan's upper house, as it left a mosque in Mastung.

Police official Safar Khan told AFP news agency it was not clear whether it was a bomb or a suicide attack. Many other people were reported to have been injured in the blast.

Crackdown On Knife Crime In Schools Produces More Than 2000 Weapons

May 12, 2017 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Samurai swords, axes and air guns are among the 2,579 weapons seized from schools in England and Wales, Freedom of Information requests have shown.

Press Association analysis of data from 32 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales said the weapons had been found in two years to March 2017.

Police chiefs said there had been a "worrying" increase in young people carrying knives.

There are about 25,850 schools in England and Wales.

Turkey Not Happy With The US Arming Syrian Kurds

May 11, 2017 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Turkey has called on the US to reverse its decision to arm Syrian Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) fighters battling so-called Islamic State.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the fight against the jihadists should not involve "another terrorist group".

Ankara considers the YPG an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish autonomy in Turkey for three decades.