York fights Leicester for right to Richard III remains

February 7, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

A campaign for Richard III's remains to be placed at York Minster is gathering force after it was confirmed a skeleton buried under a Leicester car park is that of the former king.

Richard, the last monarch of the House of York, grew up at Middleham Castle in the Yorkshire Dales and visited York several times during his short reign.

He funded the fourth floor of Monk Bar, the city's 14th Century gateway, and a small museum dedicated to him can be found within its walls.

Some historians believe Richard even planned to be buried at York Minster.

Iran President Ahmadinejad begins historic Egypt visit

February 7, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In Egypt

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has become the first Iranian president to visit Egypt since the Islamic revolution in 1979.

Mr Ahmadinejad is in Cairo for a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, which begins on Wednesday.

After arriving on Tuesday, he discussed with Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi ways to end the bloodshed in Syria and strengthen relations, officials said.

Mr Ahmadinejad was later warned by Egypt's top Sunni Muslim cleric not to meddle in the affairs of Gulf states.

American Sniper author Chris Kyle shot dead in Texas

February 7, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In america

Iraq veteran and ex-US Navy seal Chris Kyle, known as the deadliest sniper in US history, has been shot dead on a Texas shooting range, reports say.

His body was found at Rough Creek Lodge range on Saturday along with that of his neighbour, Chad Littlefield.

Iraq war veteran Eddie Ray Routh, 25, has been charged with murdering both. Mr Kyle, 38, wrote the 2012 bestseller American Sniper, about the psychology of a sniper, in which he said that he had killed more than 250 people. He served four tours of duty in Iraq and was decorated for bravery.

'The Devil'

G4S outsourcing deal with police forces collapses

February 3, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In G4S

A plan by three police forces to outsource services to a private firm has collapsed after Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) rejected it.

Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire forces were looking at contracting G4S to provide joint IT and human resources.

Instead the forces said they would increase their internal collaboration.

Mali crisis: 330 UK military personnel sent to West Africa

February 3, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In Mali

The UK is to deploy about 330 military personnel to Mali and West Africa to support French forces, No 10 has said.

This includes as many as 40 military advisers who will train soldiers in Mali, and 200 British soldiers to be sent to neighbouring African countries, also to help train the Malian army.

French-led forces are continuing their offensive against Islamist militants who seized northern Mali last year.

International donors have pledged $455.53m (£289m) to tackle militants.

Iraqis claim British troops 'acted with brutality'

February 3, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In Iraq

Allegations that British troops carried out "terrifying acts of brutality" against Iraqi civilians have been made in the High Court.

They were made by lawyers representing 192 Iraqis asking for a public inquiry into British detention practices between 2003 and 2008.

The court will decide whether alleged mistreatment was "systemic".

It will also consider whether an inquiry set up by the defence ministry is independent enough to investigate.

The hearing before two judges is expected to last three days.

Suicide blast by offices of Somalia president and PM

February 3, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In Somalia

Two security guards have been killed in a suicide attack near the offices of Somalia's president and prime minister.

Three other guards were also wounded when the assailant blew himself up at a checkpoint near the compound housing the offices in the capital, Mogadishu. The bomber was an ex-Islamist militant recently sacked from his job in the intelligence services, officials said. Militants aligned to al-Qaeda have lost control of major towns in the last 18 months but still carry out attacks.

British embassy in Tripoli aware of potential threat

February 3, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In Libya

The British embassy in Libyan capital, Tripoli, has said it was aware of "a potential threat" against it.

It comes days after Britons were urged to leave the Libyan city of Benghazi because of a threat to Westerners.

The UK Foreign Office said: "We are aware of reports of a potential threat against the British embassy in Tripoli and we are liaising closely with the Libyan government."

It already recommends against all but essential travel to Tripoli.

"There is no change to our travel advice," the FCO said.

It gave no further details about the potential threat.

Al-Qaeda in North Africa

January 24, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In Al-Qaede

Al-Qaeda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), to give its full name in English, has its roots in the bitter Algerian civil war of the early 1990s, but has since evolved to take on a more international Islamist agenda.

Its reach has also expanded across the Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert, attracting members from Mauritania, Morocco, Niger and Senegal as well as from within Mali where, in alliance with other Islamists, it is fighting French troops on the ground.

Prince Harry longs for family time on Afghanistan return

January 24, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Prince Harry says he is "longing" to spend some time with his family after arriving back in Britain following his 20-week deployment in Afghanistan.

He said he had enjoyed "blue sky" and "a bit of comedy" during a period of "decompression" at a base in Cyprus.

Speaking at RAF Brize Norton, in Oxfordshire, he said he was hoping to "take on more royal stuff" in 2013.

Earlier this week he said he had shot at Taliban insurgents while an Apache helicopter co-pilot gunner.