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Baroness Thatcher funeral details

April 10, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The funeral of Baroness Thatcher, the first female UK prime minister, will be along the same lines as those of Diana, Princess of Wales, and the Queen Mother.

She has been awarded a ceremonial funeral with military honours which will take place on Wednesday, 17 April, at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

It will be the first time the Queen has attended the funeral of a British prime minister since that of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965.

On the day before the funeral, Baroness Thatcher’s coffin will be moved to the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster. There will be a short service following its arrival and the coffin will stay there overnight.

Syria crisis top of agenda at G8 ministers meeting

April 10, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Foreign Secretary William Hague has said the crisis in Syria will be at the “top of the agenda” when G8 foreign ministers meet in London this week.

He has warned that the “situation in Syria continues to get worse”.

Mr Hague said that top of his “personal agenda” is another initiative, to end a “culture of impunity” over sexual violence and abuse during war.

Foreign ministers from the G8 nations are starting two days of talks in London before the G8 summit in June.

Mr Hague will meet with the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States, on Wednesday and Thursday.

South Korea raises alert with North to vital threat

April 10, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

South Korea has raised its alert level to “vital threat” amid indications the North is preparing for a missile test.

At least one ballistic missile with an estimated 3,000km (2,000-mile) range is fuelled and ready for launch, US and South Korean sources say.

Pyongyang has been making bellicose threats against South Korea, Japan and US bases in the region.

The threats follow tough new UN sanctions imposed on North Korea last month after its third nuclear test.

Separately, an initial investigation by the South into a major cyber attack last month that affected a number of banks and broadcasters has said the North is to blame.

Margaret Thatcher Dies Following A Stroke

April 8, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Margaret Thatcher, who has died following a stroke, was one of the most influential political figures of the 20th Century.

Her legacy had a profound effect upon the policies of her successors, both Conservative and Labour, while her radical and sometimes confrontational approach defined her 11-year period at No 10.

Her term in office saw thousands of ordinary voters gaining a stake in society, buying their council houses and eagerly snapping up shares in the newly privatised industries such as British Gas and BT.

But her rejection of consensus politics made her a divisive figure and opposition to her policies and her style of government led eventually to rebellion inside her party and unrest on the streets.

Father’s influence

Margaret Hilda Thatcher was born on 13 October 1925 in Grantham, Lincolnshire, the daughter of Alfred Roberts, a grocer, and his wife, Beatrice.

Her father, a Methodist lay preacher and local councillor, had an immense influence on her life and the policies she would adopt.

William Hague and Angelina Jolie visit Kigali Memorial to honour victims of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide

March 27, 2013 / By Armoured Cars / In security

26 Mar 13 – UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie this morning visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Rwanda’s capital to honour the memory of all those murdered in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.

The Memorial was established in 2004 by the UK-based Aegis Trust for genocide prevention, working in partnership with survivors and the Rwandan authorities. Today it plays a key role in peace-building education, bringing together children of survivors and perpetrators to help strengthen community stability and resilience against the potential for violence in the future. The British Government is looking to support that work, which was profiled in the Guardian last week. Aegis also provides essential support to survivors of the genocide in greatest need; orphans, widows and gang-rape victims among them.

In just a 100 days, from April to July 1994, a million Rwandans were murdered simply because they were identified as ethnically Tutsi. UN peacekeepers were in Rwanda at the start of the genocide, but instead of being reinforced and mandated to stop the killing, much of the force was withdrawn. It has come to be regarded as one of the international community’s worst failures in modern times to protect people at risk of mass atrocities.