Mikhail Kalashnikov, the designer of the assault rifle that has killed more people than any other firearm in the world, died on Monday aged 94, Russian officials said. Kalashnikov, who was in his 20s when he created the AK-47 just after World War Two, died in his home city of Izhevsk near the Ural Mountains. The AK-47, which rarely jams even in adverse conditions, went into service in the Soviet armed forces in 1949. Known as the weapon of choice for guerrillas, the gun and its imitations have been used in conflicts around the world for decades.—Reuters