Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva tightened restrictions on firearms access by decree Friday. The executive order reverses his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro's regulations that expanded gun ownership in the country. Lula's decree reduces the number of guns civilians can possess for personal safety from four to two, and reduces the allowed ammunition for each gun from 200 rounds to 50. It asks civilians for documentation to prove their need for guns and bars them from owning 9 mm pistols, restricting them to members of the police and military. 'We will continue to fight for fewer weapons,' says Lula "It's one thing for the regular citizen to have a gun at home for his protection, as a guarantee, because some people think this is safety. Let them have it," Lula said Friday. "But we cannot allow gun arsenals to be in people's hands," Lula said. "We will continue to fight for fewer weapons in our country. Only the police and the army must be well-armed," he added. The right to bear arms is not a constitutional guarantee in Brazil as it is in the United States, though Bolsonaro, a far right politician, greatly loosed restrictions during his time in office between 2019 and 2022. Tens of thousands applied for gun permits during Bolsonaro years The number of gun permits issued during Bolsonaro's presidency sharply increased to 2.9 million in a country of 214 million, according to Instituto Sou da Paz, a non-profit that monitors public security. The high numbers of new guns did not lead to a feared rise in violent crime, as the country has one of the world's highest homicide rates. The number of homicides during Bolsonaro's last year in office, in 2022, was at about 47,500 and roughly even with the 2019 rate, a report released by the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety (FBSP) on Thursday said. Lula's government is encouraging citizens to sell firearms not allowed under new rules before the end of the year. If people don't, their guns will be confiscated by police.

US President Joe Biden has called for a ban on assault weapons as the US marked a year since the Uvalde massacre where 21 lives were lost. A commemoration event was later held in the city where hundreds had gathered. The US on Wednesday marked one year since the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, where 21 lives were lost.  President Joe Biden used the occasion to reiterate his call for a ban on AR-15 assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, emphasizing that too many schools and public spaces have become sites of senseless violence. "I realize this is a really tough day for all the families. Remembering is important, but it's also painful," said Biden. "We know one year later, this is still so raw for you. You'll miss birthdays and holidays, school plays, soccer games. Just that smile. A year of everyday joy, just gone forever," he said addressing a gathering with First Lady Jill Biden. He delivered the remarks in front of a display with 21 candles, one for each victim, with a white rose and satin ribbons in school colors that displayed each victim's name and age. Memories honored A larger commemoration event took place at an outdoor amphitheater near Robb Elementary School, where the devastating shooting occurred on May 24, 2022. Hundreds honored the memory of the 19 school children and two teachers who tragically lost their lives in the deadliest shooting in nearly a decade. The Texas legislature paused for a few moments of silence at 11:30 a.m. CDT, the time the shooter entered the school. Law enforcement officials had been criticized for their delayed response, as they waited for over an hour before entering the classroom where the gunman had opened fire. During this period, the children inside repeatedly called emergency services for assistance. Eventually, the police charged into the classroom and fatally shot the suspect, bringing an end to the assault. On Wednesday evening, hundreds gathered at Uvalde Memorial Park for prayers and songs to mark one year since the tragedy. The event commenced with attendees releasing butterflies into the air from white envelopes, symbolizing hope and renewal. As the sun began to set, young survivors of the shooting led the gathering in lighting candles, creating a solemn and contemplative atmosphere. The vigil was organized by Lives Robbed, a group established to provide support to the families of the Uvalde victims and advocate for enhanced firearms safety measures. Renewed call for gun control President Biden stressed the urgency of enacting common-sense gun safety laws at both the federal and state levels. He emphasized the need to keep weapons of war out of the hands of dangerous individuals, urging Congress and state legislatures to take action. The killings, along with another mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, initiated a bipartisan legislation. The law toughened background checks for the youngest gun buyers, and sought to keep firearms from domestic violence offenders and to help states put in place red flag laws that make it easier for authorities to take weapons away from people adjudged to be dangerous. In 2020, more children and teenagers in the United States lost their lives to firearms than any other cause, as reported by researchers from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, analyzing US government mortality data.

Politicians have questioned why the gunman's weapon wasn't confiscated after concerns were raised about his psychological health. The shooting at a Jehovah's Witness hall left eight people dead. A debate has erupted in Germany over the effectiveness of the country's gun control laws after this week's mass shooting at the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall in the northern city of Hamburg. On Thursday evening, Philipp F., a 35-year-old German citizen and a former member of the congregation, went on a shooting spree and killed eight people, including himself. The police said the motive for the crime remains unknown. Authorities had received an anonymous tipoff that the perpetrator might have psychological issues but the police gave him the all-clear during a surprise visit to his property. What are politicians saying? On Saturday, several German politicians demanded urgent reviews of restrictions on weapons ownership, including Marcel Emmerich, the interior affairs expert of the Greens Party in parliament. "This terrible act has shown that legal gun owners can use their guns to do bad things in this society," Emmerich told public broadcaster NDR Info. "Fewer guns in private hands ensure more public safety." At present, Germany requires only those under 25 to undergo medical or psychological assessments before being granted a gun license, which another Greens Party lawmaker, Irene Mihalic, told the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND) was "more than questionable." "As firearms are dangerous to life in the wrong hands, all applicants should be required to provide such reports, regardless of age. Appropriate aptitude tests should also actually have to be repeated at regular intervals," she added. Sebastian Hartmann, the interior spokesperson for the Social Democrats (SPD) in parliament, told the RND that any reform of gun-control legislation must strengthen the authority to confiscate weapons as well as improve the exchange of data about owners. Other politicians were keen to avoid a knee-jerk reaction, saying that current legislation is already strong enough. "Mentally ill persons are not allowed to possess firearms. It is good and right that the weapons law already unambiguously regulates this today," Konstantin Kuhle, deputy chair of the business-friendly FDP parliamentary group, told the German news agency DPA. Therefore, "hasty demands for legislative consequences" are "not necessary," he added. In a separate interview with the Funke media group, Kuhle questioned why police refrained from revoking the weapons permit from the Hamburg shooter. Jochen Kopelke, chairman of the GdP police union, said that the "perceived increasing number of [shooting] incidents" in Germany made it imperative to tighten laws speedily rather than conduct a systematic review that could take too long. "Medical establishments must prioritize and quickly process documents related to weapons controls. Nowhere should there be delays due to staff shortages or long data protection processes," Kopelke added. Draft law devised after Halle and Hanau shootings Interior Minister Nancy Faeser had already presented a draft of new gun control legislation in January, prompted by recent deadly shooting incidents in Germany. The perpetrator of the 2020 Hanau shooting was a schizophrenic far-right extremist who was found to have legally owned several pistols. Eleven people were killed and five others were wounded in the rampage at a shisha bar, another bar and a kiosk. The gunman behind the Halle shooting in October 2019 built his own firearms, some with plastic parts from a 3D printer. Two people were killed and two others injured near a synagogue. The proposed reforms include a ban for private citizens on semi-automatic weapons, similar to military weapons or the AR-15 and its replicas. The term "semi-automatic" refers to the loading process in which a bullet is fired when the trigger is pulled and the weapon is then automatically reloaded. Such weapons are regularly used in mass shootings in the United States, while in Germany the number is still limited. Faeser promises to fill 'gaps' in gun laws Faeser told ARD's Tagesthemen (Daily Topics) program on Friday night that she wanted to revisit the proposals for possible "gaps." In the future, when an application is made for a weapon possession card, it should be checked "whether someone is psychologically suitable," she said, adding that better coordination between authorities was necessary. The proposed reforms would also abolish the age limit for medical or psychological tests, meaning all applicants for gun licenses would be required to undergo them at their own expense. However, the murder weapon used in Hamburg, a semi-automatic pistol, would not fall under the ban. The alleged perpetrator was registered as a sports shooter and legally owned the weapon.

Two security personnel were martyred on Thursday when unknown gunmen opened fire on a security check-post on Chaman Roghani Road. According to police sources, unknown armed motorcyclists opened indiscriminate fires at the security personnel on Roghani Road near Chaman, as a result of which two security personnel reportedly martyred. After the attack, the unknown motorcyclists managed to flee. Security forces reached the site immediately after the incident and cordoned off the area while a search operation was underway to arrest the culprits.

This year has been productive and peaceful for border residents who otherwise would fear for their lives. Thanks to the ceasefire between armies of India and Pakistan, the residents have seen peace after long with ‘only one violation’ to the truce this year. While peace has brought tourists to these mountainous areas, militants with backing of Pakistan are making attempts to infiltrate. According to data from the defence ministry, Pakistan’s attempts to push in terrorists have resulted in 12 infiltration attempts being foiled along the Line of Control. “Eighteen foreign terrorists were eliminated in these attempts and large quantities of arms and ammunition recovered,” it said. Contrastingly, it is nothing compared to 4,645 ceasefire violations in 2020. But the main worry for security forces remains the intrusion of drones into Indian Territory along the borders. About 22 attempts of drone infiltration have been made by Pakistan so far this year in Jammu region, according to Border security force (BSF). Else, the border areas were brimming with tourists with visitors mesmerised by the adventure tourism the peaks offer. Gurez and Bungus have emerged as top notch destinations with both places witnessing events to usher tourists there. The picturesque Gurez valley, which was known for mortar shelling and firing, bagged the best offbeat destination award in India. It got the gold award from “Outlook Traveller Magzine” at Delhi. The valley saw Horse Polo game almost after six decades, reviving memories of the good old peaceful era. Besides, the Bollywood set its foot in Gurez for shooting a movie ‘Chahiye Thoda Pyaar’ for the first time in the history. Locals are upbeat peace should continue as it has allowed them to venture into fields without fear of getting killed or maimed. Farmers along the LoC said that they have been able to tend to their land including plots beyond the barbed wires. “Since the beginning of this year as things remain normal and peaceful, a new dawn of development has started in all the areas close to the Line of Control,” Mohammad Ashraf, a border resident of Karnah district of Kupwara. Similarly, other residents of Karnah, Gurez, Uri and other border villages said that throwing open their areas for tourists has brought a sea change in their lives. A border resident Mohd Bani of Rajouri said that this year the tourists arrived in their areas because of the prevailing peace and it should continue. He said that repairs to damaged infrastructure including schools and residential structures could take place this year. Amid this, locals are happy the return of peace allowed them to celebrate their marriages. In Kashmir alone, two hundreds and seventy marriages took place in border areas amid peace.  Source: Good Morning Kashmir 

The new gun law will "save a lot of lives," US President Joe Biden said after signing off on the reform. But he warned there was still plenty of work to be done.US President Joe Biden on Saturday signed the first major federal gun reform law in three decades, hailing the new legislation as monumental in view of the huge political divisions over gun control that prevail in the country. His signing of the gun safety bill comes just days after the Supreme Court ruled that the US Constitution protected the right for people to carry handguns in public for self-defense. It also comes a month after a mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers. It was the 27th school shooting to cause death or injury in the US this year, according to the data gathered by Education Week newspaper. What does the new law stipulate? The new gun safety legislation, which was passed with both Democrat and Republican support, includes enhanced background checks for younger buyers, allowing access to information on significant crimes they may have committed. It also has provisions for giving federal money to states that introduce red flag laws, i.e. laws that allow courts to temporarily remove weapons from those considered a threat. In addition, it has stipulations aimed at curbing illegal gun sales, placing stricter penalties on traffickers and those who purchase guns on behalf of others. The law will also restrict gun sales to people convicted of domestic violence in the context of any continuing intimate relationships. Under current law, a person is only barred from purchasing a gun if they are convicted of domestic violence while married to, living with or if they have a child with the victim. However, the law does not ban sales of assault-style rifles or high-capacity magazines, which Biden called for earlier this month. Mandatory background checks on all gun purchases, a measure that Biden and Democrats had hoped to include in the bill, was also lacking. Biden: I’m never going to give up  At the signing, Biden said, While this bill doesn’t do everything I want, it does include actions I’ve long called for that are going to save lives. When it seems impossible to get anything done in Washington, we are doing something consequential, he added. I know there’s much more work to do and I’m never going to give up. The United States has the highest rates of gun ownership and mass shootings among the world’s wealthy nations. On Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected as unconstitutional New York state’s limits, introduced in 1913, on carrying concealed handguns in public. It is expected that the judges 6-3 decision could ultimately allow more people to legally carry guns on the streets of New York and other large cities such as Los Angeles and Boston.  

Thousands of people took to the streets in the United States on Saturday to push for action on the devastating gun violence plaguing the country, where Republican politicians have repeatedly blocked efforts to enact stricter firearms laws.     Protesters of all ages streamed onto the National Mall in Washington, where activists placed more than 45,000 white vases holding flowers -- one for each person killed by a firearm in the United States in 2020.     "Protect People Not Guns," said one sign held by a protester near the Washington Monument. "Fear Has No Place In Schools," read another.     Two horrific shootings last month -- one at a Texas elementary school that killed 19 children and two teachers, and another at a New York supermarket that left 10 Black people dead -- helped spur the rallies, organized by March For Our Lives.     The student-led organization, founded by survivors of a shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, held a rally that drew hundreds of thousands of people to the nation's capital in March 2018.     Four years later, the demonstration was marked by frustration at the lack of progress.     "Enough is enough" rang out repeatedly from the podium, with speakers including Parkland survivor X Gonzalez and Martin Luther King Jr's granddaughter Yolanda King.     "We are here to demand justice," said Garnell Whitfield, whose 86-year-old mother was killed in the racially motivated supermarket shooting in Buffalo, New York on May 14.     "We are here to stand with those who are bold enough to demand sensible gun legislation."     - Widespread outrage, little change -     The problem of gun violence in the United States -- which has killed more than 19,300 people so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive -- goes far beyond high-profile mass killings, with more than half of those deaths due to suicide.     Outside of Washington, hundreds of other demonstrations were planned around the country Saturday, including in Parkland, where protesters carried signs with messages such as "Am I Next?"     Thousands also turned out in New York City. In Brooklyn, white crosses were erected for the children killed in Uvalde and portraits of those killed in Buffalo fastened to shopping carts.     Ease of access to firearms, and mental health problems that can lead to them being used in attacks, have both been in the spotlight in the wake of the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.     The massacre was carried out by a gunman who bought two assault rifles shortly after turning 18.     Gun control advocates are calling for tighter restrictions or an outright ban on such rifles. But opponents have sought to cast mass shootings as primarily a mental health issue, not a weapons problem.     Gerald Mendes, a physical education teacher in Texas who joined the rally in New York said he supports the US constitutional right to bear arms, but that "as far as AR-15s and weapons of war, we regular citizens don't need those."   The majority of Americans support tighter gun laws, but opposition from many Republican lawmakers has long been a hurdle to major changes.     "The will of the American people is being subverted by a minority," said Cynthia Martins, a 63-year-old resident of the US capital, referring to the Republican Party.     "There's a reason that we're still in this situation," she said.     - 'Fear that we live with everyday' -     Some lawmakers are trying to pass gun regulations.     The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives passed a broad package of proposals this week that included raising the purchasing age for most semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 -- but the party does not have the requisite 60 votes to advance it in the Senate.     A cross-party group of senators has also been working on a narrow collection of controls that could develop into the first serious attempt at gun regulation reform in decades.     But it does not include an assault weapons ban or universal background checks, meaning it will fall short of the expectations of President Joe Biden.     Faith Barrett, a teacher who traveled to the rally with her daughter, also a teacher, voiced the frustration shared by many on the Mall.     "We're still back in the same place," the 47-year-old said, voicing only "tentative" hope change would come.     Both she and her daughter have plans in place in case of a shooting at their school.     "Most teachers look at every single classroom they go into and think, where am I going to put my kids if something happens," Barrett said.     The spectre of gun violence also hung over the rally, where police and security forces had a heavy presence.     A moment of silence for the Uvalde victims was shaken by a brief panic when a disturbance near the stage sent people sprinting away in terror.     While the crowd quickly calmed and the man creating the disturbance was detained, with Park Police telling local media no weapons were found, some were left in shock and tears.   Fred Guttenberg, the father of a Parkland victim, took to the podium to ease the crowd.   "Unfortunately somebody decided to show up and put the fear that we live with everyday to life." Source: AFP/BSS AH

President Joe Biden on Thursday branded US gun violence an “epidemic” and an “international embarrassment” at a White House ceremony to unveil his first attempt at getting the problem under control. “This is an epidemic, for God’s sake, and it has to stop,” he said, calling shootings “a public health crisis.” “It’s an international embarrassment,” the Democrat, flanked by Attorney General Merrick Garland and Vice President Kamala Harris, told Congress members and gun control activists in the Rose Garden. “Enough prayers,” Biden said. “Time for some action.” Several hours after Biden’s announcement, a gunman opened fire at a Texas cabinetry plant where he was employed, killing one person and sending four others to the hospital in critical condition. No motivation was immediately known. With Congress unable to agree on broad new gun regulations, like stricter background checks for gun buyers, Biden announced six executive measures which he said would help tamp down the crisis. Republicans immediately attacked the proposal, with the party’s senior leader in the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, warning of “unconstitutional overreach.” In addition to relatively modest moves on the politically hyper-sensitive issue, Biden used his Rose Garden speech to announce the nomination of David Chipman, a gun-control proponent and former law enforcement officer, as head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Reflecting the lack of unity in Washington around anything to do with firearms restrictions, the ATF — a key agency in the fight against gun violence — has not had a Senate-confirmed director since 2015. Biden’s six measures included a proposed rule to “stop proliferation of ghost guns,” as firearms built from home kits are known. The White House says these homemade weapons are especially of concern because they have no serial numbers and cannot be traced after being used in crimes. Another proposed rule will be tightening regulations on arm braces designed to stabilize pistols, a device used by the man who killed 10 people in a Colorado grocery store last month. Under the rule, pistols with braces would be classified as short-barreled rifles, putting them under stricter control. Other measures include boosting support for agencies involved in tackling community violence and ordering the first comprehensive report on firearms trafficking in the United States since 2000. Nearly 40,000 Americans die each year from shootings. While mass shootings like recent killings in Colorado, Georgia and California attract most attention, more than half of the annual death toll is due to suicide. – Biden: ban ‘assault weapons’ – Biden said his proposals were just a start and urged Congress to take on far-reaching measures, like added background checks and ending the sale of powerful rifles often used in mass killings. “I know that the conversation about guns in this country can be a difficult one. But even here, there is much more common ground than anyone would believe,” he said. “The idea that we have so many people dying every single day from gun violence in America is a blemish on our character as a nation.” Despite Biden’s appeal, there is ferocious opposition to banning powerful weapons like the AR-15, a semi-automatic resembling the US military M16 rifle. It has become notorious as both the tool of choice in many mass shootings and a hugely popular item for sports shooters and legal gun enthusiasts. Biden successfully backed an assault weapons ban in 1994 when he was a senator. The law expired a decade later, however, and has never been renewed, with Republicans increasingly rigid in opposing what they depict as an attack on the more than two centuries-old constitutional right of citizens to have weapons. “President Biden’s executive actions today do two things: appease the far left and infringe upon our Second Amendment right to bear arms,” Representative Robert Aderholt of Alabama tweeted, echoing the skepticism of numerous Republicans. “They want to take your guns,” said another Republican lawmaker, Ohio’s Jim Jordan. McCarthy vowed his party would “strongly oppose and pursue every option — be it legislative or judicial — to protect the right to keep and bear arms.” In March, after the shooting spree in Colorado, Biden said he wanted Congress to pass “common sense steps” to restrict firearms. But asked whether he could get enough votes, he replied: “I don’t know.” Source: AFP/BSS AH

Two members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were injured in a gun attack by Rohingya drug peddlers during an anti-narcotic drive at Noyapara Rohingya camp in Teknaf upazila in Cox’s Bazar on Monday afternoon. The injured are RAB sepoy Imran and Corporal Shahab Uddin of RAB-15 Crime Prevention Company (CPC). Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shah Alam, in-charge of RAB-15 CPC-2 Hoaikyang Camp, said a team of the elite force conducted a drive at the den of drug peddlers in Muchni Tower area in the afternoon. However, Rohingya terrorists opened fire on them, leaving the two members injured, he said. The injured were first taken to private clinic Marine City and later shifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) for better treatment. Dr Farhad Hossain said the bullet-hit RAB men were taken to their clinic around 5pm. “They suffered bullet wounds to the back of their waists,” he said. Sources at the Rohingya camp said the RAB team conducted the drive while Yaba tablets were being sold. The gun attack took place when they arrested a Rohingya drug dealer, Anwar Selim, 32. The Rohingya drug pushers fled after firing five rounds of bullets, they said. Source: UNB AH