Australia
2,400 Weapons Handed In to Victoria Police Firearm Amnesty
Australian Associated Press
19 Nov 2008
A cricket stump with screws sticking out of it and two historic 1840s pistols are among more than 2,400 weapons handed in to Victorian police during an amnesty. Guns, knives and other weapons, like a 19th century police sword, pistol silencer and numchuckers were handed in to Victorian police stations during October. Police gave people the opportunity to hand in unwanted, unregistered or illegal weapons without questions being asked or any danger of penalty or prosecution. The pistols from the 1840s were handed into Werribee police station, west of Melbourne, and an anti-tank rifle from World War II was surrendered at Oakleigh in south-east... ( gunpolicy.org )
China
Airgun Dealers 'Dealt Heavy Blow,' 1,000 Web Sites Shut Down in China
Chinadaily.com.cn
19 Nov 2008
A total of 381 people have been arrested and more than 1,000 websites have been shut down for advertising guns for sale on the black market, the Ministry of Public Security said yesterday. Also, about 120,000 related Web pages have been deleted, following a crackdown between August and October, it said on its website. Chinese law forbids any organization or citizen to purchase or trade in guns and ammunition. Such weapons, under license, are permitted only in areas that have wild animals, such as at hunting lodges and gun clubs. Under the Law on Control of Guns and the Criminal Law, people who illegally trade in arms face a minimum of three... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Arizona Boy, 8, Admits Shooting Dad, Neighbor in Police Video
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
19 Nov 2008
ST. JOHNS, Arizona -- An 8-year-old boy accused in the shooting deaths of his father and another man said in a police interview released Tuesday that he did not fire the first shots at the men but later shot them so they wouldn't suffer. The boy gives conflicting accounts of the shootings during an hourlong video of his interview with authorities in St. Johns, but the video ends with him admitting to pulling the trigger. He then buries his head in his jacket. "I'm going to go to juvie," the boy says after an officer asks what he's thinking. The boy has been charged in juvenile court with two counts of murder in the deaths of his father, Vincent... ( gunpolicy.org )
Ireland
Civilian Possession of Semi Automatic Pistols to be Banned in Ireland
Herald (Ireland)
19 Nov 2008
Civilian ownership of semi automatic pistols, such as the Glock, is to be banned under a new move by Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern. There are currently 1,900 legally held handguns, up from a handful in 2004. The number of handgun licences has mushroomed in recent years, following successful court challenges by shooting groups. Mr Ahern told the Dail last night that he would bring forward legislation to deal with the handguns issue. A source close to the minister stressed today: "This is not a measure to tackle gangland crime. It's a totally separate issue. "The Minister understands there is no connection between gangland crime and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Ireland
Dublin Outlines Law to Follow UK, Ban Licensed Handguns in Ireland
Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Dublin), Media release
19 Nov 2008
The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr. Dermot Ahern, T.D. today outlined his proposals to ban licensed handguns. The Minister said the handgun ban would be included in legislation currently being prepared which will be published shortly. Minister Ahern said: "Since being appointed, I have made clear my growing concern at the number and type of handguns being licensed. "From the early 1970s, in the light of the Troubles, until 2004, all handguns were banned in this jurisdiction. But following a series of judicial decisions that is no longer the case and about 1800 handguns have been licensed. There was no public policy decision... ( gunpolicy.org )
Sudan
Effective Collection, Destruction of Illegal Guns Surprises Many in Sudan
Sudan Tribune
19 Nov 2008
BOR TOWN -- At least 1700 arms have been collected in Jonglei County of Pibor, a survey by SPLM reveals. The collection makes the County more likely responsive to disarmament campaigns which commenced on June 1st 2008 in Southern Sudan. Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) Jonglei secretariat, during a visit to Pibor early November, 2008, found that the County collected 1752 small arms. Pibor Member of Parliament to South Sudan Legislative Assembly, Ismail Konyi and Commissioner Akot Maze, who are believed to have invested in disarmament campaigns, pledge progressive efforts, SPLM information office disclosed. Southern Sudan laughed massive disarmament... ( gunpolicy.org )
Israel, United States
Founder of Israeli NRA Aims to Import American Gun Lobby, Gun Culture
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
19 Nov 2008
While the gun lobby in the United States took a setback last week with the election of Barack Obama, who supports the ban of assault weapons, a group of Israeli-Americans are now trying to ease restrictions on gun ownership here in Israel. Modeled and named after the powerful but controversial Virginia-based National Rifle Association, it is unclear whether the Israeli NRA will be able to gather enough support to be in any way influential. Several experts have already voiced criticism of the group's agenda. "You hear about mob shootings in Netanya, where innocent people get killed, you hear about people being attacked with knives, with guns, with bulldozers,"... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria
Major, 5 Others Get Life for Selling 7000 Army Guns to Nigerian Militants
Leadership (Abuja)
19 Nov 2008
ABUJA -- A ten-man military court martial headed by Brig-Gen. Bala Usara, yesterday in Kaduna, sentenced Major Sulaiman Alabi Akubo and five other soldiers to life imprisonment for illegally selling arms worth over N100 million to Niger Delta militants. Other soldiers who shared Akubo's fate in the deal that involved over 7000 arms of various descriptions are Sergeant Matthias Peters, Lance Corporal Alexander Davou, Lance Corporal Moses Nwaigwe, Lance Corporal Nnamdi Anene and Private Caleb Bawa. The Court martial also demoted Corporal Kola David and Aliyu Mohammed, who were tried with the convicted officers, but whose involvement was peripheral, to... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria
Nigerian Soldiers Jailed for Life for Selling 7000 Guns, RPGs to Rebels
Voice of America, Transcript
19 Nov 2008
ABUJA -- Six Nigerian soldiers have been sentenced to life imprisonment for selling guns and other weapons to militants and criminals in the Niger Delta. Prosecutors said the arms sales had contributed to the violence in the oil-rich region. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa filed this report from Abuja. Security experts and rights groups have long accused some members of the security forces of secretly selling arms to militants and criminals in the Niger Delta. A Nigerian army panel, which sat in the northern city of Kaduna, convicted the six soldiers for theft of 7,000 military assault rifles, sub-machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades between 2003 and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pittsburgh Faces Uphill Battle to Enact Gun Theft Law, Curb Trafficking
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh)
19 Nov 2008
It might be unconstitutional and unenforceable, but Pittsburgh City Council members said they intend to fight for passage of a law that would punish gun owners who fail to report lost or stolen guns within 24 hours. "This is not going to be the end of the world (for gun owners)," Councilman Doug Shields said Tuesday during a meeting in council chambers, Downtown. "This is common-sense regulation of the world's most dangerous consumer product." A public hearing on the legislation will be held in the chambers at 10 a.m. Thursday. Council could vote on the ordinance later this month. The legislation targets handgun "straw purchasers," people with... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Dad Drank Vodka, Cleaned Handgun, Killed 6yr-old Daughter - Police
Associated Press
19 Nov 2008
MARYSVILLE, Washington -- A father arrested after his 6-year-old daughter was fatally shot in their Washington state home allegedly told authorities he had been drinking double shots of vodka while cleaning his guns. Court papers say Richard Peters told detectives he had asked his daughter, Stormy, to bring him the .45-caliber handgun Sunday. He said he must have pulled the trigger, and the girl fell to the floor. She was pronounced dead Monday. Bail for Peters, 42, was set Monday at $250,000. He has been arrested for investigation of first-degree manslaughter. His attorney, Annika Carlsten, requested that Peters be released from jail, The Herald... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Serbia
US Gun Maker's 35% Sales Drop Kills Imports of Serbian Firearms
B92 Radio/Tanjug (Belgrade)
19 Nov 2008
KRAGUJEVAC, Serbia -- U.S. gunmaker Remington has suspended until further notice its cooperation with the Zastava Oruje (Zastava Arms). The decision came due the global financial crisis and the U.S. company's 35 percent sales drop, Zastava Oruje Director Rade Gromovic told Tanjug on Wednesday. "Remington informed us that they cannot meet their contractual obligations and proposed that we continue exporting to the U.S. market via their partner, European America, with whom we are negotiating to define the form of cooperation in December," Gromovic stated. According to him, over the past three years, the Kragujevac-based weapons manufacturer... ( gunpolicy.org )
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