It seemed like a curious question to pose to a presidential candidate. But given current events, it wasn't totally irrelevant. During last week's debate among Democratic candidates for president, NBC News anchor Brian Williams asked for a show of hands: How many had ever kept a gun in their home? After the massacre of 32 innocent people at Virginia Tech University by a deranged gunman, it seemed like a timely — albeit "loaded" — question for the men and woman... (GunPolicy.org)

Guns don't kill people, people do. Expect to hear this refrain as the US National Rifle Association locks horns with gun-control advocates in the wake of the Virginia Tech massacre. While this atrocity was the work of a seriously disturbed person (see "Warning signs on the road to violence"), also significant were the weapons used by Cho Seung-Hui: semi-automatic pistols capable of rapid fire. Mass killers plan their rampages, and most choose semi-automatic handguns... (GunPolicy.org)

Prosecutors yesterday dismissed the case against a top aide to Sen. James Webb who was accused of bringing a loaded pistol into the Russell Senate Office Building. Phillip Thompson, executive assistant to Webb (D-Va.), had been charged with carrying a pistol without a license after Capitol Police found the loaded gun and ammunition March 26 during a routine screening of his briefcase. Thompson said that Webb owned the weapon and that he did not realize he was carrying... (GunPolicy.org)

RIYADH, Asharq Al-Awsat — The Saudi Ministry of Interior has doubled the duration of licenses to own or carry a weapon to ten years [for individuals] and to five years for marksmanship clubs and stores that sell weapons under a new bill for arms and ammunition. The bill which was approved recently by the Interior Minister, Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz, has specified that the age for practicing shooting at clubs would be set at 18 and a license to own and carry a weapon... (GunPolicy.org)

The new Cabinet's decree for confiscating medium and heavy sized weapons from individuals and controlling personal weapons is to be implemented within two weeks, announced Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Dr. Rashad al-Alimi on Thursday. Over the coming days, we'll be implementing the system of protecting senior officials, and treating the issue of personal weapons and collecting the medium and heavy sized weapons from all over the country, the Minister... (GunPolicy.org)