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US weapons may be falling into Taliban hands
Weapons and ordnance sent by the US to Afghanistan may be falling into the hands of the Taliban, according to an investigation by the New York Times. According to the newspaper, of 30 rifle magazines recently collected from dead Taliban fighters, at least 17 contained cartridges identical to ammunition provided by the US to Afghan government forces.

Aid and arms: Same firms transport both
Air cargo companies involved in illicit arms transfers to Africa have also been repeatedly contracted to deliver humanitarian aid and support peacekeeping operations, revealed a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The report shows that at least 90% of international air cargo carriers named in UN Security Council and other arms trafficking reports have also been used by UN agencies, EU and NATO governments, leading NGOs and private contractors. In some cases, air cargo companies are delivering both aid and weapons to the same conflict zones.

Mothers want more control on firearms, not less
Mothers of Canadian gun violence victims launched the Mothers for Gun Control Campaign in Toronto on 8 May. The campaign is opposing the federal government’s move to weaken the gun laws. Two Bills introduced in Parliament propose to abolish the long-gun registry and weaken controls on prohibited and restricted weapons.

44 dead in Turkish wedding tragedy
Masked gunmen attacked the 200 guests at a pre-wedding ceremony in Bilge Koyu, a village in Mardin, south-eastern Turkey on 5 May. 44 people were killed, including the bride, the groom, the mullah, and an entire family including children aged between 3 and 12 years old. Three pregnant women and a baby were also killed. A further 6 wedding guests were critically wounded. Eight gunmen were arrested by security forces. The weapons used in the attack included Bixi (heavy machine guns), assault rifles and grenades.

Hundreds hurt in Tanzanian armoury blast
An accidental explosion at Mbagala Military Base near Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) has killed at least eleven people and injured hundred. The blasts on April 29 lasted for about two hours and paralysed activities in the city for nearly six hours. The army camp lies 14km outside the city centre, just inside a residential neighbourhood. The armoury contained large amounts of ordnance, including mines and artillery shells.