Erstellt am: 19. 12. 2012 - 16:23 Uhr

Ban the Guns

Reality Check: Assault weapons in US; Sectarianism in the Middle East; South Korea election; EU business in 2013; Vienna crime book

Assault Weapons in the US

After the shock and horror of Friday’s school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, the point is approaching at which the political debate about how to respond can begin in earnest and President Barack Obama is about to outline his plans to curb gun violence. He will give Vice President Joe Biden the job of leading the effort, which according to Whitehouse spokesman Jay Carney, will tackle a “complex problem that requires more than one solution”. In his remarks, made on Tuesday, Carney indicated that the Whitehouse would be taking a holistic approach in its response, looking not just at gun laws and how they are enforced, but also at how to engage “mental health professionals, law enforcement officials, educators, parents and communities to find those solutions.”

On Tuesday, the most powerful supporter of gun owners and the gun industry, the National Rifle Association, spoke for the first time since the shooting. In a statement, it pledged "to help to make sure this never happens again", and promising "meaningful contributions". What that means, remains to be seen.

The White House says President Obama will support efforts by Senator Dianne Feinstein to reinstate an assault weapons ban that was in effect from 1994 to 2004. Some prominent gun-rights supporters have suggested it’s time to consider new legislation to control firearms. They include Senator Joe Minchin, a Democrat, and self-described «proud outdoorsman and hunter» who said on Monday «I don't know anyone in the sporting or hunting arena that goes out with an assault rifle, I don't know anybody who needs 30 rounds in a clip to go hunting.»

Assault weapons are essentially guns designed for military use, very different to what you would need for hunting, and much more deadly and destructive. Josh Sugarmann, Executive Director of the Violence Policy Centre gives us more details:

Sectarianism in the Middle East

For centuries Sunnis and Shias lived together mostly in peace. Current sectarian tensions, say Joost Hiltermann from the International Crisis Group, are a result of political manipulation.

The EU in 2013

With Greece getting an unusual piece of good news amid the ongoing Eurozone crisis, we ask our correspondent in Brussels, Vaness Mock, what we should look out for in terms of EU policy-making in the coming year.

South Korea

Park Geun-hye of the governing Saenuri party has been elected as South Korea's first female president. It's a decisive victory for the daughter of a former dictator and for the country's conservatives. As votes were still being counted, Korea watcher Aidan Foster-Carter gave us some insight into the candidates and the election issues.

Wiens Dunkle Seite

Max Edelbacher investigated some spectaluar criminal cases in his 40 year police career and as former head of the Wiener Sicherheitsbüro, and you can read about some of them in his book "Wiens Dunkle Seite".