COLU @ CONCEPTS

The worst mass shooting in the United States has once again raised questions about gun ownership and whether there should be tougher controls. How does the US compare with other countries? About 40% of Americans say they own a gun or live in a household with one,  according to a 2017 survey , and the rate of murder or manslaughter by firearm is the highest in the developed world. There were more than 11,000 deaths as a result of murder or manslaughter involving a firearm in 2016. Homicides are taken here to include murder and manslaughter. The FBI separates statistics for what it calls justifiable homicide, which includes the killing of a criminal by a peace officer or private citizen in certain circumstances, which are not included. Who owns the world's guns? While it is difficult to know exactly how many guns civilians own around the world, by every estimate the US with around 270 million is far out in front. Switzerland and Finland are the European countries with t...

Image copyright REUTERS/PADDOCK FAMILY/CBS NEWS Image caption US police have said the woman, a former casino employee, was living with Paddock in Nevada The girlfriend of the Las Vegas gunman who shot dead 58 people on Sunday has said she had no idea what her "kind, caring, quiet" partner was planning. Marilou Danley's comments came hours before police suggested Stephen Paddock had been living "a secret life". They said he may have been planning to escape instead of shooting himself dead, but did not give further details. It is not yet known why he opened fire on an open-air concert, committing the worst shooting in modern US history. Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told a press conference that: Police had found more explosives in Paddock's car at the hotel, along with about 1,600 rounds of ammunition Paddock had been gambling just hours before he began shooting He had booked into an apartment at the high-rise Ogden in downtown Las Vegas...

Image copyright AFP Image caption Protesters wave Spanish flags at a demonstration defending unity on Wednesday Spain's government has said it will not accept "blackmail" after the Catalan leader indicated that independence could be declared next week. Carles Puigdemont must return to the path of law before any negotiation could take place, the Madrid government  said in a statement (in Spanish). His criticism of the king showed he was "out of touch with reality", it added. Catalan officials say 90% of those who voted in a disputed referendum on Sunday backed independence. Organisers put the turnout on Sunday at 42%, with 2.2 million people taking part. But there were several reports of irregularities. There was violence at polling stations as police, trying to enforce a Spanish court decision to ban the vote, attempted to seize ballot boxes and disperse voters. King Felipe VI made a TV address on Tuesday night, calling Sunday's vote illegal ...