Mexico sues US-based gunmakers over arms trafficking and gun violence

The Mexican suit argues that the gun companies know that their alleged lax practices contribute to the trafficking of weapons across the border. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Mexico sues US-based gunmakers over arms trafficking and gun violence [Handguns are displayed at the Smith & Wesson booth at the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas.] Credit: John Locher/AP/File photo Mexico The Mexican government has [sued several prominent US-based gun manufacturers](, alleging that negligent practices on controls are contributing to the illegal flow of weapons across the border, into the hands of cartels in Mexico. The lawsuit, filed in US federal court in Boston where several of the gun companies are located, targets the gunmakers and distributors — not the US government — arguing that companies know their alleged lax practices [contribute to the trafficking of guns]( to Mexico and fuel violence there. The impact this case could have is unclear. A 2005 US law shields gun manufacturers from most civil liability claims. WHO World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus has [called for a moratorium]( on administering COVID-19 booster shots until more doses are available in countries with low vaccination rates. Germany has [already announced plans]( to offer booster shots, while Israel, Russia, Hungary and France have already begun offering the doses to specific high-risk populations. Ghebreyesus made the appeal on Wednesday primarily to wealthier countries where the vast majority of vaccinations have been given, as the more contagious delta variant has left populations vulnerable. Iran Iran [will inaugurate]( Ebrahim Raisi, an ultra-conservative judiciary chief, as the country’s next president on Thursday after eight years of Hassan Rouhani’s moderate administration. While Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, [holds ultimate authority](, the president still has power over domestic matters, like the economy. Raisi is viewed by many as the start of a new harder-line era, as negotiations with the US [over the nuclear deal appear stalled](. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Refugees in Maine find it harder to afford housing as remote workers move in]( [Hussein Albraihi sweeps the floor at a former church in Hallowell, Maine. A local nonprofit organization is converting the site into a six-bedroom apartment for a refugee family from Syria.]( Credit: Ari Snider/The World As remote workers have flocked to previously under-the-radar towns, these places have become less affordable during the pandemic. The trend stretches across the US and it's [causing a housing crunch for refugees]( in Maine who can't afford to live elsewhere. [With global warming, Emperor penguins will 'have no place to breed' says researcher]( [An Emperor penguin jumps out of the water.]( Credit: Christopher Michel/Wikimedia Commons A new study says that if global warming continues at its current rate, more than 80% of Emperor penguin colonies will be gone in the next 80 years. Phil Trathan, who co-authored the study, joined The World's host Marco Werman [to discuss the plight of the penguins](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Double take Did a mock life-size sumo wrestler on the course of the 14-jump Olympic equestrian course distract — or spook — horses during the qualifiers? [Riders say, yes](, it did. While most of the hurdles on the course are decorated with Japanese themes — kimonos, taiko drums and a miniature Japanese palace — none seemed to catch the eye of riders and horses more than the sumo wrestler at the 10th obstacle. 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