US release of 3D-printed gun software blocked
Washington, Aug 1 : A US federal judge in Seattle has blocked the release of software that allows consumers to 3D-print firearms.
The order came just hours before their scheduled online distribution by a Texas group that had reached an agreement with the Donald Trump administration to do so, Efe news reported.
Gun access advocacy group Defense Distributed was due to put downloadable gun blueprints online on Wednesday.
The settlement with the Trump administration was reached in June that would have allowed it to legally publish the instructions even via online posts.
However, eight states and the District of Columbia sued the government on Monday to block the settlement, arguing that untraceable guns were a safety risk, the BBC reported.
In a sudden tweet on Tuesday, even President Trump said: "I am looking into 3D plastic guns being sold to the public. Already spoke to NRA, doesn't seem to make much sense!"
He was referring to the National Rifle Association, the powerful US pro-gun organisation and lobbying group.
Almost simultaneously, came US District Judge Robert Lasnik's temporary restraining order halting the release hours before the August 1 deadline, saying the blueprints could fall into the wrong hands.
The agreement with the Texas-based Defense Distributed was the conclusion of a five-year legal battle in which the former Barack Obama administration argued before two federal judges.
While the Supreme Court refused to hear the case that the downloadable manuals for how to print plastic rifles and pistols violated firearms export laws.
However, the Trump administration had suddenly reached the agreement two months back and given approval for publication of the manuals in any form.
It even said that the US government will pay $40,000 to cover the legal fees incurred by Cody Wilson, the founder-director of Defense Distributed.
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Austrian police detain suspect in case of rat poison found in baby food jars on supermarket shelves
Vienna (AP): Police in eastern Austria say a 39-year-old suspect has been arrested after rat poison turned up in some HiPP baby food jars on supermarket shelves in central Europe.
HiPP, which recalled some of its baby food jars in Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic after the case came to light last month, said in a statement Saturday it was “greatly relieved” by the arrest, and would provide further updates as verified details come in.
The Burgenland State Criminal Police Office, under the direction of prosecutors, said a probe was launched after poison turned up in a baby food jar purchased at a supermarket in the city of Eisenstadt on April 18.
It said the suspect was being questioned, and that no further details would be immediately provided. The Burgenland public prosecutor's office has announced an investigation into suspected “intentional endangerment of the public.”
The Austrian Press Agency reported that an expert report on the toxicity of the poison was pending. A total of five tampered baby food jars were seized before they could be consumed, APA reported.
Authorities said previously they believe the tampering occurred in 190-gram (6.7-ounce) jars of baby food made with carrots and potatoes for 5-month-olds that were sold from SPAR supermarkets in Austria.
HiPP responded by recalling all of its baby food jars sold at SPAR supermarkets — which include SPAR, EUROSPAR, INTERSPAR and Maximarkt stores — in Austria as a precaution. Vendors in Slovakia and the Czech Republic also removed all of the brand's baby jars from sale.
The company said the recall was not due to any product or quality defect on its part, and said the jars left its facility in “perfect condition.”
Police said a customer at the time of the discovery had reported that a jar appeared to have been tampered with, but no one had consumed the baby food.
