News Information and Media Site: Wednesday Briefing: Biden calls on Congress to pass weapons ban

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Biden calls for a ban on assault-style weapons, you can now buy a Tesla with bitcoin, and the world's biggest traffic jam hits the Suez Canal

As police search for clues into what led a 21-year-old man described as paranoid and angry to open fire at a Colorado supermarket, we look at how trauma from mass shootings lingers for generations.

Two days before police say Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa armed himself with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle and a handgun and donned a tactical vest, he sat in his Arvada, Colorado, home fiddling with a gun, court documents show.

The 10 victims of Monday's shooting ranged in age from 20 to 65 and included Eric Talley, an 11-year veteran of the Boulder police force. Talley, 51, was the father of seven children and had recently been looking for a less dangerous job.

U.S. President Joe Biden has urged Congress to swiftly pass gun control laws and may take action on his own to stop mass violence. Here's our factbox on decades of calls for gun control.

↑ People write messages on a memorial for the victims of Monday's mass shooting at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, U.S.

WORLD

↑ A container ship which was hit by strong wind and ran aground is pictured in Suez Canal, Egypt, March 24, 2021

Eight tug boats are attempting to free a 400m-long container ship that ran aground in the Suez Canal, blocking vessels passing through one of the world’s most important waterways. About 12% of world trade by volume passes through the canal connecting Europe and Asia.

Capitalism and greed gave Britain its success in vaccinating its population, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told lawmakers in a closed meeting, a remark that could irritate Brussels at a time when Britain faces an EU threat to block vaccine imports.

Europe’s top human rights group says that Portugal must do more to confront its role in the transatlantic slave trade in order to help fight racism in the country today. Recent racially-motivated crimes include a KKK-style torchlight rally and the fatal shooting of a Black actor by a white man on the street.

An online advertisement featuring a woman saying the debate over gender equality is outdated has sparked outrage in Japan for being sexist, a month after an outcry over sexist comments by the former Olympics organising chief saw him step down.

Business

Tesla customers can now buy its electric vehicles with bitcoin, marking a significant step forward for the cryptocurrency’s use in commerce.

China’s top ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing is leaning toward picking New York over Hong Kong for its initial public offering, eyeing a valuation of at least $100 billion via the float.

Although Emily Stone’s employment at Amazon ended on February 1, she still received a ballot for her former company’s union election in the weeks following her departure and a text asking her to vote no. If the election is close, contested ballots could swing the outcome, helping encourage - or deter - future labor organizing at America’s second-biggest private employer.

Several of San Francisco Bay Area’s largest technology companies including Twitter and Google plan to keep their offices largely closed for months more despite the government allowing them to be opened in a limited capacity.