INTERNATIONAL NEWS in brief

Charity awarded grant to help immigrants

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP):

Commonwealth Catholic Charities Inc has been awarded a $250,000 grant to support its programme to help immigrants achieve United States (US) citizenship. The faith-based charity says it will use the funding to provide assistance and citizenship instruction to refugees and immigrants in Richmond, Roanoke, and Hampton Roads. The grant was awarded by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services programme. The Virginia charity was among 40 organisations in 21 states that received a total of nearly $9.9 million. Over the next two years, the agency said it anticipates 31,000 permanent residents will receive citizenship preparation services in the nation.

Guns no longer welcome in Starbucks

NEW YORK (AP):

Starbucks says guns are no longer welcome in its cafés, though it is stopping short of an outright ban on firearms. The fine line that the retailer is walking to address the concerns of both gun rights and gun control advocates reflects how heated the issue has become, particularly in light of recent mass shootings. Most states allow people to openly carry licensed guns in some way, and many companies do not have policies banning firearms in their stores. But Starbucks has become a target for gun control advocates, in part because of its liberal-leaning corporate image. In turn, gun rights advocates have been galvanised by the company's decision to defer to local laws.