US firearms sales reached a record 129,166 during last week's Black Friday that kicked off the holiday shopping season, a 32 percent increase from the previous all-time high, officials said.

The FBI confirmed the jump from the last peak of 97,848 weapons sold during Black Friday of 2008, telling AFP that "we do not have an explanation for the increase."

The figures, first reported by USA Today, are based on the number of background check requests for prospective buyers sent by gun dealers to the FBI.

Part of the increase was attributed to a growing number of first-time buyers who are purchasing firearms for protection, while more women are engaging in sport shooting and hunting.

"There also is a burgeoning awakening of the American public that they do have a constitutional right to own guns," National Shooting Sports Foundation spokesman Larry Keane told the newspaper.

He said 25 percent of the purchases are usually made by first-time buyers, including many women.

But Dennis Henigan, acting president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said "there may be no real significance at all" to the Black Friday surge.

"It's possible that gun companies are just catching on to creating a Black Friday frenzy for themselves," he said.

UN to join hunt for rogue weapons in Libya
United Nations (AFP) Dec 2, 2011 - The UN Security Council on Friday added the hunt for rogue surface-to-air missiles and other weapons in Libya to the duties of the UN mission in the country.

The 15-member council unanimously passed a resolution extending the mandate of the mission, which has mainly been giving political support to Libya's transitional government.

Growing concern over the weapons caches -- particularly thousands of shoulder-fired rocket launchers -- left by late dictator Moamer Kadhafi led to the extension of the mission's duties.

Libya's neighbors have expressed fears that the weapons and ammunition could get into the hands of radical groups. The UN envoy to Libya, Ian Martin, said this week that a "reliable picture" of all the weapons sites and numbers is still lacking.

The resolution said the mission will now assist "Libyan national efforts to address the threats of proliferation of all arms and related material of all types, in particular man-portable surface to air missiles."

The Libya mission was provisionally extended until March 16 to give the UN leadership time to set out its needs for a long-term operation.