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At least 12 people were killed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Friday when a gunman opened fired at a municipal centre, sending employees scrambling for cover before police fatally shot and killed him, authorities said. Several others were wounded in the shooting. According to Virginia Beach Police Chief James Cervera, a veteran employee of the Public Utilities Department entered the municipal centre, and “immediately began to indiscriminately fire upon all of the victims”. Police entered the building and got out as many employees as they could, then exchanged fire with the suspect, who was killed, the chief said. Cervera added the suspect was armed with a .45-caliber handgun equipped with a “sound suppressor” device and was reloading his weapon with extended ammunition magazines as he moved through the building. The city’s mayor, Bobby Dyer, called it “the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach”. A public works employee told a local NBC television news affiliate t

Indian Prime Minister  Narendra Modi  is kicking off off his second term in office with unwelcome news on the state of the country’s economy and the jobs market. Government figures released Friday showed  India ‘s economy grew at a much-lower-than-expected 5.8 percent in the first three months of the year. That marks a sharp fall from the previous quarter, when growth clocked in at 6.6 percent.  Meanwhile, the unemployment rate rose to a multi-year high of 6.1 percent in the 2017-18 fiscal year. The disappointing growth figures mean India is no longer the world’s fastest-growing economy.  For the first time in nearly two years, it has ceded that title to  China , where the economy grow 6.4 percent in the first quarter.  The economic slowdown and high unemployment put pressure on Modi’s re-elected government and the central bank to stimulate the economy to boost growth and create more jobs.  Nirmala Sitharaman, who assumed charge as India’s finance minister on Friday, is expected

The head of the Lebanese political and armed movement Hezbollah has warned that any war against Iran would cause the Middle East to “erupt”. Hassan Nasrallah said on Friday that the United States “know well that any war on Iran will not remain confined to Iran’s borders. The entire region will burn”, leading to all US forces and interests in the region being “annihilated”.  The head of the Iran-backed movement made the comments in a televised speech as emergency meetings of the Gulf Cooperation Council ( GCC ) and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and Arab League took place in Mecca, Saudi Arabia . The meetings were held in order to counter what Saudi Arabia has called Iran’s growing influence in the region. They take place amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran.  In the year since President Donald Trump withdrew the US from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and several other world powers Washington has since steadily ratcheted up pressure on Tehra

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday that Mexico will not respond to US President Donald Trump ‘s threat of coercive tariffs with desperation but will instead push for dialogue. Lopez Obrador said he has dispatched Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard to Washington, DC, to show Trump data that Mexico has been taking action to slow irregular immigration. Trump threatened on Thursday to impose tariffs starting at five percent and increasing incrementally if Mexico does not convince him that it’s doing more at the border. The first round, Trump said, could go into effect on June 10. Speaking at his regular news conference, Lopez Obrador said the Mexican people “don’t deserve this kind of treatment”. He said Mexico would respond with “great prudence” to any threats by the United States.  He noted that most migrants passing through Mexico are Central Americans fleeing their countries because they are unable to find work or live safely there. Lopez Obrado

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has shown “obvious” signs of the psychological torture inflicted on him due to years of confinement and persecution, according to a United Nations human rights expert. Nils Melzer, the UN rapporteur on torture visited Assange in prison in the UK , where he is currently serving a 50-week sentence for skipping bail in 2012. Melzer made the visit on May 9 along with two medical experts who specialise in examining potential torture victims. They were able to meet “in confidence and to conduct a thorough medical assessment”, the UN said.  “It was obvious that Mr Assange’s health has been seriously affected by the extremely hostile and arbitrary environment he has been exposed to for many years,” Melzer said in a statement  released on Friday. In addition to physical ailments, Assange showed “all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma,” the statement r

A cargo ship carrying tonnes of rubbish dumped in the Philippines by Canada more than five years ago, causing a festering diplomatic row, has left the Southeast Asian country, as nations in the region increasingly reject serving as dumpsites for wealthier states. The 69 shipping containers of rotting waste were loaded onto the M/V Bavaria at Subic Bay port in the early hours of Friday, before embarking on a 20-day journey to Vancouver, in southwestern Canada . “Baaaaaaaaa bye, as we say it,” Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin wrote on Twitter, along with images of the vessel leaving. Baaaaaaaaa bye, as we say it. pic.twitter.com/VetL4fP4Nj — Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 31, 2019 Environmental activists, including those from Greenpeace and EcoWaste Coalition, welcomed the Bavaria’s arrival at Subic Bay, and on Thursday sailed on board a small outrigger with a streamer reading, “Philippines: not a garbage dumping ground!” Diplomatic row Philippine President

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he will impose a tariff on all goods arriving from Mexico in response to what he called a “mass incursion” of migrants entering the country “illegally”. Trump said the tariff would start at five percent on June 10 but then rise in stages every month to 25 percent on October 1 and remain at that level unless Mexico stops migrants from crossing the US’ southern border. “As everyone knows, the United States of America has been invaded by hundreds of thousands of people coming through Mexico and entering our country illegally. This sustained influx of illegal aliens has profound consequences on every aspect of our national life,” Trump said in a statement . “Mexico’s passive cooperation in allowing this mass incursion constitutes an emergency.” “If the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico, to be determined in our sole discretion and judgment, the tariffs will be removed,” he added. On June 10th,

Singapore – Growing competition and ratcheting hostilities between the United States and China promise to dominate a key Asian security summit this weekend, with Beijing sending a high-ranking general for the first time in almost a decade to meet defence counterparts from countries across Asia and around the world. Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe is expected to hold talks with acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan on the sidelines the  Shangri-La Dialogue,  while both are separately scheduled to deliver major addresses to the three-day meeting. Launched in 2002 and held each year at Singapore ‘s Shangri-La Hotel, the summit is  Asia’s largest annual defence and security gathering. It seeks to promote bilateral dialogue among sometimes hostile adversaries, and is traditionally attended by delegates from Asia Pacific nations as well as the US and other countries. Wei will lead the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) delegation, a break from the past when lower leve

Arab leaders have gathered in Saudi Arabia for a three-day emergency summit following attacks on Gulf oil assets this month which Riyadh pins on Tehran. Thursday’s events come after Saudi Arabia accused Iran of ordering drone attacks on oil pumping stations in the kingdom, which were claimed by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group, and the sabotage of oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ). A top United States ‘s security official said Iranian mines were “ almost certainly ” used in the tanker operation. Tehran denies any involvement. Analysts said the emergency summit will be watched closely for whether or not the Saudis will endorse Qatar  as a mediator in the dispute with Iran the same way the US has. Earlier this month, Al Jazeera reported that Qatar’s foreign minister had  held talks with his Iranian counterpart in Tehran, aiming to defuse the escalating tensions in the Gulf. “Washington seems to have bet on Doha to de-escalate by opening back channel

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jeremy Jeffress has little time to react to pull off an unbelievable but “scary” catch from a line drive from Minnesota Twins hitter Willians Astudillo. Pictures courtesy of MLB. READ MORE: BBC Sport to stream MLB London Series Read More from Trendy News Viral http://bit.ly/2HKQNJa

US President Donald Trump ‘s senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is in Israel for the final leg of another Middle East tour before the scheduled meeting in the  Bahraini capital  of Manama where the economic aspect of the much-talked-about Israel-Palestine plan will finally be unveiled. The “workshop” in Manama being organised as part of the so-called “deal of the century” pushed by the Trump administration will not discuss the political aspects of the conflict, and instead will seek to encourage investment in the occupied Palestinian territories. Palestinian leadership, which has criticised the peace proposal, was not consulted about the Manama conference, which is not expected to address the core political issues of the conflict: final borders, the status of Jerusalem , or the fate of Palestinian refugees. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said last week that “any solution to the conflict in Palestine must be political … and based on ending the occupation.

At least seven people have died and more than 20 others missing after a sightseeing boat carrying South Korean tourists sank on the flooding Danube in Hungary ‘s capital, according to police and rescue officials. Hungarian police said on Thursday they have launched a criminal investigation into what was one of the country’s worst boat accidents. “A criminal investigation has been launched. Police are investigating at the scene,” police colonel Adrian Pal told a news conference. The “Mermaid” sightseeing boat was reportedly hit on Wednesday by another tourist boat near the Hungarian parliament building, then turned over on the river, which has been flooding with very strong currents while a rainstorm enveloped Budapest. Police showed security camera footage from a bridge that showed the two boats colliding. “It sank within seven seconds,” Pal said. The boat was reportedly carrying at least 32 South Korean tourists plus a crew of two Hungarians. A massive rescue effort was under wa

China has ramped up the rhetoric in its ongoing trade war with the  United States , saying that deliberate provocations of commercial disputes amount to “naked economic terrorism”. The world’s two largest economies are at loggerheads as trade talks have apparently stalled, with US President Donald Trump hiking tariffs on Chinese goods earlier this month and blacklisting telecommunications giant Huawei. “We are against the trade war, but we are not afraid of it,” Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui said on Thursday at a press briefing to preview President Xi Jinping ‘s trip to Russia next week. “This premeditated instigation of a trade conflict is naked economic terrorism, economic chauvinism, and economic bullying,” Zhang told reporters in Beijing, stressing that China opposed the systematic use of “big sticks” such as  sanctions, tariffs and protectionism. “There is no winner in a trade war,” he warned.  “This trade conflict will also have a serious negative impact on the deve

Chelsea have scored four goals in a devastating second-half display to beat Arsenal 4-1 and lift the Europa League trophy. The win at the all-English final , which was played on Wednesday at the Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan , gave Italian manager Maurizio Sarri a major trophy in his first season in charge and Chelsea a first European title since the 2013 Europa League. After a tepid first half, former Arsenal striker Giroud put Chelsea ahead in the 49th minute with an angled header. The Blues doubled their lead 10 minutes later when Pedro diverted a cross from Hazard beyond Petr Cech. With Arsenal on the ropes, defender Ainsley Maitland-Niles collided with Giroud to concede a penalty that Hazard stroked home after 65 minutes. Alex Iwobi clawed a goal back for Arsenal but Chelsea restored their three-goal cushion in the 72nd minute when Hazard swapped passes with Giroud to score his second. After the match, the Belgian star confirmed that he was likely to leave the club this

“Elements” in the Trump administration are pushing for war between the United States and Iran – a scenario that would be catastrophic for the Middle East , an Iran official warned.  Fears of conflict erupting in the Gulf region have grown in recent weeks amid fiery rhetoric from both sides after the US deployed an aircraft carrier strike group, B-52 bombers, and 1,500 more American troops citing unidentified Iranian “threats”. On Wednesday, the semi-official ISNA news agency quoted Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister  Abbas Araghchi as saying: “We are aware that evident elements are trying to put America into a war with Iran for their own goals.”  He accused US National Security Adviser John Bolton – who has called for “ the overthrow of the mullahs’ regime in Tehran ” –  and “other warmongers” of plotting against Iran, the Mehr news agency reported. “War would be a disaster for everybody in the region. We hope that wisdom will prevail in Washington, that they do not make this biggest

US Special Counsel Robert Mueller said on Wednesday that he is leaving the Justice Department now that he has concluded his Russia probe.  In his first public statement on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Mueller said he is also closing the special counsel’s office. The announcement comes amid demands for Mueller to testify on Capitol Hill about his findings and tension with Attorney General William Barr over the handling of his report. Mueller said on Wednesday that the report is his testimony. He said that he hopes and expects that Wednesday is the “the only time” that he speaks about the report, but “any testimony from [his] office would not go beyond the report”.  A redacted version of the Mueller report was published in April, concluding there was no conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow. But Mueller declined to make a judgment on whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice, though the report outlined 10 instances in which T

Getty Images Copyright: Getty Images “I would be surprised if Roger knows my name,” was the frank admission from Otte after he secured this match. Otte is the 25-year-old world number 144 but does class clay as his favourite surfaces. The German says Federer is his idol – who doesn’t?! – but another name Otte admires is a little more surprising. He says one of his idols is former cricketer Mark Benson who made his one Test appearance for England in 1986. Benson’s son will soon marry Otte’s sister Luisa. “I have known him for a long time and have got to know him quite well,” Otte told AFP. “I know about his career which was very impressive and I always keep in touch with him.” Read More from Trendy News Viral http://bit.ly/2JKnmZL

Hong Kong – Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei is trying to speed up a lawsuit it has filed against the United States government, it’s latest move to block Washington’s efforts to contain the company on what the US says are national security concerns. US President Donald Trump’s administration has accused Huawei of stealing trade secrets, fraud and violating US sanctions against Iran. It has banned government agencies from buying Huawei equipment. In a separate move, it has also barred US companies from selling components to Huawei, although that decision has been put on hold until August 19 to give American companies time to adjust. “Politicians in the US are using the strength of an entire nation to come after a private company,” Huawei’s Chief Legal Officer Song Liuping said during a news conference at the company’s headquarters in Shenzhen. “This is not normal. Almost never seen in history.” “The US government has provided no evidence to show that Huawei is a security t

Israel ‘s political elite is racing against time to form a new government through high-stakes backchannel negotiations before a midnight deadline. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘s right-wing coalition has to secure the support of Avigdor Lieberman’s nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu faction on Wednesday or face an unprecedented second election of the year. Netanyahu’s Likud and its right wing and religious allies won a total of 60 seats in April 9 elections in the 120-seat parliament in the polls. Without Yisrael Beiteinu’s five seats, Netanyahu has no parliamentary majority and will not be able to form a government. The crisis hinges on Lieberman’s demand that current legislation mandating young ultra-Orthodox men be drafted into the military, like most other Jewish males, run its course. “We are not looking to bring down Netanyahu and we are not looking for an alternative candidate, but we will not give up our principles and promises to the citizens of the state of Israel,” Lieb

Yangon, Myanmar – A court in Myanmar has issued an arrest warrant against Wirathu, a notorious Buddhist monk whose hate-preaching sermons against the Rohingya and other minority Muslims have stoked religious tensions. The monk, who once reportedly dubbed himself the “Burmese bin Laden”, faces up to life imprisonment under the country’s sedition law, which prohibits stirring up “hatred”, “contempt” or “disaffection” towards the government. Police have so far declined to say why Wirathu has been charged, but the monk recently drew anger from senior officials for a series of speeches in which he attacked Myanmar’s de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi . Wirathu has not yet been arrested and his exact whereabouts are unknown. A police spokesperson did not answer calls from Al Jazeera seeking comment. He is usually based at his monastery in the city of Mandalay, but a judge has told police to bring him before a court in the country’s main city of Yangon before June 4, the Myanm

An estimated 690 million children are  being robbed of their childhood today due to conflict, early marriage and exclusion from education among other factors, even as progress was made over the last two decades, according to an international aid group. In its annual report published on Tuesday, Save the Children , said the overall situation for children has improved in 173 of 176 countries since 2000, but  one in four under the age of 18 is still being deprived of the right to a safe and healthy childhood.  Those living or fleeing conflict zones are among the most vulnerable, it said. “While progress has been remarkable, millions of children continue to be robbed of a childhood. We now need to continue to push to reach every last child and ensure they receive the childhood they deserve,” Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the organisation’s CEO, said in a statement. The study found nearly 31 million children forcibly displaced – an 80 percent increase since 2000 – and  an estimated 420 mill