At least 13 people have been confirmed dead in the Washington Yard mass shooting, including a suspect who has been identified as 34-year-old Aaron Alexis.

Law enforcement says the deceased gunman of Monday's shooting rampage was from Texas. 

The FBI is seeking information from the public about Alexis and has posted two of his photos online. 

Investigators are still searching for another possible suspect who wears an olive-colored military-style uniform.

The incident happened Monday morning when at least a shooter opened fire inside a building at the Washington Navy Yard which serves as the headquarters of the Naval Sea System Command Headquarters.

 

Obama authorizes military aid to Syrian opposition to combat chemical weapons use

U.S. President Barack Obama has officially authorized non-lethal military aid to the Syrian opposition, in order to prevent the use and proliferation of chemical weapons. 

According to the order, Obama authorized the provision of defense articles and defense services to the Syrian opposition, organizations implementing U.S. aid programs and international organizations to help them prevent the use and proliferation of Syria's chemical weapons. 

The order came after the release of a report by the United Nations on Syria earlier Monday, which confirmed that chemical weapons were used at Ghouta, Syria, on Aug. 21.

 

Chinese FM to meet Kerry Thursday: State Department

U.S. State Department says that Secretary of State John Kerry will host Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for a bilateral meeting Thursday. 

During a daily press briefing, State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said the meeting between Kerry and Wang Yi is a regular consultation covering a range of bilateral, regional and global issuesnt issues such as North Korea and Syria.

Harf said the meeting has been planned for some time,

 

China pledges support for Bahrain's efforts to safeguard stability

Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with the King of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al-khalifa in Beijing, pledging to back the Middle East country's efforts to safeguard stability.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who met with the Bahrain king also on Monday, urged Bahrain to play an active role in promoting cooperation between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC. 

The GCC is a bloc of six Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf. 

The king's state visit began on Saturday and finished yesterday, resulting in the two sides issuing a joint communique.

 

China urges Britain to stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs

China has expressed its "strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" to a newspaper opinion piece by a British minister and has urged Britain to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong's internal affairs.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei said the British minister of state at the foreign office, Hugo Swire, wrote an article in which he openly made irresponsible remarks about Hong Kong's political system. 

Hong said the development of the political system in the region is an internal affair for Hong Kong and a domestic affair for China. 

He also highlighted that China does not allow interference by external forces.

bjh-head: Most stranded Chinese passengers back from Jeju

More than 15-hundred stranded Chinese passengers have left South Korea's Jeju Island, after a Henna cruise liner was detained on Friday by a local court over legal disputes.

The 7th and last plane carrying 149 passengers arrived in Beijing last night from Jeju. 

The remaining 101 stranded passengers will either return to China on the cruise ship or go to Seoul.

158 contracts signed at Ningxia trade fair

A total of 158 contracts worth some 40-billion U.S.dollars have been signed at the first China-Arab States Expo.

The event is being held in Ningxia.

The contracts include cooperation in energy and chemicals, new materials, equipment manufacturing and culture and tourism.

The five-day event kicked off on Sunday in Ningxia's regional capital of Yinchuan.

 

UN General Assembly ends 67th session

The UN General Assembly has concluded its 67th session with progress being made on a number of key international issues and development-related topics. 

During the session, member states adopted close to 90 written and oral decisions, and around 300 resolutions. 

The session kicked off last September aiming at achieving the Millennium Development Goals by the year of 2015. 

The 68th session of the General Assembly is due to open on this Tuesday.

 

Shipwrecked liner is pulled from reef

In an unprecedented maritime salvage operation, Italian engineers say they have succeeded in lifting the hull of the Costa Concordia off the Italian reef, 20 months after it ran aground. 

It is reported progress of the salvage was much slower than predicted.

The delicate operation to rotate the luxury liner from its capsized position to upright, appeared likely to stretch into Tuesday.

Thirty-two people died when the ship ran aground off the Tuscan coast.

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