News / News Bulletin

Obama: Orlando shooting act of terror, hate

Sunday, 12 June 2016 9:09 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 12 June 2016 9:09 PM ]

US President Barack Obama makes a statement regarding the Orlando mass shooting in Washington, DC, June 12, 2016. (AFP photo)

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

A powerful bomb explosion has ripped through the headquarters of Lebanese Blom Bank in Beirut. Several cars were destroyed in the explosion which occurred as residents sat down for Iftaar. The bomb was apparently left in a bag by the back wall of the bank's building.
Three car bomb attacks by ISIL terrorists in Libya’s coastal city of Sirte have left at least one person dead and a dozen people injured. The bombings targeted the forces allied with the unity government. Libyan forces have been engaged in deadly street battles to retake Sirte from ISIL.
Hundreds of Syrian civilians have escaped from the Daesh-held town of Manbij. A London-based monitoring group says the Syrians left the northern town with the help of US-backed Kurdish and Arab fighters. Tens of thousands of people are still trapped in Manbij.
50 people have been killed and 53 injured in the worst mass shooting in the history of the United States. The shooter, who opened fire and took hostages at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida was shot dead in a gunfight with police. He has been identified as a US citizen of Afghan descent.
US President Barack Obama has condemned the Orlando shooting as a brutal murder and horrific massacre. Obama also called the incident an act of terror and hate. The US president urged Americans not to give in to fear.
Swedish airline SAS says a walkout by its pilots has left around 50,000 passengers marooned. The airline cancelled 220 flights on Sunday when the strike dragged into its third consecutive day. The pilots demand a higher wage increase than what their union has proposed.
The British Prime Minister has warned against the nation’s vote to exit from the EU. David Cameron says Britain will face a lost decade in case of a Brexit that would create barriers in the political system. Britons will vote on the country's EU membership on June 23.
The Japanese have once again protested against the US military presence and the crimes committed by US forces in their country. The protesters in Tokyo called for the cancellation of plans to build a new US base on Okinawa Island. They held banners reading “no more base”.