News Headlines - 16 September 2013

▽Gunman Opens Fire at DC Navy Yard, 13 Dead

A 34-year-old man opened fire at the U.S. Navy Yard on Monday in a shooting that left 13 people dead, including the gunman, not far from the U.S. Capitol and the White House, officials said. The suspect was identified by the FBI as Aaron Alexis of Fort Worth, Texas. Washington D.C. police chief Cathy Lanier told reporters that Alexis “was engaged in shooting with police officers” when he died.

▽Syrian chemical attack used sarin and was worst in 25 years, declares UN | The Guardian

The UN has confirmed that the worst chemical weapons attack in 25 years took place in eastern Damascus last month, involving specially designed rockets that spread sarin nerve agent over rebel-held suburbs of the Syrian capital. The report did not assign blame for the attack but the US, Britain and France said the details on the sarin, the rockets used and their trajectories all proved that Bashar al-Assad's regime was responsible.

▽Coalition ‘may split before next election’ | The Times

he Tories and the Liberal Democrats could go their separate ways before the next election, Vince Cable said yesterday. The Business Secretary became the first senior coalition figure to publicly acknowledge that a split was possible in the run-up to 2015.

▽BBC News - Lloyds Bank privatisation begins

The government's sale of Lloyds Banking Group has begun, with big investors being offered 6% of the bank. Based on Monday's closing share price, that stake would be worth ￡3.3bn and the deal will cut the government's stake in Lloyds to 32.7%.

▽Japan Typhoon: Deaths And Evacuations

A powerful typhoon has lashed Japan, bringing with it torrential rain and flooding which left two dead, dozens injured, and hundreds of thousands of people ordered to evacuate.