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Photo: AFP / Andri Tambunan At least four people have been killed and dozens more injured in a mass shooting in one of the most popular entertainment areas of Birmingham, Alabama. The shooting erupted just after 11pm Saturday local time (4pm Sunday NZT) in the Five Points South area. CNN reported that two men and a woman were pronounced dead at the scene, while a fourth victim died in hospital later. "Multiple shooters fired multiple shots on a group of people," Birmingham police officer Truman Fitzgerald told CNN. No suspects were yet in custody. The victims were all shot on the streets or footpaths, Fitzgerald told CNN. Detectives were trying to determine whether the shooters were on foot or in a vehicle. Latest from Birmingham mass shooting in Five Points South. Shots were fired just...

By Andrew Mills, Reuters A mural of late Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed in 2022, in the West Bank. Photo: AFP Israeli forces raided the bureau of media network Al Jazeera in the West Bank city of Ramallah early on Sunday morning (local time), issuing it with a military order to shut down operations, the network said. The Qatari channel aired live footage of Israeli troops entering the office with their weapons drawn and handing a military court order to Ramallah bureau chief Walid al-Omari forcing the bureau to close for 45 days. Al-Omari subsequently said the order accused Al Jazeera of "incitement to and support of terrorism" and that the soldiers confiscated the bureau's cameras before leaving, Al Jazeera reported. Israeli communications minister Shlomo Ka...

A member of the Israeli security forces stands guard inside a cordoned-off area in Kiryat Bialik in the Haifa district of Israel, targeted by a reported strike by Lebanon's Hezbollah on Sunday. Photo: AFP / Jack Guez Israel says it hit 290 targets, destroyed rocket launchers Hezbollah says it targeted airbase with dozens of missiles Hezbollah says 16 members killed in Friday strike Iran-backed group in Iraq reports attacks on Israel By Timour Azhari and Miro Maman, Reuters Israel and Hezbollah exchanged heavy fire into Sunday, with Israeli warplanes carrying out the most intense bombardment in almost a year of conflict across Lebanon's south and Hezbollah firing rockets deep into northern Israel. The Israeli military said it struck around 290 targets on Saturday, including thousan...

By Trevor Hunnicutt and David Brunnstrom, Reuters US President Joe Biden met with other world leaders near his hometown this weekend. (File image) Photo: CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP Biden hosts Quad leaders to announce security initiatives Plans include joint coast guard operations, maritime monitoring Quad to provide critical technologies to Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia Leaders of Australia, India, Japan and the United States expanded joint security steps in Asia's trade-rich waters as outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden hosted counterparts from the Quad grouping established due to shared concerns about China. Biden, meeting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony A...

President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed condolences to the victims' families. (File image) Photo: AFP / Atta Kenare A gas explosion in a coal mine in Iran's South Khorasan Province killed at least 28 people and injured 17, state television said on Sunday, with 24 people still missing. The accident was caused by a methane gas explosion in two blocks of the mine run by the Madanjoo company, state TV said. There were 69 workers in the blocks at the time of the explosion, it said. "Seventeen injured people were transported to the hospital and 24 people are still missing," state TV said, citing the head of Iran's Red Crescent. The explosion occurred at 9pm local time on Saturday (6am Sunday NZT), state media said. President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed condolences to the victims' families. ...

Liv Schmidt Photo: Liv Schmidt/Instagram A TikTok influencer who amassed 700,000 followers on the social media app had her account taken down recently over fears her content could encourage disordered eating. The Wall Street Journal profiled Liv Schmidt, a New York-based social media influencer, earlier this week detailing her often-controversial advice regarding body weight and image. The publication's questions to TikTok ahead of publishing the story triggered the platform to shut down Schmidt's profile over concerns her posts promoted disordered eating and an unhealthy body image. Here is a breakdown of the controversy. Who is Liv Schmidt? Schmidt is a model and social media influencer who is, well, very slim. Her Instagram profile, which was not taken down and had about 70,000 follo...

​ Phillip Mehrtens, left, with former acting Bupati of Nduga regency, Edison Gwijangge, in the helicopter on his release from captivity. Photo: Mehrtens family / Supplied The family of freed New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens say they are "extremely grateful and relieved" he has been released and will soon be reunited with them. Local police announced on Saturday the New Zealand pilot had been freed after more than one and a half years in captivity in West Papua, Indonesia. The armed faction of the West Papua National Liberation Army kidnapped Mehrtens in February 2023 after he landed a small commercial plane in a remote, mountainous area. Arriving in the capital Jakarta late on Saturday, Mehrtens was put in the care of New Zealand government representatives, Indonesian senior cabine...