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The Latest: Pentagon: Shooting suspect served in Air Force

WATCH A look at the scene of Texas church shooting

The Latest on a shooting at a church in Texas (all times local):

7 p.m.

The Pentagon has confirmed the suspect identified in the mass shooting at a Texas church previously served in the Air Force.

In a brief statement, the Pentagon says Devin Kelley was an airman "at one point," but additional details about his time in the Air Force were not immediately available.

Authorities say 26 people were killed and about 20 others injured in the attack at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, 30 miles southeast of San Antonio.

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6:45 p.m.

Two sheriff's vans were parked outside and police officers stood at the gate of a cattle fence surrounding the address listed for the Texas church shooting suspect, preventing a group of waiting journalists from entering.

Two officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity have identified him as Devin Kelley.

Officials from the Comal County Sherriff's Office and the Texas Rangers declined to comment Sunday evening, or to say if they had raided his home. A few minutes later, the gate opened and two Texas Rangers trucks pulled out.

The home is in a wooded area on the rural, western outskirts of New Braunfels, north of San Antonio. It is off a two-lane highway.

Authorities say 26 people were killed and about 20 wounded in the shooting.

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6:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump says the deadly church shooting in Texas is an "act of evil."

Trump is in Tokyo on the first leg of a visit to Asia. He says he has spoken with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the state has the administration's "full support."

Trump says he will continue to follow developments closely while he is traveling through Asia.

The president says the "act of evil" occurred as the victims and families were in their place of "sacred worship."

Texas authorities say 26 people were killed and about 20 others were wounded Sunday after a man open fire inside First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs southeast of San Antonio.

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6:15 p.m.

Texas authorities are offering more details about the timeline of a deadly church shooting.

Department of Public Safety regional director Freeman Martin says the alleged shooter was dressed in black, wearing tactical gear and a ballistic vest when he arrived at a neighboring gas station around 11:20 a.m.

He crossed the street to the church, left his vehicle and started firing a Ruger AR assault-type rifle at the church. Then he entered the church and fired.

As he left the church, the shooter met an unidentified area resident with his own rifle who pursued him. The suspect was found dead in his vehicle near the border between Wilson and Guadalupe counties.

Martin says it's unclear if he died of a self-inflected wound or was shot by the resident.

Authorities haven't announced the name of the suspect, only describing him as a white male in his 20s.

Two officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity identified the attacker as Devin Kelley.

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6 p.m.

A top Texas public safety officer says that 23 of the people found dead in a shooting at a Baptist church were found inside the building, two others were outside and one person was transported but died later.

Freeman Martin, regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, says the ages of those killed ranged from 5 to 72.

He told a news conference that about 20 other people were injured in the attack.

The first report of the shooting was at about 11:20 a.m., or about 20 minutes after the church website says the Sunday worship was scheduled to start.

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5:40 p.m.

Gov. Greg Abbott says 26 people were killed in the attack on a Texas church and that it was the deadliest mass shooting in the state's history.

Abbott's remarks came during a news conference Sunday, hours after the attack on the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, a community 30 miles southeast of San Antonio.

The victims ranged in age from 5 to 72 years old.

Two officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity identified the attacker as Devin Kelley.

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5:20 p.m.

Two officials have identified the suspect in a mass shooting at a Texas church as Devin Kelley.

The officials — one a U.S. official and the other in law enforcement — spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation, which they were briefed on.

The U.S. official says Kelley lived in a suburb of San Antonio and that he doesn't appear to be linked to organized terrorist groups. The official says investigators are looking at social media posts Kelley may have made in the days before Sunday's attack, including one that appeared to show an AR-15 semiautomatic weapon.

Authorities say Kelley walked into the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs and opened fire, killing more than 20 people and wounding at least 10 others.

This item has been corrected to fix the spelling of Kelley on second reference.

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5 p.m.

A congregant who wasn't at a Texas church the day of a deadly shooting says his cousins attended and that family members have been told at least one was killed.

Thirty-four-year-old Nick Uhlig says he didn't go to the Sutherland Springs church Sunday because he was out late Saturday. He says the cousin who was killed had three children and was pregnant with a fourth. He didn't know specifics about how the other was doing.

Uhlig says the family had just met days earlier for his cousins' grandfather's funeral.

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4:20 p.m.

The wife of the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs says the couple's 14-year-old daughter was among those killed in a mass shooting at the church.

Sherri Pomeroy, wife of Pastor Frank Pomeroy, said in a text message that she lost her daughter "and many friends" in the Sunday shooting. The text came in response to an interview request sent by The Associated Press to a phone number linked in online records to Frank Pomeroy.

Sherri Pomeroy says both she and her husband were out of town and trying to get back to Sutherland Springs, outside of San Antonio.

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3:30 p.m.

A law enforcement official says more than 20 people have been killed in a shooting at a church in a small town outside San Antonio.

The official, who was briefed on the investigation, says the gunman fled the church in a vehicle after the shooting and was also killed, either by a self-inflicted wound or during a confrontation with police. The official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The official says between 10 to 15 people were also injured but stressed the investigation was early and the figures could change. Authorities are still trying to determine a motive.

Federal law enforcement swarmed the scene to offer assistance, including ATF investigators and members of the FBI's evidence collection team.

Associated Press writer Sadie Gurman in Washington contributed to this report.

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2:45 p.m.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is calling a reported shooting at a church in a small town outside San Antonio an "evil act."

A sheriff says a man entered First Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and started shooting, leaving multiple people dead and injured.

Abbott tweeted Sunday: "Our prayers are with all who were harmed by this evil act." He thanked law enforcement for their response.

The Republican governor has also promised "more details" from the state's Department of Public Safety soon.

Sutherland Springs is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of San Antonio.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement that his office "stands ready to assist local law enforcement as needed."

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2:35 p.m.

President Donald Trump has tweeted from Japan that he is monitoring the situation in Texas following a mass shooting at a church.

Trump tweeted: "May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas." He added that the FBI is on the scene.

Trump is in Japan as part of a 12-day, five-country Asian trip.

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2:25 p.m.

A spokeswoman says the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is sending special agents from field offices in Houston and San Antonio to the site of a church shooting in South Texas.

ATF spokeswoman Mary Markos did not immediately have further details.

A sheriff says that a man walked into the church and started firing. Authorities say the attacker is dead.

The number of fatalities or injuries hasn't been confirmed by authorities, but a Wilson County commissioner, Albert Gamez, has told cable news outlets that he was told it was more than 20 killed and 20 wounded, though those figures aren't confirmed.

One hospital about 10 miles from the shooting says there "multiple" victims with gunshot wounds are being treated.

Connally Memorial Medical Center spokeswoman Megan Posey declined to say how many patients were being treated at the hospital, but said the number was less than a dozen. The hospital is in Floresville, Texas.

2:15 p.m.

A County Commissioner in Texas says he's been told that more than 20 people were killed and more than 20 were wounded in an attack at a church, though he says those figures haven't been confirmed.

Albert Gamez, a Wilson County commissioner, made the comments to cable news outlets after the attack Sunday at a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, a small community 30 miles southeast of San Antonio.

A sheriff says that a man walked into the church and started firing. Authorities say the attacker is dead.

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1:20 p.m.

A sheriff says a man walked into a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and started shooting, leaving multiple people dead.

The Wilson County News reports that Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt said the shooter has been taken down. It wasn't immediately known how many people were killed and wounded or who carried out the attack.

First responders converged on the church in the small town southeast of San Antonio and helicopters are taking victims to hospitals.

Sutherland Springs is a community of about 400 people 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of San Antonio.

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1 p.m.

Local news outlets report that several people have been shot at a Baptist Church in South Texas.

Television stations KSAT and KENS report that there are multiple victims and that there is a large police presence at the church in Sutherland Springs, which is 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of San Antonio.

KSAT reports that two Airlife helicopters are also at the scene.

A sheriff's department dispatcher says everyone is at the scene and unavailable to comment.

KSAT has video of several fire and police vehicles at the church and a photo of a helicopter that the station says was arriving to take victims to hospitals.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

The Latest: Trump pitches US to Japanese business leaders

The Latest on President Donald Trump's trip to Asia (all times local):

9:45 a.m.

President Donald Trump is pitching the U.S. to Japanese business leaders, saying he's made it easier for them to get projects approved.

Trump is talking about efforts he's made to roll back regulations. He described the CEOs he addressed at the U.S. ambassador's residence in Tokyo as the "rock stars of business."

Trump says he wants to make the U.S. the most attractive place for local companies to hire, invest and grow.

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8:30 a.m.

President Donald Trump is getting down to business in Tokyo on the second day of his maiden trip to Asia.

Trump opens with a speech Monday to American and Japanese business leaders, then joins first lady Melania Trump for a welcoming ceremony and meeting with Japan's emperor.

In the afternoon, Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (shin-zoh AH'-bay) will meet over lunch and with their staffs, and hold a joint news conference.

Trump and Abe spent Sunday together. They played golf and chatted over lunch and dinner.

Trump and his wife are also meeting Monday with the families of North Korean abductees — to put a human face on the North's human rights abuses.

He'll end the day at a state banquet.

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7:45 p.m.

President Donald Trump is stressing his close ties with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The two leaders dined with their wives in Tokyo, as part of Trump's first stop on a 12-day trip through Asia.

Trump says that he and Abe "like each other and our countries like each other." He adds that "I don't think we've ever been closer to Japan than we are right now."

The president adds that they are discussing a number of subjects "including North Korea and trade and other things

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4:45 p.m.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he and U.S. President Donald Trump had a lively conversation over golf.

Abe spoke to reporters after he and Trump had lunch and played golf Sunday. He said that the two leaders were able to talk frankly in a relaxed atmosphere while out on the course.

Abe said he and Trump were able to "carry out in depth discussion, at times touching on various difficult issues."

Their formal talks Monday are expected to focus on North Korea and other regional and bilateral issues.

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4:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump's first trip to Asia began with a round of golf, a custom cap and a hamburger of American beef.

The president got a taste of home as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe welcomed him to Japan Sunday with a display of friendship that will soon give way to high-stakes diplomacy. The two men have struck up an easy rapport.

The leaders played nine holes of golf at Japan's premiere course.

The low- key start was a prelude to the formal talks planned in Tokyo Monday. Abe will be looking for a united front against North Korea and reassurances that the U.S. will stand by its treaty obligations to defend Japan if attacked.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

Kentucky House speaker resigns post after texts with staffer

Kentucky's Republican House speaker resigned his leadership position Sunday after acknowledging he settled sexual harassment claims from one of his staffers last month.

Jeff Hoover denied sexually harassing the staff member, but said he sent inappropriate text messages that were consensual. Hoover's wife and two of his three daughters were in the room as he spoke.

"I engaged in banter that was consensual but make no mistake it was wrong on my part to do that. And for that, I am truly sorry," Hoover said. "I want to reiterate that at no time, at no time did I engage in unwelcome or unwanted conduct of any kind."

Thomas Clay, a Louisville attorney who represents the victim, said his client had "legitimate concerns about workplace conduct."

"Our client was not coerced by anyone to resolve the matter and has been satisfied with the resolution," Clay said. "We look forward to moving past this matter."

Hoover said he received a letter on Oct. 17 from a lawyer whose client made allegations of sexual harassment against Hoover and others. Hoover did not identify the other people involved. However, multiple media outlets have identified them as three Republican committee chairmen: Brian Linder, Michael Meredith and Jim DeCesare. Ginger Wills, Hoover's chief of staff, was also named.

A legislative official who has seen a copy of the letter confirmed the names. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because they were not authorized to talk about the letter.

Attempts to reach Linder, Meredith, DeCesare and Wills were unsuccessful. A news release from House GOP leadership said they are "removing implicated committee chairmen from their roles, pending the outcome of the investigation" but did not name them.

Hoover said everyone reached an agreement on Oct. 25. He said no one admitted wrongdoing and everyone agreed to keep the settlement secret because the victim was going to keep her job. But Wednesday evening, The Courier-Journal reported the settlement, based on anonymous sources, which eventually led to Hoover's resignation.

Hoover said he will remain in the legislature. House Speaker Pro Tempore David Osborne will become the acting speaker.

"We are asking any member of the House Republican caucus who is or believes they will be implicated in this matter to inform this leadership team immediately if their name has not already surfaced in the public domain," according to a statement attributed to Osborne and three other House GOP leaders. "We were blindsided but remain determined to get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible."

The resignation comes amid a brutal legislative fight to change the state's struggling public pension system. Gov. Matt Bevin's proposal would eventually end Kentucky's pension system and replace it with a 401(k)-style retirement plan for state workers and public school teachers.

The bill has the votes in the Senate, but not the House. Hoover had said he would not vote for the bill without changes, and he has been critical of some of Bevin's comments about teachers and other state workers.

"It's fair to say I am not the favorite legislator of some in this capitol," Hoover said without mentioning Bevin's name. "I leave this speaker's position with no animosity toward anyone. Not even those who have been working and conspiring for months for this result. Nor against those who have used this as an opportunity for personal selfish political gain."

On Saturday afternoon, House Republican leaders announced they planned to hire a private law firm to investigate the allegations and would grant them the power to subpoena witnesses. A news release Sunday said the investigation will continue.

Hoover has been speaker since January, shortly after Republicans won a majority in the state House for the first time in nearly a century. The victory gave Republicans control of every state legislative chamber in the South.

"I have asked for and received forgiveness from God, my family, my wonderful wife, Karen, and my daughters," Hoover said. "The decision today is what is best for Kentucky. And what is best for the House of representatives that I love and have spent 21 years here."

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Source – abcnews.go.com

14-year-old daughter of pastor among victims in Texas church shooting, father says

WATCH Mass shooting at church in Texas: Special report

A 14-year-old daughter of the pastor of a Baptist church in rural Texas was among those killed in a mass shooting at the church Sunday morning, the father told ABC News.

Annabelle “was one very beautiful, special child,” her father, pastor Frank Pomeroy, said.

The girl, whose full name is Annabelle Renee Pomeroy, was her father's youngest daughter and died along with other church members, according to Frank Pomeroy, who spoke to ABC News.

The pastor said he was in Oklahoma this morning when the shooter opened fire in his church, First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs.

At least 26 dead, 20 injured in shooting at rural Texas church Texas church shooting suspect identified Church shooting in rural Texas now among top 5 deadliest gun massacres in US history

He was driving back Sunday afternoon from Oklahoma to Sutherland Springs, a small community about 40 miles southeast of San Antonio.

All of those killed are close friends of his, Frank Pomeroy said.

@MaxMasseyTV/KSAT

The rest of the victims have not been identified, but she will not be the youngest victim. Texas Department of Public Safety Regional Director Freeman Martin said this afternoon that the victims ranged from 5 years old to 72 years old.

A law enforcement official reports that 26 people are dead and about 20 others were injured.

The fatality count makes it one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

Mexico says endangered vaquita porpoise died in captivity

Researchers were thrilled to have captured one of the few remaining vaquita porpoises, but announced Sunday that the adult female died after a few hours in captivity in a floating pen, raising questions about the last-ditch effort to enclose the world's smallest porpoises to save them from extinction.

Critics, and even supporters of the international rescue effort, knew the plan was full of risks: The small marine mammals native to Mexico's Gulf of California have never been held in captivity, much less bred there.

But with estimates of the remaining population falling below 30, the international team of experts known as Vaquita CPR felt they had no choice. In late October, researchers captured a vaquita calf but quickly freed it because it was showing signs of stress and was too young to survive without its mother.

On Saturday, the team felt its luck had turned when it caught a female in reproductive age. Mexico's environment secretary, Rafael Pacchiano, tweeted a photo of the vaquita in a net sling late Saturday, saying: "This is a great achievement that fills us with hope."

The vaquita was taken to a protected floating pen in the Gulf of California in the hopes that it would survive, and possibly breed if more vaquitas could be captured.

But on Sunday, the team said, "Veterinarians monitoring the vaquita's health noticed the animal's condition began to deteriorate and made the determination to release."

"The release attempt was unsuccessful and life-saving measures were administered," the team wrote. "Despite the heroic efforts of the veterinary team, the vaquita did not survive."

"The entire rescue team is heartbroken by this devastating loss" wrote the team, which is using U.S. Navy-trained dolphins to help find the elusive species in the upper Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez. "The risk of losing a vaquita during field operations was always acknowledged as a possibility, but it was determined that it was unacceptable to stand by and watch the vaquita porpoise disappear without a heroic attempt at rescue."

If it proves impossible to safely capture vaquitas, experts say an all-out effort will be needed to save them in their natural habitat. Vaquita populations have been decimated by illegal nets used to catch totoaba fish, whose swim bladder is prized in China.

"We are deeply saddened to learn that the vaquita captured on Saturday has died. We are confident that the experts involved in the capture did their best," said Alejandro Olivera, the Mexico representative for the Center for Biological Diversity. "However, this should be a reminder for the Mexican government that 'Plan A' should never be forgotten. To truly protect these incredible little porpoises, the Mexican government must once and for all get deadly gillnets out of the vaquita's habitat."

Mexico has moved to ban gillnet fishing in the area, mounted a campaign to confiscate nets, and is trying to stop illegal fishing. But given the enormously high prices that totoaba swim bladders fetch on the black market, fishermen have used go-fast boats and stealth tactics that are hard to stop.

The environmental protection unit of the federal Attorney General's Office said Sunday that authorities had seized four miles (6.4 kilometers) of nets, 5 metric tons of shrimp, and one shrimp boat as part of enforcement efforts in the second half of October. Authorities also seized three smaller boats and four vehicles.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

'Mass shooting' at church in Texas

A gunman opened fire at a church in Texas during Sunday services, resulting in multiple reported casualties.

The attack happened at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs in Wilson County.

Local ABC affiliate KSAT 12 reported the gunman entered the church at around 11:30 local time and began shooting.

Police told the outlet there were "multiple victims" and the gunman had been killed in the aftermath. The number of casualties is not yet clear.

Source – bbc.com

The Queen's private estate has been accused of investing millions of pounds in offshore tax havens, it has been revealed.

The investments by the Duchy of Lancaster emerged after the leak of a massive cache of documents being dubbed the Paradise Papers.

The documents have been obtained and analysed by a range of worldwide media organisations including the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Suddeutsche Zeitung, The Guardian and the BBC.

There is nothing to suggest that any of the investments are illegal.

Suddeutsche Zeitung, a German newspaper, alleged that in 2005, the Duchy of Lancaster invested $7.5m (£5.7m) in Dover Street VI Cayman Fund.

The Cayman Islands charges no direct tax on the earnings made by companies operating in the British Overseas Territory.

While the Queen pays tax on any income she receives from the Duchy of Lancaster, any funds the Duchy owns that are listed in tax free havens may be able to escape paying tax, thereby boosting their income.

Speaking about the leak at the CBI conference, Theresa May said individuals and businesses should "pay the tax that is due".

But she would not commit to introducing a public ownership register for offshore companies and trusts or opening a public inquiry into tax avoidance.

Suddeutsche Zeitung also alleged that Dover Street further invested in a subsidiary company called Vision Capital Partners VI B LP to buy into two UK retail chains, one of which was BrightHouse.

BrightHouse is the UK's largest rent-to-own firm and has been accused by a Parliamentary committee of charging inflated prices to some of the poorest people in the country.In December 2014, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Debt and Personal Finance found that a Hotpoint tumble dryer on sale for £229 at Curry's would cost BrightHouse customers £780 once interest, compulsory insurance and service cover was taken into account.

In February 2015, chair of the APPG Yvonne Fovargue MP, releasing a report into rent-to-own firms, said: "Rent to Own Stores like BrightHouse charge inflated prices to some of the poorest people in the country. Customers are often obliged to take out additional warranties and insurance, as a result paying several times the true value of the goods."

The chief executive of BrightHouse said at the time he was disappointed with the report's findings, and claimed his company provided high quality and competitively priced products.

Just last week, it emerged BrightHouse had agreed to reimburse customers to the value of nearly £15m after agreeing a compensation package with the Financial Conduct Authority, following a two-year investigation.

A spokesperson for the Duchy of Lancaster said: "We operate a number of investments and a few of these are with overseas funds. All of our investments are fully audited and legitimate.

"The Dover Street investment was bought in 2005 and forms only 0.3% of the total value of the Duchy.

"The Duchy's investment in BrightHouse is through a third party and equates to £3,208 – just 0.0006% of the Duchy's value.

"The Queen voluntarily pays tax on any income she receives from the Duchy."

Anti-monarchy groups said the revelations showed the Queen must be open and transparent about her investments and the tax she pays on them.

Graham Smith, the CEO of Republic, said: "The Queen's personal wealth and investments mean she has a direct interest in government decisions about tax. Yet we have no way of knowing if undue influence has been used by the royal household to protect these investments.

"The Queen now needs to come clean, to set the highest standards of transparency and probity in her financial affairs."

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Lebanon PM forced by Saudis to resign, says Hezbollah

The leader of Lebanon-based Shia group Hezbollah has said that Saudi Arabia forced the Lebanese prime minister to resign.

Saad al-Hariri stepped down in a televised broadcast from Saudi Arabia on Saturday, denouncing Hezbollah and its Iranian backers, and saying he feared for his life.

But the chief of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, said it was a Saudi decision "imposed" on him.

Saudi officials have denied this.

"It was not his intention, not his wish and not his decision to quit," Sheikh Nasrallah said in a televised address.

He questioned whether Mr Hariri would be able to return from Saudi Arabia, but also called for calm, amid fears that violence could erupt in Lebanon.

'No death plot'

Separately, despite Mr Hariri saying he feared assassination, the Lebanese army says it has not discovered any assassination plots in the country.

In addition to the army, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, the head of Lebanon's General Security intelligence agency, has also said he has no information about any plots to kill politicians in Lebanon, Reuters news agency reports.

• What is Hezbollah?
• Read more about Lebanon
• Iran rejects Lebanon PM's claims

The Lebanese Internal Security Forces, meanwhile, have denied reports that they foiled a recent assassination attempt in Beirut, Lebanon's capital.

However Saudi Gulf Affairs Minister Thamer al-Sabhan has said Mr Hariri's bodyguards had confirmed that there was an assassination plot against him.

He also denied in an interview with a Lebanese TV station that Saudi Arabia pushed Mr Hariri to resign.

New political crisis

As he resigned on Saturday, Mr Hariri blamed Iran for meddling in several countries, including Lebanon, and said he felt the climate was similar to that which "prevailed" before his father, former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, was killed by a bomb in 2005.

The attack was widely blamed on Hezbollah, which wields considerable power in Lebanon but denies it was involved.

Iran has denounced Mr Hariri's assertions, with an adviser to the Supreme Leader accusing the US and Saudi Arabia of being behind the move.

The ex-PM is close to Saudi Arabia, Iran's chief rival for regional influence.

Saudi princes held in 'corruption' purge

Correspondents say Mr Hariri's sudden departure has plunged Lebanon into a new political crisis and raised fears that it may be at the forefront of the regional rivalry between Shia power Iran and Sunni stronghold Saudi Arabia.

Mr Hariri became prime minister in December 2016, after previously holding the position between 2009 and 2011.

He has made several recent visits to Saudi Arabia. His announcement on Saturday came a day after a meeting in Beirut with Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

After taking office last year, Mr Hariri promised a "new era for Lebanon" after two years of political deadlock.

The coalition government he led brought together almost all of the main political parties in Lebanon, including Hezbollah.

Source – bbc.com

At least 27 dead, more than two dozen injured in shooting at rural Texas church

WATCH Mass shooting at church in Texas: Special report

At least 27 people were killed and 27 others injured in a mass shooting at a church in rural Texas this morning, a law enforcement official told ABC News.

The alleged shooter, who has not been identified, is dead following the massacre in Sutherland Springs, about 40 miles southeast of San Antonio, authorities said.

Among those killed at the First Baptist Church was a 14-year-old girl named Annabelle Renee Pomeroy, according to her father, Frank Pomeroy, who is a pastor at the church.

Darren Abate/AP

14-year-old girl among the victims

Annabelle “was one very beautiful, special child,” Pomeroy told ABC News by phone.

Pomeroy said he was in Oklahoma this morning — a rare weekend that he wasn't at the church.

The other victims are all close friends of his, he said.

The Associated Press

Last Sunday, Pomeroy delivered a sermon at the church, encouraging parishioners to "lean on the Lord," even when circumstances don't make sense.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely, or lean, on your own understanding," he said. "You see God's understanding is far greater and there may be things that are taking place that you don't understand but you still need to do what God's calling you to do."

Nick Wagner/Statesman.com

14-year-old daughter of pastor among victims in Texas church shooting, father says Tenn. church suspect's car had note referencing retaliation for Dylann Roof's Charleston attack Dylann Roof sentenced to death, 1st to get death penalty for federal hate crimes

'We heard several shots and we all started running'

Darren Abate/AP

A woman who said she works at a gas station across the street from the church told ABC News she heard rapid gunfire around 11:15 a.m.

Congregants fled the church and ran to the station cowering for cover, she said.

“We heard several shots and we all started running inside the store,” said the woman, who said she is 49 but declined to give her name.

“It lasted about 15 seconds," she said. "I yelled, ‘Get down! Get inside!’ and we all went into hiding.”

Within minutes of the gunfire, emergency personnel arrived at the scene, she said.

She said the gas station locked its doors and has not reopened.

A church turns into a crime scene

The First Baptist Church is an unassuming, white building with a red-hued door, with numerous flags in front, including an American flag and one for the Lone Star State. It’s on what appears to be a dusty road in a rural area.

Police formed a perimeter around the church and flooded its grounds with emergency and police vehicles, according to ABC affiliate KSAT-TV in San Antonio. Agents from the FBI and ATF have responded to the scene.

Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP

A small group of people were seen clustered together outside the church, holding hands and attempting to pray, a KSAT-TV reporter said.

Families in tears wait to see if their family and friends are safe. Praying for the safety of all those involved. pic.twitter.com/yjzK7lZJ1S

— Max Massey (@MaxMasseyTV) November 5, 2017

Paul Buford, a pastor at a church just a couple of miles away in Sutherland Springs, told KSAT-TV that his congregation was in the middle of their service at River Oaks Church when they started getting calls about the shooting.

Members of his church who are first responders rushed out while the rest of the congregation immediately started praying.

A portrait of the shooter emerges

Authorities have preliminary identified the shooter as a white male in his mid 20s, from outside San Antonio, multiple sources told ABC News. On social media the suspect recently displayed AR-15 style-looking gun, sources said. A LinkedIn account indicates he may have had a military background, sources said.

At this point, today's church massacre is the fourth deadliest mass shooting in recent U.S history, after Las Vegas, Orlando and Virginia Tech.

Trump and Texas officials react

President Donald Trump, who is in Japan, tweeted, "May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas."

May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI & law enforcement are on the scene. I am monitoring the situation from Japan.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2017

Trump has been briefed “several times” and is continuing to receive regular updates, said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement, "While the details of this horrific act are still under investigation, Cecilia and I want to send our sincerest thoughts and prayers to all those who have been affected by this evil act. I want to thank law enforcement for their response and ask that all Texans pray for the Sutherland Springs community during this time of mourning and loss."

ABC News

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement, "The thoughts and prayers of all Texans are with the people of Sutherland Springs as tragic reports come out of First Baptist Church."

"Please join Angela and me as we pray for those impacted by this horrific shooting,” Paxton said.

This marks the third mass shooting at a U.S. church in the past three years.

In Sept. 2017, a gunman allegedly stormed the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch, Tennessee, shooting and killing a woman in the parking lot and then entering the church sanctuary, shooting and wounding six people.

In June 2015, white supremacist Dylann Roof shot and killed nine black churchgoers during a Bible study at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. In Jan. 2017, Roof was sentenced to death.

ABC News' Jack Date, Pierre Thomas, Mike Levine, Aaron Katersky, Michael DelMoro and Joi-Marie McKenzie contributed to this report.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

Jimmy Fallon's mother, Gloria, passed away: 'Jimmy was at his mother’s bedside'

Jimmy Fallon's mother, Gloria, passed away Saturday, ABC News has confirmed.

The news came just one day after the late night TV show host cancelled the Friday taping of "The Tonight Show."

A spokesperson for the comedian told ABC News in a statement, "Jimmy Fallon’s mother, Gloria, died peacefully on Saturday. Jimmy was at his mother’s bedside, along with her loved ones, when she passed away at NYU Langone Medical Center in NYC."

"Our prayers go out to Jimmy and his family as they go through this tough time," the statement concluded.

@jimmyfallon and his mom Gloria, graduation day #beforetheywerefamous #graduation pic.twitter.com/xxgMjQxyfk

— Thee Qween (@ReedusQween) May 23, 2016

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In light of his mother's passing, "The Tonight Show" has been cancelled this week, an NBC spokesperson told ABC News in a statement.

"On behalf of everyone at NBC, we extend our deepest condolences to Jimmy and all his family at this time of enormous loss," a statement read. "Our hearts go out to Jimmy and everyone else whose lives were so touched by Gloria Fallon’s love, kindness and support."

Fallon, 43, has often talked about his childhood and family.

Back in May, he shared a funny observation about his mother. "My mom and I were talking on the phone for the third time that day and she actually said, 'We don’t talk enough.'"

My mom and I were talking on the phone for the third time that day and she actually said, “We don’t talk enough.” #MomQuotes

— jimmy fallon (@jimmyfallon) May 10, 2017

Fallon also opened up about his mother in an interview with New York magazine.

"My mom was like a total square; she wasn't allowed to leave her stoop in Brooklyn," he said. "She was a nun for about a month, but then she was like, 'You know what? I didn't get the calling!' Ha!"

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