Police said four people had died and 10 were wounded in the incident in Stockton, about 60 miles east of San Francisco.

Officers were called on Saturday to a banquet hall just before 6pm local time (2am UK time) and district attorney Ron Freitas said children were among the dead.

He said the attacker was still at large.

"We can confirm at this time that approximately 14 individuals were struck by gunfire, and four victims have been confirmed deceased," San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said on X.

The post said early indications suggest it could be a "targeted incident" but that information remains limited.

Police have so far not disclosed the attacker's identity and the motive is unclear.

Stockton's vice mayor Jason Lee confirmed on Facebook that the shooting on Lucile Avenue happened at a child's birthday party.

Mayor Christina Fugazzi said that "families should be together instead of at the hospital, standing next to their loved one, praying that they survive".

California governor Gavin Newsom's office added that he had been briefed on the "horrific shooting".

Three people have also died in Malaysia, officials have said, due to the extreme weather in South Asia and Southeast Asia.

In total, Indonesian officials said 442 people had died and Thai authorities reported 170 deaths in the southern part of the country, as of midday UK time on Sunday.

Rescue efforts were ongoing throughout the day, with more than four million people affected - almost three million in Southern Thailand and 1.1 million in Western Indonesia - by the effects of a tropical storm formed in the Malacca Strait.

Indonesian relief and rescue teams have used helicopters to deliver aid to people they could not access because of blocked roads on the western island of Sumatra.

Many areas have been cut off, while damage to telecommunications infrastructure has hampered communications.

Officials said on Saturday that they had received reports of people looting supply lines as they grow desperate for relief in other areas.

Hat Yai, the largest city in Thailand's Songkhla province, received 335mm (13 inches) of rain on Friday last week, its highest single-day tally in 300 years.

After days of rain, meteorological authorities in Malaysia lifted tropical storm and continuous rain warnings there yesterday, forecasting clear skies for most of the country.

However, there are still about 18,700 people in evacuation centres, according to the country's national disaster management agency.

Read more from Sky News:
Surgeon may never face justice over 'botched' operations
William 'moved' by severely ill Gazan children's courage

More than 200 dead in Sri Lanka

Across the Bay of Bengal, Sri Lanka's disaster management centre said in a situation report on Sunday that 212 people had died as a result of Cyclone Ditwah.

Another 218 people have been recorded as missing across the South Asian country's 25 districts, and more than half a million people have been affected nationwide.

The ban was imposed after the force in Birmingham concluded that the visit of Maccabi was too "high risk" to allow visiting fans amid inflamed community tensions over the Gaza war.

And the decision will be challenged by the Home Affairs Select Committee on Monday when leaders from the force are questioned by MPs.

It comes as Sky News can reveal officers only classified Thursday's Europa League match between Aston Villa and BSC Young Boys as "medium risk" despite three UEFA disciplinary cases against the Swiss club since 2023 for fan unrest, including partial stadium bans being imposed.

And some of those Young Boys fans then fought with police and a Villa player was left bloodied by a plastic cup being thrown.

West Midlands Police has not explained in any more detail about the lower classification for the Young Boys match.

While Maccabi has not been hit with any UEFA disciplinary cases recently for hooliganism, the club's Europa League game at Ajax in November 2024 raised concerns in Birmingham about the ability to allow Israeli fans.

Understanding it means going back to November 2024 - and the days of disorder around Maccabi's Europa League match against Ajax.

It's this incident that had to be assessed by authorities in England when deciding how to police Maccabi's visit to Villa this month.

But the accuracy of this assessment has been called into question.

Sky News has heard in depth from Dutch police about what they told officers in England about the threat posed by the Israeli supporters in a video call at the start of October.

What's not doubted by the police or indeed Maccabi is that Israeli ultras - more violent fans - were involved in attacks and anti-Palestinian chants in Amsterdam. They armed themselves with belts and padlocks, attacking taxis and scooter-riders.

Contradictions in police accounts

But there are some apparent contradictions between the accounts of the two forces.

In dispute are elements of a document produced by West Midlands Police to justify advice to Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group, which has been leaked.

It effectively set out why Maccabi fans were deemed too dangerous to be allowed into Villa.

A key claim from West Midlands Police is that 500 to 600 Maccabi fans apparently intentionally targeted Muslim communities in Amsterdam. Amsterdam police says there were 500 to 800 high-risk Maccabi supporters.

Muslims 'not targeted' by large groups of visiting fans

But the force told me: "We did not see large groups of Maccabi's (fans) going into Muslim populated areas to target Muslims."

Asked to clarify, it added: "Provocations came from both sides. This all happened in the city centre. That's not the same as a large group (of) Maccabi (fans) going into a Muslim populated area to target Muslims."

Amsterdam police also made no reference in a detailed timeline provided to us of the notable claim by West Midlands Police that Maccabi fans threw "innocent members of the public into the river".

The five people convicted in Amsterdam were all for violence against Israelis.

It is not clear why no Israeli fans were prosecuted, given that the Amsterdam police cited in detail attacks by them.

'Offensive, racist expressions'

"Compared to other European high-risk football supporters, Amsterdam police makes the assessment that the Maccabi supporters were quite self-confident and were not afraid - neither of opponents, nor of the police," the timeline provided to us said.

It goes on to highlight "offensive, racist expressions" in Hebrew shouted by Maccabi fans.

It turns to the situation towards the city centre after the match.

Referencing "Maccabi Tel Aviv rioters", it says: "Along the way, they equip themselves with materials such as metal rods and stones. Stones are also thrown at taxis.

"At the same time, another development takes place: small groups of pro-Palestinian rioters actively search for individuals they perceive as Israeli, Jewish or Maccabi supporters. At 23.55pm, the first 'flash' attacks on Maccabi supporters begin at Dam Square.

"Several dozen violent incidents in the city centre follow. The pro-Palestinian rioters use various methods to reach their victims: some move on foot; others use scooters or taxis to move quickly through the city.

"This makes it difficult for the police to intervene quickly and effectively. This proves to be a fundamentally different form of violence compared to earlier situations, which involved clashes between groups facing each other.

"From 1.24am onward, reports of attacks decrease, but fear among Jewish residents of Amsterdam and Israeli tourists remains high. Multiple reports come in of people feeling unsafe and not daring to leave their hotels."

A West Midlands Police document does say there was evidence of "incitement to attack Jewish fans", but they largely overlook what officers in Amsterdam said was the threat posed to the Maccabi contingent.

The force had to assess the resources needed for the match.

It claims 5,000 officers had to be deployed in Amsterdam. But the Dutch police confirmed to us there were only 1,200 police deployed.

It's raising new questions for the Aston Villa-supporting Tory MP Nick Timothy - a former Home Office special adviser - about the characterisation of Maccabi fans.

"This isn't just about a football match," Mr Timothy told Sky News. "This isn't just about the rights of the Israeli supporters to come to Britain and watch their team. This is about whether we can trust the police to do their job without fear or favour, as the police oath requires them to do. And whether we can trust them to tell us the truth.

"They've presented an intelligence report that they say is based on information provided by the Dutch. The Dutch say that that information is not true".

Read more on Sky News:
'False claims' fuelled fan ban
Maccabi chief condemns 'racist hate'
Emergency measures over anti-Israeli attacks

West Midlands Police said in a statement it is "satisfied in the veracity of our information and intelligence, which put public safety at the heart of our decision-making.

"We will be giving evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on Monday 1 December and therefore it would be inappropriate to make further comment at this time."

The only time the force has so far explained the decision on camera was in an interview with me on the day of the Villa match when Chief Superintendent Tom Joyce highlighted "quite significant levels of hooliganism" among Maccabi fans.

He said banning supporters is not a "precedent but it's one we would use rarely, clearly".

Few policing decisions have been as contentious, as scrutinised this year, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer this week expressing fresh concern about the evidence used to ban by officers.

Daniel Naroditsky, 29, was a pioneer in the world of competitive speed chess, which surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and amassed hundreds of thousands of online followers.

But the chess world was rocked when allegations of cheating - never substantiated - were levelled against him by former world champion Vladimir Kramnik.

The explosion of online chess has brought with it a surge in cheating claims - false and otherwise - that has often put the ancient board game in the headlines.

In his haunting final livestream, Naroditsky talked about the toll it had on him, saying it felt like "people assume the worst" when he won games.

Naroditsky - known to many as Danya - was found unresponsive at his home in North Carolina in October.

The cause of his death has not been made public and police are investigating it as a possible suicide, overdose or from natural causes.

Leader of the blazing fast world of online speed chess

A prodigy, Naroditsky was just 18 when he became a grandmaster (the highest title in chess apart from world champion).

The son of Jewish immigrants to the US from Ukraine and Azerbaijan, he was born in San Mateo County, California, and showed an impressive attention span and memory as a child.

Naroditsky was consistently ranked in the top 200 for traditional chess, but it was in the fast-paced world of blitz chess where he truly excelled.

In the format where players have just fractions of a second to make decisions, Naroditsky maintained a spot in the top 25 players in the world.

He became one of the most influential voices in the sport and drew hundreds of thousands of followers online as he played a fundamental role in popularising speed chess.

Naroditsky, like many prominent chess players, would regularly livestream his games and provide live commentary on his moves.

'People assume the worst'

Comments by Russian grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik, a former world champion and well-known figure in the chess world, were seen as unsubstantiated claims of cheating levelled against Naroditsky.

He had been one of Naroditsky's childhood heroes. Naroditsky denied the claims and they were never proven.

But the allegations - which Kramnik denies ever making - appear to have taken a toll on the young chess star.

In the last livestream he filmed before his death, Naroditsky said it was "absolutely terrifying" seeing some people believe the cheating accusations. "You're like, this cannot be happening."

He added: "Ever since the Kramnik stuff, I feel like if I start doing well, people assume the worst of intentions."

"The issue is just the lingering effect of it."

Grandmasters criticise Kramnik

Members of the chess world paid tribute to Naroditsky in the days after his death, praising his prodigious skill and his impact on the community.

"Let us remember Daniel for his passion and love for the game of chess, and for the joy and inspiration he brought to us all every day," his family said.

But as well as tributes to Naroditsky, fellow grandmasters have also heavily criticised Kramnik on social media.

American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura went on an expletive-laden rant on a livestream, while Indian grandmaster Nihal Sarin accused the Russian pro of trying to destroy Naroditsky's life.

Others called for an end to the constant finger-pointing that seems to have followed players like Naroditsky who excelled specifically at speed chess,

Chess.com - the hugely popular website where people from all over the world, including the game's elite, come together to play - shut down Kramnik's blog in 2023.

It said he had used the platform to spread baseless cheating allegations about "many dozens of players".

Read more from Sky News:
Could the next king of English chess be a Russian?
Carlsen plays chess match against 14,000 people

Who is Vladimir Kramnik and who has he accused?

Born in the Soviet Union, in what is now Russia, Kramnik, 50, is a former world champion and one of the top-ranked players of his generation.

But his outspoken nature has seen him in the headlines for his words rather than his chessboard talent.

Starting in October 2024, he made comments about Naroditsky, suggesting his near-perfect play was "statistically impossible".

Kramnik continued to post about Naroditsky on the day his death was announced, calling it a tragedy and speculating about the cause.

He said Naroditsky's death "has deeply shaken me personally" but also went on to criticise what he called "an unprecedentedly cynical and unlawful campaign of harassment against me and my family".

Kramnik denied making any personal attacks or insults towards Naroditsky.

It's not the first time Kramnik has gotten caught up in discussions of alleged irregularities in the game.

His comments about Nakamura - a hugely popular chess streamer and one of the highest-ranked players in the world - attracted a lot of attention.

In a post on his now-shuttered blog in November 2023, he said: "Having checked Hikaru's statistics carefully, I have found NUMEROUS low probabilities performances both of him and some of his opponents."

Nakamura said that Kramnik was "cherry picking" statistics and criticised "false accusations".

In a statement, Chess.com said it had analysed almost 2,000 reports on Hikaru's games in its Fair Play system and "found no incidents of cheating".

Kramnik responded by claiming that he never accused Hikaru of cheating and threatened to sue Chess.com.

Cheating in chess - how common is it?

While bending the rules in traditional "over the board chess" is difficult (but not impossible), the surge in popularity of online chess has seen more instances of cheating.

According to Professor Kenneth Regan, an expert in computer science and a chess international master, there are between five and 10 cases of cheating each year for in-person chess.

"The rate of cheating online is 100 to 200 times higher than the rate over the board," he added.

There are ways to police the game online, he says, but these are intrusive.

"The thing that often gets forgotten is that in statistics, lightning does, sometimes, strike twice," Erik Allebest, CEO of Chess.com, told Sky News' sister outlet NBC News.

"When you have 20 million games being played every day, a one-in-a-million chance thing happens every day.

"Some players, especially old-guard players who didn't grow up playing online chess, often find that hard to understand."

In 2022, Magnus Carlsen - considered by many to be the greatest player of all time - accused American Hans Niemann of cheating.

The explosive allegations followed a shock upset victory for Niemann over Carlsen at an in-person match as well as an online game between the pair in which Carlsen resigned after just one move.

It sparked a furore that brought huge attention to the sport - not always considered a bad thing - and ended with the players agreeing to move forward and an end to legal proceedings.

Complaint against Kramnik - and an award in Naroditsky's memory

Chess's international governing body FIDE (the chess version of FIFA) has filed a complaint against Kramnik following his conduct towards Naroditsky.

It said: "The complaint outlines a pattern of conduct over roughly two years and cites several public statements and materials that FIDE considers relevant to potential violations related to harassment and the insulting of an individual's dignity."

If the complaint is found proven, Kramnik could face sanctions including a fine or a ban from competitions.

Kramnik again denied wrongdoing after the complaint was filed, telling Reuters news agency: "What public statement after the death of Daniel was incorrect? ... I have not bullied Daniel Naroditsky, nor ever made personal insults towards him."

A petition calling on FIDE to ban Kramnik and revoke his grandmaster title has attracted more than 54,000 signatures.

Meanwhile, FIDE has said it will establish a special prize in memory of Naroditsky and his contribution to chess.

"It is painful for players like Danya (Naroditsky) to be accused of cheating, because since they were young they put in hours and hours and hours of work," Allebast, the chief executive of Chess.com said.

"For some, that all gets thrown into the garbage by an accusation. For players who view chess as sacred, it hurts them in the soul."

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK

Investigators are searching for bodies in the residential towers of Wang Fuk Court, where the blaze erupted on Wednesday.

Authorities say 146 bodies have now been found, rising from a previous reported total of 128.

Shuk-yin Tsang, the head of the Hong Kong police casualty unit, said another 100 people remained unaccounted for, and 79 people were injured.

Flames spread through seven of the eight towers of the complex, and the fire was not fully extinguished until Friday.

Police said they had completed searches through four of the affected buildings.

But a city official said they expected the search process to take three to four weeks.

The burnt towers

Cheng Ka-chun, the police officer leading the search, said bodies had been found both in apartments and on the roofs.

He said: "It is so dark inside, and because of the low light, it is very difficult to do the work, especially in places away from the windows."

Before the fire broke out, the towers had been undergoing renovations and were clad in bamboo scaffolding, draped with nylon netting, with windows covered by polystyrene panels.

Residents say they repeatedly warned about the potential flammability of the materials, but were told by the authorities that they faced "relatively low fire risks".

Now the authorities are investigating whether fire codes were violated amid growing public anger over the blaze.

Beijing has warned it will use a national security law to crack down on any "anti-China" protests that result.

'Give justice to the families'

Over 1,000 people turned out on Sunday to pay tribute to the victims of the fire, which was Hong Kong's deadliest in more than 75 years.

Mourners queued for more than a kilometre to lay flowers, some with sticky notes attached addressed to the victims.

Joey Yeung, whose grandmother's apartment burned in the fire, asked for justice.

The 28-year-old said: "I can't accept it. So today I came with my father and my family to lay flowers.

"I'm not asking to get anything back but at least give some justice to the families of the deceased - to those who are still alive."

Another mourner, Lian Shuzheng, said: "This really serves as a wake-up call for everyone, especially with these super high-rise buildings."

'Serious deficiencies' in safety

An online petition demanding an independent probe into possible corruption and a review of construction oversight drew over 10,000 signatures before it was closed.

Another petition with similar demands attracted more than 2,700 signatures with its plea for "explicit accountability" from the government.

Read more:
Hong Kong fire: 'Even if my parents are dead, I just want to know'
More arrests in deadly Hong Kong tower block blaze

City officials have announced they were suspending 28 building projects undertaken by the contractor that was renovating Wang Fuk Court, the Prestige Construction & Engineering Company.

They said the fire had "exposed serious deficiencies" in the safety of the company's sites, "including the extensive use of foam boards to block up windows during building repairs".

The day after the fire broke out, two directors and an engineering consultant from a construction firm were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

Police said they also suspected the company's leaders of gross negligence, without identifying the firm by name.

The three men were released on bail, but then rearrested by Hong Kong’s anti-corruption authorities, who made a further eight arrests.