Briefly

IRAN

Coal mine blast leaves 51 dead

A gas explosion in a coal mine in eastern Iran has killed at least 51 people and injured 20, state media reported on Sunday. The accident was caused by a methane gas explosion in the mine run by the Madanjoo company, state media said. Ali Akbar Rahimi, governor of South Khorasan Province, told state TV that this region supplies 76 percent of the country's coal and is home to about 8 to 10 major companies, including Madanjoo. The explosion occurred at 9 pm on Saturday, state media said. President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed condolences to the victims' families. "I spoke with ministers and we will do our best to follow up," Pezeshkian said in televised comments.

UNITED STATES

4 killed in Alabama late night shooting

A mass shooting involving several assailants has left at least four people dead and dozens wounded in Birmingham, Alabama, police said on Saturday. "We believe that multiple shooters fired multiple shots on a group of people" in the Five Points South district just after 11 pm, police officer Truman Fitzgerald told local media. Officers found two men and one woman on the sidewalk suffering from gunshot wounds, Fitzgerald said. All three were pronounced dead at the scene. A fourth victim died at a local hospital, he added.

Trump rejects 2nd debate against Harris

Donald Trump on Saturday rejected a second debate against Kamala Harris before the Nov 5 election, saying it was "too late" with early voting already underway in some states. Earlier in the day, Harris' campaign said she had accepted an invitation from CNN to participate in a debate on Oct 23. It would have been the candidates' second debate after the Sept 10 encounter. Trump stuck to his previous position that there would not be another debate before voters go to the polls in November. "It's just too late. Voting has already started," he said at a campaign rally in the battleground state of North Carolina.

Agencies Via Xinhua