Four killed

Four killed in shooting and stabbing attack central Japan

The alleged assailant was said to have stabbed a woman, before firing a hunting rifle to kill two policemen in the city of Nakano, Nagano prefecture. A fourth death was later confirmed.

BBC reports the suspect is the son of the city assembly's speaker, local media say.

Gun violence remains extremely rare in Japan, despite the killing of ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July last year.

Baby among four people killed in Taupo crash

A 10-month-old baby is in a critical condition and her mother is one of four dead after of a road crash that one truckie described as "the worst thing they've seen in 20 years".

The crash in Taupo reportedly involved members of a Tongan church group, returning home to Palmerston North after a weekend event in Auckland.

Pesi Tuivai, 40, has been named as one of the four victims - she was one of eight people in the people-mover van that collided with a five-seat van. Her baby daughter, only 10 months old, is in a critical condition.

Tel Aviv shooting: Four killed

The attacks took place in two locations in Sarona Market, close to Israel's defence ministry and main army HQ.

Police said the gunmen were from Yatta, a Palestinian village near the West Bank town of Hebron.

Both are in custody. One is undergoing surgery in hospital, police added.

There has been a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis since last year, with a series of shootings, stabbings and car rammings, although the number of incidents had dropped in recent months.