A single gunman opened fire inside a suburban Alabama church Thursday evening, killing two people and wounding a third at a small group meeting before being taken into custody, authorities said.

The attack occurred at Saint Stephen's Episcopal Church in the Birmingham suburb of Vestavia Hills, said Police Capt. Shane Ware. He said dispatchers got a call at around 6:20 p.m. reporting an active shooter there.

Ukraine's request to join the European Union may advance Friday with a recommendation from the EU's executive arm that the war-torn country deserves to become a candidate for membership in the 27-nation bloc.

The European Commission's endorsement, while only a tentative step on a path that could take decades to complete, would send a strong symbol of solidarity with Ukraine and further test the EU's united front against Russia amid the invasion of its neighbor.

Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians and wounded eight others early Friday during a military operation in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The military said the troops traded fire with militants.

The Israeli military has been carrying out near-daily raids in the occupied West Bank since a string of attacks earlier this year killed 19 people in Israel. Many of the arrest raids have been launched in and around Jenin, the hometown of several of the attackers.

The Al Jazeera news network has published an image of the bullet that it says killed its veteran reporter Shireen Abu Akleh while she was covering an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank last month.

It identified the bullet as a U.S.-made 5.56mm round fired from an M4 rifle, commonly used by Israeli forces. The Israeli military says Palestinian militants use the same ammunition.

Authorities across much of the Muslim world, including Lebanon, have barred Disney's latest animated film "Lightyear" from being played at cinemas after the inclusion of a brief kiss between a lesbian couple, the company said as the movie premiered.

Lebanon, Palestine and twelve other nations barred the Pixar film that has actor Chris Evans voicing the inspiration for the astronaut hero Buzz Lightyear from the "Toy Story" movies, The Walt Disney Co. said.

An Israeli police investigation has found that police engaged in misconduct during the funeral of slain Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, but those who supervised the event will not face serious punishment, an Israeli newspaper has reported.

Israeli riot police pushed and beat mourners at the funeral, causing the pallbearers to nearly drop the casket in a shocking start to the May 14 procession in east Jerusalem.

Israel has praised Argentina for holding a Venezuelan plane that included Iranian crew, saying the flight shows Tehran is trying to expand its influence in South America.

Washington also made clear it is keeping close tabs on the investigation into the Boeing 747, which was loaded with automotive parts and raised questions because its 19 crewmembers is an unusually large number for a cargo plane.

Beijing launched a new-generation aircraft carrier Friday, the first such ship to be both designed and built in China, in a milestone as it seeks to extend the range and power of its navy.

The Type 003 carrier christened Fujian left its drydock at a shipyard outside Shanghai in the morning and tied up at a nearby pier, state media reports said.

While reviewing the photo archives left by Nobel Prize-winning Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez, one of his granddaughters came across a mysterious plastic box with the word "grandchildren" written on its label.

At first, Emilia García Elizondo was afraid to open the box but curiosity overcame her. Inside were 150 unpublished letters that he received from Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Cuban President Fidel Castro and actor Robert Redford, among others.

Erling Haaland's English Premier League debut is set to come in an away match at West Ham when Manchester City opens its title defense at the Olympic Stadium.

The schedule for the league's 2022-23 season was released on Thursday, with Liverpool — the team widely expected to vie for the title with City again — starting away to promoted team Fulham. City plays its first game a day later.