Four people have been killed in a shooting which took place at Cascade Mall in Burlington, Washington, on Friday night.

Sgt. Mark Francis, confirmed the news of the deceased by tweeting, "4 confirmed deceased in the mall, shooter(s) left scene b4 police arrived, unknown # of shooter, possibly just 1, police clearing mall now."

Burlington is situated about an hour north of Seattle. However, a spokesman for the state patrol has said that the shooter is still at large. The entire area is cordoned off as police is still searching for the gunman in the nearby areas. The police are also sweeping stores in the mall.

e Indian-American community in the US has launched a White House petition to designate Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism, days after a bill in this regard was tabled in the US Congress by two powerful lawmakers.

"This petition is important to the people of United States of America, India and many other countries which are continuously affected by Pakistan sponsored terrorism," the petition which was started on Tuesday said.

It requires at least 1,00,000 signatures to qualify for a response from the Obama Administration.

An initiative of US President Barack Obama, "We the People", the online petition service at the White House website provides a window to American citizens to campaign before the administration on a particular issue.

On 23 September, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made the long awaited announcement of the site for the proposed international greenfield airport in Pune's Purandar.

After a 15-member team comprising members of the Airport Authority of India, and that of the Maharashtra Airport Development Company reviewed several villages for determining the ideal spot for the proposed airport, the AAI gave an "in-principle approval for the proposed site" at Purandar taluka in Pune district, according to an Indian Express report.

"We would carry out the necessary technical surveys for the site as it has been cleared by the AAI and we have got a positive feedback from the people who seem to willing to part with their land for the airport," Devendra Fadnavis told Indian Express.

Anti-terrorism talks are likely to dominate the three-day Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Conclave, which commenced on 23 September at Kozhikode in Kerala. All eyes will be on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he will make his first public address since the deadly attack in Uri where 18 Indian soldiers lost their lives.

Prime Minister Modi will reach Kozhikode for the two-day visit on 24 September. He will fly down to Karipur in the afternoon where he will address a public rally at five in the evening on the Kozhikode beach.

The party also sought to focus on the Antyodaya programme as part of its pro-poor agenda. Party President Amit Shah asked its BJP-ruled states to execute the schemes aimed at the welfare of the poor in the centenary birth anniversary year of its ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay.