Two rockets on Saturday hit Iraq's Al-Balad air base, where US troops are stationed, while two mortars hit Baghdad's Green Zone, a high-security enclave housing the US embassy, security sources said.
Sirens immediately rang out at the American compound in Baghdad hosting both diplomats and troops, sources there told AFP.
The Al-Balad base, north of Baghdad, was hit by Katyusha rockets, security sources said.
The US has feared a backlash against its mission and bases where its troops are deployed across Iraq following the precision drone strike that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on Friday.

Missiles hit Green Zone and Iraq base housing US troops: security sources

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Chad has ended a months-long mission fighting Boko Haram in neighbouring Nigeria and withdrawn its 1,200-strong force across their common border, an army spokesman told AFP on Saturday.
"It's our troops who went to aid Nigerian soldiers months ago returning home. They have finished their mission," spokesman Colonel Azem Bermandoa told AFP. "None of our soldiers remains in Nigeria," he added.
He did not specify if they might be replaced following Friday's pullout which saw them "return to their sector at Lake Chad".
However, Chad's general chief of staff General Tahir Erda Tahiro said that if countries in the region which have contributed to a multinational anti-jihadist force were in agreement, more troops would likely be sent in amid local people's fears of a security vacuum.
The Chad troops, brought out in pick-up trucks and tank transporters, crossed the bridge back to their home capital of N'djamena via the Cameroon border town of Kousseri under the curious gaze of locals, an AFP .

Hundreds flee fearing Boko Haram after Chad army leaves Nigeria

Banks in a region of northern Lebanon were closed until further notice on Saturday, the National News Agency said, after lenders balked at customer anger over a liquidity crisis.
Since September banks have arbitrarily capped the amount of dollars that can be withdrawn or transferred abroad, sparking fury among customers who accuse lenders of holding their money hostage.
There is also a limit on Lebanese pound withdrawals.
Clients wanting dollars often have to stand in queues for hours to make withdrawals, only to be told bills have run out once they reach the counter.
On Saturday all banks in the northern region of Akkar were closed, the NNA said, following a call from the Association of Banks for them to shut their doors "until further notice".
On Friday, citizens entered a bank branch in the town of Halba to protest about customers being unable to withdraw enough dollars or their salaries in Lebanese pounds in full, NNA reported.
They said they would not leave until a customer -- ...

Some Lebanon banks close over angry clients' demands

US and Israeli flags were set alight in Iran's capital Saturday as thousands mourned the loss of top military commander Qasem Soleimani, a day after he was killed by American forces.
"We are with you," they chanted as they waved their hands in unison during the outpouring of grief at a rally in Tehran's Palestine Square, an AFP correspondent reported.
Soleimani was killed on Friday in a US air strike outside Baghdad international airport that shocked the Islamic republic and sparked fears of a new war in the Middle East. He was 62.
One of Iran's most popular public figures, Soleimani was head of the Quds Force that oversaw the foreign operations of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed "severe revenge" and declared three days of mourning on Friday following the news of his death.
At Saturday's rally in Tehran, men held up placards that called for "revenge" and black-clad women clutched portraits of Soleimani and Khamenei.
One man ...

US flags burn as thousands mourn general in Tehran

A mosque in the Czech Republic's second city of Brno has been vandalised with graffiti threatening to kill Muslims, police said on Saturday.
"Don't spread Islam in the Czech Republic! Otherwise we'll kill you," reads the inscription sprayed on the mosque.
"We have been investigating the case since Friday afternoon as damage to property for now," local police spokesman Bohumil Malasek told AFP.
The perpetrator faces up to a year in prison if convicted.
"We take it seriously as a direct threat, it's not an anonymous call on the internet," Muneeb Hassan Alrawi, head of the Czech Muslim Communities Centre, told the CTK news agency.
"We must also see this in the light of attacks on mosques in the world and of the oppressive sentiment and atmosphere in the Czech Republic," he added.
The migrant wave that peaked in Europe in 2015 stoked anti-Muslim sentiment in the Czech Republic even though it is home to only a small number after most refugees headed for wealthier states such as Germany or .

Czech mosque vandalised with death threats

Stuart Broad and James Anderson led a relentless bowling performance as England gained what could prove a crucial advantage on the second day of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands on Saturday.
South Africa were 215 for eight the close, still 54 runs behind England's first innings total of 269 on a dry pitch which is likely to get more difficult for batsmen later in the match.
More than half of South Africa's runs came in a 117-run fourth wicket partnership between Dean Elgar (88) and Rassie van der Dussen (68).
But Elgar and Van der Dussen were unable to dominate as England dried up the runs, with Elgar eventually falling to a lofted drive when he tried to lift the scoring rate.
Anderson took three for 34, while Broad and Sam Curran took two wickets apiece.
Anderson took two wickets with the second new ball, bowling from the northern, Kelvin end.
All the other wickets by the fast bowlers were taken from the southern, Wynberg end where they got bounce and some sideways ...

Broad, Anderson give England crucial edge in second Test

Scores at the close of play on the second day of the second Test between South Africa and England at Newlands on Saturday.
England, first innings (overnight 262-9)
Z Crawley
c De Kock b Philander
4
D Sibley
c De Kock b Rabada
34
J Denly
b Maharaj
38
J Root
c De Kock b Nortje
35
B Stokes
c Elgar b Nortje
47
O Pope
not out
61
J Buttler
c De Kock b Pretorius
29
S Curran
b Pretorius
9
D Bess
c De Kock b Philander
0
S Broad
b Rabada
1
J Anderson c Van der Dussen b Rabada
4
Extras (B-4, LB-1, NB-1, W-1)
7
Total (91.5 overs)
269
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-63, 3-105, 4-127, 5-185, 6-221, 7-231, 8-231, 9-234, 10-269.
Bowling: Philander 16-3-46-2, Rabada 19.5-3-68-3, Nortje 18-2-56-2, Maharaj 27-6-68-1, Pretorius 11-5-26-2
South Africa, first innings
D Elgar
c Root b Bess
88
P Malan
c Root b Broad
5
Z Hamza
c Stokes b Broad
5
F du Plessis
c Stokes b Anderson
1
H van der Dussen c Stokes b Curran
68
Q de Kock
c Anderson b Curran
20
V Philander
not out
13
D Pretorius
c Stokes b Anderson
4
K Maharaj
c 

Cape Town, Jan 4 (AFP) Scores at the close of play on the second day of the second Test between South Africa and England at Newlands on Saturday.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic kickstarted their build-up to the Australian Open with straight sets wins at the ATP Cup Saturday, but world number four Dominic Thiem slumped to defeat.
Top-ranked Nadal had little trouble with Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili, racing to a 6-3, 7-5 victory, while long-time rival Djokovic was given more of a test by South Africa's Kevin Anderson before overcoming him 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (8/6).
Their wins ensured Spain and Serbia clinched their ties at the inaugural 24-nation team event, where the countries are split into six groups across Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
The top eight from the round robin go onto the knockout phase in Sydney before one is eventually crowned the winner.
France, Argentina, Croatia and Japan also began their tournament in style, winning their ties to join day one victors Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Norway, Russia and Australia.
"I'm super, super happy to be here in Perth for first time in my life. It's an amazing arena and a great ...

Nadal and Djokovic off to winning starts at ATP Cup

Libyan deputies voted Saturday for a break in diplomatic relations with Turkey over its controversial agreements with the UN-recognised government that is contested inside the North African country.
At an emergency meeting in the eastern city of Benghazi, parliament also urged the international community to withdraw recognition of the Government of National Accord (GNA) which MPs accused of "high treason" because of the maritime and military deals it signed with Ankara in November clearing the way for a Turkish military intervention on its side.
Parliament speaker Abdallah Bleheq said MPs voted "unanimously" to scrap the accords, which they likened to "a return of colonialism", and to sever ties with Ankara.
The parliament, which was elected in 2014 and took refuge in eastern Libya, has been weakened by divisions within its ranks and the departure of around 40 members to Tripoli, the GNA-controlled capital.
Saturday's meeting fell short of the required quorum, according to pro-GNA ...

Libya MPs call for break with Turkey over military deal

Catalan separatist president Quim Torra said Saturday he would ask Spain's Supreme Court to strike down a decision by the electoral board to disqualify him as a lawmaker, thereby making him illegible to be Catalonia's leader.
The electoral board announced its decision Friday after Catalonia's High Court of Justice last month convicted Torra of disobedience for failing to remove separatist symbols from public buildings during an election campaign and banned him from holding public office for 18 months.
Catalonia's autonomy statute specifies that the head of the region's government must be a lawmaker in the regional assembly and Torra has appealed against the High Court ruling to the Supreme Court.
However, the electoral board went ahead pronouncing in favour of right-wing parties seeking Torra's disqualification as an MP, even though the Supreme Court has yet to decide on Torra's initial appeal.
Torra, who denounced the move as a "coup", said Saturday he would immediately present a ...

Catalan president to appeal ban from office

England fast bowler Jofra Archer is aiming to be fit for the third and fourth Tests against South Africa after a second scan on his injured right elbow showed no serious damage.
Archer was forced to miss the ongoing second Test at Newlands because of the injury.
An England spokesman said the scan had revealed "just bruising and swelling".  He said Archer would be working with the side's medical team with a view to be fit in time for the third Test, which starts in Port Elizabeth on January 16.

Archer scan shows no serious damage

Indonesian rescue teams flew helicopters stuffed with food to remote flood-hit communities on Saturday as the death toll from the disaster jumped to 60 and fears grew about the possibility of more torrential rain.
Tens of thousands in Jakarta were still unable to return to their waterlogged homes after some of the deadliest flooding in years hit the enormous capital region, home to about 30 million.
In neighbouring Lebak, where half a dozen people died, police and military personnel dropped boxes of instant noodles and other supplies into remote communities inaccessible by road after bridges were destroyed.
"It's tough to get supplies in there... and there are about a dozen places hit by landslides," Banten police chief Tomsi Tohir told AFP.
"That is why we're using helicopters although there aren't any landing spots." Local health centre chief Suripto, who goes by one name, said injured residents were flowing into his clinic.
"Some of them were wounded after they were swept away by ..

Thousands in shelters as Indonesia flood death toll hits 60

Fourteen civilians, including many schoolchildren, died Saturday when a roadside bomb blew up their bus in northwestern Burkina Faso, a security source told AFP.
Four people were seriously hurt in the blast in Sourou province near the Mali border, the source added, as children returned to school after holidays.
"The vehicle hit a homemade bomb on the Toeni-Tougan road," a second security source said. "Most of the dead are schoolchildren."
Meanwhile, the army reported an attack against gendarmes at Inata in the north on Friday, saying "a dozen terrorists were neutralised".
Since 2015, increasingly deadly Islamist attacks in Burkina have killed more than 750 people according to an AFP count, and forced 560,000 people from their homes according to UN figures.
The entire Sahel region, especially Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, is fighting jihadist insurgency with help from Western countries, but has not managed to stem the bloodshed.

Roadside bomb kills children on bus in Burkina Faso

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif hosted his Qatari counterpart on Saturday for talks in Tehran amid escalating tensions after US forces killed a top Iranian military commander in Baghdad.
Zarif and Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani discussed "the new situation in Iraq and the assassination of General haj Qasem Soleimani" as well as regional and international issues, Iran's foreign ministry said in a statement.
The US military killed Soleimani on Friday in an air strike outside Baghdad international airport that shocked the Islamic republic and sparked fears of a new war in the Middle East.
In his meeting with the Qatari foreign minister, Zarif called the US attack a "terrorist act" that led to the "martyrdom" of the commander.
"Iran does not want tension in the region, and it is the presence and interference of foreign forces that cause instability, insecurity and increased tension in our sensitive region," he said.
According to Iran's foreign ministry, Thani said the ...

Zarif discusses Iran general's killing with Qatar counterpart

France urged Tehran Saturday to stick with a landmark nuclear accord at risk of falling apart, the day after Washington killed a top Iranian commander in Baghdad.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said he had discussed the issue with his Chinese and German colleagues, hoping to avoid escalation of an already intense stand-off between Iran and the United States.
"France fully shares with Germany the central objective of de-escalation and preservation of the Vienna (nuclear) accord," Le Drian said in a statement.
With China, "we in particular noted our agreement... to urge  Iran to avoid any new violation of the Vienna accord," he added.
The 2015 agreement negotiated between Iran and the UN Security Council permanent members -- Britain, France, China, Russia and the US -- plus Germany offered Tehran relief from stinging sanctions in return for curbs to prevent it acquiring nuclear weapons.
US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal last year and reimposed even more ...

France urges Iran to stick with nuclear accord

British pop star Rod Stewart has been charged for allegedly punching a hotel security guard in the chest outside a children's party in Florida, according to a police report obtained by US media.
The 74-year-old singer of "Forever Young" and numerous other hits was with his family at The Breakers, a luxury hotel in Palm Beach, on New Year's Eve when he was refused access to a party in the children's section of the resort, US media reported on Friday.
Stewart was attempting to enter the event with his 39-year-old son Sean and other family members including children, according to the police report.
The singer -- recognizable by his hoarse voice and mop of blond hair -- was charged with simple battery, a minor offense which is generally punishable by a fine.
His son reportedly faces the same charge.
They are scheduled to appear in a Palm Beach court on February 5.
Stewart, whose number-one hits included "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)," released his 30th studio album in 2018.
In ..

Rod Stewart accused of hitting guard outside US kids' party

Thousands of people demonstrated on Saturday against French President Emmanuel Macron's proposed pension reforms which have sparked a month-long transport strike.
Some protesters donned the yellow vests which over the past year have become symbolic of opposition to Macron's attempts at reforms he says will rationalise France's 42 separate pension regimes into a single points-based system.
Unions reject the scheme saying it would require millions of people to work beyond the official retirement age of 62.
The marchers set off after midday from the Gare de Lyon railway station in eastern Paris behind a giant banner reading, "Macron, withdraw your project; save and improve our retirements", heading for Gare de l'Est, four kilometres (2.5 miles) to the north, an AFP reporter said.
Reaching the opera house at Bastille square, some demonstrators shouted "we don't want the grandfather clause" referring to proposals for new opera dancers to lose the current generous pension benefits enjoyed ..

Thousands march against pension reform in Paris

Chad's months-long mission fighting Boko Haram in neighbouring Nigeria has ended and its 1,200-strong force withdrawn, an army spokesman told AFP on Saturday.
"It's our troops who went to aid Nigerian soldiers months ago  returning home. They have finished their mission," spokesman Colonel Azem Bermandoa told AFP.
"None of our soldiers remains in Nigeria," he added, without specifying whether they might be replaced following Friday's pullout.

Chad troops leave Nigeria with Boko Haram mission over: army

The neutral pronoun "they" has been voted word of the decade by US language experts, beating out other contenders that included "climate" and "meme".
"They" is used in English by a growing number of non-binary individuals, people who do not identify as either male or female. They prefer the plural neutral pronoun to bypass the traditionally male "he" or female "she".
"When a fundamental part of language like pronouns becomes a vital indicator of trends in society, linguists prick up their ears," said Ben Zimmer, head of the American Dialect Society, which studies the evolution of language.
He added in a statement Friday that the Society's selection of "they" was an indication of "how the personal expression of gender identity has become an increasing part of our shared discourse".
The recognition comes after US dictionary Merriam-Webster in December named "they" its word of the year.
Nonbinary people are enjoying increased representation on television and in pop culture. Among them is 

Neutral pronoun 'they' chosen as word of the decade

Turkey on Saturday said two foreigners were involved in businessman Carlos Ghosn's transit through Istanbul as he fled Japan on his way to Lebanon.
"There are two foreigners involved in the transit," Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul told CNN's Turk broadcaster during an interview.
He did not provide further details on their nationality or exactly what role they played.
Ghosn, the former Nissan boss, is accused of financial misconduct but he claimed his upcoming trial was rigged before he made his escape from Japan before New Year's eve.
There is already an official Turkish probe into Ghosn's apparent transfer between private jets at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport.
The investigation is focused on two flights, the first a Bombardier labelled TC-TSR flew from Osaka in Japan, landed in Istanbul at 05.15 am and parked in a hangar.
The second was a private jet to Beirut, a Bombardier Challenger 300 TC-RZA, which left 45 minutes later, news agency DHA previously reported.
After seven ...

Turkey says two foreigners involved in Ghosn flight

Beijing urges Washington "not to abuse force" and to seek solutions through dialogue, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a call with his Iranian counterpart on Saturday, state media reported.
"The dangerous US military operation violates the basic norms of international relations and will aggravate regional tensions and turbulence," Wang told Javad Zarif according to Chinese media, referring to the killing in Iraq on Friday of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.

AFP

AFP

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