US pulls out staff in Somalia

• MADRID: The US's diplomatic mission in Somalia has directed all non-essential staff to leave the capital Mogadishu, saying it had received a"specific threat" against its employees. The move came a day after Washington carried out its first air strikes against IS militants in the country, in raids it said killed "several terrorists". "Due to specific threat information against US personnel on the Mogadishu International Airport, the US mission to Somalia has directed its non-essential US citizen employees to depart Mogadishu until further notice," said a statement. It did not give further details. Reuters

Iran parade

• BEIRUT: Iran put a ballistic missile on display as thousands marched on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the US embassy. Reuters

PIA poor visibility

• LAHORE: A flight of Pakistan's national carrier on Saturday landed in Lahore because of low visibility and asked passengers onboard to travel by bus to their destination, Geo News reported. PTI

Vietnam typhoon

• Hanoi: Typhoon Damrey killed at least 19 people in central and southern Vietnam on Saturday, the government said, after the storm swept into the country. Reuters

Asylum protests

• SYDNEY: More than 1,000 people protested in Australia on Saturday against the treatment of hundreds of asylum seekers in an offshore detention centre that the UN has described as an "unfolding humanitarian emergency". Reuters

Egypt rights

• CAIRO: Several European countries have criticised the detention of an Egyptian human rights lawyer who is helping investigate the murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni. Reuters

Journalist ban

• LOS ANGELES: The Country Music Association on Friday reversed a ban on journalists asking questions at its awards show about last month's mass shooting. Reuters

Elephant paintings auctioned

• BUDAPEST: Paintings created by an Indian elephant who enjoys wielding a brush were auctioned off by a Hungarian travelling circus on Saturday. Three of 42-year-old elephant Sandra's abstract canvasses, with coloured lines flowing across them resembling rivers, fetched about 40,000 forints ($150) each. A painting depicting Sandra herself, done by a Hungarian painter, sold for 260,000 forints. The money will be offered to an elephant sanctuary in Malaysia. Sandra paints with her trunk purely for pleasure, according to her owner and trainer Florian Richter, a horse acrobat and circus director. Reuters

Mugabe deputy

• HARARE: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is set to appoint a woman deputy after a special ruling party congress next month, the first lady said on Saturday and added that there was nothing wrong if her husband appointed her. Reuters

Baloch militant

• KARACHI: Pakistan's Balochistan province government has released the recently detained wife and children of a top Baloch militant commander who is accused of targeting security forces in the state. Three women and three children were arrested while travelling illegally into Pakistan. PTI