Sunni mosques in Iraq attacked in apparent retaliation for Saudi execution

At least two Sunni Muslim mosques have been attacked in Iraq and two people killed in apparent retaliation for the execution of a senior Shi'ite cleric in Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, officials and police said on Monday.

Iraqi Shi'ites protesting the Jan. 2 execution of Saudi Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr separately marched in Baghdad and in southern cities, calling for a boycott of Saudi products and severing ties with the Sunni-ruled kingdom.

Iraq's Interior Ministry confirmed the attacks on Sunni mosques late Sunday in Hilla, around 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi blamed them on "Daesh (Islamic State) and those who are similar to them," without further explanation.

Tale of the missing Hong Kong booksellers: Government wants answers

Hong Kong's leader has appealed for information after the mysterious disappearance of five people linked to a publisher of books critical of China.

C.Y. Leung said there was "no indication" that those reported missing had been taken to mainland China by Chinese security agents, an accusation raised by some opposition political leaders in Hong Kong.

Instead, Leung stressed that only Hong Kong law enforcement agencies had the legal authority to enforce laws here.

Little boy with cancer who Paul Okoye & wife helped with his surgery has died

Sometime in November, Paul Okoye granted his wife's birthday by paying the medical bills of cancer patient, little Eniola (Read story here). Sadly, Eniola died after the treatment. Paul took to his Instagram account to relay the sad news. He wrote;

Olamide and Don Jazzy reconcile, release joint statement

Olamide and Don Jazzy both shared the photo on their respective instagram pages and wrote "We are very Sorry for the wahala make una no vex oh. It is our responsibility to lead but then again we are only human and we all make mistakes! #WeAreSorryHeadies #WeAreSorryFans #PeaceAndUnity"

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' will break the all-time US box-office record by Monday

Disney"Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

The third weekend in theaters for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was another strong one. The film earned an estimated $88.30 million, according to BoxOffice.com (a record for New Year's weekend), putting it atop the weekend box office for a third consecutive week.

But many are eyeing what the film's number will be by Monday. 

If estimates hold, "Force Awakens" (now at an estimated $740.27 million) will pass the lifetime domestic total of "Avatar" ($760.5 million), making the seventh "Star Wars" the all-time US box-office record-holder. And doing it in only 18 days!

Saudi Arabia is severing diplomatic ties with Iran

Saudi Arabia will cut all diplomatic ties with Iran, the Saudi foreign ministry said on Sunday.

Saudi officials said that Iranian diplomats have 48 hours to leave the country, according to CNN.

Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told a news conference that "Riyadh would not allow the Islamic Republic to undermine the Sunni kingdom's security," according to Reuters.

He added: “The Iranian regime has a long record of violating foreign diplomatic missions."

Jay Z vows to make Harry Styles the “biggest artist in the world” after One Direction

Roc Nation boss Jay Z has got his eyes on Harry Styles, and has reportedly promised to make him “the biggest artist in the world”.

The music mogul, who has mentored the likes of Rihanna, Shakira and Kanye West, has vowed to give Harry the help he needs to forge a solo career.

"Harry doesn't need any help with exposure, everybody in the world knows who he is,” he reportedly told The Daily Star Sunday.

"But he does need to make the transition from being part of a group to becoming an individual artist.