Shia

Blast near girls school in Afghan capital Kabul kills scores

Eyewitnesses said all but seven or eight of the victims were schoolgirls going home after finishing studies.

Saudi Arabia says Yemen rebel drone intercepted after Abha airport attack

The attack comes a day after several drones attacked the Abha international airport in Saudi Arabia's southwest, prompting Washington to call for an end to Houthi aggression.

Pakistan’s Hazaras wait for Imran Khan amidst coffins of their loved ones

Easily identifiable by their distinguishable facial features, the ethnic minority is targeted for professing their Shia Muslim faith.

Pakistan's Hazara protest: Sit-in won't end until slain miners get justice

Thousands of Hazara Shias are protesting on a highway in southern Quetta city with the bodies of miners killed on Sunday, seeking a meeting with PM Imran Khan and demanding an end to the persecution of the ethnic group.

Iran's long game in Syria

Iran has managed to entrench itself in Syria and is fast becoming an immovable force in the country.

Hariri's proposal to end cabinet logjam brings hope for a new government

France has been quick to back former PM Saad al Hariri's proposal of an "independent" Shia candidate being given the finance portfolio to end a deadlock between two main Shia parties over ministers.

Why contain Iran, when it is already self-contained?

Iran's leadership is consistently finding that its armed proxies in the region cannot buy the country genuine political influence.

Clashes, gunfire in Lebanon in second night of violence

The clashes marked the second consecutive night of violence linked to Lebanon's political crisis, threatening to tip largely peaceful demonstrations directed at the country's ruling elite in a more bloody direction.

Al Qaeda attack kills 19 soldiers in Yemen

Separate attacks by Houthi rebels and militants on Thursday hit security forces in Yemen's city Aden, killing at least 49 people, many of them newly trained police cadets, officials said.

S Arabia stages "largest mass execution of Shias" in its history - analyst

Amnesty International said most of those executed were convicted "after sham trials" that relied on confessions extracted through torture.

Who are the Houthis?

The Houthis were formed by Zaidite scholars, a Shia sect who have lived in Yemen for over a thousand years and also ruled the country for several centuries. Their rebellion against the Saudi-backed government began about a decade ago.

Iraqi forces could face bigger challenge in next showdown with Daesh

For the first time since the defeat of Daesh, Mosul is hit by a bomb. The Iraqi government is getting ready for a fight, but internal disagreements and Daesh's changing tactics could mean that it might not be an easy task.