A suicide bomber attacked a market in a largely Shiite Muslim area of northwest Pakistan on Friday, killing at least 19 people and wounding 54 others in the deadliest attack for a month.

MANAMA (Reuters) - Hundreds of Bahraini protesters marched from the outskirts of Manama towards the city centre on Monday, blocking a main highway on the eve of the February 14 anniversary of a pro-democracy revolt later crushed by the government.

MANAMA (Reuters) - A top U.S. lawman hired by Bahrain to help clean up its security practices after revelations of torture used to help crush a protest movement last year said the government was serious about reforms and but youth violence was posing obstacles.

MANAMA (Reuters) - A top U.S. lawman hired by Bahrain to help clean up its security practices after revelations of torture used to help crush a protest movement last year said the government was serious about reforms and but youth violence was posing obstacles.

Supporters of anti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose militia fought pitched battles with American forces, on Thursday officially celebrated the departure of the "occupiers" from Iraq.

Supporters of anti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose militia fought pitched battles with American forces, on Thursday officially celebrated the departure of the "occupiers" from Iraq.

Supporters of anti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose militia fought pitched battles with American forces, on Thursday officially celebrated the departure of the "occupiers" from Iraq.

Iraqi Shiite leader Ammar al-Hakim on Thursday appealed for calm in relations with Turkey, warning that neighbourly ties should not be tarnished by mutual accusations.

Three Pakistani lawyers were shot dead and a fourth wounded on Wednesday in a drive-by sectarian attack in Pakistan's financial capital Karachi, police said.

Saudi authorities arrested nine people accused of wounding three policemen in the oil-rich east, home to much of the kingdom's Shiite minority, the interior ministry announced on Tuesday.

Karbala is considering petitioning for a Guinness World Record for the number of Shiite pilgrims who visit the Iraqi shrine city for annual Arbaeen rituals, its governor told AFP on Saturday.

Russia warned Wednesday that a Western military strike on Iran would be a "catastrophe" that would have the "severest consequences" including inflaming tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims.

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - A car bomb exploded inside a residential complex housing displaced Shi'ite Muslims in the Iraqi city of Mosul Monday, killing at least eight people and wounding another four, hospital and police sources said.

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - A car bomb exploded inside a residential complex for displaced Shi'ite Muslims in the Iraqi city of Mosul on Monday, killing at least nine people and wounding five, hospital and police sources said.

A blast hit a Shiite Muslim religious procession killing 16 people and wounding 20 others in central Pakistan on Sunday, police said, amid conflicting reasons for the explosion.

A blast hit a Shiite Muslim religious procession on Sunday killing 13 people and wounding 20 others in central Pakistan, police said, amid conflicting reasons for the explosion.

A suicide bomber killed 53 people in an apparent sectarian attack in southern Iraq on Saturday, casting a pall over the conclusion of a Shiite Muslim pilgrimage that draws millions.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday gloated over UN chief Ban Ki-moon's concerns about the military prowess of his Lebanese Shiite militant party, which he vowed would not be disarmed.

A suicide bomber killed 50 people in an apparent sectarian attack in south Iraq Saturday casting a pall over the climax of a Shiite pilgrimage that draws hundreds of thousands from around the world.

A suicide bomber killed 20 people in an apparent sectarian attack in south Iraq Saturday casting a pall over the climax of a Shiite pilgrimage that draws hundreds of thousands from around the world.