1. Millions of people from across the world arrive in Iraq’s holy city of Karbala to take part in Arba’een, marking the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of the third Shia Imam.
2. Yemeni media publish the names of at least 19 Saudi soldiers killed in fighting with Ansarullah fighters and allied army units since Sunday. Riyadh has confirmed only eight fatalities.
3. Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad says peace can be restored to his country only after some Western governments and their regional allies stop supporting terrorists.
4. The US announces plans to send a new special operations force to the Middle East under the pretext of fighting Daesh terrorists in Iraq and Syria.
5. A human rights advocacy group urges the US government to investigate 21 former officials including George W. Bush over CIA’s torture of terror suspects.