Under the Islamic State group's rule, Syrian farmer Faysal was forced to hide his sketches and paintings, but displaced by fighting he has finally been able to resume his beloved hobby.

He sought refuge with his family at the Ain Issa camp in northern Syria three months ago, fleeing the battle for jihadist stronghold Raqa, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) away.

Russia's Supreme Court Monday confirmed a ban on Jehovah's Witnesses, labeled by authorities as an "extremist organization."

A young Saudi woman sparked a sensation online over the weekend by posting a video of herself in a miniskirt and crop top walking around in public, with some Saudis calling for her arrest and others rushing to her defense.

State-linked news websites reported on Monday that officials in the deeply conservative Muslim country are looking into taking possible action against the woman, who violated the kingdom's rules of dress. Women in Saudi Arabia must wear long, loose robes known as abayas in public. Most also cover their hair and face with a black veil, though exceptions are made for visiting dignitaries.

Pope Francis carries the weight of the world's poor and suffering on his shoulders: the last thing he needs is people turning up at his apartment for a whinge.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid tribute to Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo as a "courageous fighter for human rights" after news of his death in Chinese custody on Thursday.

The United States mourned the death of imprisoned Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo Thursday and called on China to free the dissident's widow from house arrest and let her leave the country.

"Mr Liu dedicated his life to the betterment of his country and humankind, and to the pursuit of justice and liberty," U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement.

Indian censors have refused to certify a documentary film featuring Nobel prize-winning economist Amartya Sen unless words like "cow" and "Hindu India" are beeped out, the director said Wednesday, in the latest dispute involving the sensitive film board.

As she did most afternoons, Pinar Unluer was waiting to collect her six-year-old son from his school in Turkey's Aegean city of Izmir.

The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday upheld a Belgian ban on wearing the full-face niqab veil in public.

South Korea intends to build a museum in memory of wartime sex slaves for Japanese troops, a government minister said Monday, re-igniting perennial tensions in the two neighbors' relationship.