On the wall of a monastery in Syria's desert, jihadists from the Islamic State group left a grim warning: "The lions of the caliphate are here to devour you." 

The Syrian army on Sunday drove out the jihadists, but the damage they have caused in a place that was once a symbol of religious tolerance seems almost irreparable.

Two people were killed on Monday when a wall collapsed above a tea house in a popular tourist spot in the historic center of Istanbul, Turkish officials said.

The director of Russia's renowned Hermitage Museum, which has an important collection of sculptures from Palmyra, has offered its expertise to help restore the ancient Syrian city retaken by President Bashar Assad's forces from the Islamic State group.

Some male Muslim students in Switzerland will no longer need to shake hands with their female teachers, following a ruling that has caused an uproar and consternation in the country.

Women employees of Air France will be allowed to opt out of working on the resumed flights to Iran so that they can avoid having to wear a headscarf, a company official said Monday.

Archaeologists have uncovered ancient human remains and various burial practices at the mysterious Plain of Jars in Laos, Australian researchers said Monday, as scientists attempt to unravel the puzzle of the stone vessels.

The Plain of Jars in Laos' central Xieng Khouang province is scattered with thousands of stone jars and scientists have long been perplexed by their original use.

Jihadists have reduced several temples, columns and other treasures to heaps of stone in Syria's ancient city of Palmyra, which archaeologists fear will never be fully restored to its former glory.

Egypt's antiquities minister said on Friday more tests were needed to determine whether there is a secret chamber in the tomb of Tutankhamun that some believe may hide Queen Nefertiti's remains.

A region of Japan looking to use "ninja" warriors to boost tourism has made an American man the first foreigner to draw a salary for joining the ranks of the stealth assassins.

Aichi prefecture in central Japan had been seeking six full-time ninja -- the covert martial arts masters and agents of sabotage who prowled the shadows in feudal times -- and in a job posting last month said candidates of any nationality were welcome.

Akane had always enjoyed her job at a Tokyo call center until, unlike many Japanese mothers, she decided to return to work after finishing her maternity leave.

It was not long before colleagues started picking on the 30-something mother for working shorter hours or being away from the office due to child-care issues.