Long overshadowed by headlines of extremism, Georgia's Pankisi Valley is now welcoming travellers with Sufi rituals, mountain trails and home-cooked Kist food.

Authorities said he tried to travel to Syria twice, including a failed attempt in January 2013 after committing armed robbery that led to a three-year prison sentence.

Syrian authorities announced Saturday a notorious desert camp housing refugees in Syria was shut down after the last ...