For more than 5,000 years, numerous civilizations have left their mark on upper Mesopotamia — from Assyrians and Akkadians to Babylonians and Romans. Their ancient, buried cities, palaces and temples packed with monumental art are scattered across what is now northern Iraq and eastern Syria.

Now much of that archaeological wealth is under the control of extremists from the Islamic State group. The militants have demolished some artifacts in their zealotry to uproot what they see as heresy, but they are also profiting from it, hacking relics off palace walls or digging them out to sell on the international black market.

The United Nations agency promoting equality for women is launching a global campaign to get 100,000 men and boys involved in the fight to achieve gender equality.

U.N. Women said the campaign, spurred by the unfulfilled U.N. goal of achieving gender equality by 2015, will begin Saturday when Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon activates an online map to track the progress of countries in promoting equality of the sexes. Ban will be accompanied by British actress Emma Watson, a goodwill ambassador for the agency who played Hermione Granger in the "Harry Potter" films.

When retail mogul Leslie Wexner peers at one of the Picassos, Dubuffets or Giacomettis in the personal art collection he and his wife Abigail have amassed over the years, he feels a range of emotions that often include gratitude, defeat and exhilaration.

"I find it inspiring in a way — that tangible creativity you find in painting or performance," says the philanthropist and chairman of L Brands, the company behind Victoria's Secret, Limited and Henri Bendel.

A collection of letters John F. Kennedy sent to the family of a lost PT-109 crewmate sold for $200,000 at an auction.

RR Auction, a Boston-based auction house, said the sale happened Thursday during a two-day auction at the Omni Parker House that also saw the sale of a collection of letters that Kennedy's younger brother, Robert F. Kennedy, wrote to a classmate at what is now the Portsmouth Abbey School in Rhode Island.

The E! TV channel says that "Fashion Police" will continue without Joan Rivers.

In a statement Friday, the channel said it "thought long and hard" about what Rivers would have wanted for the show.

Police say Grammy-nominated R&B singer Keyshia Cole has been arrested on suspicion of battery after an altercation early Friday morning in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles police officer Nuria Vanegas says Cole was arrested around 5 a.m. after someone initiated a private person's arrest. The 32-year-old was booked on suspicion of battery and released from custody Friday afternoon.

The globe smashed more heat records last month, including Earth's hottest August and summer, federal meteorologists said Thursday.

May, June and August all set global heat records this year. Meteorologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the average world temperature in August was 61.36 degrees Fahrenheit (16.35 degrees Celsius), breaking a record set in 1998.

Li Na, a two-time Grand Slam champion from China who took tennis in Asia to a new level, has retired due to recurring knee injuries.

The 32-year-old Li posted a statement on social media sites Friday, ending a week of intensifying speculation that she would announce her retirement ahead of the new WTA tournament at Wuhan, her home town.

Bastia striker Brandao was banned for six months by the French league on Thursday for head-butting Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Thiago Motta after a league match last month.

Provisionally suspended since Aug. 22, Brandao was banned to Feb. 22 after a league disciplinary hearing.

Three-time European champion Inter Milan opened its Europa League campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, while defending champion Sevilla had an easier 2-0 win against Feyenoord on Thursday.

Three-time champion Sevilla took control with first-half goals from midfielders Grzegorz Krychowiak and Stephane Mbia.