Bandiagara, Mali  - Beads of sweat broke out on the tour guide's brow, and not because of the heat. A tourist's rucksack had just struck one of the sandstones loosely stacked in the wall of an enclosure, causing it to wobble.

"For God's sake!" the guide cried. "If that stone had fallen, we'd have a discussion here lasting for hours. It would have been a serious breach of taboo."

Behind the wall lived the hogon of the Dogon village of Djigibombo, a kind of high priest. And the Dogon people of Mali, West Africa, believe that a fallen stone from the wall will bring misfortune on the village.

Vienna - After eight months in captivity, two Austrians kidnapped by a terrorist group in Tunisia were freed Thursday night in Mali, Austria's foreign ministry announced Friday.

Wolfgang Ebner, 51, and Andrea Kloiber, 43, spent their holiday driving around the Sahara near the Algerian border in February, when they were taken hostage, allegedly by the group al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb.

Following months of protracted negotiations, ransom demands and numerous deadlines set and extended by the alleged terrorists, the couple were set to fly home Saturday, Austrian Defense Minister Norbert Darabos said.

Vienna - Two Austrians kidnapped by a terrorist group in Tunisia in February were freed Thursday night in Mali, Austria's foreign ministry announced Friday.

Wolfgang Ebner, 51, and Andrea Kloiber, 43, were on holiday in the Sahara desert when they were taken hostage allegedly by the terrorist organization al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb.

"Both are currently under the protection of the Mali army and are on their way to the capital Bamako," Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik said in a statement.

The kidnap victims are in relatively good health, according to Mali authorities, and would soon be met by Austrian officials in Bamako, the ministry said.

Bamako, Mali - Ten Malian soldiers and 17 Tuareg rebels were killed in an attack on an army post i