A team of Israeli archaeologists believes it has discovered the ruins of a palace belonging to the biblical King David, but other Israeli experts dispute the claim. Archaeologists from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Israel's Antiquities Authority said their find, a large fortified complex west of Jerusalem at a site called Khirbet Qeiyafa , is the first palace of the biblical king ever to be...

BEIJING (AFP) ― Chinese authorities have closed a museum which contained scores of fake exhibits, including a vase decorated with cartoon characters billed as a Qing dynasty artefact, state-run media reported Tuesday. The facility, built in northern China’s Hebei province at a cost of 540 million yuan ($88 million), has “no qualification to be a museum as its collections are fake,” a local offic...

PARIS (AFP) ― A new stamp emblazoned with the face of Marianne, France’s revolutionary symbol, has caused a stir after its creator said it was inspired by a Ukrainian feminist known for topless protests. The stamp, unveiled by President Francois Hollande on Sunday’s national day, shows the face of a youthful, dewy-eyed Marianne from the shoulders up, her long hair flowing down and her hand raise...

GENEVA (AFP) ― Swiss authorities said Friday they had returned a pre-Columbian ceramic jug to Peru after police caught someone trying to sell it over the Internet. The Geneva public prosecutor’s office said it had returned the small, two-handled jug dating from the pre-Columbian Chancay period between the 12th and 15th centuries to the Peruvian embassy in Bern. “It is priceless,” Sophie Bernard...

WASHINGTON (AP) ― The Newseum has become a major attraction with 4 million people visiting its exhibits about journalism and freedom of speech. Yet, in five years since moving to its new home overlooking the U.S. Capitol, it’s been struggling mightily to cover its costs. Public financial documents reviewed by the Associated Press show revenue fell short of expenses by millions of dollars in 2009...