Archaeologists have uncovered a tiny clay seal inscribed with the word "Bethlehem" in what is believed to be the earliest evidence for the existence of the ancient biblical city.

"The first ancient artefact constituting tangible evidence of the existence of the city of Bethlehem, which is mentioned in the Bible, was recently discovered in Jerusalem," a statement Wednesday from the Israel Antiquities Authority said.

Pups in her womb, a large eye visible behind the rib cage, one baby stuck in the birth canal, all fossilized in stone — all modern-day evidence that this ancient marine beast, the Ichthyosaur, died in childbirth.

The almost certainly painful death is perfectly preserved in a rare fossil skeleton, one of the many unique items that will go on display in the Houston Museum of Natural Science's $85 million dinosaur hall when it opens to the public June 2.

Chilean painter Roberto Matta's "La revolte des contraires" (The revolt of opposites) fetched $5 million at a New York auction devoted to Latin American art, setting a new record for the artist.

The winning bid doubled the initial estimate of $2.5 million for the piece, according to Christie's, which held the auction late Tuesday.

On the road to Egypt's Djoser step pyramid at Saqqara there's not a trace of a tourist anywhere, and a handful of trinket and souvenir salesmen sit on a metal railing hoping for a lucky break.

The uprising that overthrew former president Hosni Mubarak in February 2011 dealt a serious blow to Egypt's vital tourism sector, and a year on, visitors have been slow to return to this key archaeological site south of Cairo.

A ghost-hamlet in rural France that became a global media sensation for failing to find a buyer was auctioned off on Monday to South Korean artist Ahae for 520,000 euros ($663,000).

The Asian artist beat competition during bidding from Dutch reality TV giant Endemol that wanted to shoot a series in the hamlet and a Belgian company that wanted to create a center for housing the handicapped.

Two men on Tuesday vandalized a portrait of President Jacob Zuma posing as Lenin with his genitals hanging out in a Johannesburg gallery, as a court case over the painting got under way.

A red X was painted over Zuma's face and black paint smeared across the image, according to an Agence France Presse reporter at the private Goodman Gallery. The eNews television station showed images of two men defacing the painting.

Anna Mollel of Tanzania was Monday awarded a children's rights prize for her work to help thousands of Maasai children with disabilities to live a dignified life, organizers said.

A majority of the some 2.5 million children around the world who took part in the selection of this year's winner voted to give the 2012 World's Children's Prize to Mollel "for her over 20-year struggle for children with disabilities in poor rural areas in northern Tanzania," organizers said.

Tens of thousands of flag-waving Israelis on Sunday marched in celebration of Jerusalem Day when Israel captured the Arab eastern sector of the city 45 years ago during the Six-Day War.

The annual flag march, which tends to draw thousands of religious Zionist nationalists, started near the residence of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, with demonstrators expected to march around the outskirts of the Old City before ending at the Western Wall.

Bangladesh can justly claim to be a nation born of language, but its status as a cradle of linguistic diversity is under threat from nationalist pride and economic growth.

Of the more than 30 recognized languages spoken in Bangladesh, experts say 20 are now on the verge of extinction.

The Bardo museum in Tunisia's capital, renowned for its exceptional collection of ancient mosaics, on Friday opened a new wing after a 10 million euro ($12.7 million) facelift.

Unique in the scope of its treasures, the museum, which doubled its surface area, boasts objects from prehistory, the Phoenician period and Punic and Numidian times, as well as Roman, Christian and Islamic artifacts.