An 11th-century French religious manuscript from a private collection sold for 356,800 euros ($388,900) in Vienna on Monday, in what auctioneers described as a "sensational deal".

The document, which once belonged to the cathedral of Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne region, was acquired by an anonymous buyer after a heated bidding war, said Michaela Strebl of the Dorotheum auction house.

Museum experts from around the world on Monday issued an "emergency red list" to help authorities identify Iraqi antiquities at risk of being looted and illegally exported as the country battles a surge in jihadist violence.

The list from the Paris-based International Council of Museums (ICOM) highlights objects that are popular on the black market such as sculptures, stone tablets, vases and coins, and tells customs and police officers how to spot stolen ancient treasures.

Caricatures of Arab and Western leaders appeared beside those of top jihadists at an Iranian cartoon contest on Islamic State group crimes that drew entries from artists around the world.

Political cartoons have a long tradition in Iran, despite many restrictions in the staunchly conservative Islamic republic on taboo subjects such as the supreme leader, the clergy and military.

President Barack Obama is posthumously bestowing America's highest military honor on two World War I Army veterans who may have been denied the honor because of discrimination.

Obama was holding a White House Medal of Honor ceremony Tuesday for Sgt. William Shemin, who was Jewish, and Pvt. Henry Johnson, from an all-black regiment.

A bitter struggle for control over the nation's oldest synagogue goes to trial this week, with lawyers saying they may use more than 1,000 exhibits dating as far back as 1733.

The congregation that worships at the 250-year-old Touro Synagogue in Newport says its very existence is at stake. The congregation that owns it accuses the Newport congregation of lawlessness for agreeing to sell a pair of ceremonial bells valued at more than $7 million.

A group of Russian Cossacks have set off on a horse trek from Moscow to Berlin to commemorate 70 years since the WWII defeat of Nazi Germany, the event organizer said Sunday. 

Some 20 horsemen aim to spend the next month covering the roughly 2,500 kilometers to Germany, travelling through Belarus and Poland along the route taken by Soviet cavalry during World War II. 

A squadron of Napoleon's army pant up the path that leads to Stoney Hill Wood, a copse of beech trees chosen for an ambush of the Duke of Wellington's redcoats.

"Vive l'Empereur!" shout the troops as they advance through the English countryside. "Vive Hollande!" shouts one joker, before being reprimanded.

Apparently more than just valuable artwork is missing from the Boston Public Library's archives.

A library spokeswoman says a retired employee who now volunteers told administrators last week that gold coins originally placed in the cornerstone of the main building have been missing for decades.

The winning entry from a Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest will not be allowed on ads on Washington's public transportation system, officials said Thursday, angering competition organizers.

The cartoon was part of a contest that came under attack in Texas last month, when two suspected Islamist gunmen opened fire on event participants with assault rifles, before a traffic policeman shot them dead.  

The inauguration of the 11th edition of JABAL Exhibition, Jeunes Artistes des Beaux-Arts du Liban, organized by Fransabank, was held on May 13th, at the Saint-George Hotel under the patronage and in the presence of Mrs. Lama Tammam Salam, and H.E Mr. Adnan Kassar, Chairman of Fransabank Group. Mrs. Nora Joumblat was among the 1.500 invitees who attended the private viewing, along with a large number of various social figures, businessmen, art collectors, art gallery owners, as well as the organizing committee of JABAL, the artists, and the media.

Under the theme «Visionary Artists where myths and dreams are all about Lebanon», 32 artists were rigorously selected to unveil their projects, some of which were especially made for this occasion, presenting a sensitive and eclectic overview of modern day art. They created their own shapes, images, objects, and concepts, through their drawings, paintings, photography, installations, sculptures, videos, and performances, and which illustrate their confidence in the future and a vision which reflects the expectations of these young artists who have a keen mind and a critical sense towards contemporary society.