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Brazilian Police Recover Matisse Works Stolen in 2025

This handout picture released on August 13, 2026, by the Sao Paulo police press office shows eight recovered works by French artist Henri Matisse that had been stolen in December 2025 in Sao Paulo. (Photo by Handout / SAO PAULO'S POLICE PRESS OFFICE / AFP)
This handout picture released on August 13, 2026, by the Sao Paulo police press office shows eight recovered works by French artist Henri Matisse that had been stolen in December 2025 in Sao Paulo. (Photo by Handout / SAO PAULO'S POLICE PRESS OFFICE / AFP)
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Brazilian Police Recover Matisse Works Stolen in 2025

This handout picture released on August 13, 2026, by the Sao Paulo police press office shows eight recovered works by French artist Henri Matisse that had been stolen in December 2025 in Sao Paulo. (Photo by Handout / SAO PAULO'S POLICE PRESS OFFICE / AFP)
This handout picture released on August 13, 2026, by the Sao Paulo police press office shows eight recovered works by French artist Henri Matisse that had been stolen in December 2025 in Sao Paulo. (Photo by Handout / SAO PAULO'S POLICE PRESS OFFICE / AFP)

Police in Brazil have recovered eight engravings by French artist Henri Matisse that were stolen from a Sao Paulo library last year by an organized gang of thieves, officials said on Thursday.

Vividly colored artwork from Matisse's limited-edition art book "Jazz" were laid out on a table alongside a handgun, in an image released by police.

The works, estimated to be worth $200,000, were found at a home in the town of Sao Bernardo do Campo, near Sao Paulo.

Officers arrested a man who was keeping the works for the mastermind of the heist, police said, adding that he will face charges of receiving stolen goods and illegal weapon possession.

The alleged mastermind was apprehended in April and a woman has also been arrested in the case.

According to AFP, police said the gang behind the robbery was highly organized and structured, with specific tasks assigned to members as it stole artworks in Brazil and sold them on the black market.

In the Matisse robbery last year, police say thieves overpowered a security guard and an elderly couple visiting the Mario de Andrade Library, grabbed the engravings and other items from a glass dome where they were kept, and fled.

They also stole five works by the Brazilian artist Candido Portinari, but these have not been recovered and may have already been sold.

One of the suspects was arrested the day after the theft via the use of the city's facial recognition system.

As part of the investigation, police conducted operations targeting "establishments related to the auction market and the sale of artworks" in municipalities such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

The Matisse engravings were part of a modern art exhibition highlighting a collaboration between the library and the Museum of Modern Art of Sao Paulo.

"Jazz" was published in France in 1947 and there are 250 copies signed by the artist, according to auction house Christie's.

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Culture

Tyre’s Ruins Survived the Strikes. Now Divers are Finding their Way Back Underwater

A diver passes above Roman-era columns at an archaeological site near the coast in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
A diver passes above Roman-era columns at an archaeological site near the coast in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
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Tyre’s Ruins Survived the Strikes. Now Divers are Finding their Way Back Underwater

A diver passes above Roman-era columns at an archaeological site near the coast in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
A diver passes above Roman-era columns at an archaeological site near the coast in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Beneath the Mediterranean waters off the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, divers swim past stone walls, ancient structures and a submerged road — remnants of parts of a city that once stood above the water.

With a shaky ceasefire in place after the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, visitors are returning to Tyre, a city known for its Roman ruins and its much older Phoenician history. Diving operators say interest in the underwater archaeological sites is increasing, though the number of visitors remains below prewar levels, The Associated Press said.

“The diving season is not like it used to be before, but the number of people coming to dive to see the ruins is increasing day by day,” said Yousef al-Jundi, manager of the Lebanon Diving Center.

The remains underwater are part of Tyre’s wider archaeological landscape. UNESCO says substantial archaeological remains of the ancient city are submerged, while underwater archaeological research has documented walls, harbor structures and other remains along the former island and coastline.

“This is the identity of this city, which tells us how old this city is and what its history is,” al-Jundi said. He said the underwater sites attract divers from around the world who want to see what is commonly described as Tyre’s “sunken city.”

Tyre was one of the major Phoenician maritime cities of antiquity, with trading networks that extended across the Mediterranean. The city was also famous for its purple dye and later became an important Greek and Roman center. Its archaeological remains were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1984.

The war raised concerns over the preservation of those remains, both on land and underwater.

“We were worried about the archaeological sites on land, which were affected by the war and the strikes, but at the same time we were also worried about the archaeological sites underwater, but thank God they were not affected,” al-Jundi said.

Before the ceasefire in late June, Tyre came under intense Israeli airstrikes, with neighborhoods in the coastal city heavily damaged during the fighting. UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee placed Tyre on its List of World Heritage in Danger in July 2026, citing the threat and damage caused by the ongoing hostilities.

Ali Badawi of Lebanon’s Directorate General of Antiquities said protecting the underwater sites remains a challenge.

“They’re not very well protected," Badawi said, adding that “encroachments” sometimes happen. “But we are trying very hard through surveys and research that we’re conducting, and we’re trying to develop laws to ensure their safety in the future.”

Badawi said the authorities also want to expand research and investment in underwater tourism, including the creation of underwater archaeological parks that would allow more visitors to see the sites.

The effort comes as Tyre seeks to rebuild its tourism sector after the war, while preserving archaeological remains that reflect thousands of years of the city’s history.

Culture

Historic Linah Marks Saudi National Day with Heritage Events, International Performances

Linah is one of the most prominent historical sites in northern Saudi Arabia - SPA
Linah is one of the most prominent historical sites in northern Saudi Arabia - SPA
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Historic Linah Marks Saudi National Day with Heritage Events, International Performances

Linah is one of the most prominent historical sites in northern Saudi Arabia - SPA
Linah is one of the most prominent historical sites in northern Saudi Arabia - SPA

Historic Linah, located south of Rafha in Northern Borders Region, will celebrate Saudi National Day with a series of national and heritage events at the Historic Linah Market.

The program features performances by local and international artistic groups, along with a variety of artistic segments, solo musical performances, and equestrian and camel-riding displays, SPA reported.

The festivities will also include puppet shows, children’s competitions, and a musical evening showcasing traditional songs.

The Historic Linah Municipality has completed preparations across sites, parks, and roads, decorating streets with national flags and festive lighting to welcome visitors and create a celebratory atmosphere that reflects national pride.

Linah is one of the most prominent historical sites in northern Saudi Arabia.

Once a key stop along ancient caravan routes, the town’s historic palaces and market continue to stand as enduring witnesses to the region’s collective memory.

Culture

Germans Arrested for Louvre Stunt in Mona Lisa Hall

A person photographs Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum, Aug. 31, 2025, in Paris. (AP)
A person photographs Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum, Aug. 31, 2025, in Paris. (AP)
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Germans Arrested for Louvre Stunt in Mona Lisa Hall

A person photographs Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum, Aug. 31, 2025, in Paris. (AP)
A person photographs Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum, Aug. 31, 2025, in Paris. (AP)

Two Germans were arrested Saturday after they stuck two paintings on a wall of the hall that hosts the Mona Lisa in Paris's Louvre museum, police sources said.

The two men used sticky tape to stick the two paintings -- measuring 30 by 40 cm -- in the hall where visitors flock to see Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece.

One showed one of the two men wearing armor, while the other was a portrait of the two men accompanied by a woman.

Security officers at the museum detained the two men and called the police, who arrested them for minor damage to the wall. Interviewed by police, they said they had done it for fun.

The two men will be summoned to appear in court once the museum files a formal complaint for the damage, said the police sources.

The Mona Lisa itself, now behind a thick layer of protective glass, suffered no damage in the incident.

Museum officials are more than usually alert these days after a spate of heists at French museums and galleries, which have highlighted inadequate security in some cases and led to questions about whether criminal gangs see them as soft targets.

The Louvre itself was targeted last October when eight items of jewelry worth millions of dollars were stolen during a daylight heist.

Even though four suspects have been arrested, the stolen items have still not been found despite extensive searches by French investigators.

The burglary stunned the world, embarrassed France and revealed a series of security lapses, including the museum's old-fashioned CCTV system.

Many of the museum's security flaws had already been highlighted in a 2019 audit ordered by the museum, the findings of which were never acted on.

The Louvre welcomed around nine million visitors last year, far above its intended capacity, which has led to overcrowding problems.

In May, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a major overhaul of the museum, which will include a new space for the Mona Lisa and a new museum entrance.