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119th Regular Session of the Executive Council of 'ALECSO' Kicks Off in Tunis

The 119th regular session of the Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization kicked off in Tunis on Saturday - SPA
The 119th regular session of the Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization kicked off in Tunis on Saturday - SPA
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119th Regular Session of the Executive Council of 'ALECSO' Kicks Off in Tunis

The 119th regular session of the Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization kicked off in Tunis on Saturday - SPA
The 119th regular session of the Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization kicked off in Tunis on Saturday - SPA

The 119th regular session of the Executive Council of the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) kicked off Saturday in Tunis.

The two-day session will cover various agenda items, including monitoring the implementation of decisions made during previous sessions and assemblies. Additionally, discussions will focus on the educational, cultural, and scientific conditions in Palestine, the threats faced by Jerusalem, and the review of reports and recommendations from specialized ministerial conferences.

Also, proposals from member states will be examined, including the Saudi Kingdom's proposal to launch the ALECSO Forum for Business and Partnerships, as well as the Arab Observatory Center for Translation project.

Representatives from member states, Arab and international bodies, and organizations in Tunisia, along with representatives from the Arab League, took part in the meeting.

The Kingdom's representative and Chairman of the Executive Council, Hani bin Moqbel Al-Moqbel, lead the discussions.

Also present were the Director General of ALECSO, Mohamed Ould Omar, and the Secretary-General of the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science (SNC), Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al-Bulahid.

During the session, the Executive Board of ALECSO commended the success of the "Future of Education, Science, and Culture International Organizations Forum (FESCIOF)," held in Riyadh last March.

They expressed appreciation to the Saudi leadership for hosting the conference for two consecutive terms and recognized the efforts of the SNC in ensuring its international success, SPA reported.

In his speech, Al-Moqbel stated that ALECSO and SNC organized the FESCIOF conference in Riyadh under the slogan "Together for impact in the 21st century." He emphasized that the Kingdom aimed for a new transformative phase characterized by an international perspective, a future-oriented framework, and a comprehensive vision.

This made the initiative, tools, and leadership of the conference truly exceptional, particularly as it was the first of its kind since the inception of the organization over 50 years ago.

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Culture

Mayor: Two Renoir Paintings Stolen in France Recovered

FILE PHOTO: A sign indicates the entrance of the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, France, September 8, 2026. REUTERS/Manon Cruz/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A sign indicates the entrance of the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, France, September 8, 2026. REUTERS/Manon Cruz/File Photo
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Mayor: Two Renoir Paintings Stolen in France Recovered

FILE PHOTO: A sign indicates the entrance of the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, France, September 8, 2026. REUTERS/Manon Cruz/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A sign indicates the entrance of the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, France, September 8, 2026. REUTERS/Manon Cruz/File Photo

Two paintings by French master Pierre-Auguste Renoir have been recovered a month after they were stolen from a museum in southern France, the town's mayor said Friday.

In September, thieves broke into the museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer and managed to escape with two works by the French impressionist painter, abandoning two others as they fled.

"These two paintings are not simply works of art. They are part of our city's history," said Bryan Masson, the mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer.

"Knowing they have been recovered is an immense relief."

There has not yet been any statement from the police and Masson did not give any details regarding where the works were found or their condition.

The suspects cut through a fence to enter the museum's tree-lined grounds, smashed a window to get inside, and used an electric saw to cut through the frame mountings, Masson said at the time of the robbery in early September.

The theft took place in just a matter of minutes, shortly before 6:00 am (0400 GMT).
A source close to the probe told AFP earlier this week that police had arrested five people as part of the investigation.

According to Masson the museum alarm and police sirens forced the burglars -- which he described as "well equipped and well informed" about the museum -- to hurry.

They made off with a portrait titled "Madame Colonna Romano" and the depiction of a woman at a well called "Jeune femme au puits", his office said.

The paintings dropped during their escape include "Madame Pichon" and "Coco lisant", a portrait of Renoir's young son Claude reading.

The police said at the time of the robbery that it was clear that they were not first-time offenders, and that they had scoped out the premises before the crime.

The Renoir Museum lies a half-hour drive from the southern city of Nice, in Renoir's last home before he died aged 78 in 1919.

Its collection comprises nine paintings by Renoir, according to the museum.

It also includes several sculptures by him, as well as objects and furniture that belonged to the painter, such as his easel and wheelchair.

A spate of heists at French museums -- including at the Louvre -- has highlighted inadequate security in some cases and led to questions about whether criminal gangs see them as soft targets.

Crown jewelry valued at around $100 million was stolen in broad daylight from the Louvre in Paris last year.

The four suspected Louvre robbers have been arrested, but the jewels they are accused of grabbing in the seven-minute heist have still not been found.

Italian police in August said they had recovered paintings by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse worth over $10.4 million that were stolen in a three-minute heist from a museum in March.
And earlier this week, a book featuring a cover made of bronze and designed by Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali was stolen from an art museum in central France.

Culture

PM: Anne Carson's Nobel Literature Prize 'a Proud Moment for Canada'

Canadian poet Anne Carson, winner of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature, performs her work "Antigonick" at the Moderna Museet art gallery in Stockholm, Sweden, May 8, 2015. (Pontus Lundahl/TT News Agency via AP)
Canadian poet Anne Carson, winner of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature, performs her work "Antigonick" at the Moderna Museet art gallery in Stockholm, Sweden, May 8, 2015. (Pontus Lundahl/TT News Agency via AP)
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PM: Anne Carson's Nobel Literature Prize 'a Proud Moment for Canada'

Canadian poet Anne Carson, winner of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature, performs her work "Antigonick" at the Moderna Museet art gallery in Stockholm, Sweden, May 8, 2015. (Pontus Lundahl/TT News Agency via AP)
Canadian poet Anne Carson, winner of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature, performs her work "Antigonick" at the Moderna Museet art gallery in Stockholm, Sweden, May 8, 2015. (Pontus Lundahl/TT News Agency via AP)

Canadian poet Anne Carson winning the Nobel prize for literature is a "proud moment" for the country, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday.

The 76-year-old's works feature "wit, imagination, and a style entirely her own," Carney said on X.

"She has brought ancient stories to new audiences and transformed the way we think about literature," he said, calling the award "an extraordinary achievement and a proud moment for Canada."

In a statement to AFP, Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood said Carson's work "has long been admired among poets of many countries."

"For new readers I would recommend 'The Beauty of the Husband' -- direct and visceral, funny and angry and sad - or 'Men in the Off Hours.' Delights await!" added Atwood, a longtime Nobel contender who was passed over in 2013 in favor of fellow Canadian Alice Munro.

A renowned classicist, Carson has taught at several prestigious Canadian and American universities, including McGill in Montreal. She joined McGill's Department of Classics in 1988 and left the university in 2002.

"This is a wonderfully deserved honor for Anne Carson, whose work has captivated readers around the world by bringing ancient voices into conversation with the present," Lisa Shapiro, McGill's dean of arts, was quoted as saying by The McGill Reporter.

"Her extraordinary talent, originality and intellectual depth have had a profound influence on contemporary literature. We are proud that McGill was her academic home for many years and delighted to see her remarkable contributions recognized on the world stage."

Outside the university in Montreal, Vicky Huang, a 24-year-old political science student, expressed pride.

"My friends and I love 'Eros the Bittersweet,' so this is such exciting news," she told AFP.

"Yeah, I mean, the fact that she's a Canadian woman working in high literature makes all of us really proud."

Culture

Red Sea Museum Opens 'Photographing Distance' Exhibition in Historic Jeddah

The exhibition showcases photography and video installations documenting lighthouses across diverse global locations. SPA
The exhibition showcases photography and video installations documenting lighthouses across diverse global locations. SPA
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Red Sea Museum Opens 'Photographing Distance' Exhibition in Historic Jeddah

The exhibition showcases photography and video installations documenting lighthouses across diverse global locations. SPA
The exhibition showcases photography and video installations documenting lighthouses across diverse global locations. SPA

The Red Sea Museum, operating under Saudi Arabia’s Museums Commission, inaugurated the "Photographing Distance" exhibition by Argentine artist Matilde Marín at its premises in Historic Jeddah, marking its Kingdom debut and running through December 31.

The exhibition showcases photography and video installations documenting lighthouses across diverse global locations, including Jeddah and Yanbu, exploring their role in maritime navigation, human memory, and the connection between people and place.

Based on the artist's "Pharus" project initiated in 2005, the artworks frame lighthouses beyond their navigational utility as enduring symbols of guidance and hope.

The opening ceremony featured a guided tour by the artist, as well as a discussion session and a musical performance.

Linking contemporary art with Red Sea maritime heritage, the event is accompanied by an ongoing public program offering film screenings, poetry evenings, creative photography workshops, and family activities such as lighthouse model-making.

The event forms part of the Museums Commission's initiatives to enrich the Kingdom's cultural landscape and foster creative dialogue by hosting international artistic experiences.