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The 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair concluded on Sunday with the awarding of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade to the Franco-British lawyer and author Philippe Sands. Sands was honored in the presence of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as a committed humanist "who, despite growing resistance, fights tirelessly for human rights, justice and mutual understanding." The jury said that his work was based on a "commitment to the universal rights of every human being, evidenced in his advocacy for victims of war crimes, racism, torture and colonial injustice."  Sands criticizes Germany's 'silence' on Israel Sands, a professor of law at University College London and human rights lawyer at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, used his acceptance speech to criticize Germany ...

Two Renoir paintings stolen from a museum in France last month have been found, authorities said on Friday. Police have arrested six people in connection with the crime. The two stolen paintings were the Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano (1910) and Jeune fille au puits (1886). "These two paintings are not simply works of art. They are part of our city's history, our heritage," said Bryan Masson, the mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer, where the Renoir Museum is located. "Knowing they have been recovered is an immense relief." The heist followed a string of high-profile robberies from European museums, including the theft of crown jewels from the Louvre in Paris last year. Edited by: Natalie Muller

Skip next section Germany to buy cruise missiles for mass deployment10/09/2026October 9, 2026Germany to buy cruise missiles for mass deploymentGermany's army has decided to acquire large numbers of low-cost cruise missiles capable of striking targets up to 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) away. Army chief Lieutenant General Christian Freuding announced the decision at a military gathering in Berlin, saying the weapons would be used to overwhelm enemy air defenses through sheer numbers. The move reflects lessons from the war in Ukraine, where drones and missiles have been deployed in large numbers to exhaust air defenses. Launching numerous relatively cheap weapons simultaneously can force defenders to expend expensive interceptor missiles, potentially allowing more sophisticated weapons to r...