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Water Leak Affects 19th Century Artwork at Louvre Museum

The world’s most visited museum has been marred by a series of incidents, prompting growing scrutiny of its management.

The Louvre museum in Paris has experienced a significant setback due to a water leak that damaged a 19th-century ceiling painting, marking the latest in a series of challenges for the institution.

French gendarmes patrol in front of the Musee du Louvre and the Pyramide du Louvre

According to the museum, the water damage was discovered in room 707, also known as the "Duchâtel" room, on Thursday evening, with the room housing various artworks from the 15th and 16th centuries.

The leak, which originated from a heating pipe, was reportedly stopped shortly after midnight, and the only artwork damaged was Charles Meynier's The Apotheosis of Poussin, Le Sueur and Le Brun, a ceiling painting.

This incident occurred just a day after French authorities detained nine individuals, including two museum staff members, in connection with an alleged ticket fraud scheme.

In recent months, the museum's management has faced increased scrutiny following a string of high-profile incidents, including the theft of French crown jewels and damage to hundreds of books due to a leak.

The Louvre reported that Thursday's leak occurred near the entrance to the paintings department in the Denon wing of the museum.

Firefighters responded promptly to the incident, and the leak was brought under control within 40 minutes of its discovery.

On Friday morning, a painting restorer assessed the damage to Meynier's ceiling painting and found that it had sustained two tears in the same area, as well as lifting of the paint layer on the ceiling and its arches.

The damaged ceiling painting, which dates back to 1822 and is signed by Meynier, depicts renowned French painters Nicolas Poussin, Eustache Le Sueur, and Charles Le Brun surrounded by angelic figures in the clouds.

As a precautionary measure, rooms 706, 707, and 708 in the Denon wing were closed on Friday morning but are expected to reopen later in the day.

The chief architect of historic monuments visited the site to evaluate the condition of the ceiling and determined that there were no structural issues.

A union representative informed Reuters that scaffolding had been erected in the affected area to facilitate repairs.

The extent of the damage to the painting and the building, as well as the associated costs, have not been disclosed.

This latest incident is part of a series of challenges faced by the Louvre, which is the most visited museum globally, in recent times.

In December, a leak in the Egyptian department damaged between 300 and 400 items, mostly books, with the museum's deputy administrator, Francis Steinbock, acknowledging that the issue had been known for years.

The previous month, the museum had to partially close one of its galleries featuring Greek vases and offices due to structural weaknesses.

This incident followed a high-profile burglary on October 19, in which four individuals stole historic jewelry valued at €88 million, exposing significant security gaps at the museum.

The thieves used a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to gain access to the Galerie d'Apollon via a balcony overlooking the River Seine.

Several individuals have been arrested in connection with the theft, which is still being investigated by the French authorities.

The majority of the stolen items remain unrecovered, and the museum has since relocated some of its most valuable jewels to the Bank of France for safekeeping.

A report published by France's public audit body in October criticized the museum's excessive spending on artwork, stating that it had come at the expense of building maintenance and renovation.

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Consider Alternatives to Your Current Bank Account

According to Martin Lewis, the current moment may be an opportune time to consider switching bank accounts.

The complete episode is available for streaming on the BBC Sounds platform.

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Opponent of Orban Alleges Blackmail Plot Before Election

Peter Magyar allegedly believes that a sex tape featuring him, reportedly recorded in August 2024, may be made public.

With Hungary's election just weeks away, opposition leader Peter Magyar has come forward with allegations that his opponents are planning to use a secretly recorded sex tape to blackmail him, prompting him to file a complaint with the authorities.

Peter Magyar, leader of the Tisza party, during a news conference in Budapest, Hungary, on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.
Peter Magyar is ahead in the polls with less than two months to go before elections

According to Magyar, who is currently leading Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the polls, the alleged tape is from August 2024, when he claims to have had a consensual encounter with a former girlfriend at a social gathering.

The allegations surfaced after a photo of a bedroom, reportedly from the same time period, was posted online, sparking speculation about the circumstances surrounding the image.

Senior members of Orban's Fidesz party have denied any knowledge of the claims, and the BBC has reached out to Orban's spokesman for a response.

In a statement released on Friday, Magyar accused Fidesz of attempting to blackmail him, citing three instances of alleged unlawful conduct.

Although no video has been released, Magyar claims that any footage from the alleged incident would have been captured using secret service equipment and may have been manipulated.

Magyar's statement did not mention the former girlfriend, despite his previous accusation of extortion against her 15 months ago, which she has denied.

The woman in question has spoken to Hungarian media, stating that both she and Magyar are victims in the alleged video scandal and expressing her willingness to take legal action alongside him.

Magyar believes that Fidesz is deliberately timing their campaign to disrupt his nationwide tour, which is set to begin next week, and to tarnish his final week with his three sons before the April election.

Fidesz officials have responded to Magyar's allegations, with communications director Tamas Menczer accusing him of lying, and Viktor Orban's chief of staff Gergely Gulyas stating that he cannot comment on something he is not aware of.

As Hungary approaches its parliamentary elections on 12 April, Magyar's centre-right Tisza party is currently leading Orban's Fidesz party by at least eight points, according to a recent opinion poll by the Idea Institute.

Orban, who has been in power for 16 years, has focused his campaign on criticizing the European Union, accusing Brussels of attempting to undermine his government, and has called for an end to EU funding for Ukraine, aligning himself with Vladimir Putin's stance.

With the official election campaign set to begin on 21 February, Magyar's allegations of underhanded tactics suggest that the upcoming weeks may be marked by controversy.

Over the past two years, Magyar has built a support base across Hungary by promising to revitalize the country's relationships with its European partners.

Magyar, a former Fidesz loyalist, was previously married to former justice minister Judit Varga, whose political career ended in a scandal in 2024, a year after their divorce.

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2027 Africa Cup of Nations Scheduled for June and July

African football president Patrice Motsepe has dismissed speculation that the Afcon 2027 finals, scheduled to take place in June and July of next year, may be postponed, describing such reports as entirely without basis.

Last month, Senegal emerged victorious against Morocco with a 1-0 score in extra time, securing the 2025 Afcon championship title.

According to Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Patrice Motsepe, the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) is scheduled to take place in June and July of next year.

Motsepe, who is from South Africa, dismissed speculation that the tournament, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, might be postponed or relocated, describing such reports as "completely unfounded".

Concerns have been raised regarding the readiness of the necessary infrastructure in the three host countries to stage the tournament on time.

Nicholas Musonye, chair of Kenya's local organizing committee, suggested to AFP on Thursday that delaying the tournament until 2028 could be beneficial for Kenya, as the country is set to hold a general election in August 2027.

Motsepe expressed confidence in the upcoming Afcon, stating that the tournament in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will be "enormously successful".

He acknowledged that challenges are inevitable but emphasized the importance of self-belief and confidence in African capabilities.

Motsepe highlighted the high caliber of leaders in African football, describing them as "world-class" and a key factor in the continent's success.

Motsepe's comments came during a news conference following a meeting of Caf's executive committee in Dar es Salaam, where officials from the governing body are conducting an inspection of facilities and infrastructure in the three host nations until Tuesday.

Despite a commitment to host Afcon mid-year starting from 2019, the past three editions have been held during the January-February or December-January period, prompting disputes over player release dates.

As a result, Afcon will be held every four years instead of biennially from 2028, and the tournament will no longer coincide with the European club season.

Motsepe announced that the exact dates for the 2027 Afcon will be revealed at a later time.

While Motsepe did not provide an update on bids for the 2028 finals, he expressed his desire to expand Afcon from 24 to 28 teams in the future.

In a separate development, Motsepe confirmed that Caf is still in talks with Morocco regarding their hosting of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), which is set to begin on 17 March.

Earlier this month, South Africa's deputy sports minister suggested that her country could step in as an alternative host for the Wafcon 2026 finals.

However, South African sports minister Gayton McKenzie later clarified that Morocco remains the officially designated host of the tournament.

Motsepe revealed that other countries have expressed interest in hosting the Wafcon, but only if the date can be changed.

However, Motsepe emphasized that the date cannot be altered, as the Wafcon serves as a qualifier for the 2027 Women's World Cup.

Motsepe reaffirmed that the Wafcon will proceed as planned and must take place within the designated timeframe to ensure its success.

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