As of January 1, 2027, the Regional Directorate for Cultural Affairs of Normandy (Drac Normandie) may see a change in its director, according to a notice of vacancy published in the Official Journal on September 27, 2026, by the French Ministry of Culture. Jean-Michel Knop, who has held the position since March 2024, may be eligible for a renewal of his mandate for two additional years. Knop, an architect and general urban planner for the State, previously served as director of Cultural Affairs in Guadeloupe and deputy director of the DRAC Grand Est. The Drac Normandie, a decentralized service under the Ministry of Culture, oversees cultural policy in the region, including heritage protection, promotion of architecture, support for artistic creation, and development of the cultural economy. The notice of vacancy outlines application procedures. Separately, the Regional Directorate for Cultural Affairs of Centre-Val de Loire has appointed Naïma Ramalingom as its new director, taking over from Christine Diacon, who had been in the position since 2022. In Hauts-de-France, Hilaire Multon, who has been director since the end of 2020, is leaving, with a notice of vacancy for his post expected to be issued starting from December 1, 2027. Other developments in the cultural sector include the death of Frédéric Desfeuillet, who was responsible for development, communication, and patronage of the Amiens Museums, at the age of 54. Additionally, the Île-de-France Region has obtained a stay of execution of a judgment that would have led to the withdrawal of its free digital school textbooks by September 30, with the new deadline set for November 2, 2026. The Ministry of Culture is also addressing budget constraints, with concerns about potential cuts affecting cultural agencies. Meanwhile, the European Commission is consulting on the use of artificial intelligence in the cultural and creative sectors, highlighting both opportunities and challenges. In the UK, the Education Committee of the House of Commons proposes extending the National Year of Reading 2026 until 2035 and establishing a guarantee to provide every child with regular opportunities to read for pleasure. In other international news, the Russian Ministry of Digital suggests that up to 70% of municipal funds could be excluded from general access if a recent practice of control were generalized, potentially affecting municipal libraries. In Argentina, the province of Córdoba has invested 550 million pesos in books published locally to support the publishing industry. In the United States, publishing revenues have seen a 14% increase year-on-year in July 2026, driven by general public books and softcover and digital audio formats.