4 h. ago Louvre 'crown jewels' police in race against time to find thieves or lose loot forever

French police have just 48 hours to hunt down eight priceless artefacts stolen in broad daylight from the Louvre before they are 'gone forever', experts say

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7 h. ago Inspiration for the Louvre heist? Hours before Paris attack, thieves tunnel into California jewelry store make off with diamonds and cash

Nearly half a million dollars worth of gold and diamonds were stolen in elaborate heist

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8 h. ago ‘A Cartier store is better protected’: Louvre heist puts spotlight on security

Securing historic public-facing buildings has never been easy, and is even less so in times of economic constraintTo break into the world’s most-visited museum in broad daylight, grab eight pieces of priceless Napoleonic jewellery and vanish into the Paris traffic on humble scooters may seem like the most audacious of crimes, carried out for international notoriety and ensuing Hollywood film treatments.Experts who observe trends in international art crime, however, see Sunday morning’s heist at the Louvre as something more prosaic: the latest in a series of smash-and-grab thefts focused more on the material value of precious stones or metals than the artifacts’ significance, continuing a pattern that has emerged over the last decade in Germany, Britain and the US. The location, they suggest, would have been of secondary concern to the criminals. Continue reading...

Events

8 h. ago ‘Smash, grab, melt it down’: how material value likely motivated the Louvre heist

Experts say thieves would struggle to find a buyer if the stolen goods remained intactTo break into the world’s most-visited museum in broad daylight, grab eight pieces of priceless Napoleonic jewellery and vanish into the Paris traffic on humble scooters may seem like the most audacious of crimes, carried out for international notoriety and ensuing Hollywood film treatments.Experts who observe trends in international art crime, however, see Sunday morning’s heist at the Louvre as something more prosaic: the latest in a series of smash-and-grab thefts focused more on the material value of precious stones or metals than the artifacts’ significance, continuing a pattern that has emerged over the last decade in Germany, Britain and the US. The location, they suggest, would have been of secondary concern to the criminals. Continue reading...

Politics

8 h. ago No Chardins? No Leonardos? We’re lucky the Louvre raiders had dreadful taste in art

The philistine thieves skipped the museum’s real treasures in favour of dull royal knick-knacks. Was the French cultural minister serious when he talked about their ‘immeasurable cultural value’?I am furious. My instructions had been perfectly clear: break into the Louvre, head for the Denon wing and deliver me the Leonardo da Vincis. Instead, what did they do? Brought me trinkets! Stand there, over the trap door. A bit more to the right.It would be nice to think an art collector supervillain somewhere was punishing the Louvre raiders for their moronic bad taste. Admittedly, security around the Mona Lisa has improved since it was last stolen in 1911, but the museum’s other Leonardos just hang on the wall like other paintings. And there is so much beauty, so many quiet galleries, scattered through this vast former palace: the thieves could have got out with a Chardin still life, a Rogier van der Weyden, an ancient Mesopotamian statuette. Continue reading...

Politics

10 h. ago Gone in 4 minutes: Dramatic moment Louvre thief breaks into display case during brazen heist in Paris

The thieves targeted the Apollon gallery and were able to flee on motorbikes with priceless jewels within minutes

Events

10 h. ago How the Louvre museum robbery happened in video, photographs and maps

Eight pieces stolen, but crown of Napoleon III’s wife dropped by the fleeing thievesThieves made off with priceless Napoleonic jewels during a spectacular daylight heist on Sunday at the Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum.The museum in Paris, whose extensive collections include the Mona Lisa, was closed for a second day on Monday as police hunted for the suspects in the robbery, which has reignited a row over a lack of security in France’s museums. Continue reading...

Culture

10 h. ago What the Louvre thieves are likely to do with the ‘priceless’ jewels

The objects taken were France’s royal jewels, formerly belonging to the Empress Eugénie, Napoleon III’s wife and arts patron

Politics

13 h. ago Watch: Louvre jewellery thief suspect caught on camera in new footage

Watch as one of the suspected the Louvre jewellery thieves is seen on camera wearing a hi-vis vest as he appears to break into a glass cabinet.

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14 h. ago Louvre remains closed after robbery of priceless jewellery leaves France 'humiliated'

Thieves stole jewels worth millions from the world’s most-visited museum in a heist which took just seven minutes

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14 h. ago Louvre heist puts pressure on French government over museum security

Justice minister says ‘we have failed’ after thieves take seven minutes to steal priceless jewels from museumThe French government is under increasing pressure over museum security as police continue to search for thieves who took seven minutes to steal priceless jewels from the Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum.“What is certain is that we have failed, since people were able to park a furniture hoist in the middle of Paris, get people up it in several minutes to grab priceless jewels, and give France a terrible image,” the justice minister, Gérald Darmanin, told France Inter radio on Monday. Continue reading...

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20 h. ago Louvre museum robbery: how the thieves broke in, what they stole and what happens next

The French culture ministry said eight pieces were stolen – but not the hugely valuable crown of Napoleon III’s wife, Empress EugenieThe Louvre – the world’s most-visited museum – was closed suddenly on Sunday after a break-in at its Apollon gallery, the home of the French crown jewels - part of a daring daylight heist that saw priceless Napoleonic jewels stolen.As French police hunt the thieves who stole eight pieces of historic jewellery, questions are being asked about how they did it and who would be in the market for “priceless” items, including a necklace Napoleon gave to his wife. Continue reading...

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24 h. ago French police on manhunt after thieves steal royal jewels from Louvre

Robbers drop imperial crown but succeed to flee with 8 other artefacts, says prosecutor

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28 h. ago Louvre heist: hunt on for thieves after eight ‘priceless’ jewellery pieces stolen

Necklace given by Napoleon to his wife among items taken from Paris museum in highly professional daylight robberyFrench police are hunting four thieves who carried out a highly professional daylight robbery on the Louvre, breaking into one of the museum’s most ornate rooms and escaping with eight pieces of “priceless” historic jewellery, including a necklace given by Napoleon to his wife.The world’s most-visited museum was suddenly closed for the day on Sunday after the break-in targeted pieces in two glass cases in its Apollon gallery, where the French crown jewels are held. Continue reading...

Politics

31 h. ago Louvre jewellery heist: How masked gang raided museum and snatched ‘priceless’ jewels in broad daylight

The Mayor of Paris said the robbery was ‘a shock’ that resembled the plot of the mystery thriller Lupin

Events

32 h. ago Paris launches huge manhunt after priceless Napoleonic jewels stolen from the Louvre as the Mail reveals the audacious daylight raid minute

The gang of several 'highly organised criminals' arrived outside the world's most visited museum at around 9.30am local time on Sunday while thousands of tourists enjoyed a day out.

Politics

32 h. ago Thieves hit the Louvre again. Here's a look at other famous heists in museums worldwide

Thieves reportedly stole nine pieces from the jewelry collection of Napoleon and the Empress in the Louvre, using a basket lift to reach the museum

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33 h. ago Everything we know about Louvre Museum robbery as one item is found

Priceless jewels were stolen during a heist at the Louvre Museum in France

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34 h. ago Louvre shut down after thieves steal jewels of ‘inestimable’ historical value

Paris museum closed for the day after successful heist of Galerie d’Apollon, which houses royal collection

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36 h. ago Louvre closed after ‘masked thieves break into museum using chainsaw’ and steal ‘priceless’ jewellery

The Louvre museum in Paris was closed and members of the public evacuated, French officials confirmed

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