france

One Week After the Louvre Heist: What Do We Know?

The men, both in their thirties and from Seine-Saint-Denis, were detained over the weekend as part of the investigation into the high-profile robbery. Police sources say the two are already known to law enforcement for previous thefts and are suspected of taking part in the team that carried out the bold operation at the museum. The suspects were ...

Louvre Heist: Two Suspects Caught After $102 Million Robbery

French authorities have detained two men suspected of being part of the four-man crew who stole precious jewelry from the world-famous Louvre museum last week, two sources close to the case said Sunday, confirming media reports. One of the suspects was apprehended around 10:00 pm (20:00 GMT) on Saturday at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport as ...

'Asterix in Lusitania': The Legendary Comic’s New Adventure Launches in 25 Countries

The latest Asterix cartoon adventure released on Thursday is being published in 19 languages and across 25 countries as it takes the indomitable Gaulish warrior to ancient Portugal. Asterix in Lusitania is the 41st instalment in the legendary French comic book series, taking him to the far reaches of the Roman Empire, 66 years after his creation ...

Giant Kermit Sculpture Set to Lighten Mood at Art Basel Paris

A huge inflatable Kermit the frog will be the star of the Art Basel Paris contemporary art fair this week in the French capital, unnerved by a daring heist at the Louvre. "Kermit the Frog, Even" is a 20-metre (66-foot) blow-up figure by Venezuelan-US artist Alex Da Corte, with its head deflated at the artist's request. The beloved Muppet Show ...

Syria Launches Operation Against Jihadists

Syria government forces launched an operation Wednesday against jihadists holed up in a camp in the northwest, in a push to capture French fighters wanted by their government, a monitor and a French jihadist told AFP. Security forces "launched a vast operation against the camp... to arrest French fighters wanted by their government," ...

Louvre Director Faces Senate Over Heist as Museum Reopens

The jewelry stolen from the Louvre in Paris was valued at more than $100 million, a French prosecutor said Tuesday, as the museum's director faces security questions from a Senate committee over the brazen weekend heist. The director, Laurence des Cars, has not made any public statement since thieves made off with royal jewels during a daylight ...

L’Oréal Eyes Armani Stake, Honoring a Designer’s Final Wish

French cosmetics group L'Oreal said Tuesday it is interested in taking a stake in Italian company Armani, as its late founder suggested, even as it moves ahead with a multi-billion-dollar purchase of Kering's beauty division. "The acquisition of Kering's beauty activities changes nothing in terms of our intention to be part of Armani," L'Oreal ...

A Daring Daylight Heist Has Shaken the Louvre in Paris

Spectacular heist at the Louvre. Four suspects stole nine historic pieces from the Apollo Gallery, including France’s Crown Jewels. The crown of Empress Eugénie, abandoned during their escape, has been recovered. According to Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau, the investigation is ongoing.

From Excitement to Frustration: Louvre Visitors Caught Off Guard by Closure

Visitors pressed against the Louvre's iron gates on Monday, peering through bars locked after thieves pulled off a daylight jewel heist inside the world-famous museum the day before. Would-be museum-goers queued outside the famed tourist attraction for the scheduled 0900 (0700 GMT) opening, a day after robbers stole precious jewelry and fled on ...

Louvre Closes for Second Day as France Hunts Jewel Thieves

  The Louvre was closed for a second day Monday as police hunted for thieves who broke in and stole priceless jewels in a spectacular daylight robbery. Officials said a team of 60 investigators was working on the theory that an organised crime group was behind the theft Sunday of nine pieces of jewellery, one of which -- a crown covered in ...

Power Tool-Wielding Robbers Flee Louvre with 'Priceless' Jewels

Robbers wielding power tools broke into the Louvre on Sunday and made off with priceless jewels from the world-renowned museum, taking just seven minutes for the broad-daylight heist, sources and officials said. Police were hunting the culprits on Sunday afternoon, but a 19th-century crown covered in diamonds and emeralds was found damaged near ...

French Cinema Legend Brigitte Bardot, 91, Returns Home After Brief Hospitalization

Former French screen icon Brigitte Bardot was briefly hospitalized for an operation but is back home and convalescing, her office told AFP in a statement on Friday. The health of the 91-year-old, who lives in Saint-Tropez in the south of France, had been the subject of persistent rumors in recent days. The former actor spent a few days at the ...