The world-renowned Louvre Museum in Paris closed for the day after thieves used a freight elevator and smashed an upstairs window and display cases during opening hours to steal priceless jewellery.
The daring raid lasted seven minutes before they fled on motorcycles, according to French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez. He said three or four thieves stole items from two displays in Apollo's Gallery, which is home to the French crown jewels.
In their haste to leave, the thieves reportedly dropped the crown of Napoleon III's wife, Empress Eugenie. The crown was later found damaged, according to French news reports. Daily Le Parisien reported that another crown was stolen, alongside eight other pieces of jewellery, including earrings, a brooch and a necklace.
Two of the thieves were dressed as workers with yellow vests, while a third and fourth were waiting on separate TMAX scooters, Le Parisien reported. An investigation has been launched and police mobilised to find the perpetrators. The hunt is still on for the culprits, whom officials said were experienced and did not hurt anyone in the spectacular theft.
The thieves reportedly entered the building through a construction access point on the banks of the Seine at about 9:30am local time, half an hour after the museum had opened its doors to the public.
After using a freight elevator to reach Apollo's Gallery, two men reportedly smashed display cases and stole from the Napoleon and Empress Josephine collection.
“These jewels have a real heritage value,” said Mr Nunez. “Their value is really invaluable. It's obviously a major robbery. Clearly, the team had done reconnaissance, was very experienced, and acted very quickly.”
He did not exclude the possibility that the robbers were foreigners, pointing to the recent theft of 99 bags worth €575,000 in a Chanel boutique with a car-ram on October 2. The thieves, who were arrested one week later, are not French, Mr Nunez said, though he did not reveal their citizenship.
French museums are “highly vulnerable” to robberies, according to Mr Nunez, who was head of police in Paris until his appointment in the latest French cabinet last week.
The jewels will likely be very hard to resell. “They sell very poorly and can only be of interest to collectors, but to do what with it? One can only wonder,” Mr Nunez said.
In January, French President Emmanuel Macron launched an ambitious renovation plan for the Louvre. At the time, he had pledged that “nothing would be forgotten”, including the “safety and security of the collections.”
The incident on Sunday was quickly picked up by opposition politicians, some of whom pointed at a short strike in June by Louvre personnel because of insufficient security staff.
The Louvre, which attracts more than eight million visitors a year, contains some of the world’s most valuable artworks, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo.
What is the Apollo's Gallery?
Home to the French crown jewels, the gallery houses the royal collection of hardstone vessels, finely carved bowls and ornaments made from materials such as agate, jade, lapis lazuli and rock crystal.
These objects were among King Louis XIV’s prized possessions and reflect the craftsmanship of European and Asian artisans during his reign.
It also displays historic diamonds including the Regent, Sancy and Hortensia, three of France’s most celebrated stones. The Regent, discovered in India in 1698, once adorned Napoleon’s sword; the Sancy dates to the 15th century and was worn by several European monarchs; while the pale pink Hortensia diamond belonged to Queen Marie Antoinette.
Commissioned in the 17th century by Louis XIV, the space was designed by architect Louis Le Vau and decorated by painter Charles Le Brun. Its vaulted ceiling is painted with scenes of the Roman sun god Apollo guiding his chariot across the sky.
The space also recently served as a backdrop for major cultural events. In 2022 it was one of several Paris museums that hosted an Yves Saint Laurent exhibition, displaying the designer’s embroidered jackets within its gilded setting.
None of the original works from the Apollo's Gallery have been exhibited at Louvre Abu Dhabi because the French crown jewels remain part of France’s permanent national collection.
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
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The specs
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Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
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Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
Ten10 Cricket League
Venue and schedule Sharjah Cricket Stadium, December 14 to 17
Teams
Maratha Arabians Leading player: Virender Sehwag; Top picks: Mohammed Amir, Imad Wasim; UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Zahoor Khan
Bengal Lions Leading player: Sarfraz Ahmed; Top picks: Sunil Narine, Mustafizur Rahman; UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Rameez Shahzad
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Punjabi Legends Leading player: Shoaib Malik; Top picks: Hasan Ali, Chris Jordan; UAE players: Ghulam Shabber, Shareef Asadullah
Team Sri Lanka Cricket Will be made up of Colombo players who won island’s domestic limited-overs competition
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Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The specs
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Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30, December 1-2
International Vets
Christina Noble Children’s Foundation fixtures
Thursday, November 30:
10.20am, Pitch 3, v 100 World Legends Project
1.20pm, Pitch 4, v Malta Marauders
Friday, December 1:
9am, Pitch 4, v SBA Pirates
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Federer's 11 Wimbledon finals
2003 Beat Mark Philippoussis
2004 Beat Andy Roddick
2005 Beat Andy Roddick
2006 Beat Rafael Nadal
2007 Beat Rafael Nadal
2008 Lost to Rafael Nadal
2009 Beat Andy Roddick
2012 Beat Andy Murray
2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2017 Beat Marin Cilic
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• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place playoff
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
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Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
