Paris Archives - WPTF-AM

The Louvre reopens 3 days after one of the biggest museum heists of the century

PARIS (AP) — The Louvre has reopened just three days after a daring heist shocked the world. Thieves made off with eight pieces from France’s Crown Jewels, valued at over $100 million. The theft has put President Emmanuel Macron and Louvre chief Laurence des Cars under scrutiny. Authorities say the thieves spent less than four minutes inside the museum on Sunday morning. The jewels remain missing, and the thieves are still at large. The heist has raised questions about the museum’s security, especially after recent staff strikes warned of understaffing. The Louvre has declined to detail any reinforced protocols.… Continue Reading

Thieves strike Louvre in brazen jewel heist as the world’s most visited museum shuts

PARIS (AP) — Thieves have pulled off a daring heist at the Louvre, using a basket lift to reach the museum on Sunday morning. They forced a window, smashed display cases, and fled with jewels of “inestimable value,” according to France’s interior minister. The museum closed for the day as police sealed gates and ushered visitors out. The robbery took place in the Galerie d’Apollon, where part of the French Crown Jewels are displayed. The thieves reportedly took nine pieces from the jewelry collection of Napoleon and the Empress. Security and staffing at the Louvre have been under scrutiny.… Continue Reading

Trump says he’ll attend Notre Dame Cathedral reopening celebration in Paris this weekend

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump will attend the reopening celebration for Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this weekend, his first foreign trip since the election. The cathedral will reopen after more than five years of reconstruction following a devastating 2019 fire. The invite-only ceremonies Saturday and Sunday are expected to be high-security affairs, with about 50 heads of state and government expected to attend. Trump announced his trip in a post on his Truth Social site Monday evening. “It will be a very special day for all!” he wrote.… Continue Reading

Notre Dame primps for its grand post-blaze return. But why does the cathedral look unfinished?

PARIS (AP) — The bells of Notre Dame are chiming again, but scaffolding that still clings to the cathedral is puzzling some Parisians and raising questions about whether the monument’s grand post-blaze reopening is more symbolic than substantive. President Emmanuel Macron is inspecting the rebuilding work on Friday. He’ll see that Notre Dame looks bright inside but still has construction work outside. The cathedral will welcome the faithful back on Dec. 8, for the first time since its 2019 fire. But scaffolding at the base of its newly restored spire is expected to remain into 2025 and, in other parts, for another three years.… Continue Reading

Controversial Australian Olympic breaker Rachael Gunn retires from competition

SYDNEY (AP) — Australian breaker Rachael Gunn has told a Sydney radio station that she plans to retire from competition just three months after her unconventional routine at the Paris Olympics led to her being ridiculed and spawned conspiracy theories about how she qualified for the Games. The now 37-year-old Sydney university lecturer failed to get on the scoreboard in all three of her competition rounds in August, with a routine that included unorthodox moves such as a kangaroo hop. Gunn had initially planned to keep competing but said the experience had been so “upsetting” that she changed her mind.… Continue Reading

Dior’s sporty elegance and urban grit hits Paris Fashion Week

PARIS (AP) — Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Dior collection took a sporty turn, blending athletic prowess with an urban menace. The Paris show’s stripped-down designs evoked a ’60s sci-fi aesthetic, reminiscent of Star Trek, but with an edge—daring, asymmetrical shapes paired with knee-high boots that flirted with danger. As a live archer launched arrows into a target mid-show, VIPs such as Natalie Portman and French First Lady Brigitte Macron erupted in applause. The performance was a nod to the themes of strength and athleticism that have been central to Chiuri’s collection, inspired in part by the Paris 2024 Olympics.… Continue Reading