A number of “priceless” objects were stolen from the Louvre in Paris, in what has been called the “theft of the decade”.

In broad daylight, thieves broke into the world-famous museum and accessed a gallery containing the French Crown Jewels.

A manhunt for those responsible is currently ongoing, with police facing a “race against time” to retrieve the jewels before they are dismantled.

Here’s all you need to know.

How the heist unfolded

The heist took place at roughly 9.30am (8.30am UK time), half an hour after the Louvre had opened its doors to the public.

The thieves used a crane that was mounted on the back of a small truck to smash an upstairs window and enter the Galerie d’Apollon.

This is an enormous room on the upper floor of the Petite Galerie, which houses the French Crown Jewels as well as the royal collection of hardstone vessels, paintings, tapestries and medallions, the museum’s website says.

The thieves smashed two display cases and fled on motorbikes. No-one was hurt in the incident.

Guards were alerted to the scene by alarms that went off when the cases were smashed, but the thieves had already left.

It is not clear if the gang brought any or all of the equipment they used with them, as construction work is taking place along the River Seine side of the building where the break-in occurred.

The entire theft took between six and seven minutes.

What was stolen?

A total of nine objects were targeted in the heist, and eight were actually stolen. The thieves dropped the ninth one, the crown of Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugenie, during their escape.

Officials have described the stolen items as having “inestimable” historical value.

The following pieces remain missing:

What will happen to the jewellery?

Art detective Arthur Brand described the heist as “the theft of the decade” – adding that in order to recover the “priceless” items, police will need to find the culprits within the week.

“These crown jewels are so famous, you just cannot sell them,” Mr Brand told Sky News. “The only thing they can do is melt the silver and gold down, dismantle the diamonds, try to cut them. That’s the way they will probably disappear forever.”

He continued: “They [the police] have a week. If they catch the thieves, the stuff might still be there. If it takes longer, the loot is probably gone and dismantled. It’s a race against time.”

Tobias Kormind, managing director of Mayfair-based 77 Diamonds, agreed, saying it is “unlikely” the jewels will ever be seen again.

“Professional crews often break down and re-cut large, recognizable stones to evade detection, effectively erasing their provenance,” he said.

Authorities have said forensic teams are currently reviewing CCTV from the Denon wing and the riverfront of the museum, inspecting the crane used to reach the gallery and interviewing staff who were on site when the museum opened.

Who was behind the heist?

According to French media, there were four perpetrators: two dressed as construction workers in yellow safety vests on the lift, and two others who had a scooter each.

French authorities have not confirmed these details; however, one yellow vest has been recovered from the scene.

Culture Minister Rachida Dati told French news outlet TF1 that footage of the theft showed the masked robbers entering “calmly” and smashing display cases containing the jewels. No one was injured in the incident.

She described the thieves as seemingly being “experienced” with a well-prepared plan.

Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau told BFM TV that the robbers were unarmed but threatened guards with angle grinders.

The group also tried and failed to set fire to the crane they used to enter the Louvre.

A key question that remains is whether the robbers had inside assistance, authorities said.

French interior minister Laurent Nunez said the specialised police unit, which has a high success rate in cracking high-profile robberies, is leading the investigation.

Ms Beccuau added that investigators were keeping all leads open, but authorities were “looking at the hypothesis of organised crime”.

She said the thieves could have been working for a buyer, or seeking to get access to jewels that can be useful to
launder criminal proceeds.

Questions over security

Big questions are now being asked about the security in place at the Louvre, and how effective it is.

Earlier this year, officials at the Louvre requested urgent help from the French government to restore and renovate the museum’s ageing exhibition halls and better protect its countless works of art.

French justice minister Gerard Darmanin said on Monday that the heist gave a very negative image of France as it implied a failure of security services.

“There are many museums in Paris, many museums in France, with priceless values ​​in these museums,” Mr Darmanin said in an interview with French radio station France Inter.

“What is certain is that we failed,” he said, adding the police will eventually arrest the authors.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X that everything was being done to recover the stolen jewellery and bring the perpetrators to justice.

While culture minister Rachida Dati said the issue of museum security was not new.

“For 40 years, there was little focus on securing these major museums, and two years ago, the president of the Louvre
requested a security audit from the police prefect. Why? Because museums must adapt to new forms of crime,” she said.

A cargo plane has skidded off the runway into the sea while landing at Hong Kong International Airport, killing two people on the ground.

Images taken after the crash which happened around 3.50am (8.50pm UK time) showed a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft partially submerged in water near the airport’s sea wall.

The AirACT plane, travelling from Dubai, could be seen with escape slides deployed and the nose and tail sections separated. Four crew on board survived.

Two security staff were killed when the aircraft struck their vehicle, shunting it into the sea, said Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations at Airport Authority Hong Kong.

At a news conference, he told reporters about the rescue operation.

“Four aircraft crew on board were quickly rescued by Fire Service Department [which] also rescued two security staff from the sea.

“One was certified dead at the hospital and the other certified dead at the scene.

“We are deeply saddened and extend our deepest condolence. We will provide the family with all necessary support and assistance.”

He explained that the security vehicle was patrolling the north runway along a road that was outside the runway fence when it was struck.

The northern runway at the world’s busiest cargo airport is closed while the south and central runways are continuing to operate.

“According to information we have at that moment, weather and the runway condition were safe and met all conditions for runway operation. An investigation is continuing.” Mr Yiu added.

Emirates said in a statement that flight EK9788 sustained damage on landing in Hong Kong on Monday and was a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft wet-leased from and operated by ACT Airlines.

“Crew are confirmed to be safe and there was no cargo onboard,” the airline said.

Read more from Sky News:
Eight ‘priceless’ objects stolen in Louvre heist
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Tel Aviv derby cancelled after ‘violent riots’

Man Ka-chai, chief accident and safety investigator for Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority, confirmed air
traffic control had directed the flight to land at the north runway, but added: “We didn’t receive any message requesting
help from the pilot.”

ACT Airlines is a Turkish carrier that provides extra cargo capacity to major airlines. It did not respond immediately to a request for comment outside normal business hours.

Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 said the aircraft involved in the accident was 32 years old and had served as a passenger plane before being converted into a freighter.

Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department said in a statement that the aircraft had “deviated from the north runway after landing and ditched into the sea”.

Airport Authority Hong Kong said the northern runway would reopen after safety inspections were complete.

A football derby in Tel Aviv between Hapoel and Maccabi has been cancelled after “violent riots”, according to Israeli police.

Nine people were arrested on Sunday night at Bloomfield Stadium, a venue shared by both clubs. Hapoel were the home team for the game.

A statement from Israeli police said the game was called off “following disturbances and violent riots” in which 13 civilians and three officers were injured by pyrotechnic devices.

“These are very serious incidents that posed a real danger to the lives of police officers and civilians,” the statement added.

But Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club released a statement with a very different perspective on policing at the match.

“From the preliminary discussions prior to the match, it appears that the police were preparing for war rather than a sporting event,” a spokesperson said.

They added: “Most of the injuries from the event were caused by brutal police violence at the end of the game, as a direct result of the scandalous decision to cancel the event.

“Everyone saw the disturbing videos of children being trampled by horses and police officers indiscriminately beating fans.”

Israeli police have not yet responded to the allegations from Hapoel.

A Maccabi statement read: “Following the police’s decision, it was determined that the Tel Aviv derby will not take place tonight.”

Footage shared by the police shows projectiles and flares being thrown on to the pitch, as well as unrest outside the stadium and arrests being made.

Maccabi ban criticised

On Thursday, Maccabi supporters were told they are not allowed to attend November’s Europa League game against Aston Villa in Birmingham next month after a decision by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG).

The group – made up of local stakeholders, including representatives from the council, police and event organisers – said the decision was due to a high risk of violence based on “current intelligence and previous incidents”.

Ed Miliband told Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that ministers are “working with the relevant authorities” to secure additional resources and ensure fans of both teams can attend next month’s European clash.

He insisted Aston in Birmingham cannot become a “no-go area” for Jews.

The energy secretary also said that he “profoundly” disagrees with the “approach” taken by a local MP who started a petition calling for fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv to be banned from the Aston Villa game.

The petition states: “Their arrival in Aston – a diverse and predominantly Muslim community – poses a real risk of tensions within the community and disorder.”

Mr Miliband pushed back on that point. He said the “vast majority of Muslim people in this country would disassociate themselves” from suggestions that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans could not come to Aston Villa because it was a predominantly Muslim area.

His Tory counterpart, Claire Coutinho, was also highly critical of the petition, telling Phillips: “I think politicians need to have the courage to name some of the problems that this country is facing. And one of those problems is political Islam.”

Read more from Sky News:
Maccabi ban could be reversed
Why are Maccabi Tel Aviv fans banned?
Analysis: Ban raises serious questions

Petition reaction ‘false and inflammatory’

The independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, Ayoub Khan, criticised those comments.

“I utterly reject the false and inflammatory characterisations… regarding my recent petition,” he said in a statement.

“The petition I launched reflected genuine and widespread concern from my constituents about public safety and community cohesion. It did not call for anyone to be ‘banned because they are Jewish’ nor did it single out any faith or ethnicity.

“To distort this into an issue of religion or antisemitism is deeply irresponsible and frankly dangerous. I have consistently condemned all forms of hatred – including antisemitism and Islamophobia – and I will continue to do so.”

The government is expecting West Midlands Police to set out early next week what they would need to police the game safely with both sets of fans present.