World

Two arrested after audacious daylight heist of France’s crown jewels at the Louvre Two men were detained near Paris on Wednesday evening in connection with a brazen daylight robbery at the Louvre that exposed unexpected vulnerabilities in one of the world’s most secure cultural institutions. French prosecutors said one suspect was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport as he attempted to board a flight to Algeria, and a second was rounded up later the same night, bringing a dramatic overnight twist to an already…

Alabama carries out first nitrogen execution as inmate who long maintained innocence dies Alabama executed Anthony Boyd on Thursday night using nitrogen hypoxia — a little-used method of suffocation — marking a stark moment in the U.S. debate over capital punishment. Boyd, 54, who consistently denied killing 32-year-old Gregory Huguley in 1993, was pronounced dead at 6:33pm Central, the Alabama Department of Corrections said. "He was pronounced dead at 6:33pm Central time," the department announced, closing a case that has…

A fragile peace, an international watch and a humanitarian clock In a hastily converted warehouse on the edge of southern Israel, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck an optimistic tone this week about a deal that could finally end nearly two years of grinding war in Gaza. The caveat was blunt: Israel will have veto power over who makes up any international force sent into Gaza to police a ceasefire — a condition that could preclude some of the region’s most powerful and politically consequential militaries. The scene…

Alaska Airlines halts flights after data-centre failure; operations slowly restore amid passenger frustration What happened Alaska Airlines briefly suspended operations after a failure at its primary data centre triggered a temporary ground stop that grounded departures to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and disrupted flights across its network. The Seattle-based carrier said it was "actively restoring our operations" after first alerting customers that an information-technology outage was affecting flight activity.…

Europe’s winter strategy for Ukraine: solidarity, symbolism and unfinished business When Volodymyr Zelensky stepped from the car onto the red carpet at Downing Street and later accepted a formal welcome at Windsor Castle, the choreography was unmistakable: the United Kingdom wanted to make a simple, public point. In the chill of an escalating war, Britain and a clutch of European capitals wished to show Ukraine that they would not drift away. “Ukraine's future is our future. What happens in the weeks and months ahead is…

Russian drone and missile strikes kill at least two, wound more than a dozen across Ukraine Kyiv — Russian missile and drone strikes overnight hit multiple regions of Ukraine, killing at least two people and injuring more than a dozen as the country heads into a fourth winter of war, regional officials said Friday. Vladyslav Gaivanenko, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, said two people were killed and seven others wounded when missiles and drones struck residential and commercial areas. “Fires…

Putin’s nuclear drills, a postponed summit and the widening war of attrition For two leaders who flirted with the idea of a quick, high-stakes meeting, the choreography of power this week looked less like summit diplomacy than a careful mutual stand-off. Moscow staged a large-scale training exercise that it said included intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking the United States, and Washington announced a pause in plans for a second Vladimir Putin–Donald Trump summit as diplomacy over Ukraine staggered back…

North Korea fires ballistic missile days before APEC leaders meet in South Korea North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, in a stark reminder that Pyongyang’s weapons programme remains central to regional security even as world leaders prepare to gather in South Korea for an APEC summit next week. What happened South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff described the projectile as an “unidentified” missile that flew eastward, saying it was North Korea’s first such launch…

Wild spring heat and gale-force winds spark fires and chaos across Australia and New Zealand Immediate impact Wild, hot winds sweeping from Australia's interior into the southeast fanned dozens of bushfires and pushed spring temperatures to record highs in parts of Sydney, authorities said, as New Zealand faced rare "red" wind warnings and fires of its own across the Tasman. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said a powerful plume of hot air that built over the outback on Monday was moving across the southeast, producing a…

Louvre director admits gaps in perimeter cameras after brazen daylight theft of royal jewels The director of the Louvre told French senators this week that surveillance around the museum’s outer walls was “highly insufficient,” acknowledging what many had feared after a daylight raid that saw priceless imperial jewellery stolen from the Apollo Gallery. “There are some perimeter cameras, but they are ageing,” Laurence des Cars told the Senate culture committee as investigators pursued leads in one of the most audacious…