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PARIS — Two suspects in the Louvre jewel heist on Wednesday were handed preliminary charges of criminal conspiracy and theft committed by an organized gang, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office. The prosecutor said they admitted their involvement.

Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said at a news conference that the two are believed to be the men who forced their way into the world’s most visited museum Oct. 19, and that at least two other accomplices are at large. The jewels remain missing.

The two were given preliminary charges and ordered held in custody pending further investigation, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

They have “partially” admitted their participation in the robbery, Beccuau said. She declined to provide details about the suspects’ statements to investigators because accomplices were still being sought.

It took thieves less than eight minutes to steal the jewels valued at $102 million on Oct. 19, shocking the world. The robbers forced open a window, cut into cases with power tools and fled with eight pieces of the French crown jewels.

Suspects’ DNA was found

The two men arrested on Saturday night “are suspected of being the ones who broke into the Apollo Gallery to steal the jewels,” Beccuau said.

One is a 34-year-old Algerian national who has been living in France since 2010, Beccuau said. He was arrested at Charles de Gaulle airport as he was about to fly to Algeria with no return ticket. He was living in a suburb north of Paris, Aubervilliers, and was known to police mostly for road traffic offenses. His DNA was found on one of the scooters used by robbers to leave the scene, she said.

The other suspect, 39, was arrested at his home in Aubervilliers. “There is no evidence to suggest that he was about to leave the country,” Beccuau said. The man was known to police for several thefts, and his DNA was found on one of the glass cases where the jewels were displayed and on items the thieves left behind, she added.

Video surveillance cameras showed there were at least four criminals involved, Beccuau said.

The four suspected robbers arrived onboard a truck equipped with a freight lift that two of them used to climb up to the museum’s window. The four left on two motor scooters along the Seine River toward eastern Paris, where they had some other vehicles parked, she said.

Beccuau said nothing suggests that the robbers had any accomplices within the museum’s staff.

The jewels are still missing

The jewels have not been recovered, Beccuau said.

“These jewels are now, of course, unsellable … Anyone who buys them would be guilty of concealment of stolen goods,” she warned. “There’s still time to give them back.”

Earlier Wednesday, French police acknowledged major gaps in the Louvre’s defenses — turning the dazzling daylight theft into a national reckoning over how France protects its treasures.

Paris Police Chief Patrice Faure told Senate lawmakers that aging systems and slow-moving fixes left weak seams in the museum.

“A technological step has not been taken,” he said, noting that parts of the video network are still analog, producing lower-quality images that are slow to share in real time.

A long-promised revamp — a $93-million project requiring roughly 37 miles of new cabling — “will not be finished before 2029-2030,” he said.

Faure also disclosed that the Louvre’s authorization to operate its security cameras quietly expired in July and wasn’t renewed — a paperwork lapse that some see as a symbol of broader negligence.

The police chief said officers “arrived extremely fast” after the theft, but added the lag in response occurred earlier in the chain — from first detection, to museum security, to the emergency line, to police command.

Faure and his team said the first alert to police came not from the Louvre’s alarms but from a cyclist outside who dialed the emergency line after seeing helmeted men with a basket lift.

Faure urged lawmakers to authorize tools currently off-limits: AI-based anomaly detection and object tracking (not facial recognition) to flag suspicious movements and follow scooters or gear across city cameras in real time.

Former bank robber David Desclos has told the AP the theft was textbook and vulnerabilities were glaringly obvious in the layout of the gallery.

Museum and culture officials under pressure

Culture Minister Rachida Dati, under pressure, has refused the Louvre director’s resignation and insisted that alarms worked, while acknowledging “security gaps did exist.”

The museum was already under strain. In June, the Louvre shut in a spontaneous staff strike — including security agents — over unmanageable crowds, chronic understaffing and “untenable” conditions. Unions say mass tourism and construction pinch points create blind spots, a vulnerability underscored by the thieves who rolled a basket lift to the Seine-facing façade.

Faure said police will now track surveillance-permit deadlines across institutions to prevent repeats of the July lapse. But he stressed the larger fix is disruptive and slow: ripping out and rebuilding core systems while the palace stays open, and updating the law so police can act on suspicious movement in real time.

Experts fear that the stolen pieces may already be broken down and stones recut to erase their past.

Adamson and Corbet write for the Associated Press.

The suspects face charges for theft committed by an organised gang and criminal conspiracy, prosecutor says.

Two men arrested over a jewel heist at France’s Louvre Museum are to be charged with theft and criminal conspiracy after “partially admitting to the charges”, Paris Public Prosecutor Laure Beccuau has said.

The suspects were to be brought before magistrates with a view to “charging them with organised theft, which carries a 15-year prison sentence”, and criminal conspiracy, punishable by 10 years, Beccuau told a press conference on Wednesday. The jewellery stolen on October 19 has “not yet been recovered”, Beccuau said.

Two suspects in the Louvre jewel heist have “partially” admitted their participation and are believed to be the men who forced their way into the world’s most visited museum, a Paris prosecutor said.

Beccuau said that the two suspects face preliminary charges of theft committed by an organised gang and criminal conspiracy, and are expected to be held in provisional detention. She did not give details about their comments.

It took thieves less than eight minutes to steal the jewels valued at 88 million euros ($102m), shocking the world. The thieves forced open a window, cut into cases with power tools, and fled with eight pieces of the French crown jewels.

One suspect is a 34-year-old Algerian national who has been living in France since 2010, Beccuau said. He was arrested Saturday night at Charles de Gaulle Airport as he was about to fly to Algeria with no return ticket. He was living in Paris’s northern suburb of Aubervilliers and was known to police mostly for road traffic offences, Beccuau said.

The other suspect, 39, was arrested Saturday night at his home, also in Aubervilliers.

“There is no evidence to suggest that he was about to leave the country,” Beccuau said. The man was known to police for several thefts, and his DNA was found on one of the glass cases where the jewels were displayed and on items the thieves left behind, she added.

Prosecutors had faced a late Wednesday deadline to charge the suspects, release them or seek a judge’s extension.

Jewels not yet recovered

The jewels have not been recovered, Beccuau said.

“These jewels are now, of course, unsellable … Anyone who buys them would be guilty of concealment of stolen goods,” she warned. “It’s still time to give them back.”

Earlier Wednesday, French police acknowledged major gaps in the Louvre’s defences – turning the dazzling daylight theft into a national reckoning over how France protects its treasures.

Paris Police Chief Patrice Faure told Senate lawmakers that ageing systems and slow-moving fixes left weak seams in the museum.

“A technological step has not been taken,” he said, noting that parts of the video network are still analog, producing lower-quality images that are slow to share in real time.

A long-promised revamp “will not be finished before 2029–2030”, he said.

Faure also disclosed that the Louvre’s authorisation to operate its security cameras quietly expired in July and wasn’t renewed – a paperwork lapse that some see as a symbol of broader negligence.

The police chief said officers “arrived extremely fast” after the theft, but added the lag in response occurred earlier in the chain – from first detection, to museum security, to the emergency line, to police command.

Faure and his team said the first alert to police came not from the Louvre’s alarms, but from a cyclist outside who dialed the emergency line after seeing helmeted men with a basket lift.

Within 24 hours of the Louvre heist, a museum in eastern France reported the theft of gold and silver coins after finding a smashed display case.

Last month, thieves broke into Paris’s Natural History Museum and stole gold nuggets worth more than $1.5m. A Chinese woman has been detained and charged in relation to the theft.

ORLANDO, Fla. — U.S. government lawyers say that detainees at the immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz” probably include people who have never been in removal proceedings, which is a direct contradiction of what Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been saying since it opened in July.

Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice made that admission Thursday in a court filing arguing that the detainees at the facility in the Everglades wilderness don’t have enough in common to be certified as a class in a lawsuit over whether they’re getting proper access to attorneys.

A removal proceeding is a legal process initiated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to determine if someone should be deported from the United States.

The Justice Department attorneys wrote that the detainees at the Everglades facility have too many immigration statuses to be considered a class.

“The proposed class includes all detainees at Alligator Alcatraz, a facility that houses detainees in all stages of immigration processing — presumably including those who have never been in removal proceedings, those who will be placed into removal proceedings, those who are already subject to final orders of removal, those subject to expedited removal, and those detained for the purpose of facilitation removal from the United States pursuant to a final order of removal,” they wrote.

Since the facility opened, DeSantis has been saying publicly that each detainee has gone through the process of determining that they can’t legally be in the United States.

During a July 25 news conference outside the detention center, DeSantis said, “Everybody here is already on a final removal order.”

“They have been ordered to be removed from the country,” he added.

At a July 29 speech before a conference of the Florida Sheriffs Assn., the Republican governor said, “The people that are going to the Alligator Alcatraz are illegally in the country. They’ve all already been given a final order of removal.”

He added, “So, if you have an order to be removed, what is the possible objection to the federal government enforcing that removal order?”

DeSantis’ press office didn’t respond Monday morning to an email seeking comment.

The court filing by the Justice Department attorneys was made in a lawsuit in which civil rights groups allege the facility’s detainees have been denied proper access to attorneys in violation of their constitutional rights. The civil rights groups on Thursday asked a federal judge in Fort Myers, Fla., for a preliminary injunction that would establish stronger protections for detainees to meet with attorneys privately and share documents confidentially.

The court case is one of three lawsuits filed by environmental and civil rights groups over the detention center, which was hastily built this summer by the state of Florida and operated by private contractors and state agencies.

A federal judge in Miami ordered in August that the facility must wind down operations within two months, agreeing with environmental groups that the remote airstrip site wasn’t given a proper environmental review before it was converted into an immigration detention center. But operations continued after the judge’s preliminary injunction was put on hold in early September by an appellate court panel. At one point, the facility held more than 900 detainees, but most of them were transferred after the initial injunction. It wasn’t clear on Monday how many detainees were at the center, which was built to hold 3,000 people.

President Trump toured the facility in July and suggested it could be a model for future lockups nationwide as his administration pushes to expand the infrastructure needed to increase deportations. Federal officials on Friday confirmed that Florida has been approved for a $608-million reimbursement for the costs of building and running the immigration detention center.

Schneider writes for the Associated Press.

MICHAEL SALISBURY has been REMOVED as the VAR official for Liverpool vs Arsenal just hours before kick off.

Salisbury, 40, was on VAR duty for Chelsea’s 2-0 victory over Fulham yesterday, during which he controversially sent the referee over to the monitor to disallow Josh King’s opener.

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Benjamin Sesko tops the summer’s transfer targets, with striker’s club Leipzig revealing ‘concrete interest’.

Premier League sides Manchester United and Newcastle have both placed competing bids for in-demand RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, German tabloid Bild reported Tuesday.

Bild said the Red Devils made an initial bid of 85 million euros ($98.2) on Tuesday for the 22-year-old centre forward.

Newcastle had offered a reported 80 million euros ($92.4) for the striker on Saturday, upping that to 85 million ($98.2) with bonuses on Monday.

The Slovenian striker scored 13 goals and laid on five assists in a disappointing league campaign for Leipzig last season. He has scored 16 times in 41 appearances at the international level.

Sesko was stood down from Saturday’s home friendly against Serie A side Atalanta, won 2-1 by the visitors, due to a potential transfer.

Leipzig sporting director Marcel Schafer confirmed this, saying Sesko would not play “due to the very concrete interests from several clubs”.

United are rebuilding after their worst top-flight campaign in 51 years, along with defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final.

United were toothless in attack and have already brought in forwards Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in the summer window.

Sesko’s arrival could push under-pressure striker Rasmus Hojlund towards the exit, with reports emerging that United could sell the Denmark forward for 35 million ($40.4) euros, less than half of what they paid to bring him from Atalanta in 2023.

Newcastle qualified for the Champions League with a fifth-placed finish last season, but are reportedly in danger of losing striker Alexander Isak to Premier League champions Liverpool.

Foundation season 3 is currently airing on Apple TV+ and sees the arrival of a new character played by Cherry Jones

Terrence Mann, star of the Apple TV+ series Foundation, has dropped some exciting hints about working with new guest star Cherry Jones, known for her role as Nan Pierce in HBO’s Succession.

Jones joins the cast as Ambassador Quent in the third season of the sci-fi epic, which is based on Isaac Asimov’s legendary novels and set tens of thousands of years into the future under the rule of Emperor Cleon.

The Empire is managed by a trio of clones at different ages: Brother Dawn (played by Cassian Bilton), Brother Day (Lee Pace), and Brother Dusk (Mann), with the upcoming season seeing Day distancing himself from his counterparts, leaving diplomatic responsibilities to Dawn and Dusk.

Their interactions with Quent are crucial, especially as she represents Hari Seldon’s (Jared Harris) Foundation.

Speaking to Express Online, Mann expressed his delight at reuniting with Jones, saying, “I’ve known Cherry for years,” and recalling their excitement upon learning they’d be working together: “When I knew she was coming on board we were just excited, we called one another and went ‘Oh my God, you’re gonna be there!'”, reports the Express.

“Every time we’ve talked about her, she’s the most authentic, brilliant actress of our age.

“There’s not a bit of artifice on her as a performer or as a person. She’s the dearest person you’ll ever be with, she gives 100 percent of herself when you’re working with her.

“And what a joy, she gets to be my love interest in this season!”

Season three of Foundation presents a formidable challenge for the three Cleons as nearly the entire supporting cast has been replaced.

While Harris is reprising his role as Hari, along with his protégée Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell) and the clones’ robot advisor Demerzel (Laura Birn), the third season introduces several new characters, most notably the mysterious warmonger known as the Mule (Pilou Asbæk).

Foundation also welcomes Alexander Siddig, Troy Kotsur, Synnøve Karlsen, Cody Fern and Brandon P. Bell to its ranks.

Mann’s co-star Bilton chimed in: “To be honest with you, when we saw this new cast list we all turned each other and were like, ‘We’ve got to up our game’.

“Because you’ve got some real heavy-hitters coming in this season. I mean, Cherry Jones, who’s like a Broadway icon and we all know her from Succession.

“I remember she was nominated for an Emmy when we were all on set with her. And Pilou Asbæk, who I adored in Game of Thrones, is now playing the Mule this season.

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“Cody Fern, who’s been brilliant in the Ryan Murphy universe, Synnøve Karlsen who, to my mind, is one of the great young British actresses. And a tonne of other new talent.

“All of those performances bring an authenticity but also a new edge and a new vitality and urgency to the show. I certainly felt [a tonal shift] because it was something I felt reading the scripts.”

The actor said, “It is work but I’m also a fan and I watched this show and I binged it, it is so addictive, particularly this season because the tone has shifted to be much darker, much more urgent. Ultimately it has a sense of danger to it.”

Regardless of whether you’re a returning viewer or new to the series, Foundation’s third season is a must-watch for fans of science fiction.

Foundation season 3 continues Fridays on Apple TV+.

British holidaymakers Mark and Karen Gregory, both 50, are frequent Benidorm-goers and usually opt to stay at apartments – but their accommodation often overlooks major hotel pools

Holidaymakers at a Benidorm hotel have been filmed participating in a frantic “sunbed dash”, where every available lounger is claimed within a staggering three minutes.

Frequent Spain holidaymakers Mark and Karen Gregory, both 50, typically opt for apartment accommodations that often overlook major hotel pools, giving them a front-row seat to the morning mayhem.

During their May trip, the couple from Swansea, Wales, captured multiple instances of sun-hungry Brits racing to secure the best sunbeds. Mark, who runs an online sales business, recounted: “We saw people queuing from first thing – the queues were horrendous! People were properly running in.

“One hotel we did stay in, the pool opened at 8.30am and by 8.33am every bed had a towel on. I think it happens everywhere – just because hotels don’t have as many beds as they do guests.”

Have you witnessed any hotel shenanigans? Email [email protected]

READ MORE: Livid Brits take ‘sunbed wars to a whole new level’ with sneaky 2am tactics

The pair prefer to observe the chaos rather than participate. Mark added: “We don’t partake at all, we just observe. I know it’s a bugbear for a lot of tourists – but we just find it funny.”

Making sure you have a good spot by the pool or beach is serious business. And the stakes are high.

Brits who lay out their towels to reserve a sunbed for hours at a time have been warned they could face hefty fines of up to €250 (approximately £210).

The team at travel insurance comparison site Tiger.co.uk have warned Brits heading on Spain holidays to think twice before laying out a towel on the beach, as it could actually land you facing some hefty extra charges.

They explained: “In popular areas of Spain like Barcelona and Costa Blanca, tourists can now be fined €250 for reserving sunbeds, meaning waking up early to bag a spot for you and the family is no longer allowed. This rule was introduced following numerous complaints about sunbeds being reserved for hours with no one in sight.”

The rules were brought into force last year, in a bid to stop tourists from reserving spots on public beaches with towels and sunbeds, despite then not returning for hours a time – meaning other visitors had to make do with leftover space, causing issues such as fights breaking out, or crowding.

The fines don’t always stop poor behaviour, however.

While having a late-night chinwag on their balcony in Magaluf, Spain, Mandy Boyd spotted some lads she thought were having a cheeky swim in the pool. But upon closer inspection, the 34-year-old realised the young men were trying to nab the best beds at 2am, despite the fact that the pool wasn’t due to open until 9am the next day.

The quartet of girls watched as the lads dragged out their sunloungers to try and secure prime spots. Mandy and her mates patiently waited on the balcony for the perfect moment to dash down and swipe the towels.