Open valve in heating system damaged 300-400 works just weeks after a brazen jewel theft raised security concerns A water leak in late November damaged several hundred works in the Louvre’s Egyptian department, the Paris museum said on Sunday, weeks after a brazen jewel theft had raised concerns over its infrastructure. “Between 300 and 400 works” were affected by the leak discovered on 26 November, the museum’s deputy administrator, Francis Steinbock, said, describing them as “Egyptology journals” and “scientific documentation” used by researchers. Continue reading...

Gain a complete understanding of “Don't Believe Everything You Think” by Joseph Nguyen from Blinkist. The “Don't Believe Everything You Think” book summary will give you access to a synopsis of key id...

The granting of patents and trademarks to foods and words from the global south is part of a long colonial grab. It’s time to realise we share what we cook, and what we call it

As the publisher celebrates an important milestone, we chart its journey from an ‘expensive hobby’ to an international household name

Whistleblower says senior managers did not forbid intimate relationships and advised him to use condoms Senior managers running a covert unit permitted undercover police officers to deceive women into sexual relations, the spycops public inquiry has heard. Peter Francis, a former undercover officer who has become a whistleblower, said the sexual relations were a routine feature of the covert operations for years. He said they were “an ordinary part of the undercover role … it was regarded by officers and management alike as part of the work”. Continue reading...

Our drinks expert rounded up her favourite festive tipples, including special-edition spirits, creamy pistachio liqueurs and celebratory fizz

Social media platforms are enabling violence against women and girls (VAWG) online. Here’s how.

Google is on a tear in the AI race and has made a miraculous comeback, thanks to Gemini, its TPUs, and other factors. Here's what's going on.

Aardman’s tale of a group of plucky hens standing up to their pie-making masters was a favourite in our house, and – I realised – incompatible with my taste for burgers

The soul star and Prince collaborator could hardly reach the counter when she bought her first record, but which Busta Rhymes song gets her moving?

A year-long investigation reveals how mothers lost children after being radicalised by uplifting podcast tales of births without midwives or doctors As Esau Lopez was asphyxiated for the first 17 minutes of his life on Earth, the atmosphere in the room remained serene, even ecstatic. Acoustic music crooned from a speaker in a modest two-bedroom apartment in a suburb of Pennsylvania. “You are a queen,” murmured one of three friends in the room. Only Esau’s mother, Gabrielle Lopez, felt something was wrong. She was pushing hard, but her son would not be born. “Can you help [him] out?” she asked, as Esau crowned. “Baby is coming,” the friend replied. Four minutes later, Lopez asked again, “Can you grab [him]?” Another friend murmured, “Baby is safe.” Six minutes passed. Again, Lopez asked, “Can you grab [him]?” Continue reading...

A moment of peril demands a new approach – on everything from funding to the BBC charter, says Pat Younge, former chief creative officer of BBC Television

The offensive listing seemed more than a mistake – it was a failure of corporate responsibility, says reader

Animal behaviourists tested 61 gulls in Cornwall to find most effective method of countering feathery threat Some people respond to the unwanted attentions of a gull eyeing up a bag of chips or a Cornish pasty by frantically flapping their hands at the hungry bird while others beat a rapid retreat into the nearest seaside shelter. But researchers have found that a no-nonsense yell – even a relatively quiet one – may be the best way to get rid of a pesky herring gull. Animal behaviourists from the University of Exeter tried to establish the most effective method of countering a feathery threat by placing a portion of chips in a place where gulls were bound to find them. Continue reading...

Studies show plastics can accumulate at alarming levels in the human body, with your home kitchen among the culprits

Faltering governments will be blamed for famine and conflict abroad, and face stagnation and inflation at home, says climate chief at start of Cop30 Governments failing to shift to a low-carbon economy will be blamed for famine and conflict abroad, and will face stagnation and rising inflation at home, the UN’s climate chief warned on Monday at the start of the Cop30 climate talks. Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the UN framework convention on climate change, addressed the gathering of ministers and high-ranking officials from nearly 200 countries, in a stark portrayal of the price of failure on the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and major supermarkets want to double amount of beans Britons eat * Magic beans: the protein-rich superfood in a potful of top chefs’ recipes Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall are among a group of celebrity chefs and supermarkets spearheading a new campaign to double UK bean consumption by 2028. There has been a long push for people to include more legumes in their diets – they are climate friendly and healthy. As the UK faces increasing disease related to poor diets as well as increasing food prices, and the campaigners argue that it is the correct time to launch a drive to “bang in some beans” to the nation’s meals. Continue reading...

It’s been the biggest secret in theatre: what will the marmalade-loving, hyper-polite Peruvian look like in Paddington the Musical? As the curtain rises, we speak to the new bear’s creator, a veteran of Star Wars and PG Tips ads Paddington stands within touching distance. His fur flutters as he turns, his neat button nose sniffs the air, and his eyes soften with a smile. For years, design details of the bear for Paddington the Musical, directed by Luke Sheppard, have been kept top secret. Now here he is, in his blue duffel coat and red hat. A quiet theatrical marvel. “What we’re doing,” says producer Sonia Friedman, “has never been done before.” Standing around 1.2 metres (just under 4ft) tall, the bear is beautifully round, all belly and sloping shoulders. He is not an exact replica of the Paddingtons we’ve seen in illustrations or movies, but something new. His shaggy, caramel fur has a gentle wave, and his white snout is dotted with a brown nose, ideal for sniffing out trouble. Around his neck sits a label, threaded through an old piece of string, asking for someone to look after him. Continue reading...