World-famous Parksville sand-sculpting exhibition draws nearly 120K visitors - Victoria News

1 October 2026Bailey BergGetty Images(Credit: Getty Images)A spate of brazen thefts has rocked European museums. Now, some institutions are rethinking what's worth displaying. Visitors stepping into the Louvre's Galerie d'Apollon today will come face to face with more than 60m (198ft) of painted ceilings and dazzling sculptures. What they won't find, however, are the iconic treasures that once glittered inside its display cases. The gallery reopened in July 2026, nine months after thieves made off with France's crown jewels in one of the most audacious museum robberies in recent memory. The surviving gemstones have since been moved elsewhere while the Louvre determines how to display them more securely. The Louvre heist is just one example of how a recent string of museum thefts across Europe is changing what travellers can actually see in these beloved institutions. AlamyA string of recent high-profile museum robberies has rocked Europe (Credit: Alamy)According to Europol, such incidents have risen sharply and are becoming increasingly brazen. As one museum security expert in Belgium told the BBC: "Every museum in the world is stressing right now.

(Screengrab from footage shared on social media)Apple's iPhone 18 smartphones are being advertised in Tehran at unusually low prices as “war booty”, with sellers claiming the devices were recovered from a cargo ship that sank near the Strait of Hormuz, Iran International reported on Saturday. The advertisements surfaced after a container ship reportedly sank near the strategic waterway on October 13. Videos circulating on social media purportedly showed shipping containers floating in the sea, with iPhones and expensive perfumes scattered in the water as people aboard small boats collected the goods. According to a report by Ynet News, footage circulated by media outlets across the Arab world on Thursday evening showed people retrieving objects from the water. One boat appeared to be carrying boxes of iPhones, with one report claiming that the devices were Apple's latest iPhone 18 models. The identities of those seen collecting the goods remain unclear. There has been no official confirmation of the incident. Iran's cyber police have warned prospective buyers against paying deposits or advance fees before inspecting the products and verifying sellers' identities.