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Louvre Attracts 10 Million Visitors in 2018

Tourists cool off in the fountains near the Pyramid entrance of the Louvre Museum on a hot summer day in Paris July 8, 2010. GONZALO FUENTES/REUTERS
Tourists cool off in the fountains near the Pyramid entrance of the Louvre Museum on a hot summer day in Paris July 8, 2010. GONZALO FUENTES/REUTERS
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Louvre Attracts 10 Million Visitors in 2018

Tourists cool off in the fountains near the Pyramid entrance of the Louvre Museum on a hot summer day in Paris July 8, 2010. GONZALO FUENTES/REUTERS
Tourists cool off in the fountains near the Pyramid entrance of the Louvre Museum on a hot summer day in Paris July 8, 2010. GONZALO FUENTES/REUTERS

The Louvre Museum in France recorded the highest number of visitors ever by receiving over 10.2 million people in 2018.

The museum, which displays famous tableaux including the Mona Liza by Leonardo da Vinci along with many other statues and masterpieces, said the number increased 25% over 2017.

The main reason behind this increase is a stunning tourism recovery in Paris. The French capital welcomed more tourists over the past two years, after it witnessed a series of terrorist attacks that killed over 230 people between 2015 and 2016.

According to the figures issued by the Regional Tourism Committee, the Louvre was the most visited feature in Paris, followed by the Eiffel Tower.

The German News Agency (DPA) said these figures didn’t include the Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris or the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris (Sacré-Cœur Basilica) located on the top of the butte Montmartre.

In 2016, estimates showed that the Sacré-Cœur Basilica had received more visitors than the Louvre.

According to the museum, about three quarters of the visitors who had come to the Louvre in 2017 were foreigners, more than half of them under the age of 30. The Louvre entrance ticket is worth €15 ($17) or €17 for pre-booking to avoid lines in front of the ticket office.

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Saudi Interior Ministry Issues Special Passport Stamp for Hajj Conference and Exhibition 2025

The Saudi Ministry of Interior issued a special passport stamp for the fifth edition of the Hajj Conference and Exhibition. (SPA)
The Saudi Ministry of Interior issued a special passport stamp for the fifth edition of the Hajj Conference and Exhibition. (SPA)
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Saudi Interior Ministry Issues Special Passport Stamp for Hajj Conference and Exhibition 2025

The Saudi Ministry of Interior issued a special passport stamp for the fifth edition of the Hajj Conference and Exhibition. (SPA)
The Saudi Ministry of Interior issued a special passport stamp for the fifth edition of the Hajj Conference and Exhibition. (SPA)

The Saudi Ministry of Interior, represented by the General Directorate of Passports and in cooperation with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, has issued a special passport stamp for the fifth edition of the Hajj Conference and Exhibition, the Saudi Press Agency said on Monday.

The exhibition is held from November 10 to 12 under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The stamp will be available to travelers arriving in the Kingdom through King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah during the conference period.

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Typhoon Exposes Centuries-old Shipwreck Off Vietnam Port

People stand next to a centuries-old shipwreck uncovered in the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi on a beach off the Hoi An coast in central Vietnam, on November 10, 2025. (Photo by Tam Xuan / AFP)
People stand next to a centuries-old shipwreck uncovered in the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi on a beach off the Hoi An coast in central Vietnam, on November 10, 2025. (Photo by Tam Xuan / AFP)
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Typhoon Exposes Centuries-old Shipwreck Off Vietnam Port

People stand next to a centuries-old shipwreck uncovered in the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi on a beach off the Hoi An coast in central Vietnam, on November 10, 2025. (Photo by Tam Xuan / AFP)
People stand next to a centuries-old shipwreck uncovered in the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi on a beach off the Hoi An coast in central Vietnam, on November 10, 2025. (Photo by Tam Xuan / AFP)

Severe coastal erosion caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi exposed a centuries-old shipwreck in Vietnam, providing a narrow window to salvage what experts say could be a historically significant find.

Initially discovered in 2023 off the coast of Hoi An, the at least 17.4-metre (57-foot) vessel -- whose heavy wood-ribbed hull survived hundreds of years of rough seas almost perfectly intact -- was resubmerged before authorities could reclaim it.

Experts have not yet dated the wreck, but preliminary findings suggest it was built between the 14th and 16th centuries -- when UNESCO-listed Hoi An was at the center of a thriving regional trade in silk, ceramics and spices.

"We are currently preparing to apply for an emergency excavation (permit)," Pham Phu Ngoc, director of the Hoi An Center for the Preservation of World Cultural Heritage, told AFP on Monday after the wreck resurfaced following the passage of Typhoon Kalmaegi last week.

"The discovery of this ancient ship is clear evidence of Hoi An's significant historical role in regional trade," he said, adding more of the ship had been exposed this time "which could provide us with more information.”

A team of experts from the Hoi An preservation center, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City and a local museum surveyed the wreck last year.

In addition to the rough age estimate, they found it had been made from "durable and high-strength timber" and reinforced with waterproofing materials to seal its joints.

"The ship's structure suggests that it was capable of long-distance voyages, likely used for maritime trade or naval operations," the Hoi An center said in an earlier statement.

The relic is at risk of "serious deterioration without immediate conservation actions" given the severe coastal erosion and the ship's frequent exposure to harsh weather conditions, it said.

The wreck was still clearly visible on Monday, with crowds gathered on the beach to view its striking skeletal frame.

Varieties

German Bread Could be More Famous Than the French Baguette

According to the bread register of the German Institute for Bread, there are now more than 3,200 officially recognized types of bread in the country
According to the bread register of the German Institute for Bread, there are now more than 3,200 officially recognized types of bread in the country
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German Bread Could be More Famous Than the French Baguette

According to the bread register of the German Institute for Bread, there are now more than 3,200 officially recognized types of bread in the country
According to the bread register of the German Institute for Bread, there are now more than 3,200 officially recognized types of bread in the country

You’ve seen the French sauntering around with slender baguettes under their arms or sporting jaunty berets as they pedal bicycles laden with crusty bread.

Those cinematic scenes are nice, but when you really get down to business — as my countrymen are inclined to do — it’s obvious that the world’s best bread comes from Germany, according to CNN news.

It said Germans have more varieties of bread than most other countries.

According to the bread register of the German Institute for Bread, there are now more than 3,200 officially recognized types of bread in the country. German bread culture was officially added by UNESCO to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2015.

A key German term rests upon those hearty loaves: one of the words for work is Broterwerb, literally “gaining one’s bread.”

Bread is a staple for most meals in Germany: at breakfast, break-time (sometimes called Pausenbrot, or “break bread”) and dinner or Abendbrot, literally the “bread of the evening.”

“It sells like sliced bread” is a German proverb describing fast-selling items.

Bread even stars on TV: a talking loaf named Bernd has become a popular character among German children. The comedy series “Bernd das Brot.” hosted by the titular character, began airing on the children’s channel KI.KA since 2000.

One of the reasons for this immense variety in bread products is the fragmented history of Germany up until the 19th century.

Until then, what is known as Germany now was a cluster of hundreds of small duchies or kingdoms, all with their own distinct culture and dialect, and with their own bread.

So, bread has evolved in Germany from a staple food to a strong symbol of cultural and historical identity, and a source of national pride no less valuable than any of its famous landmarks.