Summary of the day
A long-mooted entrance fee for day trippers came into force in Venice.
Venice is the first major city in the world to enact such a scheme.
The €5 (£4.30) charge is aimed at protecting the Unesco world heritage site from the effects of excessive tourism.
But the scheme got a shaky start, bewildering people staying in hotels who needed to prove their exemption.
Protesters in Venice expressed their opposition to the new fee.
Opponents argue that the fee is against the principle of freedom of movement and will do nothing to meaningfully address over-tourism.
There was tension between police dressed in riot gear and the estimated 500 people protesting against the fee.
Meanwhile, Madrid’s prosecuting authority sought the dismissal of a case against the wife of Spain’s prime minister.
Journalists at Italian state broadcaster RAI will strike next month, reporters’ trade union Usigrai announced.
‘Recipe for disaster’: Venice entry fee sparks confusion and protest on day one
Venice’s entrance charge for day trippers has got off to a shaky start, bewildering people staying in hotels who needed to prove their exemption and drawing protests from some residents.
The €5 (£4.30) charge, aimed at curtailing over-tourism, has ignited fury among some residents. The charge kicked in at 8.30am on Thursday and will apply on 29 peak days until 14 July as part of a trial phase.
Most of the day trippers arriving at Santa Lucia station came prepared with a QR code proving they had paid the €5 toll, but the initiative caused confusion among people staying in hotels who were unaware they had to go through the rigmarole of confirming their exemption online.
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