Venice has confirmed the first dates for its 'experimental' entry fee for day-trippers. Overnight guests are exempt from the charge but will have to register for a QR code to prove their exemption.

A 200-strong flock of seagulls around the lagoon-side runway at Venice Marco Polo Airport caused flights to be canceled for two hours on Friday. Flights were diverted to other airports in northern Italy, while a falconer was called to disperse the birds.

The Italian city of Venice and its lagoon were not listed on UNESCO's World Heritage in Danger list during a meeting of the UN agency in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, according to Italy's culture ministry.

Kenneth Branagh has found a nice rhythm in his Hercule Poirot mysteries, serving as director, producer and star. "A Haunting in Venice," his third go-round with writer Michael Green, derives its main wrinkle from the vaguely supernatural tone, a just-in-time-for-Halloween adornment that might add a small commercial boost to a formula otherwise as neatly manicured as the great detective's moustache.

After talking about an entrance fee for several years, the Venetian authorities have now confirmed that a pilot project charging day-trippers will begin in spring 2024. Visitors will pay 5 euros to enter the city on busy days.

Police in Southern California are investigating a theft at a high-end wine shop where, according to the store, a burglar drilled a hole into its roof, descended via rope and stole around 600 bottles of wine and liquor worth over $500,000.