Venice Introduces €5 Tourism Tax To Reduce Over Crowding

Apr 26 2024

Venice has introduced a tourism tax to address overcrowding during peak weekends. The pilot program, announced last November, has now commenced.

Visitors arriving between 8:30 am and 4 pm must pay a €5 fee during the 29-day test phase until July. Signs and stewards inform tourists, guiding them to obtain a QR code either online or from a kiosk if they lack a smartphone. Officials conduct random checks for compliance, imposing fines of €50 to €300 for violators.

The goal is to reduce congestion, extend visitor stays, and enhance residents’ quality of life. The initiative follows UNESCO’s concern over Venice’s overtourism impact, narrowly avoiding placement on the danger list. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro emphasizes the fee as a regulatory measure rather than a revenue generator, aiming to encourage visits on less crowded days.

The city becomes strained with 30,000 to 40,000 day-trippers, hindering residents’ movement. Exemptions from the fee apply to residents, students, workers, and visitors with lodging reservations.

The fee applies only during peak hours, exempting those visiting for evening activities. This initiative seeks to create a more balanced and sustainable tourism model for Venice.

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MFA Refuses Hibernians’ Request To Postpone Woman’s Knockout Final

Apr 26 2024

Hibernians FC have revealed on their Facebook with an official statement, that the MFA has rejected their request to change the time of their upcoming Women’s Knockout Final against Birkirkara by an hour, due to a vast number of their players having a Matsec exam at the same time.

They stated that “On Saturday some of our players will be sitting for their SEC Examinations, which session will finish at 18:00, the same time of the kickoff. Unfortunately, for the girls, this causes an inevitable dilemma between academic responsibilities and sporting achievements.”

Later on the Malta FA also issued a statement saying that they have no objection with shifting the kick off by an hour but that both teams need to come to an agreement.

Unfortunately for Hibs, Birkirkara have decided to honor the original kickoff time explaining in an official statement that Hibs had 4 months to ask the MFA to change the time of the game due to a risk of a clash between any potential exams and the final, but only decided to do so when they won the semi-final.

The Stripes argued that the request was too short noticed saying that they had already scheduled out their week and that it would be hard to alter since the women playing have other commitments due to the women’s game being amateur in Malta.

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Two Albanian Workers Injured In Floriana Roof Collapse

Apr 26 2024

Two Albanian men, aged 32 and 26 respectively, were taken to Mater Dei Hospital this morning at around 0830hrs after they were injured whilst working in a Triq Pietro Floriani, Floriana construction site.

Preliminary investigations showed that the men jumped onto the roof of the neighbouring home for some of their materials but the roof collapsed.

The men were given medical aid on site and transported to Mater Dei Hospital. They were then certified as having suffered grievous injuries.

Civil Protection Department officials were on site to assist. An inquiry has been opened as police continue their investigations. The Authority for Health and Security on the Workplace are also investigating.

Taking to social media, Floriana Nationalist Party councillor James Aaron Ellul expressed his dismay at the incident, writing:

‘We cannot have people being afraid to live in their own homes due to other people working in the building next to them’.

‘It is evident that Malta’s situation has to change quickly. The recommendations given to this sector have to be implemented as soon as possible and without slack’.

Solidarity with the owners and the victims.

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Slovakian MEP Releases Dove In European Parliament

Apr 26 2024

A Slovakian MEP stirred controversy by unexpectedly releasing a live bird from a bag during a session at the European Parliament, declaring it a symbol of world peace.

Miroslav Radačovský, leader of the Slovak Patriot party, surprised his fellow MEPs in Strasbourg by setting free a dove in the chamber, expressing his wish for peace between Russia and Ukraine.

While Radačovský intended the gesture to promote unity and peace in Europe, it elicited mixed reactions from those present. Caroline Roose, a French MEP from the Greens, raised objections, citing concerns about animal welfare and the misuse of live animals for political purposes.

Others questioned the appropriateness of using a live animal in a parliamentary setting, with one colleague humorously asking if Radačovský could catch the bird again.

Jan-Christoph Oetjen, a vice-president of the parliament, assured that the incident would be reported to the chamber’s president, expressing hopes for the bird’s well-being. The episode sparked debate about the boundaries of political expression and the treatment of animals in such contexts.

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