Venice

Venice will trial a long-debated ticketing system from spring next year, officials said on Sept. 5, with day-trippers charged five euros to enter the Italian city's historic center in attempt to cut tourist numbers.

Venice hosted an unprecedented collaboration between Israeli and Iranian filmmakers, who say there are similarities between their governments and hope they can set an example for greater unity between their people.

Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos poses for photographers in Venice on Friday. His gothic tale "Poor Things" is taking part in the 80th Venice Film Festival and is tipped by pundits as the big early favorite.

Inhabitants of Belgium's cobblestone-and-canal city of Bruges are clear: Summertime tourism has hit capacity.

"It's really reached a red line now," says one, 55-year-old architect Arnout Goegebuer, as he sits inside a cafe, peering out a window across a packed outside terrace.

"We don't need more tourists anymore, it's enough - maybe a little bit less" is needed, he says.

The U.N.'s cultural agency UNESCO on July 31 recommended that Venice be added to its list of world heritage in danger, saying the Italian authorities needed to step up efforts to secure the historic city and its surrounding lagoon.

Bradley Cooper's Leonard Bernstein drama "Maestro," Sofia Coppola's Priscilla Presley movie, Michael Mann's "Ferrari," David Fincher's "The Killer" and Ava DuVernay's "Origin" will make their world debuts at the Venice International Film Festival this fall.

Luca Guadagnino's "Challengers," starring Zendaya, has been pulled from the Venice Film Festival, where it was to be the opening night film, due to the actors strike.

The Venice Film Festival is serving up one of the year's buzzier films as its opening night selection in Luca Guadagnino's "Challengers." The romantic tennis drama starring Zendaya, "West Side Story's" Mike Faist and "The Crown's" Josh O'Connor will have its world premiere out of competition at the 80th edition of the festival in September, organizers said Thursday.

A stretch of Venice's Grand Canal turned bright green on May 28, prompting police to investigate amid speculation about a stunt by environmentalists.

Gondoliers could be seen punting through the phosphorescent waters, while tourists took photographs of the green area, from the Rialto Bridge up and along part of the Canal.

The Greek shipping company that owns a bulker on which Italian authorities found a stash of cocaine worth €150m have said "neither the crew nor the company was involved in any way" with the drugs.

The Laskaridis company said "suspected contraband, believed to be cocaine," was found in the vessel's sea chest about 11 meters below the waterline.