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Venice To Introduce An Entry Fee And Booking System For Tourists

Venice is set to impose an entry fee for visitors in a bid to prevent huge swathes of tourists descending on the city. Italian newspaper La Stampa reported over the weekend that a package of measures designed to control tourism, which include requiring visitors to book in advance, pay a fee and enter the city via electronic turnstiles, is set to be imposed from summer 2022. The entry fee is reportedly set to be between 3 and 10 euros ($3.52 and $11.73), dependent on the season. Residents and their relatives, children under six and people staying in local hotels will be exempt from the measures.

Ancient Camp Discovered In Madrid

An ancient camp where Neanderthals hosted ‘hunting parties’ to track down large bovids and deer 76,000 years ago has been discovered in Madrid. Covering a space of 3,200 sq ft (300m2), archaeologists believe it could be the largest such camp in the Iberian Peninsula region. They think it may have acted as an intermediary between Neanderthals hunting their prey and the place of final consumption, where the whole group would take advantage of the resources that the hunting parties had gathered.

Super Mario Bros Game Sells For $2 Million

A vintage Super Mario Bros. video game has sold for $2 million, a collectibles company announced Friday, breaking the record for the most expensive video game sale that was set just weeks ago. The 1985 game, made for Nintendo’s original console, has never been opened — a rarity for old video games, said Rob Petrozzo, one of the founders of the collectibles site, Rally. An anonymous buyer purchased it, he said. Demand for collectibles has surged during the pandemic, along with many other forms of investment, as people stuck at home look for ways to spend their money. People have spent millions of dollars for pieces of digital artwork — known as nonfungible tokens — like internet memes and video highlights of National Basketball Association players. Physical goods, including old cars and sports cards, have soared in value over the last year, too.

Rolling Stones Drummer Dies At 80

Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, who helped them become one of the greatest bands in rock ‘n’ roll, has died at the age of 80. “It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our beloved Charlie Watts,” a statement said. It said he was “a cherished husband, father and grandfather” and “one of the greatest drummers of his generation”. Tributes have come from stars including The Beatles’ Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr, and Sir Elton John. Sir Paul described Watts as “a lovely guy” and “a fantastic drummer” who was “steady as a rock”.

Sean Penn Urges Only Vaccinated To See His New Film “Flag Day” In Theatres

Sean Penn during a talk show visit asked that only moviegoers who have been vaccinated from coronavirus see his new film Flag Day in cinemas. While promoting the drama that he directs and stars in, the 61-year-old Oscar winner made the request uring an appeance on Late Night With Seth Meyers on NBC. Seth, 47, asked Sean if it was ‘extra special’ to have the film that also stars his daughter Dylan, 30, be available in theatres after 18 months of shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

OnlyFans Says It Will No Longer Ban Porn

OnlyFans said in a statement that it has “suspended” plans to ban pornography, in a stunning U-turn that came after fierce backlash from its users. The online subscription platform said it secured the “assurances” required to continue allowing sexually explicit content. The London-based firm last week announced plans to prohibit porn from 1 October, citing pressure from its banking partners. “OnlyFans stands for inclusion and we will continue to provide a home for all creators,” the firm added. “An official communication to creators will be emailed shortly.”