Venice floods: ‘City on its knees’

These are the worst floods to hit the city in more than 50 years. The mayor has blamed climate change and pleaded for government assistance as the city braces for a second day of high water.

Italy's government will declare a state of emergency on Thursday as water levels in Venice remain high. Damage costs are now being estimated at hundreds of millions of euros.

Salt crystalized by historic floodwaters poses a great threat to Venice's many wall paintings and frescoes. German art conservator Sven Taubert says good planning is key to preserving the historic works of art.

SOS: Venice is drowning!

Trump impeachment hearings, Bolivia crisis, Venice floods, Polanski controversy

Now that flooding in Venice has subsided, the city is dealing with the aftermath, from damaged buildings to mountains of trash. Estimating the cost of damages is a difficult business, and many Venetians are frustrated.

Los Angeles County beaches are reopening with restrictions after a 47-day closure, but Venice Beach, one of the most popular beaches in the United States, remains mostly quiet. While swimming, surfing, running and walking are allowed, sunbathing or picnicking are forbidden amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The famous gondolas pushed by boatmen in blue and white t-shirts make their reappearance on the Grand Canal of Venice, albeit equipped with masks and surgical gloves. These gondolas are theoretically allowed to resume their activities, but in the absence of tourists in the city, there are very few customers. On these gondolas, social distancing is also required, with seats spaced out and marked with tape on the bottom of the boat.

Italy, severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic, is counting on the reopening of European borders to save the summer holiday season. This is particularly true for Venice, one of the country's most visited destinations. Usually severely overcrowded, La Serenissima has found itself without tourists since the lockdown, although they are now arriving back in small numbers. But the city is today questioning its economic model based on mass tourism. Could the Covid-19 crisis become an opportunity to rethink the future of Venice? Our correspondents report.

Thanks to COVID-19, Italy's lagoon city has been unusually empty, but visitors are now slowly trickling back. Some Venetians welcome the crowds, while others fear nothing more than the return of the rattling suitcases.

We look at reactions from the papers after European leaders struck a historic deal and agreed to a coronavirus relief fund. The British papers are looking at a report which alleges British leaders actively ignored threats of Russian interference in elections. And Venice's gondoliers are reducing their boat capacity due to increasingly "heavier" tourists.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the show must go on in Venice as it prepares to host the 77th edition of the world's oldest film festival. Ongoing travel restrictions -- especially a travel ban from the United States into Europe -- mean that most Hollywood elites will be no-shows, along with actors and directors from China, India and South America.