Briefly

EUROPE

Bid to ban polluting cars from 2035

The European Union on Wednesday proposed an effective ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars as of 2035 which, as part of a broad climate package, will accelerate a switch to zero-emission electric vehicles. The EU executive, the European Commission, proposed a 55 percent cut in CO2 emissions from cars by 2030 versus 2021 levels, much higher than the existing target of a 37.5 percent reduction in CO2 emissions by that time. The Commission also proposed a 100 percent cut in CO2 emissions by 2035, which would make it impossible to sell new fossil-fuel-powered vehicles in the 27-country bloc.

ITALY

Venice to shut out giant cruise ships

Declaring Venice's waterways a "national monument", Italy is banning mammoth cruise liners from sailing into the lagoon city, which risked being declared an imperiled world heritage site by the United Nations. Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said the ban was urgently adopted at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and will take effect Aug 1. It applies to the lagoon basin near St. Mark's Square and the Giudecca Canal, which is a major marine artery in Venice. Franceschini said the government decided to act fast "to avoid the concrete risk" that the UNESCO would add Venice to its list of "world heritage in danger" after it begins the meeting later this week.

Agencies Via Xinhua