Matera

Daniel Craig thought he had wrapped up his tenure as James Bond with "Spectre", but the actor says his final fifth outing as the British secret agent in "No Time To Die" allowed him to fully complete his 007 journey.    

With a lot of music and light show on 19 January, the southern Italian city of Matera in the Basilica region became an official European capital of culture for 2019 next to Plovdiv, where the ceremony took place on January 12th.

Plovdiv, the oldest city in Bulgaria, has been officially inaugurated as the European Capital of Culture for 2019, reported USA TODAY. 

Some 50,000 people gathered on a central square Saturday to watch the opening show dubbed "We are all colors" with 1,500 local and foreign artists on several stages.

Plovdiv, the second-largest city in Bulgaria, is getting ready to cement its status on the European city break circuit as one of two European capitals of culture for 2019, according to CNN.  (The other is the rocky city of Matera, Italy.)

Plovdiv is one of the most impressive places to visit in Europe according to the CNN Travel rating. Together with 17 other places, including Lisbon, Athens, Wroclaw and Dusseldorf, the town under the hills is presented as a key destination for cultural tourism and entertainment.
 

 Italian police on Thursday arrested five Tunisians as part of what they said was a major operation against suspected supporters of Islamist terrorism in central and southern Italy, reported Reuters.

The swoop is the latest in a series of similar raids this month, coming as Italy steps up the number of foreigners it expels.

Lonely Planet just released its Best in Travel for 2018, a comprehensive guide that includes the top 10 cities, countries, and regions to visit in the new year, as well as best value destinations.

InStyle presents the “The World’s Coolest Caves You Can Actually Sleep In” that can be rented via Airbnb and three of them are located in Santorini.The US magazine notes that “if you’ve ever wanted to get away, here’s your chance to do it caveman style. These hidden chasms all have their own unique history and mystery that make staying there an unforgettable experience.

Plovdiv, the second-largest Bulgarian city, has made it into the top three of the European Best Destinations 2016 ranking.

It has been voted third, after Zadar (Croatia) and Athens (Greece), ?n a survey held annually by a Brussels-based organization with the same name.

Bulgaria and Italy signed on Monday a memorandum of understanding on countering illegal trafficking of cultural property.

The document was signed by Bulgarian Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov and his Italian counterpart Dario Franceschini, private bTV station reports.