Venice

Ljubljana – A new direct rail line linking Vienna, Ljubljana and Trieste was launched on Friday. The newly-established route is an important milestone in sustainable mobility efforts, said the Slovenian railway operator Slovenske Železnice. The line will run every day, starting this afternoon.

The first cruise ship since the pandemic wended its way on June 5 through the heart of Venice, escorted by triumphant water-spouting tugboats and elated port workers as it traveled down the Giudecca Canal but also protested by hundreds on land and a small armada of wooden boats waving "No Big Boats" flags.

Venice – The Slovenian pavilion was launched online at the 17th architectural exhibition La Biennale di Venezia on Friday. The Slovenian project focuses on the Yugoslav-era community centres as a type of social infrastructure, highlighting the role of architecture in building a sense of community.

Ljubljana – The bus operator Flixbus is relaunching its bus route from Slovenia to Serbia after more than a year of inactivity. Starting on May 20, its coaches will be taking passengers on the Ljubljana-Belgrade route four times a week, while adhering to the epidemiologic measures.

A rare 16th-century portrait of Suleiman the Magnificent, the longest-reigning Ottoman sultan, has been donated to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality by an anonymous buyer after it fetched a hefty 350,000 British pounds ($481,000) of sale price in an auction in London last month.

Italy is aiming to open the country to tourists in mid-May, pledging a range of measures to protect visitors from the coronavirus as it scrambles to rescue a sector devastated by lockdowns and restrictions on movement, Bloomberg reports.

A rare 16th-century portrait of Suleiman the Magnificent, the longest-reigning Ottoman sultan, fetched a hefty £350,000
($481,000) sale price in an auction on March 31 in London.

The portrait was on offer for collectors in live bidding at famed auction house Sotheby's starting at £80,000.

A rare 16th-century portrait of Suleiman the Magnificent, the longest-reigning Ottoman sultan, will be auctioned by Sotheby's.

The portrait of the sultan will be on live auction at Sotheby's with a starting bid of 60,000 pounds ($83,000). Estimates suggest it will be sold for around 80,000 - 120,000 pounds.

The unveiling of the Golden Globes nominations on Feb. 3 will jumpstart a Hollywood awards season like no other, with pandemic-related theater closures and blockbuster delays expected to boost smaller, stay-at-home movies like Netflix's "The Trial of the Chicago 7" and "Mank."

In another year, masks would be a sign of the gaiety in Venice, an accessory worn for games and parties as big crowds parade about to show off their frivolous, fanciful costumes, especially ones with decorative face coverings. (Source: AP)