Entertainment

Göbeklitepe, the world's oldest known temple, is the focus of a new upcoming opera directed by Murat Karahan, the tenor of the Turkish State Opera and Ballet. (Photos:Alamy)

Amid major changes to gambling laws in Bulgaria, the most influential figure in the sector, Vasil Bojkov, a billionaire businessman, football boss and former owner of the recently-nationalised National Lottery is facing deportation from the United Arab Emirates after his recent arrest.

The bill establishing a National Gambling Agency, which replaces the State Gambling Commission, has been published for discussion, BNR reported.

"End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones," the 2003 film by Michael Gramaglia and Jim Fields recounting the legendary band's life and career, will be screened at the Astor cinema in downtown Athens on Monday, January 20. The screening begins at 9 p.m.

A Turkish master of the traditional shadow play Karagöz and Hacivat aims to preserve the art according to its origins.

Metin Özlen, 80, said he learned the shadow play at the age of four from stories his grandfather told him. He later became interested in production techniques and created his first figures from cardboard.

Venetian comedian Ennio Marchetto comes to the Galatsi Olympic Hall in Athens to perform an eccentric one-man show as part of the Christmas Theater series of shows on Sunday, January 12. Marchetto is famed for his hilarious mime performances where he impersonates well-known and in many cases notorious figures from all over the world ranging from Marilyn Monroe to Fidel Castro.

Popular avant-garde cabaret act the Tiger Lillies, whose weird and wonderful shows have earned the London-based outfit a loyal world following, will be performing at Athens' Fuzz Club on January 25 as part of its 30th anniversary tour. According to the organizers, the show will also include new songs inspired by Greek rebetiko music. Doors open at 8 p.m.

The music hits of the 80s - 90s will be live at the biggest party between years in Bucharest - "New Year's Eve 2020. Disco Night Fever" - organized by the Capital City Hall in the Constitution Square on December 31. Among the artists who will take to the stage, on Tuesday, on the last day of the year, starting 6:00 pm, there are O-Zone, Haddaway and Milli Vanilli.

The picture of a pile of 80 million Turkish Liras of cash, roughly $13.5 million, has excited millions of Turkish citizens, who are rushing to buy traditional New Year's Eve lottery tickets.

The grand prize was presented to the public at a Vakıf Bank branch in Ankara on Dec. 25.

As people want to buy New Year's Eve national lottery tickets before they are sold out, long lines are being seen in front of the famous lottery booth in Istanbul's Eminönü district.