Life

Hannah Ryan, CNN A painting that served as the cover for one of legendary soul singer Marvin Gaye’s albums has sold at auction for almost $15.3 million. Ernie Barnes’ joyous depiction of a frenetic scene in a dance hall, titled “The Sugar Shack,” sold to Bill Perkins, a hedge fund manager and entrepreneur, after 10

Story by Francesca Street, CNN. Video by Teodora Preda, CNN Walking from one mountain to another, suspended high above ground with only a vast valley yawning below, isn’t for the fainthearted. But thrill-seekers — and lovers of infrastructure — will be flocking to the Dolní Morava vacation resort in the northeast of the Czech Republic

Jacqui Palumbo and Christiane Amanpour, CNN | Henry Hullah, CNN Four years after releasing the studio album “Dirty Computer” — a pop opus about love and rebellion in a dystopian future — Janelle Monáe has followed up with a new science fiction book set in the same world. On Thursday, the singer and actor spoke

Silvia Marchetti, CNN Making a trip to Sicily without indulging in a delicious cannolo pastry is akin to visiting Naples without tucking into an authentic pizza. Practically unheard of. These deliciously crispy tube-shaped shells filled with fresh ricotta are near impossible to resist. And once you’ve had one, you’ll more than likely be craving another.

By Jessie Yeung, CNN Authorities in China have imposed a de facto international travel ban, forbidding citizens from going overseas for “non-essential” reasons, as the government ramps up efforts to enforce its zero-Covid policy. In a statement Thursday, the Chinese National Immigration Administration said it would tighten its reviewing process on issuing travel documents such

Leah Dolan, CNN ASMR — short for autonomous sensory meridian response — is a physical sensation that has dominated a corner of the internet for the best part of a decade. It has a dedicated following, with more than 14 million monthly searches on YouTube, and has launched entire careers, where digital creators ever so

Julia Buckley, CNN Everyone who travels to Italy knows the drill. A day of culture and maybe a little shopping, followed by aperitivo and piles of pasta for dinner. Or, possibly a pizza — or even risotto. Because that’s what they eat in Italy, right? The people of Lake Trasimeno would beg to differ. The

Oscar Holland, CNN For modeling agent Chelsea Bonner, securing catwalk spots for plus-sized women at Australian Fashion Week has always been difficult. “The challenge every season, to get one, two or three models over a size 12 onto a fashion week runway, is enormous,” she said on the phone from Sydney. “The amount of time

Jacqui Palumbo, CNN The largest white diamond to ever come up for auction has been sold for 21,681,000 CHF ($21.9 million) at Christie’s in Geneva. The 228.31-carat, pear-shaped gemstone — dubbed “The Rock” — originated from South Africa, where some of the largest diamonds in the world have been found, including the pear-shaped “Star of

By Francesca Street, CNN The airports are crowded, the flights are packed and air travel in the US and beyond is back in full swing. But the return to the skies in the wake of the pandemic hasn’t been entirely smooth: passengers seem more badly behaved than ever, flight cancellations feel increasingly commonplace and airlines

Oscar Holland, CNN Actor Deepika Padukone has been appointed Louis Vuitton’s first ever Indian brand ambassador, the French luxury house announced Tuesday. The 36-year-old Bollywood star’s role was unveiled as part of a new handbag campaign, which sees her joining Emma Stone and Chinese actor Zhou Dongyu in a series of promotional shots. As well

By Cheri Mossburg, CNN Mike Tyson will not face criminal charges over an incident caught on video last month that appeared to show the former heavyweight boxer hitting another plane passenger multiple times. San Mateo County, California, District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe told CNN he decided not to file misdemeanor battery charges against Tyson based on

Leah Dolan Inside the gilded halls of the Palais de l’Élysée, master sommelier Carlton McCoy meets chef de partie Francis Oge — the man tasked with feeding French President Emmanuel Macron. Oge, who has served four presidents, is a master of fine dining. From his delicately pinstriped mille-feuille to his sculptural beef Wellingtons, precision and

Tim Lister, CNN | Olga Voitovych and Kostan Nechyporenko Last Friday, the historic home of Ukraine’s treasured poet and philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda was destroyed by a Russian artillery strike, along with a museum of his work. Skovoroda’s home was in a tiny village not far from Kharkiv — nowhere near any obvious military targets such

Story by Reuters A Nepali sherpa scaled Mount Everest for a record 26th time, beating his own previous record set last year, a government official said on Sunday. Kami Rita Sherpa, 52, scaled the 8,848.86-meter (29,031.69-foot) mountain on Saturday along the traditional southeast ridge route leading 10 other Sherpa climbers. “Kami Rita has broken his

By Forrest Brown, CNN Jeffrey Heim woke up on May 30, 2021, with one thing on his mind: Sharks. Specifically, shark teeth. They’re his passion and his business. An unsuccessful attempt the day before to find any of them only fueled his obsession to find some on his next outing, he told CNN Travel recently.

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN In this week’s travel news roundup, we look at space hotels through the ages, Sicily’s new “Little America” and a new glass-bottomed bridge in Vietnam that might just be the world’s longest. Connection restored CNN Travel often covers beautiful and touching moments between passengers on life’s journey. But every so often,

Xu Xiaofei, CNN Fois gras, the French culinary jewel that is as delicious as it is controversial, is a staple of upscale restaurants across the country. But now it’s vanishing from menus during an “unprecedented” crisis that has seen some manufacturers begin to consider reducing portions. At the heart of the problem is a bird

Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN | Illustrations by Leanza Abucayan If the thought of retiring your comfortable sweats and choosing a new outfit to leave the house in each morning is an intimidating prospect, you’re in good company. For the better part of the pandemic, I’ve lived in a pair of stretchy, soft wool trousers in

By Wayne Chang, CNN Taiwan’s Southern Cross-Island Highway has reopened to the public following a 13-year closure. The alpine highway, which was popular with tourists as well as locals due to its route through rural, scenic parts of the island, was devastated by a typhoon in 2009. More than 90% of the road was damaged

By Brad Parks, CNN A United Airlines passenger was taken into custody Thursday morning at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport after opening an aircraft door and walking out onto the wing of the plane while it was taxiing. “A male subject was onboard a plane that was approaching the gate when he pulled the emergency exit

Amarachi Orie, CNN A vase kept in a kitchen in England could sell for £150,000 ($186,000) after it was revealed to be a rare 18th century Chinese artifact which was created for the Qianlong Emperor. The vase was purchased by a surgeon in the 1980s for a few hundred pounds, according to UK-based auction house