Life

Hannah Ryan, CNN Billie Eilish stunned New York at the Met Gala on Monday night as she channeled Old Hollywood in an dramatic Oscar de la Renta gown. The evening marked the 19-year-old superstar’s first appearance at the legendary fashion event and she made sure that it was a debut no one would forget. In

Jack Guy, CNN Charlotte Johnson Wahl, mother of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has died at the age of 79 after suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Johnson Wahl, née Fawcett, died “suddenly and peacefully” on Monday at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, west London, according to an announcement in The Times newspaper Tuesday. In addition to

Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN It doesn’t seem like that long ago that private jets were considered completely out of reach for anyone who wasn’t obscenely rich or famous — both in some cases. But private aviation has become far more accessible over the years, and there’s been a particularly large shift since 2019. Not only has

By Rhea Mogul, CNN A “megapod” of more than 100 humpback whales has been filmed surrounding a boat off the coast of Australia — an incredibly rare event an expert says has only ever been captured once before in the country’s waters. The whales skirted the boat near Bermagui, about 236 miles (380 kilometers) from

CNN Staff New York Fashion Week is back, with designers Christian Siriano, Brandon Maxwell and Gabriela Hearst among those showcasing their Spring-Summer 2022 collections. Covid-19 restrictions forced recent editions online, but the majority of this season’s shows will take place in-person. Attendees will, however, be required to show proof of vaccination, according to organizers. Although

Megan C. Hills, CNN Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to the 2021 Met Gala on Monday evening with a bright red message for Americans: “Tax the Rich.” Dressed in a white off-the-shoulder gown by Brooklyn-based designer brand Brother Vellies, the New York politician revealed the statement, scrawled in bold lettering on the back of her dress,

By David McKenzie, CNN South Africa will start to ease several Covid-19 restrictions as infection rates decrease in the country, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday. Amongst other measures, the nationwide curfew will be reduced to 11pm until 4am, the size of gatherings can increase to 250 people indoors and 500 outdoors, and restrictions on

By Lauren M. Johnson, CNN The Hmong Cultural Center in Minneapolis is having to push back the opening of its expanded museum after vandals defaced the front of the building. Mark Pfeifer, the director of programs for the center, told CNN he discovered the vandalism Wednesday. “I saw it right away and my heart sank.

By Cheri Mossburg, CNN Updated September 13, 2021: The Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows ski resort has announced it will change its name to Palisades Tahoe, effective immediately. “Today marks the first day of the next chapter of our resort’s storied history,” the resort wrote in a message posted to its website and social media accounts.

By Eric Levenson, CNN New York City began enforcing its Covid-19 vaccine passport program, known as “Key to NYC,” for most indoor activities Monday as part of the city’s broad reopening. Since August 17, the city has required that people age 12 and older show proof they have had at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose

Allyssia Alleyne, CNN and Oscar Holland, CNN and Nick Remsen, CNN Pop culture’s most famous faces descended on the The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday evening to celebrate the fashion industry’s party of the year: the Met Gala. Postponed last time around due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the star-studded annual fundraiser for the Met’s

Jack Guy, CNN A huge hoard of Iron Age gold artifacts has been uncovered by an amateur metal detectorist in Denmark. The “enormous” find consists of almost one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of gold buried 1,500 years ago, according to a press release from the Vejlemuseerne museum, which will exhibit the hoard. Described by the museum

By Ashleigh Stewart, CNN In a city full of superlatives, the latest addition to Dubai‘s long list of “biggests” and “tallests” is about to take its place in the record books. Ain Dubai, the giant observation wheel that has been taking shape on the city’s Bluewaters Island development for more than six years, will open

By Ben Westcott, CNN Australians have been told to “dust off (their) passports” after the federal government announced it would begin a trial of vaccine passports with some countries this week — the latest step in Australia’s reopening to the world. Australia closed its borders almost 18 months ago in a bid to contain Covid-19.

Fernando Alfonso III, CNN A prominent fashion designer behind a $1,190 pair of sweatpants has been lambasted by some fashion and Black history experts for what they say is cultural appropriation. The gray Balenciaga sweatpants, which feature what looks like the top of a pair of boxers peeking out from the waistband, sparked controversy after

By Tara Mulholland, CNN A “cruise to nowhere” feels like a fitting metaphor for Covid-era Hong Kong. As with the city’s previous failed attempts to re-establish international travel, it offers a facsimile of forward movement that ends up taking you right back to where you started. While the possibility of traveling abroad is slowly returning

Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN It was too good to last. While summer saw much of Europe open up to American visitors, offering them the chance to fulfill lockdown dreams of eating gelato in Italy or touring the art museums of Paris, the season’s end has brought with it new restrictions, and the doors to the continent

By Barry Neild and Sakya Vandoorne, CNN France has become the latest European country — and the most significant tourism destination — to remove the United States from its safe travel list, following EU recommendations in the wake of a US Covid spike. A French government decree issued on Thursday bumped the United States and

Silvia Marchetti, CNN Buying an abandoned home in a tiny, depopulated Italian village is something that many travelers will have mulled over, especially given the vast number of bargain house schemes launched in the European country over the past few years. After CNN Travel reported earlier this year that Latronico, situated in the deep south

By Lilit Marcus, CNN It seems tailor made for Instagram likes: bright blue sky, white walls and a ruby-colored dress swirling elegantly in the breeze. These images, known as “flying dress” photos, started out on the picturesque Greek island of Santorini and have since become popular in other tourist spots like Dubai, Tulum and Italy.

Jacqui Palumbo, CNN For around three centuries, the girl reading a letter in the dimly-lit solitude of a Johannes Vermeer painting gave no indication of what the message contained. Facing an open window, her figure gently curved as she scanned the note in her hands, her body appeared slight against the vacant wall behind her.

By Nicquel Terry Ellis and Chandelis Duster, CNN A towering statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was removed in Richmond, Virginia, on Wednesday, adding to a growing list of Confederate symbols that have been taken down across the country since George Floyd’s death sparked a nationwide reckoning with police brutality and racism. The removal

By Kristina Sgueglia and Carolyn Sung, CNN The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be a lot more like its old self in 2021, with a return to a more traditional route and the public lining the streets of Manhattan to watch. What will be different from the long string of pre-pandemic parades: Face masks

Francesca Street, CNN It was already world-famous thanks to its striking red-hued bridge, drool-worthy restaurant scene and booming tech industry — and now San Francisco has been crowned the “world’s best” city, according to Time Out. The international media brand deployed its network of editors from across the world — as well as surveying some

By Jack Guy, CNN A turtle heading into the sea, a volcanic eruption and a spectacular sunset feature among the winners of the Drone Photo Awards 2021. The overall winner is an image of thousands of pink-footed geese flying over snowy ground by Norwegian photographer Terje Kolaas, announced the Siena Awards, the international festival of

By David Williams, CNN The Carnival Glory cruise ship will house hospital staff, first responders and other emergency workers in New Orleans to help with recovery efforts after Hurricane Ida. The cruise line announced Monday that it had made an agreement with the city and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide the ship through

By Richard Quest and Joe Minihane, CNN It’s Spain’s Mediterranean escape, a place that for decades has been the go-to spot for jet setters, party lovers and package vacationers keen to let their hair down and enjoy sun, sea and sand in abundance. Yet as in so many famous tourist destinations across Europe, the Costa

By Andy Rose and Aya Elamroussi, CNN The world lost one of its oldest penguins over the weekend at the Oregon Zoo. Mochica, known as Mo, was 31 years old. He was America’s oldest male Humboldt penguin and lived his entire life at the zoo in Portland until he was euthanized Saturday because of old-age

Ben Jones, CNN When travelers think of European high-speed rail travel, France’s iconic Trains a Grande Vitesse (TGV) or Germany’s elegant white ICE trains tend to come to mind. Those who’ve visited Italy will no doubt have encountered Trenitalia’s Frecciarossa (Red Arrow) or the stunning scarlet trains of its strong competitor Italo. But Europe’s longest

Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN Whether it’s signing up for a credit card they don’t need, buying a random product, or filling out endless surveys, most travelers have attempted some type of hack to earn themselves extra air miles. Some dedicated flIers even take specific trips, known as mileage runs, for the sole purpose of gaining miles

Saskya Vandoorne, Xiaofei Xu and Sana Noor Haq, CNN The legendary French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo has died aged 88, his lawyer, Michel Godest, said on Monday. The cause of his death was not disclosed. The son of French sculptor Paul Belmondo and painter Sarah Rainaud-Richard, Belmondo was born into an artistic family in Neuilly-sur-Seine in

Oscar Holland, CNN The cleanliness of Tokyo, the diversity of New York and the social services of Stockholm: Billionaire Marc Lore has outlined his vision for a 5-million-person “new city in America” and appointed a world-famous architect to design it. Now, he just needs somewhere to build it — and $400 billion in funding. The

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN When this century began, you could pull up to the airport 20 minutes before a domestic flight in the United States and stroll straight over to your gate. Perhaps your partner would come through security to wave you goodbye. You might not have a photo ID in your carry-on, but you

By Duarte Mendonca, CNN Images of long lines with captions referring to several waiting hours at London’s Heathrow Airport have surfaced on social media, prompting the airport press office to criticize the British Border Force on Saturday. “We are very sorry that passengers faced unacceptable queuing times in immigration last night (Friday) due to too

Francesca Street, CNN Working as a flight attendant previously afforded Mitra Amirzadeh the freedom to explore the world — taking her from her home in Florida to destinations including Kenya, France and Spain. As the pandemic spread, the perks of Amirzadeh’s job diminished. Now restricted to domestic US flights, her work involves navigating not only

By Barry Neild, CNN The prospect of European travel for Americans has begun to diminish once more as countries adopt new measures in response to a recent surge in US Covid cases. Earlier this week, the European Union announced it was dropping the United States from its safe list, advising its 27 member states to

Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN Alaska Airlines is handing out a $200 incentive to employees who can prove that they’ve been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. In an online statement published this week, the Seattle-based carrier announced that it would be rewarding staff who submit proof by October 15 with a bonus in a bid to encourage more

Megan C. Hills, CNN Celebrity photographer Andy Gotts has snapped numerous stars, from Hollywood titans Al Pacino, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts to promising newcomers like Anya Taylor-Joy and Nathalie Emmanuel. But one picture stands out to him as the most poignant of his career: a portrait of the late Tony Curtis, his face painted

Julia Buckley, CNN When Jordan Milano Hazrati was offered a job as a flight attendant with Virgin Atlantic, it was a dream come true. “It was everything I’d ever wanted — I still can’t believe I did it,” she says. “I was sitting in the flight deck landing at Heathrow on my first flight, and

By Lilit Marcus, CNN A Singaporean hawker stall known for offering the world’s least expensive Michelin-starred meal has just lost its designation. Hawker Chan, founded by Chan Hong Meng, became famous for its simple-yet-delicious $2.50 soy sauce chicken noodle dish when it was included in Michelin’s first-ever guide to Singapore in 2016, earning one star.

By Lilit Marcus, CNN Nearly 200 years after it sank into the sea, the galleon Götheborg is retracing its path around the world. Well, sort of. The original Götheborg, a trading vessel that belonged to the Swedish East India Company, sank in 1745. Despite going down in the Göta älv river near Gothenburg harbor, divers

By Lauren M. Johnson, CNN Lake Tahoe ski resorts near the Caldor Fire in Northern California are helping firefighter crews hold off the flames. Heavenly Ski Resort and Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort are using their snowmaking systems to protect the resorts and surrounding areas, according to their Instagram account. “The snow blowers are used because they

Oscar Holland, CNN and Megan C. Hills, CNN An art collector says he paid over $335,000 for a “fake” Banksy, only to have the money returned to him by the alleged scammer. The sale took place after the graffiti artist’s homepage briefly directed users to an online auction offering what appeared to be his first

Arundhati Nath, CNN Solo travel wasn’t considered safe, ideal or trendy for Indian women 25 years ago. Those who traveled alone were often criticized for defying cultural and societal norms — dismissed as adamant, single women who didn’t care about their own safety. But that didn’t deter Dr. Sudha Mahalingam. When she tagged along on

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