Life

By Joe Yogerst, CNN (CNN) — It may seem like an awful long time since the Founding Fathers took steps toward creating the United States by signing their names to the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. And 250 years of nationhood is definitely something to celebrate. Yet the history of the land —

By Lilit Marcus, CNN (CNN) — This week in travel news: tourists are coping with extreme heat, one of the world’s most popular vacation destinations is tripling its tourist tax, and a gold bar is up for grabs in Finland. Japan has broken its tourism record every year since the pandemic. As more and more

By Leah Dolan, CNN Paris (CNN) — Fashion designer Willy Chavaria ranks well against all the typical measures of success within the fashion industry: he has a dedicated celebrity client roster, hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, partnerships with global stockists and he’s launched collaborations with mainstream brands like Adidas, Zara and just teased another

By Rachel Tashjian, CNN Recently, it seems one thing — or pair of things, with ten digits — has occupied the minds of fashion designers more than anything else: our feet. This week, at the men’s Summer 2027 Saint Laurent show in Paris, creative director Anthony Vaccarello showed a collection of quiet perversity disrupted by

By Joe Yogerst, CNN (CNN) — Fireworks, hotdogs and summer blockbuster movies are Independence Day staples. But this year brings a flurry of unique and alternative events where Americans can come together, put aside our differences, and celebrate 250 years of nationhood. From coast to coast, the long July 4th weekend will still offer spectacular

By Julia Buckley, CNN (CNN) — For the past 30 years, Ade Andrews has learned the secret of time travel: stepping into Sherwood Forest and finding himself in the Middle Ages. The mythical home of Robin Hood hit the headlines last week with the death of the Major Oak — a 1,000-year-old tree in the

By Chelsey Sanchez It’s never easy for pop stars to introduce their next era. If they cling too closely to what has been done in the past, critics may grumble over a lack of innovation. If they veer too far from what fans know and expect, they risk losing the base that gave them a

By Scarlett Conlon, CNN Milan, Italy (CNN) — At the recent Milan Men’s Fashion Week, dainty little details were everywhere — reminding us that styling is how you really have fun with fashion. The riot of small-scale design flourishes seen across the Spring-Summer 2027 shows — from pins and corsages to feather boas and arm

By CNN Travel staff (CNN) — Scorching hot temperatures have been breaking records and wreaking havoc across some of the world’s most popular tourism destinations. Is it time to rethink travel plans? Are refunds available? Are there ways to cope? Here are some answers to many of the key questions travelers may be asking when

CNN By CNN Travel staff (CNN) — Scorching hot temperatures have been breaking records and wreaking havoc across some of the world’s most popular tourism destinations. Is it time to rethink travel plans? Are refunds available? Are there ways to cope? Here are some answers to many of the key questions travelers may be asking

By Gyeongmin Kim, CNN Seoul, South Korea (CNN) — Seoul’s Hongdae neighborhood is famous for its forest of cafés. On any given day, the aroma of roasted coffee beans fills the air, with many of the shopfronts fronted by tall-as-trees banners bearing the image of a glamorous-looking person. Take three steps, and you’ll see a

By Vivian Song, CNN (CNN) — France is currently experiencing a mini cheese revolution. And it’s been causing a small ruckus in the refrigerated cheese aisles of major grocery stores. The cheese in question, cancoillotte, is hardly new. In fact, it’s believed that the soft, gooey cheese that comes packaged in pots, can be traced

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN (CNN) — In our roundup of travel news and features this week, the real-life filming locations for “The Godfather” and “The White Lotus,” audacious underground mega tunnels in Europe, plus a big overhaul on the way for US air traffic control. An offer they couldn’t refuse When the cast and crew

By Jake McGowan, CNN Toulouse, France (CNN) — For nearly a century, commercial airlines have chased one of aviation’s ultimate goals: connecting Sydney to the opposite side of the planet in a single, uninterrupted flight. Now, Qantas is on the verge of making that a reality as it moves its highly anticipated Project Sunrise into

By Francesca Street, CNN Côte d’Azur, France (CNN) — Kat Jamieson slid open the doors to her poolside hotel room in Saint-Tropez and was greeted with an unexpected sight: cameras and a film crew surrounding actor Laura Dern, who was holding court in front of the rippling blue water. “She was wearing this fabulous Missoni

By Sheena McKenzie, CNN (CNN) — In the British social calendar, no event quite matches the prestige, pageantry and formal dress protocols of Royal Ascot. Members of the monarchy wave from carriages, aristocrats don faintly cartoonish top hats and extravagant millinery threatens to obscure the view at every turn. There’s also horse racing. Across five

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN Istanbul (CNN) — Not all ice-creams are created equal. American-style is rich in cream and light in texture. Italian gelato is churned slower and served warmer. Indian kulfi is thick and never whipped. And in Turkey, Maraş dondurma is stretchy like taffy and almost melt-proof. Its resilience is thanks to an

By Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN (CNN) — Michelle Obama has long demonstrated a knack for conveying messages through her clothing, and her outfit on Tuesday poignantly exemplified her mastery of this skill. For an appearance on stage at the new Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, the former first lady wore a pencil skirt adorned with

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN London (CNN) — The results of the world’s largest wine awards have been announced, and there are plenty of surprises among the countries and regions that have triumphed. “There’s never been a better time to be a wine drinker,” said Pierre Mansour, a judge and regional chair of the Decanter World

By Oscar Holland, CNN Whether found in a respected museum or a billionaire’s mansion, it is likely that any given Khmer sculpture in the West was, at some point, ripped from an ancient temple complex and trafficked out of Cambodia. There is also a reasonable chance it passed through the hands of a British man

By Maggie Hiufu Wong, CNN What’s the first thing that comes to mind when your health-conscious partner leaves town for a business trip? For me, it means cancelling dinner plans and “foraging” in the kitchen for a few key ingredients: American cheese, thick slices of Spam and a handful of frozen dumplings — all destined

By Jeanne Bonner, CNN (CNN) — The winners of the James Beard Awards — often called “the Oscars of the food world” — were announced Monday, with the award for Best New Restaurant going to Lei, a winebar in New York’s Chinatown. Michael Tusk of Quince in San Francisco was named Outstanding Chef at the

By Bianca Betancourt, CNN. Photographs by David Dee Delgado for CNN. (CNN) — For a mile-long stretch of Bushwick, Brooklyn, a sea of red, white and blue floods the streets. One corner boasts a DIY speaker setup blasting old-school reggaeton courtesy of Tego Calderón and Plan B, another plays throwback salsa from Héctor Lavoe and

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN (CNN) — In our roundup of travel news this week: the world’s “best city for food,” why an Italian beach has banned umbrellas, plus a rise in airline passengers disregarding crew instructions. Don’t grab bags, don’t stop to film People, we really shouldn’t have to be told this again. A new

By Stephy Chung, CNN (CNN) — Susan Mah knew exactly what she wanted for her version of a “little black dress.” It was the late 1940s in California, and after years of commissioning some of the finest tailors back home in Shanghai and Hong Kong, she had learned a thing or two about making clothes

By Lianne Kolirin, CNN (CNN) — A painting by the Belgian artist René Magritte has been damaged by a 5-year-old boy wielding a pine cone. Conservators at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem are currently restoring the “Castle of the Pyrenees” after the child caused what the museum described as “minor damage” to it in a

By Oscar Holland, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump’s extravagant $400-million White House ballroom and proposed triumphal arch were always going to attract the most attention. That is somewhat the point. But this week in Tennessee, more than 500 miles away from Washington, DC, officials quietly unveiled a far more revealing illustration of the US

By Pavlo Fedykovych, CNN (CNN) — On the outskirts of Vịnh Mốc, bamboo trees sway in the wind above a line of streetfood shacks. Red plastic chairs on the sidewalk serve as the dining hall, while patrons prepare grilled rice and noodle dishes. It’s a typical Vietnamese sight — as are the Coca-Cola fridges for

By Oscar Holland, CNN and Nick Glass (CNN) — British painter David Hockney, whose vibrant portraits and sun-drenched depictions of the everyday made him one of contemporary art’s most beloved figures, has died at 88. The artist died “peacefully at home” on Thursday, one month short of his 89th birthday, according to a statement provided

By Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Rome (CNN) — Authorities managing one of Sardinia’s most popular beaches have banned umbrellas for people between the ages of 10 and 65, citing safety concerns in the event of an emergency. Sun protection and skin cancer prevention is a priority in most places in the world, yet for those

By Terry Ward, CNN (CNN) — Within six months of arriving in New Zealand on a working holiday visa 10 years ago, Erin Klatt knew she wanted to make the country her home for good. Klatt was looking for “somewhere different to be” for a variety of personal and political reasons when she left the

By Lianne Kolirin, CNN (CNN) — Ryanair, Europe’s biggest airline, is under investigation by the UK’s competition watchdog over charges it imposes on families with young children to sit together. Paying for a specific seat is optional on Ryanair flights, according to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), unless travelling with a child aged between

By Amarachi Orie, CNN (CNN) — If you’re eager to escape to an idyllic landscape that produces its own exclusive wine and is surrounded by tranquil waters — and you’ve got $28 million lying around — look no further than the Venice lagoon. Toward the north end of the UNESCO World Heritage site lies a

By Sam Peters, CNN London (CNN) — Private letters from the late Princess Diana to actor Terence Stamp, who died last year, are going on sale, revealing the depth of their friendship and touching on topics such as royal duties, mental health and their social lives. Written between July and December 1991, the correspondence details

By Miki Lendon, CNN Sitting atop a rocky outcrop on Japan’s Izu Peninsula, the pool at Kuroneiwa-buro is so close to the Pacific that the waves are only just out of reach as they crash onto the boulders nearby. The hot spring is in the tiny fishing harbor community of Hokkawa Onsen. It’s the kind

By Bianca Betancourt, CNN (CNN) — What is New York style? For actor and native New Yorker Teyana Taylor it doesn’t stem from any specific piece of clothing or brand. Instead, it’s an almost impossible-to-define emanation that translates through a look. It’s about one’s energy, more so than the outfit. New Yorkers “have an aura

By Avni Trivedi, CNN (CNN) — When scoping out a travel itinerary, it all comes down to what a city offers. Some visitors designate an entire day to exploring a historical site or hiking up a mountain to a stunning overlook. But others have their eyes set on one thing: menus. Exploring a city through

By Pau Mosquera, CNN; Photographs by Maria Contreras Coll for CNN Barcelona, Spain (CNN) — It’s inevitable — everyone looks up. When visitors arrive at Barcelona’s Sagrada Família, their eyes instinctively follow the surreal twisting lines of the basilica’s sculptural towers until they reach the tip of each spire. Their gazes now extend higher than

By Sheena McKenzie, CNN (CNN) — It’s the kind of celebrity snap you might scroll past on your phone several times a day – a soccer star and his pop singer girlfriend hand-in-hand on an evening out. There’s a sense of summer ease; both are tanned, dressed in casual black tops and trousers, sandals on.

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN (CNN) — In our round-up of travel stories this week: a miraculous story of survival high on Everest, how to not be a cliché in Paris, plus the people who decide when and where your next flight will be going. Airline service Every time you board a flight, the plane you

By Mustafa Qadri, CNN (CNN) — Barcelona’s Sagrada Família is nearing completion after 144 years. Now, Lego is inviting fans to recreate the iconic church brick by brick — albeit on a much smaller scale. Adding to its collection of miniature landmarks around the world — from New York City’s skyline and landmarks to the

Video by Leroy Ah-Ben and Edward Scott-Clarke, text by Avni Trivedi (CNN) — In the internet’s latest viral moment, an Istanbul street food vendor is pulling crowds from across the world, just to snap a selfie with him. Alper Temel, a chestnut and corn seller, has been working at his family’s street food stall in

By Helen Regan, CNN (CNN) — A Sherpa climbing guide who was believed to have died high on Mount Everest was found crawling back to Base Camp after spending almost a week on the mountain with no food or bottled oxygen. For six days, there had been no radio contact or sign of Hillary Dawa

By Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Chicago (CNN) — At the top of the Obama Presidential Center, in its sunlit Sky Room is where you’re meant to take it all in. The panoramic views are impressive: Surrounding the campus is Chicago’s South and West Sides, as well as the ultramarine of Lake Michigan. But, more than that,

By Jack Guy, CNN (CNN) — An art museum in France has filed a legal complaint after a banana that makes up part of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s controversial artwork “Comedian” was stolen. The theft was reported by a security guard at the Centre Pompidou-Metz in the city of Metz, eastern France, on Saturday, according

By Sheena McKenzie, CNN (CNN) — The world’s most famous blonde bombshell, perched on playground equipment, absorbed in a book. The studio make-up and lighting is gone; as are her shoes. It’s 1955 and a summery glow radiates from her exposed limbs. The photo is playful — she wears a multi-colored romper in a children’s

By Wayne Chang, CNN Keelung, Taiwan (CNN) — You can now fall asleep on a ferry in Taiwan and wake up in Japan. On the surface, the Yaima Maru offers a perfect slow-travel escape — a passenger ferry equipped with saunas, karaoke rooms and a top-deck cafe. Launched in Taiwan last month to the sound

By Mustafa Qadri, CNN (CNN) — More commonly known as the home of Santa Claus and for its landscapes reminiscent of the magical world of Narnia, Lapland in Finland is inviting tourists to swap reindeer rides for a summer-long hunt for hidden gold. Participants will explore the trails and landmarks of Levi, a resort in

By Bianca Betancourt, CNN (CNN) — There’s a somber scene in a new documentary about Patrick Kelly, where executive producers Jess Manning and Ray Cornelius are at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center, about to dive into research about the late fashion designer. To their surprise, there are only seven small boxes, containing photos,

By Leah Dolan, CNN (CNN) — This is Dua Lipa’s week. Not only because she is our Look of the Week, but because the next seven days — if a swirl of reports are to be believed — will be bookended by her nuptials. On Sunday, just as north London was being flare-painted red at

By Avni Trivedi, CNN (CNN) — Ever wished for a love-at-first-sight moment at an airport, like Sam and Annie in “Sleepless in Seattle”? For anyone young enough to have only travelled after Sept. 11, 2001, walking your loved one all the way to their gate is something you only see in old movies, or reruns

By Mustafa Qadri, CNN (CNN) — Hel is a real place, and beachgoers can once again board a controversial bus numbered “666” to reach the popular Polish seaside resort. Three years after the original designation was scrapped following complaints from religious groups, coach operator Flixbus has announced it will revive the notorious number for its

By Melanie Swan, CNN (CNN) — Traffic is building in Dubai again, restaurant tables are filling up and flights have largely resumed. On the surface, life in the Gulf’s tourism powerhouse looks close to normal. Beneath it, the city is facing a harder reality — although infrastructure is up and running, confidence hasn’t followed. And

By Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN (CNN) — Living within walking distance of the mountains of Bavaria, Molly Williams never misses an opportunity to go hiking. She has hiked all over the Alpine landscapes around her home in southern Germany, in the pretty town of Allgäu near Munich, as well as the trails of the Dolomite mountains,

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN (CNN) — In our roundup of travel stories this week: what it’s like inside Air New Zealand’s new bunk beds, why cruise ships are adding a phantom destination to their itinerary, plus the dark fascist secret that lies under one of Europe’s biggest train stations. Tragic legacy It’s a little over

By Leah Dolan, CNN London (CNN) — It took four men to heave the 200-pound painting on the wall. Once mounted, the voluptuous nude body stands tall like a mountain against the pale wash of Sotheby’s London gallery. There are five or six people in the room, including the hangers and the auction house press

By Sam Peters, CNN (CNN) — Pictures of a napping polar bear, the remnants of a rain shower in the Namib desert and a bustling dumpling stall in Seoul are among this year’s winners of the National Geographic Traveller (UK) Photography Competition, capturing both extraordinary moments and daily life around the world. Returning for its

By Jacqui Palumbo, CNN New York (CNN) — In New York’s Hudson Valley, the artist Anicka Yi has erected columns bursting with mercurial microbial life, in hues of acid green and coffee, arranged like an archaeological dig at Storm King Art Center. Some 60 miles away, on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, two of her jellyfish-like

By Lilit Marcus, CNN Canberra, Australia (CNN) — Canberra began life on the back foot. Unlike Australia’s other major cities, it’s not on the ocean. It isn’t rich from opal mining. It doesn’t have an opera house. Australia’s capital city was designed to settle an argument. According to the Australian Constitution, enacted in 1901, the

By Bianca Betancourt, CNN (CNN) — Mayor Zohran Mamdani, like many politicians, often leans on the ease of uniform dressing. Since being elected as one of New York City’s youngest (and first Muslim, first South Asian) mayor late last year, the city official has become synonymous with sleek but simple suiting — mainly sporting affordable

By Jen Rose Smith, CNN (CNN) — For travelers stepping into their first Parisian pâtisserie, a few of the treats on offer might already be familiar — some famous French pastries have long since entered the world’s collective culinary lexicon. “Everyone knows macarons, croissants and pains au chocolat,” said Gale Gand, an American pastry chef

Shuai Zhang and Chris Lau, CNN Hong Kong (CNN) — Amid the constant hustle to be recognized as one of the world’s best airports, Hong Kong International has quietly opened up an expansion. It’s a small but key first step in the airport’s plan to become a bigger global aviation hub. Hong Kong International (HKG)

By Lianne Kolirin, CNN (CNN) — A medieval manuscript featuring an early version of the tales of King Arthur and Merlin, which has been in private hands for about 700 years, is going under the hammer in a rare sale this summer. Expected to fetch up to $2.7 million, the illuminated manuscript, which dates from

By Oscar Holland, CNN (CNN) — When photographer Greg Brennan spotted Kate Moss in a fur coat at the bottom of a fire exit, cigarette in hand, he knew he’d stumbled across something special. The year was 2007, and what he didn’t realize is that one of the resulting photos — not even his favorite

By Jack Guy, Antonia Mortensen and Juan Pablo O’Connell, CNN (CNN) — A five-star hotel in Italy that repeatedly refused to serve a guest tap water at its restaurant did not break any laws, the country’s top court has ruled. The woman filed a lawsuit after hotel staff said they would only serve her bottled

By Joe Yogerst, CNN (CNN) — Route 66 is just one of the highways that features in “On The Road,” the Jack Kerouac book that introduced so many people to white-line wanderlust. More than anything written about the iconic highway, it’s a quote from that book that personifies the almost mystical allure of America’s most

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN Istanbul, Turkey (CNN) — If you dreamed of holding one of history’s most seismic New Year parties, one capable of ripping through six centuries of time and uniting the chronology of a whole country at the stroke of midnight, you’d choose a ballroom like this. When the Champagne popped in this

By Ben Jones, CNN (CNN) — Europe wants to lure more people away from short-haul airlines and onto high-speed trains between its major cities. And as more and more travelers discover the joys of long-distance rail, there’s everything to play for. But there’s one big problem: geography. Europe is a continent with mountain ranges slicing

By Jessie Yeung, CNN (CNN) — When Icelandic Chinese musician Laufey dropped her latest music video last month, starring a cast of mixed white and Asian celebrities, the internet went wild. “Laufey collecting wasians like pokemon,” read one social media comment, using a portmanteau to describe people of mixed white and Asian descent. “WASIAN AVENGERS,”

By Issy Ronald, CNN (CNN) — The light fades as divers disappear farther into a cave system, until the greenish hue from their flashlight is all that’s visible, bouncing off walls, picking out creatures humans might never have seen before, and illuminating a world otherwise confined to total darkness. These caverns can extend for hundreds

By Sam Peters, CNN (CNN) — An EasyJet flight bound for London was forced to divert to Rome after a passenger told crew they had left a device charging from a power bank in their hold luggage, the airline told CNN. Flight EZY2618 departed from Hurghada, a popular Egyptian tourist destination on the Red Sea,

By Leah Asmelash, CNN (CNN) — Diana Beasley knew she wanted to spend her 12th birthday at Atlanta’s High Museum of Art, surrounded by the paintings of Amy Sherald. She dressed up for the occasion, wearing a sparkly pink crown reading “BIRTHDAY GIRL” over her neat braids. Diana learned about Sherald in school, she said,

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN (CNN) — In our roundup of travel stories this week, America’s most underrated destinations, the world’s most dangerous bowl of soup, plus how two US families’ lives changed when they relocated from the States to Italy, Ireland and Germany. Families who moved from the US to Europe The Galella family had

By Leah Dolan, CNN (CNN) — Vibeke Tandberg met her husband at the bar. And the next one. And the husband after that. In fact, she met all 11 of her husbands at a bar in Bergen, Norway. She became a bride in the summer of 1993, with a puff-sleeved gown trimmed in lace in

By Bianca Betancourt, CNN (CNN) — In Boots Riley’s “I Love Boosters,” color serves as its own character, fueling the full-throttle chaos of his latest eccentric comedy about a group of girlfriends who steal and resell (or “boost”) clothes to make ends meet. Starring Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige – who play Corvette, Sade

By Sam Peters, CNN. Photographs by Toby Hancock, CNN. (CNN) — Ask Gerry del Guercio and Paul Delany what they thought of New York’s pizza and the response is emphatic: “Underwhelmed.” While New York’s slices may have a global reputation as some of the world’s best, they pale in comparison to what’s on offer in

By Oscar Holland, CNN (CNN) — What better way to honor one of fashion history’s most famously spontaneous moments than with an elaborate custom gown that took 130 artisans a combined 22,160 hours to produce? If only irony always looked this glamorous. At Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, supermodel Bella Hadid attended the premiere of

By Jeanne Bonner, CNN (CNN) — A crescent-shaped beach in Hawaii that’s immersed in greenery and facing an island just offshore is the best beach in the US. So says coastal scientist Stephen P. Leatherman, better known as “Dr. Beach.” Poipu Beach on the island of Kauai tops the list for 2026, which he compiles

By Scottie Andrew, CNN (CNN) — Everlane, a company that promised shoppers affordable and ethically defensible clothing, may be over as customers have known it. Shoppers have been rattled by reports that Everlane, the former direct-sales retailer that promised sustainably made clothes, is being purchased by fast-fashion giant Shein. The $100 million deal was made

By Lilit Marcus, Erica Hwang, CNN Busan, South Korea (CNN) — In a 1991 episode of “The Simpsons,” Homer goes to a Japanese restaurant and eats fugu, or poisonous pufferfish. He becomes convinced that he’s going to die, so he crosses off as many of the items on his bucket list as possible. There’s one