Life

By Nicole Mowbray, CNN London (CNN) — When The National Portrait Gallery opened its doors to the public in London on Thursday, it was the first time in three years it has done so. Officially re-opened by its patron, Princess Catherine of Wales, on Tuesday, the flagship gallery — which claims to house “the world’s

By Leah Dolan, CNN (CNN) — The sartorial journey of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen remains a source of endless public curiosity. From the days of matching dungarees on the set of “Full House” (1987-1995) to pioneering the 2010’s revival of bohemian chic through a well-documented combination of bangles, ballet flats and Balenciaga city bags —

By Chris Lau Hong Kong (CNN) — Dubbed “the world’s hardest dish” – literally – a traditional stir-fry featuring stones as its key ingredient has sparked culinary curiosity on Chinese social media. Patrons are supposed to suck on the small rocks to relish the rich and spicy flavor of the dish, which originated in the

Maggie Hiufu Wong Hong Kong (CNN) — David Bellis first visited Hong Kong as a tourist in 1989. He certainly didn’t expect to find himself living there more than three decades later. “I was supposed to be going to Australia on a working holiday with a friend back home – (but he) fell in love

By Gregory Wallace (CNN) — The Federal Aviation Administration is stepping up air traffic control training after a series of close calls have left the flying public and regulatory bodies rattled. The transportation agency will require the thousands of air traffic controllers it employs to attend new monthly training as part of an effort to

By Samantha Tse, CNN Paris (CNN) — Pharrell Williams’ debut as men’s creative director for Louis Vuitton was nothing short of spectacular, heralding a new era for the storied French fashion house. The American polymath, whose appointment was announced in February, closed down the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris on Tuesday, where the show was

By Forrest Brown, CNN (CNN) — Do you yearn for long days and short nights? Then this could be the best day of the year for you and fellow sunlight seekers. The summer solstice is Wednesday, June 21. It’s the longest day and shortest night in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s also the first official day

By Hilary Whiteman, CNN Brisbane, Australia (CNN) — Li Cunxin, who found international fame for his remarkable rise from rural China to become one of the world’s leading ballet dancers, has announced his retirement as the artistic director of Queensland Ballet due to health issues. Now 62, Li is perhaps better known as “Mao’s Last

By Glory Ngwe, CNN (CNN) — Whether it’s the ripped jeans and studs of 1970s punk or the heavy make-up of 1980s new romantics, the visual politics of alternative (‘alt’) fashion have always been proudly divergent from mainstream culture. Aligned with music scenes and subcultures as far back as the 1950s and 60s, from rockabilly

By Marnie Hunter, CNN (CNN) — When RMS Titanic set sail on April 10, 1912, she was the largest passenger ship in service and considered to be “unsinkable.” Just four days later, Titanic’s maiden voyage was transformed into an international tragedy when the ship struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic at 11:40 p.m. April

By Gawon Bae and Kathleen Magramo, CNN Seoul/ Hong Kong (CNN) — A 19-year-old Korean man who tried to open a plane door mid-flight tested positive for drugs following an investigation by the Incheon Airport police. Police told CNN they conducted a simple drug test with the consent of the man after his “abnormal behavior.”

By Sarah Kent (CNN) — When Ingrid Newkirk co-founded People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in 1980, fur was a status symbol. “Everyone aspired to have a fur,” Newkirk recalled. “But that’s all gone now.” PETA has played a significant role in that shift, blending aggressive protest tactics — including throwing red paint

Video by Sofia Couceiro and Teodora Preda, text by Maureen O’Hare, CNN (CNN) — When this year’s all-woman team arrived on Antarctica’s Goudier Island to run the world’s most remote post office, it was shovels they needed rather than stamps. They’d traveled some 8,000 miles from the UK, by plane and boat, and Britain’s Royal

By Martha Alexander, CNN (CNN) — The countdown to this weekend’s Glastonbury Festival is on; the stages are built, headliners are on their way and some 200,000 people are expected to attend. Now a global juggernaut, the festival has changed unrecognizably since the summer solstice of 1971 when the first Glastonbury Fair, as it was

By Harmeet Kaur, CNN (CNN) — Picture Captain America. Maybe you see the blue-eyed, blond-haired man from the comics, or maybe you see Chris Evans, the actor who played him in the movies. But what if one of the most quintessential American superheroes was a bearded, brown-skinned, turban-wearing Sikh? It’s a question Vishavjit Singh has

By Jacqui Palumbo, CNN (CNN) — Thirty years ago, the conceptual artist Gary Simmons arranged eight pairs of gold-plated basketball sneakers in front of the minimal black lines of a police height chart, screenprinted on the walls of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. The shoes were familiar brands — a mix

By José da Silva In keeping with his works suddenly appearing in public spaces, the UK street artist Banksy announced just after midnight on Thursday that his first official exhibition in 14 years will open this weekend in Glasgow, Scotland. The show at the Gallery of Modern Art (Goma) is titled “Cut & Run: 25

By Lilit Marcus, CNN How do you sign if you’re holding an ice ax? Do guides refuse to work with you if you can’t hear? What happens if you can’t see each other signing at night? Those are just some of the issues that American adventurers Scott Lehmann and Shayna Unger have addressed on their

By Jacqui Palumbo, CNN (CNN) — In sun-dappled scenes shot across the German countryside, boys and girls in navy Scout uniforms hike through the woods, pitch tents and lay on the grass under open skies. They wear striped kerchiefs and frayed patches of their national flag. In quiet moments, girls clasp hands and recline against

By Dirk Gerritsen, Bora Lancee and Coen Rigtering (CNN) — Part of the joy of travelling comes from experiencing the unfamiliar – a different climate, culture or cuisine. But when it comes to paying for things abroad, we might feel more comfortable using the currency we are most familiar with, the one we use at

By Rebecca Wallwork, CNN (CNN) — Whether eaten at a white-cloth-covered table, a greasy countertop, or on a stool on the side of a busy street, local food is one of the true joys of travel. After all, memories of exceptional meals with extraordinary backdrops linger long after we get home. But what is it

Harvey Biggs, CNN New York (CNN) — As Qantas counts down to the 2025 launch of its record-breaking passenger flights connecting Sydney to New York and London direct, the airline has revealed what economy class will look like on the ultra long-haul flights. Speculation has been mounting about the design of the cheaper seats, with