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☆ Khon in Bangkok: Inside Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre, passionate performers keep a masked art form alive
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Karla Cripps | Kocha Olarn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But one of the best places to experience an authentic Khon performance is Bangkok’s Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre. Among the performers tasked with playing that role at Sala Chalermkrung is 34-year-old Thanet Pakwisath, who has been practicing Khon for more than 20 years. “And I believe that other performers here at Sala Chalermkrung would have the same belief.”But like many of his colleagues, he fears for its fate. I want everyone to help – both Thai people and foreigners.”Sala Chalermkrung: A living museumBangkok’s Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theater has its own fascinating back story. But from the late 1970s, visitors to Sala Chalermkrung began to decline.

Persons: Ling ”, Khon, Sala, Apassara, khon, Karla Cripps, Hanuman, “, ”, “ Khon, Hanuman Thanet, Sala Charlermkrung, Mark Phillips, ” Sala, King Prajadhipok, Sala Chalermkrung Organizations: CNN, Bangkok CNN, Suvarnabhumi International, Heritage, Chalermkrung, Khon, Royal, Sala Chalermkrung, Sala Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Khon, Thai, Sala, –, Sala Chalermkrung, Thanet, “, Charoenkrung, Phra Nakhon District

☆ No walk-ins allowed: What to know when touring the world’s best wine regions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Penny Sadler | Erica Lamberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Wine touring in the Old WorldFrance Of France's 11 wine regions, Bordeaux, Burgundy (or Bourgogne) and Champagne are the most eminent. The United States California is renowned for wine tasting, though almost every state in the continental U.S. has a wine region or wine tourism area. Visitors can drive between vineyards, bike the Napa Valley Wine Trail, or book a ride on the vintage Napa Valley Wine Train. Barossa is one of the older wine regions in Australia, with some 200 cellar doors within two hours of Adelaide. South Africa South Africa may be considered a new world wine region, but Constantia, a top destination for wine tasting, is centuries old.

Persons: meunier, Chateau Angelus, Viniv Bordeaux, Georges Gobet, Montagne, Kim Kulish, Margaret River, Wine, Joey Estate, River, Groot Organizations: Michelin, Viniv, Afp, Getty, UNESCO, Heritage, Montagne de Reims, Travelers, United, Wine, Sonoma, Australia Wine, Bloomberg Locations: Europe, United States, Australia, South Africa, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Bourgogne, Vin, Chateau, Saint Emilion, France, Champagne, Italy Tuscany, Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Greve, Alba, Piedmont, United States California, Napa Valley, Napa, Texas, Washington , Oregon, Virginia, New York, Yarra, Victoria, Barossa, Adelaide, Perth, Yarra Valley, Melbourne, South Africa South Africa, Constantia, Groot Constantia, South, Cape Town

☆ Many high schools are curbing the use of AI. These schools are leaning in
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —At Princeton High School, students are trying to combat the rapid decline of indigenous languages with some unlikely help: a furry, wide-eyed stuffed animal named Che’w. He’s a wildly intelligent generative AI robot that speaks Mam, a Mayan language spoken in the western highlands of Guatemala and Mexico and by a small population of the school’s students. At a time when some high schools are restricting the use of AI in the classroom, others, like Princeton High School, are leaning into it. Courtesy SamsungBeyond generative AISome high schools around the country are trying to teach students how to use other forms of artificial intelligence for a greater good. “It doesn’t lose patience or get sick of talking to them,” said Mark Eastburn, Princeton High School’s science, research and engineering teacher.

Persons: Che’w, Joy Barnes, Johnson, ”, ChatGPT, Ed ”, Noel Candelaria, ” Candelaria, Tylo Chacon, Chacon, “ We’ve, It’s, —, Mark Eastburn, “ It’s, ’, Eastburn, they’re Organizations: CNN —, Princeton High School, UNESCO, PHS, ”, STEM School Highlands, Samsung, Los Angeles Unified School District, Seattle Public Schools, National Education Association, CNN, NEA, Stuyvesant High School, University of Colorado, Princeton Locations: Guatemala, Mexico, Colorado, New York City, Washington ,, Boulder, Mam

☆ ‘La Chimera’: Alice Rohrwacher and Isabella Rossellini discuss their intoxicating tale of Italy’s tomb raiders
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —In Alice Rohrwacher’s latest movie, the gently hypnotic “La Chimera,” a rakish Josh O’Connor navigates the Italian countryside with a dowsing rod in hand, searching for ancient treasure. “My job is very close to what an archaeologist does: giving meaning to things that happened in the past.”A still from "La Chimera," which was shot on three types of film stock. To approach “La Chimera” with dense history and sharp facts threatens to tear at its ethereal qualities — a hallmark of Rohrwacher’s filmmaking. Isabella Rossellini as Senora Flora in "La Chimera." “La Chimera” is released in UK cinemas on May 10 and is available to stream in the US.

Persons: Alice Rohrwacher’s, Josh O’Connor, Arthur, –, there’s, O’Connor, “, Rohrwacher, I’ve, ” Rohrwacher, ”, Curzon, tombaroli, O’Connor’s Arthur, he’s, Eurydice, Isabella Rossellini, Flora, Alice, ‘, ’ ”, Rossellini, Roberto Rossellini, Ingrid Bergman, ” “, Josh O'Connor, Virgil, Senora Flora, Ad, Federico, Fellini, Paolo, Pasolini, “ Paisan ”, ” “ Alice, it’s Organizations: CNN, “, Carabinieri, UNESCO Locations: Etruria, Tuscany, New York State, British, Italy, Rome, Open, Italian

☆ I was born and raised in Greece. These are the 11 best luxury resorts in the country that are actually worth the money.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Fani Mari | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

I'm from Athens, Greece, and I travel around the islands all the time staying at luxury resorts. Some of my favorite spots in Crete are Stella Island Resort and ACRO Suites. And if you're looking for luxury, I've found some of the best resorts in the country. One&Only Aesthesis Resort, AthensOne&Only is a global brand, but the chain's first luxury resort in Greece is located in Glyfada, right by the sea. AdvertisementStella Island Resort, Heraklion, CreteStella Island is an adults-only resort that's great for solo women, couples, or honeymooners.

Persons: Sani, —, I've, Mari, Cavo, Fani Mari, Halkidiki Sani, Milos Cove, Milos, Milos —, Aphrodite, Porto, Sven Hansche Organizations: Service, Delta Air Lines, UNESCO, Cavo, Porto Heli Porto Heli, Porto Cheli Locations: Athens, Greece, Crete, Stella, Mystras, Mykonos, Glyfada, Kea, Antiparos, Heraklion, Crete Stella, Maldives, Agia Pelagia, Kiev.Victor, Zakynthos, Peloponnese, UNESCO, Spetses

☆ Japanese store near Mount Fuji issues apology in response to overtourism
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Lawson’s, one of Japan’s largest convenience store chains, has an outpost in the small town of Fujikawaguchiko. Tourists have flooded into Fujikawaguchiko to take one specific picture – a shot of Mount Fuji behind a Lawson’s store, where the mountain’s classic elegance contrasts with the store’s modern neon signage. Although Lawson’s has not encouraged visitors to take pictures of their store, the company nevertheless issued a statement addressing the issue on May 5. Many of them headed to the same destinations, crowding Kyoto’s narrow streets and the walking trails of Mount Fuji. And Lawson’s is not the only Japanese tourist destination that has resorted to putting up signs warning visitors of bad behaviors.

Persons: Fuji –, Lawson’s, Lawson, –, overtourism, Fujikawaguchiko, Semans Organizations: CNN, Fuji, Mount Fuji, ”, Mount, UNESCO Locations: Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi prefecture, –, Japan, Mount, Yamanashi

☆ Watery, Peaceful, Wild: The Call of the Mangroves
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Elisabeth Goodridge | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

It was a sunny afternoon in February at the height of the high season on the Caribbean island of Curaçao, but my partner, Aaren, and I were far from lounging on a white-sand beach, snorkeling over a coral reef or strolling among the Easter-egg-colored buildings of Willemstad, Curaçao’s capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site — typical activities for travelers to this former Dutch colony. Instead, on a kayak tour with Serlon St Jago, a guide from the Curaçao Rif Mangrove Park, we were learning about the country’s mangrove restoration, and the vital role mangrove habitats play in coastal resilience, protection for marine and bird species, and fighting the effects of climate change.

Persons: Serlon St Jago Organizations: UNESCO Locations: Curaçao, lounging, Willemstad, Dutch

☆ Chinese climbers stuck on cliff for more than an hour due to overcrowding
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Lilit Marcus | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Earlier this week, groups of travelers climbing Yandang Mountain in eastern China were stuck partway up a cliff, clinging to a rope along a fixed climbing route, for more than an hour. Someone like me afraid of heights might just wet myself up there!” wrote one Chinese online commenter. Wenzhou Dingcheng Sports Development Co., Ltd, which manages the via ferrata, said it had underestimated the number of people interested in climbing the mountain. Yandang Mountain is about 410 km (255 miles) south of Shanghai, in Zhejiang province, and is 1150 meters (3,773 feet) high. A popular site for holidaymakers in China, Yandang Mountain was submitted for UNESCO World Heritage site designation in 2001 and remains on the tentative list.

Persons: Everest, rungs, ”, I’m Organizations: CNN, Sports Development Co, Labor, UNESCO Locations: China, Wenzhou, Shanghai, Zhejiang province

☆ New Delhi’s Iron Pillar has been exposed to the elements for centuries. So why hasn’t it ever shown signs of rust?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Poonam Binayak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque is part of the UNESCO-listed Qutb Minar complex. Scientists both in India and abroad began studying the iron pillar in Delhi in 1912 to try to figure out why it hadn’t corroded. Stuart Forster/ShutterstockBeyond its metallurgical intrigue, the origin of the Iron Pillar is also veiled in mystery. In the epic poem “Prithviraj Raso,” penned by Chand Bardai, a courtier in the Chahamana dynasty under King Prithviraj Chauhan, the Iron Pillar holds great significance. “Bardai describes the Iron Pillar in Raso as a nail holding the Earth on the hoof of Sheshnag, the serpent king in Hindu mythology,” says Vikramjit.

Persons: Qutb, Anders Blomqvist, Balasubramaniam, Stuart Forster, Gupta, Chandragupta II, Vikramaditya, Vishnu, It’s, Garuda, Vikramjit Singh Rooprai, King Vikramaditya, Siddhanta, ”, Raja Anangpal, Qutbuddin, Prithviraj Raso, Chand Bardai, King Prithviraj Chauhan, “ Bardai, “ Raso, Anangpal, Qutub, Ravi Pratap Singh, Pragya Nagar Organizations: CNN, New Delhi’s UNESCO, UNESCO, Indian Institute of Technology, National Metallurgical Laboratory, Indian Institute of Metals, Varāhamihira, ASI, Survey Locations: Mehrauli, Islam, India, Delhi, Kanpur, Varah, Udayagiri Caves, Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, “, Mihirapuri, Tomar, Raso

☆ World’s longest baguette: French bakers claim record
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Amarachi Orie | Xiaofei Xu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Now, French bakers have taken the record for the longest baguette ever made. The lengthy loaf was made in public on Sunday during the Suresnes Baguette Show at the Terrasse du Fécheray observation deck in France’s suburban western commune of Suresnes, near Paris. A Guinness World Records (GWR) judge was there to approve the record, according to Reuters. French bakers try not to crack the baguette when it comes out of a large rotating oven. The attempt to beat the record for the world’s longest baguette was to give homage to that recognized heritage and culture, according to the Suresnes release.

Persons: CNN —, Joanne Brent, Stephanie Lecocq, Nutella, ” Suresnes, Guillaume Boudy, “, ” Boudy, Dominique Anract, baguettes, ” Organizations: CNN, Guinness World Records, Records, Reuters, GWR, Guinness, French National Confederation, Olympic, bravo, Heritage Locations: Suresnes, Paris

☆ Two Men Are Charged Over the Felling of the Sycamore Gap Tree
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Jenny Gross | More About Jenny Gross | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two men in their 30s were charged on Tuesday in connection with the chopping down last year of the 200-year-old Sycamore Gap tree, which stood in a dip along Hadrian’s Wall in northern England. The beloved sycamore’s mysterious felling, which took place on a stormy September night, led to an outpouring of sorrow, anger and confusion at the senselessness of the act: Why would anyone cut down one of Britain’s most iconic trees? Two men, Daniel Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31, from Cumbria, England, were charged with damaging both the tree and part of Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, according to the local Northumbria Police. Hadrian’s Wall, about 100 miles southeast of Edinburgh and near England’s border with Scotland, was built by the Roman Army after the emperor Hadrian’s visit to Britain in A.D. 122. “We recognize the strength of feeling in the local community and further afield the felling has caused, however we would remind people to avoid speculation, including online, which could impact the ongoing case,” Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Fenney, the senior office on the case, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Persons: Daniel Graham, Adam Carruthers, Hadrian’s, “, Rebecca Fenney Organizations: UNESCO, Heritage, Northumbria Police, Roman Army Locations: England, Cumbria, Northumbria, Edinburgh, England’s, Scotland, Britain

☆ How Berlin's techno scene came to define the post-wall city and earn UNESCO cultural heritage status — with a little help from Detroit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Berlin's techno scene was recently added to the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list in Germany. The impact on Berlin's identity has been so significant that it has now received official recognition, with the city's techno scene recently added to UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list in Germany. Dimitri HegemannWhen Dimitri Hegemann first entered the space that was to become the original site of Tresor, now one of Berlin's most iconic techno clubs, he was silent. A DJ performing during the Rave The Planet techno parade in Berlin, 2023. Lutz Leichsenring, a board member at the Clubcommission, told BI that the recognition was a "milestone for Berlin techno producers, artists, club operators and event organizers."

Persons: —, Dimitri Hegemann, Hegemann, Jeff Mills, Juan Atkins, Christian Ender, Nathan Rennolds Polish, Jennifer Kucza, Sean Gallup, Berliners, Lutz Leichsenring Organizations: UNESCO, Service, Business, BBC, Reuters, Berlin Locations: Germany, Berlin, Tresor, Detroit, New, —

☆ Mount Fuji: Japanese town putting up eight-foot barrier to block tourist photos
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A picturesque Japanese town is putting up a giant mesh barrier to block a popular selfie spot near Mount Fuji. Fujikawaguchiko, at the foot of the Yoshida Trail to Mount Fuji, has become overrun with foreign tourists trying to get the perfect photo of Japan’s most famous mountain. And now the town has had enough and is putting up the mesh barrier to block the view, a local official told CNN. The town of Fujikawaguchiko is in Yamanashi prefecture, to the north of Fuji and about 62 miles (100 kilometers) west of Tokyo. Many of them head straight to Mount Fuji, an icon of Japan and a UNESCO World Heritage site, leaving garbage and causing erosion along the way.

Persons: Philip Fong, “ Overtourism, Masatake Izumi, – Organizations: CNN, Mount, Getty, UNESCO, CNN Travel, Disney Locations: Mount Fuji, Fujikawaguchiko, AFP, Yamanashi prefecture, Fuji, Tokyo, Japan, Yamanashi, Austrian, Halstatt

☆ The extraordinary ancient secret places hidden under Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Lisa Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Less obviously visible but equally impressive are the historical treasures, some more than 12,000 years old, that can be found underground. Unlike the Basilica, this underground chamber was completely forgotten about until less than 15 years ago. Other than locals herding their livestock through the ruins of a garrison city dating to the 6th century, few people went there. Now, the site has given up numerous treasures including rock-cut tombs, an olive processing workshop and a series of underground cisterns. Yeraltı, literally meaning underground, was originally a dungeon in the basement of a fort built by the Byzantines in the 8th century CE.

Persons: James Bond, Theodosius II, Theodosius, Derinkuyu, tufa, émigrés, Han, Rümeli Han, Sarıcazade Ragıp Pasha, Sultan Abdülhamid II’s, Sancaklar, Göbeklitepe, Yeraltı, –, Fatih Sultan Mehmet, Grand Vizier Bahir Mustafa Paşa, dervish Organizations: CNN, Love, UNESCO, Şanlıurfa Archaeology Locations: Turkey, Europe, Asia, Russia, Faith, Istanbul, Constantinople, Fatih, Belgrade Forest, Valens, Dara, Mardin, Nevşehir, Cappadocia, Derinkuyu, Taksim, stairwells, Sancaklar, Büyükçekmece, Mecca, Göbeklitepe, everyone’s, Şanlıurfa, Karaköy, Yeraltı, Ottoman, Grand

☆ A Remote Island Draws Thousands of Turtles Each Year. Could It Attract Tourists?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Ricci Shryock | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Each year, thousands of baby green sea turtles clamber across a beautiful, white-sand paradise that is one of the largest hatching sites of this species in the Atlantic, adorably making their way to the sea. The spectacular hatching events take place between August and December on Poilão Island, a tiny, uninhabited speck off the coast of Guinea-Bissau in West Africa. It is the southernmost island of the 88 that make up the Bijagós archipelago, a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Last year, turtles laid more than 44,000 nests on its 1.4 mile-long beach. “We want to increase the tourists who go to the Bijagós,” he said.

Persons: speck, Alberto Demba Touré, ” Organizations: UNESCO, Atlantic Locations: Poilão, Guinea, Bissau, West Africa

☆ Live Updates: Iran State-Run Media Reports Explosions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | Patrick Kingsley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

The next year, Palestine was granted the lesser status of observer at the United Nations, a level shared by the Holy See. With the war raging in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority asked the United Nations to take up its bid a second time. The Vatican has also recognized Palestinian statehood. But as the death toll has climbed in Gaza, the push for Palestinian statehood has intensified. But some have in recent months suggested that they might recognize a Palestinian state sooner.

Persons: Mahmoud Abbas, Timothy A, Clary, Riyad Mansour, ”, Israel —, Lynsey Addario, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Biden, David Cameron, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, “ Organizations: West Bank, . Security, Palestinian, Security, United Nations, United Nations Palestine, UNESCO, Observers, General, International Court of Justice, Organization for, Chemical Weapons, General Assembly, Agence France, Palestinian Authority, Union, The New York Times Locations: Hebron, West, United, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Palestine, United States, Russia, China, Ramallah, Canada, France, Britain, Spain, Ireland, Malta, Slovenia

☆ La Scala Opera Taps an Italian to Be Its Next Leader
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, one of the world’s most prestigious and storied opera houses, announced Tuesday that its next leader would be Fortunato Ortombina, who is currently general director of Venice’s opera house, Teatro La Fenice. Ortombina will succeed Dominique Meyer, a respected French impresario who has run La Scala since 2020 and who previously led the Vienna State Opera. “A decision has finally been reached,” Mayor Giuseppe Sala of Milan, who is the chairman of the foundation that runs the opera house, said Tuesday after a board meeting. The appointment of Ortombina ended months of speculation and whispers in the opera world. “After three foreign general directors, Stéphane Lissner, Alexander Pereira and Dominique Meyer, an Italian returns to La Scala,” he said in a statement, which noted that the practice of Italian opera singing had recently been added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.

Persons: Fortunato Ortombina, Ortombina, Dominique Meyer, Giuseppe Sala of, Gennaro Sangiuliano, “, Stéphane Lissner, Alexander Pereira, ” Organizations: Scala, Teatro La Fenice, La Scala, Vienna State Opera, ” Locations: Milan, French, Giuseppe Sala of Milan

☆ The beautiful African paradise islands that most tourists don’t know about
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Joe Yogerst | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —A couple of African paradise islands have been on the radar of avid world travelers for some time. Shellfish Bay on the island’s windward side shelters one of East Africa’s most spectacular beaches, a crescent of white sand framed by 100-meter dunes. Bazaruto Island Resort, the island’s top digs, can arrange scuba diving and snorkeling, sailing on traditional dhow boats, guided 4x4 wildlife safaris, sandboarding on the dunes and other outdoor activities. Lamu’s best beaches are on the island’s windward side, around a 30–40-minute walk via Shela village. — and an ancient stone nilometer for measuring the river’s water level — reflect the island’s importance during pharaonic times.

Persons: São Filipe, Denis, Ponta, Ariadne Van Zandbergen, Dar es Organizations: CNN, Ethiopian Airways, oneworld, Getty, UNESCO, Heritage, Cabo Verde Airlines, Overseas, Paris Orly, Animalia Museum, Egypt, Vogue, Reserve, Dar es Salam Locations: Mauritius, Seychelles, Canary, Africa, Madagascar, Addis Ababa, Bazaruto, Mozambique, East, sandboarding, Johannesburg, Vilanculos, Lamu, Kenya, Manda, Malindi, Nairobi, JamboJet, Fogo, Cape Verde, Cabo Verde, West Africa, Pico, Verde’s, Praia, Overseas Territory, Réunion, French Caribbean, L’Hermitage, Saint, Paris, Antananarivo, Elephantine, Egypt, Aswan, Bissagos, Guinea, Bissau, Bubaque, Pemba, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Tanga, Dar, FlightLink

☆ Cambodia says YouTubers are tormenting monkeys for clicks, and it plans to punish them
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

YouTubers are abusing monkeys at the Angkor UNESCO World Heritage Site, authorities said. The group overseeing the archeological site is prepared to take legal action, a spokesperson added. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAuthorities in Cambodia say YouTubers are tormenting monkeys at the Angkor UNESCO World Heritage Site, and that they're prepared to take action against the worst offenders.

Persons: —, they're Organizations: Angkor UNESCO, Heritage, Associated Press, Service, Authorities, YouTube, Business Locations: Cambodia

☆ Is it last orders for London’s nightlife?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

London CNN —It’s Thursday, 11.00 p.m., and on a street in London’s Soho district, there’s a loud clatter. “People haven’t got the money,” she told CNN. “That’s when their bills started coming through, the first heating bills from the winter,” he told CNN. Even before the ravages of the pandemic, the number of London’s nightlife venues was in steady decline. They don’t just go out for the sake of going out now,” she told CNN.

Persons: London CNN —, Lesley Lewis, haven’t, ”, Michael Kill, Grazyna, ” Kill, “, —, that’s, Kill’s, Jeremy Joseph, Freddie Mercury, ” Joseph, Jack Henry, Henry, Lutz Leichsenring, Fabian Sommer, Leichsenring, London’s, Sadiq Khan, Amy Lamé, Lamé, Khan, Lamé “, Charlie Fenemer, It’s, Becky Lam, Lam, ” Chris Lau Organizations: London CNN, Staff, CNN, Time Industries Association, York Minister, London, “, ”, German Commission, UNESCO, United Nations, Office, National Statistics, City Hall, Labour, Shady Locations: London’s Soho, London, Wales, Soho , London, Hoxton, London’s, Berlin, “ Berlin, Hong Kong, Soho, Hong, Beijing

☆ Songkran 2024: Celebrating Thailand’s annual New Year festival
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Karla Cripps | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Bangkok, Thailand CNN —On the surface, Thailand’s annual Songkran festival appears to be just one great big water fight. Pipad Krajaejun, a history lecturer at Bangkok’s Thammasat University, says it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when the water fights became such a key part of the festival. (We’ll share more on the water fights below.) Some towns limit the water fights to one day, so be sure to check ahead if you’re planning to join the battles. Soe Zeya Tun/ReutersAmong the highlights of the festival is the Maha Songkran Parade, which will happen on April 11.

Persons: Thailand CNN —, that’s, ”, Songkran, Boonserm Satraphai, Pipad, “, Soe Zeya Tun, University’s Pipad, Nam, Chalinee Thirasupa, MBK, Lauren DeCicca, John S Lander, it’s, CNN Travel’s Karla Cripps, she’s Organizations: CNN, Thailand CNN, UNESCO, Heritage, Bangkok’s Thammasat University, CNN Travel, ”, Thailand’s Tourism Authority, of, Reuters, Central Department, Thai Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, it’s, Chiang Mai, Thailand's, Khao San, Chiang, Old City, Pipad, Chiangmai, Thailand’s, Ratchadamnoen, Lanna, San

☆ In Kyoto, Five Hotels to Add to Your Travel Wish List
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( John Wogan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Andre Fu, the interior designer behind hotels like the Upper House in Hong Kong and Villa La Coste in Aix-en-Provence, France, has infused his signature aesthetic (extravagantly refined, with warm woods and luxurious textures) within the confines of a particularly historic area of Kyoto. The 161-room Mitsui, opened in late 2020, sits across from Nijo Castle, an enormous 17th-century compound and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s in stark contrast to the hotel, whose only timeworn element is an imposing entrance gate — a traditional wood structure over 300 years old and a remnant of the days when the Mitsui family lived on the grounds. Once past the gate, you’ll find a glass-and-steel building, designed by the Japanese architect Akira Kuryu, and landscaping that’s meant to echo the original garden pathways of the Mitsui residence, planted with cherry trees and steppingstones that meander above a glassy pond. Rooms from about $1,360 a night.

Persons: Andre Fu, Villa, Mitsui, Akira Kuryu, Tetsuya Asano Organizations: Villa La Coste, Mitsui, UNESCO, Ritz Paris Locations: Hong Kong, Aix, Provence, France, Kyoto, Nijo

☆ Horizontal Falls: Why tourists are being banned from riding boats through this Australian natural wonder
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Ronan O Connell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

For decades, tours have pierced these gaps on powerful boats, much to the dismay of the area’s Indigenous Traditional Owners, who say the site is sacred. Talbot Bay’s main boat tour operator, Horizontal Falls Seaplane Adventures, will cease traversing the falls in March 2028, with all other operators to stop by the end of 2026. Jeff Mauritzen/Design Pics Editorial/Getty ImagesThe Horizontal Falls ban aims to restore the sanctity of this site. In preparation for the Horizontal Falls ban, the Dambeemangaddee stated they have begun creating new videos and brochures that will explain their culture and spiritual connection to Talbot Bay. “By traversing the falls, visitors experience the awesome nature of this unique environment,” Hall said in a statement earlier this month.

Persons: It’s, Jeff Mauritzen, it’s, Talbot Bay’s, David Attenborough, ”, Reece Whitby, Evan Hall, ” Hall, “, Sally Shaw, ” Shaw Organizations: CNN, Owners, Western, WA Tourism Council, Traditional Owners, WA Government, Western Australian, WA, UNESCO, Tourism Council, National Parks, Kimberley Day Locations: Talbot, Western Australia, Talbot Bay, WA, Kimberley Region, Perth, British, Australia, Kimberley

☆ Garisenda Tower: Italy races to stop leaning tower from collapsing
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The 48-meter (158 feet) Garisenda tower was built in the 12th century, during a boom period of the northern city’s history, but two centuries later it had already begun to tilt. Today, it leans at an angle of four degrees, just a little more than the Pisa tower’s current 3.9-degree slant. A rendering showing how the equipment from the Tower of Pisa will be used on the Garisenda tower. Michele Lapini/Getty ImagesWhile less well known than its counterpart at Pisa, the Torre Garisenda has long been a tourist attraction in Bologna. Today the bell tower is a stable monument mainly thanks to those steel pylons which will hopefully give the Garisenda tower a second life.

Persons: CNN — It’s, Matteo Lepore, ” Lepore, Lepori, Michele Lapini, Torre Garisenda, Dante Aligher’s, Asinelli Organizations: CNN, Torre, Pisa tower’s, Bologna Bologna’s, “, UNESCO Locations: Bologna, Pisa, Garisenda

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Members of a transitional presidential council who will be responsible for selecting a new prime minister issued their first official statement on Wednesday, pledging to restore “public and democratic order” in Haiti. Photos You Should See View All 60 ImagesIn recent days, the violence has been largely focused on downtown Port-au-Prince. Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who remains locked out of Haiti, has said he would resign once the council is formally established. It is imperative that the entire nation comes together to overcome this crisis for the well-being of all and a future better for our country,” the council members said. Smith recently replaced former nominee, Dominique Dupuy, a UNESCO ambassador, who announced Sunday that she was resigning following political attacks and death threats.

Persons: “, ”, Ariel Henry, Fritz Alphonse Jean, Leslie Voltaire, Fanmi Lavalas, Louis Gérald Gilles, Henry, Laurent Saint, Cyr, Edgard Leblanc Fils, Emmanuel Vertilaire, Augustin Smith, Frinel Joseph, Smith, Dominique Dupuy Organizations: PORT, —, Montana Accord, EDE, UNESCO Locations: Haiti, Port

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