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☆ Singapore university unveils Asia’s largest timber building
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Sprawling across 43,500 square meters (468,000 square feet), it is now Asia’s largest timber building, by floor area. Some countries now even allow for high-rises (or “plyscrapers”), like Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s 25-story Ascent, which at 284 feet, is the world’s tallest mass timber structure. Advocates for mass timber point to the relatively slow and predictable rate at which the material burns. Many of the purported benefits of mass timber are, however, environmental. If a tree is then turned into mass timber, this embodied carbon is sequestered, or “locked in,” rather than being returned to the atmosphere.

Persons: Lee Kuan Yew, sunlit, Gaia, Toyo Ito, “, ”, ” Ito, Ito, Ho Teck Hua, ’ Organizations: Singapore CNN —, Nanyang Technological University’s, Singapore, CNN, RSP, Nanyang Technological, NTU, Construction Authority, NTU Singapore Locations: Singapore, Singapore CNN — Singapore, ”, Nanyang, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Europe, NTU Singapore, Milwaukee, Asia

☆ Freddie Mercury’s handwritten lyrics suggest he considered ‘Mongolian Rhapsody’ song title
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

(CNN) — Never-before-seen draft lyrics of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” suggest that Freddie Mercury considered giving his mock-opera anthem a somewhat different title: “Mongolian Rhapsody.”The discovery was made following the emergence of a 15-page folio of lyrics, vocal lines and harmonies handwritten by the singer as he composed his 1975 hit. Queen recorded “Bohemian Rhapsody” the next year. Sotheby's auction house said the handwritten lyrics present "untold insights into other possible directions the song could have taken." Queen pictured in 1977, two years after releasing "Bohemian Rhapsody." Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty Images“What is ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ about?

Persons: —, Queen’s, Freddie Mercury, there’s, I’ve, “ Galileo, ”, Belladona ”, Mercury’s, Mary Austin, “, ” —, Brian May, Freddie, Richard E, Aaron, Redferns, Sotheby’s, ” Austin Organizations: CNN, British Midland Airways, Tiffany, Mercury Locations: Sotheby’s, London

☆ Fan Bingbing spotlights Asian designers at Cannes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Making her first appearance at Cannes since 2018, Fan arrived at last Tuesday’s opening event (the premiere of Johnny Depp’s new film “Jeanne du Barry”) wearing a creation by Christopher Bu. Fan Bingbing attends the Red Sea International Film Festival's "Women's Stories Gala" wearing an outfit by South Korean label Miss Sohee. Fan Bingbing in a golden gown by Vietnamese fashion designer Chung Thanh Phong. Her looks at Cannes have not been exclusively by Asian designers. Fan attending the Oscars in March 2023, one of her first public appearances outside China since a tax controversy threatened to derail her career.

Persons: Fan Bingbing, Louis Vuitton, Fan, Johnny Depp’s, Jeanne du Barry ”, Christopher Bu, Sohee, Daniele Venturelli, Miss Sohee, Chung Thanh, Jimmy Choo, Harvey Cenit, Chung Thanh Phong, Arnold Jerocki, FanBingbingCannes, Mikael D, Mikael Derderian, Wes Anderson’s, Tamara Ralph, Ralph, Russo, ”, Emma McIntyre, Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Tony Ward Couture Organizations: CNN, Cannes, South, Palais des, Red Sea, Miss, Sohee, Canadian, Forbes, Global Times, The Berlin, Fashion Locations: China, South Korean, Korean, Weibo, Lebanese, Charleston

☆ Could these Verto air purification towers tackle India’s pollution problem?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Designed by architecture firm Studio Symbiosis, which has offices in India and Germany, the towers contain five air filtration “cubes” stacked inside a geometric shell. Studio Symbiosis said that a construction company in the US has meanwhile ordered around 40 of the towers to tackle dust and fine debris at building sites. Using filters from German firm Mann+Hummel, the Studio Symbiosis architects focused on creating the most efficient shape for the towers, with digital models simulating different wind conditions. “Our core business is architecture — we did not want to get into air purification,” Amit said. Avesh GaurIronically, by using electric fans to suck in air, the towers are contributing — albeit negligibly — to the very emissions they are trying to mitigate.

CNN —Hundreds of jewels once owned by late Austrian billionaire Heidi Horten have fetched a combined 176 million Swiss francs ($196 million) to become the most expensive private jewelry collection ever to appear at auction. Heidi Horten pictured wearing the Briollete of India necklace, which sold for 6.3 million Swiss francs ($7 million). The most valuable lot, a ruby and diamond Cartier ring that is “pigeon blood” in color, fetched just over 13 million Swiss francs ($14.5 million), despite Christie’s expecting bids as high as 18 million Swiss francs ($20 million). A 90-carat “Briolette of India” diamond necklace by jeweler Harry Winston also came in below estimate, selling for 6.3 million Swiss francs ($7 million). courtesy Christie'sElsewhere, however, a Bulgari diamond ring more than doubled its high estimate to fetch 9.1 million Swiss francs ($10.1 million).

☆ Cold, remote and short of women: A portrait of life on the Faroe Islands
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —In her striking images of the Faroe Islands, a remote archipelago between Iceland and her native Norway, photographer Andrea Gjestvang depicts islanders and livelihoods that are as tough and unforgiving as the windswept landscape. Visiting several times annually over the course of six years, Gjestvang trained her lens on the lives and communities of the islands’ unmarried men. Young women, meanwhile, often choose to study or work in Copenhagen (the Faroe Islands are part of the Kingdom of Denmark) or elsewhere in Europe. Gjestvang also captured the rugged geography of the Faroe Islands. “I think this has, of course, affected society, even though I will say that Faroese women are also very strong — they are tough, too.”“Atlantic Cowboy,” published Gost Books, is available now.

Persons: Andrea Gjestvang, I’m, ” Gjestvang, “, Hjalmar, Gjestvang, Young, Aksel V, Johannesen, ”, Firouz Gaini Organizations: CNN, World Bank, University of, Faroe Islands Locations: Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway, Faroe, Kaldbaksbotnur, Copenhagen, Kingdom of Denmark, Europe, United States, Tórshavn

☆ Wolfgang and Helene Beltracchi fooled the art market — and made millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“The forgery was almost incidental,” Wolfgang told Fischer. “They are storytellers, together, which is why they did a lot of research,” Fischer told CNN in a video call. Wolfgang told her that he only produced pictures he considered beautiful, and he believed the owners enjoyed them as much as the art market profited from them. In 2014, Wolfgang told CBS’ “60 Minutes” that in addition to the court-imposed damages, he had settled lawsuits worth $27 million. From her conversations with Wolfgang, Fischer concluded that both of his parents were “severely traumatized” by their experiences during World War II.

Persons: Wolfgang Beltracchi, Heinrich Campendonk —, Steve Martin, Wolfgang, Helene, Heinrich Campendonk, Peter Endig, Max Ernst, Fernand Léger, Kees van Dongen, Derain, Jeannette Fischer, Fischer, ” Wolfgang, “, ”, ’, ” Fischer, Paul Hahn, Hendrick Avercamp, Christie’s, Robin Hood, hadn’t, CNN Fischer, Picasso, —, aren’t, Leonardo da Vinci’s, Salvador Mundi, Andy Warhol, Vincent van Gogh Organizations: CNN, New York Times, Der, Art, CBS, Scheidegger Locations: Halle, Germany, Hitler’s Germany, Switzerland, France, Cologne, ”, Stalingrad

☆ Kate Moss’ rain boots at Glastonbury: A fashion moment to remember
▼ + stars: | 2019-06-26 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Remember when Kate Moss wore wellies (that’s rain boots for those outside the UK) to Glastonbury? As the historic festival once again returns to Worthy Farm, we look back at one of its most memorable fashion moments. Pete Doherty and Kate Moss are seen at the Glastonbury Music Festival 2005. But an even more profound transformation was also taking place – that of the then-struggling Hunter Boot Limited. It has since become a bona fide festival fixture, producing rainwear, outerwear and boots in all manner of colors and styles.

Persons: Kate Moss, Moss, Britain’s, fashion’s, she’d, –, Pete Doherty, MJ Kim, ”, wellies, Hunter, Rita Ora, Rihanna, Cara Delevingne, Alexa Chung, Kate Organizations: CNN, Media, Glastonbury Music, rockstar, Hunter Boot Limited Locations: Glastonbury, Somerset, Chelsea

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