At least eight people, including four children, were shot during a July 4 barbecue in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn on Saturday, according to police. As a family celebrated in the front courtyard of a high-rise apartment building near Surf Avenue, an unknown man dressed in all black and wearing a black ski mask approached the fence line along Surf Avenue and fired multiple rounds into the courtyard before fleeing on foot, New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters at a news conference Sunday morning. Police responding to the call at about 10:35 p.m. found eight people with gunshot wounds: four boys ages 6, 7, 12 and 14; two women, ages 21 and 25; and two men, ages 33 and 37, the NYPD said.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/05/us/july-4-shooting-coney-island
Turkish authorities have banned a cruise ship catering to American LGBTQ+ travelers from docking in the country’s ports, citing “moral standards” and “family values,” the CEO of the events company behind the upcoming Mediterranean tour said Thursday. The “Athens to Venice” cruise, which departs from Greece on July 5, was expected to dock in the vibrant Turkish port town of Kuşadası two days later, followed by a trip to Istanbul, according to Atlantis Events, which is organizing the voyage. But in a controversial move, local authorities in Turkey said they have canceled the “event” as the ship – which is expected to host more than 1,000 passengers from the US – was chartered by groups “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/02/europe/turkey-cruise-lgbtq-american-blocked-intl
Many of the people who love Taylor Swift, and there are really so many of them, will love her even more after her wedding on Friday night. It was sweet to see the Swifties out in the New York City heat, hoping for a glimpse, their hearts on their sleeves. For those inside Madison Square Garden for the wedding, by all accounts it was lovely. Chiefs coach Andy Reid on Sunday said Adam Sandler’s job did a “phenomenal job” as officiant of the service, mixing humor and sensitivity. “He said, ‘kiss every chance you have, every day,’” Reid said. “Whether you’re going to bed or going to work or, you know, wherever, go ahead and kiss her.’ And I thought that was, in a simple way, in its simplest form, it really was touching.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/05/entertainment/taylor-swift-wedding-opinions
Outside the aircraft hangar-sized venue, the crowd of Gen Z office workers and teenagers is thickening. Event staff scan QR codes and fasten wristbands. Friends take selfies together as they wait in a queue. As night falls, the doors open and the nearly 5,000 attendees walk in. Inside the venue in India’s commercial hub Mumbai they remove their shoes and sit cross-legged on the floor. The lights dim. In the front row, a young mother rocks her baby on her shoulders, waiting for the music to begin. When it comes, it’s not thumping electro or pop lyrics that boom through the speakers, but centuries-old Hindu devotional songs more commonly heard in a temple or religious procession.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/04/india/india-gen-z-trend-spiritual-bhajan-clubbing-intl-hnk
Ukraine’s capital Kyiv came under a deadly Russian attack early Monday morning, on the eve of a critical NATO summit in Turkey that US President Donald Trump plans to attend. Explosions have been heard across the city center and people remain trapped in damaged multi-story residential buildings, as the combined attack, involving ballistic missiles and drones, continues. At least three people were killed and seven others wounded, as buildings were impacted and fires broke out in several districts of the city, officials said.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/05/europe/kyiv-ballistic-missile-attack-july-6-intl-hnk