After centuries, Bethlehem church to get new roof

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) -- Preparations for a long-needed renovation of the 1,500-year-old Church of the Nativity are moving ahead in Bethlehem, the town of Jesus’ birth, in the face of political and religious conflicts that have kept one of Christendom’s holiest sites in a state of decay for centuries.The first and most urgent part of the renovation, initiated by the Palestinian government in the West Bank, is meant to replace the building’s roof. Ancient wooden beams pose a danger to visitor

Nov. 27, 2011

Arizona museum displays bolo ties, symbol of West

FLAGSTAFF, Arizona (AP) ― The sometimes plain, sometimes heavily decorated bolo neckties are a symbol of the West, worn with everything from blue jeans to tuxedos.Texas links the bolo to the romanticism of the pioneer era and suggests that anyone who wears one refuses to be bound by convention. New Mexico says they reflect the state’s tri-cultural heritage ― a mix of Hispanic, American Indian and Anglo influences.In Arizona, where the bolo tie was declared the official state neckwear in 1971, an

Nov. 27, 2011

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Lyrics shine in Sheeran’s debutEd Sheeran“+”(Atlantic Records)The album that sold more than 58,000 copies in the first week of its release in Britain, becoming the highest-selling and highest-charting debut single of 2011 is finally on sale in Korea. British singer Ed Sheeran is indebted to artists such as Jamie T and Damien Rice, as evidenced by a debut that hops between bullish mockney rap and quavering sentimentality. Surprisingly, there’s also a Justin Bieber-like quality to Sheeran’s appeal

Nov. 25, 2011

Twitter study reveals explosion in Arabic 'tweeting'

The popularity of Twitter has soared in the Arab world over the past year, a study published Thursday revealed, reflecting the key role of the social networking site in the "Arab Spring" revolutions.Online Twitter messages, or tweets, in Arabic rocketed from 99,000 a day in October 2010 to over two

Nov. 25, 2011

‘Uigwe’ historian dies in Paris

Historian Park Byeng-sen, who contributed enormously to the return of Korea’s looted ancient royal texts, Uigwe, died of colorectal cancer in Paris, France, on Tuesday. She was 83.The historian, who studied history at Seoul National University, moved to Paris at age 27. She had heard that the royal books of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), looted by French troops during its 19th century invasion of Korea, were housed at the National Library of France.She started working at the national French ins

Nov. 23, 2011

KTO produces 2012 tourism calendar

A 2012 calendar featuring photos of Korea’s landscape, people and culture will be sent to tourism-related agencies and diplomatic missions for overseas distribution to attract more tourists, the Korea Tourism Organization said.Starting in December, the KTO will send 185,000 calendars printed in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese. The calendar, titled “The Story of Korea,” carries work by four Korean photographers who traveled around the country to capture the depth of Korean traditional cultu

Nov. 23, 2011

Six Korean traditions vie for UNESCO listing

Tightrope walking and martial art Taekkyon are likely to join UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage, Seoul officials said this week, as the U.N. cultural agency begins deliberating on 84 traditions.Delegates of UNESCO are meeting in Bali Nov. 22-29, where they will discuss which local traditions should be protected and nurtured for future generations under the list of practices with world cultural importance.Korea is promoting six of its traditions, which also include the Joseon Dynasty

Nov. 22, 2011

Violinist Chung starts 3rd stage of life’ with Seoul concert

Having lost three of her most precious people, including her mother and eldest sister, during the past five years, violinist Chung Kyung-wha feels she has now stepped into “the third stage” of life. As the first task in this new stage, the world-class musician will hold a solo recital in Korea playing her “beloved” Bach and Brahms. “This feels like a dream,” the 63-year-old said during a press conference in Seoul, Monday. “I’d been given a chance to look back and reorganize my life,” Chung said,

Nov. 21, 2011

Blogging profitable despite recent controversy

Regardless of ethical issues, blogging is not just about time-killing or communication these days. For some, blogs are an easy road to money. Earlier this month, seven “power bloggers” were fined by the Fair Trade Commission for promoting sales of certain products without informing consumers they were receiving commission from companies. The term power blogger was first used by Naver, a major portal site here, which chose and listed 786 of the most popular and interesting blogs. Moon Sung-sil, a

Nov. 21, 2011

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A touch of sentimental Christmas Kim Dong-Ryul“kimdongrYULE”(Loen Entertainment) He’s finally back. After four years of silence -- which felt like forever for his faithful fans -- singer-songwriter Kim Dong-ryul has returned with a Christmas album that feels happy, sad, lonely and fulfilling all at the same time. Skillfully matching his English name with “Yule,” Kim has created his album with songs he wrote as far back as 13 years ago. Title track “Replay,” written in 2000, shows off what fans w

Nov. 18, 2011

Samples of Einstein's brain come to US museum

PHILADELPHIA (AP) _ A medical museum in Philadelphia has some pieces of Albert Einstein's brain on display.Lucy Rorke-Adams donated 46 slides of Einstein's gray matter Thursday to the Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.The 82-year-old doctor neuropatho

Nov. 18, 2011

Korea works to sell its ‘brand’ worldwide

Lee heads presidential panel aimed at lifting nation’s international standing and prestigeThere’s more to South Korea than K-pop and Kim Yu-na, and Lee Bae-yong’s mission in life is to stress that point worldwide.The former academic heads a unique body trying to burnish the image of a country which frets that its economic “hard power” far outweighs its “soft power” in the eyes of the global community.She chairs the Presidential Council on Nation Branding, established in January 2009 and dedicate

Nov. 17, 2011

UNESCO official stresses ‘continuity’ in urban development

Heritage is not the past, but a resource of the future, and so maintaining continuity between the past and the present is important when it comes to urban development, a visiting UNESCO official said Thursday. “Continuity, here, means understanding the past,” Assistance Director-General for Culture of UNESCO Francesco Bandarin told The Korea Herald. “Changes are forced by history … but it is important not to forget that nonphysical values do not change even if the physical appearance changes.” B

Nov. 17, 2011