LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Never content to be just another Hollywood hunk, Brad Pitt these days is not just one of America’s most bankable film stars but also a sought-after and influential movie producer.Pitt and his life partner Angelina Jolie are Hollywood’s gilded first couple, a fixture on the Big Screen and on the awards’ show red carpet circuit.The actor, 48, starred in the critically acclaimed “Moneyball” which has earned him a best actor Oscar nomination at this year’s awards, as well as in t

Chung Un-chan, a former prime minister who now heads the Commission on Shared Growth for Large and Small Companies, will be appointed the first honorary mayor of the Jeju Global Education City (JGEC), the Jeju Free International City Development Center said Monday. Chung will oversee the special district that is set to play host to world-renowned international schools, as it aims to become the educational hub of Northeast Asia. According to the JDC, Chung’s appointment came as Jeju Gov. Woo Keun

(MCT)New research suggests that consuming between 2,100 and 6,000 calories per day may double the risk of memory loss, or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), among people age 70 and older. The study was released today and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in N

If chocolate’s the thing for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day, why give plain old candy when you can give a chocolate plant (Theobroma cacao)? Handmade chocolate is being arranged in preparation for Valentine's Day. (Yonhap)THE CHALLENGE OF CHOCOLATEGrowing chocolate from seed is difficult. Fres

STOCKHOLM ― South Korea’s Culture Minister Choe Kwang-shik on Saturday promoted the country’s traditional culture at the opening ceremony of a Korean antiquities exhibition room at a museum here.The Korean room in Sweden’s Museum of East Asia in Stockholm displays 160 of 350 Korean artifacts owned by the museum, most of which are ceramics. “The Korean room is our project to promote relations between the two countries further following the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties

Goethe Institut stresses dialogue, collaboration between Korean and German cultureThis is the second of the series introducing cultural centers of different countries in Seoul. ― Ed.With Korean cultural centers slowly expanding their presence in countries around the world, the Goethe Institut in Seoul says it is important to respect artists’ creativity, rather than using their production as means of building the nation’s image.“It is important in the cultural sphere to respect culture, cultural

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Pop legend Whitney Houston, who was found dead Saturday, was the vocal star of a generation whose soaring voice broke records and inspired millions of fans before substance abuse sent her on a downward spiral.“She was a legend. These people don’t come around often,” British television host and producer Simon Cowell, of American Idol and Britain’s Got Talent fame, told CNN television. “No one could sell a song like Whitney.”She was a trailblazers who proved that a female artis

Cause of death unknown, authorities say no obvious criminal intentLOS ANGELES (AP) ― Whitney Houston, who ruled as pop music’s queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, died Saturday. She was 48.Beverly Hills police Lt. Mark Rosen told reporters outside the Beverly Hilton that Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. in her room on the fourth floor of the hotel. Her body remained there and Beverly Hi

BUCHAREST, Romania ― On Sunday morning in Bucharest, I knew just what I wanted to do: I wanted to go to church. I also wanted to go down to the Old City, visit a few museums and buy a warm pretzel from a sidewalk stand. But mostly I wanted to go to church.Bucharest is studded with nearly 300 exquisite churches, some dating to the 1500s. During Communist times, Nicolae Ceausescu tore some of them down, and he hid others inside mammoth apartment blocks, but Romania has always been a religious coun