JOHANNESBURG (AFP) ― South Africa’s presidency said Sunday that Nelson Mandela was still critically ill in hospital but improving slightly, declining to comment on a report the anti-apartheid hero had undergone an operation.The former statesman underwent a “surgical procedure to unblock a dialysis tube” on Friday just before marking his seventh week at a Pretoria health facility, according to U.S. news network CBS.The operation was “minor,” the network reported.But presidential spokesman Mac Mah

The California Tourism Office is promoting a variety of summer adventures and activities in 12 different areas of the Golden State. Beer lovers can go to any region of the state and taste different local beers in 200 different breweries and bars with the Beer Tour (www.californiacraftbeer.com). A range of organized events await travelers at the America’s Cup Pavilion in San Francisco, including the America’s Cup Yacht Competition and various concerts and performances (www.americascup.com). If yo

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced plans to open a Hyatt Place hotel in Seoul by 2016. The hotel will be the first Hyatt Place branch in the Northeast Asian market. The hotel will join three existing Hyatt-branded hotels in Seoul: Park Hyatt Seoul, Grand Hyatt Seoul, and Hyatt Regency Incheon. The new Hyatt Place will be in the Dongdaemun area, a famous shopping district and tourist destination, where it will cater to the increasing demand in business and leisure travel by offering 204 guest

PARIS (AP) ― What does an American expect from Paris? What’s the best way of making an Italian feel welcome?Paris’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its Regional Tourism Council have teamed up to produce a guide for hotel owners, restaurateurs and shopkeepers in the hopes that it will help shake off the city’s reputation for snobbishness.Here are some excerpts from “Do You Speak Touriste?’’ ― a guide to the cultural habits of some of Paris’ most frequent visitors:Americans: spend the largest

BEIJING (AFP) ― How to properly peel an orange, hold an oyster fork, and pronounce luxury brand names ― wealthy Chinese are paying handsome sums to learn such skills as they seek to match their high-end lifestyles with high-class etiquette.A two-week course at the newly opened Institute Sarita in Beijing costs 100,000 yuan ($16,000), but that has not dissuaded dozens of students from across the country from signing up.Most are women in their 40s whose wealth rose fabulously along with China’s br