LOS ANGELES (AP) _ A chimpanzee that kicked a smoking habit and used sign language to beg for candy has died at a California animal refuge.Martine Colette of the Wildlife WayStation says Booie was being treated for a heart condition when he died Saturday at 44. The chimp had been living at the anima

Nearly one in five American women have been victims of rape or attempted rape at some point in their lives, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Wednesday in a disturbing report on sexual violence in the United States.Releasing the results of a first-ever survey of nearly 10,000 women contacte

Ven. Jinje was elected as the new spiritual leader of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, Wednesday. The 77-year-old succeeds Ven. Beobjeon and will serve for five years as the 13th Jogye Order spiritual chief. Twenty-three senior members unanimously approved of Ven. Jinje, who was the only candidate, according to the order. The new leader will officially take the post after March 25, when his predecessor’s term ends, it said. The post “jongjeong,” or spiritual leader, is considered the core of

Boy band releases travel book on Spanish cityAs drivers of K-pop fever abroad, SHINee had long regarded hotel room service as the “best foreign food.” That’s all they ever got a chance to eat overseas thanks to their tight touring schedules.After taking “a real trip” to Barcelona as travel authors and tasting the dishes on offer outside their hotel rooms, three of the group say they are now qualified to reveal their favorite food of all time.“Kimchi still rules over all other food. It tastes goo

Let’s say you are confronting one of the most important decisions of your life. But first, you must answer this:My favorite thing about last Tuesday?And do it in 25 words or less.The query may seem like it’s taken from Twitter or an online dating survey, but it is designed for a match of a different sort: Getting into college.The essay question is new for 2012 applications to the University of Maryland and is just one example of a wave of quirkiness and brevity that has swept the usually staid w

The Korean Culture and Information Service published “K-Drama: A New TV Genre with Global Appeal” this week as its third publication in a series designed to help foreigners better understand Korean pop culture. The full-color book explains in detail the history of Korean dramas, how the shows began to receive attention overseas, how they started off the so-called Korean Wave and also introduces the shows considered the “top 10,” including Yonsama’s “Winter Sonata.” Affiliated with the Culture Mi

Founder of French culture society Paquet receives presidential citationIn a world where communication and interaction are becoming very important, a country like Korea can be an excellent tool in making more people meet and more nations interact with one another, the founder of France-based Korean culture society “The Korean Connection,” said. “I have many goals in mind with the Korean Connection, but I see Korea more as a tool than a goal,” Maxime Paquet, told The Korea Herald. “Amazed by how m

(AP)TORONTO (AP) _ It appears a female has come between one of Canada's celebrity couples.Toronto's zoo split up a pair of male penguins whose affection for each other drew headlines last month and jokes about ``Brokeback Iceberg.''The zoo said Monday Buddy and Pedro have been officially separated a

KTO lists mid-price  hotels around country An affordable hotel room with a good view and prompt service is a must for many a traveler. “Benikea,” an abbreviation of “Best Night in Korea,” is a list of Korea Tourism Organization-affiliated hotels with branches in Seoul, Busan, the southern provinces of Jeolla and Gyeongsang, Jeju Island and more.KTO introduced the budget hotel brand with the goal of linking independent travelers with reasonably priced hotels run by small and mid-tier companies he

Grammy award-winner and UNESCO Artist for Peace Jo Sumi will perform for some 500 VIP guests at the Reach Out To Asia gala dinner in Qatar on Monday. The Korean soprano was to be accompanied by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, designers Pierre Cardin and Donna Karan, singers Cher and Bryan Adams in the 4th ROTA event, which also features a charity auction to help children and teenagers.  Jo was to perform with UAE singer Hussein Al Jassmi.ROTA is a Qatari-based non-profit organization that em

NEW YORK (AP) ― Comic book industry pioneer Jerry Robinson, who helped create Batman sidekick Robin the Boy Wonder and their arch-nemesis The Joker, has died at age 89.An editor and friend, Charles Kochman, said Robinson was different from most artists in the field because he worked on every kind of comic genre, from political cartoons to theater illustrations.“Jerry brought a realism to comics ― and a sense of humor,’’ said Kochman, his editor at Abrams Comic Arts, which last year published a b

‘Readers want a bit of extravagance — art, even’Judging a book by its cover is not a behavior worthy of a wise person ― or so the old saying goes. But for the growing number of trendsetters out there, the way a book looks is just as important as whether it’s interesting or not. “I recently remodeled my living room, filling two entire walls with bookshelves,” Kim Jin-hyun, 33, said. “I filled the shelves, mostly with art and design related books with colorful bindings and covers. I’m pretty sati