Cellist says she finds happiness growing in conductingWhile the world-renowned musician says she regrets “not having done enough things” as she draws closer to the age of 30, Chang Han-na has had many unequivocal achievements in her decades-long musical career. While holding at least 40 concerts around the world each year, the cellist has managed to expand her musical scope through five years of conducting. Chang, 29, promised an “intimate interaction” with the audience during her upcoming recit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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