For years, Kindred and Meredith Howard talked about adopting a toddler.There was never a real deadline to accomplish their goal but “one day,” they told themselves. Then in the winter of 2010, years after their own three children entered the world, their conversation seemed to intensify. Even then, the only thing they knew for sure was, well, no diapers.“Been there, done that three times,” is how the couple put it.But by the end of that year, after an email from an adoption agency and much resea

The legendary Japanese rock band L’Arc-en-Ciel will meet long-waiting Korean fans at a concert on Saturday in Seoul, making the city the 10th stop on their grand world tour. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the band embarked on a 14-city world tour, expecting to attract a total of 450,000 fans.“I really thank our fans. Their love and cheers have driven us to keep doing what we have been doing,” said the bassist Tetsuya at a news conference on Friday in Seoul. “I feel so lucky because there are

NEW YORK (AP) ― One of the art world’s most recognizable images ― Edvard Munch’s “The Scream’’ ― sold Wednesday for a record $119,922,500 at auction in New York City.The 1895 artwork ― a modern symbol of human anxiety ― was sold at Sotheby’s. Neither the buyer’s name nor any details about the buyer was released.The previous record for an artwork sold at auction was $106.5 million for Picasso’s “Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust,’’ sold by Christie’s in 2010.Munch’s image of a man holding his head and

Coffee should be as dark as hell, as strong as death and as sweet as love.It’s no wonder this famous coffee-themed proverb is from Turkey. After all, the world’s first coffeehouse was established in the 17th century Istanbul, during the time of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman sultans’ love for coffee was notorious; they had at least six maids serving the beverage, using some of the most expensive burners, pots and cups ― all made of silver and diamonds.The lavish coffee-drinking culture is just

 Modern rock band releases new album  ‘Slip Away,’ plans to go abroad Breaking a four-year hiatus, modern rock band Nell returned to fans with its fifth album “Slip Away” last month, already sweeping the country’s music charts thanks to its signature psychedelic and addictive sound. The new album sounds more spacious, acoustic and profound than before, clearly demonstrating that the members of the 13-year-old band have fully matured as musicians and as men. Now in their 30s, the band members sai

Lady Gaga has ended her 10-month romance with actor Taylor Kinney, a source close to the American pop star told UsMagazine.com Wednesday.Lady Gaga (AFP-Yonhap News)The insider said Lady Gaga, 26, and Kinney, 30, are "on a break." "She will be touring non-stop until next year and has found she can't have relationship at the same time," the source told the magazine. "There's just no room for anythin

SINGAPORE (AP) ― Korean entertainer Kim Hyun Joong is preparing to kick off his “2012 Asia Fan Meeting Tour’’ by high-fiving all 3,000 people expected to turn up ― a first for a pop star visiting Singapore.Event organizer “Running Into The Sun’’ said the original plan was for Kim to high-five 500 fans selected from the audience but Kim was insisting on high-fiving everyone.The tour that starts Friday includes Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and Thailand.Kim told the Associated Press the tour is his way

Celebrity TV show host Kim Seong-ju confessed that he found it traumatic watching his wife give birth.During the filming of SBS TV program “Jagiya,” in which celebrity couples talk about their married lives, Kim said he had expected the birth to be touching as depicted in movies and dramas, the broadcaster said.However, Kim was shocked by the sight of his wife giving birth and could not share the same bed as her for a year, it said.(yoonmi@heraldm.com)<한글 기사>김성주, 아내 분만 트라우마로 1년간 각방!김성주가 SBS “스타부

 New format may fail to attract viewers; hard to beat other TV auditions for amateur singers MBC’s “I Am a Singer,” last year’s hit singing competition that pitted top performers against one another, kicked off its second season on Sunday amid high expectations from viewers. The show has a new format -- new competition rules, contestants, a live broadcast -- all orchestrated by producer Kim Young-hee, who has been reinstated for the new season after being replaced following last season’s public

 ‘Happy End’ director returns with sensual drama ‘Eungyo’Director Jung Ji-woo’s latest film “Eungyo” once again shows his keen eye for actresses.Sure, leading actor Park Hae-il proved to be a real trouper, enduring eight hours of makeup and stop-and-go filming every day for his character, a man in his 70s. But since the film’s release last week, all eyes have been on young actress Kim Go-eun, who plays a reckless 17-year-old who captures an old poet’s heart. It’s hard to think of an actress whos

Hit with biggest-ever fine, U.S. outdoor brand to take legal  action against FTCThe U.S. outdoor brand that has dominated the South Korean market for years is at risk of losing its position after it was hit with a record fine. The nation’s antitrust watchdog hit The North Face Korea last week with a 5.2 billion won ($4.6 million) fine for compelling all 151 of its retailers here to charge 10 to 15 percent higher prices than for rival brands since 1997 to maintain the brand’s premium image. The F