A Cambodian court jailed a 52-year-old French pedophile for 14 months on Tuesday for sexually abusing a teenage boy, prompting child rights groups to criticize the prison term as too lenient.Philippe Lauwers was found guilty of "committing an indecent act against an underage boy in late 2011", Judge Phong Vann at southern Kandal provincial court told AFP, adding that the boy was now aged 16.The Frenchman will walk free in two months having already served a year in jail, unless his victim appeals

The chief of a local English education institute received a suspended prison term on Tuesday for instructing his employees to illegally record questions of official English proficiency tests, according to court officials. The Seoul Central District Court sentenced the Hackers Group chairman, surnamed Cho, to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, for violating the copyright law, they said. His brother also received a suspended prison term for the same charge."(The two) used elaborate an

세계 최대의 초콜릿 전시행사인 프랑스의 ‘살롱 뒤 쇼콜라(Salon du Chocolat)’가 서울에서 국내 최초로 개최될 예정이다.올해로 출범 20회째를 맞는 이 행사에는 세계 각자에서 활동 중인 유명 쇼콜라티에들과 파티셰, 제과 회사들, 초콜릿의 원료인 카카오 제조사, 아이스크림 제조사 등 초콜릿과 관련된 모든 것들이 한 장소에 모이는, 초콜릿 애호가들의 꿈과 같은 행사이다.살롱 뒤 쇼콜라에는 초콜릿뿐만 아니라 카카오, 아이스크림, 관련 기계장비 및 조리기구, 각종 간식과 음료 등 다양한 초콜릿 상품이 전시된다.행사 기간에는 초콜릿 패션쇼, 초콜릿 예술작품 전시, 초콜릿 퀴즈 쇼 등 초콜릿을 주제로 다양한 볼거리와 이벤트 쇼가 진행된다. 또한 전통 아프리카 음악과 춤 공연 역시 준비되었다고 한다.그 외에 가족 단위의 관람객들이 직접 참여하고 체험할 수 있는 부대행사들도 다채롭게 마련될 예정인데, 아이들은 “초코랜드”를 찾아가 초코 과자나 브라우니를 굽는 행사에 참여할 수 있다.이

이건희 회장의 맏딸 이부진 사장이 1월10일에 서울 신라호텔의 전 직원을 모아 점심을 대접하며 뜻 깊은 고별행사를 가졌던 것으로 알려졌다. 이부진 사장은 그 동안 수고해준 것에 대한 고마움과 함께, 호텔 리모델링을 진행하는 약 7개월 동안 보지 못한다는 아쉬움에 눈물도 보인 것으로 밝혀졌다. 아버지를 가장 많이 닮은 것으로 알려진 이사장은 평소에도 직원을 챙기는 마음이 각별했다고 주변관계자들은 전했다. 오찬은 신라호텔 쉐프들이 직접 요리를 하고 매니저 이상의 고위직원들이 아래 스텝에게 서빙을 해준 "훈훈한" 점심식사였다고 한다. 한편, 신라호텔은 이건희 회장의 생일 다음날인 10일부터 리모델링에 들어가, 8월1일 다시 오픈할 예정이다. 그 사이 직원들은 교육이나 기타 휴가를 활용할 수 있으며, 제주신라호텔이나 파크뷰 호텔 등으로 파견처리 될 예정이라고 호텔 관계자들은 전했다. 휴관의 특성상 전 직원이 유급처리 될 것이라고도 밝혔다.<관련 영문 기사>Hotel Shilla's head

The presidential transition team opened a Twitter account Tuesday in an effort to provide the public with more information on its activity and to collect suggestions and feedback, its spokesman said.The account at twitter.com/kor_2013 will be used to "swiftly deliver information related to the transition committee and to reflect public opinions in making the road map for the new government," spokesman Yoon Chang-jung told a regular news briefing.Since last week, the committee has also been recei

The education ministry will aim to make high school education free for everyone by 2017 as part of efforts to implement President-elect Park Geun-hye's campaign pledges on education policy, officials said Tuesday.Officials from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology reported the plan to the presidential transition committee during a policy briefing earlier in the day, saying that it would expand the current program that provides free education only to students in vocational schools or

President Barack Obama endorsed controversial bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, as well as stricter background checks for gun buyers _ but conceded he may not win approval of all in a Congress reluctant to tighten restrictions.Obama said lawmakers would have to ``examine their own conscience'' as they tackle gun control legislation after the horrifying Connecticut school shootings last month. The influential National Rifle Association and other pro-gun rights groups

A person familiar with the situation says Lance Armstrong confessed to Oprah Winfrey during an interview Monday that he used performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the interview is to be broadcast Thursday on Winfrey's network.Armstrong was stripped of all seven Tour titles last year in the wake of a voluminous U.S. Anti-Doping Agency report that portrayed him as a ruthless competitor, willing to go to any lengths to win the prest

North Korea actively received foreign guests and increased exchanges with the outside world this year, Pyongyang watchers said Tuesday, raising speculation that the North is trying to shed its negative image triggered by last month's rocket launch.The watchers said there have been an unusually large number of foreigners visiting Pyongyang, beginning on Jan. 7 with the arrivals of an economic trade-promotion delegation from China, and the four-day tour by Google Chairman Eric Schmidt and Former N