RELIGION

Actress Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air) makes a heavenly debut as a director with Higher Ground, a compelling drama about a woman's spiritual journey.

While many will probably refer to Circumstance in shorthand as the Iranian lesbian movie, part of what makes the film so powerful is its portrayal of modern-day Iran as a country so oppressive that you don't even have to be a lesbian to suffer there.

In the wake of Sept. 11, 2011, the New York Police Department has seen an unprecedented expansion of its surveillance and intelligence activities that includes actively spying on Muslim New Yorkers.

Since 9/11, the New York Police Department has teamed up with the CIA to covertly spy on Muslim communities, according to an investigative piece put out by the Associated Press on Wednesday morning.

Only 14 percent of obstetricians and gynecologists in the United States provide abortions, according to researchers at the University of Chicago and Duke University. That is down from 22 percent when a similar survey was conducted in 2008.

Born in Buenos Aires, Borges is widely regarded as one of the forebears of modern science fiction.

After Zachery Tims' death, nearly 5,000 people packed the First Baptist Church of Orlando to say their good-byes to the church leader.

Country singer Chely Wright got married to her girlfriend of more than a year on Saturday.

The Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA) has filed a lawsuit on Friday against the new law that prohibits teachers from being Facebook friends with their students.

Kim Kardashian married Kris Humphries on Saturday in a fairytale wedding and details of the ceremony have emerged.

Thousands of people came out on Saturday to pay their last respects to megachurch pastor Zachery Tims during a funeral service on Saturday. The service was held at the First Baptist Church of Orlando, not Tims' home church, but one that was large enough to hold the crowd that gathered.

Answers in Genesis, the Christian ministry behind the Creation Museum, is set to build a new theme park called The Ark Encounter, that will feature a life-sized wooden Noah's Ark replica.

Mourners from around the world will pay their last respects this weekend to Dr. Zachery Tims, Jr., the founder and senior pastor of one of Florida's most largest churches.

A tribute service and a public viewing for Pastor Zachery Tims will be held Friday at the New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka, Fla., the church announced on its Web site. The public viewing is between 3 and 7 p.m., while the tribute will follow at 7 p.m. and end at 9 p.m. A funeral service will take place the next day at the First Baptist Church of Orlando, where there will be a viewing from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

A man in New Brunswick, Canada, recorded a video in which fast moving clouds take the shape of a face that resembles Abraham Lincoln.

The latest from the corporate world to join an allegedly racist faction is Nivea which proved that it hasn't learned much from the mistakes of Cadbury and Dove. In its latest print ad advertizing men's skin care range, Nivea juxtaposes a well-groomed African-American male, holding a mask of a bearded African man, with a slogan that says Re-Civilize Yourself.

A public memorial and funeral was schedule to be held this week after the body of mega-church pastor Zachery Tims Jr. was found in a hotel in New York, but family members have revised the plans.

Vanderbilt University now recognizes Wiccan holy days as part of its list of school-sanctioned observances.

This week, Gov. Rick Perry has not been able to resist knocking down scientific theories that are considered facts by a good chunk of the modern world. First it was global warming; now, it's evolution.

Europe's largest reggae festival Rototom Sunsplash opens its gates on Thursday in the Spanish resort of Benicassim, where over 200,000 fans are expected over 10 days of Jamaican-inspired music headlined by leading members of the Bob Marley dynasty.

According to most critics, the album has its impressive moments. In spite of their large egos, Jay-Z and Kanye West are talented artists and bring great tracks to the table. But considering the hype surrounding their names, the album falls short. The rappers almost make it seem they are god-like themselves in the nearly blasphemous and impious track "No Church in the Wild."