From ‘Sex’ to ‘Rings,’ film tours excite fans

When Michele Maro became captivated by "The Lord of the Rings" movies, she never imagined she would one day be walking around in the Shire, touring Hobbiton and peeking into hobbit holes. Those are all fictional places, but fans can visit the closest thing possible in New Zealand, where the trilogy was filmed and where specially designed tours will take visitors to some of the stunning locations featured in the movies

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City bankers bow to pressure dress down

Suits were swapped for jeans and sneakers throughout London’s financial district today, as bankers heeded warnings to dress down to avoid the potential wrath of G-20 protestors. “Only about 20 percent of people probably just refused to dress down.

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The Story of a Modern-Day Exorcist

When he first heard about a Vatican-sponsored course on exorcism for priests, journalist Matt Baglio was intrigued by the idea of this ancient ritual taking place in the modern world. In his new book The Rite, Baglio follows American priest Father Gary — sent to Rome to train as an exorcist — and his apprenticeship with Father Carmine. Baglio talked to TIME about belief, skeptical priests, and the particulars of the exorcism ritual

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A Gay Marriage Solution: End Marriage?

When a Jewish boy turns 13, he heads to a temple for a deeply meaningful rite of passage, his bar mitzvah. When a Catholic girl reaches about the same age, she stands in front of the local bishop, who touches her forehead with holy oil as she is confirmed into a 2,000-year-old faith tradition.

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Could Rising Seas Swallow California’s Coast?

Imagine San Francisco Airport under water, or Long Beach Harbor in Los Angeles, home to the second busiest port in America, washed away. Picture Orange County’s Newport Beach completely submerged under the encroaching ocean. That’s the soggy future that could be in place for California at the end of this century, if climate change continues unabated.

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Pope admits mistakes over Holocaust-denying bishop

The Pope has admitted making mistakes over the lifting of the excommunication of a Holocaust-denying bishop. In a letter to church leaders, parts of which have been published on a popular Catholic blog, Pope Benedict XVI says the church should have been aware of the views of Bishop Richard Williamson. Williamson, an Englishman, hit the headlines partly because the pope lifted his long-standing excommunication, along with that of three other members of the ultra-conservative Society of St

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