RELIGION

The holiday box office season kicked off this week to a slower pace than last year - both in the U.S and internationally - putting hopes on Mirimax's controversial The Golden Compass film to rescue the winter.

Media conglomerate, News Corp, has acquired the spiritual and religious media site Beliefnet late last night in a to move to place the company into another fast growing market.

A British teacher based in Sudan was found guilty on Thursday of insulting Islam and was sentenced to 15 days imprisonment for naming a teddy bear Mohammed, British authorities reported.

For one Hollywood studio there is a lot riding on The Golden Compass, the $180 million adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel Northern Lights.