Jose Luis Borau, Spanish Filmmaker, dies at 83

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Influential Spanish filmmaker Jose Luis Borau died Friday in Madrid, the Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences said. He was 83.Borau had reportedly been suffering from throat cancer.Though Borau, who was born in Zaragoza in 1929, only made a handful of films since his 1960 directorial debut “En el Rio,” his talents were widely respected, and he received a...

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Embryo survival gene may fight range of diseases: study

HONG KONG (Reuters) – A gene that keeps embryos alive appears to control the immune system and determine how it fights chronic diseases like hepatitis and HIV, and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, scientists said on Monday.Although the experts have only conducted studies on the gene Arih2 using mice, they hope it can be used as a target for drugs eventually to fight a spectrum of incurable...

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World stocks muted ahead of meeting on Greece

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian stock markets rose modestly Monday after the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season in the U.S. topped expectations. But trading in Europe was subdued hours before finance ministers gathered yet again to discuss what to do about Greece.The ministers of the 17 countries that use the euro are scheduled to meet in Brussels to try to reach an agreement on conditions that...

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Prankster Replicates Facebook Users’ Profile Photos, Then Friends Targets [PICS]

1.Image courtesy of Imgur, casinoroycasinoroyClick here to view this gallery.[More from Mashable: This App Curates Gifts From Startups for Your Trendy Friends]Everyone has a knack for something. Reddit user CasinoRoy’s talent is creeping out strangers on Facebook, and perfectly replicating their profile photos.[More from Mashable: Facebook to Slow Down After Move to HTTPS [VIDEO]]The prankster searches...

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“Downton Abbey” Renewed for fourth Season by ITV

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – “Downton Abbey” fans have something to be thankful for.British network ITV has commissioned a fourth season of the hit historical drama, the network said Friday. The new season will consist of eight new episodes to premiere in fall 2013, with an extended episode for Christmas 2013. As with previous seasons, the opening and closing episodes will be feature-length.“Downton...

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Saudi royals, officials visit king in hospital after surgery

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) – Senior Saudi royals and government officials have visited King Abdullah in hospital, state news agency SPA reported, a week after the monarch – believed to be in his late 80s – had surgery to tighten a ligament in his back.The stability of the world’s biggest oil exporter and an important regional U.S. ally is of global concern as the kingdom holds more than a fifth...

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Catalonia election tests Spanish unity

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) – Voters in Spain’s Catalonia region go to the polls on Sunday and are likely to elect a pro-independence leader who will test Spanish unity at a time of deep economic crisis.Opinion polls show two-thirds of voters in this region on the French border will cast ballots for parties, both rightist and leftist, that want Catalan independence from Spain.Catalan President Artur...

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Cricket-Australia v South Africa – second test scoreboard

ADELAIDE, Nov 24 (Reuters) – Scoreboard at the close of thethird day of the second test between Australia and South Africaat Adelaide Oval on Saturday:Australia won the toss and chose to batAustralia first innings 550South Africa first inningsG. Smith c Wade b Siddle 122A. Petersen run out 54H. Amla st Wade b Warner 11J. Rudolph c Quiney b Lyon 29AB de Villiers lbw b Siddle 1F. du Plessis c Clarke...

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Larry Hagman dead at 81, portrayed notorious TV villain J.R. Ewing

(Reuters) – Larry Hagman, who created one of American television’s most supreme villains in the conniving, amoral oilman J.R. Ewing of “Dallas,” died on Friday, the Dallas Morning News reported. He was 81.Hagman died at a Dallas hospital of complications from his battle with throat cancer, the newspaper said, quoting a statement from his family. He had suffered from liver cancer and cirrhosis of the...

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Four new cases of SARS-like virus found in Saudi, Qatar

LONDON (Reuters) – A new virus from the same family as SARS which sparked a global alert in September has now killed two people in Saudi Arabia, and total cases there and in Qatar have reached six, the World Health Organisation said.The U.N. health agency issued an international alert in late September saying a virus previously unknown in humans had infected a Qatari man who had recently been in Saudi...

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