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Thursday, July 23, 2009 LOS ANGELES: Hollywood's second-largest prop house is going out of business with its owner saying he has fallen victim to film and TV production leaving California for other U.S. states that lure producers with tax incentives and fewer restrictions.20th Century Props is closing its doors for good at the end of July and auctioning off a collection of 93,000 props from such films as "Cleopatra" and "Titanic", as well as TV's "The X Files" and "Golden Girls" and music videos from Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and Madonna."I ran out of money about three months ago. The Hollywood business is leaving town and going to various other states," 20th Century's owner, Harvey Schwartz, said while talking to a British news agency."I'm broken hearted," he said. "I've built this huge company that is a one-of-a-kind company that can fulfill Hollywood's needs like no other."Schwartz h...

Thursday, July 23, 2009 LONDON: Scientists are claiming that a functional, artificial brain is only a decade away. This prediction correlates with the above chart, according to which our current computing capabilities limit us to simulated lizard brains.Using an BM Blue Gene machine with 10,000 processors, the folks at the Blue Brain Project are creating simulations to figure out exactly how our brains work. So far they’ve got a “model of ‘tens of thousands’ of neurons” and lofty goals:Ultimately, the aim would be to extract that representation and project it so that researchers could see directly how a brain perceives the world.But as well as advancing neuroscience and philosophy, the Blue Brain project has other practical applications.For example, by pooling all the world’s neuroscience data on animals - to create a “Noah’s Ark”, researchers may be able to build animal models.“We cannot keep on doing animal experiments forever,” said Professor Markram.It may also give researchers ne...

Thursday, July 23, 2009 SAN JOSE: The mediator in the Honduras crisis, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, on Wednesday proposed a return of ousted President Manuel Zelaya to the Central American nation on Friday. "We ask Congress to return the situation of the executive power... to its state prior to June 28," Arias said. "That implies the return of Manuel Zelaya to the presidency until the end of the current period," he added, on presentation of a document calling for Zelaya's return on July 24.

Thursday, July 23, 2009 WASHINGTON: Saad bin Laden son of Usama bin Laden has been killed in a missile attack in Pakistan’s troubled area of Fata, a report here revealed on Thursday.A US radio claimed that Saad was killed in a drone attack at the inception of the current year.According to the radio website, Usama’s third son, who allegedly worked for Al-Qaeda, was killed; however, US intelligence agencies have not confirmed the report.Instead, they are convinced 80 percent that he has been killed in a drone attack.

Thursday, July 23, 2009 RIO DE JANEIRO: Eight people were killed and 22 injured when the bus they were on plunged off a bridge in northeastern Brazil, an official television reported on Wednesday. The accident occurred overnight near the town of Feira de Santana, in the state of Bahia. Police said the vehicle fell from a height of 15m after the driver lost control and broke through a safety barrier.

Thursday, July 23, 2009 WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama says violence will continue in Iraq, but that the insurgents will fail.Obama met Wednesday with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (NEW-ree ahl MAHL-eh-key) at the White House.At a Rose Garden news conference, Obama repeated the U.S. pledge to pull all forces out of Iraq by the end of the year 2011. He also said that the United States seeks no permanent bases in Iraq, and does not want any Iraqi territory.Al-Maliki's visit is part of a redefining on both sides. With al-Maliki by his side, Obama said the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraqi cities last month is a clear signal that the U.S. intends to keep its commitments.US President Barack Obama has said his country is not seeking any claim on Iraqi territory, after holding talks with Iraq's prime minister in Washington."As I said before, we seek no bases in Iraq, nor do we make any claim on Iraq's territory or resources," Obama said."Going forward...

Thursday, July 23, 2009 COLOMBO: Pakistan remained on course to win the third and final cricket Test against Sri Lanka after denting the home team's chase of a world record target on Thursday.Sri Lanka, set an improbable 492 to sweep the series 3-0 after they had won the first two Tests, were 183-3 in their second knock at stumps on the fourth day at the Sinhalese sports club.When play begins on the fifth day for the first time in the series -- the first Test ended in four days and the second in three -- Pakistan will need seven wickets and Sri Lanka a further 309 runs in 90 overs.No team has scored 492 runs in the fourth innings to win a Test match. The highest successful chase so far is 418-7 by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2003.Sri Lanka were given a minimum of 150 overs to get the runs after Pakistan declared their second innings at 425-9 soon after lunch with former captain Shoaib Malik making 134.Sri Lankan openers Malinda Warnapura and Tharanga Paranavita...

Thursday, July 23, 2009 LOS ANGELES: The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague has readjusted the borders of Sudan’s oil-rich Abyei region, effectively awarding control of key oil facilities in the area to the Khartoum-based northern government. The oil fields had been appended to the Abyei region in 2005, after a peace agreement signed between the the northern government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement—a decision that Khartoum disputed. In 2008, the two parties decided to refer the matter to the PCA after violent clashes in the region left 100 dead, with thousands of others forced to flee the fighting. Altogether, the PCA’s ruling reduced the landmass of the Abyei region by 8,099 sq km by redrawing its northern, eastern, and western borders, while leaving the southern border unchanged. As a result of the PCA ruling, the Khartoum government was able to boast of significant gains to the north, west, and east of the town of Abyei, particularly in terms of control of...

Thursday, July 23, 2009 WASHINGTON: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki arrived Wednesday for his first White House talks with President Barack Obama, as the US leader pushes for stronger reconciliation efforts in his country. The White House meeting also is the first between Maliki and Obama since US troops withdrew from Iraqi cities at the end of June, a milestone in Iraq's rehabilitation after the 2003 US-led invasion. Maliki arrives in Washington having overseen a considerable transformation in his country since he took office three years ago, at a time of sprawling interfaith violence.His authority has been boosted in past years, and he is hoping for US support in his bid to ease UN sanctions slapped on his country after Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.The Iraqi leader had made his case at the United Nations earlier Wednesday in a private meeting with UN chief Ban Ki-moon and later with envoys of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, C...

Thursday, July 23, 2009 WASHINGTON: Astronauts from space shuttle Endeavour began the third of five spacewalks Wednesday, a week into their 16-day mission to help complete construction of the International Space Station. Astronauts Dave Wolf and Chris Cassidy began their spacewalk about 30 minutes ahead of schedule, exiting the Endeavour's decompression chamber at 1432 GMT, NASA said.The two spacewalkers plan to remove multi-layered insulation from the Japanese Kibo science laboratory and also will replace batteries in the space station's photovoltaic power system. NASA said each ISS battery measures 40 inches by 36 inches by 18 inches (101 centimeters by 90 centimeters by 45 centimeters), weighs 375 pounds (170 kilos), and is designed to last 6.5 years. On the second Endeavour spacewalk Sunday, astronauts moved equipment from Endeavour onto the ISS and repaired a malfunctioning toilet on the orbiting station.During a first spacewalk Saturday, astronauts needed five-and-a-half...

Thursday, July 23, 2009 ABUJA: Nigeria's oil production has been cut to about 1.5 million barrels of crude per day -- less than half of its capacity -- by rebel attacks in the main producing region and the international economic crisis, Petroleum Minister Rilwanu Lukman said Wednesday."Our daily production is around 1.5 million barrels of crude and about 500,000 barrels of condensate and natural gas liquid, around two million barrels if you add the condensate with the oil," Lukman said. The minister said "more than half of our capacity" is lost because of militant activities in the Niger delta and the international crisis. "When the market calls for more, we are ready to supply and when the situation in the Niger delta improves, we will be in a position to supply more," Lukman said.Nigeria, an OPEC member, is the world's eighth largest oil producer.

2009:: Chelsea defeats Milan 2-0 in friendly PASADENA: Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard scored to give Chelsea a 2-0 victory over Inter Milan in their football friendly at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday.The game - which pitted Inter coach Jose Mourinho against his old side _ was part of the World Football Challenge, a series also involving AC Milan and Mexican club America.Drogba scored on a swerving 30-yard shot that Inter goalkeeper Vid Belec could only deflect inside the right post.Lampard converted a penalty in the 50th minute after Inter-defender Ivan Cordoba used his right elbow to block Daniel Sturridge's shot.Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, believed to be on the verge ofa move to European champions Barcelona, come on as a 59th minute substitute. Ibrahimovic led Italy's Serie A with 25 goals last season.

Thursday, July 23, 2009 COLOMBO: Sri Lanka faced a record chase of 492 runs after Pakistan declared their second innings at 425-9 soon after lunch on the fourth day of the third and final cricket Test here on Thursday. The highest successful fourth innings chase in history is by the West Indies, who scored 418-7 to beat Australia at St John's, Antigua in 2003. The most runs scored in the fourth innings to win a Test at the Sinhalese sports club here is 326-5 by Sri Lanka against Zimbabwe in 1998. The hosts are looking to sweep the series 3-0 after winning the first two Tests.