Duck Dynasty Season 5 finale will feature Mia Robertson and her latest cleft lip and palate surgery.
In the meantime, Mia Robertson’s parents, Jase and Missy, are launching a charity aimed at helping children around the world get help with cleft surgeries.
Duck Dynasty Season 5 finale is scheduled to air on March 26.
At the beginning of this year, Mia Robertson, 10, underwent her latest cleft lip and palate surgery, and now her famous parents want to launch a campaign to help other children around the world get medical treatment for this condition.
Mia Robertson underwent her latest cleft lip and palate surgery in January
Missy Robertson said the campaign and its website, www.miamoo.org, should launch this weekend.
Mia Robertson had her first procedure at 3 months when surgeons closed her lip. At age 7 months Mia Robertson underwent her first procedure for her palate, which split and widened toward the back of her throat.
Her latest procedure involved taking bone from her left hip and inserting it into the gap in her gum to allow them to grow together to form one bone.
More procedures may come as Mia gets older, Missy Robertson said.
Duck Dynasty’s Jase and Missy Robertson have set up The Mia Moo Fund, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to raising awareness and funds towards research, treatments and causes of cleft lip & palate.
Mia Robertson, Jase and Missy’s little daughter, was born with cleft lip and palate.
Three months ago, Mia Robertson, 10, underwent her latest cleft lip and palate surgery, and now her famous parents want to launch a campaign to help other children around the world get medical treatment for this condition.
Mia Robertson was born with cleft lip and palate
The Mia Moo Fund website explained: “The organization began in 2014 after Mia Robertson, daughter of Jase and Missy Robertson, completed surgery for her cleft lip / palate. As Mia entered surgery, thousands of supportive fans tweeted, blogged and talked about how strong and beautiful she was. It was both empowering and inspiring. It has since become our mission to bring this type of support and love to each and every child that suffers from cleft lip and palate. These children face difficulties that are hard to comprehend, but with your support, the impossible can be achieved.”
Mia Robertson’s mother, Missy, has announced on her Faccebook page: „I am happy, excited, humbled and proud to introduce you to the Mia Moo Fund! Our family wants to help as many kids as possible who have been affected by cleft lip/palate. Follow us and become a part. And check out our web page for so much more at www.miamoo.org. Together, we can give these kids a bright future. In the words of Mia, <<Let’s do this!>>.”
March Equinox or the official start of spring sees druids and pagans marking the season of renewal at dawn among Stonehenge’s standing stones, the best known prehistoric monument in Europe.
Druids, pagans and revelers gathered at dawn by Stonehenge’s ancient stones in England to mark the Vernal Equinox, the official beginning of springtime.
Twice a year, the earth’s axis is angled so that the world gets an equal amount of daylight and night, a highly-significant event in the pagan calendar.
At the Spring Equinox, the sun rises exactly in the east, travels through the sky for 12 hours and then sets exactly in the west. All over the world, day and night are of equal length.
As the earth’s axis begins to tilt further in the coming days and weeks, the northern hemisphere will receive more direct sunlight, leading to spring and summer’s warmer temperatures.
Druids and pagans mark Spring Equinox among Stonehenge’s standing stones
The occasion helps mark important celebrations around the world, including Easter, Passover and Nowruz, the Persian New Year. The Autumnal Equinox will occur on September 22.
The term “equinox” derives from the Latin aequues (equal) and nox (night), although strictly speaking, an equinox is not a day but a point in time. The days themselves when day and night are equal are referred to as equiluxes.
Traditionally, druids and pagans congregate at Stonehenge and other standing stone sites to greet the dawn and watch the sun rise while performing fertility rites.
English Heritage opened Stonehenge from 5.45 a.m. until 8.30 a.m. to allow worshippers to take part in the event to mark the season of renewal.
The druids and pagans were celebrating the ancient Saxon goddess Eostre, who symbolizes fertility and new beginnings.
The goddess is symbolized by eggs, representing new life, and rabbits or hares, for fertility. The name is also the root of the term given to the female hormone oestrogen.
Some regard elements of the Easter celebrations as deriving from this tradition, with the Christian festival marked by the “Easter Bunny” bringing us gifts of chocolate eggs.
In 2012, the UN had the initiative to declare March 20 to be observed as the International Day of Happiness.
The International Day of Happiness recognizes that happiness is a fundamental human goal, and calls upon countries to approach public policies in ways that improve the well being of all peoples.
International Day of Happiness 2014
By designating a special day for happiness, the UN aims to focus world attention on the idea that economic growth must be inclusive, equitable, and balanced, such that it promotes sustainable development, and alleviates poverty. Additionally the UN acknowledges that in order to attain global happiness, economic development must be accompanied by social and environmental well being.
The initiative to declare a day of happiness came from Bhutan.
Bhutan’s citizens are considered to be some of the happiest people in the world. The Himalayan Kingdom has championed an alternative measure of national and societal prosperity, called the Gross National Happiness Index (GNH). The GNH rejects the sole use of economic and material wealth as an indicator of development, and instead adopts a more holistic outlook, where spiritual well being of citizens and communities is given as much importance as their material well being.
The March Equinox, also known as the Spring Equinox, often falls on March 20th as well.
The international air search in the Indian Ocean for possible debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has ended for the day, officials have said.
As night fell, Australia, New Zealand and the US said bad weather hampered their efforts in the area 1,550 miles south-west of Perth.
Four planes were trying to check whether two objects seen on satellite images were debris from flight MH370.
The Kuala Lumpur-Beijing plane with 239 people on board disappeared on March 8.
It first lost contact with air traffic controllers and then disappeared from radar.
Footage shows an Australian Air Force P-3 Orion over the new search area.
Four planes were trying to check whether two objects seen on satellite images were debris from flight MH370 (photo EPA)
A statement by Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said the four planes searched the vast area without success.
“The search will continue on Friday,” it said.
Two Australian Orion aircraft searching the area on Thursday were joined later by aircraft from the US and New Zealand.
AMSA said the aircraft had covered an area of 14,000 square miles.
The captain of the first Australian air force AP-3C Orion plane to return from the search area described the weather conditions as “extremely bad” with rough seas and high winds.
David Wright, an ABC News reporter who was on the P-8 Poseidon, said all the sophisticated plane had spotted was “a freighter and two pods of dolphins”.
A Norwegian merchant ship, the St Petersburg, has also arrived in the area after responding to a shipping broadcast issued by Australia’s rescue co-ordination centre.
It will be joined by an Australian naval vessel, HMAS Success and Britain’s HMS Echo coastal survey ship.
Earlier on Thursday, Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein described the possible sighting of debris on satellite images taken on March 16 as a “credible lead”.
The largest object appeared to be 78ft in size, the Australian authorities said.
A number of sightings of possible debris have been investigated since the plane went missing but so far none have proved to be linked.
First Lady Michelle Obama is visiting China for a week, with stops in Beijing and Chengdu.
Michelle Obama is accompanied by her mother and two daughters, Malia and Sasha. Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan will accompany her on part of her trip.
In a blog, Michelle Obama said she would focus on “the power and importance of education”.
Chinese media described the visit as “gentle diplomacy” and a chance to improve Sino-US ties.
“A strengthened personal bond between the first families of China and the United States will naturally help generate better understanding and more common ground between Beijing and Washington,” a Xinhua news agency commentary read.
Michelle Obama is in China for a week-long visit that includes stops in Beijing and Chengdu
Michelle Obama is expected to make stops at the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors Museum and the Chengdu Panda Base.
The first lady will also meet students and will deliver a speech at the Stanford Centre at Peking University.
The visit comes with a raft of issues testing China-US ties, such as the South China Sea dispute, Crimea and China’s relationship with North Korea.
The White House has stressed that Michelle Obama’s trip will be “non-political”.
She will focus on cultural exchange and avoid sensitive topics such as human rights and cyber security.
“Her visit and its agenda send a message that the relationship between the United States and China is not just between leaders, it’s a relationship between peoples,” said Ben Rhodes, the deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, earlier this week.
Michelle Obama’s visit has prompted discussion in Chinese media.
South Africa’s main opposition party, Democratic Alliance, has laid corruption charges against President Jacob Zuma over the use of state money to improve his Nkandla private residence.
The move follows a report by South Africa’s top corruption fighter accusing President Jacob Zuma of unethical conduct over the upgrade of Nkandla house.
The changes to Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla private home, including a pool and cattle enclosure, cost South African taxpayers about $23 million.
Police are now obliged to investigate the Democratic Alliance’s complaint.
It will then be passed on to the National Prosecuting Authority which will decide whether there is a formal case to answer.
The refurbishment of the residence in Nkandla, in Jacob Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal, has turned into a major political controversy in South Africa as the country approaches elections in May.
The changes to Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla private home, including a pool and cattle enclosure, cost South African taxpayers about $23 million (photo Reuters)
A government probe in December cleared President Jacob Zuma, who came to office in 2009, of any wrongdoing, saying the improvements were needed for security reasons.
“We are laying charges because we want the president to be held personally liable,” said Mmusi Maimane, the national spokesman for the Democratic Alliance (DA).
The report released by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela on Wednesday said Jacob Zuma should repay costs for some of the unnecessary renovations from which he had “benefited unduly”.
Thuli Madonsela said that while it could be “legitimately construed” that Jacob Zuma had misled parliament, he made a “bona fide mistake” over which part of the renovations he was referring to.
Mmusi Maimane led a DA delegation to file their charges against the president at the police station in Nkandla, near Jacob Zuma’s home.
Referring to the Nkandla compound, he said: “I am angered because what we see behind us is corruption of the highest order.
“If we allow this president to continue today we are systematically allowing corruption to thrive in South Africa.”
Earlier, Gwede Mantashe, the secretary general of the governing African National Congress (ANC), said officials implicated in Thuli Madonsela’s report should be brought to book.
Gwede Mantashe dismissed the DA’s earlier calls for Jacob Zuma to be impeached saying opposition parties were trying to “sensationalize” the report.
EU leaders are due to meet in Brussels to discuss further targeted sanctions in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
It comes as UN chief Ban Ki-moon visits Russian leaders in Moscow to urge a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Tensions remain high in Crimea – pro-Russia forces seized two bases on Wednesday, including Ukraine’s navy headquarter in Sevastopol.
Ukraine’s navy commander was detained, but has now been released.
Crimean leaders signed a treaty with Moscow on Tuesday to absorb the peninsula – an autonomous republic in southern Ukraine – into Russia, following a disputed referendum on Sunday.
EU leaders are due to meet in Brussels to discuss further targeted sanctions in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine (photo AFP)
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the political process was expected to be completed this week, Russia’s Interfax news agency reports.
The lower house will vote on ratifying the Crimea treaty on Thursday, and the upper house on Friday. The measure is expected to sail through.
Sergei Lavrov said Russia was protecting the rights of Russians, and would continue to “insist their rights and freedoms are observed fully in the countries where [our] compatriots are living”.
Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and sailors remain trapped inside military bases on the peninsula, surrounded by heavily armed pro-Russia forces.
Earlier this week, a Ukrainian serviceman and a member of the pro-Russia self-defense force were killed in an incident in Simferopol.
The crisis comes nearly a month after Ukraine’s pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was replaced by Western-leaning interim authorities.
Western leaders have denounced Russia’s actions in Crimea as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and a breach of international law.
The EU, the US and a number of other countries have already imposed sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian individuals.
Washington ordered the freezing of assets and travel bans on 11 individuals, while the EU imposed similar sanctions on 21 people.
EU leaders are expected to discuss extending their sanctions on Thursday, to possibly include political and military figures close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Asian shares fell after the US Federal Reserve hinted that it might raise interest rates as soon as 2015.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index officially hit “bear” territory, falling by 1% for a cumulative 20% decline since December 2, 2013.
The Nikkei fell 1.65% and the Shanghai Composite dropped 1% as well.
In her first meeting as Fed chair, Janet Yellen said the central bank would increase rates about six months after finishing its bond-buying program.
Most analysts expect that will occur towards the end of 2014.
The early rate rise indicator surprised many investors, who had expected rates to remain low for a longer period of time.
Asian shares fell after the US Federal Reserve hinted that it might raise interest rates as soon as 2015
That led to renewed fears that the end of easy money could negatively impact emerging economies that relied on foreign investors.
The falls in Asian markets followed a broad sell off in US markets.
The decline in the benchmark Nikkei comes despite Bank of Japan (BOJ) governor Haruhiko Kuroda’s comments on Wednesday that the country was on track to meet the bank’s 2% inflation target.
The BOJ has been engaged in a massive stimulation effort to combat deflation and encourage spending.
Japan recently reported its smallest trade gap in nine months, after January saw a record surge in imports ahead of the tax changes.
Toyota has reached a $1.2 billion settlement with US regulators after a four-year inquiry into its reporting of safety issues.
The criminal investigation came after the Japanese carmaker recalled more than 10 million vehicles over issues with brakes, accelerator pedals and floor mats.
Attorney General Eric Holder said Toyota had “intentionally concealed information” about the problems.
It is the largest criminal penalty yet imposed on a carmaker in the US.
Eric Holder told a news conference in Washington: “Rather than promptly disclosing and correcting safety issues about which they were aware, Toyota made misleading public statements to consumers and gave inaccurate facts to members of Congress.
“And they concealed from federal regulators the extent of problems that some consumers encountered with sticking gas pedals and unsecured or incompatible floor mats that could cause these unintended acceleration episodes.”
Toyota has reached a $1.2 billion settlement with US regulators after a four-year inquiry into its reporting of safety issues
Toyota issued a series of recalls in 2009 and 2010 affecting various models including the Camry, one of its best selling cars.
The problems dented Toyota’s reputation for reliability and hurt its sales in the US, one of its biggest markets.
The carmaker was also criticized for its handling of the issue, with allegations that it did not respond quickly and tried to protect its brand image.
Toyota has already paid millions of dollars in fines over delays in its reporting and handling of the safety problems.
On Wednesday, Eric Holder said that Toyota would “fully admit” wrongdoing and described the company’s behavior as “shameful”.
“It showed a blatant disregard for systems and laws designed to look after the safety of consumers,” he said.
“By the company’s own admission, it protected its brand ahead of its own customers. This constitutes a clear and reprehensible abuse of the public trust.”
Toyota said it had changed the way it handled such issues and had been working towards rebuilding its relationship with customers.
“At the time of these recalls, we took full responsibility for any concerns our actions may have caused customers and we rededicated ourselves to earning their trust,” said Christopher Reynolds, chief legal officer Toyota Motor North America, in a statement.
“We have made fundamental changes across our global operations to become a more responsive company – listening better to our customers’ needs and proactively taking action to serve them.”
The deal was announced by Eric Holder, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara.
Eric Holder said Toyota settlement should also serve as warning to other companies on how to handle such issues.
“Other car companies should not repeat Toyota’s mistake: a recall may damage a company’s reputation, but deceiving your customers makes that damage far more lasting.”
President Barack Obama ruled out a “military excursion” by the US in Ukraine, saying that engaging Russia militarily “would not be appropriate.”
“We are not going to be getting into a military excursion in Ukraine,” Barack Obama said in an interview with KNSD in San Diego.
“What we are going to do is mobilize all of our diplomatic resources to make sure that we’ve got a strong international coalition that sends a clear message, which is that Ukraine should decide their destiny.”
“There is a better path, but I think even the Ukrainians would acknowledge that for us to engage Russia militarily would not be appropriate and would not be good for Ukraine either,” he added.
In a separate interview with KSDK in St. Louis, Barack Obama reiterated that a military option is not on the table but that the US and its allies are prepared to take “even more disruptive economic actions.”
Barack Obama ruled out a “military excursion” by the US in Ukraine
“Obviously, we do not need to trigger an actual war with Russia,” he said.
“The Ukrainians don’t want that. Nobody would want that.”
Barack Obama granted interviews to six local television stations on Wednesday.
In the interview with KNSD, President Barack Obama insisted that Russian President Vladimir Putin “acted out of weakness, not out of strength,” saying that Putin is “not comfortable” with countries loosening their ties to the Kremlin in favor of more freedom to deal with the West.
“His strategic decisions are no way based on whether he thought that we might go to war over this,” Barack Obama added.
“I think there’s a clear understanding that when it comes to our core interests or our NATO allies we can protect ourselves.”
Flappy Bird will return to Apple’s app store, creator Dong Nguyen has confirmed – although he declined to give a specific date.
Dong Nguyen had been asked by a fan on Twitter if he was going to put the game back in the app store.
“Yes. But not soon,” said Dong Nguyen.
Later he added: “I don’t work by plan. I will release it when it is done.”
Dong Nguyen removed the popular game in February, saying its popularity had ruined his “simple life”.
Flappy Bird will return to Apple’s app store
Launched in May 2013, Flappy Bird was free to download and required players to tap the screen to keep the bird in flight.
Despite its simple graphics, Flappy Bird was a notoriously difficult game since many users could only keep the bird in the air for a few seconds before it hit an obstacle and fell.
Flappy Bird went viral after being promoted almost entirely by social media users and was reviewed on a YouTube channel by more than 22 million subscribers.
The game was downloaded 50 million times, and at the height of its popularity, Dong Nguyen was reportedly earning $50,000 a day from advertising.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Dong Nguyen said he was moved to remove the popular mobile game from the App store after users wrote to him detailing how the game had destroyed their lives.
After Flappy Bird was taken down, users started several passionate petitions to get the game reinstated.
Australia has announced it is investigating two objects seen on satellite images that could potentially be linked to the missing Malaysia Airlines plane.
Planes and ships from Australia, New Zealand and the US were heading to the area 1,550 miles south-west of Perth to search for the objects.
The largest appeared to be 24 m in size, maritime authorities said, but warned they could be unrelated to the plane.
Australia has been searching in the southern Indian Ocean for the aircraft.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8 when it lost contact with air traffic controllers. A total of 239 people were on board.
Twenty-six nations have been involved in a major search for the missing plane, which Malaysia says was intentionally diverted.
Investigators have been scrutinizing the backgrounds of both the crew and the passengers, but have so far identified no evidence of terror or other potentially relevant links.
A number of sightings of possible debris have been investigated in the course of the search but so far none have proved to be linked.
Australian PM Tony Abbott announced the discovery of the objects in parliament.
Tony Abbott: “The task of locating these objects will be extremely difficult.”
Australia is investigating two objects seen on satellite images that could potentially be linked to the missing Malaysia Airlines plane
“The Australian Maritime Safety Authority [AMSA] has received information based on satellite information of objects possibly related to the search,” he said.
“Following specialist analysis of this satellite imagery, two possible objects related to the search have been identified.”
An Australian Orion aircraft is currently in the search area and three more planes, including US and New Zealand aircraft, are on their way. A merchant ship is due there later in the day and an Australian naval vessel, HMAS Success, is also on its way.
AMSA said the debris had been located in waters some 1,550 miles south-west of the Australian city of Perth.
The objects identified were of a “reasonable size”, AMSA’s general manager John Young said. The largest object appeared to be about 24m in size, he said.
“The objects are relatively indistinct. The indication to me is of objects that are of a reasonable size and probably awash with water and bobbing up and down over the surface,” he said.
“This is a lead, it is probably the best lead we have right now. But we need to get there, find them, see them, assess them, to know whether it’s really meaningful or not.”
John Young warned that poor visibility in the area could hamper the search.
Australia informed Malaysian authorities of the development on Thursday morning.
“We have been following every single lead and this time I just hope that this time it is a positive development,” Malaysia’s Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said.
Earlier this week, Australia was asked by Malaysia to take responsibility for the “southern corridor” search.
Investigators had identified two corridors of territory – one to the north and one to the south – spanning the possible positions of the plane about seven hours after take-off.
This was based on its last faint signal to a satellite – an hourly “handshake” broadcast even when the main communication systems are switched off.
Flight MH370 lost contact with controllers over the South China Sea as it crossed from Malaysian to Vietnamese air space.
Malaysian officials say it then turned west and its last position – according to Malaysian military radar – was over the Malacca Straits, in the opposite direction to its planned flight path.
Attention has focused on the crew and on Wednesday multiple unidentified US officials said that the FBI was helping Malaysia analyze data from a flight simulator taken from the captain’s home.
Hishammuddin Hussein, at a press conference on Wednesday, stressed the captain should be considered innocent until proved otherwise and said that members of his family were co-operating with the investigation.
L’Wren Scott’s death has been ruled suicide by hanging, New York City authorities say.
The cause of death was announced by the office of the medical examiner after L’Wren Scott’s body was discovered in her flat by her assistant on Monday.
Police earlier said there was no sign of foul play and no note was found.
L’Wren Scott’s long-term partner, Mick Jagger, postponed forthcoming Rolling Stones tour dates in Australia and New Zealand after her death was announced.
Mick Jagger earlier said he failed “to understand how my lover and best friend could end her life in this tragic way”.
L’Wren Scott’s death has been ruled suicide by hanging
He said they had spent “many wonderful years together”.
Tributes have poured in for L’Wren Scott, 49, with fans including supermodel Naomi Campbell, Vogue editor Anna Wintour and Madonna eulogizing the fashion designer.
L’Wren Scott was found in her Manhattan apartment by her assistant at 10:00 a.m. local time on Monday.
The fashion designer had sent her assistant a text message 90 minutes earlier asking her to come to the apartment, without specifying the reason why, the Associated Press news agency reported.
It has since emerged that the fashion label founded by L’Wren Scott had been heavily in debt.
Wine, glorious wine. From a cold, crisp glass of white on a sunny day to a hearty red by the fire in winter, this is the connoisseur’s tipple of choice. The only trouble is, although many people enjoy the complex flavors and aromas that this grape-based beverage boasts, enthusiasts often feel guilty when they pop a cork and pour themselves a glass. After all, everyone knows the health risks associated with consuming too much alcohol.
However, when drunk in moderation, wine can in fact be good for people. So, next time you reach for your favorite bottle or take advantage of the impressive wine deals now available, you needn’t feel bad!
Warding Off Dementia
Everyone knows that too much booze can result in short-term memory loss. However, when consumed sensibly, it seems wine can actually have the opposite effect and preserve people’s memories. A team from Loyola University Medical Center analyzed data from scientific papers on red wine since 1977. They found a statistically significantly lower risk of dementia among regular, moderate red wine drinkers in 14 of 19 countries.
According to those behind the research, the resveratrol in wine keeps blood vessels open and flexible since it reduces the stickiness of blood platelets. As a result, this maintains a good supply of blood to the brain.
Boosting the Immune System
We all want to avoid getting sick and, who knows, maybe there are some of us out there that want to live forever. Wine can’t help us with the latter, but it can certainly lend a hand with the former. A British study found that people who drink roughly one glass of wine per day reduced their risk of infection by Helicobacter pylori bacteria by 11%. This nasty little bacterium is a major cause of stomach ulcers, gastritis, and stomach cancer. Meanwhile, Spanish research has uncovered as little as half a glass to help to protect people from food poisoning caused by bacteria such as salmonella.
Building the Bones
Then there are the benefits for the bones. According to research, on average, women who drink moderately have a higher bone mass than non-drinkers. This may be because alcohol appears to boost estrogen levels, this hormone slowing the body’s destruction of old bone more than it slows the production of new bone.
Keeping Diabetes at Bay
Diabetes is becoming increasingly common in developed countries. However, experts have discovered that resveratrol (there it is again!) improves people’s sensitivity to insulin, thus lowering their risk of developing this blood sugar problem. Meanwhile, a ten-year study conducted by a team at Harvard Medical School discovered that premenopausal women who drink one or two glasses of wine a day are 40% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than women who don’t drink.
Complimentary Bites
Now that you can feel that bit better about sipping a glass of your favorite wine, you might be looking for some healthy foods that go perfectly with the beverage. Red wine is a great accompaniment to a range of meals, including wholesome soups and stews. A light red, such as a pinot noir, works superbly with fish.
If you fancy something sweet, why not enjoy red wine with dark chocolate? This tasty treat is also known to have various health benefits.
Stronger bones, a more robust immune system and a mind that can stand up to the threat of dementia … just some of the wonders that a glass or two of wine can work. Then there’s the fact that it can decrease your exposure to potential diabetes. Maybe instead of an apple a day, it will be a glass of wine that keeps the doctor away!
Fiona Griffin is a wine connoisseur who loves a drop of merlot. Along with her glasses of wine, she likes to enjoy the crime fiction of Lynda La Plante.
The FBI is now helping the Malaysian government’s search for the missing flight MH370.
The agency is believed to be helping the Malaysian investigators examine a home flight simulator belonging to one of the Malaysia Airlines jet’s pilots for clues.
Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah is said to have deleted some files from the computer simulator.
Teams from 26 countries are trying to find flight MH370, which went missing on March 8 with 239 people on board.
The flight was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
The FBI, through its legal office in Kuala Lumpur, “continues to engage with appropriate Malaysian authorities and provide support where necessary to the Malaysian government in their investigation of the missing aircraft”, according to a statement issued on Wednesday.
The agency would not comment on the specifics of its investigation, nor what had been communicated to its investigators by Malaysian authorities.
On Wednesday, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Malaysia was also speaking to US aviation and transport accident investigation agencies.
The FBI is now helping the Malaysian government’s search for the missing flight MH370
“We are finding that the level of co-operation with the Malaysian government is solid, and we are working closely with the Malaysians as well as our other international partners in this effort to find out what happened to the plane and why it happened,” Jay Carney said.
A US law enforcement official told the Reuters news agency the Malaysian officials gave the FBI access to data generated by both pilots including from a hard drive attached to the captain’s flight simulator and electronic media used by a co-pilot.
But the official stressed there was no guarantee the FBI analysis would yield further clues.
Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu said some data was deleted on February 3 from the simulator found at Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah’s home and that investigators were trying to recover the deleted files.
The acting transport minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, stressed the captain should be considered innocent until proven guilty and that members of his family were co-operating with the investigation. Deleting files would not necessarily be suspicious, particularly if it were done to free up memory space.
The Malaysian authorities have said the evidence so far suggests the Boeing-777 was deliberately turned back across Malaysia to the Strait of Malacca with its communications systems disabled. They are unsure what happened next.
Investigators have identified two giant arcs of territory spanning the possible positions of the plane about seven hours after take-off.
This is based on its last faint signal to a satellite – an hourly “handshake” broadcast even when communications are switched off. The arcs stretch up as far as Kazakhstan in central Asia and deep into the southern Indian Ocean west of Australia.
Investigators are considering the possibility of hijacking, sabotage, terrorism or issues related to the mental health of the pilots or anyone else on board.
Kiev’s security chief Andriy Parubiy has announced that Ukraine is drawing up plans to withdraw its soldiers and their families from Crimea.
Andriy Parubiy said they wanted to move them “quickly and efficiently” to mainland Ukraine.
Earlier, pro-Russian forces seized two naval bases – including Ukraine navy’s headqurters – in Crimea. Kiev says its navy chief has been detained.
It comes a day after Crimean leaders signed a treaty with Moscow absorbing the peninsula into Russia.
A referendum in Crimea on Sunday, approving its split from Ukraine, came nearly a month after Kiev’s pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was replaced by Western-leaning interim authorities.
Andriy Parubiy, in a news conference, set out more details on Kiev’s position in light of the events in Crimea.
He said arrangements were now being set up to introduce visas for Russian nationals travelling to Ukraine.
And he said Kiev was seeking UN support to “proclaim Crimea a demilitarized zone”, which would involve the withdrawal of Russian troops and the “relocation of Ukrainian troops to continental Ukraine as well as facilitate evacuation of all the civilian population who are unwilling to remain on the occupied territory”.
Ukrainian flags in Crimea have been replaced by Russian ones (photo AP)
Ukraine is also leaving the Moscow-led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) alliance, and is preparing for military exercises with the US and the UK, Andriy Parubiy added.
With reference to plans to withdraw troops and their families, Ukraine’s interim Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya said that they would not be forced to leave if they did not want to.
But he said: “The situation is unpredictable and uncontrolled sometimes, so that’s why there is a danger also for the civilians.”
Meanwhile, a deadline of 21:00 local time set by Ukraine’s interim President Oleksandr Turchynov for the release of navy chief Serhiy Hayduk has passed.
Oleksandr Turchynov earlier said that unless Serhiy Hayduk and “all the other hostages – both military and civilian ones – were released, the authorities would carry out an adequate response… of a technical and technological nature”.
It is not clear exactly what he means, but it could involve the electricity or water that Ukraine supplies to Crimea.
Kiev said Serhiy Hayduk was detained soon after Ukraine’s naval headquarters was stormed by some 200 pro-Russian activists, some armed, in Sevastopol – the port city which is also home to Russia’s Black Sea fleet.
They were filmed going through offices, removing Ukrainian insignia and replacing Ukraine’s flag with the Russian tricolor.
There were cheers from the crowd when Russia’s Black Sea Fleet commander Aleksandr Vitko arrived and entered the building.
A handful of Ukrainian servicemen have refused to surrender.
Ukraine’s navy base in Novo-Ozyorne in west Crimea was also infiltrated after a tractor was used to ram the front gates. Some 50 Ukrainian servicemen were seen filing out of the base.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh and First Deputy PM Vitaly Yarema reportedly tried to enter Crimea to defuse tensions but were prevented from doing so.
On day 13 of Oscar Pistorius trial in Pretoria, a key police ballistics expert has said the athlete was not wearing his prosthetic legs when he shot Reeva Steenkamp.
Correspondents say this lends support to the defense team’s insistence that the shooting was not premeditated.
Oscar Pistorius denies murdering Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013, saying he thought she was an intruder.
The prosecution says the Paralympic champion intentionally shot Reeva Steenkamp after an argument.
Captain Christian Mangena said analysis of the crime scene and his subsequent tests suggested that Oscar Pistorius, 27, was not wearing the prostheses when he fired the fatal shots.
He also said that while he had not been able to determine the exact distance, the evidence pointed to the shots having been fired from a position greater than 23 inches away from the toilet door but no further than 10ft.
Correspondents say this is in line with the athlete’s testimony that he pulled the trigger while standing at the entrance to the bathroom.
Explaining the trajectory of the bullets, Capt. Christian Mangena said that Reeva Steenkamp, 29, was standing up in the toilet cubicle when she was hit in the right hip by the first of four bullets.
He said she then fell backwards before being hit in the arm and the head by the last two bullets fired by Oscar Pistorius through the wooden door as she crossed both hands over her head to protect herself.
Oscar Pistorius denies murdering Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013
Contradicting the athlete’s testimony that the shots had been fired in close succession, Capt. Christian Mangena said there had been a short break between the first and second shots and that the second bullet missed Reeva Steenkamp.
Correspondents say this corroborates evidence given by a neighbor who said she heard a shot, then a pause, then three further shots. It also suggests that Reeva Steenkamp may have had time to scream before she fell to the floor, supporting the neighbor’s testimony that she had heard a woman screaming.
“I’m of the opinion that after [the first] wound was inflicted… she dropped immediately,” Capt. Christian Mangena said.
Reeva Steenkamp then slumped into a “seated or semi-seated position” on top of a magazine rack, according to the police officer.
After the third and fourth shots she “ended up with her head on top of the toilet seat, and the lower part of her body on the rack”, Capt. Christian Mangena added.
Defense lawyer Barry Roux contested Capt. Christian Mangena’s evidence on the timing, maintaining that the bullets could have been fired in quick succession using a “double tap” technique – where the trigger is pulled in quick succession.
Capt. Christian Mangena insisted this was “impossible”, saying that if this had been the case then Reeva Steenkamp’s wounds would have been in the same area of her body.
The court also heard from Col. Mike Sales, an officer in the police technological investigations department, who analyzed data from Oscar Pistorius’ smartphones and tablets.
Col. Mike Sales said several websites had been browsed on Oscar Pistorius’ iPad on the evening of the shooting, although he could not confirm who had been using the iPad.
The internet history featured searches for used cars, including an Aston Martin and a Ford Ranger.
The court was adjourned until Monday after the prosecution said it would only call on five more witnesses.
Police in the Maldives have said they are looking into local reports that a low-flying plane was sighted above Kudahuvadhoo, south-west of the capital Male, around 06:15 local time on March 8 and that its colors matched those of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane.
The Maldives National Defense Force said that although nothing had been detected on its radar, it would provide any assistance needed for the search.
If the plane was indeed flight MH370, it would have flown far slower than normal, in order for the timings to be possible.
Police in the Maldives have said they are looking into local reports that a low-flying plane was sighted above Kudahuvadhoo
The main Maldives airport is one of those featured in the flight simulator discovered at the home of the captain.
The Malaysian authorities have said the evidence so far suggests the Boeing-777 was deliberately turned back across Malaysia to the Strait of Malacca, with its communications systems disabled. They are unsure what happened next.
Investigators have identified two giant arcs of territory spanning the possible positions of the plane about seven hours after take-off.
This is based on its last faint signal to a satellite – an hourly “handshake” signal that continues even when communications are switched off. The arcs stretch up as far as Kazakhstan in central Asia and deep into the southern Indian Ocean.
Investigators are considering the possibility of hijacking, sabotage, terrorism or issues related to the mental health of the pilots or anyone else on board.
Chinese relatives of the missing flight MH370 passengers were dragged away from journalists during a news conference in Malaysia as frustration with the plane search boiled over.
They were attempting to speak to Chinese journalists outside the daily press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
Teams from 26 countries are trying to find Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which went missing on March 8 with 239 people on board.
One of the relatives, a middle-aged woman, cried: “They give different messages every day! Where’s the flight now? Find our relatives! Find the aircraft!”
The Malaysian government said later it regretted the scenes and ordered an investigation, saying “one can only imagine the anguish they are going through”.
During the daily briefing, Malaysia’s acting transport minister rejected reports that emerged on Tuesday that the plane had been spotted in the Maldives.
A local councilor on the island of Kudahuvadhoo has said that about 10 people described seeing a large aeroplane some hours after it disappeared.
The missing jet relatives were prevented from entering the media centre in Kuala Lumpur, before being bundled away
The acting transport minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, also said the authorities had investigated almost all the passengers and crew of the plane, but had so far found no information of significance.
“We have received passengers’ background checks from all countries apart from Ukraine and Russia,” he told reporters. There were two Ukrainians and one Russian on the plane.
Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu also said some data had been deleted from the flight simulator found at Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah’s home on February 3, and that investigators were trying to recover the deleted files.
Hishammuddin Hussein stressed Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah should be considered innocent until proven guilty and that members of his family were co-operating with the investigation. Deleting files would not necessarily be suspicious, particularly if it were to free up memory space.
Chinese citizens made up the overwhelming majority of the passengers on the plane, which had been heading from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Responding to complaints among relatives of those on board that they are not being kept fully informed, the Malaysian authorities said they would send a team to Beijing to liaise with Chinese families waiting for news.
Star Wars: Episode VII will start filming at Pinewood Studios in the UK in May, its producers have said.
Disney and Lucasfilm confirmed Star Wars latest installment would be set about 30 years after the events of Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
It “will star a trio of new young leads along with some very familiar faces”, the press release added.
Star Wars: Episode VII, directed by JJ Abrams, will be released in cinemas on December 18 2015.
Star Wars: Episode VII will start filming at Pinewood Studios in the UK in May
The news of a return for “some very familiar faces” will fuel rumors that the stars of the original trilogy – Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher – will appear in Episode VII.
Adam Driver is in final negotiations to play the main villain, The Hollywood Reporter reported.
He is best known for his role in hit TV series Girls, but has also recently appeared in films including Lincoln and Inside Llewyn Davis.
Episode VII will be the fifth Star Wars movie to be shot in the UK.
The original Star Wars trilogy was filmed at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, while The Phantom Menace began shooting on June 26, 1997, at Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire.
