timesofmalta.com

S.W.A.T. actor Steve Forrest dead at age 87

Eric Kelsey, Reuters — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:46:00 +0200

US actor Steve Forrest, who was best known for a leading role on the short-lived 1970s television drama S.W.A.T., has died at the age of 87 in Thousand Oaks, California, near Los Angeles, his wife Christine said yesterday. Forrest appeared in 1954’s Prisoner of War, which also featured Ronald Reagan, who was later elected US President. In 1960’s Flaming Star, he played alongside Elvis Presley and Barbara Eden. Forrest’s older brother, Dana Andrews, was the star of 1940s films Laura and The Best Years of Our Lives. Forrest died peacefully on May 18, his family said in a statement. No cause of death was given. He gained a following as Lt Hondo Harrelson on the ABC crime drama series S.W.A.T., which ran for 37 episodes from 1975 to 1976 and was produced by Hollywood titans Leonard Goldberg and Aaron Spelling. Forrest made a guest appearances in the 2003 film adaptation of the series. The actor, who fought in the US Army at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, got his big break when actor Gregory Peck saw him in a theatre production in 1950, which led to a contract with film studio MGM. Forrest also starred in the 1965 British TV spy thriller series The Baron, which was one of the...

Queen gets pregnancy tips at maternity hospital

Tony Jones, PA — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:18:00 +0200

The Queen picked up some tips to pass on to the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge during a visit to a maternity hospital, a mother joked. A small pool used by Claire Morris, 42, to give birth to her first child in the early hours of yesterday left the Queen intrigued. The new mother and her partner Stephen Tibbett, 44, proudly showed off their daughter, Charlotte Rose Tibbett Morris, when the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh toured a new £30 million extension to Cambridge’s Rosie Maternity Hospital. Their baby had been crying seconds before the Queen arrived but as she walked into the room the infant fell silent. Morris went into labour at midnight and explained to the Queen she finally gave birth at 2.46am to a daughter weighing 3.7 kilos. After speaking to the monarch she explained the benefits of the warmed water in the birth pool, saying “the heat is a bit relaxing and gives pain relief and water means you’re less weighted”. The mother, a garden designer from the village of Impington near Cambridge, joked: “The Queen was interested in the birthing pool, maybe she’s doing some research for Kate – who knows.” The Duchess, who is around seven months pregnant, is due to give birth in...

Piaf songwriter Moustaki dies

AP — Fri, 24 May 2013 08:51:00 +0200

Georges Moustaki, an Egyptian-born composer, singer and poet who wrote songs for Edith Piaf and other French stars, has died aged 79. He died at his home in Nice overnight after a long illness, said Marie-Ange Mirande of Moustaki’s Paris-based production house. A memorial ceremony is planned for Monday at the famed Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris. Tributes poured in from France’s political and cultural leaders for Moustaki. Among songs he wrote for Piaf was Milord. Moustaki told French radio RTL in December that he wanted to be buried in Alexandria, Egypt, where he was born in 1934, and where “there is a cemetery that is the cemetery of free thinkers, and it is there that I want to rest for eternity”.

A taste of Sicily

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:22:00 +0200

All staff members of M. Demajo Wines and Spirits Ltd were last month treated to a weekend break in Sicily. The management of the company took their team to thank them for the outstanding results achieved in 2012, as well as to reinforce the current restructuring of the company through a team-building exercise. The highlight of the trip was a visit to one of the company’s principals in Marsala – The Carlo Pellegrino Winery. The team was welcomed at the winery’s historical cellars by Massimo Bellina, the export manager who captivated the audience by recounting the history of the company dating back to the 1880s. Explaining how Marsala wine achieved its fame, largely thanks to the Brits, he recounted how the company was founded by a notary, Carlo Pellegrino, who had a strong passion for grape growing. Cantine Pellegrino succeeded in transforming a family company into one of the most prominent wineries in the Marsala region and throughout Sicily. During the visit to the winery, the Demajo team also had the opportunity to admire the magnificent vaulted structure of the barrel cellars. Another highlight of the winery tour was the majestic Pellegrino Towers, a unique building, built in...

Scary suntan culture

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:10:00 +0200

Sports days are held in the dangerous season of the year to be outdoors, and school breaks are at the worst time of day, says Department of Dermatology and Venereology chairman Lawrence Scerri. He tells Stephanie Fsadni that more people in Malta get sunburnt in spring than in summer, when we tend to be less cautious of the risk to our skin. Some of you might have already had their first dip in the sea or been sunbathing to get tanned before wearing that white summer dress. But beware that the sun’s rays these days are as harmful as at the peak of summer and each episode of sunburn leaves its mark. “More people get sunburnt in spring than in summer,” says Lawrence Scerri, chairman of the Department of Dermatology and Venereology at Boffa Hospital. “They tend to be less cautious because they think that the sun is not yet that strong.” When eating out at this time of year, people often opt for outdoor seating and choose a table in the sun instead of the shade. Likewise, at the beach, one might think it is safe enough not to hire an umbrella and not to wear protective clothing or apply sunscreen. When the UV index gets higher than 7 (this week it reached the 9 mark), it means the...

Staying safe in water

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:09:00 +0200

New Piz Buin Wet Skin is the first line of sunscreen from Piz Buin designed to be applied directly to wet or dry skin. When applied on wet skin, ordinary transparent sun sprays can whiten and slide off, therefore compromising your level of protection. While ordinary transparent sunscreen can compromise your protection by mixing with water when applied on wet skin, Piz Buin Wet Skin Transparent Sun Spray cuts directly through water, absorbing instantly into the skin. The formula hydrates the skin to make sure it does not dry out while you enjoy your time in the sun. New Piz Buin Wet Skin Transparent Sun Spray, available in SPF15 and 30, is non-greasy, easy to apply and extra water-resistant. Available in SPF15 and 30. Piz Buin sun care products are exclusively distributed by Chemimart.

Tropical option

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:08:00 +0200

Sun Tropic sun lotion contains UV filters plus moisturisers and vitamin E, to help protect your skin against ageing and skin peeling to prolong your tan. Organic filters help stop your skin overheating, which can intensify the effect of UVB rays. It is available in SPF 8 medium protection, SPF 15 high protection and SPF 30 and Kids High Protection, and is distributed by Chemimart.

Nothing healthy about a tan

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:07:00 +0200

Does a tan really make you look healthier and is there such a thing as a healthy glow? Charmaine Gauci, director at the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate, has the less-than-pleasant answer. Spring brings with it long, beautiful days as the temperature starts to get warmer and warmer. As we start wearing shorter sleeves, some of us prefer to have a tan as we think it looks nicer. Some may even have the impression that we look healthier if we have a tan. So we see people flogging to the beaches to get some colour. However, in reality, does a tan make you look healthier? Does it make you look more beautiful? The truth is that there is no such thing as a healthy tan! When ultraviolet radiation from the sun reaches the skin, some is reflected away from the surface. But the remainder is scattered into the tissues just beneath the skin’s surface. A fraction of this radiation is absorbed by the skin’s cells. Once UV rays penetrate the skin, they work as a catalyst for the increased production of melanin by melanocytes, which are present in the skin. The more time exposed to UV rays, the more melanin released. The greater amount of melanin released, the darker the tan...

Stopping skin cancer

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:06:00 +0200

Last month, the Maltese Association of Dermatology and Venereology and the Department of Dermatology, in collaboration with the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department, launched the Euro-Melanoma Day Campaign for the 14th consecutive year, with the aim of raising awareness on prevention and early detection and treatment of melanoma. Some basic awareness of the outward manifestation of malignant melanoma may be enough to detect it in time. Most people have a number of small, pigmented spots on their skin, the majority of which appear over the years. Most moles are unalarming, but a change within a mole or another spot on the skin may be the first sign of some form of skin cancer. Melanoma usually appears as a brown/black patch or lump with irregular features. The ABCDE criteria provide a useful guide for diagnosing melanoma: A refers to asymmetry; B stands for border – melanoma has an irregular border as opposed to a smooth, rounded border; C refers to colour, with melanoma consisting of more than one shade; D stands for diameter, where melanoma is usually larger than 6mm in diameter; and E refers to evolution, that is, a change in size, shape and colour in a matter of...

Getting in bed with the enemy

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:05:00 +0200

How much is a tan worth to you? Rebecca Stoner from the Malta Medical Students’ Association loses some sleep over the dangers of tanning beds. In Malta, no regulations on their usage exist, raising fears that even children may have access to them. With summer round the corner, everyone’s current concern is getting tanned in time for the bikini season. But to what extent will people go in pursuit of the perfect tan? Contrary to popular belief, the alleged ‘healthy glow’ obtained from hours spent in the agonising heat is the skin’s way of reacting to damage. Every summer we are bombarded by the media with warnings and adverts about the risks associated with tanning, yet the number of cases of skin cancer is doubling every 15 to 20 years. This can be partly attributed to the rise in the use of tanning beds. There is a common misconception that indoor tanning is a safer alternative to tanning outdoors. People reassure themselves that tanning beds use controlled doses of UV radiation, but do not realise that each dose is very high – several times more than the annual UVA radiation received from midday sun. The higher the exposure to this kind of radiation, the higher the chances of...

Living beyond the pale

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:04:00 +0200

Safeguarding our skin from the sun may prove to be quite a challenge, especially for people with a fair complexion. Stephanie Fsadni reminds us that we must not forget the sunscreen on the back of the arms and the top of the foot... and that, ideally, we should wear an explorer’s hat. Angela O’Sullivan is as white as a sheet. When she moved to Malta from Scotland two-and-a-half years ago, she quickly realised she needed to protect her skin more each time she left the house. “I’m aware sunshine in small doses can be good for your skin, especially because of vitamin D, but the amount each person needs varies from one to the other. From what I read, I only need a small amount each day,” she says. Angela uses moisturisers and make-up with SPFs in them. Finding the right product may prove to be “something of a challenge” because she has very sensitive skin. “I find that some of the very high SPFs can be very thick and greasy, so I experiment with them a lot. I have even asked local chemists for samples of suncreams, so I can try them before I buy. In the main, though, I cover up with hats and glasses.” Angela, however, does not go to extremes, such as wearing long sleeves in August,...

Cow handbag design offal-y daring

Hugh Boag, PA — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:29:00 +0200

As fashion designs go, some might say it is just offal. An Edinburgh-based student is certain to divide opinions after creating a handbag line using the stomach lining of a Highland cow. Jocelyn Mather, a fourth-year design student at Edinburgh Napier University, said: "My lecturer kept saying they would look great on Lady Gaga." Her four statement bags, which will go on display at the university's Creative Degree Show from tomorrow, were all hand-stitched. The collection ranges from a formal clutch to a dainty handbag, with tripe either used as a lining or outer material. The fastenings are also made using the animal's horns and bull-ring. But the 23-year-old student hit a hiccup along the way when her flat was raided by wildlife officers. "My letting agent had been carrying out an inspection in my flat and had obviously come across a pair of cow horns", she said. "He had thought they were ivory tusks and called the police. I was terrified but they just laughed when they saw the horns." Ian Lambert, art design and communication subject group leader, said: "Jocelyn's designs are thought-provoking and like much of the work set to go on show, executed to a high standard." The show...

Antibiotics linked to longer life

David Wilcock, PA — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:23:00 +0200

Antibiotics could be the key to a longer and more energetic life, scientists have claimed. A team of researchers found that if the drugs are given to worms at certain points in their development, they could increase their lifespan by 60 per cent and gave them superior endurance and energy. They believe the results can be replicated in mice in the lab and theoretically in other mammals including humans. Johan Auwerx, from the Swiss Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, who carried out the study, said: “This research gives us hope not only for increasing longevity, but also for lengthening the period of adult vitality, and doing this with simple drugs such as antibiotics.” The research, published in the Journal Nature, analysed decoded mice genomes and identified a group of three genes which were “suppressed” – producing less of a particular protein – in mice that had lived significantly longer than others. The scientists then replicated this in nematode worms at an early stage in their development, resulting in the average life span leaping from 19 days to more than 30 days. The treated worms were also more energetic, with better muscle tone, the study showed. When they reached...

New tile collections at Vella Falzon Bathrooms

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:26:00 +0200

The new tile collections at Vella Falzon Bathrooms provide countless aesthetical options with designs and styles that offer the best solutions for any decor – whether minimalist, traditional or more ornamental. To appreciate the variety of this collection it is necessary to talk about their geometric decorative tiles, which combine extremely well with the wall tiles. Stone is a key element in interior decoration as it gives a tone of warmth and comfort uniting tradition with modernity. It can create a space with a rustic and country feel while, thanks to the evolution in its design, the most vanguard and sophisticated room can be achieved. Lovestone is a new collection inspired by a selection of natural stones with different finishes and sizes which can be adapted to the most modern and cutting-edge designs. The Art Nouveau collection allows designers to let their creativity roam free when creating a modern space with the essence from these artistic movements. Other new collections can be viewed at the Vella Falzon Bathrooms in Regional Road, Msida. For more information call 2144 5165.