The Week
French satellites spot possible Malaysian plane debris, Turkey shoots down a Syrian fighter jet, and more
1. French satellite images may show missing plane
More than two weeks after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 went missing, French satellite images may have captured wreckage from the plane floating in the Indian Ocean near Australia. Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport on Sunday said the images show “potential objects” in the area that could be from the plane, which went missing on March 8 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The announcement came shortly after Chinese And Australian satellite images showed what could be debris from the plane in the same vicinity. [Reuters]
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2. Turkey shoots down Syrian fighter jet
Turkey on Sunday shot down a Syrian military aircraft that allegedly flew into its airspace, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. A Syrian military spokesman confirmed the incident, which occurred along the border between the two nations, calling it an act of “blatant aggression.” Turkey is a leading supporter of the Syrian opposition forces, and the plane was reportedly attacking rebel fighters when it was taken down. [BBC, Associated Press]
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3. Federal court suspends gay marriages in Michigan
One day after a federal judge in Michigan struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, a separate court on Saturday issued a temporary stay on the ruling. Though the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals initially signaled it would not intervene in the matter until the coming week, the court ultimately put a hold on gay marriages until at least Wednesday to give it more time to review the case. A handful of courts around the country have struck down or chipped away at state-level gay marriage bans since the Supreme Court last year issued its two landmark rulings in favor of gay marriage. [Detroit Free Press]
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4. Report: NSA spied on Chinese servers
The National Security Agency hacked into servers for the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei, leeching information and keeping tabs on company executives, according to The New York Times. Codenamed operation “Shotgiant,” the snooping was intended, in part, to find any connections between the company and China’s People’s Liberation Army, and to track equipment and technology being sold to other countries. [New York Times]
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5. Three dead in huge Washington mudslide
At least three people are dead and others may still be trapped after a massive mudslide swept across northwest Washington on Saturday. Rescue crews worked through the night in Snohomish County to locate survivors, whom fire chief Travis Hots said were “yelling for our help.” The mudslide, possibly triggered by recent heavy rainfall, swept away at least six homes and hospitalized at least eight. [USA Today]
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6. No more perfect brackets as Dayton continues NCAA tournament run
The University of Dayton is still dancing. On Saturday, the No. 11 seed Flyers upset No. 3 Syracuse 55-53 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 30 years. Syracuse had a chance to win the game in the closing seconds, but point guard Tyler Ennis’ shot from the top of the key clanged off the rim. As a result of the shocking win, there are no longer any perfect brackets — and we’re only halfway through the Round of 32. [ESPN]
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7. Russia continues takeover of Crimea military bases
Shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty effectively placing Crimea back under Moscow’s control, Russian forces stormed and took control of one of the last Ukrainian military outposts in the territory. Russian special forces smashed through the gates of Belbek Airbase, firing warning shots and ordering Ukrainian personal out of the area. Meanwhile, NATO’s top commander, U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, warned Sunday that Russia had amassed troops on Ukraine’s eastern border and was “very, very ready” to push further into the country. [CNN, Washington Post]
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8. Los Angeles Dodgers win MLB season opener
Playing on a converted cricket pitch in Sydney, Australia, the Los Angeles Dodgers trumped the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 on Saturday in the opening game of the 2014 baseball season. Clayton Kershaw got the win in the first regular season game ever played Down Under. The rest of MLB’s teams will kick off their seasons stateside in one week. [ESPN]
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9. Scientists can create mugshots using DNA
Researchers at Penn State and Catholic University claim to have created a statistical model for turning DNA into three-dimensional mugshots. In a study published last week, the scientists said they mapped 3D images of some 600 subjects’ faces, and then tested those subjects for 76 “genetic variants” affecting facial structure. From there, they pinpointed 20 genes that they said were helpful in predicting facial shape, and which could be used in the future to sketch faces from nothing more than DNA samples. [The Verge]
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10. Oscar Pistorious trial to extend into May
The murder trial of “Blade Runner” sprinter Oscar Pistorious will now stretch into the middle of May, a South African court said Sunday. The trial, entering its fourth week, will recess in the beginning of April after Pistorious takes the stand to give his account of the incident. Pistorious is charged with fatally shooting his girlfriend last year, though he claims he mistook her for an intruder. [Associated Press]
The Fifth Column 