Forensic trails

August 12, 2015 - Daily News Briefing

A Dutch investigation into the downing of a Malaysian airliner is making progress.

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With the pull of a lever, control rods were lifted Tuesday from the reactor core at a plant in southern Japan, ending a ban on nuclear power following meltdowns at Fukushima in the northeast that forced tens of thousands of people to leave their homes, most of them for good. Crowded, energy-scarce Japan remains committed to nuclear power despite the March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant and its messy aftermath, for economic, environmental and political reasons. Polls show that most Japanese don't want nuclear power, but public opinion has been trumped by leaders who say keeping the country's 43 workable reactors offline forever would be too damaging economically.

One of tech's biggest names, Google, is reorganizing under a new moniker – "Alphabet" – in a move underscoring its founders' ambitions to pursue ventures far beyond the company's Internet search core, from self-driving cars to cutting-edge medical research. It will still use the Google name for its popular Internet search engine, mapping service and related products. But CEO and co-founder Larry Page said Monday the creation of the new holding company called Alphabet will provide more independence for divisions like Nest, which makes Internet-connected home appliances, and Calico, which is researching ways to prolong human life.

Iraq's parliament on Tuesday unanimously approved an ambitious reform plan that would cut spending and eliminate senior posts, including the three largely symbolic vice presidencies, following mass protests against corruption and poor services. Lawmakers approved the plan without a debate – a dramatic departure from the heated arguments and delays that have slowed previous efforts to approve important laws. Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, had backed the plan, which was announced Sunday amid mounting public pressure.

Greece agreed to harsh terms for a new three-year bailout Tuesday and vowed to push it through parliament this week, despite mounting dissent in the ruling left-wing party. With the country facing the risk of a debt default next week, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had sought to speed up the talks and get approval of a deal this week. After Greece and its creditors reached an accord on the main points on Tuesday, Tsipras called for an emergency session of parliament for a vote late Thursday. Greece needs to start tapping the new bailout – worth $93 billion – so that it can make a key debt repayment next week and secure its future in the euro.

China's surprise move Tuesday to devalue its currency has intensified concerns about the world's second-largest economy, whose growth has reached a six-year low. It may also fan political tensions with the United States and Europe, whose exports could become comparatively costlier. A cheaper yuan will benefit China's products by making them less expensive overseas. U.S. exporters have long complained that China manipulates its currency to gain a trade advantage. As China's once-breakneck growth has slowed, its reduced demand for foreign raw materials – from oil to coal to copper – has, in turn, slowed growth in countries like Australia and Brazil. On Tuesday, China's central bank said the devaluation of the yuan was a result of reforms intended to make its exchange rate more market-oriented.

The principal of a suburban Philadelphia Catholic school plans to hold a meeting with parents next month about a gay teacher fired over her same-sex marriage. The Philadelphia Inquirer says Waldron Mercy Academy principal Nell Stetser acknowledged the decision not to renew Margie Winters' contract "continues to cause a great deal of pain and heartfelt questioning." Some 23,000 petitions were delivered Monday by those seeking her reinstatement at the Catholic elementary school.

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