Beyond pharaoh and sect

March 26, 2014 - Daily News Briefing

Egyptians crave a return of stability.

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Frustration over the fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 mounted Tuesday, with gale-force winds delaying the search in the rough and remote seas off western Australia, and angry relatives shouting “Liars!” in the streets of Beijing about Malaysia’s declaration that the plane went down with all aboard. The bad weather forced a day-long delay by search planes combing a vast expanse of the southern Indian Ocean for any pieces of the jet – tangible evidence for the families seeking closure after more than two weeks of uncertainty.

Calls to begin US natural-gas exports to Europe to counter Russian influence across the continent grew louder Tuesday amid concerns that Russia will move deeper into Ukraine. Lithuania’s energy minister, Jaroslav Neverovic, pleaded in emotional terms for US help, saying his country is “100 percent” dependent on Russia for natural gas and has to pay 30 percent higher prices for it than other countries in Europe. The US does not export natural gas to Europe.

A scientist working for the government had warned 15 years ago about the potential for a catastrophic landslide in the fishing village of Oso, Wash., where the collapse of a rain-soaked hillside over the weekend killed at least 14 people and left scores missing. As rescue workers slogged through the muck and rain in search of victims Tuesday, word of the 1999 report raised questions about why residents were allowed to build homes on the hill and whether officials had taken proper precautions.

An emergency track-side braking system activated but failed to stop a Chicago commuter train from jumping the tracks and barreling to the top of an escalator at O’Hare International Airport, a federal investigator said Tuesday. The events that led to Monday’s accident, which occurred around 3 a.m. and injured more than 30 passengers, might have begun with the train operator dozing off toward the end of her shift, according to the union representing transit workers. But Tuesday’s announcement that a piece of emergency safety equipment might have failed was the first indication the accident could have been caused both by human error and mechanical failure.

Oscar Pistorius will probably testify at his trial later this week in Pretoria, South Africa, a defense attorney said Tuesday after prosecutors rested their case against the double-amputee runner who is accused of murder in his girlfriend’s death.

About half of all US payday loans are made to people who extend the loans so many times they end up paying more in fees than the original amount they borrowed, a report by a federal watchdog has found. The report released Tuesday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also shows that 4 of 5 payday loans are extended, or “rolled over,” within 14 days. Additional fees are charged when loans are rolled over.

The coast Guard partially reopened one of the busiest US seaports to ship traffic Tuesday, three days after a collision between a barge and a ship spilled up to 170,000 gallons of tar-like oil into the waters south of Houston. Authorities said ships were being allowed through the Houston Ship Channel after assessment teams deemed it clear enough for passage.

The Taliban launched a brazen assault in the Afghan capital on Tuesday, with two suicide bombers detonating their explosives outside an election office on the edge of Kabul while other gunmen stormed into the building, trapping dozens of employees inside. A candidate for a seat on a provincial council was killed, along with an election worker and two policemen, said Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi. All five insurgents involved in the attack, which triggered a standoff that lasted more than four hours, were also killed, he said.

US first lady Michelle Obama encouraged rural Chinese students to aim high and get a good education despite humble roots, in a speech Tuesday that was delivered via satellite technology to remote communities in southwestern China. She cited herself, basketball star LeBron James, and Starbucks executive Howard Schultz as examples of people with modest backgrounds succeeding, during her 15-minute presentation at Chengdu No. 7 High School in Sichuan Province.

More than 30 countries are pledging to turn international guidelines on nuclear security into national laws, a move hailed by experts as the most significant achievement of a two-day summit. The initiative pushed by host nation the Netherlands, the United States, and South Korea also commits nations to open up their security procedures to independent review, a further step toward creating an overarching international legal framework designed to prevent terrorists from getting their hands on nuclear material.

Compiled from wire service reports

“The object of the Monitor is to injure no man, but to bless all mankind.” – Mary Baker Eddy

The Daily News Briefing is published Monday through Friday by The Christian Science Publishing Society in Boston, Massachusetts.

Compiled from wire service reports

“The object of the Monitor is to injure no man, but to bless all mankind.” – Mary Baker Eddy

The Daily News Briefing is published Monday through Friday by The Christian Science Publishing Society in Boston, Massachusetts.

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