QUOTE OF THE DAY “Such a present to us. Merry Christmas.” Russia’s President Vladimir Putin,
on American secrets-leaker Edward Snowden’s long stay at a Moscow airport, characterizing it as an
unwelcome gift foisted on Russia by the United States Article, 1AOil-train crash’s dead found now at 37
LAC-MEGANTIC, Quebec - Police have recovered two more bodies from the wreckage of a runaway oil train’s explosive derailment that killed 50 people in a Quebec town.
Provincial police Inspector Michel Forget said Monday that 37 bodies have been recovered and 13 remain missing.
The coroner’s office says two more bodies have been identified, bringing the total of those identified to 11.
The unmanned train hurtled down a seven-mile incline on July 6, derailed and ignited. All but one of its 73 cars was carrying oil, and at least five exploded, destroying the downtown of Lac-Megantic.
The train was owned by Montreal, Maine & Atlantic railway.
Parish priest Steve Lemay said a memorial Mass for the victims will take place July 27.
Hostage dead in Mali, French confirm
PARIS - President Francois Hollande’s office formally confirmed on Monday the death of a French hostage in Mali, ending the uncertainty about the status of one of six French citizens captured by al-Qaida’s North African arm.
A statement from the president’s office said an autopsy would be performed to learn the cause of death of Philippe Verdon once the body is transferred to France. Tests were conducted on the body to verify the identity.
The media arm of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb had said on Twitter in April that Verdon was dead after an unofficial announcement in March. Verdon, in his early 50s, had been captured in Hombori, in northeastern Mali, in November 2011 along with another French citizen. Both were reportedly on a business trip.
Verdon was known to be in ill health and there has been speculation that his death was related to pre-existing conditions. However, the al-Qaida group took credit for his death, saying in April that the fate of the remaining captives “is in the hands of French President Francois Hollande and the door is still open to find a just solution.”
The presidential statement reiterated that “those responsible for the death of our countryman must be identified and judged.”Gay-marriage bill advances in Britain
LONDON - Britain’s gay-marriage bill has cleared its last major hurdle, passing through the House of Lords and prompting celebrations from campaigners outside Parliament.
Supporters of the bill in Parliament’s upper house wore pink carnations Monday as the Lords agreed to send it back to the House of Commons, where lawmakers will review government amendments before it becomes law.
That is expected to go without a hitch, as the House of Commons earlier passed the bill 390 to 148.
The bill will enable gay couples to get married in both civil and religious ceremonies in England and Wales, though the Church of England, which is divided on the issue, is barred from offering same-sex ceremonies.
Currently, same-sex couples can form civil partnerships, which carry similar rights and responsibilities to marriage.
Nigeria pressed to arrest Sudan leader
ABUJA, Nigeria - Angry that Nigeria is hosting a fugitive accused of genocide and war crimes, human-rights lawyers Monday asked the Federal High Court to issue an arrest warrant for Sudan President Omar al-Bashir.
Nigerian civil-rights activists sent an urgent request to the International Criminal Court to refer the Nigerian government to the U.N. Security Council for failing to detain al-Bashir and surrender him to the court in The Hague for trial, said the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project.
The project urged Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan “to support the demand by the international community for justice for the victims of genocide and war crimes.”
Britain, Nigeria’s former colonizer, issued a mild reprimand. Minister for Africa Mark Simmonds expressed “disappointment” and said Nigeria’s action “undermines the work of the ICC and sends the victims a dismaying message that the accountability they are waiting for will be delayed further.”
The court in The Hague indicted the Sudanese leader in 2009 and 2010 for crimes including extermination, forcible transfer of population, torture and rape. He was the first sitting African head of state to be indicted by the court.
On Sunday, Nigeria rolled out a red carpet and gave al-Bashir full military honors when he arrived in Abuja, the federal capital, to attend an African Union health summit that started Monday.
Leaders from eight other African countries attended the summit, including Kenya, which has shunned al-Bashir.
Front Section, Pages 4 on 07/16/2013