Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

World Dispatches for July 30, 2010

From news service reports

KABUL, Afghanistan

Discovery of second sailor’s body deepens mystery

The discovery of the body of a second U.S. sailor who vanished in Afghanistan last week only deepened the mystery of the men’s disappearance nearly 60 miles from their base in a dangerous area controlled by the Taliban.

An investigation is under way, but with both sailors dead, U.S. authorities remained at a loss Thursday to explain what two junior enlisted men in noncombat jobs were doing driving alone in Logar province, where much of the countryside is not under government control.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley – father of two boys aged 5 and 9 – from Kingman, Arizona, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove, 25, from the Seattle area, disappeared in the province July 23. McNeley’s body was recovered there Sunday and Newlove’s body was pulled from a river Wednesday evening, Afghan officials said.

The U.S. Navy confirmed Newlove’s death on Thursday.

Officials at the NATO-led coalition headquarters in Kabul have not offered an explanation as to why the two service members were driving a heavily armored vehicle so far from their base at Camp Julien, a training facility on the western edge of the city.

KINSHASA, Congo

At least 80 dead, dozens missing as boat capsizes

A boat ferrying about 200 passengers to Congo’s capital capsized after hitting a rock, and a government spokesman said Thursday at least 80 people were confirmed dead.

Rescuers were searching for dozens of missing people after the boating disaster on the Congo River near Maluku district about 80 miles (130 kilometers) from its destination, Information Minister Lambert Mende said. The boat was heading to Kinshasa from western Bandundu province’s district of Kwilu.

ROME

Private funds sought for Colosseum restoration

Italian officials are seeking to raise $32 million in private money to finance the restoration of one of the country’s iconic landmarks: the Colosseum.

The Culture Ministry says the government will accept bids from possible sponsors from Aug. 4 to Sept. 15.

The ministry said in a statement that sponsors funding the project will be able to “promote their image,” but that any ads will have to be compatible with the decorum of the 2,000-year-old arena.

Officials said Thursday the Rome city hall is also looking to charge tourists a few extra euros in tax for hotels and some museums.