The Wednesday news briefing: An at-a-glance survey of some top stories
Highlights from the news file for Wednesday, July 5
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CANADIAN COURT ASKED TO ENFORCE U.S. KHADR AWARD: Lawyers acting for the widow of an American special forces soldier have filed an application in Canada seeking to enforce a massive U.S. damages award against former Guantanamo Bay prisoner, Omar Khadr. The application comes amid word the federal government is set to pay the Toronto-born Khadr $10.5 million and apologize to him to settle his long-running lawsuit for breaching his rights. The filing in Ontario Superior Court, obtained by The Canadian Press, also says the applicants might ask for an order blocking Ottawa from paying Khadr any compensation. Alternatively, it wants any government money flowing to Khadr to go instead to relatives of Sgt. Chris Speer and retired U.S. sergeant Layne Morris. The application was filed on behalf of relatives of Speer, who was killed in Afghanistan in July 2002 during a fierce firefight in which Khadr, then 15 years old, was captured badly wounded. Retired U.S. sergeant Layne Morris, who was blinded in one eye during the same battle, is a co-applicant.
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