Boston Bombing Suspect Asks Court For Experienced Lawyers

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Marathon bombing suspect, has asked a court to appoint two lawyers with experience in death penalty cases to help with his defence.

Tsarnaev’s lawyer, Miriam Conrad, said in a filing in federal court in Boston that two lawyers who have defended capital prosecutions should be appointed, “given the magnitude of this case.”

The case against Jared Loughner, the gunman who killed six people and injured 13, including former Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was allowed to hire two attorneys with experience in death penalty matters, was cited by Conrad. Loughner pleaded guilty to the 2011 rampage and is serving life in prison.

19-year-old Tsarnaev was charged with executing the April 15 bombings with his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, who died of injuries sustained in a gun battle with police four days after the attack.

The Tsarnaev brothers

The surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings who is still recovering in a Boston hospital after suffering injuries in a shootout with police leading to his arrest, was on Monday charged by Federal prosecutors with terrorism, outlining a chilling plot in which the man and his brother allegedly used low-grade but deadly explosives timed to detonate a block apart.

Tsarnaev was charged with using a weapon of mass destruction and malicious destruction of property, counts that could bring him the death penalty.

He made his first court appearance in an unusual, non-public proceeding in which a federal judge and several lawyers went to his hospital bed. The toll from the bombings, according to court documents and interviews on Monday, could have been far higher.

Tsarnaev and his brother, Tamerlan, 26, who was killed on Friday after a firefight with police, had a homemade arsenal of explosives. Some law enforcement officials said they think the brothers were planning more attacks. The pair also apparently had no escape plan.

The FBI found in Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s college dormitory room what appeared to be the same black jacket and white hat he wore on the day of the attack, court documents said.

Proud Billionaire? South Korea Annoyed By Bill Gates’ Handshake With President

Microsoft founder Bill Gates’ casual style was the subject of criticism in some South Korean media on Tuesday after he shook hands with President Park Geun-Hye, with one hand in his pocket.

The picture of the meet-and-greet between Gates and Park on Monday was splashed on the front page of every national daily, some of which cropped out the offending pocketed hand while most chose to highlight it.

“Cultural difference, or an act of disrespect?” the JoongAng Ilbo wrote in the accompanying caption.

“Disrespectful handshake? Casual handshake?” the Dong-A Ilbo asked.

South Korea — a deeply hierarchical, Confucian society where etiquette has great significance — is particularly sensitive to any possible slight to its national pride.

While the presidential Blue House declined to comment, social networking sites were clogged with opinion.

“Even considering the cultural difference, there is an appropriate manner for certain occasions… how can he put his hand in his pocket when meeting a leader of the state?” tweeted @msryu67.

Some news portals posted montages of Gates shaking hands with other world leaders, which showed that he has some form when it comes to informal greetings.

In a 2008 meeting with Park’s predecessor Lee Myung-Bak, Gates also kept one hand pocketed, although a 2001 picture with then-president Kim Dae-Jung showed him adopting a more respectful, two-handed shake.

“Gates is a casual man who’s not bound by customs so he shakes hands in this manner even when meeting heads of international organisations or top political figures,” Dong-A Ilbo quoted an unnamed friend of his in Seoul as saying.

And some South Koreans suggested the media criticism was misplaced.

“Please, people… don’t think your Confucian mindset is a universal norm elsewhere in the world,” tweeted @itanomaly.

Gates was in South Korea as chairman of the nuclear start-up TerraPower, promoting its project to develop a next-generation nuclear reactor.

Park, meanwhile, was seeking the Microsoft founder’s advice on her plans to build a “creative economy” that moves beyond South Korea’s traditional manufacturing base. [AFP]

British Millionaire Convicted For Selling Fake Bomb Detectors

A 56-year-old British millionaire is facing jail after he was convicted on Tuesday of selling fake bomb detectors to Iraq and other countries.

James McCormick was found guilty of three counts of fraud at London’s Old Bailey court for selling completely ineffective devices based on an American novelty golf ball finder.

McCormick made an estimated £50 million(N12.1bn) from sales of his three models to Iraq, Belgium and the United Nations for use in Lebanon.

“The devices did not work and he knew they did not work,” prosecutor Richard Whittam told jurors.

“And despite the fact they did not work, people bought them for a handsome but unwarranted profit.”

The businessman, who is from Langport in Somerset, southwest England, is believed to have made around £37 million from sales to Iraq alone, while other customers included Georgia and Niger.

McCormick told the court he had also sold the detectors to the Egyptian army, Kenyan police, Hong Kong’s prison service and Thai border control.

He used glossy brochures and the Internet as means of marketing the detectors to governments around the world, with advertising material showing the devices being used to find explosives, drugs, ivory and people.

Whittam said McCormick had made “fantastic” claims about the detectors, including that they could track objects a kilometre (0.6 miles) underground.

One of the models was sold for as much as $40,000(about N6.3m)per unit, Whittam said.

McCormick told the court that one of his detectors had been used to check a hotel in Romania before a US president visited in the 1990s.

“I never had any negative results from customers,” the businessman said.

McCormick walks free for now as he is out on bail, until his sentencing on May 2.

Ghanian Actress Jackie Appiah Plans Glamorous Wedding

The Ghanian actress, Jackie Appiah is loved by many for her roles in Nollywood and Ghollywood movies. The dark-skinned actress who has once walked down the isle is planning to do it again

After the end of her marriage to ex-husband, Peter Agyeman, the actress is putting her past behind her and moving on. Now though, she is set to wed Nigerian Actor, Bobby Obodo. The two have been dating for some time now.

Though no date has been set, sources say that the two are in love and her planning to get married soon.

FG hires SAN to prosecute Leadership reporters

The Federal Government has hired an Abuja-based member of the inner bar, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, as private lawyer to prosecute the Group News Editor, Mr. Tony Amokeodo and Political Correspondent, Mr. Chibuzor Ukaibe, of Leadership newspapers, over allegation of forging a document containing a presidential directive.

The journalists are also accused of fraudulent publication of a bromide of the controversial document, inciting members of the public against the government to dislocate the nation’s peace and forgery of the seal, signet or sign manual purported to be the signature of President Jonathan Goodluck.

But, the government which concealed a number of crucial documents containing details of the forgery allegation against the journalists, however, failed yesterday to arraign them as they insisted on full disclosure of the entire case against them before they would know the type of plea to enter.

Besides, the journalists, who were represented in court by a team of seven lawyers led by Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, also opposed the bid by the government to arraign them on the account that they needed sufficient time to study the charge against them since the new counsel, Chief Awomolo, SAN, had further amended the charge and served them few minutes before the court sat.

Hidden from the journalists yesterday were statements of star prosecution witnesses lined up by government to testify in the matter, the report of the handwriting analysts upon which the charge is anchored and three crucial annexures which the Federal Government refused to disclose.

But, Falana, SAN, yesterday argued that the federal high court procedure rules and section 36 (6) (b) of the 1999 Constitution command that every person charged with a criminal offence shall be entitled to adequate time and facilities, including full proof of evidence for the preparation of the defence.

He said they would need to study the amended charge containing six counts instead of the earlier charge which contained 10 counts and all the facilities including the full proof of evidence in the matter.

“My lord, the constitution did not say that the accused shall not be entitled to full proof of evidence. It is also not available to the prosecution to release the proof of evidence instalmentally,” he said yesterday. But Chief Awomolo told the court that the government had complied with the law by providing everything necessary for the arraignment to take place.

Although, he agreed that they were entitled to sufficient time to prepare their defence, having just been served the amended charge yesterday, he nonetheless argued that they were not entitled to the said crucial documents they sought for the arraignment to take place.

Awomolo, who claimed yesterday that the summary of the statements of prosecution witnesses made available to the two journalists were sufficient to make the arraignment possible, however, said that if the journalists were still insisting on full disclosure, he said he would want them to address the court on the narrow legal issue.

The trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, adjourned further hearing in the case till April 30, even as he gave the Federal Government 24 hours to file its argument on the issue of full disclosure of proof of evidence before arraignment while the journalists are to respond within three days.

The judge said that he would rule on the application at the next adjourned date after they must have adopted their arguments, saying that the journalists would be arraigned immediately after the ruling.

2nd child of couple dies after only praying

A couple serving probation for the 2009 death of their toddler after they turned to prayer instead of a doctor could face new charges now that another son has died.

Herbert and Catherine Schaible belong to a fundamentalist Christian church that believes in faith healing. They lost their 8-month-old son, Brandon, last week after he suffered from diarrhea and breathing problems for at least a week, and stopped eating. Four years ago, another son died from bacterial pneumonia.

Prosecutors said Tuesday that a decision on charges will be made after they get the results of an autopsy.

Catherine Schaible's attorney, Mythri Jayaraman, cautioned against a rush to judgment, and said the couple are good parents deeply distraught over the loss of another child.

"There are way more questions than answers at this point. We haven't seen the autopsy report. We don't know the cause of death of this child," Jayaraman told The Associated Press. "What we do know is Mr. and Mrs. Schaible are distraught, they are grieving, they are tremendously sad about the loss of their most recent baby."

A man who answered the phone at a listing for Herbert Schaible declined to comment and hung up.

A jury convicted the Schaibles of involuntary manslaughter in the January 2009 death of their 2-year-old son, Kent. The boy's symptoms had included coughing, congestion, crankiness and a loss of appetite. His parents said he was eating and drinking until the last day, and they had thought he was getting better.

The Schaibles were sentenced to 10 years' probation.

At a hearing Monday, a judge told the couple they had violated the terms of their probation, noting the Schaibles had told investigators that they prayed to God to make Brandon well instead of seeking medical attention.

"You did that once, and the consequences were tragic," Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Benjamin Lerner said, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

Prosecutors on Monday sought to have the couple jailed, but Lerner permitted them to remain free because their seven other children had been placed in foster care.

"He feels they are a danger to their children — not to the community, but to their own children," Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore, who prosecuted the couple in 2010, said Tuesday.

Herbert Schaible, 44, and his 43-year-old wife grew up in the First Century Gospel Church in northeast Philadelphia and have served as teachers there. The church's website has a sermon titled "Healing — From God or Medicine?" that quotes Bible verses purportedly forbidding Christians from visiting doctors or taking medicine.

"It is a definite sin to trust in medical help and pills; and it is real faith to trust on the Name of Jesus for healing," says the message, from last May.

A phone message left with the church on Tuesday was not immediately returned.

The church's pastor said in 2010 that the couple had never received medical care themselves beyond the help of a lay midwife who attends home births.

The Schaibles did take their children for medical checkups as required by their probation, according to Jayaraman, the defense attorney. Jayaraman said that Brandon was checked by a doctor when he was 10 days old, but she did not know whether the child had seen a doctor since.

"Nobody argues that these aren't very loving, nurturing parents," she said Tuesday. "Whether their religion had anything to do with the death of their baby, we don't know."

Mike Tyson Backs Suarez After Ivanovic Bite

Former boxer Mike Tyson has offered his backing to Luis Suarez after the Liverpool forward bit Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.\

Suarez has been fined by his club and is expected to be handed a lengthy suspension following the incident, which took place during the 2-2 draw at Anfield.

Tyson also earned notoriety when he bit Evander Holyfield’s ear during a 1997 bout, and he told the Glenn David radio show in the US that he was confident Suarez would be able to put the controversy behind him.

“I saw this guy on the Twitter thing and thought I would check it out and see what his journey was all about,” Tyson said, having become one of the footballer’s followers on the social networking site.

“You know, he bit somebody, you know. S*** happens, you know what I mean? I’m sure he made amends with his guy. I made amends with Evander, and we go on with our lives.”

Suarez has already said that Ivanovic has accepted his apology over the incident, although there are suggestions that may not be the case.

I was amazed by Don Jazzy –Sarz

Edo-State born Sound Producer, Osaretin Osabuohien, aka Sarz, is fast spreading his reputation as music’s wunderkind producer after dropping a hit track “Beat of Life (Samba)” and being publicly saluted by foremost Nigerian producer, Don Jazzy.

Saying Sarz seats conveniently at the pinnacle of sound production in Nigeria is unarguable and the proof is underlined by his various accomplishments. The producer and sound engineer who is signed to Trybe Records is best known for his mastery of the art of cycling artistes to stardom effortlessly.

Most of Sarz’s productions are club friendly, credible on the ‘streets’ and enjoy massive air play in the media. The list of artistes he has worked with include: late Dagrin, Lord of Ajasa, YQ, Banky W, Reminisce, Wizkid, Jah Bless, eLDee (CEO of Trybe Record), Skales, Naeto C and many others.

However, among the tracks produced by Sarz, one of them, ‘Beat of Life (Samba)’ featuring Wizkid, is presently winning acceptance from the music-loving public. According to Sarz, after he created the beat, many who heard it before release rated the beat as unique, danceable and of international standard. But getting Wizkid to work on it created more ‘magic’.

“After I made the beat, Wizkid came to the studio one day, heard it, loved it and did some singing on it and we got the magic. Working with Wiz was awesome”, the young artiste explained.

But does he have favourites among his many works or a special formula to getting the result he does? “I don’t have a favourite because every time I make beats, I put all my best into the process. My formula is A plus B equals hit songs”.

However, the soft-spoken artiste cannot hide his joy at being able to mastermind the beats for popular ‘Kako bi Chicken’, a hit track he produced for Reminisce. “I love ‘Kako bi Chicken’ because I’m not Yoruba, yet I did justice to the beat”.

Possibly, the beat maker’s talent and rapid growth in the industry are reasons why Don Jazzy, one of the foremost contemporary producers in Nigeria and CEO, Mavin Records, handled over his 2012 Nigeria Entertainment Award (NEA) Producer of the Year trophy to Sarz. The young producer was in that category with Don Jazzy alongside names like Shizzy, Samklef, Jesse Jagz and Cobhams Asuquo. Dramatically, in acknowledgment of Sarz’s remarkable work, Jazzy conceded the trophy to him

Speaking about the gesture, Sarz described the moment as one his greatest moments in life. “It was unbelievable! I was amazed that a great producer like Don Jazzy had seen my struggle and efforts and equally extended me such an endorsement. I really appreciate the gesture and will hold on to the moment dearly”, he declared.

Remembering how he cut his teeth in the Nigeria music industry, Sarz who would have ended up as a software developer; his childhood dream, said: “I stumbled into music because I have always loved it; I began cultivating the habit of memorising beats anytime I hear distinct ones. Even days after listening to certain music, I can still mentally replay most of the beats in my head.

“But, I started the career seriously after a friend of mine brought a music software to my house and I devoted time to master it”, he said.

Sarz remembered he met eLDee in 2009 and a lucrative music partnership started from that time, while also describing the award-winning music star as his boss, brother and friend.

Despite quick success, Sarz said he is not distracted from making newer beats not even minding the plethora of party bangers he has turned out. Surprisingly, for a producer brimming with such tremendous creativity, he found it difficult to pinpoint his source of motivation. “I really can’t tell it. Most times I just get into the studio and do my thing”, he stated jocularly.

The music landscape has seen new talents popping up daily and Sarz attributed the situation to the instant reward that comes with good music. “Lots of people now want to go into sound production because they find it very attractive. Music has been financially attractive and this is the fastest growing industry in Nigeria at the moment”.

But, Sarz would not tolerate that producers are given less prominence, saying they remain the mainstay of artistes. “As far as music is concerned in terms of production, lyrics is 50% and the beat is equally 50%. If you get credit for the lyrics then credits should be given to the beat and the producer”.

Having once been a student of the University of Lagos, Sarz has the aspiration of studying at the Institute of Digital Music in Atlanta, USA, while he plans to rely on the internet to shuttle between studies and the music industry. “Thank God for the internet, I can always do beats and send them to appropriate people”.

5 Things You Should Never Do After A Breakup

Dealing with a breakup can be a very painful and confusing experience. A lot of emotions run through you and you are likely to take rash decisions if care is not taken.

Here are a few things you must NOT do after a breakup:

1. Don’t Beg:

For God’s sake, don’t beg! Begging after a breakup only makes matters worse. It makes you appear pathetic and it can be very irritating. Maybe you don’t understand why it ended. Maybe you think it ended for the wrong reasons. Maybe you’d just rather be in a bad relationship than be in no relationship at all. No matter what you do, don’t beg for him/her to return. Deep down, you know that you don’t want to be in a relationship with someone you had to beg to be with you. Besides, if your ex rejects you a second time, it won’t just hurt; the rejection will sting with extra humiliation and regret

2. Don’t Seek revenge:

Don’t seek revenge. It serves no purpose and it will only make you feel worse about yourself. Don’t destroy his things, don’t speak evil of her. The thrill of revenge only feeds bitterness and hatred. You may have been deeply wronged, but “getting even” won’t heal any wounds. Forgive and move on. Carry your head high and spend your energy on people who deserve it.

3. Don’t Communicate: 

Don’t continue to communicate regularly with your ex. Breakups leave a void in your heart where your ex once occupied but constant calling and texting won’t fill that void. Every time you drop the phone without saying “I love you”, your heart will break all over again. Many people feel lost after a breakup; not because they miss their ex, but because so many of their daily habits once revolved around someone else. Give yourself some time to adapt to single life.

4. Don’t Visit Their Facebook:

Social media can be a heartbroken person’s worst nightmare. Resist the urge to post anything about your breakup online, don’t insult your ex on twitter and don’t be a constant visitor to his/her Facebook page. Seeing pictures of your ex happy or with someone else can compound your problem and make your life more miserable than it probably already is.

5. Don’t Give Up.

Regardless of how the breakup made you feel, don’t let it destroy your hope. Continue taking care of yourself. Take some time to refocus and pursue the things you’ve always loved to do. Spend time with loved ones. You found love before and you will find it again. Learn what you can from the relationship that just ended and move forward. Don’t give up on meeting your perfect match. Be thankful that the wrong relationship ended to free you up for the right one.

Rihanna Shares Tópless Picture As She Gets Ready For Performance (Photo)

She has spent the last few days chilling poolside but it was back to work with a bang for Rihanna as she got all made up to perform in Atlanta.

Diamonds singer Rihanna shared a tópless snap of her getting made up, only covering her módesty with a white towel.

With her hair primly curled the star looked amazing and showed off her rather demure yellow únderwear.

The 25-year-old wrote on her Twitter account: 'Show time!! #DWT," she wrote. "#ATL is all miiiiiinnneee!!!! I want you on your WORST behavior!!! Tonight is all about you!!! #DiamondsWorldTour'

Source: Dailymail

Boston Bomb suspect claims his elder brother was the brain behind the attack

Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has told investigators his older brother Tamerlan was the driving force behind last week's attack and that no international terrorist groups were behind them, a U.S. government source said Monday.

 

CNN says Tsarnaev, who has an injury to his throat, has communicated he and his brother acted alone and that Tamerlan, the older of the two, was the ringleader in the bombings.

 

Preliminary interviews with Tsarnaev indicate the two brothers fit the classification of self-radicalized jihadists, the source said. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, wounded and held in a Boston hospital, has said his brother -- who was killed early Friday -- wanted to defend Islam from attack, 

 

The 19-year-old, who could face the death penalty if convicted, was mostly silent and nodded affirmatively throughout the brief bedside hearing, indicating that he understood the charges laid against him,  court transcripts published by The New York Times reveal.

 

But when asked if he could afford a lawyer, the teen spoke for the first time, saying: "No".

 

 

A doctor, identified in the transcript as Dr Odom, asked Tsarnaev how he was feeling.

"Are you able to answer some questions?" the doctor asked the teen.

Tsarnaev "nods affirmatively," according to the document the first of four times during the hearing.

 

CNN

Jay-Z, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian meet up in the streets of New York City

Jay-Z, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian connected in the SoHo 
neighborhood of New York City earlier in the day to do a little shopping and catching up.
It’s definitely nice to see the clique back together again, as there were a few rumors floating around that there were some issues within the crew.

VIDEO & PHOTOS: LKT Featuring Davido – Alaye (Remix) – Behind The Scenes

Sad But True,Keturah Hamilton calls it quit with Jim Iyke!

During the week,I was forced to talk with Jim Iyke who called me from Ghana and couldn't confirm nor deny that both him (Jim Iyke) and Keturah Hamilton are still together. Officially,I can confirm from Ms Hamilton that their six years relationship has finally hit the rock! Sad as it is,this is the undeniable truth!

She gave him six good years of her life,calls him 'My Husband',as a super model,she worshipped him like a god. In my yet to be published interview with Jim,he called her 'My soul mate' and showered praises on her. He was planning to move to New York to live with her in January and now,the highly publicized relationship between Keturah Hamilton and Jim Iyke is over.

For Keturah Hamilton,she felt used,duped,framed up and dumped.

According to the soft spoken Keturah Hamilton,their relationship has been on the brink of collapse since the beginning of the year,what shocked her most was the fact that Jim framed her up in his latest reality show.

I had spoken with Keturah when she drew my attention to the Youtube video now making waves online. When I asked her to explain the role she played,l she said Jim asked her to play that role. When I confronted Jim on this allegation,he made it categorically clear he never asked her to do so. 

Keturah felt,Jim framed her up in other to give her a bad name. This I also ask Jim who denied she was framed up

Jackie Appiah To Marry Her Nigerian Boyfriend Soon?

Ghanaian actress Jackie Appiah who got involved in a messy divorce case with her husband few months ago is set to give wedding a shot again.

Jackie Appiah and her Ghanaian lover, Peter Agyeman got married about 5 years ago and the wedding produced a beautiful son.
Now that her divorce is final, she is currently dating Nigerian actor Bobby Obodo.

In the past few weeks, the inseparable lovers were spotted at several functions in Accra, Ghana.

Sources also claim Bobby Obodo has officially introduced himself to Jackie Appiah’s family members and an approval has been granted.

The real gist is that the two are planning a glamorous wedding ceremony.

Though no date has been set, we learnt Jackie Appiah has started putting things in order on her end.
Wishing them a happy married life in advance.