Dzhokhar Tsarnaev may still be suffering from what authorities describe as “grievous injuries,” but that hasn’t stopped anyone from charging him for his crimes. Elsewhere around the world, France becomes the 14th country in the world to legalize gay marriage, a legislative result that will surely continue to spark protests. Finally, Bangladesh will be forced to re-think their worker safety laws following the collapse of a big garment factory building, which killed more than 300 people.
Welcome back to this week’s NEWSFLASH!
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Charged
The sole surviving suspect of the Boston Marathon bombings, 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was officially charged by federal authorities on Monday as he lay in his hospital bed.
Though Tsarnaev’s injuries limited his ability to speak, authorities reported that the suspect was cooperative and understood everything that was being said. Tsarnaev is officially being charged with using a weapon of mass destruction to kill civilians.
From the meeting, it was said that Tsarnaev admitted that both Tsarnaev brothers were motivated by jihadist ideas. The suspect faces the death penalty if convicted.
As of Saturday, Tsarnaev has now been moved to a secure housing location, where he is living in a small cell with a steel door. He is still receiving medical attention for his injuries.
The Boston Marathon bombing took place on Monday, April 15. Three people were killed, including an 8-year-old boy, and more than 200 were injured when two bombs went off at the marathon’s finish line at 2:50PM EST.
France Legalizes Gay Marriage and Adoption for Same-Sex Couples
Following on New Zealand’s heels, France legalized gay marriage and adoption procedures for same-sex couples on Monday. The new law made France the 14th country in the world to deem gay marriage legal.
The Marriage for All bill was originally introduced in November 2012. Immediately upon its introduction, the bill split the French lower house into Left-Right factions and polarized the French public, even though the majority of French citizens support gay marriage.
Bitter protests sprung up around France as debate raged around the bill. In recent months, the protests had gotten even more violent, with riot police having to intervene in some cases. Reports of gay couples and individuals being submitted to attacks also surfaced, including a few incidents outside of gay bars in cities like Nice.
The final vote was 331-225 in favor of the bill. Opposition groups still maintain that they will challenge the bill and continue protesting against gay marriage in France.
Garment Factory Building in Dhaka Collapses, Arrests Made
At least 336 people have died following a building collapse in Savar, a suburb outside Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. Approximately 3,000 people were thought to have been employed in the garment factory, and reports are claiming that around 600 workers are still missing in the rubble.
The factory owners, Mahbubur Rahman Tapas and Balzul Samad Adnan had reportedly been warned of cracks in the building but chose to ignore the findings. Both men have been arrested for the building’s collapse, which resulted in a significant loss of life.
Rescue crews are still digging through the rubble to locate survivors. A few workers are believed to still be alive.
Textiles exports are Bangladesh’s biggest source of economic growth. While regulations on worker safety have been improving somewhat over the years, the country still has much to do in terms of establishing more working place regulations.