Thursday, July 25, 2013
Michael Jackson's mom: 'I want to know what really happened'
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Jackson matriarch Katherine Jackson: "A lot of the facts that have been said are not the truth"
- Michael Jackson's "not here to speak for himself," his mother says
- "My son was a very good person," Jackson's mother testifies
- Expert says Jackson would have earned $1.5 billion from touring and sponsorship
Katherine Jackson, likely
the final witness as her lawyers conclude their wrongful death case
against the pop icon's last concert promoter, began her testimony Friday
and will conclude it Monday in a Los Angeles court.
"The most difficult thing
is to sit here in the court and listen to all the bad things they say
about my son," Jackson testified.
The 83-year-old matriarch
of the world's most famous entertainment family sat on the front row in
the small courtroom for most of the 51 previous days of testimony.
"A lot of the facts that
have been said are not the truth," she said. She said contrary to what
an AEG Live executive wrote in an e-mail as Jackson prepared for his
comeback concerts in 2009, her son was not lazy.
Paris Jackson's deposition
Paris Jackson deposition played in court
But she especially
objected to an e-mail from AEG parent company's general counsel that
called Jackson "a freak" on the same day his company's top executives
were going to his house to sign the "This Is It" tour contract.
"He's not here to speak for himself," his mother said. She said she would "try my best" to speak for the pop icon.
Jurors leaned forward and
listened closely during Jackson's testimony and as her lawyer showed
them video of her son performing as a child.
The lawsuit filed by
Katherine Jackson and on behalf of the singer's three children contends
AEG Live is liable for the death of Jackson because it hired, retained
or supervised Dr. Conrad Murray. The doctor was convicted of involuntary
manslaughter.
AEG Live argues it was
Jackson, not their company, who chose and controlled Murray, who
admitted giving Jackson nightly infusions of a surgical anesthetic the
coroner ruled killed him. Its executives had no way of knowing about the
dangerous treatments Murray was giving Jackson in the privacy of his
bedroom, AEG Live lawyers contend.
"Why are you here?" Jackson lawyer Brian Panish asked Katherine
"Because I want to know what really happened to my son," she said. "And that's why I am here."
Panish asked Jackson how
it made her feel to have been asked probing and personal questions
about her family by AEG Live lawyer Marvin Putnam during a dozen hours
of deposition testimony.
"It makes me feel real
bad, because my son was a very good person," she said. "He loved
everybody, he gave to charity, he was in the Guinness Book of World
Records for giving to charity."
Putnam faces the challenge of not appearing unkind to Katherine Jackson while also trying to discredit her testimony.
"Forget it," she said as
she stopped before answering Putnam's question about why she initially
included, and later dropped show director Kenny Ortega as a defendant in
her lawsuit.
"Forget what ma'am?" Putnam asked.
Jackson remained silent for about a minute, staring back at Putnam.
Would it help to reread the question, he asked.
"No, it wouldn't be helpful," Jackson answered curtly.
The judge finally
ordered the question stricken from the record because the answer
involved privileged discussions with her lawyers.
Jackson returned to the
stand after the lunch break but she told the judge she was tired after
just a few more minutes of questioning by Putnam. The judge sent jurors
home two hours early and will allow Katherine Jackson to resume her
testimony Monday morning.
If jurors decide that
AEG Live is liable in Jackson's death, they could award damages based on
the loss of the mother's and children's relationship with him and the
amount of money he was unable to earn because his life was cut short.
The wrongful death trial is about to get a lot uglier, if defense lawyers live up to the promise of their opening statements.
AEG Live lawyers this
week brought up the child molestation charges against Jackson and the
2002 incident in which the pop star "dangled" his infant son on a Berlin
hotel balcony.
Touring till 66?
Paris Jackson made
another appearance in the trial this week -- via a video of her
deposition in March. Jurors saw a clip of AEG Live lawyer Putnam asking
the 15-year-old what her father told her about his "This Is It" tour:
Putnam: "Did he explain to you how long the tour was going to last?"
Paris: "I assume a long time since it was a world tour, but those usually last a long time"
Putnam: "How did you understand it was a world tour?"
Paris: "Because he told us."
Putnam: "What did he tell you?"
Paris: "That we were going around the world on tour."
Certified public
accountant Arthur Erk, who has managed and audited the business affairs
of many top artists, testified Wednesday that he is "reasonably certain"
that Jackson would have performed 260 shows around the world as part of
his "This Is It" tour. He would have earned $890 million over the three
years of concerts in Europe, Asia, South America, North America and
Australia, Erk said.
Jackson would have
earned at least $1.5 billion from touring, endorsements and sponsorships
had he not died preparing for his comeback tour, Erk said.
AEG Live's unprecedented
sellout of 50 shows scheduled for London's O2 Arena in 2009 and 2010
proved there was "pent-up demand" to see Jackson live, despite
controversies that had tarnished his reputation in the years since his
last tour in 1998, Erk said.
An e-mail from AEG Live
CEO Randy Phillips said fans bought all 750,000 tickets put on sale for
31 shows in March 2009 in just two hours. Enough buyers were registered
to sell out another 100 shows, Phillips wrote.
"Dude, we're going to
sell out a ridiculous amount of tickets," AEG Live Co-CEO Paul Gongaware
wrote in an e-mail. "We've got to get Mikey to add more shows."
Jackson's manager quickly approved another 19 shows, bringing the total to 50.
"Ten million tickets for the rest of the world? They would have gobbled up those tickets in seconds," Erk said.
AEG Live lawyer Sabrina
Strong challenged Erk's estimate, asking if any other act has ever made
as much money on a tour. "No," he said. "This would have been a
record-breaking world tour."
Jackson would have done another 195 shows over four more world tours before retiring from the road at age 66, Erk predicted.
Putnam called Erk's
estimates "a creation, a fabrication" which suggests Jackson would have
made more after age 50 that he did in the three tours during the "height
of his fame."
Jackson never intended to perform after the 50 shows in London, Putnam said.
AEG Live showed jurors a
video clip of Katherine Jackson's deposition, in which she said her son
would joke that he "didn't want to be moonwalking on stage at 50."
"Michael said that quite
a few years back and he was joking," his mother explained in her
testimony Friday. "I thought it was funny and most of us said things
like that. I used to think 50 was very old."
In fact, Jackson was 50
when he signed a three-year contract with AEG Live for his comeback
tour, which would have likely included his famous moonwalk dance steps
as he performed "Billie Jean."
"We announced that we're
going to have one tour in London, that's what was announced, and it was
called 'This Is It,' meaning in London, this show is it," he said.
"This show is it. This is the last thing he's ever going to do. As a
result of this being his final performance ever, to be at the O2 in
London, there was enormous response, understandably, and therefore we
sold 50 shows."
With the Jackson case
ending -- which Putnam called "ridiculous" -- "now we're going to start
to show what actually occurred here," he said.
No Conrad Murray testimony
AEG Live's defense team confirmed Wednesday that they would not be calling Murray to testify.
"I have no intention of
calling him myself, unless it's requested, your honor," Putnam said,
replying to the judge's question about his plans.
Until now, AEG Live
lawyers have suggested they might call Murray, who is serving a
four-year jail sentence for involuntary manslaughter, to the witness
stand.
Murray's lawyer gave the
Jackson and AEG Live lawyers a sworn statement from the doctor before
the trial began stating that he would invoke his constitutional
protection against self-incrimination by refusing to answer questions if
subpoenaed.
See you in September
Jurors, who were told
when the trial started in April that it could end sometime in August,
appeared unfazed when Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Yvette
Palazuelos told them this week that it is likely to extend into
mid-September. Putnam estimated this week that he needs about 30 days in
court to present his defense after the plaintiffs rest.
The jurors often have
laughed and smiled in reaction to testimony and the interplay between
Jackson lead lawyer Brian Panish, the judge and the AEG defense team.
For example, when
Palazuelos ordered Panish to turn around and face the bench while AEG
attorney Sabrina Strong cross-examined Erk, jurors seemed amused.
Panish, whose seat was just in front of Strong's lectern, had been
looking directly up at her at close range.
There were no laughs in
the hallway after court on Tuesday when Panish and Putnam exchanged
words. The two lawyers were standing about 15 feet apart, each talking
to reporters, when they began directing their words at each other. The
court clerk interrupted the heated conversation, threatening to summon
deputies.
Palazuelos lectured the
lawyers in her chambers the next morning and imposed new rules that bar
them from speaking to journalists in the hallway.
Yvonne Okoro tells Nigeria Senators, “give the girl child a pen not a penis”
Star actress of both Ghana and Nigeria lineage, Yvonne Okoro
has thrown her support behind women in Nigeria, who are fighting
against a bill before Nigeria senate to allow girls under the age of 18
to get married.
“If the girl isn’t old enough 2 (to) take part in election then she’s young enuff (enough) not to take an erection,” the actress tweeted a few days ago.
Her tweet was accompanied by a campaign advertisement which read, “Give the Girl Child A Pen Not A Penis,” to make obvious her position on the issue which has gained international attention.
A lot of other celebrities, especially those with Nigerian lineage are registering their strong displeasure with the supposed bill in Nigeria.
Omotola Jalade and Stella Demasus were reported in Nigerian media to have vented their anger over the girl child marriage discussion.
Royal baby name: The history behind George Alexander Louis
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have named their son George Alexander Louis
- George, many bookies' favorite, was also the name of the queen's father, George VI
- The name "Alexander" is derived from Latin, meaning "defender of men"
- "Louis" can be translated as "renowned warrior"
The baby boy is third in
line to the throne, after grandfather Prince Charles and father Prince
William. Here's some of the history behind the young prince's three
names:
George
"George" -- the
front-runner before the announcement, according to many UK bookmakers --
was the name of Queen Elizabeth's father, King George VI, who reigned
from 1936 until his death in 1952. He assumed the throne on the
abdication of his brother, Edward VIII. His life was depicted in the
Oscar-winning movie "The King's Speech."
Baby's name is steeped in royal history
The royal aunt and uncle
Excited crowds welcome royal baby boy
Photos: Other famous Georges
George I, born in
Germany, became king in 1714. He was followed by a line of kings with
the same name, including George III, who was known for his bouts of
insanity.
The name is also a
patriotic choice for many in the UK: Saint George, patron saint of
England, is known for his legendary defeat of a dragon in the third
century. His feast day is celebrated on April 23, (the date also
associated with the birth of William Shakespeare, England's most revered
writer).
Despite its royal
connections, George has humble origins, derived as it is from the Greek
name "georgios" meaning "earth worker" or "farmer."
Other historical Georges:
composer George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), first president of the
United States George Washington (1732-1799), and the Pacific explorer
George Vancouver (1757-1798). Authors Mary Anne Evans and Eric Arthur
Blair also chose George as their pen names: George Eliot (1819-1880) and
George Orwell (1903-1950) respectively.
Alexander
This gallant title means
"defender of men," from the Latin form of the Greek name "Alexandros."
Alexander III of Macedon (356-323 B.C.), better known as Alexander the
Great, courageously ruled and conquered many parts of the world before
his untimely death at age 32.
The name "Alexander" is a feature of the Dutch royal family: Willem-Alexander ascended to the throne after the abdication of his mother Queen Beatrix earlier this year.
Other historical
Alexanders: English poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744), American statesman
Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), Scottish-Canadian explorer Alexander
MacKenzie (1764-1820), Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837) and
Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), the Scottish-born inventor of the
telephone.
Louis
The name "Louis"
originates from the English and French interpretations of the German
name Ludwig, which can be interpreted as "renowned warrior."
Louis was the first name
of Lord Mountbatten, uncle of George's great-grandfather Prince Philip,
Duke of Edinburgh, and mentor to Prince Charles. He was killed by the
IRA while holidaying in Ireland in 1979.
No British monarch has
been named Louis, but it is very popular across the English Channel in
France, where 18 kings have taken the name from 814 onward. Louis XIV,
the Sun King, reigned from 1643 until 1715 and was hailed by many as the
greatest monarch of his age because of the growth in French power and
the opulence of his court, which included the Palace of Versailles.
Louis XVI was the king
of France from 1774 until 1792, when he was found guilty of treason
after the revolution and executed in 1793.
Other historical figures
named Louis: French scientist Louis Pasteur (1822-1895); Métis leader
Louis Riel (1844-1885), who led a rebellion against Canada; and Scottish
author Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), who wrote "Treasure Island"
and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Nigeria: Three Boko Haram suspects killed in failed mosque attack
Officers of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) patrolling in Maiduguri in a sweeping offensive against Boko Haram militants. AFP PHOTO/ Maiduguri — Three suspected Boko Haram members who allegedly came from Bama council area, Saturday evening, and stormed the El-Amin Daggash Mosque in Government Reserved Area in Maiduguri, Borno State with the intention of killing Islamic cleric, Modu Mustapha, while preaching during Tafsir (Ramadan preaching), were lynched by angry mob.
Our correspondent gathered that the terrorists came in a Golf Saloon car and one tricycle armed with AK47 rifles and a pistol before they met their untimely death.
‘Majority’ Oppose Female Genital Mutilation
The majority of people oppose female genital mutilation (FGM) in the countries where it is practised, a study by Unicef has found.
More than 125 million girls and women have been subjected to FGM and 30 million more are at risk over the next decade, Unicef says.
Ritual cutting of girls’ genitals is practised by some African, Middle Eastern and Asian communities in the belief it protects a woman’s virginity.
Unicef wants action to end FGM.
The survey, described as the most comprehensive to date on the issue, found that support for FGM was declining amongst both men and women.
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