Convicted Boston bomber wants new trial

NEW YORK • Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has filed a motion demanding a new trial, less than two weeks after he was sentenced to death for a bomb attack during the marathon in 2013 that killed three people and wounded 264.

The preliminary motion filed on Monday did not stipulate grounds for a new trial, saying only it was "required in the interests of justice".

His lawyers called it a "placeholder" motion that would be expanded upon by Aug 17.

Tsarnaev, 21, was sentenced to death on June 24 for the April 15, 2013 bombings.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

WHO urges govts to increase tobacco tax

LONDON• Governments around the world should increase taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products to save lives, and generate funds for stronger health services, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

In a report entitled The Global Tobacco Epidemic 2015, the United Nations health agency yesterday said too few governments make full use of tobacco taxes to dissuade people from smoking or help them cut down and quit.

It recommends that at least 75 per cent of the price of a pack of cigarettes should be tax.

REUTERS