PHOTOS: At least 130 dead including children and a pregnant woman after boat carrying african migrants catches fire and sinks off coast of Italy

At least 130 people are now thought to have been killed after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Italy.

Another 250 people are still missing after the boat packed with African migrants caught fire and sank just south of Lampedusa.

The disaster occurred when the boat's motor stopped working and the vessel began to take on water, Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said.

People on board burned a sheet to attract the attention of rescuers, starting a fire on board.



WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT







Horrifying: Dozens of African migrants have died and more than 200 are missing after their ship caught fire and capsized off the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, spilling hundreds of passengers into the sea







Origin: The migrants were from Eritrea, Ghana and Somalia, the coast guard said





Difficult: It is one of the deadliest migrant shipwrecks in recent times and the second one this week off Italy

Tragic: Bodies of drowned migrants are lined up in the port of Lampedusa this morning


This afternoon it was revealed that Italian divers have seen at least another 20 bodies around a migrant boat on the sea floor raising the death toll to at least 114 people.

But that figure is now thought to have risen to at least 130 with 103 bodies so far recovered.

One woman, who was initially thought to be dead was revived by medical personnel after she was brought back to the port.


Coastguard Commander Floriana Segreto says 'divers of the coastguard have found the boat on the sea floor at a depth of 40 metres (130 ft). ... The divers have yet to go inside the boat.'


She added that they are waiting for the weather to improve and will then start recovering more bodies.



Rising death toll: Military personnel bring bodies to the back of a waiting ambulance after they were pulled out of the Mediterranean



Rescue operation: Emergency workers continue to add body bags to those already lined up on the harbour



Emergency situation: A coastguard vessel heads away from the harbour after unloading body bags containing African migrants who drowned in the tragedy





Soldiers from the Italian Army unload bodies on to the harbour today


'Once the fire started, there was a concern about the boat sinking and everyone moved to one side, causing the boat to go down,' he told a news conference.

The 20-metre (66 ft) vessel sank no more than 1 km (half a mile) from shore.

Bodies fished from the water were laid out along the quayside as the death toll rose in what looked like one of the worst disasters to hit the perilous route for migrants seeking to reach Europe from Africa.

'It's horrific, like a cemetery, they are still bringing them out,' Lampedusa Mayor Giusi Nicolini told reporters.

Alfano said three children and two pregnant women were among the victims.

Dangerous: Migrants frequently land on Lampedusa, just 113 km (70 miles) from the coast of Tunisia, often picked up at sea in dangerously overcrowded boats by the Italian coastguard








Traumatised: A man is helped off the boat following the rescue



Coast guard brings bodies ashore as dozens die in Sicily boat...



The disaster happened four days after 13 migrants drowned off eastern Sicily, and Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said action was needed by the European Union to stem 'a succession of massacres of innocent people'.

Last year, almost 500 people were reported dead or missing on the crossing from Tunisia to Italy, the U.N. refugee office UNHCR says. Syrians fleeing civil war have added to the numbers.

A fishing boat raised the alarm at around 7:20 a.m. (0520 GMT) and began pulling people out of the water before coastguard vessels arrived on the scene. The coastguard said 151 people had been rescued.



Tragedy: The ship apparently capsized, spilling the passengers into the sea near Conigli island


Between 450 and 500 people, most either Eritreans or Somalis, appeared to have been on board the boat, which had come from Misrata in Libya, Alfano said.

'If they had been able to use a telephone, they could have been saved,' he said.

The search for survivors and victims continued within a four nautical mile radius, in water around 30-45 metres deep.

Rescuers planned to extend the radius later in the day, in case bodies had been pulled away by the tides, he said.

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres praised the rescue effort, but said: 'I am dismayed at the rising global phenomenon of migrants and people fleeing conflict or persecution and perishing at sea.'

Spokeswoman for the International Organization for Migration in Rome, Simona Moscarelli, said that the boat capsized after all the migrants moved to one side to escape the fire.

She told the BBC that only six of 100 women on board are thought to have survived.




Safe: A group of youngsters are brought safely to the shore after the tragedy off the Italian coast




Rescue: A woman receives assistance at the Palermo Civico hospital, Italy, after being rescued





Treatment: A man is carried off an ambulance to receive treatment

Desperate: Mayor Nicolini said the ship had caught fire after those on board set off flares so it would be seen by passing ships





Hunt: Coast guard ships and helicopters from across the region, as well as local fishing boats were on the scene trying to find survivors, said Coast Guard spokesman Marco Di Milla





Shocked: Some of the immigrants after their rescue early this morning

Bodies seen in water as rescuers take Sicily boat survivors...



Migrants frequently land on Lampedusa, just 113 km (70 miles) from the coast of Tunisia, often picked up at sea in dangerously overcrowded boats by the Italian coastguard.

Pope Francis, who visited the island in July on his first papal trip outside Rome, said he felt 'great pain' for the 'many victims of the latest tragic shipwreck today off Lampedusa'.

'The word that comes to mind is 'shame',' Francis said in unscripted remarks after a speech in the Vatican. 'Let us unite our strengths so that such tragedies never happen again.'

The stream of migrants is a humanitarian and political problem for the Italian government.



Victims: 13 immigrants drowned off the coast of Sicily after their boat ran aground on Monday





Horror: Rescuers pause to pay their respects to the 13 victims of the tragedy

About 15,000 reached Italy and Malta - 13,200 and 1,800 respectively - by sea last year, the UNHCR says. Thousands more have arrived this year.

Calling the deaths of migrants 'an endless tragedy,' Foreign Minister Emma Bonino said: 'The rescue operation began immediately but it is getting more difficult because now the weather is getting colder, they don't know how to swim, they don't know where to go.'

Migrants who arrive in Italy are allowed to apply for asylum. Many of them are ordered to leave the country but often slip away to become illegal immigrants in Italy or elsewhere in the European Union.



Coastguards patrol the area where the boat capsized off the coast of Italy

Italy has pressed the European Union for more help to fight the crisis which it says concerns the whole bloc.

'This is not an Italian drama, this is a European drama,' Alfano said. 'Lampedusa has to be considered the frontier of Europe, not the frontier of Italy.'


In a separate incident today, around 200 migrants were reportedly escorted to the port of Syracuse on the island of Sicily, when their vessel encountered difficulties five miles off the coast.

THE DESPERATE JOURNEY TO ITALY

Sicily and the surrounding islands are hotspots for illegal immigrants arriving by sea from Tunisia, Libya and sub-Sahara Africa hoping for a better quality of life.
A growing number of Syrian immigrants have fled to the region hoping for protection from their civil war.
In August, six migrants died after they jumped out of a boat off the coast of Sicily.
In July, seven drowned after they tried to hold onto a fishing cage which was being towed to shore off the coast of Sicily.

#dailymail

Lagos community worries over unidentified corpse

 

The unidentified victim


Two months after, Ifedapo community in Ejigbo, Lagos State is still battling to make meaning out of its experience on the morning of July 29, 2013.

On that day, residents of the area woke up to find a swollen headless corpse on the main street of the area.

Sixty three days after the incident, many of the residents said they were worried that nobody had come to claim the corpse from the police, who were alerted immediately the incident happened.

They added that it was troubling that the identity of the man, who wore a wedding ring, was still a mystery.

The Chairman, Ifedapo Double Powerline Community Development Association, Mr. Amos Johnson, who spoke for the residents, said the community was worried that the deceased looked like a “responsible man” and would have been missed by his relatives by now.

He told PUNCH Metro that the corpse was found about 8am on the side of the road by some residents who were going to work.

He said, “It was on Monday, July 29, around 8am. One of the residents called me that they found a corpse on the street and I immediately went to the scene.

“When I got there, he was headless and was also tied up with a rope.

“We stayed there till 2pm, trying to identify him and looking for his head but we couldn’t find it.”

Johnson said after the community’s leaders had exhausted all avenue to trace the relative of the corpse, the incident was reported at the Ejigbo Police Division.

He said, “After the police were called in, we had to remove the rope that was used to tie him and as we did, we found his head.”

Mr. Johnson added that it was difficult for the community to evacuate the corpse as the area boys called to do the job gave them a high bill.

He said the body was later taken by the police for a coroner inquest to uncover the cause of his death.

The Police Deputy Public Relations Officer, Damasus Ozoani, said the deceased was murdered in cold blood.

He said, “Police preliminary investigations reveal that he was murdered. Although investigation is still ongoing to unravel the true cause of death and those behind it, we are assuringthe residents that the perpetrators of this heinous crime will be brought to book soon. We will make this public as soon as possible.”

 

 

 

#punch

Nigerian Plane Crash: Late Governor Agagu’s only son, his wife, Chief Olu Falaye’s first son, Deji Falaye and Former president Obasanjo's son are among the crash victims

The name of Gbenga, son of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, is making the rounds as one of the victims of this morning’s plane crash in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos.

According to Akanni Segun Segun Olalekan, former Personal Assistant to Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) National Cordinator, Otunba Gani Adams, “OBJ’s son, Gbenga was also killed in the crash as all the 20 passengers.”

Olalekan has released names of alleged victims of the crash on his facebook wall. He wrote: “Its been reported that the owner of MIC Casket, Mr. OKUSANYA was among the passengers and had been confirmed dead!”

“Deji Falaye (Ondo State Commissoner for Culture and Tourism) who read law at OAU , Mrs Agagu and Children confirmed dead.”

The chartered plane was said to be heading for Akure, the Ondo State capital, with the remains of Dr. Olusegun Agagu, a former governor of Ondo State, who died on September 13 and is scheduled to be buried this weekend.

#newsexpressnigeria

Photo/Video; Nollywood actor, Flavian Okojie allegedly shot dead 3 weeks after wedding!

Nollywood has just lost another actor... Flavian Okojie, an Edo born Nollywood actor who is also a staff of Edo State Board of Internal Revenue was allegedly shot dead in Benin city by unknown gunmen.


This horrific incident occurred barely three weeks after his wedding to NTA(Benin) presenter, Omo-kivie Adeola.

This is what his wife shared on her Facebook, “my husband, rhythm of my heart has been taken away from me forever. someone tell me how I'm going to start again?”

So sad! May his soul rest in peace!

Watch his movie below:
The tragedy of a young girl Gina(Roseline Okodute) that gets raped by a pastor in her church(Flavian Okojie) and taking to the street gets raped again on her first night out
(The guy consoling his sister from crying & complaining in 7:45-8:39mins)

PLANE CRASH IN NIGERIA: At least nine killed after plane crashes shortly after taking off in Lagos.

At least nine people have been killed after a small passenger plane with 27 people on board crashed shortly after take-off in Nigeria's most populous city Lagos.

The Associated Airlines plane was headed for Akure, a southwestern town about 225km away, with seven crew and 20 passengers, Aviation Ministry spokesman Joe Obi said on Thursday. He did not have details of the type of aircraft.

"The plane couldn't lift properly so it just came down," Obi said. "Some persons are being rushed to hospital. A few dead bodies have been recovered, but there are survivors."

A spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, Manzo Ezekiel, told AFP that the plane crashed in
an area within the airport complex where fuel is stored.

Several local radio stations and Channels TV reported that the plane was carrying the body of former governor of Ondo state Olusegun Agagu to his funeral.

"There's a lot of smoke coming from the runway, but we can't get access to it. There are fire-fighters rushing to the scene," Rasaki Rhakod, who runs a car service around the airport, told Reuters by telephone shortly after the accident.

Air crashes are relatively common in Nigeria, which despite having Africa's second-biggest economy, has a poor safety record. In June last year, 163 people died when a Dana Air plane crashed into a Lagos apartment block in the country's worst airline disaster in two decades.


#Aljazeera

20 year old serial rapist who was identified as a potential sex offender at the age of THREE is jailed for life

Daniel Chipchase, 20, has been given five life sentences for a string of child sex abuse crimes after the judge heard he showed 'sexualised behaviour' when he was just three

A man who began displaying 'sexualised behaviour' when he was just three years old has been jailed for life after admitting raping and abusing a string of young children.

Daniel Chipchase, 20, was ordered to serve a minimum of six years before he could be considered for parole after the judge at Lincoln Crown Court told him children were at 'significant risk of serious harm' from him doing the same again.

The court had heard that Chipchase had shown worrying signs of an unhealthy interest in sex from the age of three and four, when he drew indecent pictures and tried to assault other young children.


It also emerged that Chipchase had escaped custody for raping a 10-year-old girl several years ago before going on to rape and sexually abuse three more young children.

Chipchase, who was taken into care when he was five, was first referred to social services as a potential sex offender in February 1997, at the age of three, because of his 'sexualised' behaviour, the court was told.

The following year, when Daniel had started school, a teacher reported him for sexually touching another boy in class, Chipchase's barrister said.


Alexander Dunn said: 'Perhaps the most important mitigation is the background. He has himself been subjected to serious sexual abuse and he has also witnessed abuse and violence perpetrated against his mother.

'It is clear that Mr Chipchase's formative years have had a profound and lasting effect on him. He is an extremely damaged individual. He was displaying sexualised behaviour from an extremely young age.


'He has also witnessed abuse and violence perpetrated against his mother.'


Mr Dunn added: 'In July 1997, at four, there was concern about sexualised behaviour as a result of drawings he made of genitals', and he said he used explicit language.

The lawyer said that in December 1997, when Chipchase was still only four, he was reported for trying to perform a sex act on another young boy.

'In 1998 a teacher noted an incident at school where Daniel had his hand on another boy's groin', he said.

In the same year Daniel was also seen trying to indecently assault a young girl.



Mablethorpe beach: Daniel Chipchase was overheard raping a six-year-old boy in public lavatories at this resort

Mr Dunn said that Chipchase appeared to regard such incidents as normal behaviour and added 'In some ways Mr Chipchase has never had a chance.'

He told the court that Chipchase was taken into care two days after his fifth birthday. He initially stayed with foster parents, but after his first conviction for rape he lived at a specialised children's home where attempts were made to deal with his sexualised behaviour.

Mr Dunn quoted a probation report which stated: 'It is clear that Mr Chipchase’s formative years have had a profound and lasting effect on his well being.'

He added: 'He is sorry for what he has done. It is clear from the psychiatrist’s report that what he needs is one-to-one counselling and help. That can be given to him in prison.'

Mark Van der Zwart, prosecuting, said that Chipchase was convicted in 2007 aged just 13 when he was given a three-year supervision order after pleading guilty at Mold Crown Court to raping a 10 year old girl.

In October last year he was arrested again after raping a six-year-old boy in a public toilet on a caravan site at Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire.

Police were alerted by a holidaymaker who was shocked by what he overheard while using an adjoining cubicle.

Later further charges were brought after two young girls came forward in his native North Wales to report they had been sexually abused by Chipchase. One of the girls told how she had been raped aged five while the other girl was subject to a series of sex attacks starting when she was six.

Chipchase admitted raping and assaulting the six-year-old boy, and a string of rape and sexual assault charges involving two girls when they were aged between four and eight.




Lincoln Crown Court: Chipchase was given five life sentences after admitting a catalogue of sex abuse

Judge Sean Morris gave Chipchase five concurrent life sentences and placed him on the sex offenders' register for life.


Passing sentence at Lincoln Crown Court, he told Chipchase 'You have pleaded guilty to a catalogue of sex crimes...

'You represent a significant risk of serious harm to children from further such offending. I am of the view that if you were to be alone with any young child, male or female, your sexual urges would get the better of you and you would commit serious sexual offences against them.

'This is a case where there are multiple victims and multiple rapes. Life is the only sentence that will provide lasting and enduring protection for the public.'

Det Sgt Alison Smith of Lincolnshire Police said 'Daniel Chipchase is a predatory danger to children.'

'His future detention, supervision and monitoring will be of paramount importance. It is frightening to think what might have happened to other children had his reign of terror and abuse carried on unchecked.'

#dailymail

Designer Marc Jacobs leaves Louis Vuitton....Star designer to focus on his own label

US designer Marc Jacobs at the end of his spring/summer 2014 women’s ready-to-wear fashion show for French fashion house Louis Vuitton during Paris fashion week. The star designer is leaving Louis Vuitton as artistic director, a source close to the French fashion brand’s parent LVMH said. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters




Marc Jacobs, the star designer who turned Louis Vuitton from a staid luggage-maker into one of the world’s biggest luxury brands, is leaving to focus on his own label, a source close to the French company’s parent LVMH said today.

The move follows a series of leadership changes at Louis Vuitton, LVMH’s biggest profit- and revenue-contributor, aimed at helping the brand regain some of its lost prestige after a decline in sales growth over the past year.

“Marc Jacobs is leaving Vuitton and will focus on his own brand,” the source said on condition of anonymity.

LVMH and Marc Jacobs declined to comment.

Mr Jacobs’ departure after 16 years with the company comes a month after LVMH founder and chief executive Bernard Arnault appointed his daughter Delphine as deputy head of Louis Vuitton and replaced last year longstanding chief Yves Carcelle with group veteran Michael Burke.

Louis Vuitton, which built its name and profitability on its LV-embossed canvas bags, has been suffering from cooling demand in Asia and consumers’ growing preference for no-logo products.

Over the past year, the brand has put brakes on its expansion to preserve its exclusivity in response to fears it was becoming too ubiquitous, which contributed to its sales growth halving to around 5 per cent.

Last month, it hired accessories designer Darren Spaziani, formerly with Proenza Schouler, to strengthen its high-end offering of leather bags.

Nicolas Ghesquiere, a darling of fashion editors, who left Balenciaga last year after having successfully revamped the Kering fashion brand, is seen as a frontrunner to replace Jacobs.

“It would be a positive sign if Ghesquiere joined Louis Vuitton as he is one of the most coveted designers today and he would give a creative jolt to the brand,” said David Da Maia, analyst at brokerage Aurel BGC in Paris.

Mr Arnault has been regularly changing the creative and management teams of his fashion brands to refresh their style and drive expansion.

LVMH’s Celine has been doing well since award-winning designer Phoebe Philo took its creative helm in 2008 while Riccardo Tisci has brought new vitality to Givenchy since his appointment in 2005.

Mr Jacobs, whose theatrical fashion shows contributed to heightening the brand’s profile, introduced collaborations with artists such as Richard Prince, Takashi Murakami and Stephen Sprouse and recently rapper Kanye West to help make the brand more appealing.

Mr Jacobs, a bearded 50-year-old American, is regarded as one of the most respected and influential designers in the fashion world.

While Mr Jacobs has not said anything about his departure, he once said in an interview on the Louis Vuitton website, for which he wore a dark kilt and two ear studs: “Change is a great and horrible thing. People love it and hate it at the same time. Without change you just don’t move.”

Mr Jacobs today presented his last collection for Louis Vuitton, an all-black swan song that incorporated elements from his past shows such as the train station he once created and the slow-turning white carousel carrying models, including Kate Moss, of two years ago.

Today, the Marc Jacobs brand and particularly its more accessible line Marc by Marc Jacobs, are among the most profitable fashion subsidiaries within LVMH, enjoying strong demand in the United States and Japan.

Marc Jacobs also launched a cosmetics line in August in the United States, with distribution handled by Sephora, LVMH’s beauty products retail chain.

Media reports said the designer aimed to float his business - which is estimated to generate sales of around €500 million - on the New York Stock Exchange within a few years.

Some industry observers suggest Marc Jacobs has been emboldened by the success of Michael Kors, the US brand whose shares and sales have been enjoying stellar growth since the initial public offering late last year.

At the age of 24, Mr Jacobs was the youngest designer to receive the New Fashion Talent award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. After graduating from the Parsons New School of Design, Mr Jacobs worked for Perry Ellis and created his own label in 1984 with partner Robert Duffy.

He became Louis Vuitton’s artistic director in 1997.

 

#reuters

2 year old boy 'gives birth' to his own twin after doctors find foetus growing in his stomach !

Doctors diagnosed a Chinese toddler as "pregnant" and rushed him into surgery after discovering his twin's foetus growing inside his stomach. Picture: YouTube

A baby boy has undergone an operation to ‘give birth’ to his own twin in China.

Shocked doctors realised the toddler was ‘pregnant’ during X-rays after his stomach swelled to two thirds its normal size.

Two-year-old Xiao Feng had absorbed the undeveloped foetus in his mother’s womb and his twin included a fully formed spine fingers and toes.

Doctors said the parasitic twin would have developed into a boy after growing large enough to cause severe breathing difficulties for Xiao.

He had been rushed from his home in Huaxi village and surgeons removed the foetus measuring 20cm wide.

Identical twins form when a single egg splits during fertilisation - as opposed to two eggs both being fertilised.

Conjoined twins form when a split egg fails to fully separate. A ‘parasite’ conjoined twin can survive but not when one absorbs the other.

In 2012 surgeons in Peru operated on a three year old boy to remove a nine inch-long parasitic twin weighing a pound and a half.

In 2008 doctors had to remove a two inch embryo from the body of a 9-year-old girl in Greece.

The brain, lungs and heart are some of the last parts of the body to develop. Removing a parasitic twin is usually easier than attempting to separate conjoined twins.

CLICK BELOW TO WATCH VIDEO:

 

 



#mirror.co.uk

7 Golden Rules To Avoid Dry Skin

Most of us have had dry skin at some point in our lives and for some it seems to be a never ending battle. Dry skin can be prevalent at any age for a plethora of reasons. As we grow older our skin becomes drier.

Environmental factors also play a major role in causing dry skin, especially in areas with low humidity and cold temperatures.

The skin is the largest and most exposed organ of the body. Because of its exposure to harsh surroundings our skin takes a lot of abuse. Most of the time our skin does a great job of regulating our body’s water loss. Skin becomes dry when it is deficient of water and oil.

Scientifically speaking, “trans epidermal water loss” (TEWL) is how researchers measure the efficiency of our skin. There is a lot of research and development being utilized by pharmaceutical companies as they try to develop the perfect moisturizer for the skin.

Not only is it extremely important to find the best oil to water ratio, special ingredients such as “ceramides”, “glycolic acid” and “lactic acid” are being incorporated into moisturizers, not only to “moisturize” but also to “repair” our important “barrier” and largest “organ” known as the skin.

Creams and moisturizers which contain these special ingredients are being developed and are known as “barrier repair creams”.

Many people have inherited skin problems such as “ichthyosis vulgaris”, “eczema”, “psoriasis”, and “keratosis pilaris”, which are worsened by dry skin. Whether you have these problems or suffer with plain ole “ashy” or dry skin, there are certain skin care tips that you should follow.

1. Avoid taking prolonged showers or baths.

2. Avoid extremely hot water while showering or bathing.

3. Avoid using harsh soaps, especially if you have sensitive skin, avoid fragrance and deodorant soaps.

4. Apply your “barrier repair creams” and moisturizers immediately (within 3 minutes) after showering and bathing.

5. People with darker skin should avoid applying anything that irritates your skin because irritation will lead to unsightly discoloration and dark spots.

6. If you have “eczema” do not use Vaseline petroleum jelly as your moisturizer, because I have found that it will exacerbate or worsen the eczema.

7. If you must shave your legs, make sure you use a lubricating shaving gel or cream specifically designed for shaving. Some women like to utilize soap as their lubricant, which will usually lead to problems.

It is extremely important to keep your skin will moisturized. There are several over-the-counter moisturizers that you can choose on your own, however, if you find that your skin looks or feels worse because the choices you have made them seek the expert advice of a dermatologist.

 

 

 

 

#blackdoctor

Janet Jackson & Husband Adopting Children

Janet Jackson and billionaire hubby Wissam Al Mana plan to adopt at least two children, from Jordan and possibly children from civil war-ravaged Syria, reports PageSix. “It’s going to happen, and real soon,” a family member said.

So we don't expect to see baby bumps...at least for now.

Nigerian-German Author Shocked As She Discovers Her Grandfather Was Notorious Nazi Killer

Few could imagine the horror of discovering that a relative of theirs was a key person involved in one of the most-heinous crimes against humanity in modern history, but author Jennifer Teege (pictured), a biracial woman of Nigerian and German descent, has lived this reality after learning her grandfather was a Nazi killer.



As reported by the AFP, Teege’s upcoming book, “Amon: My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me,” focuses on Amon Goeth (pictured), who was known as the “Butcher of Plaszow.”
Goeth’s legacy lives on in infamy due to Steven Spielberg’s film “Schindler’s List,” where he was shown sadistically killing Jews held inside the Plaszow concentration camp in Poland.

Goeth was later hanged for his crimes in 1946.
Teege was born after her father, a Nigerian student, and Goeth’s daughter had a brief affair. Giving away their daughter to a children’s home at just weeks old, an affluent family in Munich adopted her.
Teege’s birth mother (pictured below) and Grandmother visited early on but that eventually ceased. As an adult, Teege studied in Israel and encountered several survivors of the Holocaust.
However, Teege, 43,  would make the shocking discovery about her grandfather five years ago, after doing some research in a German library.

From the AFP:

Half a lifetime later looking through the stacks of her local library in the northern city of Hamburg, she stumbled upon a title that resonated with her own fractured personal history: “Ich muss doch meinen Vater lieben, oder?” (I Have to Love My Father, Right?).
The middle-aged woman pictured on the book’s sleeve looked faintly familiar and a quick scan of the biographical details revealed a perfect match with those of her birth mother.
‘It was like the carpet was ripped out beneath my feet,’ Teege told AFP.
‘I had to go lie down on a bench. I called my husband and told him I couldn’t drive and needed to be picked up. Then I said to my family that I did not want to be disturbed, went to bed, and read the book cover to cover.’

Teege works in advertising as a copywriter and has two children of her own. Co-written with journalist Nikola Sellmair, the book serves as a method of catharsis while also connecting with a part of her past that was formerly unknown to her. She also intends to research her African roots with the same fervor as well.

“Of course my story is gripping and original,” Teege said. “But it’s also more generally about the fact that it’s possible to move beyond repression to gain a kind of personal freedom from the past by finding out who you really are.”






Source

Check out the Top 16 honest cities in the world...where do you think your city would rank?

The 16 most honest and dishonest cities in the world have been ranked.

The 'Reader's Digest' lost 12 wallets in 16 cities in Europe, America, Asia and South America, each containing a mobile number, a family photo, business card, and the equivalent of $50 (£31). The wallets were left in city parks, pavements and shopping centres.

None of the cities were perfect - even the most honest received 11 out of the 12 wallets.
Where do you think your city would rank?

Here are the results, ranked worst to best:

10. Lisbon, Portugal, was found to be the least honest city in the study - only one wallet was returned out of 12. (Photo by Jo Hale/Getty Images)

9. Just two out of a possible 12 wallets were returned in Madrid, Spain, placing them second to last. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

8. Prague, Czech Republic, is near the bottom of the pack with only three wallets returned to its rightful owner. (Photo by Frank Chmura / isifa/Getty Images)

Joint 7th: Four wallets were returned in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Joint 7th: Just four wallets were returned in Bucharest, Romania. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)

Joint 7th: Just four of the wallets were returned in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Miguel Villagran/Getty Images)

Joint 6th. Good Samaritans returned five wallets in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Joint 6th. Warsaw, Poland, was found to be just as (dis)honest as London, with only five wallets returned. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images)

Joint 5th: Six out of 12 wallets were returned in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images)

Joint 5th: Six out of 12 wallets were returned in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images)

Joint 4th: Seven out of 12 wallets were returned in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Joint 4th: Seven out of 12 wallets were returned in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Joint 3rd: New York City, USA, was revealed to be quite honest. Eight out of 12 wallets were returned. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Joint 3rd: Eight wallets were returned to owners in Budapest, Hungary. (PA/Jens Kalaene)

2. Mumbai, India, just missed the top spot. Nine out of 12 wallets were returned. (PA)

1. The most honest city was found to be Helsinki, Finland. 11 out of 12 wallets were returned. (PA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source

 

Seven travellers beheaded on Maiduguri/Damaturu road

Seven people were killed in Makintamari village in Kaga Local Government in Borno state along the Damaturu/Maiduguri road.

Eyewitnesses said the travellers were beheaded with their heads placed on their lifeless bodies on the main road.

At the Makintafamari village, in a separate incident, gunmen also cut the throats of four persons on Saturday. They were returning to Maiduguri in the evening.

Borno Police chief Lawal Tanko confirmed the attacks .

Makintamari is a few kilometers from Benishek where over 100 travelers were murdered a week ago by suspected Boko Haram sect members.

Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Gaidam said: “We call on Mr. President and all the security chiefs, to intensify security operations through aerial surveillance, to contain the situation before it consumes the region and country.

“On our way from Maiduguri to Damaturu this afternoon (Sunday), we saw a trailer and bus that were burnt, with the occupants slaughtered and their corpses littering the highway.

“Government should rise up to its responsibilities to save the lives and properties of its citizens,” he pleaded.

The governor said that anyone travelling on the Damaturu to Maiduguri highway, was taking a huge risk.

He urged the newly established Seven Division of the Nigerian Army, to intensify surveillance of all flash points in the two states, to flush out the insurgents.




#thenationonline

Woman accused of turning into cat escapes mob lynching in Aba

Internet image

A businesswoman in Aba, Abia State, Mrs. Ngozi Okoye narrowly escaped being lynched by mob over the disappearance of a mysterious cat, suspected to be a product of witchcraft.

Narrating her ordeal, Mrs. Okoye said for long, she had observed that money she kept in a firmly locked cardboard in her room at No.1 Obu Street/Obohia Road in Aba was always missing mysteriously.

The woman, who sells fruits near the Aba Shopping Centre, said at a point, she suspected her children and kept a watch on them.

But when she realized that her children were innocent, she reasoned that what was happening to her had spiritual undertone and reported the matter to a man of God.

Mrs. Okoye said after observing some prayer points as directed by the pastor and the problem persisted, she contacted another man of God in her desperate bid to get the problem solved.

This time around, she was told to fast and pray for a given number of days along with the clergy man who would also pray for her over the issue.

The woman said after the fasting session, the problem stopped and on that day of the incident, she was taken aback when she wanted to collect some cash from inside the cardboard and touched a strange object.

When she opened the cardboard properly and pointed a torchlight towards the direction she kept the money, she saw a half dead pussy cat with some naira notes stuffed in its mouth.

Shocked at the strange creature, she raised the alarm and alerted the man of God whom she had met initially over the issue, just as people in the neighbourhood trooped to her house to catch a glimpse of the ‘witch’ pussy cat.

She said the man of God advised her to bring the now dead cat to him before it could be buried.

The crowd insisted that the cat should be burnt, but the woman said that she must take it to the man of God. She then put the cat in a bag and headed for the man of God’s house while the crowd, which caused traffic gridlock on the ever busy Asa/Ehi Road followed her, insisting that she must give them the cat to be burnt.

In the chaos that followed, the cat was said to have disappeared and the crowd turned against the woman, accusing her of being the witch cat and was about lynching her when she ran into a shop close to a commercial bank at the shopping centre.

Despite the pleadings of policemen providing security at the bank, the crowd surged forward and the situation was saved when a group of journalists who came to the scene alerted the police.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Ndiegoro Division, Mr. Crescent Mama, sent his men to the scene, but the crowd which had blocked the entire road, could not let go.

It took police re-enforcement for the woman who had been smuggled into the bank premises to be taken away after the crowd had been reasonably dispersed.

The woman vehemently denied the allegation, cursing whoever that turned into the cat that had been stealing her money mysteriously.

The police at Ndiegoro later released her after being kept in protective custody as investigations were ongoing into the matter.

Jim Iyke Tweets About His Deliverance

Nollywood actor Jim Iyke sent out the above message via twitter a few hours after he got his deliverance at the Synagogue Church Of All Nations.

But there's someone who doesn’t seem impressed by it all.... see below tweet:

 

Governor bursts into tears after another Boko Haram massacre of 40 college students

It was an emotional scene as the Governor of Nigeria’s north eastern state of Yobe visited the capital’s specialist hospital where the injured from another Boko Haram mindless attack were recuperating.

Governor Ibrahim Gaidam could just not hold emotions back: he burst into tears.

He saw the critically injured; five students, three of whom have fractures, one has a abdominal injury and another a bullet wound.

What really burst Gaidam’s dam of emotions was the chilling sight of 40 corpses—all students of the School of Agriculture, Gujba, latest victims of the mindless massacre by Boko Haram gunmen.




Governor of Yobe state, Ibrahim Gaidam



The Medical Director, Damaturu Specialist Hospital, Dr Garba Fika, confirmed that 40 students of the college were killed in the attack early Sunday.

The governor, who spoke in tears, urged security operatives to intensify aerial surveillance of the area.

The state deputy governor, Abubakar Aliyu, the Provost of the College Mulima Mato, and other dignitaries also shed tears at the mortuary when they saw the corpses of the students.

Schools in Yobe re-opened just 13 days ago after 10 weeks of forced closure following unrelenting Boko Haram attacks on schools.

The attacks had led to the death of 29 students and three teachers.

In June this year, seven students and two teachers were killed at Government Secondary School Damaturu. In July, 22 students and two teachers were killed at Government Secondary School Mamudo.

As the government makes arrangement for the burial of the slain students, parents were seen in groups discussing the fate of their children in view of the serial attacks on schools in the state

Speaking in an interview with the NAN, a parent who requested anonymity said that he and other parents were scared of sending their children and wards to school.

“We are shocked, saddened and scared of sending our wards back to school with these ugly incidents of attack on schools in Damaturu, Mamudo and now, Gujba,” he said.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Governor Babangida Aliyu has charged security agencies to do all within their powers to halt the killing of defenceless citizens, and attacks on places of worship and educational facilities especially in the North East, by members of extremist sect, Boko Haram.

Aliyu, said its members were seriously concerned at renewed attacks on innocent people, following Sunday’s killing of 40 students of the College of Agriculture, Gujba, Yobe State, as well as the killing of 15 persons in Zangang community in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

“The forum is particularly alarmed that the shooting to dead of 40 students of the College of Education; Gujba, Yobe State followed the same pattern as the killing of 22 students and a teacher at Government Secondary School, Mamudo in the same state last July,” said a statement signed by Mr. Aliyu’s Chief Press Secretary, Danladi Ndayebo.




#pmnewsnigeria

West Africa’s tallest hotel unveiled in Lagos

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos today unveiled the tallest hotel in West Africa, Intercontinental Lagos, built at a cost of N30 billion.

The hotel located at Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria is a 23-storey building containing 358 rooms and 37 suites and a Presidential suite.

The Intercontinental Lagos, a subsidiary of the Intercontinental Hotel Group, IHG, is owned by the Milan Group.

Unveiling the 5-star hotel, Fashola said the edifice would surely boost the hospitality and tourism industry in the state, while urging other entrepreneurs to look inward and invest their money in hotels and public utilities such as roads.



Fashola at the official opening of Intercontinental Hotel in Lagos



According to him, the unveiling of the hotel represented the increasing brands of hotels making Nigeria their choice destinations, saying that the tourism industry would be boosted by the new edifice.

“The tourism business is the major sector that creates jobs but sadly, this sector faces lots of challenges across the continent. The Lagos State Government is committed to providing the enabling environment,” he said.

Fashola harped on collection of consumption tax and urged hotels and other in the hospitality business to help the government to collect the tax for developmental purpose.

“Consumption taxes are not levied on hotels but on consumers. The role of hotel is to collect the tax and give it to us. It is by collecting this taxes that you empower us to provide schools, public utilities and others,” he stated.

Chairman, Milan Group, Ramesh Valechha said the hotel would change the landscape of Lagos and boost the hospitality industry in the state.

He disclosed that Memorandum of Understanding for the project was signed on 31 March, 2004 while it took two years to complete the design work before the conceptualisation of the project began.

He stated that the Lagos State Government, Skye Bank and Wema Bank were supportive of the project.

Valechha disclosed the building of the hotel cost over N30 billion while 650 jobs were created for Nigerians.

Regional General Manager, IHG, Africa, Karl Hala said the hotel is the leading hotel in Nigeria, saying the group had 170 Intercontinental Hotels in 60 countries of the world.

He described the unveiling of the hotel in Lagos as a significant milestone in the hospitality industry, adding that the group also had 20 Intercontinental Hotels in Africa and that the hotel was the only 5-star hotel in Nigeria.

Chief Executive Officer, Design Group, Bayo Odunlami said it took lots of challenging moment in the design and conceptualization of the project, saying he was happy that the group overcame the hurdles.




#pmnewsnigeria

VIDEO: Nollywood Star, Jim Iyke gets delivered from evil spirits @ T.B.Joshua's church!

Today's Live Deliverance Show on Emmanuel TV witnessed the deliverance of Nollywood star actor, Jim Ikye at The Synagogue Of All Nations Church Lagos Nigeria.

 

Jim Iyke ran and cried, and then fell at his feet as he was being delivered.
During the deliverance session at TB Joshua's church, the spirit spoke through him, saying, "it was the cause of his setback and disappointment".

 

CLICK BELOW TO WATCH VIDEO:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tupac’s Mum Files $1.1 Million Lawsuit For Unpaid Royalties

Tupac died 17 years ago, but his music is still making money...

According to reports, Tupac's mum, Afeni Shakur filed a $1.1 million lawsuit against Entertainment One for unpaid royalties from Tupac’s 2007 album Beginnings: The Lost Tapes, which included songs recorded in the early stages of his career.
Documents state that Entertainment One purchased the rights to the late rapper’s music which was previously owned by Death Row Records, in July.

Afeni claims the company owes money, and as the co-administrator of the Tupac estate, the she is also asking Entertainment One to hand over the master recordings for all of her son’s unreleased music.