Germany arrests 11 for abusing children sexually

The Police in Germany has said that eleven people have been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing children and filming their actions.

Hard disks containing up to 500 terabytes of data, including videos and photos, were seized from the phone of a 27-year-old man from the western city of Muenster.

Investigators identified at least three potential victims aged five, 10, and 12 years old.

Some of the suspects – who hail from regions across Germany – are related to the children.

Muenster police said in a press conference that the recovered footage showed shocking abuse over “several hours” of the two younger boys by four men.

“You can’t imagine it,” said lead investigator Joachim Poll.

“These men, if you can call them that, acted maliciously by encrypting all their discussions on their cell phones.”

Police said the abuse took place at a summer house in Muenster belonging to the mother of the 27-year-old suspect.

Germany is still in shock over an earlier scandal in Luegde, 125 kilometres (80 miles) from Muenster, where several men abused children several hundred times at a campsite over a period of several years.

Gifty Powers - "I'm not bothered about the opinion of others"

Gifty Powers, a Nigerian actress and former housemate of the Big Brother Naija reality TV show has told us how she lives life. She revealed that she lives life on her terms and isn’t concerned about the opinion of others.

In an interview with reporters, Gifty said,

“I think it’s okay to expose one’s body but it is not a do-or-die affair. As long as there is mutual understanding about limits on body areas to be exposed with the person in charge of the project then you are good to go. 

For example, if I’m to appear nude on the cover of a magazine, I would discuss with the creative director of that particular project about the limits to which I could bare my body.

No matter what one does, one would always get criticised; even while defending oneself. But the truth is that everyone is entitled to their opinions, whether pretty or ugly. I do not and will never hold such hypocrisy against them.

I only focus on important matters. The fact that I have an amazing mother who supports all my moves, a daughter who gives me peace and joy, my two younger siblings that crack me up with jokes whenever I’m down, is enough for me. Naysayers are the least things on my agenda.’’

Gifty also noted that being a mother had changed a lot about her. She said, 

“Being a mother is the most gracious gift from God that no one can tamper with.  It has changed many things about me. When I’m outside the house, I call my mum several times asking about the well-being of my daughter. 

Loving a child is something a mother cannot control. It’s like an already installed programme in one’s DNA. It may be quite difficult to explain. Until one gives birth, one wouldn’t know the feeling I’m talking about.”

108 year old Italian woman recovers from COVID-19

Fatima Negrini, a 108 year old woman from northern Italy, has joined the ranks of the very few centenarians who have recovered from COVID-19.

“God forgot about me,” Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera quoted Negrini as saying in its Saturday edition, reporting that the woman turned 108 on Wednesday.

The paper published a picture of the wheelchair-bound Negrini in front of a chocolate and cream cake, flanked by a carer with a giant heart-shaped birthday card.

The card said, “Fatima 108 We Love You!!! S. Faustino.”

"Negrini has been a resident for many years of the Anni Azzurri San Faustino nursing home in Milan", a spokesman for the facility told dpa.

"She caught the novel coronavirus in April and tested negative in mid-May, and was “always” an asymptomatic COVID-19 patient", he added.

According to Corriere, Negrini has three sons aged 89, 88, and 78, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Italy is one of the countries worst hit by the novel coronavirus, and the impact of the pandemic has been particularly hard on nursing homes in Milan’s Lombardy region.

On Friday, the Italian Civil Protection agency reported 33,774 fatalities, the world’s fourth-highest death toll after the U.S., Britain, and Brazil.

In Negrini’s nursing home, several residents died. 

“Fatima hasn’t realized yet who is no longer around,” Laura Catena, the assistant in the birthday picture, told Corriere.

The San Faustino facility is part of the KOS group, an Italian private healthcare operator which last year bought German nursing home group Charleston.

OPEC, others to extend oil production cuts

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its oil allies, which is led by Russia, have agreed to extend their record output cuts by one month.

OPEC and its allies, a group called OPEC+, decided in April to cut output by a record 9.7 million barrels per day to lift prices battered by a demand drop linked to lockdown measures aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus.

The group agreed to extend the deal on Saturday during the 11th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting held via videoconference, under the Chairmanship of Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, and co-Chair Alexander Novak, Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation.

In a statement at the end of the meeting, the organisation said that all participating countries reconfirmed the existing arrangements under the April agreement.

It said they subscribed to the concept of compensation by those countries that were unable to reach full conformity (100 per cent) in May and June, with a willingness to accommodate it in July, August, and September, in addition to their already agreed production adjustment for such months.

They “agreed without dissent that the full and timely implementation of the agreement remains inviolable, based on the five key elements, and endorsed the ‘Statement on the Declaration of Cooperation,” according to the statement.

The meeting also called upon all major oil producers to proportionally contribute to the stabilisation of the oil market, taking into consideration the substantial effort made by the OPEC and non-OPEC participating countries of the DoC.

The meeting decided that an OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting would convene in Vienna, Austria, on December 1, 2020.

Rep member, Ahmed Jaha reverses rape comments, apologises

Ahmed Jaha, a member of the House of Representatives has openly regretted and renounced the comments he made at Thursday’s plenary. He gave a sincere apology to Nigerians, especially women.

In an interview on Saturday in Abuja, Ahmed Jaha reversed his comments at the debate that women should cultivate a habit of proper dressing to avoid unnecessary harassment from men who could not control themselves.

The lawmaker, representing Chibok, Damboa, Gwoza Federal Constituency of Borno, said he regretted making such a statement as it affected the sensitivity of women. He said,

“I have made a mistake that has offended the sensibilities of fellow Nigerians and indeed, fellow human beings, particularly women who are our mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters.

While I totally reaffirm my position that rapists should face death sentences, I regret the part that talks about the dressing of women.

I deeply apologise for this position, because as some have rightly argued, my comments, could imply that women who are victims, share the blame of being raped.

This clearly, could not have been the intention of someone who suggested a death penalty for rapists”.

The lawmaker said that there were three sets of people who never made mistakes – “the dead, those incapacitated and those that are healthy, but useless to the society”.

Jaha said a woman’s choice of dressing could not justify rape, saying that if women who were the weaker sex show discipline by looking away when men were not well dressed, men should even do better.

“I know that it is a divine responsibility for every good man to protect and preserve the pride of a woman.

Most women are born with the natural strength of endurance, that is why they are able to go through childbirth, to nurture families, take care of relations and still able to earn descent livelihoods.

Women do things with completeness. I admire this so much, because I have benefited from the sincerity and commitment of women.

I hold women with the highest respect, with great pride and with so much love that is pure and responsible,” the parliamentarian added.

Ahmed Jaha also apologised to his colleagues in the house and his constituents who might have been disappointed by his comments, especially female lawmakers.

Nigeria's national walk champion slumps and dies while jogging

Kazeem Adeyemi who is Nigeria’s men’s 20km Race Walk National Champion, kicked the bucket. This was revealed by a statement from the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.

The statement disclosed that the athlete slumped and died while jogging.

Until the sad event of his death, Adeyemi represented the Nigeria Police Force, where he served for 11 years and was a Sergeant at the Ikoyi Division, Lagos State.

In the statement, the President of AFN, Ibrahim Shehu-Gusau, described the deceased as “a national sports asset”. Shehu-Gusau said, 

“The death of Adeyemi is sad, especially at this time when the federation is putting plans in place to encourage our good athletes to take to coaching courses.

To lose such a dedicated and hardworking athlete, who showed great consistency is a very great loss to the federation, in particular, and the nation in general.”

The statement added that Adeyemi, who died on Tuesday, was buried according to Islamic rites on Wednesday, at the Agege Cemetery, Lagos State.

Born on March 1, 1985, the late Adeyemi won a number of National Championships, including the 20,000m and the 20km Race Walk in Calabar in June 2011; 20km Race Walk in Lagos in May 2007; the 20km Race Walk in Warri in 2015 as well as the 20km Race Walk in Kaduna in 2019.

He represented Nigeria in the 20km Race Walk at the 2003 All-African Games in Abuja where he placed fifth.

Check out the new look of Cynthia Morgan Madrina

Cynthia Morgan has released new photos of herself and we must say that she is looking good and well.

She was all smiles in a new video that surfaced online last night. We can firmly say that compared to her last IG Live interview where she looked sickly and pale, she is looking healthier and more beautiful currently.

We learnt from a reliable source that Cynthia Morgan Madrina is back in Lagos State. The source said that she is currently rebranding.

So, we'll be expecting some new hit songs from her as soon as possible.

Imo : PDP official who opposed Uzodimma charged with terrorism

Mr Ambrose Nwogwugwu who is the Director of Online media of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been arraigned before a Magistrate court sitting in Owerri. He was arraigned on charges bordering on terrorism and defamation.

This is as a result of some of his Facebook posts which are reportedly  "targeted" at Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state.

In the charge sheet marked 0W/217c/2020, it was alleged that the 29-year-old PDP official accused the governor of constructing a rural grazing area for herdsmen in the state. 

He also accused Uzodimma of planning to rename Imo State University after Abba Kyari, the former chief of staff to the president who died from COVID-19 complications. 

He further accused the governor of planning to divert N5.2 billion meant for pensioners in the state. 

Governor Uzodinma has reportedly denied all the allegations made in the posts shared on Facebook between March and May 2020.

Michael Jordan to donate $100m towards racial equality and justice

Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand have announced that they will donate $100 million to assist in the ongoing fight against racial injustice.

The NBA star made this known in a joint statement released by his manager, Estee Portnoy. He said that over the next 10 years, he and his brand will donate $100 million to "organizations dedicated to ensuring racial equality, social justice and greater access to education." 

The statement from Michael Jordan read :

"Jordan Brand is more than one man. It has always been a family," the statement begins. "We represent a proud family that has overcome obstacles, fought against discrimination in communities worldwide and that works every day to erase the stain of racism and the damage of injustice."

It continues, "The will, the work, the excellence the world has come to know is the result of one generation after another, pouring their dreams into the next. It's 2020, and our family now includes anyone who aspires to our way of life. Yet as much as things have changed, the worst remains the same."

Joe Biden to run against Trump in presidential election

Joe Biden, who is the former Vice President of the United States has secured the delegates needed to win the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. 

He clinched the nomination which is to hold on the first ballot at the August convention, by crossing the threshold of 1,991 delegates.

We have reports that Joe Biden who took a commanding delegate lead in mid-March and after Vermont's Senator Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race in early April, confirmed this in a statement released on Friday night. .

The former Vice President under Barack Obama's administration, tweeted : 

"Folks, tonight we secured the 1,991 delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination. I'm going to spend every day fighting to earn your vote so that, together, we can win the battle for the soul of this nation.

It was an honour to compete alongside one of the most talented groups of candidates the Democratic party has ever fielded and I am proud to say that we are going into this general election a united party."