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Monday, 28 September 2015

Pictures Of Historical Importance


A view of the artwork 'Pluto and Proserpina' by US artist Jeff Koons is displayed in Piazza della Signoria as part of the exhibition 'Jeff Koons In Florence' in Florence, Italy, Sept. 25, 2015. The exhibition 'Jeff Koons in Florence', which runs from 26 September to 28 December 2015, explores the relationship between the provoking beauty of the works by the brilliant American artist and the timeless masterpieces by Donatello (1386-1466) and Michelangelo (1475-1564). The locations chosen for such a juxtaposition are Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria. (EPA/MAURIZIO DEGL' INNOCENTI)


A Virginia creeper covers the 15th century tea rooms in Llanrwst in Conwy, Wales, September 25, 2015. (REUTERS/Rebecca Naden)



A boy plays on a disused sofa in the ruins of houses which were pulled down, in central Beijing, China, September 25, 2015. China's economic growth will be largely stable in the third quarter as the impact from a stock market plunge will be limited, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday. (REUTERS/Jason Lee)




An honor guard carry the coffin of First Class Private Vasil Kuljanishvili, who was killed in Afghanistan, at the airport in Tbilisi, Georgia, September 25, 2015. Insurgents in Afghanistan have killed the Georgian soldier in an attack on NATO forces near a major U.S. air base, NATO and Georgian officials said on Wednesday, a relatively rare death of a foreign soldier since most withdrew last year. (REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili)




Roses placed by the mother of an architect who died during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists attacks are erected off his name on the edge of the South Pool at the site of the World Trade Center in New York, Friday, Sept. 25, 2015. Pope Francis is expected to visit the 9/11 memorial as part of his five-day trip to the United States. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)




A military honor guard await the arrival of President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state arrival ceremony, Friday, Sept. 25, 2015, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)



Indian Muslims offer prayers at Jama Masjid during Eid al-Adha in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 25, 2015. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, by sacrificing animals to commemorate the prophet Ibrahim's faith in being willing to sacrifice his son. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)



Pope Francis visits the 9/11 Museum, Friday, Sept. 25, 2015 in New York. (Susan Watts/New York Daily News via AP)



Guillaume Rolland of France stands on the line during the Highline Extreme event in Moleson, Switzerland September 25, 2015. European best slackliners will compete until Sunday on six different lines ranging from 45 metres (148 ft) to 495 metres (1,624 ft). The 495 metres (1,624 ft) line if completed, will be the world record. (REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)




Bellatrix, left, and Addie, right, have their picture taken by pedestrians as they are walked outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center, host of the World Meeting of Families conference, Friday, Sept. 25, 2015, in Philadelphia. Pope Francis wraps up his U.S. visit this weekend in Philadelphia, where he speaks in front of Independence Hall and celebrates Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to close out a big rally on Catholic families. (AP Photo/David Goldman)


As Pope Francis Rounded Off His Visit To The USA



In one of his last activities in the United States of America, Pope Francis on Sunday met with sex abuse victims and promised that the Roman Catholic Church would be more accountable henceforth.

A report received here stated that Pope Francis met with victims of child sexual abuse Sunday on the final day of his U.S. visit and promised to hold accountable those responsible for the scandal in the church, delivering a powerful warning to American bishops accused of covering up for pedophile priests instead of reporting them to police.

The pontiff disclosed the gesture of reconciliation at the start of a meeting with American bishops gathered in Philadelphia for a big rally on Catholic families.
But in a move that signaled a new effort by the church to redirect the discussion, the Vatican said not all five of the victims were abused by members of the clergy; some of the three women and two men had been victimized by family members or educators.
Francis praised the survivors as "true heralds of mercy" who deserve the church's gratitude for helping to bring the truth to light.
"God weeps, for the sexual abuse of children cannot be maintained in secret, and I commit to a careful oversight to ensure that youth are protected and that all responsible will be held accountable," Francis said in Spanish.
The pope has agreed to create a new Vatican tribunal to prosecute bishops who failed to protect their flock, and he has accepted the resignations of three U.S. bishops accused of mishandling cases.
He previously vowed to hold bishops accountable during his first-ever meeting with victims, held last summer at the Vatican.
But Francis and U.S. bishops have also argued that child molestation is a serious problem beyond the church, especially within families and in schools. The meeting with victims abused by people other than priests underscored that point.
Later Sunday, Francis visited a Philadelphia jail to give hope and encouragement to about 100 inmates, included suspected killers, rapists and mobsters. Late in the afternoon, he was scheduled to celebrate a final Mass on U.S. soil on Philadelphia's grandest boulevard, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, with organizers predicting a crowd of 1 million.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has been hit hard by the sexual abuse scandal and has been the subject of repeated grand jury investigations, including one that accused it keeping on assignment more than three dozen priests facing serious accusations. A monsignor was found guilty of endangering children by not removing pedophile priests, becoming the first American church official convicted of such an offense.
Victims' groups had complained earlier in the week that Francis neglected to address their plight when he congratulated bishops for their "courageous" and generous response to the scandal. Sunday's meeting took place a day after the pope celebrated Mass with Justin Rigali, the cardinal who was archbishop in Philadelphia when the archdiocese was accused of sheltering pedophiles
Victim support groups were unimpressed by the meeting.
The Rev. Tom Doyle, a canon lawyer who worked at the Vatican embassy in Washington and is now an advocate for victims, said that including more than just victims of abusive clergy "seriously minimizes" the problem in the church.
"We don't think we're going to get any real support to change this from the leadership in the Vatican," Doyle said in a phone interview. "They're having this big meeting of families. But there's been no real room for all the families that the Catholic Church has destroyed through sexual abuse."
The main victims' support group, SNAP, dismissed the meeting as an exercise in public relations.
"Is a child anywhere on Earth safer now that a pope, for maybe the seventh or eighth time or ninth time, has briefly chatted with abuse victims? No," said SNAP's David Clohessy.
The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the pope met with the survivors for a half-hour at the San Carlo Borromeo seminary. He said the pope prayed with them, listened to their stories and expressed his closeness in their suffering and his "pain and shame" in the case of those abused by priests.
In his meeting with the bishops, Francis referred to gay marriage for the first time in his U.S. trip, lamenting the new reality in which Christians must live. But he also urged American bishops to redirect their energies away from complaining about it, saying a church that only explains its doctrine is "dangerously unbalanced."
"I would even say that it is stuck in a vicious circle," he said.
The U.S. bishops have called the legalization of gay marriage by the U.S. Supreme Court three months ago "a tragic error" and "profoundly immoral and unjust."
Hours before Sunday's Mass, Roman Catholics from across the country and around the world began trekking into the city, crossing bridges on foot and packing subway cars.
But there were fears that the extraordinary security — including airport-style bag searches, crowd-control cattle chutes and blocked-off streets — would scare many people away and result in a turnout far below organizers' expectations.
Thomas Coorey, a dentist and father of four visiting Philadelphia from Sydney, called Francis "the most inspirational and amazing pope that could breathe life into this church of mine. And I'm so grateful to have a leader like him who's so humble and such a true servant of God."
It has been a common sentiment throughout the pope's visit to Washington, New York and Philadelphia.
"It's the wave. It's the smile," said Tom Hambrose, 52, of Haddon Heights, New Jersey. "It's what he's articulating, that the church needs to step forward and needs to change its thinking about things."


Sunday, 27 September 2015

Michelle Obama: First Lady Of Fashion




















WOW!!!! Michelle Obama Knocks Off The Fashionists

All eyes were on Michelle Obama when she arrived at the China State Dinner held Friday at the White House in Washington, D.C.
The First Lady looked effortlessly posh, donning an off-the-shoulder black silk crepe mermaid gown by designer Vera Wang, as she welcomed China's president, Xi Jinping, as the evening's guest of honor.
The beautiful custom gown features an architectural V-neckline and tulle sleeves, accented by a hand-draped silk textural organza pleated skirt.
Obama took to social media to share a photo from inside the dinner party, and, of course, that dress.
"First glance at tonight's China State Dinner," the 51-year-old tweeted.

There were over 200 guests in attendance, including Empire co-creatorLee Daniels, political scientist Henry Kissinger, ballet dancer Misty Copeland, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and entertainment industry executives, including Disney CEO Bob Iger and DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg.
Before guests arrived, Obama teased a few other sneak peeks of the event.
"Crossing the t's and dotting the i's for tonight's China State Dinner," she shared on Twitter.
Ahead of the dinner, President Barack Obama and the first lady greeted Xi and his wife with a 21-gun salute on the South Lawn and a red carpet ceremony. Following photos, Barack and Michelle shared a sweet moment, which was captured on video.
"May I just say, you look stunning," POTUS says to his wife.
Farm to table happens right here at the ! Tonight’s State Dinner includes peppers from the Kitchen Garden.

Saturday, 26 September 2015

Date Of Death Test - Take Yours Now!!!!

Simon Cowell has been told he will live to the grand age of 95.
The 55-year-old showbiz supremo said he had tests done to predict when he will die and the results suggest he has another 40 years of life left.
Despite being a smoker, Simon’s impressive life expectancy is partly down to having a family, he said.
He told the Daily Mirror: “I had the DNA test done in LA which predicts when you’re going to die. They take your blood and DNA, then give you back a sheet of paper which says ‘We think you’re going to be alive until xxxx’.
“Obviously it doesn’t take account of the fact you might get hit by a bus tomorrow, but I got told I’d die aged 95 – which is about as good as you can expect.”
He added: “I think a lot of it is down to having a family now, and a lack of stress. I’ve learned to deal with stress much better now, things don’t bother me in the way that they once used to.”
Simon talked of the importance of regular check-ups, telling the newspaper: “I’m a great believer in getting checked out because if you know you’re OK, you actually feel better; your mind plays a big part of it.
“I get everything checked out twice a year and so far, considering everything I’ve done, I’ve been lucky and had no scares.
“My heart, my lungs, my blood – they’ve all been checked. I remember one of the doctors almost being disappointed when he showed me the results because he couldn’t wait to tell me what smoking was doing to me. But there was nothing there.”
The life expectancy of people in England has risen from 75.9 years in 1990 to 81.3 years in 2013.

Prostitute Arrested For Trying To Eat Client’s Penis


Priscilla Vaughn, an escort, was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly attempting to bite off a client’s genitals in Orlando, Florida.
According to CBS Miami, the victim hired Vaughn early in the evening. After eating dinner and drinking some alcohol, the two went back to the Crestwood Suites hotel where Vaughn reportedly took some Ecstasy. Shortly after, Vaughn tried eat the client’s penis and testicles. The victim was unable to get Vaughn off of him, however, she took his phone when he tried to call for help.
Fortunately, several hotel guests heard “screaming and growling” sounds coming from the room and called 911.
Police arrived to find the victim covered in blood, with bite marks on his sex organs, as well as injuries to his stomach, legs, chest, and fingers. The victim was rushed to the Orlando Regional Medical Center trauma center.
Vaughn was found naked and had blood smeared on her face. She “growled and snarled” at police officers when they arrived.
Vaughn was arrested on charges of second-degree attempted murder, false imprisonment, and tampering with a victim’s ability to contact police.

Man Accidentally Fractured His Penis During Sex


Mixed martial arts fighters are used to dealing with pain, but for former Ultimate Fighter hopeful Ray Elbe, he had no choice but to tap out to the most painful experience of his life after breaking his penis.
Elbe had previously come close to making a name for himself in the UFC’s reality TV show, The Ultimate Fighter, but lost out in the preliminary bouts to decide the season’s housemates in 2009.
Unfortunately for him, Elbe has now hit the headlines for rather less pleasant reasons, after sustaining a broken penis while having sex with his girlfriend while in Malaysia on December 3.
Incredibly, Elbe has not only gone public with the painful and harrowing story, he’s taken to YouTube to give a first-hand account of his injury.
In a self-posted video that is not recommended for those with a delicate disposition, Elbe explained – in surprisingly matter-of-fact tone – what happened.
“I was having intercourse with my girlfriend… and ended up breaking – fracturing – my penis bone. It’s actually possible guys.”
He revealed the injury caused intense bleeding and led to him passing out from the pain.
He was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery which, thankfully for Elbe, was declared a success.
“The doctor expects a full recovery… keeping it safe doesn’t mean just wearing a condom!”
On his personal blog, Elbe also explained why he went public with his injury.
“The biggest problem people suffering from this medical emergency encounter is not immediately seeking medical attention, usually due to the same emotions I initially felt about the accident,” Elbe explained.
“Life is about growing as a person, learning from past experiences – something I take great devotion in trying to do with each opportunity.
“I hope my story helps someone with a similar injury in some way…as this experience is truly something you would never wish on anyone lol.
“To any bitter ex-girlfriends still stalking the blog… smile today as whatever Karma you felt was deserved has been dealt… lol.
“Moving forward, I am so appreciative that the women I love has been by my side this entire process – and I honestly hope no one reading this ever suffers the same injury.”

She Did The Unthinkable!!!! - True Confession

I am not a loose woman. I am just a woman who loves her husband very much and didn’t want to lose him. I just did what I had to do to save my marriage even though I feel guilty sometimes. It was not easy but I slept with my driver so that I could give my husband a child, but instead, God gave me twins, a boy and a girl.
I was married to Philip for eight years. We had no child. “The worst was that I never got pregnant even for a day.” His mother became so impatient that she started breathing down my neck as she gave me no breathing space at all. She moved in to live with us and practically made my life unbearable – in my matrimonial home. I cannot drink water and drop the cup because she must insult me. It got to a point that she stopped eating my food because, according to her, I should be feeding my children so that they would grow healthy and stronger and not her. “Monica, if you had children, you are supposed to be feeding them with all these food so that they would grow healthy and strong. I am getting old so I don’t need all these nonsense you call food. Take them away and give me grandchildren,” she would scream. She also stopped talking to me, however, the only time she talks to me is when she wants to insult me and remind me of how less a woman I was.
Philip and I love each other so much that he stood by me despite all his mother did or said to frustrate me to leave him. We visited different specialists and they all certified us medically alright. I have visited churches, held vigils and even fasted for days, drank various concoctions of varied colours and combinations all in the name of getting pregnant so that my mother-in-law can stop humiliating me yet I couldn’t get pregnant.
At a point, I stopped coming out of my bedroom because it was obvious my mother-in-law had vowed to frustrate me out of her son’s home. Most times, I just stayed in my bedroom and either cries, pray, think and then sleep off because I was scared of his mother confronting me. To make things worse, she sent away the house help because she said, “You don’t need any house help because there are no children to take care of. Take care of your house yourself and stop wasting my son’s hard earned money.”
It was just the three of us living at home, “God, I was always so terrified even when I hear her voice from a distance.” It is so agonizing to say this but my husband usually pleads with me to come out of the room and this makes him feel so sad especially those times I refuse because I don’t want to come face-to-face with his mother. When her troubles became too unbearable, Philip practically threw her out of the house just to make me feel safe and comfortable in my own home.
Even after she had left, I could still hear those insults in my head so I decided to take a bold step – I seduced and slept with our driver, Okon. Okon is a young man in his late 20’s. He is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering but because he could not get a good paying job, he opted to become a driver. I promised to get him a good job if he sleeps with me just once but I never disclosed the reason for this. However, Okon thought I just wanted to cheat on my husband with him. I planned it during my ovulation so that I could get pregnant, although it was not easy sleeping with another man. I knew I was betraying my husband but I saw it as a necessary action. After a month, I discovered that I was pregnant. So, as promised I got a job for Okon in a friend’s company where he started earning almost N150, 000 per month. When I told Philip that I was pregnant, he was so excited. “Sweetheart, God has finally answered our prayers. I am pregnant,” I revealed.
When I was five months pregnant, he informed his mother and she immediately returned to the house. She pampered me like a baby and also took good care of me. I never wanted to do any scan but my mother-in-law insisted. When I finally did the scan, it showed I was pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl. My mother- in-law and husband were extremely happy while I felt much fulfilled. “God thank you for compensating me with a set of twins after eight years of barrenness,” I muttered.
When the twins were born, the girl took ill for some time. It took a while before she fully recovered after several treatments and this got me worried. Philip and I insisted that blood test be carried out on them to determine their blood group and genotype and then came the shocking revelation. The doctor informed us that although their blood groups are both A, however, their genotypes are AS for the girl and AA for the boy meanwhile Philip and I are both AA. I wanted the ground to open and swallow me up because I felt Philip would ask questions but to my surprise, he did not. He just said, “Sweetheart, lets go home. We have had quite a long day, you and my babies need to rest.”
Three months later, he held me closely and said, “Monica, don’t be scared. I don’t want to know who the father of the twins is. I know whatever you did, you did to save our marriage and I am very proud of you. I promise to always love you and my babies. I promise this will be a secret between us. I love you sweetheart. I know we will have our own children someday.” I wept as he wiped my tears with his hands.
I know what I did was wrong but at least my mother-in-law is extremely happy with me, that is all that matters. Although, everyone is happy but I feel guilty that I selfishly used an innocent man to achieve my aim. But before anybody judge me; just put yourself in my shoes and think for a moment what you will do?

You Cannot Marry Again!!! - Tradition Says So

Late Ooni’s wives banned from re-marrying

The wives left behind by the late‎ Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, have been banned by tradition from re-marrying, The Nation reports.
Quoting a palace chief, who preferred not to be named, the report said the order was prescribed by Ife tradition, since the Ooni is not considered dead but to have transited to a higher realm.
The chief, maintaining that the Ooni still lives, said it is forbidden for wives left behind by Oba Sijuwade to re-marry.
He said: “The rules is general and applies to all Ooni that has passed on and not peculiar to the wives of Oba Sijuwade, the immediate past Ooni. There may not be a clearly defined repercussion against the tradition but it is advisable that the order is obeyed at all times and for all generations. The best that can happen to the oloris left behind by any late Ooni is for them to remain single or be inherited by the reigning Ooni.”
The palace chief added that it does not matter whether the wives are young or old, “what matters is that the tradition must be sustained in the overall interest of the society.”
The late Oba Okunade Sijuwade left Oloris Morisola, Ladun, Odunayo, Adedolapo and Linda behind, with their ages ranging between 40’s and 60’s.
The first wife, Olori Yetunde, the mother of the first son, Prince Adetokubo, died some years ago, long before Oba Sijuwade’s death.

Raped By 2 Women - A Man Complains To The Police

29-year-old man gang-raped by two women at ‘snake point’

A 29-year-old man from Karoi district in Kenyan has reportedly been abducted and gang-raped by two women who threatened him with a snake and a gun.
The police spokesperson for the Kenya police, Senior Assistant Commissioner, Charity Charamba who confirmed the rape said efforts were on to apprehend the two women, who indecently assaulted the man after offering him a lift from Magunje Growth Point to Karoi.
“Police are investigating a case of aggravated indecent assault in which two women ordered a 29-year-old man to have sexual intercourse with one of them while the other one was holding a live snake and pistol,” Charamba affirmed.
Charamba further disclosed that the 29-year-old was raped in a Toyota Raum vehicle shortly after he was offered a lift, adding that the vehicle was driven by a middle-aged woman who was in company of another woman.
The police spokesperson added that on getting to a lonely stretch along the road, the driver pulled up, pretending she wanted to check the car’s tyre.
Charamba said the driver continued the journey and after a while she turned into a bushy area and that there, the other woman brought out a snake and a gun while ordering the 29-year-old man to have sex with them.
One of the women was alleged to have forced the man into swallowing sexual enhancement pill before committing the act.

Pregnant Woman In Sex Rumpus With Another Man

Husband catches pregnant wife having sex with another man


A woman simply identified as Mercy was on Monday morning caught sleeping with another man in Otukpo, Benue State.
Her husband identified as Okpani caught the wife and her lover red-handed after he set them up, having suspected the wife was constantly cheating on him.
DailyPost gathered that Okpani, a Local Government staff told his pregnant wife that he will be going for a NULGE meeting which is supposed to take place in Makurdi, the state capital this morning. However, Okpani went to the neighbour’s house to stay and spy on his wife’s movement.
After a while, a middle aged man who was identified as Omale walked stealthily into his matrimonial room. Okpani gave them a little time before coming out of his hideout into the room, and alas, his wife was having sexual intercourse with Omale.
As at press time, people are gathered at Okpani’s compound, waiting for the Police to arrive.

Stop That Act Now!!! Prof Warns

Men should stop sucking their wife’s breast, it’s for babies – Wale Oke



Prof Wale Oke, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH has called on men to stop competing with their babies to suck the wives’ breast.
Oke urged his fellow men to allow their babies to enjoy their natural meal.
He spoke at the World Breastfeeding Week (WBW). The programme was organised by LASUTH Community Health Department in conjunction with the hospital’s Pediatrics Department
According to him, the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding were many.
He said: “When a mother breastfeeds her baby, it creates bond between them. It is also a natural family mechanism. Breast-feeding mothers do not have bone diseases, breast and ovarian cancers”.
Oke said the state had created an enabling environment for mothers with its policies to work and still feed their babies.
“Working and breastfeeding can go together if mothers try because it is necessary to have healthy babies,” he said.
On her part, First Lady of Lagos State, Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode urged mothers to breastfeed their babies exclusively for six months so that they can be healthy.
This, according to her, would prevent babies from coming down with childhood diseases, such as cough, diarrhea and catarrh, among others.
Mrs Ambode, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the state’s Civil Service Pension Office, Mrs Ademola Olabowale, said medical science had made it known that breast supplied basic nutrients to newborns, adding that the breast milk remained the most important protein for babies’ growth.
“The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months, and mixed breastfeeding up to two years,” she said.
Breast milk, she said, usually helps to build the immunity for the newborns, saying it would protect them from childhood killer diseases.

Ikenne And Jonathans Came Calling


The immediate past President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has visited the Ikenne home of the Awolowos to pay tributes to their matriarch, Hannah Idowu Dideolu.
HID, as the deceased is fondly called, passed on last Saturday at the age of 99.
Jonathan arrived Ikenne exactly 1.17pm in company of his wife, Patience, and a former leader in the House of Representatives, Mrs. Mulikat Adeola, and a former chairman of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, Jide Adeniji.
Jonathan said the death of HID Awolowo forced him and his wife out of their ‘hiding’ place, since he said he had resolved not to go out for one year, after leaving office.
Condoling with the family, the former President stressed that HID Awolowo enjoyed a rare privilege by living extra 29 years, when compared to the biblical prescription of three scores and 10.
He said, “My wife and I are not mourning because Mama has passed on. For me, we believe that it’s a rare privilege to add extra 29 years to the biblical three scores and 10; it’s not easy.

“Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have been mourning but Mama was a rare mother. She was a woman of virtue described in the Bible and she was a mother to all of us.
“A mother that her milk of kindness we still need, her milk of encouragement we still need, her milk of advice we still need and today she’s no more with us.
“We, just like her immediate children, and indeed this country, have missed her. Within this period, my wife and I have been hiding; we don’t even go out. We thought we’ll be hiding for at least 12 months.
“But in this particular case, we cannot hide. So, we have come for the condolence and to encourage our brothers and sisters that we are together. God brought her for all of us. She just had to be the direct mother of a few but she was a mother to all. We shall mourn more than even the direct children would,” he said.

Friday, 25 September 2015

Volkswagen CEO Resigns Amidst Scandal

Volkswagen Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn quit the German automaking giant on Wednesday, saying while he had done nothing wrong personally in the widening scandal over fake emission controls in 11 million VW diesels, he accepted responsibility as CEO and company needed a fresh start.
The move comes as criminal investigations and lawsuits grow around the globe in response to revelations by U.S. officials last week that thousands of VW diesels were sold with software that could sense when the cars were being tested for emissions, and turned off some of their pollution controls in everyday driving.
Just Tuesday, Winterkorn had apologized again and promised an outside investigation into how VW came to use the software in question. The company has set aside $7.3 billion to deal with the issues; traders in European stock markets had shaved some $25 billion in value off the company’s shares due to the scandal.
“I am shocked by the events of the past few days. Above all, I am stunned that misconduct on such a scale was possible in the Volkswagen Group,” Winterkorn said in a statement today.
“As CEO I accept responsibility for the irregularities that have been found in diesel engines and have therefore requested the Supervisory Board to agree on terminating my function as CEO of the Volkswagen Group. I am doing this in the interests of the company even though I am not aware of any wrong doing on my part.
Volkswagen needs a fresh start – also in terms of personnel. I am clearing the way for this fresh start with my resignation.”
Winterkorn had been CEO since 2007 of the sprawling Volkswagen Group—numbering 13 brands from VW to Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini and Bugatti—with some 580,000 employees. VW’s supervisory board said it would name Winterkorn’s successor Friday and that it expected “further personnel consequences” in the coming days. It added that Winterkorn “had no knowledge of the manipulation of emissions data.”
The 68-year-old German engineer has spent 34 years rising through the massive Volkswagen and Audi bureaucracy, building a penchant for precision that stuck out even among his counterparts. This video from 2011 shows him examining and personally measuring the gaps on a new Hyundai; other anecdotes involve Winterkorn tearing down the transmission from an Audi race car after it failed during a race to find the solution.
In recent months, Winterkorn had survived a bout of palace intrigue  sparked by former VW chairman Ferdinand Piech, an heir to founder Ferdinand Porsche who tried to oust Winterkorn and wound up ousted by the board himself. Winterkorn had maintained his pledge to see Volkswagen surpass Toyota as the world’s largest automaker by 2018. 
The most likely successor to Winterkorn will be Porsche chief Matthias Mueller, another life-long VW/Porsche executive.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board have said VW must fix the 482,000 diesels affected in the United States; what those repairs will entail and when they will arrive has yet to be determined. There’s already a small roster of lawsuits seeking class-action status on behalf of VW diesel owners, and the U.S. Justice Department along with state attorneys general are pursuing their own probes.
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