50 Cent Is Now a Licensed Boxing Promoter

50 Cent and Mayweather

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix reports that Curtis Jackson (50 Cent) is now an officially licensed boxing promoter in New York State, and soon plans to get his license in Nevada as well. Curtis’ The Money Team Promotions crew “is expected to sign former featherweight title holder Yuri Gamboa and super middleweight contender Andre Dirrell”.

Now 50 can add the title of boxing promoter under his belt (no pun intended).

Nigeria Secret Police Grills Pastor Bakare, Tells Him To Tone Down Sermons Critical Of Government

Pastor Tunde Bakare

State Security Service (SSS) is attempting to silence the fiery Lagos pastor and activist, Pastor Tunde Bakare of the Latter Rain Assembly, telling him to tone down his critical political messages, it was reported today.

In a face to face interrogation which lasted about 45 minutes, the SSS reportedly pressured the activist Pastor to soft-pedal his hard hitting political messages from the altar. Pastor Bakare’s Sunday sermons regularly delve into current political affairs, and the public waits expectantly to hear the latest from his pulpit.

Specifically, the SSS asked the Pastor what he meant in his last sermon when he referred to ‘election before 2015’. Pastor Bakare said the comment referred to plans for a post-impeachment presidency should the President be removed.

The SSS said the Pastor’s series political revolutionary sermons began as a way of furthering the protest he led as the convener of the Save Nigeria Group [SNG] during the January fuel subsidy protest in Lagos has become problematic for public order.

Over the last three weeks, Pastor Bakare’s Sunday service had become a center of intense media scrutiny, as his messages hit the polity. Three weeks ago, he said President Jonathan’s destiny was to bankrupt Nigeria.

After a visit to the Ukraine, Pastor Bakare’s sermon was even more inflammatory, inserting the president’s name (Jonathan) into the lyrics of a popular Pentecostal revival song: ‘Let us carry Jesus up and throw Jonathan away, up, up, Jesus, down, down, Jonathan.)

Responding to journalists on July 8 during the commemoration of the 14th anniversary of the Late MKO Abiola, Pastor Bakare dismissed public speculation that he was being harassed by police.

“I’m alive and well, nobody is harassing me,” he said. “Rather, I’m the one harassing them, and I’ll

continue to harass them until they do what is right’.

Yesterday, Pastor Bakare continued his series on the process of changing Government. His interview at the State Security office, unlike the cozy media chat President Jonathan had recently, was not unconnected to the series of public political sensitization he has been giving from his pulpit.

His chat with the SSS today ended with the State requesting that he soften up on his critical sermons, because, he was told, “messages from church attract the entire nation”.

Knowing the nature and undying spirit of the activist pastor, it is not certain that he will stop the series because of the Security interview. Pastor Bakare may hit even harder next Sunday.

No Going Back On Plot To Impeach Jonathan, Says Reps-PREMIUM TIMES

House of Representative

The House says no amount of intimidation would force it to tolerate poor budget implementation by the President.

Amid a mixed public reaction that appears to have emboldened its position, the House of Representatives on Monday insisted that its resolution to impeachment President Goodluck Jonathan over poor budget implementation remained firm and unshakable.

The House said in a statement that the move, which it has now confirmed to be its official resolution, was “noble, bold and patriotic” and would not be forced down by “intimidation and blackmail”.

Spokesperson Muhammad Zakari also denied that the resolution was either sponsored by an opposition political party or borne out of lawmakers’ grievance over the fuel subsidy bribery scandal involving its member, Farouk Lawan, and the legislators’ inability to secure constituency project allowance.

“No amount of blackmail or intimidation would cow us to abdicate our constitutional responsibility which we signed with our employers the (Nigerian people) to stand firm and protect their interest,” Mr. Zakari said.

The notice followed intense meetings between the presidency and the leadership of the National Assembly over the weekend, according to reports, amid the controversy that has been generated by the House decision last Thursday.

In a well-backed motion on Thursday, initiated by Sam Tsokwa(PDP, Taraba state), and amended by Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, to reflect the impeachment proviso, the lawmakers said Mr. Jonathan had until September to implement the budget or be forced out.

At present, national budget performance averaged 30 per cent, the House Appropriation committee chairman, John Enoh, said, despite impressive revenue yields from all government sectors.

A touchy subject that has, for years, elicited stormy exchanges between the executive and the legislature, Nigeria’s budget implementation, since 1999, has not performed more than 50 per cent. In the past, governments have cited dwindling revenue and at times accused the lawmakers of padding allocations, during appropriation exercise, beyond what it could implement.

This time, all government revenue generating projections have been met for the first two quarters of 2012.

 The House of Reps’ position this time, one of its fiercest yet, has been applauded as much as it has been condemned.

“The President, by failing to implement the budget as passed by this honourable House, violates the 1999 Constitution and is therefore liable to be impeached under section 143 of the 1999 Constitution", Mr. Gbajabiamila had said.

“So therefore, I want to hereby submit that, come September, we will begin to invoke and draw up articles of impeachment of Mr. President", he declared before he was forcefully interrupted by a colleague that represents President Jonathan's constituency in the House.”

The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties backed the threat in a statement on Sunday. Spokesperson, Osita Okechukwu, said it was “patriotic, germane and timely.”

“We are at a loss how the gross unemployment, dilapidated infrastructure and decadence of social services can be addressed without implementation of the Budget,” Mr. Okechukwu said.

Critics have accused the lawmakers of acting a routine script that has only been triggered by the strings of clashes it has had with the presidency lately.

Spokesperson of the House, Mr. Zakari, however claimed the House was acting in the interest of the public, to forestall a degeneration of an already fragile state of the nation.

“To then insinuate that the House of Representatives took this noble step to satisfy pressure from a political party or because the constituency projects were not awarded to members or because of the drama that followed the presentation of the fuel subsidy report, is to say the least maliciously damaging and uncharitable to the image of the Assembly,” he said.

“To assume that we are guided by some forces outside the House of Representatives is mischievous and a deliberate ploy to misrepresent the House before the Nigerian public.”

China storms kill 20, including 10 in Beijing

The heaviest rain to hit Beijing in six decades killed at least 10 people and left cars and buses submerged, and 10 other storm deaths were reported elsewhere as China braced Sunday for more downpours.

The rain Saturday night knocked down trees in Beijing and trapped cars and buses in waist-deep water in

some areas. In Tongzhou district on the capital's eastern outskirts, two people were killed by collapsed roofs, one person was fatally struck by lightning and a fourth was electrocuted by a fallen power line as he helped neighbors escape, the government's Xinhua News Agency said.

Sylvester Stallone's Son Sage Laid to Rest in Los Angeles

Sage and Stallone

Sylvester Stallone and his ex-wife Sasha Czack's 36-year-old son, Sage Stallone, was laid to rest on Saturday.

The family gathered at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Los Angeles to say goodbye, E! News reports.

Sage was found dead in his Los Angeles apartment on July 13. His cause of death remains unknown pending toxicology test results.

"When a parent loses a child there is no greater pain," the 66-year-old Rocky star said in a statement about his son, a filmmaker and actor. "Therefore I am imploring people to respect my talented son's memory and feel compassion for his loving mother Sasha."

He added: "This agonizing loss will be felt for the rest of our lives. "Sage was our first child and the center of our universe and I am humbly begging for all to have my son's memory and soul left in peace."

Sage's mother asked mourners to make a donation to Autism Speaks rather than sending flowers. Czack and Sylvester's youngest son together, Seargeoh, is autistic. Sage is also survived by his half-sister Sistine, Sophia and Scarlet.

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Sylvester Stallone's Son Sage Laid to Rest in Los Angeles.

Police Kill Resident at Makoko Waterfront, Arrest 12 Others

Timothy

Tragedy struck today at the Makoko waterfront, which is currently under demolition by the Lagos State Government, as a police corporal shot and killed one of the residents who were appealing for more time to pack their properties before the demolition of their homes.

The victim, identified as Timothy Azinpono, was said to be advising protesting residents on how to conduct themselves during a planned peaceful protest before the police corporal aimed and shot at him.

A witness, Mr. Opaloba, who was present during the incident, said children of the affected residents, mainly secondary school students, were peacefully showing placards at a considerable distance from the police and Kick Against Indiscipline [KAI] officials present during the demolition hour but that the rash corporal turned his gun on Mr. Azinpono.

The trigger happy policeman, Corporal, Pepple Boma, who is attached to the Marine Police Station, Oworonshoki, allegedly aimed his weapon at other protesters but was stopped by his colleagues.

Mr. Opaloba told SaharaReporters: “People were only showing placards over there without moving close to anybody. Our placards are mainly inscriptions of plea that they should allow us more time to find another settlement but suddenly, the policeman just shot at one of us and after Timothy was down, he faced the nuzzle at another man. So, the rest of us scattered.”

Community chiefs on the lagoon also told SaharaReporters that the policeman attempted to escape but that his canoe was halted by the youths residing on the lagoon.

Mr. Azinpono was said to have been breathing after the shooting, bur Corpoel Boma’s attempt to escape and the subsequent efforts to stop him may have proved fatal. At about 3.20pm, he was confirmed dead at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital [LASUTH], Ikeja.

In addition to the killing of one resident, twelve others were also arrested by the Lagos State Waterfront and Infrastructural Development in a joint military effort with the KAI officials in Lagos.

The General Secretary of the Egun Community on lagoon, Makoko, Mr. John Mautin confirmed to SaharaReporters the arrest of four women, seven men and one infant.

When contacted by telephone, one of those arrested, who was seized as early as 10.30am, was unsure where they were being held.  He told SaharaReporters they were taken in a Black Maria van and driven all around Lagos without any stop point.  No effort has been made at legal prosecution, either. 

Mr. Mautin confirmed that Corporal Boma was taken to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, for further investigations.

As of the time of this report, the 12 residents arrested for protesting on the Makoko lagoon this morning had not been released.  No information was available as to what the officials of KAI and the Lagos State Government will be doing with them.

Aurora shooting: Alex Sullivan confirmed dead on his 27th birthday

where a gunman open fire at moviegoers in Aurora, Colorado July 20, 2012. REUTERS/ Jeremy Papasso

On a day that should have been marked for celebration, Alex Sullivan's friends and family hadn't been able to reach him.

The married bartender celebrated his 27th birthday by attending the midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colo., with his co-workers.

"Oh man one hour till the movie and its going to be the best BIRTHDAY ever," he tweeted.

A family friend has now confirmed that Alex Sullivan is among the people who died in the theater shortly after midnight, allegedly at the hands of suspect James Holmes. In addition, his extended family near Rochester, N.Y., reported that Sullivan died, according to ABC affiliate WHAM.

Sullivan's phone was off, and his car was still parked in the lot at the Century 16 theater in Aurora. He was not one of the injured being treated at local hospitals.

"There is a reason why he has not responded," Bryan Beard, who has been friends with Sullivan since their freshman year in high school, said earlier in the day.

Beard had been camped out at Gateway High School, where witnesses were taken after the attack, waiting for information about Sullivan.

He was joined by his friend's father, Tom Sullivan, who carried a photo of his son, hoping someone would recognize him.

Shelly Fradkin, who is Beard's mother, said Aurora Police were supportive in communicating what they could to friends and family members.

"They have really gone above and beyond," she said earlier in the day. "We have turned over every stone we possibly could today."

Road Named After First Lady Patience Jonathan In Abuja

Dame Patience Jonathan Road today became Abuja’s newest road. Named for the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, the refurbished road links the Defence Police Officers Wives Association (DEPOWA), which was responsible for its construction, with Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Barracks.

 The gesture comes four months after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, unilaterally renamed the Maitama Extension District in Abuja as Goodluck Jonathan District.

Speaking at today’s commissioning ceremony, Mrs Apolonia Petinrin, the president of DEPOWA, said her association executed the project with the assistance of the armed forces and the police.

Noting that the road had been in a terribly dilapidated state, she explained that compassion for the less privileged in the community was responsible for the decision of her association to improve its condition.

In her remarks, Mrs. Jonathan said that the cooperation of the private sector was central to the success of her husband’s Transformation Agenda, and that the new road would serve the interests of members of DEPOWA, the barracks community and other road users.

“The gesture will also provide an evidence of the capability of our women to initiate and execute projects and programmes critical and beneficial to the well-being of our nation,” Mrs. Jonathan said.

She urged DEPOWA not to relent in its efforts, and users of the road to use it responsibly.

Last week, Governor Henry Seriake Dickson appointed Mrs. Jonathan to the job of a permanent secretary in Bayelsa State, where she had previously worked.  It was learned that Mrs. Jonathan, who will be sworn in tomorrow, has been drawing a salary in the state administration since 1999. 

She has indicated that she will perform her duties in Bayelsa as a Permanent Secretary from Abuja.

Reps Threaten To Impeach President Goodluck Jonathan-PREMIUM TIMES

President Goodluck Jonathan

The lawmakers say Mr. Jonathan will be impeached if the 2012 budget is not properly implemented.

The face-off between the House of Representatives and President Goodluck Jonathan continued, Thursday, as some lawmakers served Mr. Jonathan a shocking impeachment warning, threatening to remove him from office if the 2012 budget was not fully implemented by September.

The impeachment warning by the Lawmakers followed a motion by Femi Gbajabiamila, the Minority Leader. 

Citing an order of privilege, Mr. Gbajabiamila, a member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), argued that the president was in negligence of his primary duty of implementing the budget which would have addressed the nation’s poor infrastructure.

"The President, by failing to implement the budget as passed by this honourable House, violates the 1999 Constitution and is therefore liable to be impeached under section 143 of the 1999 constitution," Mr. Gbajabiamila said.

The lawmaker said that while the House should respect the President's personality, there was need to mete out the penalty, as a deterrent to leaders who flout the laws.

"Therefore, I want to hereby submit, that come September, we will begin to invoke and draw up articles of impeachment of Mr. President," he declared while receiving a rousing support of members.

Blame Finance Minister

Mr. Gbajabiamila had hardly finished his speech when he was interrupted by Karibo Soalaboye (PDP/Bayelsa), who represents the President’s constituency in the House.

Mr. Soalaboye maintained that budget concerns should be laid at the table of the Ministry of Finance.

The Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, agreed with Mr. Soalaboye and sustained his argument.

Poor budget implementation

The impeachment threat came on the heels of a motion by Albert Sam-Tsokwa (PDP/Taraba) and 20 others on the non-implementation of  budgets by the Executive.

Mr. Sam-Tsokwa described the budget implementation as an annual national failure, saying only 30 per cent of the budget was implemented on average.

The motion was widely debated by 20 Chairmen of key House committees, including the Committees on Appropriations, Finance, Works, Agriculture, Customs, Gas, and Petroleum(Upstream).

Mr. Sam-Tsokwa expressed concern that seven months into the 2012 fiscal year, the implementation of the budget, as reported by the MDAs, indicates that the recurrent expenditure is judiciously implemented, while the capital expenditure is abysmally implemented.

Blame Jonathan for PIB delay

Earlier, Mr. Tambuwal called on Nigerians to hold the President responsible for the eventual delay that the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) may face.

Mr. Jonathan was accused of sending the new PIB to the House on a day the chamber was commencing its annual break. The lawmakers commenced their annual break after Thursday’s sitting and are expected to resume on September 17.

How we could live in the year 2056

Sci-fi-worthy homes of the future

Tornado-Proof Home

Ted Givens, an architect with Hong Kong's 10Design created this prototype for a tornado-safe home. Hydraulic levers pull the Kevlar-coated house into the ground when high-velocity winds pass by. The high-tech structure's roof then locks so water and wind can't enter. Once the weather clears, the house unfolds and residents resume normal life.

For most, the word “house” conjures images of rectangular dwellings with front porches and chimneys. Front lawns and garages too. But fast forward a few hundred years and the traditional four walls and a roof won’t be standard housing fare, according to urban experts. Climate change, population growth and geo-political shifts are already redefining the way we look at residential spaces of the future.

“The only path forward is to harness solar, wind and water for power and to use the power of computers to design, build and maintain homes,” says Victor Vetterlein, an architect residing in New York City.

The Wolke 7

Flying first class takes on a new meaning with this house, conceived by Switzerland-based designer Timon Sager. Durable cables suspend the living space in the air. With multiple decks, a state-of-the-art entertainment center and a luxury bedroom, the flying house has everything you could want.

To this end, Vetterlein conceived of a self-sufficient, eco-friendly dwelling called Reboot. Curvy and smooth on the outside, its futuristic aesthetic includes an elliptical glass elevator encircled by a white stairway with glass handrails, high-gloss floors and a change-able floor-plan. Wind turbines and batteries supply the home’s power, taking into account a predicted shortage of fossil fuels.

But as futuristic as Reboot may look, Vetterlein says it’s not nearly as “out there” as it seems. While its smooth-and-shiny surface and stem-like base may look like something out of Japanese Anime, most of the technology that would make it possible already exists.

For Chad Mitchell, architect and founder of Meridian 105 Architecture, a project called Weave Housing came about to address housing issues that include energy efficiency in a changing climate, affordability in a struggling economy and quality of craftsmanship in an evolving marketplace. The woven design of the multi-family project creates pockets of shade to keep the building cool, and these pockets double as balconies for residents.

Roll House

The heat of California was a definite consideration for Korean designer Christopher Daniel who came up with this roll-like home concept. Designed for arid environments, the house is secured with a carbon fiber truss frame and has a hydraulic powered automatic door. The upper half of the door opens overhead and the lower part unfolds onto the ground. Depending on the amount of sun, residents can make skylights and windows less or more transparent. Curtains and bookshelves act as dividers in the rooms.

The following five futuristic homes might sound far-fetched now, but as architect Chad Mitchell reminds us, even the most science-fiction-seeming homes are “… often grounded in logic and even feasible from a construct-ability standpoint.” Architects and urban planners can’t pinpoint exactly when these concepts will become necessary–it all depends on how economic and geographic factors play out–but they’re confident the most effective ideas will rise to the top.

In This Day Nelson Mandela Elected President Of South Africa

In 1994 Nelson Mandela was elected as South Africa President

On this day in 1994 newly elected President of South Africa Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress announced victory in the nation's first democratic all race elections, ending decades of white dominated rule.

South Africans had been living under the apartheid system which separated life for black and white people since the election of hard line nationalists in 1948.

Long Live Nelson Mandela

For Mandela abolishing apartheid, establishing universal suffrage and holding free democratic elections had been a life long goal which he received the Nobel Peace Prize, in conjunction with National Party President FW de Klerk, in 1993.

The win is also more impressive as Mandela had only been release from prison four years before, where he had been serving a life sentence for inciting armed revolution against white dominated rule in 1964.

In the 1994 election win Mandela and the ANC won 62 per-cent of the national vote.

The ANC would be returned at the next election in 2000 after Mandela retired and again in 2004 with an increased margin of 69 per-cent.

Currently Nelson Madela is an AIDS campaigner, raising money with his 46664 AIDS campaign. 46664 was Mandela's prisoner number during his time in jail.

We in Boss Africa Magazine Celebrate our icon  "NELSON MANDELA"

Africa Congratulate Nelson Mandela on His Birthday

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has congratulated anti-apartheid icon and former South African President Nelson Mandela, who celebrates his 94th today.

COSATU spokesman Patrick Craven said Mandela will continue to be an inspiration to all South Africans, as well as the rest of the world.

“COSATU wished Nelson Mandela a very happy birthday and many more years of happy life.  Nobody has done more to earn it in South Africa and he remains an inspiration to all of us,” said Craven.

“Our message is to wish him well and to hope that his inspiration will contribute towards continuing the work, which he so much set in motion both in prison and as president, and which can still inspire us today to solve some of the huge problems, which we still face as a country, particularly the very high rate of unemployment, poverty and inequality.”

Craven said COSATU has enjoyed a strong relationship with Mandela.

“COSATU always has an excellent relationship with Nelson Mandela. When we set up a special award named after our founding president, the Elijah Barayi Award, the first person we gave this to was Nelson Mandela. And, it was an obvious choice; there was no debate about that,” said Craven.

“He always saw the workers and the poor as the main people who have to benefit from political liberation. And, the tragedy is that, today, many of those are still not completely free.  He has won our political freedom for us, for which we will always be grateful.  But, we still have to struggle to achieve economic freedom about this main challenge, which we face in the years ahead.”

The UN General Assembly is scheduled to mark Nelson Mandela International Day with an informal meeting Wednesday honoring his contributions to democracy, racial justice and reconciliation.

In his message, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “Nelson Mandela gave 67 years of his life to bring change to the people of South Africa.  Our gift to him can – and must – be to change our world for the better.”

Craven said South Africans are delighted with the honour Mandela has brought to them.

“[We are] very proud, but it is always a fact that he didn’t only make a huge contribution to South Africa, but he set an example for the rest of the world, which many countries can learn from,” said Craven.

 “There are many parts of [our] world, tragically, which are still engulfed in conflict; the Middle East, Syria in particular at the moment, where the people there could learn lessons in how to live together in peace and harmony, despite the differences, which are rooted in history of different countries, just as they were in South Africa.”

Elton John Regrets Past Drug Use

Elton Jhon

Elton John has revealed he "wasted" a big part of his life using drugs in an interview regarding the musician's upcoming memoir, Love Is the Cure: On Life, Loss and the End of AIDS.

"I was a drug addict and self-absorbed," said John, who explained this was in the early Eighties, around the same time the AIDS epidemic was starting. "You know, I was having people die right, left and centre around me, friends. And yet I didn't stop the life that I had, which is the terrible thing about addiction. It's that – you know, it's that bad of a disease."

During the interview, John also talked about how his lifestyle at the time made him feel unafraid of the growing AIDS epidemic: "When you take a drug and you take a drink and you mix those two together, you think you're invincible," the musician said. "I came out of this HIV-negative. I was the luckiest man in the world."

In the book, John writes, "I was consumed by cocaine, booze, and who knows what else. I apparently never got the memo that the Me generation had ended."

Though John admitted he felt some guilt about that period in his life, he added, "I'm making up for it. There is so much more to be done."