Nigeria Senate Finally Passes The Bill of Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) After 13 Years.

AFTER a 13-year sojourn in the National Assembly, the Violence Against Persons’ Prohibition, VAPP, Bill 2014, was finally passed yesterday by the Nigerian Senate.

It took the Senate exactly 22 minutes to pass all 46 clauses contained in the bill.

The approval gives legal teeth to enact a law to eliminate, or reduce to a minimum, cases of sexual, domestic and indeed all forms of gender-based violence in the country.

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who took charge of proceedings for at the day’s plenary, described the passage as “an achievement.”
His words: “It is the primary responsibility of the executive to protect the lives and property of its citizens, especially against violence, while ours (the legislature) is to enact laws to support such responsibility.”

A clause-to-clause consideration of the bill, which started on April 14, suffered initial hiccup following observations that Clause 1 of the bill had issues with the term of imprisonment for under-aged sexual offenders.



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/senate-finally-passes-vapp-bill/

Floyd Mayweather And Money By Anthony Robbins

 

Have you ever found that no matter how much money you earn, you seem to find a way to spend it? We all seem to have a way of living up to our means, and, for some of us, a way of living beyond our means. Spending more than we earn — it’s an affliction that we’ve seen time and time again. And we see this most notably in the celebrities who manage to make a fortune, and then, somehow, they lose it all. Just take a look at five-division world champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr.

Mayweather came from poverty in Michigan to be named the highest-paid athlete in the world. He poured blood, sweat and tears into his career as a professional boxer, working relentlessly to climb to the top. And now, in the much-anticipated fight against Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather will make a reported $180 million — it is the richest fight in history. 

It would seem that Mayweather has more money than he would know what to do with, but he has certainly put that idea to the test in the past. Notorious for his exorbitant spending spreesand reckless financial behavior, Mayweather reportedly spends up to $75 million a year, a habit which has landed him in some serious financial trouble in recent years, defaulting on loans and incurring penalties from the IRS for unpaid taxes.

Make no mistake, Mayweather is an extraordinarily gifted athlete with a ridiculous work ethic. He earned every single dollar he made. But his money mentality is earn and spend. Rapper 50 Cent, Mayweather’s former business partner, has simplified the boxer’s financial strategy: “It’s fight, get the money, spend the money, fight. Fight, get the money, spend the money, fight.” If he stops fighting, the money machine stops, the cash flow stops, his income stops — his financial world comes to a grinding halt.

If you think Floyd Mayweather may be an extreme example in the case of frivolous spending, consider the countless other celebrities whose poor financial decisions have landed them in financial distress. Consider legendary baseball pitcher Curt Schilling, who poured his savings into a video game startup that went belly-up, bringing the pro ball player down with it. Or what about Elton John, whose frivolous spending habits landed him in bankruptcy. And the list continues, with stars like Marvin Gaye, Willie Nelson, Kim Basinger, Nicholas Cage, Francis Ford Coppola and Michael Jackson — all of whom have felt the pain of a earn-and-spend money mentality. 

Sound ridiculous? Sure, it’s difficult for most people to imagine blowing a fortune. But unfortunately, we can all relate on some level. We work, we get the money, we spend the money, we work again. It’s the mistake that millions of Americans make, no matter what income bracket they find themselves in. 

As Tony notes in this video interview with Entrepreneur, it’s time to face the facts; it’s difficult to earn our way to wealth. We think that if we work harder, smarter and longer, we’ll achieve our financial dreams, but a paycheck alone — no matter how immense — is not the answer. But what you can do is make a simple, yet powerful change in strategy and embrace an entirely new mindset. 

You have to make the shift from just working for money to a world where your money works for you. Tapping the power of compound interest, strategic asset allocation, annuities and municipal bonds, for example, can help you make the game winnable. Because the goal is to build a money machine that ultimately can take your place, that can make money while you sleep and never runs dry. When you achieve that, not only will you have greater financial security, you’ll have financial freedom, and that Is something you simply cannot put a price on. 

How Old Do You Really Look? This Website Will Tell You In Seconds

You're only as old as you think you are.

Or in this case, as old as a computer algorithm thinks you are.

In a machine learning experiment that's taken social vanity to new heights, Microsoft has created the website http://how-old.net  that tells you how old you look just by analyzing your photo.

Sometimes it's dead on. Other times it's hilariously, outrageously wrong.

It's simple: Upload a selfie, wait a few seconds -- then the machine gives you a number.

And since it can analyze anyone's photo, you can compare yourself to your friends, family, and foes.

But guessing someone's age is a dangerous game, even for a robot. That's probably why the site comes with a sheepish apology. "Sorry if we didn't quite get the age and gender right," it says after each result.

The company unveiled the website at a conference Thursday as a way to show off its new software.

Part of a new initiative called Project Oxford, Microsoft says you could use this face detection technology for tasks like sorting through a large photo collection.

But we're human -- so we'll probably just use it to judge our own looks.

Culled from CNN

5 Powerful Strategies To Help You Achieve Any Goal By Jack Canfield

Now that we’re into May and the first quarter of 2015 is over, it’s time to revisit your intentions for the year and take stock of what you've accomplished so far.

Think back to January... What were the main goals or intentions you set for yourself or your business this year? How many have you crossed off the list or made significant progress toward achieving?

If you’re falling behind schedule or finding it hard to stay focused on your big goals, here are five of my most powerful Success Principles to help you recharge your motivation and sense of purpose – and move closer to achieving success with every action and decision you make.

Consider it a spring tune-up for your intentions!

 1. Practice persistence

What’s the one common attribute high achievers share above anything else? PERSISTENCE. When they have a goal, they simply refuse to give up until they reach it – no matter what roadblocks life throws in their way.

Consider the story of Admiral Robert Peary, who attempted to reach the North Pole seven times before he finally succeeded on try number eight. Or screenwriter Craig Borten, who wrote the screenplay for Dallas Buyers Club in 1992 and struggled for 20 years to get his script turned into a movie – which became a huge success and won numerous awards, including the Oscar for best original screenplay.

You can read about them and many other ordinary people who have persevered to achieve extraordinary success in The Success Principles, Chapter 22: Practice Persistence. I encourage you to review this chapter so you can learn from their examples and be inspired by their stories. It’s a great way to reignite your own motivation!

2. Face what isn’t working

If you are going to become more successful, you have to get out of denial and face isn’t working in your life. Are your goals simply too big to accomplish in the time you have available? Are you lacking some essential skills required to achieve them? Are you in denial about the amount of support you need?

Successful people face these circumstances squarely, heed the warning signs, and take appropriate action, no matter how uncomfortable or challenging it might be.

Do you need to talk to someone? Ask someone for help? Find a new resource? Read a book? Call an expert? Make a plan to fix it?

Choose one action you can take and then do it. Then keep taking another action and another action until you get the situation resolved.

3. Transcend your limiting beliefs

Sometimes the biggest reason we don’t move forward is because deep down we don’t think we’re actually capable of achieving or goals – or deserving of the success we long for.

If you have limiting beliefs or negative thoughts holding you back from reaching your goals, take some time to identify what these thoughts and beliefs are and then transform them into an empowering belief using these four steps:

1.      Write down the negative belief

2.      Describe how the belief limits you

3.      Decide how you would rather be, act, or feel

4.      Create a turnaround statement that affirms your right to be, act, or feel this new way.

For example...

Limiting belief: I have to do everything by myself. Asking for help is a sign of weakness.

Turnaround statement: It’s okay to ask for help. I am worthy or receiving all the support I need – and I know it will help me reach my goals faster.

4. Stay motivated with the masters

Motivation comes from within – but sometimes you need an external nudge to push you forward in the right direction. That’s why I’m a firm believer in reading, watching, or listening to something that motivates you every day – even if it’s only for 15 minutes.

Whether you’re commuting by car or train, riding your bike, going for a run, or simply find yourself with a few minutes in front of the computer, listening to audio or video recordings can give you the edge you need to excel in virtually any area of your life. You can keep yourself motivated, learn a language, learn management skills, learn sales and marketing strategies, learn better communication, learn about holistic health and more.

By devoting more time to developing success-oriented thoughts and attitudes, you are guaranteed to reach your goals faster.

5. Take BOLD actions to get BIG results

When you start a new project, take on a new venture, or put yourself out there, there is usually some fear. Unfortunately, most people let fear stop them from taking the necessary steps to achieve their dreams.

Successful people, on the other hand, feel the fear along with the rest of us but don’t let it keep them from doing anything they want to do – or have to do. They understand that fear is something to be acknowledged, experienced, and taken along for the ride. And they challenge themselves to take bold action, trusting that they have what it takes to handle the outcome.

That’s why I dare you to think big – and act bigger. By taking a leap of faith in the face of fear, you can transform your life.

Two things you can do right now to catapult yourself toward success

One way you could take a huge leap forward would be to sign up for my five-day personal transformation event, Breakthrough to Success. It’s the fastest guaranteed way to get clear on what you really want, breakthrough any fears, and create an achievable road plan that will launch yourself toward the life you’ve always wanted.

Or, if you dream of becoming a world-class speaker, trainer, coach, or consultant, sign up for Train the Trainer – and become a Certified Canfield Success Principles Trainer so you can learn my own experiential training methodologies and become a world-class human potential worker.

So those are my five top “spring cleaning” tips to help you recharge your intentions and keep moving closer to your ideal life with every action and decision you make.

Please share your thoughts or questions in the comments below – and if you know of anyone who would find these tips helpful, please feel free to share!

Mentally ill Brazilian Executed In Indonesia Was Unaware That He Was Being Put To Death In His Final Hours.

A mentally ill Brazilian executed in Indonesia was unaware that he was being put to death in his final hours, say his lawyer and priest.

Rodrigo Gularte, 42, was one of eight convicted drug smugglers killed by firing squad on Wednesday, despite pleas from his family that he was a paranoid schizophrenic.
He was arrested in 2004 while trying to enter Indonesia with 6kg of cocaine in his surfing gear.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff made repeated personal pleas for Indonesia to commute his sentence on humanitarian grounds because of his mental illness.
When Gularte was given 72 hours' notice of his execution, his lawyer, Ricky Gunawan, said his client was oblivious to what was happening.
"He had a delusional mind," Mr Gunawan told the AFP news agency.
"When we said your death sentence will be implemented, he said, 'What death sentence? I will not be sentenced to death'.
"I'm not sure whether he really 100% understood he would be executed."
When Mr Gunawan asked what his final requests were, he said the Brazilian was "just laughing".
He said Gularte asked him: "Is it just like Aladdin, when we ask for three wishes?
"When we tried to talk about the serious things ... he kept avoiding, to other silly things. He was calm, as if nothing was happening."
Gularte also believed the water in the prison was poisoned, his lawyer said.

Father Charlie Burrows - an Irish priest who counselled Gularte in his final days - said the Brazilian did not understand what was happening despite his efforts to explain.

"I thought he'd got the message he was to be executed but... when the chains started to go on, he said to me, 'Oh Father... am I being executed?'" Father Burrows told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"He didn't get angry, he was annoyed.

"The big thing was, 'Oh, why is this happening, this is not right, I made a small mistake and why can't they just leave me in jail on the island and I won't give anybody any trouble'."

Father Burrows said Gularte continued to hear voices in his head.

"Everybody was being prepared for days before and everybody knew there was going to be an execution," he said.

"But because he hears these voices and he reckons because the voices told him, 'No, everything is going to be grand', he believes the voices more than he does anybody else."

Gularte, along with two Australians, four Nigerians and an Indonesian were put to death close to the prison on the island of Nusakambangan in Central Java.

The men refused to wear blindfolds, sang hymns and prayed as they went to their deaths.

Brazil expressed strong regret over Gularte's death as Indonesia faced a storm of international protest for killing the prisoners.

Australia has withdrawn its ambassador in protest at what it called "cruel and unnecessary" executions of Bali Nine duo Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.

Indonesia has defended the executions as vital in its "war" on drugs.

Culled from Sky News.

World's Oldest Person Misao Okawa , Dies at age 117

Misao Okawa, the world's oldest person according to Guinness World Records, has died at the age of 117.

Okawa passed away Wednesday morning in Osaka, Japan, Tadahi Uchimura, a local official from the city told CNN.

She left behind three children, four grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Okawa was born on March 5, 1898.

Her family ran a Kimono shop in Osaka, Satoshi Yoshioka, an employee at the nursing home where she had lived since 1997 told CNN.

"She was a person with mild character, and loved to eat so much. Her favorite food was sushi and udon noodles," Yoshioka said.

"She had eaten a lot of cake for her birthday last March 5. "

"However, in the last 10 days she stopped eating. I think eating was her motivation to live, and when she lost it, she passed away."

According to Guiness World Records, the oldest person ever was Jeanne Louise Calment, who died at age 122 in 1997.

Culled from CNN

Profile of Major General Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria's President Elect

General Muhammadu Buhari ruled Nigeria before, as one of a line of military strongmen who dominated the country between 1966 and 1999.

A military coup brought Buhari to power in late 1983 -- closing a brief period of popular rule by Shehu Shagari -- and another military coup ousted him from power in August 1985.

Buhari's 20-month rule was known for what he described as a "war on indiscipline," a tough regime which some say was marred by human rights abuses.

The 72-year-old retired major general's experience as a military ruler has been viewed as a plus by some and a minus by others in present-day Nigeria, where the government has been locked in a deadly battle with the militant group Boko Haram.

This year alone, the extremists have killed at least 1,000 civilians, Human Rights Watch says. The ongoing violence in the Northeast has put security -- along with corruption and the economy -- at the top of the election agenda.

Ayo Johnson, a documentary filmmaker and analyst on African affairs, told CNN earlier this month that the elections would come down to who could make Nigeria feel safe.

"Many Nigerians will not forget (Buhari) was a military leader, during a dictatorship," Johnson said. "Or maybe they will feel that they need a military leader to address fundamental problems such as terrorism."

Buhari has campaigned as a born-again democrat to allay fears about his strict military regime, while stressing that Nigeria's security needs to be the next government's focus.

"It's a question of security. Whether I was a former military officer or a politician through and through, when there is insecurity of this scale in the country, that takes the priority," he said from his campaign plane.

'Judged harshly'

In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour in February, Buhari blamed President Goodluck Jonathan's government for repeated setbacks in the fight against extremists.

"The misappropriation of resources provided by the government for weapons means the Nigerian military is unable to beat Boko Haram," he said.

Asked by Amanpour about abuses allegedly committed during his own previous leadership, Buhari said there was "a degree of accuracy" in the claims.

But he said he had ruled Nigeria as part of a military administration.

"When that military administration came under my leadership, we suspended -- as a military then -- part of that constitution that we felt would be difficult for us to operate and as also a consensus," he said. "I think I'm being judged harshly as an individual that what happened during a military administration can be extended under a multiparty democratic system."

Buhari's campaign was also fiercely anti-corruption. He ran under the slogan of "new broom," and his supporters were often pictured holding brooms in the lead-up to the vote.

Previous candidacies

The 2015 presidential race was Buhari's fourth attempt at leadership since he was ousted from power in 1985.

In 2003, Buhari -- then with the All Nigeria People's Party -- lost to Olusegun Obasanjo in an election during which EU observers reported widespread irregularities.

He lost again to Umaru Yar'Adua in the 2007 election, which was widely condemned for rampant vote-rigging, violence, theft of ballot boxes and intimidation.

After Yar'Adua's death in 2010, Jonathan rose from vice president to president and Buhari challenged him in the 2011 elections as a candidate from the Congress for Progressive Change.

Buhari had helped found the party a year earlier, saying it was "a solution to the debilitating, ethical and ideological conflicts in my former party, the ANPP."

Buhari is a Muslim from Nigeria's poorer North, while Jonathan hails from a Christian and animist South that is rich with oil.

After Jonathan's victory in 2011, amid accusations of vote-rigging, violent riots broke out in the North.

Armed protesters took to the streets chanting Buhari's name, and more than 800 people were killed in the post-election violence.

Buhari's office issued a statement calling reports of burning of places of worship places a "sad, unfortunate and totally unwarranted development."

"I must say that this is a dastardly act (that) is not initiated by any of our supporters and therefore cannot be supported by our party," said Buhari's spokesman Yinka Odumakin. "I must emphasize that this is purely a political matter, and it should not in any way be turned into an ethnic, religious or regional one."

Ahead of this year's election, Jonathan and Buhari signed a nonviolence pact, the Abuja Accord, in January. On March 26 they renewed their pledge and reiterated their commitment to "free, fair and credible elections."

But violent protests broke out after polling on Saturday. Protesters fired gunshots and torched a local electoral office in Nigeria's oil-rich Rivers state on Sunday as they marched to protest the elections, amid claims of vote-rigging and voter intimidation.

Both candidates called for calm, with Buhari, who contested this year's vote as part of the All Progressives Congress, tweeting: "Fellow Nigerians, I urge you to exercise patience and vigilance as we wait for all results to be announced."

After the protests in Rivers, his party demanded the elections there be canceled. But Nigeria's electoral commission decided the results would stand, saying it "did not believe the allegations were substantial enough to require the cancellation/rescheduling" of the Rivers poll.

Secondary education claims

According to his campaign website, Buhari is from Daura in Nigeria's northern Katsina state and is married with eight children.

His military training began in 1963 and included stints in the United Kingdom, India and the United States. Buhari was the first chairman of the Nigerian Petroleum Corporation, the site says.

Elements of Buhari's biography were questioned in the run-up to the March 28 election.

After weeks of speculation and an ongoing legal battleover allegations that Buhari failed to complete his secondary school education, a Nigerian court on March 25 cleared the way for him to run in the presidential race after adjourning the case until April 22.

As a Sunni Muslim from the North, Buhari appears to have moved to address any concerns his appointment could be detrimental to non-Muslim Nigerians --approximately half the country's population, according to the CIA Factbook.

A blog post on his campaign website headed "Buhari will never Islamise Nigeria" describes a campaign ceremony in January in Imo state.

Imo Gov. Rochas Okorocha, it says, "dismissed suggestions of plans by Muhammadu Buhari to 'Islamize' Nigeria," telling the audience Buhari's long-time cook and driver were Christians and his youngest daughter had married a Christian.

Buhari has also not been immune to the violence plaguing northern Nigeria. Last year, he was targeted in a suicide bombing that killed at least 15 people in the city of Kaduna. An earlier blast in the city the same day had been aimed at a Muslim cleric.

 Culled from CNN