THE death toll from Ecua­dor’s biggest earthquake in decades soared to at least 238 yersterday as rescuers using tractors and bare hands hunted desper­ately for survivors in shat­tered coastal towns.
And at least 11 people were still missing fol­lowing the quakes which killed 41 people and wounded hundreds in Ja­pan. In Ecuador, the 7.8 magnitude quake struck off the Pacific coast at the weekend and was felt around the Andean nation of 16 million people, caus­ing panic as far away as the highland capital Quito and collapsing buildings and roads in a swath of western towns, Reuters reported.


President Rafael Correa, rushing home from a trip to Italy, said the number of fatalities jumped yesterday to 235. “The immediate priority is to rescue people in the rubble,” he said via Twitter. “Everything can be rebuilt, but lives cannot be recovered, and that’s what hurts the most.”
The government called it the worst quake in the country since 1979. In that disaster, 600 people were killed and 20,000 injured, according to the U.S. Geo­logical Survey. More than 1,500 people were injured, authorities said. Coastal areas nearest the quake were worst affected, espe­cially Pedernales, a rustic tourist spot with beaches and palm trees, which ap­peared largely flattened.
“There are people trapped in various places, and we are starting res­cue operations,” Vice President Jorge Glas said yesterday morning be­fore boarding a plane to the area. A state of emer­gency was declared in six provinces. Authorities said there had been 163 after­shocks, mainly in the Ped­ernales area.
Many people spent the night on the streets. In Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city, rubble lay in the streets and a bridge fell on top of a car. About 13,500 security force per­sonnel were mobilized to keep order around Ecua­dor, and $600 million in credit from multilateral lenders was immediately activated for the emergen­cy, the government said.
Meanwhile, at press time, Japan was struggling to restore services in the south-western island of Kyushu after it was hit by two powerful earthquakes.
Some 180,000 people spent a third night in tem­porary shelters, includ­ing cars and tents. More than 62,000 homes re­main without electricity and 300,000 homes have no water, Japanese media report. Saturday’s mag­nitude-7.3 quake struck at 01:25 (15:25 GMT on Friday) close to the city of Kumamoto, which had been hit by a magni­tude-6.4 quake on Thurs­day night. Both quakes were shallow, causing huge damage to roads, bridges and tunnels. Big landslides cut off remote mountain villages.

Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade Ekeinde popularly known as Omosexy is currently being bashed out by fans on social media for an interview she granted last year with a news site where she revealed that her husband, Captain Matthew Ekeinde, does the family shopping at the local market.
This action she said was due to her status in the Nigerian entertainment. She further stressed that being a household name in Nigeria would absolutely make shopping difficult for her.
Let me tell you something more, my husband is actually the one who goes to the market. I don’t go to the market because I can’t. Because of my status, I can’t. But my husband didn’t say you know traditionally, a man is not suppposed to go to the market, I’m not gonna go, no. My husband actually goes to the market. In my earlier career, I used to go with him but I‘ll stay in the car, because our cars are tainted, so I’ll stay in the car. But then, one time we went to Tejuosho and someone found out I was in the car, it became a major security risk. So, he said don’t ever go with me again. He goes and he has fun, and he comes back home and I do the cooking, so you see, we strengthen each other.”
Somehow somewhere, the interview surfaced on social media today and Nigerians are reacting to the actress statement.


The couple recently got back from Honolulu, Hawaii where they had gone to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. They are happily married with four kids.

(Source: NAIJA NEWSROOM)

 
NEW kid on the block, Jaybaba (Okonkwo Onyebuchi Joseph), dropped his sophomore single recently. Entitled Falling For You, the track has won him rave reviews. In this chat with Entertainer, 21 year-old Jbaba opens up on why he dedicated his debut single, entitled Linda to celebrity blog­ger, Linda Ikeji.
How did you begin yourmusic career?
It started from a music group. My guys and I used to hang out and sing. Sometimes, we went all the way to hang out in Lekki with other up-and-coming talents. In the process we discovered we could sing. So, we were like ‘why don’t we just train ourselves.’ So we brought in some producers and here we are today. I have been a music lover since age 14. I was in the choir in my church and sang all the way through secondary school and the university in the church choir.
Who were your influences?
That was Tuface. His style of music blew my mind! He started something new. He brought a new dimension into Nigerian music by starting the afro hip hop revolution.
How did you hook up with Evergreen Entertainment, your management?
Yeah, Evergreen Entertainment is handling my manage­ment. We met last year and pushed a song entitled Linda. Then there wasn’t much finance to take it to the next level. It all began after I got a deal just to record a song from my elder brother. I met Evergreen Entertainment on twitter. I was searching for management so I got his twitter handle. He has been very encouraging. From day one we have had a natural understanding. He is like a father to me.
What is Linda, your debut single all about?
It is an afro highlife song. I was talking about Linda Ikeji the celebrity blogger. I admire her because she is so inde­pendent. I love independent girls. Too bad I wasn’t fortunate enough to meet her.
What single are you promoting now?
I have just released Falling For You, and the response has been wow! I believe so much in the song; it’s an afro highlife song; I call it the new sound. It is telling the girl of my dreams that whatever she wants, I am capable of delivering and I just want to be her maga.
How do you get inspira­tion to write songs?
When I hear a good beat I get inspired, and sometimes, around 1 am when every­where is quiet, I get inspira­tion as well. Also, when I listen to Tuface’s songs I get inspired.
What are your challenges?
The truth is that the biggest challenge any up-and-coming artiste faces is finance. Mine was a double challenge be­cause I lost the both of my parents last year. I almost gave up but for my elder brother who was behind me. He gave me money to record a track and that track was Linda.
Are you still missing your parents?
Of course I am but life goes on. The Lord giveth and the Lord Taketh, who are we mortals to question him?
Which artistes would you want to do collabo with?
Tuface, because he is my legend. I will also like to do stuff with Davido, Olamide and Wizkid.
What are your dreams?
I want to rule the world of music. I want to win a Gram­my. I want to write my footprints in the sands of time as far as music is concerned but I know it will be a gradual process but I believe I will succeed. What I need now is aggressive promotions.

— 18th April 2016

Sensational Tiwa Savage had another opportunity to show the stuff she’s made of at the just concluded Gidi Fest, which was co-sponsored by leading soft drink, Pepsi. Her scintil­lating performance sent the audience into ecstasy as she drew from her rich repertoire that has won her several awards both locally and interna­tionally over the years.
For the audience that thronged the sandy beach of Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island, Lagos, it was a refreshing night as artiste after artiste mounted the stage to thrill. Koko master, D’banj took the excite­ment a notch higher as he made a wow impression on the audience, asking them to dance with him on stage, a request that needed no further nudging as the fans surged forward to savour the moment.
Apart from Pepsi ambas­sador, Tiwa Savage and D’banj, other artistes that featured in the night of musical extravaganza were UK-based artiste, Rachel Carr, Yemi Alade, Timaya, Phyno, Riky Rick, and K.O.
Fast rising artistes like Adekunle Gold, David Grey and Small Doctor had earlier opened the show with spectacular performances, serving as appetizers for a night of musical wonder. The audience yelled for more and the South African hip hop duo of Riky Rick and K.O obliged them with their unique style of rap which kept the audience dancing all night.

Hello Sweet Guys,

My name is Elizabeth but everyone calls me Lizzy. I am divorced and so presently single. I was born and I have lived in Port Harcourt for most of my life. I have travelled to so many places but I’ve always returned to Port Harcourt because it is a wonderful place to be in. I have kids and they are mostly matured and doing whatever they want to do with their lives. I am a very adventurous woman and  I love to go out and enjoy myself and have a nice time.

if you need my num pls drop you contact in the comment box i will tell the site admin to choose two guys randomly for me

— 18th April 2016

DREAM Team VI han­dler, Samson Siasia has penciled down the duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Iwobi to make his final squad to the Rio 2016 Olympics.
The coach, who is fac­ing dilemma of getting commitment from Euro­pean clubs on the release of players to the national team’s camp, maintained that he is sure of few names including Iwobi and Iheanacho, despite not yet decided on his fi­nal list for the Games.
He however assured to give all the invited player the opportunity to fight for a shirt in the team.
Siasia has invited 30 players as the fulcrum of his preparations for the summer games, but efforts to have the as­surances of the clubs on the release of the players have not yielded the de­sired results.
SiaOne is however un­der pressure to prepare the final team list that will be submitted to the Nige­rian Olympic Committee on or before April 19.
Nigeria has been drawn in the Group B of the 2016 Olympic Games alongside Japan, Colom­bia and Sweden.
The Siasia side will open its campaign against Japan on August 4 at the 41,000-seater Arena da Amazonia in Manaus.

 

— 18th April 2016

After decades of dependence on petrodollars, the Federal Government has been forced by tumbling oil prices to turn to a new source of cash: the taxman, to finance its 2016 budget.
With crude holding sway as the main source of state revenue, tax enforcement was lax and people showed little interest in what those in power did with the funds, Clement Nwankwo, the executive director of Abuja-based Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, said in an interview. Now the country, which is the biggest oil producer is unable to finance its budget and is counting on ramped up borrowing and taxes to fill the gap.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who came to power last May, has outlined a record budget of N6.1 trillion ($30.6 billion) for 2016 to spend the country out of the current economic slowdown. Higher taxes and improved efficiency in collection are among the cornerstones of the plan. That may carry a political price.
“These taxes are going to come with new demands by citizens for transparency and accountability,” Nwankwo said. “People are going to feel entitled to the ownership of the public purse, rather than the previous experience where they felt it wasn’t money that belonged to them.”
Officials make the case that Nigeria has one of the lowest tax ratios globally. Its tax-to-GDP measure was 1.6 percent in 2012 compared with 14.9 percent in nearby Ghana and 25 percent in South Africa, 25.5 percent in the U.K. and 26.8 percent in Norway, according to World Bank data.
International Monetary Fund Managing (IMF) Director Christine Lagarde, while on a visit to Nigeria in January, urged the government to raise its value added tax rate of 5 percent.
Buhari’s model is Lagos, sub-Saharan Africa’s largest city of 20 million people, which used improved tax collection and sold bonds to fund major infrastructure projects.
Tunde Fowler, who headed the Lagos’ revenue office, was moved by Buhari to the helm of federal tax agency last year with the expectation he will reproduce the results.
Lagos’ revenue soared to N23 billion in 2014 from  N600 million per month in 1999 as the state eased up bureaucracy, using strict enforcement and public campaigns to encourage payment, according to a January report from Lagos-based FBN Quest Ltd.
“Our mandate now is to ensure the increase in non-oil revenue to ensure stability in the entire system,” Fowler told a meeting of tax office officials across the country in the northern city of Kano last week.
Authorities will now seek access to mobile-phone subscriber data from the telecommunications regulator and the national identity agency to get more people into the tax roll, according to a statement Monday by the Joint Tax Board.
Replicating Lagos’ success across Nigeria won’t be easy, said Taiwo Oyedele, head of tax at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Nigeria.
The major levy in Lagos was personal income tax, while to increase federal revenue the government will have to look at “very complex” value added taxes and corporate income taxes on foreign companies, many of which operate, but don’t have an official presence in Nigeria, he said.
The federal tax agency, which collected 3.7 trillion naira last year, has set a target to increase revenue by 32 percent this year and expects 70 percent of the income to come from value-added tax. The government has begun more rigorous enforcement of the stamp duty law and expects it will yield about 2 trillion naira annually.
The stamp duty, first signed into law in 2004, saw limited enforcement until a Jan. 15 directive by the Central Bank of Nigeria asking lenders to charge 50 naira on all payments exceeding 1,000 naira to help boost the Treasury.
Businesses operating in Nigeria are also concerned the tax drive may deepen the country’s economic woes by further hurting companies, said Muda Yusuf, Direct General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI). Nigeria’s economic growth slowed in 2015 to 2.8 percent, the slowest pace since 1999, as crude revenue fell and manufacturers struggled amid a shortage of foreign-exchange for imports.
“The mistake is to always look at the investor for the funds,” said Yusuf. “Rather than add to the burden of businesses, the government can look at the efficiency of tax administration.”
While Buhari’s administration is stressing the need to boost revenue, there’s more urgent need to work to manage resources, said Adetokunbo Mumuni, head of Lagos-based Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project.
“In spite of all the noise being made about fallen oil revenue, there are still sufficient resources to manage the economy,” he said. “The only thing lacking is any serious attempt to block leakages and wastefulness.”(Bloomberg)

In Afghanistan, 50 Taliban militants, including IS terrorists, have been killed across the country. According to a statement released by the Afghan defense ministry yesterday, the operations were carried out in the country’s eastern and central regions. A number of fighters were detained, while Afghan forces also seized weapons belonging to the militants, the ministry added.

European Union Interior and Justice Ministers will hold a crisis meeting today in Brussels following the militant attacks that killed 35 people in the Belgian capital. Netherlands, which currently holds the EU rotating presidency, announced this yesterday. The meeting is crucial amid news reports, which reveals that Islamic State has allegedly trained at least 400 fighters to target Europe in a series of terrorist attacks. Security officials said, the IS terrorist group has a number of semi-autonomous cells spread across Europe. The warning comes from a number of European and Iraqi intelligence officials, as well as a French lawmaker familiar with jihadi networks. 
Meanwhile, Turkey said it had detained and then deported Ibrahim El Bakraoui, one of the two suicide bombers at Brussels airport. He accused the Belgian authorities of failing to confirm his links to terror. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said Turkish authorities detained the attacker in June last year in Gaziantep, close to the Syrian border, and then deported the foreign terrorist fighter to the Netherlands at his request. An official informed that Belgian consular authorities were formally notified of his deportation on July 14, 2015, adding that he was then released by the Belgian authorities, without giving a timeframe.

In World T-20, India kept their semi-final berth alive as they knocked out Bangladesh with a 1-run victory at Bengaluru last night. In a thrilling Group-2 match, sent in to bat, India posted 146 for 7 with Suresh Raina top scoring with 30, and Virat Kohli making 24.
In reply, Bangladesh produced a battling performance but fell short by just one run. Needing 11 runs from the last over, bowled by Hardik Pandya, Bangladesh lost three wickets on the last three balls, including a run out, to help India register its second win in three games. R. Ashwin and Pandya bagged 2 wickets each. Ashwin was named man of the match.
India will play Australia in their final group match on Sunday.
Earlier yesterday, England beat Afghanistan by 15 runs in Group-1.
No matches are scheduled for today.
However, in Women's World T-20, England will clash with the West Indies, with Pakistan taking on Bangladesh.
Yesterday, the South African Women's team had defeated Ireland by 67 runs.

In Jammu and Kashmir, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLAs will meet in Srinagar today to discuss the future course of action regarding the formation of a new government in the state. They will also deliberate upon the continuance of the PDP's alliance with BJP and PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday. The PDP Chief called the legislature party meeting after her talks with Prime Minister. Soon after the meeting, Ms. Mufti had said that she would take a final decision regarding the government formation and PDP-BJP alliance after consulting her party MLAs. Describing her meeting with Mr Modi as positive, the PDP Chief had had expressed satisfaction about its outcome.

AIR correspondent reports, After Tuesday’s meeting, Mehbooba Mufti sought to give impression that Prime Minister cleared her dilemma over various issues confronting J&K. However, the criticism of the main opposition National Conference, Congress and other political parties charging PDP of backtracking and misleading people of the State, would hang on PDP’s mind before taking final call on the government formation. BJP said it was committed to the implementation of already agreed Agenda of Alliance. PDP is yet to come up with the reaction to the allegations of opposition parties. Mehbooba Mufti's predicament would be how it will explain its position on the issue of time bound implementation of State specific CBMs that it was talking for the past two and a half months before going ahead with the alliance with BJP. 

State Governor NN Vohra has called separate meetings with PDP Chief and BJP State Unit President tomorrow.

Meanwhile, BJP has clarified that it has not accepted any new condition from PDP for the formation of a new government in the state. Talking to media persons in New Delhi, party General Secretary Ram Madhav said during her meeting with the Prime Minister, the PDP Chief did not raise any demand.