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Richest man worldwide, Musk, says “I’ve no plans to own TikTok US service”

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The world’s richest man, Elin Musk and a top advisor to US President Donald Trump, has said he has no interest in acquiring social media platform TikTok’s operations in the United States, in comments released Saturday.

“I’ve not put in a bid for TikTok and I don’t have any plans for what I would do if I had TikTok,” said Musk in comments made via videolink at a German forum in late January that were released on the weekend.

TikTok is facing down a US law that ordered the company broken off from its Chinese owner ByteDance or otherwise be banned in the United States over national security concerns regarding the data it gathers on users.

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In one of his first acts in office, Trump ordered a pause on enforcing the law that should have seen TikTok effectively made illegal in the country a day before he took office for a second term.

Soon after, Trump said he would be open to Musk — the owner of social media platform X, Tesla and a slew of other companies — buying the platform.

Musk, however, said he did not wish to acquire the company.

“I don’t use TikTok personally, so, you know, I’m not that familiar with it,” he said. “I’m not chomping at the bit to acquire TikTok.”

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Musk bought social media giant Twitter, which he renamed X, for $44 billion in 2022, insisting he was doing so in order to safeguard “free speech.”

Since his takeover, rights campaigners warn there has been a spike in hate speech and disinformation on the platform.

Musk was one of Trump’s main financial backers in his presidential campaign, and is heading the US president’s budget-slashing initiatives.

His so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) has targeted a range of federal government agencies and regulators, with the apparent intent of shutting them down and firing staff, especially those not in line with Trump’s political agenda.

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On Saturday, a US judge issued an emergency order blocking Musk’s government reform team from accessing personal and financial data for millions of Americans stored at the Treasury Department, court documents showed.

In the comments at the forum in Germany, Musk also took aim at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which are meant to support historically oppressed and disenfranchised communities.

DEI is simply racism rebranded,” he said. “I’m against racism and sexism no matter who it’s directed against.”

US officials have been racing to enact Trump’s war on DEI across the federal bureaucracy — dismantling training initiatives, scrapping grants and sidelining hundreds of workers.

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In Germany, Musk has voiced firm support for the far-right anti-immigration AfD party — a political taboo in a country whose Nazi past remains a sensitive subject.

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Corpse returned to mortuary over family dispute during funeral rites

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A family clash which occurred Saturday morning at the funeral rite of 78-year-old Emmanuel Agbozo, popularly known as “Nil oo Nii”, in Nkurakan, Yilo Krobo Municipality, Eastern Region, made it impossible for the deceased to be buried.

As the funeral took a dramatic turn, it took the police’s intervention and escort for the deceased’s body, which was lying in state, to be returned to a private mortuary at Huhunya, a nearby community.

According to Ghana Web, an attempt to prevent one of the deceased’s children from participating in the funeral rites led to the clash.

Family members accused the individual of abandoning his now-deceased father during his illness and failed to visit him.

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Also, the late Agbozo, before his demise, had explicitly instructed the family not to allow the son to attend his funeral.

The violent confrontation stemmed as the family members attempted to enforce this directive by the deceased, leading to a clash with the son who brought some young men to fight the family.

This led to property destruction, and injuries before Police reinforcements were called in to restore order.

The Police, in order to ensure peace and prevent further escalation, ordered the body to be returned to the mortuary, and the funeral was suspended indefinitely.

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Suspects involved in the clash are currently assisting the police with investigations. (Nigerian Tribune)

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Just in: Supreme Court quashes Fubara’s appeal contesting Amaewhule led state Assembly

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A five-man panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji has quashed the appeal filed by the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, challenging the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule.

Justice Uwani Abba-Aji while dismissing the appeal awarded a cost of two million naira against the governor payable to the Rivers State House of Assembly as the first respondent and Martin Amaewhule as the second respondent.

The dismissal of the appeal by Fubara was hinged on the withdrawal of the suit by his counsel, Yusuf Ali.

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Details shortly…

[Channels TV]

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Pioneer president of Namibia, Sam Nujoma dies at 95

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Pioneer president of Namibia, Sam Nujoma, the fiery freedom fighter who led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa and German colonial rule in 1990 and served as its first president for 15 years, has died aged 95.

His demise was announced Sunday by current Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba, who said Nujoma died on Saturday night after being hospitalized in the capital, Windhoek.

“The foundations of the Republic of Namibia have been shaken,” Mbumba said in a statement. “Over the past three weeks, the Founding President of the Republic of Namibia and Founding Father of the Namibian Nation was hospitalized for medical treatment and medical observation due to ill health.”

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“Unfortunately, this time, the most gallant son of our land could not recover from his illness,” Mbumba added. He said Nujoma “marshalled the Namibian people during the darkest hours of our liberation struggle.”

Nujoma was the last of a generation of African leaders who brought their countries out of colonial or white minority rule that included South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda, Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere and Mozambique’s Samora Machel.

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