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Tag: US

  • US TikTok: “I don’t have plans to acquire it”, says Elon Musk

    US TikTok: “I don’t have plans to acquire it”, says Elon Musk

    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 video link 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.

    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.”

    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.

    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.

    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.

  • “We’re open to negotiations but not under any pressure” – Iran tells US

    “We’re open to negotiations but not under any pressure” – Iran tells US

    Iran is set to negotiate with the United States but not under the “maximum pressure” strategy of US President Donald Trump, Tehran’s chief diplomat suggested on Saturday.

    The lifting of sanctions requires negotiations, but not within the framework of a ‘maximum pressure’ policy, because it would not be a negotiation but a form of surrender,” said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a statement published on Telegram.

    The foreign minister’s statement came after Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged the government not to negotiate with Washington, calling such an approach “reckless”.

    Khamenei, who has the final say on all strategic decisions in Iran, referred to Iran’s previous experience negotiating with the United States to justify his position.

    In 2015, Iran struck a landmark deal with the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia to regulate its nuclear programme in return for the easing of international sanctions.

    However, in 2018, during his first term, Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the agreement and reinstated heavy sanctions on Tehran, despite European opposition.

    Trump on Wednesday called for a “verified nuclear peace agreement” with Iran, adding that it “cannot have a nuclear weapon”.

    Iran insists its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes and denies any intention to develop atomic weapons.

    The US president, however, reinstated on Tuesday his “maximum pressure” policy, with Washington on Thursday announcing financial sanctions on entities and individuals accused of shipping hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian crude oil to China.

    Aragchi said on Saturday that “Iran does not want to negotiate with a country that is simultaneously imposing new sanctions”.

  • Just in: Again ,Trump calls for annexation of Canada

    Just in: Again ,Trump calls for annexation of Canada

     

    President Donald Trump at the weekend called again for Canada to become a US state, heightening tensions further with one of his country’s closest allies after hitting it with heavy tariffs.

    While claiming the United States pays “hundreds of billions of dollars to SUBSIDIZE Canada,” apparently referring to the US trade deficit with its neighbor, Trump said “without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country.”

    “Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State,” he wrote on his Truth social media platform, claiming the move would bring “much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada – AND NO TARIFFS!”

  • US halts Nigerian woman residency after DNA test exposes sponsor not her biological father

    US halts Nigerian woman residency after DNA test exposes sponsor not her biological father

    The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has denied the residency application of Linda Odiete, daughter of James Odiete, after a DNA test revealed he is not her biological father.

    In 2007, the USCIS approved an I-130 application for Linda, granting her access to the United States based on her presumed familial connection to Mr. Odiete. Over a decade later, Mr. Odiete sought to upgrade Linda’s immigration status to permanent residency by filing Form I-485.

    As part of the process, the U.S. government requested supporting evidence to confirm their relationship, including Linda’s birth certificate, tuition receipts, photographs, and a DNA test. While Mr. Odiete provided extensive documentation demonstrating he had cared for Linda since birth, the DNA test revealed he was not her biological father.

    Court filings at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in 2024 confirmed, “The result of the DNA concluded that Mr. Adex Odiete was not her biological father.”

    According to Jovi Usude, Mr. Odiete’s attorney, “Mr. Adex Odiete, her father, had been a victim of paternity fraud perpetrated by the mother of Linda Odiete.”

    Despite the DNA revelation, Mr. Odiete maintained that his bond with Linda went beyond biological ties, stating he still regarded her as his daughter and continued to support her. “Despite the knowledge derived from the DNA, Mr. Adex Odiete has continued to stand by and support his daughter,” the court documents stated.

    However, unknown to Mr. Odiete, USCIS had revoked Linda’s previously approved I-130 petition in 2017. The revocation, based on the lack of a biological relationship, was concealed from Mr. Odiete until 2022 when he visited the agency to follow up on the adjustment of Linda’s immigration status. During that visit, he learned that Linda’s I-130 petition had been rescinded, stripping her of the legal right to remain in the U.S.

    The delayed notification became the foundation of Mr. Odiete’s lawsuit against USCIS. He argued that the agency violated his rights by failing to provide timely notification of the revocation.

    “I was never notified by the USCIS that the approval of my daughter’s I-130 petition had been revoked,” Mr. Odiete stated in his court filing. “I became aware of the revocation when my daughter and I attended her interview to adjust her status here in the United States of America.”

    Citing Section 205(c) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, Mr. Odiete highlighted that USCIS is required to issue written notification explaining the specific reasons for revocation. He claimed this failure infringed on his due process rights and left him unaware of his daughter’s precarious immigration status for years.

    In his lawsuit, Mr. Odiete sought a court order to prevent Linda’s deportation to Nigeria while the matter remained unresolved. He also requested the reinstatement of Linda’s I-485 application for permanent residency, emphasizing that her removal would cause significant emotional and familial distress.

    The case underscores the complexities of paternity fraud, family bonds, and immigration laws. While Mr. Odiete continues to fight for his daughter’s residency, the court’s decision will likely have broader implications for similar cases involving non-biological parent-child relationships in immigration proceedings.

    This ongoing legal battle reflects Mr. Odiete’s unwavering commitment to Linda, raising questions about the balance between legal frameworks and familial relationships in immigration policies.

  • Just in: Finally, TikTok to be banned in the US from Sunday as Supreme Court rules

    Just in: Finally, TikTok to be banned in the US from Sunday as Supreme Court rules

    The US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law that will ban TikTok in the United States, potentially denying the video-sharing app to 170 million users in the United States on January 19.

    In a major defeat for TikTok, the court ruled that the law does not violate free speech rights and that the US government had demonstrated legitimate national security concerns about a Chinese company owning the app.

  • WAR! North Korean soldiers commit suicide to avoid becoming captives-says US

    WAR! North Korean soldiers commit suicide to avoid becoming captives-says US

    Russia is deploying “human waves” of North Korean soldiers, the U.S. said Friday, and at least one soldier captured by Ukraine died of his injuries.

    According to White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, some North Korean soldiers have taken their own lives rather than surrendering to Ukrainian forces.

    These suicides, he said, were “likely out of fear of reprisal against their families in North Korea in the event that they’re captured.”

    South Korea’s National Intelligence Service had confirmed on Friday that the North Korean soldier captured the previous day had died.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement on Telegram Friday that at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers have died or been wounded in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces mounted a lightning incursion in August.

    But Russia has since amassed thousands of troops in a counterattack.

    Kirby quoted a lower death toll among North Koreans, saying more than 1,000 soldiers had died just in the past week.

    That’s on top of the more than 1,500 Russian soldiers being wounded or killed each day, according to Britain’s defense ministry, which estimated that there were over 45,000 casualties in November, the highest since the start of the war, adding that the number “is likely reflective of the higher tempo of Russian operations and offensives.”

    To supplement its counterattack, Moscow turned toward its ally Pyongyang, which, according to estimates by the U.S. and its allies, has deployed an estimated 11,000 soldiers in Ukraine.

    Kirby said the North Koreans are conducting “massed, dismounted assaults against Ukrainian positions in Kursk.” While these “human wave tactics” were ineffective, he acknowledged that Russia’s grinding assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure was making it difficult for Ukrainians to weather the winter.

    Neither Russia nor North Korea has publicly acknowledged the troop deployment.

    The North Korean troops are being treated as “expendable” and ordered by their leadership on “hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses,” Kirby said.

    “These North Korean soldiers appear to be highly indoctrinated, pushing attacks even when it is clear that those attacks are futile,” he said.

    The exact number of North Korean soldiers who killed themselves to avoid capture is unclear. Zelenskyy said Friday that while “several” North Korean soldiers were captured, they were “seriously wounded and could not be resuscitated,” suggesting that some of them may have also been killed by comrades.

    These troops were being sent to fight with “minimal protection,” he said, and were suffering a “great deal” of losses.

    Still, Ukrainians have been unable to capture them as prisoners, he added. “Their own people are executing them. [ABC News

  • WAR! US set to negotiate with all Syrian groups — Biden

    WAR! US set to negotiate with all Syrian groups — Biden

    President Joe Biden on Sunday said the United States would engage with “all Syrian groups” over the political transition after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.

    “We will engage with all Syrian groups, including within the process led by the United Nations, to establish a transition away from the Assad regime toward independent, sovereign” Syria “with a new constitution.”

    Biden also said fallen al-Assad should be held responsible for his rule over Syria now that his government has been toppled.

    Asked what should happen to the deposed president, who reportedly has fled to Moscow, Biden told reporters that “Assad should be held accountable.”

    He called al-Assad’s fall from power a “moment of historic opportunity” for Syria.

    “The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice,” Biden said, speaking from the White House. “It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria.”

    Assad’s reported departure comes less than two weeks after the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group challenged more than five decades of Assad family rule with a lightning rebel offensive that broke long-frozen frontlines in the country’s civil war.

    Early Sunday, they announced they had entered Damascus and that Assad had fled, prompting celebrations around the country and a ransacking of Assad’s luxurious home.

  • Just in: US super music icon Quincy Jones dies at 91

    Just in: US super music icon Quincy Jones dies at 91

    Super US all time music producer, Quincy Jones finally dies at 91.

    Quincy Jones was best known as the producer of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album
    Quincy Jones, musician and producer who worked with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and many others, dies aged 91.

    Jones’ publicist, Arnold Robinson, said he “passed away peacefully” on Sunday night at his home in Bel Air.

    “Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing. And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him,” the family said in a statement.
    Jones was best known as the producer of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album.

    Over his career that spanned more than 75 years he won 28 Grammy awards and was named as one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century by Time magazine.
    He produced and conducted the recording of the 1985 charity record, We Are The World.

    He also composed the soundtrack to more than 50 films and TV programmes including Heat of the Night, The Color Purple and The Italian Job.
    Early in his career, Jones worked closely with Frank Sinatra and re-worked Sinatra’s classic Fly Me To The Moon taking it from a waltz to a swing.
    One the film The Wiz, Jones found himself working alongside a 19-year-old Michael Jackson.
    The pair worked together for decades and Jones produced albums Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad.

  • China strongly opposes U.S. rule on investment restrictions against China

    China strongly opposes U.S. rule on investment restrictions against China

    China strongly opposes the U.S. final regulations on investment restrictions aimed at China, a spokesperson with the Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday.

    China has lodged solemn representations with the U.S. and reserves the right to take action, said the spokesperson in a statement published on the ministry’s website.

    The U.S. has overstretched the concept of national security to adopt discriminatory investment restrictive measures against China, which is a typical non-market practice, the spokesperson said.

    The spokesperson noted that the U.S. restrictions target sectors like chips, AI and quantum computing.

    Most industries related to these fields were not connected to national security, yet they will all be affected by the U.S. ban.

    This will disrupt normal economic and trade cooperation between Chinese and U.S. companies, harming the interests of businesses in both countries, the spokesperson said.

    China has noticed that many U.S. business associations and companies have expressed concerns that U.S. investment restrictions against China would cause American companies to give up the Chinese market.

    Giving up to competitors from other countries, severely damaging U.S. interests, the spokesperson stated.
    China strongly opposes U.S. rule on investment restrictions against China
    It is hoped that the U.S. will respect market economy laws, properly define the boundaries of national security in economic and trade fields, and stop politicising and weaponising economic and trade issues.

    The spokesperson added.

     

  • Strange object hits Vice President, Shettima’s Plane in US, aborts CHOGM trip

    Strange object hits Vice President, Shettima’s Plane in US, aborts CHOGM trip

    Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, on Thursday aborted his trip to the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Samoa as a strange object hits his plane in US.

    Recall that President Bola Tinubu delegated Shettima
    to represent Nigeria at the forthcoming meeting.

    The presidency, however, on Thursday night, announced that Shettima’s trip had been cancelled, revealing that a foreign object hit his plane during a stopover at JFK Airport in New York.

    Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga who said a ministerial delegation will now represent Nigeria stated, “The foreign object damaged the cockpit windscreen of the plane.

    “President Tinubu, acting promptly, has approved a ministerial delegation to represent Nigeria at the summit in the Samoa capital of Apia while the plane’s repair has commenced.

    ”The delegation, which will now represent Nigeria at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, is being led by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abass Lawal.

    “The summit began on the Pacific island on 21 October. It will end on 26 October. Vice President Shettima and foreign minister Yusuf Tuggar have left New York for Nigeria.”