metro
Twitter battles Meta over launch of Threads, threatens lawsuit
Twitter battles Meta over launch of Threads, threatens lawsuit
Twitter has threatened Meta with a lawsuit after the Instagram parent company launched Threads, an app it hopes will beat the struggling site owned by Elon Musk.
Many personalities including President Bola Tinubu have joined the new micro-blogging platform.
Aready, the micro-blogging platform owned by Elon Musk, has sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Meta, over the “unlawful misappropriation” of its trade secrets.
Threads is the biggest challenger yet to Musk-owned Twitter, which has seen a series of potential competitors emerge but not yet replace one of the world’s biggest social media platforms, despite its struggles.
Zuckerberg’s latest move against Musk further heightened the rivalry between the two multibillionaires who have even agreed to meet for hand to hand combat in a cage match.
In the letter, Alex Spiro, Twitter’s lawyer, described Threads as a “copycat” and said that Meta had hired dozens of former Twitter employees who “had and continue to have access to Twitter’s highly confidential information”.
Since launching the text-based app called Threads on Thursday, more than 30 million people have signed up, with Zuckerberg announcing that the app recorded 10 million new entrants in the first seven hours.
Threads comes with features similar to those of Twitter, such as liking, reposting, and deciding who can reply to conversations.
Users can also follow and connect with others who share similar interests, and build a loyal following of their own to share their ideas, opinions, and creativity with the world.
However, the new app, unlike Twitter, does not have an edit button or a direct message (DM) feature.
It is however superior in terms of word length – 500 counts; and video length of 5 minutes.
The look and feel of Threads are similar to those of Twitter, James Clayton, BBC technology reporter, noted.
He said the news feed and the reposting were “incredibly familiar”.
“Twitter intends to strictly enforce its intellectual property rights, and demands that Meta take immediate steps to stop using any Twitter trade secrets or other highly confidential information,” the letter read.
“Twitter reserves all rights, including, but not limited to, the right to seek both civil remedies and injunctive relief without further notice.”
Responding to Twitter’s allegation, Andy Stone, Meta spokesperson, said, “No one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee – that’s just not a thing”.
metro
Expatriates to pay $15 daily fine for visa overstay – FG
Expatriates to pay $15 daily fine for visa overstay – FG
The federal government has warned expatriates against violating Nigeria’s immigration laws, particularly regarding visa overstays.
It said defaulters will now face a daily fine of $15, alongside a possible long-term entry ban.
The Minister of Interior, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this over the weekend during a stakeholder engagement with members of the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria at the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) House in Ikeja, Lagos.
He announced that effective August 1, 2025, any foreign national who overstays their visa in Nigeria will be required to pay a $15 daily fine.
He also said more serious overstays would attract stiffer penalties, explaining that an expatriate who overstays by more than six months will be banned from re-entering Nigeria for five years, while a one-year overstay will result in a 10-year entry ban.
According to the minister, these measures are part of a broader initiative under the Expatriate Administration System, set to launch on May 1, 2025.
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The system aims to tighten immigration compliance and improve the accuracy of data on foreign residents in the country.
He said current estimates place the number of expatriates working and residing in Nigeria at over 50,000, a figure he described as unreliable for effective planning and policymaking.
As part of the transition to the new system, a three-month grace period will begin on May 1, 2025, allowing expatriates to regularise their immigration status before enforcement begins in August.
The e-visa system, Tunji-Ojo added, will replace the visa-on-arrival process, allowing legitimate tourists and business travellers to obtain Nigerian visas within 48 hours. This reform is expected to curb abuse and streamline entry procedures.
Expatriates to pay $15 daily fine for visa overstay – FG
metro
Tinubu, Gov Yusuf asked to resolve Kano Emirate crisis
Tinubu, Gov Yusuf asked to resolve Kano Emirate crisis
A group, One Kano Agenda(OKA), has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Abba Yusuf to facilitate peaceful dialogue among the stakeholders to resolve the current Emirship crisis in Kano.
The Director-General of the group, Amb. Abbas Abdullahi, who made the call while addressing a press conference at the NUJ press centre, Kano, on Sunday, also urged Northern Elders to encourage peaceful dialogue over the matter.
“We respectfully appeal to His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and His Excellency the Governor of Kano State and the respected elders of Arewa to take a proactive role in encouraging peaceful dialogue among all relevant stakeholders.
“National peace begins with local harmony and the restoration of calm in Kano is a matter of national interest.
“A prompt non partisan mediation effort will go a long way in maintaining mutual respect between state and federal institutions and protecting our traditional values,” Abdullahi said.
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The group also called for peace and unity among residents of the state in the wake of the Emirship tussle.
It emphasized the need for all stakeholders “to put Kano first and avoid divisions that could harm the state’s social fabric.
“We are gathered here because we believe that Kano must come first before political differences, personal ambitions or any divisive agenda.
“Recent developments around the Emirate issue have stirred tensions, sparked public debates and regrettably fueled discord among our people.
“While discussions on matters of history and tradition are important, we must be careful not to allow misinformation or political manipulation to erode the unity we have built over generations,” it said.
The group warned against any attempt to politicize the Emirate issue and emphasized the importance of respecting the state’s traditional institution.
It urged all stakeholders, including youth, civil society groups, and religious leaders “to rise above divisions and work towards peace and unity.”
Tinubu, Gov Yusuf asked to resolve Kano Emirate crisis
metro
JUST IN: Two rescued in Lagos building collapse
JUST IN: Two rescued in Lagos building collapse
Two persons have been rescued after a three-storey building collapsed in Lagos Island.
The building said to be under construction, caved in Sunday afternoon at 4, Agarawu Street, Lagos Island.
The victims were said to have been trapped when the building collapsed and were only extricated from the rubble by emergency workers who rushed them to the hospital.
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Confirming the incident, the Lagos Police Command said no life was lost.
Spokesman, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the site had been cordoned off by responders, adding that there was calm in the neighbourhood.
He said the relevant agencies would probe the cause of the collapse.
JUST IN: Two rescued in Lagos building collapse
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