Entertainment

US Senate Declines To Fast-Track TikTok Bill

Published

2 years ago

March 15, 2024

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A bill that would force the sale of TikTok from its Chinese owners or see it banned in the United States will move cautiously in the US Senate, key lawmakers said, after it sailed through the House.

The bill’s whirlwind House passage on Wednesday, and its backing from US President Joe Biden, had raised alarm bells that the app, used by 170 million in the United States, could be shut down within months.

But hopes from TikTok’s foes that the Senate could also move quickly were dashed, with key senators saying they would put the proposed law through the usual legislative process, which can take months.

“These fields are evolving and changing so rapidly that you can do a lot of damage by moving too quickly or without the facts,” Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, told the Washington Post on Friday.

Passing major legislation is especially difficult in an election year, and backers of the bill have bitterly predicted that the House’s proposed law would die in the Senate.

“What we’re likely to see happen in the Senate is people will nickel-and-dime it, a death by a thousand cuts,” Republican Senator Josh Hawley told Axios.

“Nothing that Big Tech doesn’t want moves across the Senate floor,” he said.

Senate leaders who would be in charge of shepherding the proposed law through a complicated amendment process and bringing it to a vote have been noncommittal on the bill.

After the House vote, Senator Maria Cantwell, a Democrat who chairs the Commerce Committee, said that she would “try to find a path forward that is constitutional and protects civil liberties.”

Republicans also expressed caution, and on Thursday former president Donald Trump reiterated his opposition to any ban of TikTok, asking his supporters to focus their anger on Facebook-owner Meta instead.

Trump’s position, which was surprisingly ignored by Republicans in Wednesday’s vote, is a reversal from his efforts as president to force TikTok away from ByteDance, its Chinese owner, efforts which were ultimately blocked by the courts.

Some Western governments have voiced concern about TikTok’s soaring popularity, alleging that the app’s ownership makes it subservient to Beijing — and could be used as a conduit to spread propaganda — claims TikTok and Beijing deny.

The White House has said Biden will sign the bill if it reaches his desk.

AFP

Entertainment

Breaking: Nollywood actor Alexx Ekubo dies at 40

Known for his versatility on screen and widely admired for his striking looks, Ekubo built a successful career in Nollywood, featuring in numerous hit films and television productions.

Published

2 days ago

May 12, 2026

OCHEFA

64 Views

•Alexx Ekubo

Popular Nollywood actor Alexx Ekubo has died at the age of 40 after a prolonged battle with cancer.

According to The Sun Nigeria, family sources said the actor passed away on Monday, May 11, 2026, following months of illness.

Alexx Ekubo’s absence from the public eye had raised concerns among fans and colleagues, as he had stayed away from social media for an extended period.

The actor’s last social media post was made in December 2024, shortly after news broke that his engagement had been called off.

Known for his versatility on screen and widely admired for his striking looks, Ekubo built a successful career in Nollywood, featuring in numerous hit films and television productions.

Entertainment

Dress made from 500 loaves stuns African film awards

Some social media fans hailed the design describing it as “a true definition of carrying your business on the head”

Published

4 days ago

May 10, 2026

OhiBaba

66 Views

* Queen Mercy Atang in her dress made of bread: Credit BBC/ Gift Ufuoma

Here’s a look at some of the most talked-about appearances and moments from the 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) in Nigeria with dramatic trains, sculptural gowns, shimmering fabrics and heavily theatrical designs that once again transformed the event from an awards show into a spectacle of style held at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos.

The annual ceremony celebrates achievements in African film, television and digital storytelling, while also serving as one of the continent’s biggest cultural showcases where celebrities compete for being best-dressed, as much as they do for awards.

The red carpet turns into a bakery

Reality TV star Queen Mercy Atang arrived in one of the evening’s most attention-grabbing looks, a dress made from more than 500 loaves of bread, she said.

Surrounded by two maidens carrying trays of bread, several assistants helping carry the outfit across the carpet, Atang struggled to move freely.

Speaking to the BBC, she said that the outfit was designed to promote her bread-baking business and insisted the appearance was intentional marketing rather than shock value.

“What other place is better to advertise my business than the AMVCA?” she said.

The dress was designed by the iconic Toyin Lawan of Tiannah’s Empire, who commented on Instagram that she’s beginning a trend of “everyone wear your business”.

The look immediately became one of the night’s biggest social media talking points.

Some social media fans hailed the design describing it as “a true definition of carrying your business on the head”.

However, not all fans were impressed. Some said the display represented a waste of food, a suggestion the reality TV star rejected.

Entertainment

Davido to be inducted into Black Music Walk of Fame

The 2026 Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to hold on June 1, 2026, in Atlanta, along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Northside Drive, outside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Published

6 days ago

May 8, 2026

OCHEFA

86 Views

•Davido arrives at the 2026 Grammy Awards red carpet in Los Angeles on Sunday February 1, 2026. Photo: OkayAfrica.

Afrobeats star David Adeleke ‘Davido’ is set to be honoured at the 2026 Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.

American rapper Ludacris is also expected to be honoured at the event.

The organisers said that Davido has helped bring African music to the forefront of the international stage.

” Known for his infectious hits, dynamic performances, and cross-cultural collaborations, he has built a sound that transcends borders while staying rooted in his heritage.

“Beyond music, his impact extends into philanthropy and entrepreneurship, inspiring a new generation of artists across the globe.”

Davido is one of Africa’s most commercially successful music stars, with several international collaborations and chart-topping projects to his name.

Since breaking into the mainstream with his 2011 hit song Dami Duro, the singer has gone on to release globally recognised tracks including Fall, If, Unavailable and Feel.

He has also collaborated with international music stars such as Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, Lil Baby and Summer Walker.