Entertainment

US Senate Declines To Fast-Track TikTok Bill

Published

2 years ago

March 15, 2024

329 Views

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

Meta suspends Idris Abdulkareem’s Accounts Over New Song, ‘Open Letter to Donald Trump’

In the song, Abdulkareem accuses Nigerian leaders of enriching themselves while ordinary citizens endure hardship, describing them as “criminals of all shades and hues” who dominate society.

Published

2 weeks ago

December 1, 2025

OCHEFA

242 Views

“Facebook just suspended my Facebook and Instagram account because of my new song, Open Letter to Donald Trump,” said Nigerian rapper and activist Eedris Abdulkareem.

Abdulkareem, in a post on Sunday said that that he has been unable to access either account since the release of the track.

“I can’t access it.”

Abdulkareem, known for politically charged music and criticism of government policies, did not provide further details on the duration of the suspension imposed by Meta, Facebook’s parent company.

Released in November 2025 under his label, Lakreem Entertainment, Open Letter to Donald Trump is framed as a direct address to the former U.S. President but primarily targets Nigeria’s political class.

In the song, Abdulkareem accuses Nigerian leaders of enriching themselves while ordinary citizens endure hardship, describing them as “criminals of all shades and hues” who dominate society.

The track references worsening insecurity, including kidnappings, killings, and terrorism, and seeks to draw international attention to Nigeria’s crises.

Entertainment

India’s Bollywood legend Dharmendra dies at 89

Dharmendra, one of India’s most beloved actors, enjoyed a six-decade career spanning more than 300 films.

Published

3 weeks ago

November 24, 2025

OCHEFA

156 Views

•Dharmendra Krishan Deol

Legendary Bollywood actor Dharmendra Krishan Deol has passed away in Mumbai at the age of 89, marking the end of a remarkable era in Indian cinema.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tributes on his X handle Monday, describing Dharmendra’s death as “the end of an era.”

Dharmendra, one of India’s most beloved actors, enjoyed a six-decade career spanning more than 300 films.

Best known for his role as Veeru in the 1975 classic Sholay, he was celebrated for his versatility, excelling in romance, action, comedy, and drama.

Born on December 8, 1935, in Punjab’s Ludhiana district, Dharmendra rose from modest beginnings to become one of Bollywood’s most admired stars.

After winning a nationwide talent contest, he moved to Bombay and made his film debut in 1960.

His breakthrough came with Bimal Roy’s Bandini in 1963, followed by decades of box-office hits.

Entertainment

2Baba Natasha Deliver Baby Girl

The new arrival brings the number of 2Baba’s children to eight, shared among four different women, with Natasha now becoming the fourth woman to have a child for the Afrobeats legend.

Published

3 weeks ago

November 24, 2025

OCHEFA

164 Views

Celebrity Nigerian musician, Innocent Ujah Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, has welcomed a baby girl with his wife, Natasha, a lawmaker in the Edo State House of Assembly.‎

In the brief announcement, Natasha expressed gratitude with the caption: “It’s a Girl”, followed by prayer emojis.

The new arrival brings the number of 2Baba’s children to eight, shared among four different women, with Natasha now becoming the fourth woman to have a child for the Afrobeats legend.

The child was delivered in an Abuja hospital last week Thursday night.‎

This delivery comes a few months after the singer and his wife, Annie Idibia, reportedly parted ways following prolonged marital issues.