News
White House Applauds Bill Seeking TikTok Ban
Published
1 year agoon
By
EditorThe White House on Tuesday welcomed a bill that would allow the United States to ban Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement.
The bill was backed by Mark Warner, a senior US senator from the Democratic party, and John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, in a rare act of political entente by US lawmakers.
“We applaud the bipartisan group of senators, led by Senators Warner and Thune, who today introduced the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology Act,” Sullivan said.
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The bipartisan bill “would empower the United States government to prevent certain foreign governments from exploiting technology services… in a way that poses risks to Americans’ sensitive data and our national security,” Sullivan said in a statement.
The Senate bill and the backing of the White House accelerated the political momentum against TikTok, which is also the target of a separate piece of legislation in the US House of Representatives.
“Today, the threat that everyone is talking about is TikTok, and how it could enable surveillance by the Chinese Communist Party, or facilitate the spread of malign influence campaigns in the US,” Senator Warner said in a statement.
“Before TikTok, however, it was Huawei and ZTE, which threatened our nation’s telecommunications networks. And before that, it was Russia’s Kaspersky Lab, which threatened the security of government and corporate devices,” said Warner.
Appearing tough on China is one of the rare issues with potential for bipartisan support in both the Republican-run House and the Senate, where Biden’s Democratic Party holds a majority.
With Congress and the White House aligned on the idea that a law is necessary to curb the powers of TikTok, the chances of the legislation making it into law are greatly increased.
TikTok is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance and has more than a billion users worldwide including over 100 million in the US, where it has become a cultural force, especially for young people.
TikTok reacted by again pointing to its months of negotiations with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a government agency that assesses foreign investments’ risks to US national security.
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“The Biden Administration does not need additional authority from Congress to address national security concerns about TikTok: It can approve the deal negotiated with CFIUS over two years that it has spent the last six months reviewing,” TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter told AFP.
Reflecting concerns voiced by free speech activists, she likened a US ban to a “ban on the export of American culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide.”
The legislation comes after US government workers in January were banned from installing TikTok on their devices.
Civil servants at the European Union, as well as in Canada and Denmark are also barred from having TikTok on their phones.
AFP
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News
‘I’m Considering Having 4th Child’ – Mother Of Three Who Breastfeeds Husband , 3 Kids [PHOTOS]
Published
6 hours agoon
May 7, 2024By
EditorA Florida woman who made headlines for breastfeeding her husband has revealed that they are considering having another baby so she starts lactating again.
Rachel Bailey, 31, and her husband Alexander, 30, said they have “grieved” their “bonding experience” since her body stopped producing milk in the past year.
The couple’s three children have all weaned off the milk, which meant Alexander had to as well.
Now, they are considering having a fourth child so they keep up the habit.
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“I was in so much pain and I was scared about getting an infection, so we decided that my husband was going to try drinking the milk to relieve me,” she said.
Mum-of-three who breastfeeds her husband alongside their kids reveals she
“We were nervous about the idea of him breastfeeding from me as we thought it seemed weird, but as soon as we did it, we realized it was perfectly fine.”
The couple continued the practice after the births of their two younger children, with Ms Bailey breastfeeding her husband at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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Once her supply dwindled, they switched to nightly feedings. Ms Bailey claims that because her milk is “so nutritious,” it kept Alexander from getting a cold for more than two years and left his skin glowing.
“He ended up loving the taste of my breast milk and even prefers it to cow’s milk now,” she said.
When her breasts stopped producing milk, she said they grieved the bonding experience they shared because of her breastfeeding him.
They even briefly considered growing their family to keep up the breastfeeding.
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“We grieved that bonding experience that we shared, and we even spoke about having one more baby so that we could do it again,” Ms Bailey said.
“However, we realized that was a drastic action to take and a lot of work, so instead we began looking for other ways that we could bond as a couple.”
Instead, they now get up at 5 am each morning to catch up and meditate before getting on with the rest of their day.
“It was never a sexual thing for us. We did it because it was an amazing way for us to bond and share something special as a couple,” Ms Bailey said.
“We really miss the breastfeeding times that we shared, but we have found new ways to connect.”
News
VIDEO Newly Appointed LG Supervisors, Advisers In Ekiti Take Oath Of Office With ‘Ogún’
Published
7 hours agoon
May 7, 2024By
EditorA video showing newly appointed supervisors and advisers of Ikere-Ekiti LGA in Ekiti state were sworn in with an ‘Ògún’ totem and the Quran.
A viral video shows the supervisors and advisers swearing at the conference hall of the office of Olu Adamolekun, chairman of Ikere-Ekiti LGA.
The oath of office was administered on the appointees by Adamolekun. The appointees could be seen taking turns to wield a cutlass (a totem for the god of iron) in one hand and a Quran in the other.
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While administering the oath of office, Adamolekun asked the appointees to repeat the following in Yoruba
‘’From today, I will be loyal and truthful to BAO (Ekiti state governor), and Monisade (deputy governor), APC and its leaders. I will take instructions from the leaders. If I refuse to do so, Ogun or Quran should kill me. For this, I will be truthful” each appointee said as they took their oath
In Nigeria, public office holders usually swear an oath of office using the Quran or Bible, while pledging allegiance to the constitution.
Watch the video of the swearing-in ceremony below:
News
JUST IN: DSS Arrests Wanted Oyo Motorpark Boss, Auxiliary
Published
8 hours agoon
May 7, 2024By
EditorThe Department of State Services has reportedly arrested the wanted former chairman of the Oyo State Park Management System, Mukaila Lamidi, popularly known as Auxiliary.
The PUNCH reliably gathered that Auxiliary was arrested at about 4:00 pm on Tuesday at his residence in the Olodo area of Ibadan, the state capital.
Although the reasons for his arrest are still sketchy, a source who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity because of the weight of the matter said it was because of an interview he granted on Saturday, May 4, in which he called out Seye Famojuro, a trusted ally of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, for being behind his woes.
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In the interview he granted to Media personnel, Ajibola Akinyefa, in the Yoruba Language, the former PMS chairman said, “If he (Famojuro) is the governor or Seyi Makinde is, we will know. It is just a matter of time. Everybody will face the consequences of their actions. The people he chose to manage the park are cheating themselves.
When asked if it was his hooliganism that led to his removal, Auxiliary queried how many people reported that he beat them to the police.
He further said that Seye would still return to Ijesha because Ibadan is not his homeland.
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“Seye will still go back to Ijesha because Ibadan is not his town. Only Governor Seyi Makinde and I will remain here because we won’t run away. And I see that the bird is not working, but God feeds it. Seye will reap the seeds of his actions,” he added.
In May 2023, Auxiliary was arrested after being linked to an alleged attempt by his loyalists to cause trouble in the state following the dissolution of the PMS committee by Makinde.
An impeccable source who spoke with PUNCH Metro said the police acted swiftly to prevent a breakdown of law and order in the state, adding that during the raid, Lamidi escaped which led to him being declared wanted.
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The source, who craved anonymity over fears of harassment, said, “From what we gathered, the police acted on the information that some members of the Auxiliary’s camp wanted to cause trouble based on the government disbanding their operations in the state.
“So, the police were proactive, stormed their location, made some arrests and recovered some arms and ammunition. But Auxiliary was not arrested. The people arrested were in connection with the fact that intelligence linked them to an attempt to cause trouble in the state today.”
However, attempts to reach the spokesperson for DSS, Peter Afunnaya, proved abortive as several calls made to him were unanswered and text messages ignored.
‘I’m Considering Having 4th Child’ – Mother Of Three Who Breastfeeds Husband , 3 Kids [PHOTOS]
VIDEO Newly Appointed LG Supervisors, Advisers In Ekiti Take Oath Of Office With ‘Ogún’
JUST IN: DSS Arrests Wanted Oyo Motorpark Boss, Auxiliary
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