Category News

Investors rejoice over looming TikTok deal despite political concerns

By in News, World News

This week, President of the United States Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order approving a deal to divest TikTok’s US operations from its parent company, ByteDance, in accordance with a 2024 law.

On Monday, the White House made the announcement regarding the deal. No further discussions with Beijing are planned, according to a senior official, who stated that the US believes China has approved the deal despite the fact that both sides still need additional paperwork.

Recommended Stories

list of 4 itemsend of list

According to a law passed by Congress that required ByteDance to sell its US assets by January this year, Trump has attempted to stop TikTok, which has about 170 million American users.

As the Trump administration works to separate TikTok’s US operations, bring in American investors, and ensure the transaction complies with the requirements for divestment, the implementation of that deadline has been delayed until mid-December. The deadline was already delayed four times by the White House: in February, April, June, and last week.

The deal is valued at “many billions of dollars,” according to a White House official.

The White House claimed that there are still regulatory challenges, including potential antitrust scrutiny. The White House claims that US citizens would hold six of the seven board seats that would oversee the well-known short-form video app’s US operations despite not having a finalized the full list of investors. While TikTok in the US would be governed by a mix of existing US and international businesses as well as new investors unaffiliated with ByteDance, the company would retain less than 20% of the company’s ownership.

Silver Lake, Oracle, and Andreessen Horowitz are just a few of the names already given.

Larry Ellison, a close ally of Trump, and Marc Andreessen have previously acknowledged that he has spent a lot of time at the Florida resort since Trump won the 2024 election.

Trump made a note over the weekend that Fox News’ owners, the Murdoch family, are investors in the deal. Although it’s unclear how that definition of “patriotic” is defined, the White House stated that the investor base must be.

“Donald Trump just announced that he thinks criticism of him should be against the law. He is now tasked with guiding his billionaire political allies in one of the nation’s most well-known social media platforms. According to Seth Stern, director of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, it would be foolish to believe that they won’t censor Trump’s critics while promoting content that appeals to him.

The White House refuted claims that TikTok’s new investors will use political messaging in some way.

“No one should take this utterly delusional conspiracy theory seriously,” according to the statement. According to White House spokesman Kush Desai, “media analysts” and fake news reporters should spend their time documenting how President Trump has come to an agreement to save TikTok without compromising our national and economic security,” Desai told Al Jazeera.

According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, “TikTok users in the US will be able to see videos posted by users in other countries, and vice versa.”

User data from the US will be hosted on Oracle’s cloud infrastructure. According to The Wall Street Journal, engineers at the newly constructed company will be able to modify the app’s algorithm in the new structure.

According to Leavitt, the algorithm will be “trained, retrained, and operated in the United States outside of ByteDance control.”

According to The Associated Press news agency, which cited Trump administration officials who requested anonymity, Oracle would receive a copy of the algorithm. They claimed that this would help “prevent potential manipulation of addictive content.”

Regardless of the political connotations, Oracle investors are optimistic about the pending deal. The stock was up more than 5% as of 2:30 PM in New York (18:30 GMT).

The deal, according to the White House, would enable TikTok to generate up to $ 178 billion in economic activity over the course of four years.

The negotiations come as US media outlets are being closely watched more. Jimmy Kimmel made remarks about the Trump administration’s response to conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death that the ABC TV network suspended from his late-night show indefinitely. Nexstar Media Group, which owns numerous local TV stations, including ABC affiliates, and is currently reviewing a merger with the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission, was the subject of the suspension. Jimmy Kimmel Live will no longer be broadcast on Nexstar’s stations.

Washington and Beijing are engaged in trade talks as part of the looming TikTok deal.

According to Maria Pechurina, director of international trade at Peacock Tariff Consulting, “For the US, continuing to operate TikTok is in line with political interests,” [for example, keeping young TikTok users engaged,” despite the initial desire to ban the platform due to national security concerns.

China hopes for more general reciprocal US concessions, including tariff rate reductions, easing investment restrictions, and progress in the discussion of semiconductor export controls, she continued.

Members of the US House of Representatives met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing over the weekend in an effort to “break the ice” during the trade talks, which made extraordinary progress last week.

For the first time in three months after the news of the potential TikTok divestment, Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.

Horner, the £52m pay-off, and what next for ex-Red Bull boss?

By in News, Sports News
Images courtesy of Getty

Andrew Benson

F1 Correspondent

Christian Horner formally leaves Red Bull a very rich man with unsated ambitions in Formula 1.

The 51-year-old’s separation from the team that made him one of the most successful in the sport was made public on Monday.

Red Bull did not provide any information regarding the settlement terms, but a source close to the team has informed BBC Sport that Horner obtained a pay-off worth 60 million euros (£52 million).

The move frees Horner up to return to F1 in the future – if he can find a project that is willing to take him on board.

Why is there such a large settlement?

Christian HornerImages courtesy of Getty

Different figures have been published for Horner’s settlement.

The source of the figure of 60 million euros is unknown to BBC Sport. The Daily Mail reports that it is worth 92 million euros ($80 million), whereas The Race, a motorsport website, claims that it is worth $100 million ($74 million).

Ultimately, no-one other than Red Bull and Horner and their respective lawyers can be absolutely sure without seeing the documentation, to which they will not be privy. Additionally, more details are frequently released as time goes on.

Horner’s contract, which allegedly extended to the end of 2030, is said to have been 12 million euros ($10 million). He was sacked as team principal on 9 July this year.

Therefore, a 60 million euro settlement essentially equates to the payment of his contract’s final five years.

Although it may seem strange to be fired and then given his full salary, it is not unusual in sports.

Football managers who are dismissed for poor results, for example, regularly receive large payouts, such as former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag last year.

In a negotiation, all of these scenarios end.

In this instance, Horner and his attorneys would likely argue that he should have received compensation in addition to his salary, starting with a sizable number.

Red Bull would argue the sacking was justified, and therefore that if there was to be a settlement figure, it should be considerably lower. Regardless of how the relationship ended, there may have been a desire to reward him for the success with which he led the team.

Finally, all parties are able to reach a deal that makes sense.

But the High Pay Centre, a UK think-tank that analyses issues relating to top incomes, corporate governance and business performance, says this level of payout “would be considered extraordinarily large by the standards of even the biggest companies in Europe”.

The amount “would raise questions in the corporate world,” it goes on to say.

The majority of CEO incentive payments are made in shares that they have held for a number of years, in case there is evidence of misconduct or when their decisions turn out to be less than expected, it says.

“Paying £50m cash to one individual in a lump sum is a very casual way to spend an enormous sum of money”.

If Horner had worked as the CEO of a FTSE 100 company, his salary would have been in the top ten in the UK.

However, Austrian-based Red Bull is a private company. Comparing with similar situations in the US, Horner’s payout would still be high, but by no means the highest.

Stephane Bancel, the CEO of US drug Moderna, received a $ 926 million exit pay in 2019.

How will this look?

Helmut Marko speaks with Christian Horner at the Italian Grand Prix in MayImages courtesy of Getty

Although there is a lot of money in the sport, outside of Formula One, the numbers may appear disproportionately high.

Max Verstappen, a Red Bull driver, is reportedly making 75 million euros (£65 million) as his base salary. With bonuses and endorsements, the four-time champion is said to earn well over 100m euros (£87m) a year.

And for a business the size and wealth of Red Bull, which had revenues of 11.2 billion euros (£9.8 billion) in 2024, this amount of money is largely unimportant.

It has been two and a half months since Red Bull first learned of Horner’s dismissal and they have now gotten rid of an executive in whom they no longer had confidence. This means that they can now move forward with the investigation.

Horner was already a rich man, and is now even richer. However, both positively and negatively, his reputation will always be a part of this tale.

At the age of 31, 2005, he was given the task of starting an F1 team by the late Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

When Red Bull entered F1, they were considered by rivals a bit of a joke – viewed as a party team that played loud music and not to be taken seriously.

But all of that soon changed, as soon as Horner hired Adrian Newey as technical director in 2006. Following his success with Williams and McLaren, Newey was already regarded with reverence. He is even more so now.

A monolith that won eight drivers’ championships, six constructors’ titles, and 124 grands prix was created by Horner and the man who is regarded by many as the greatest F1 designer in history.

One of the most effective team managers in history will be remembered as Horner.

But he is also the man who was sacked by Red Bull after, essentially, getting too big for his boots in the eyes of his employers, and presiding over an extraordinary 18-month period of decline.

By manipulating to his own advantage even before their patriarch died of cancer in October 2022, Horner upset the Mateschitz family, who owns 49% of Red Bull.

After Mateschitz’s passing, Horner and Helmut Marko, the Austrian ex-racing driver who was Mateschitz’s right-hand man, began to battle internally at Red Bull.

The power struggle intensified after it became public knowledge in February 2024 that a female employee had accused Horner of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour.

Verstappen ultimately felt the need to step in to support Marko, who continues to play for the team.

The allegations have always been refuted by Horner, and they were fired in 2024 following two internal investigations.

What led to the sporting decline of Red Bull?

Max VerstappenImages courtesy of Getty

Horner served as the team’s leader after Newey’s headhunt, but he also held the position of team manager after losing him.

Newey resigned in April 2024, and the allegations by the female employee were a central part of his reasoning, along with his feeling that his contribution was being undervalued by some in the team, including Horner.

Three months later, Jonathan Wheatley, a long-time sports director, passed away as well.

Red Bull’s competitiveness had dropped by that point.

Verstappen took dominant championship wins in 2022 and 2023 to add to the maiden title he won controversially at Abu Dhabi in 2021.

However, Red Bull’s form dropped following a successful 2024 campaign. A revitalized McLaren presented them with a new challenge. But this decline also coincided with Newey’s departure – and was directly linked to it, according to former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, who was sacked at the end of 2024.

Verstappen held on to retain the title until 2024, despite only claiming two of his final 14 starts. However, that slump persisted into the current season. Verstappen won just twice between the start of 2025 and Horner’s dismissal.

Verstappen’s future was uncertain until he confirmed he would stick to his contract, something he had already made clear after Horner’s departure.

Which raises a legitimate query: Given how Red Bull’s competitiveness decreased following Newey’s resignation, how should Newey and Horner be responsible for Red Bull’s success over the past 20 years?

In the past two races in Italy and Azerbaijan, Red Bull have returned to form with two dominant Verstappen victories.

Verstappen praised the direction that new team principal Laurent Mekies has taken with the introduction of a new floor design.

We’ve had a lot of races where we were just shooting left and right a little bit with the setup of the car, the Dutchman said in Monza. Quite extreme changes, which shows that we were not in control. We didn’t fully comprehend what to do.

I believe that Laurent’s approach works really well because he asks the engineers the right questions, which are common sense questions.

The underlying implication there is hard to miss, especially in the context of the difficult relationship Horner had with Verstappen’s father, former F1 driver Jos Verstappen.

What does Horner’s future hold?

Horner has made it clear to senior figures inside F1 that he wants to return to the sport.

He doesn’t want any jobs at all, though. They assert that being a team principal on its own is insufficient. He wants to be a shareholder, and he wants ultimate authority. In essence, he wants Toto Wolff, his nemesis at Mercedes, to be the same.

Horner is now very wealthy, but he is hardly likely not wealthy enough to start his own team or purchase a majority stake in an existing one as a result of the agreement with Red Bull.

Not when F1 team valuations start these days at £1bn and go up from there – world champions McLaren were recently valued at £3.5bn following a change in shareholding.

Therefore, Horner would likely need to find an investor who wants to invest in him if he wants to own a stake in a team. And he wouldn’t have any control if he were anything other than a majority shareholder.

Horner has the sort of record in terms of on-track performance that could make him very appealing to a wealthy investor who wants to make a success of their F1 team.

However, he now has a lot of baggage after about 18 months.

Related topics

  • Formula 1

Johnny Ball’s famous daughter Zoe Ball and her devastation over double cancer heartbreak

By in Entertainment News, News

One year after his ex-wife, the mother of his daughter Zoe Ball, passed away from the disease, Johnny Ball has revealed that he has cancer.

Johnny Ball has revealed the sad news he has been secretly battling cancer. The 87-year-old TV legend’s devastating news comes just a year after the death of his ex-wife, Julia.

Johnny supported the pair’s daughter, BBC radio presenter Zoe Ball during the heartbreaking moments. Zoe, 54, had revealed at the time how her mum died just 12 weeks after she was diagnosed with cancer.

And now, Johnny has revealed he was facing his own battle. Johnny, who starred on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012, was on hand to support his famous daughter amid her own struggles as well as helping her deal with her mum’s passing.

The 87-year-old, who first appeared on the television screens in 1967 to promote Play School, tells The Mirror: “I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in August 2022, and thankfully, after three months of daily radiation treatment, starting in September, I’m over it, I’m fine.

READ MORE: Jon Bon Jovi breaks silence after son Jake and Millie Bobby Brown adopt baby girlREAD MORE: Post Malone shares moving tribute to Ozzy Osbourne at London shows

In May last year she posted a number of family photos as she told her followers that her mother’s funeral had been a tough but “perfect” day. She wrote on Instagram: “Yesterday we said goodbye to our dear Mama, Granny J.

“Thank you for your magic and love, Mama, it was the perfect day, and she would have loved it forever. Despite missing you so much, we are still close.

As well as helping support his daughter through her mum’s diagnosis and death, he was also on hand to offer support after the the tragic loss of her boyfriend, Billy Yates, who died by suicide aged 40 in 2017.

Talking frankly about their family’s effort to keep her spirits high at the time, Johnny shared: “If she was next door we would pop round and say: ‘Are you OK? ‘ but we’re 60 miles away.

“So we text to ask, “Are you okay?” Keep your sneer down. Be strong, come on. He continued, highlighting the crucial role that work played in Zoe’s recovery.

He later said, “She coped terribly and we lost her because she was completely besotted by it.”

She frequently drank too much alcohol and was clubbing all the time. She grew to the point where she could say anything that the boys could do.

He also confirmed that although there are times when you realize you’re not involved in the discussion, we’ve never collided.

Three years after Billy’s passing, Zoe referred to it as the “hardest thing in my life” in 2020. She pleaded her memory to the 40-year-old cameraman for the profound impact he had had on her life and the shared laughter and love. He had also lived with depression for a significant portion of his life.

It’s very difficult to sit back and observe someone struggling with mental health. The hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with in my life was losing him.

Continue reading the article.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

READ MORE: Detrash’s £375 watch made from ocean plastic ‘stands up in quality and looks’

Nvidia to invest billions in OpenAI as AI race heats up

By in News, World News
by Reuters

In a tie-up between two of the most well-known names in the global artificial intelligence (AI) field, chipmaker Nvidia will invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI and supply it with data center chips.

According to a source close to OpenAI, the deal, which was announced on Monday, will result in Nvidia beginning to deliver chips as late as late 2026.

Recommended Stories

list of 4 itemsend of list

According to the person, the startup will pay Nvidia in cash for the chips, and Nvidia will invest in OpenAI for non-controlling shares.

When the two companies reach a definitive agreement to purchase Nvidia chips, Nvidia will begin investing the first $10 billion in OpenAI, which was most recently valued at $500 billion.

Nvidia did not respond to customer requests for more information about the deal right away. The pact is just one of many agreements between major technology companies, including one that involved Microsoft’s years-long investment in OpenAI and a Nvidia and Intel collaboration last week.

The two businesses agreed to form a landmark strategic alliance by deploying at least 10 gigawatts of Nvidia chips for OpenAI’s AI infrastructure.

The first deployment phase is scheduled to launch in the second half of 2026, with the final agreement set to be made in the coming weeks.

According to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, “everything starts with compute.”

The future’s economy will depend on it, according to the statement from IBM, “and we will use what we’re building with Nvidia to use them to both develop new AI innovations and scale up businesses and individuals with them.”

Nvidia made the investment just days after giving $5 billion to chipmaker Intel, a struggling company.

Microsoft, the organization’s backer, and OpenAI both announced earlier this month that they had reached a non-binding agreement that would allow for OpenAI’s transformation into a for-profit organization.

In October 2024, Nvidia also provided funding for OpenAI through a $6.6 billion funding round. Antitrust scrutiny could be brought on by the world’s most important company, which makes another significant investment in OpenAI.

Comparatively to former US President Joe Biden’s antitrust enforcers, the administration of US President Donald Trump has a much lighter take on competition issues.

A deal between the US Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission in June 2024 authorized potential antitrust investigations into Microsoft, OpenAI, and Nvidia’s dominant positions in the artificial intelligence sector.

Ballon d’Or: Lamine Yamal Wins 2025 Kopa Trophy

By in News, sport-news

Lamine Yamal, a winger for Barcelona, will continue to hold onto the Kopa Trophy at the Paris 2025 Ballon d’Or awards on Monday.

The 18-year-old forward becomes the first player to win both men’s youth awards.

The best player under the age of 21 receives the Kopa Trophy, which highlights Yamal’s rise as one of football’s brightest prospects.

Last year, Yamal helped Barcelona win La Liga and the Copa del Rey by scoring 18 goals in 55 games. &nbsp,

The teenager was a key component of Spain’s victory at the European Championship.

In Battle For Ballon d’Or Glory, Dembele and Yamal are also READ.

Following Spain’s dominance throughout the continent in 2024, Yamal received the Kopa Trophy for the first time.

Vicky López . Ballon d’Or, X, is the credit.

At the ceremony this year, Vicky López, his fellow compatriot, claimed the women’s Kopa Trophy.

The Ballon d’Or men’s rankings were released prior to the main awards, according to the organisers’ release, which ranged from 30 to 11.

Erling Haaland, Vinodislav Jnior, Robert Lewandowski, and Harry Kane were not included in the top ten list.

Fabian Ruiz, Joo Neves, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were among the contenders for the title of Paris Saint-Germain.

Later in the evening, PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé is still firmly tipped to win the title.

Johnny Ball reveals he’s been secretly battling cancer

By in Entertainment News, News

Johnny Ball, a childs’ telly legend, tells The Mirror that he is “lucky” to have been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Children’s TV legend Johnny Ball has revealed that he has been secretly fighting prostate cancer.

The 87-year-old, who burst on to TV screens presenting Play School in 1967, tells The Mirror: “I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in August 2022 and, thankfully, after three months of daily radiation treatment, starting in the September, I’m through it, I’m fine.”

Johnny, who has annual checks, does not take surviving prostate cancer for granted. He says: “My friend Harry Secombe didn’t survive it, Bob Monkhouse didn’t survive it. I’m 20 years younger than them and I am lucky, because now we can cure it. “

READ MORE: Zoe Ball makes ‘sad’ revelation after brutal response from daughter NellyREAD MORE: Zoe Ball’s famous dad Johnny gives major update on her next career step

Reflecting on the loss of Goon Show great Secombe in 2001, aged 79, and Opportunity Knocks host Monkhouse in 2003, aged 75, he continues: “You’ve got to cash in on what’s wonderful about life today and stop dwelling on what’s dreary and depressing.”

Johnny also practices a strict daily diet and exercise regimen in an effort to stay healthy.

He states, “First, I perform a straightforward bending and stretching routine that lasts about two and a half minutes. Then, for two and a half minutes, I lift my two 2 kg dumbbells.

I get up to six to seven minutes a day, but it keeps me incredibly fit.

I also have cereal with prunes for breakfast, which keeps me going! He makes jokes. And he drinks beer every night.

He states, “I never have more than two pints,” but always have two. I start arguing with the TV when Dianne (his wife) knows if I’ve had even a half pint more.

Johnny, the father-of-three, is still active, giving mostly educational talks in classrooms and on stage, whose other TV credits include hosting the award-winning kids’ math and science series Think Of A Number.

He asserts, “I would never retire. It’s wonderful to be still employed.

Johnny and his second wife Dianne, a former dance instructor, recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

He says of Dianne from their Buckinghamshire home, saying, “We have the same mindset and attitude, we’re both Geminis and we’re very energetic.

“We walk a lot. Yesterday we walked our dog four miles; today, we walked about two and a half miles. We’re in good health, and we make the most of it. You’ve got to focus on all the positives.”

But, an ambassador for the Remember A Charity organisation, encouraging people to leave a gift to charity in their wills, despite relishing his good health – especially as a cancer survivor – Johnny stresses the need to organise your affairs and leave something to a good cause.

We are all a part of a fantastic human relay race, he claims. You receive your own lap, and others follow you in the lap. It’s equivalent to passing the baton to the next generation by leaving something in your will. After you leave, supporting a charity helps you do that.

Johnny, who is renownedly the father of Zoe Ball, also has two sons with 46-year-old civil engineer Dianne, who owns a swimming pool and designs buildings. He has worked with Ringo Starr, Craig Revel Horwood, and Idris Elba, Johnny says.

Nick, 48, writes films – most recently working on the horror film, The Trip, which reached number one on Netflix.

Meanwhile, Zoe, 54, from his first wife Julia, who died in April 2024 from pancreatic cancer, is “in a good place,” according to Johnny, since leaving her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show to host a Saturday afternoon show on the channel.

He continues, “I believe she’s in a good place right now.” Because people are realizing she has other options, her new career is expanding from strength to strength.

Additionally, Johnny is creative all at once. He states, “I have a lovely idea for a multigenerational series on the history of maths, but it would be entertaining and not mathematical. With my grandson Woody and Zoe, I would do it.

One of Johnny’s six grandchildren is Zoe, her son, DJ Norman Cook, and they also have a daughter named Nelly, 15.

He appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox with Zoe and Woody back in 2023 and had viewers in stitches when, asked if he would ever go on Love Island, he replied: “Erm, I might find it exhausting at my age, to be honest.” Then, he added: “Because I wouldn’t like to leave anybody out.”

Johnny, who split up with Zoe’s mother when she was two and a half, would love another opportunity to do Strictly.

Back in 2012, then 74, he was the show’s oldest contestant, but he lost that title to Angela Rippon, who was a star turn in 2023 at the age of 78.

He has declared, “I could do Strictly now at 87,” and now wants to reclaim his crown.

He is a skilled skier, and he has undoubtedly maintained his agility, saying, “It’s great when you’re going skiing at my age; my lift pass costs two euros per week.”

He even teaches the young skiers a few tricks while they are on the slopes, saying, “I’ve seen young lads in their 20s ski a lot. And I’ve put a stop to them by saying, “You’re going to hurt yourself.” I teach them a lesson, and I teach them a lesson. They say, “Thank you very much,” the following day. I’m now able to ski.

Johnny continues to travel extensively with Dianne, who he met while performing a show on Blackpool Pier 20 minutes after a gypsy predicted that he would have a “glorious future” if he made the right choice about a woman in his life.

He had already split with his first wife, and he claimed: “The gypsy said, You’ve got two women in your life, and if you make the right choice right away, it’s going to be a glorious future.

I replied, “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” I left, and about 20 minutes later, I saw Diane working on “Johnny Bates,” a pier show, and her personality struck me right in the face.

The couple have recently returned from a trip to India, and Johnny says: “We’ve been everywhere, although we’ve yet to visit Japan and New Zealand.”

He sees plenty of room for adventure together as he nears the end of his autobiography, which is a follow-up to Johnny Ball’s My Previous Life in Comedy, due out in March.

Continue reading the article.

He claims, “I played two shows last week. It’s wonderful to be still employed. When I travel, they will need to pin the lid down.