Author: SKYNEWS

TikTok’s chief executive has appealed to US users directly to stop a bill that could see the social media app banned in America.Shou zi Chew appealed to the public via – what else – a video posted on the app. “Keep sharing your stories, share them with your friends, share them with your family, share them with your Senators,” he said.Users have been campaigning to stop the bill since it was announced but on Wednesday, members of the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favour.It now goes to the Senate. President Joe Biden has already indicated he would support the…

David Beckham, Succession’s Brian Cox and a 13-year-old pianist are among the unlikely rivals who will go head-to-head in a fan-voted category at this year’s TV BAFTAs.The P&O Cruises memorable moment award celebrates all genres and formats, and this year’s nominees include talked-about scenes from documentaries, TV dramas and reality competitions. The six nominated moments include the infamous Rolls Royce scene from Netflix’s Beckham documentary, which saw footballer David tease his Spice Girl wife Victoria about her ‘working class’ upbringing.Doctor Who unveiling Ncuti Gatwa as the fifteenth timelord is also on the shortlist, as is Catherine Cawood and Tommy Lee…

The Belgian insurer pursuing a takeover of Direct Line Group, its London-listed rival, is facing opposition from one of its own leading shareholders to a potential deal.Sky News has learnt that a top-10 investor in Ageas is canvassing the views of fellow shareholders in an attempt to halt its efforts to buy Direct Line. City sources said that the investor, which declined to be named, believed the approach was “aggressive, unsolicited and opportunistic”.The emergence of its position comes just a day after Direct Line said it had rejected a “highly conditional” cash-and-stock proposal worth 237p-a-share, or about £3.2bn.It was the…

If you’re into skincare, you will have heard of squalene (or squalane).It’s in moisturisers, make-up and cleansers but is also used in vaccines and medicines. Now, scientists have linked squalene to around 390 species of sharks and rays being threatened with extinction, according to new research.The authors are calling for better regulation of the industry.”It’s very easy to forget what’s going on in the deep, and we hear a lot of stuff about mining in the deep ocean, but the reality is the biggest threat is overfishing,” Professor Nick Dulvy told the Vancouver Sun. Squalene is traditionally collected from the…

Supermodel Christie Brinkley has revealed she has been diagnosed with skin cancer.Brinkley, 70, who has appeared on the cover of a series of Sports Illustrated issues, was accompanying her daughter to a routine check-up when she asked the doctor to look at a mole. The American actress and model said she discovered a “little tiny dot” when putting on make-up and almost didn’t raise the issue as it wasn’t her appointment.But when the doctor took a look at it, he “knew immediately” she needed a biopsy, Brinkley wrote in an Instagram post.She shared a photo of herself just after the…

The battle for the Telegraph titles has been a story of high principle, low politics and raw commerce.The proposed takeover by Abu Dhabi-backed RedBird-IMI, 75% financed by the UAE vice president Sheikh Mansour, was opposed on a clear point of media ethics; that British national newspapers should never be controlled by a foreign state. It’s a principle on which journalists, politicians and readers on all sides might agree, but one that has been argued with particular vigour because of the Telegraph’s unique position in Conservative Britain.The newspapers have long been considered the in-house journal of the party, while the Spectator…

The menopause could be the reason some female whales live around 40 years longer than others, scientists have said.Five species of whales go through menopause, the only other mammals to do so aside from humans. Short-finned pilot whales, false killer whales, orcas, narwhals and beluga whales all stop releasing eggs.Researchers say the menopause could have evolved to allow them to live long enough to care for extended family.The experts – led by a University of Exeter team – suggested it allowed the whales to become grandmothers so they could take care of their families by sharing food or “babysitting”. They…

Dua Lipa, Coldplay and Sza will headline Glastonbury 2024, it has been announced. Shania Twain will perform the Sunday afternoon “legends slot” on the festival’s famous Pyramid stage. Glastonbury organisers announced the line-up for this summer’s event today after months of speculation. Image: Dua Lipa will headline the Pyramid stage on the Friday night. Pic: Alberto Pezzali/Invision/AP With stars including Little Simz, Avril Lavigne, Jessie Ware, Janelle Monae, Cyndi Lauper, PJ Harvey and Camila Cabello on the bill alongside Dua Lipa, Sza and Twain, it is a line-up filled with female acts.For Lipa, it will be her Pyramid stage debut…

John Lewis has returned to profit for the first time in three years but staff face another year with no bonus. The company behind Waitrose grocery shops and the John Lewis department stores recorded a profit of £56m, after a loss of £234m in the previous financial year. The John Lewis Partnership is employee-owned by permanent staff, known as partners. Those 76,000 partners typically get an annual bonus payment but were disappointed again this year.This marks only the third time since 1953 that the group has not paid out an annual staff bonus.But the firm said it was investing in…

The CEO of TikTok has said that a US ban on the platform “would take billions of dollars out of the pockets of creators and small businesses”.Shou Zi Chew, who a source said is visiting Washington DC this week, added the company will exercise its legal rights to prevent a ban after a bill passed in the House. Representatives overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday to give TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance about six months to divest the US assets of the app, or face a ban.The bill passed 352-65 in a bipartisan vote, but it faces a more uncertain path in the…