Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Steven Niel Thompson passed away peacefully on April 22 surrounded by his beloved family and friends and together they shared 64 wonderful years They first made their home in Washington Terrace before settling in Liberty where they raised their family and lived for over 50 years teaching their children the value of honest work and strong character Steve grew up in Ogden and attended Ogden High School He held his first job at a local grocer and at his family’s dry-cleaning business where he developed the strong work ethic that defined his life he returned to Ogden and graduated from Ben Lomond High School He later joined the Ogden City Fire Department Steve rose through the ranks to become a proud and respected Battalion Chief He wore his uniform with pride and dignity—pressed to perfection by his dear wife—and was admired for his leadership and unwavering belief in the worth and equality of all people He passed on his values to his children and grandchildren often saying:“You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear,”“You have to keep plugging along even when it’s hard,”“The only person you can depend on is yourself,”“You have to be willing to work hard to get the things you want,” and“Don’t let people mistake your kindness for stupidity.” Steve always had a project in the works—often helping others with theirs He was never one to procrastinate and remained determined and focused until the very end because that is my bedtime,” and he peacefully passed at 10:55 p.m.—as always Steve also had a deep love for the outdoors and a sense of adventure he raised them to work hard and fish like pros and he found great joy teaching hunting skills to many friends and family members Steve was a gifted storyteller and loved to share tales of his childhood and outdoor adventures The family would like to express their gratitude to Darrel and Sue Poulsen and family and the Liberty Cemetery team—Kolby Rhees and Jared—for their kindness and help in Steve’s later years and Katelyn (Scott) Coombs; and great-grandchildren Carol Bell and Joyce Dykema; his brother-in-law Jack Myers; and many beloved nieces and nephews He is now reunited in Heaven with his granddaughter Leslie and Gladys Myers; brother and sister-in-law Val and Karen Thompson; sister and brother-in-law Karen Myers; and many of his fellow firefighters and four-legged companions We don’t need to say “Rest in Peace,” because Steve left with peace in his heart The family extends heartfelt thanks to the compassionate staff at McKay-Dee Hospital who provided such loving care in his final hours A memorial gathering will be held on Friday ORDER VIDEOS Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Niel Hester and graduated from Denbigh High School in 1992 He was the most loving father and adored his children and family more than life itself Washington Commanders/Redskins and New York Yankees fan His heart was big and he inspired others to enjoy the simple Linda Hester; and grandparents Robert and Lillie Clodfelter and Jack and Sylvia Hester; cousin Michael Hester and Loki his brothers Jason Hester (Diane) and Brian Hester (Lori) plus many other family members including aunts We invite all who knew Niel to join us for the visitation on Wednesday from 6:00pm – 8:00pm at Altmeyer Funeral Home Family and friends are also welcome attend the burial service on Friday at 2:00pm at Waughtown Cemetery in Winston Salem contributions may be made to your local animal shelter or rescue facility Davidson Kempner finalized its exit from the Irish telco last month French billionaire Xavier Niel has increased his investment holding's stake in Irish telecoms company Eir As reported by The Sunday Times Niel has increased his stake in the company after US hedge fund Davidson Kempner completed its exit from the company last month Davidson Kempner sold its 8.9 percent stake in Eir a fixed line and mobile services provider with around 2 million customers to holding company Carraun Telecom in three tranches The filing didn't specify how much Davidson Kempner sold its stake for the investment company controlled by Niel and his telecoms giant Iliad Group now controls Eir alongside Anchorage Capital NJJ Boru controls more than 70 percent of the telco The shares that Davidson Kempner are reportedly being bought back and canceled Anchorage and Davidson Kempner had built up a 56 percent stake in Eir after the telco’s exit from examinership in 2012 NJJ Boru then acquired a controlling 64.5 percent stake in Eir in 2017 meaning that Davidson Kempner and Anchorage had a combined 35.5 percent holding Eir is currently deploying its fiber network across the country investing €500 million ($545m) to roll out fiber to 1.9 million premises across urban and suburban Ireland The company has also invested €250m ($272m) to update and expand its mobile network Last year he also completed the double acquisition of Lifecell and Datagroup-Volia in Ukraine from Turkish carrier Turkcell for $524.3 million Niel said the deal in Ukraine aims to establish a "telecoms champion" in the country as he combines Lifecell and Datagroup-Volia into one entity Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia Singer Niel proved his potential as a solo artist with fascinating performances and deep vocals Niel first released the stage video of his 4th mini-album title song "SHE" and the track "What's the Excuse for Love?" on his official SNS Niel appeared on stage in sensual costumes and performed "What the hell is an excuse for love?" Performance using standing microphones it was replaced with a hand microphone to provide a deep sense of immersion by continuing a freer movement and stable vocals Niel showed conflicting charms by going back and forth between white and red styling on the stage of SHE Niel's unique dark tone combined with groovy rhythms more clearly imprinted his presence as a solo artist This pre-recorded stage is a free event prepared by Niel himself for fans who are disappointed that there is no music broadcast fans had an unforgettable time cheering on Niel's stage and doing various programs together who has continued his solo career with Teen Top has established his position as an actor by appearing in musicals "King Arthur," "The Time of Dogs and Cats," and "Dream High." He is currently playing the role of Jang Bo-go in the musical "6:00 Home from Work" and is well-received for his stable singing and expression Niel plans to meet with global fans through musicals and various online and offline activities starting with a Taiwan fan meeting in May after the release of his new song "SHE." ※ This service is provided by machine translation tool This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links I wait to meet Xavier Niel in a room that feels fitting for one of France’s richest men Gold-encrusted walls frame a boardroom table the size of a small swimming pool Niel is the original French internet mogul of the generation before founders wore T-shirts to the office His team wears suits; he arrives in a classic white shirt Niel might ooze establishment now but his fortune is rooted in Minitel Rose the “erotic chat” service he launched as a teenager is now one of Europe’s major mobile operators He’s also co-owner of French newspaper Le Monde meaning the case is likely to end up in court It is against this fraught backdrop that Niel joins the five-person ByteDance board where he’ll be the sole European representative able to vote on strategy alongside ByteDance cofounder Rubo Liang “We will continue to strengthen the diversity of skills and expertise within our board to safeguard the interests of the company and all shareholders,” was the only statement ByteDance would share on Niel’s appointment The billionaire is also a staunch believer in diverse algorithms before his ByteDance appointment was made public he was preoccupied with the type of techno-nationalism rife in Europe after two decades trailing American success “I don't want my kids relying on US algorithms.” If there’s going to be bias But we are completely different in our way of seeing the world.” If Europe wants to compete with Asia and the US on AI “If you want to create a search engine now from scratch because you were not there 25 years ago,” he says noting this window to compete on AI will also close “The idea of Kyutai is to produce an AI algorithm that is completely open science and open source,” says Niel. He uses the operating system Linux as an example of an open source tool with the kind of popularity Kyutai wants to replicate “Depending on the license we will attach to this thing everybody who will make a modification will have to publish it.” there are some things Niel is not so open about When I ask where Moshi gets all its training data from Partly the model was trained on an actress’ voice recorded in London But he alludes to other sources of training data “Maybe we are not completely respecting all the rules.” Niel is careful to direct credit for Moshi to the people actually building the models But he appears invigorated by his handful of visits to the 12-person Kyutai team in their “nice place in Paris” with their big whiteboard scrawled with math he doesn’t understand “You had fun with Moshi,” he prompts a member of his team the staffer giggles and plays me a recorded interaction on his phone “Isn’t Xavier Niel terrible at speaking English?” the staffer can be heard asking the AI but he’s trying his best.” (When I later ask Moshi “Who is Xavier Niel?” she replies: “Savio Vega is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler.”) Alongside Kyutai and his startup investments Niel has also been thinking about how to develop AI infrastructure in France His vision for the cloud provider he founded is for big European companies to be able to use a local cloud “instead of being customers of a US cloud.” He’s also been buying up the GPUs necessary to train AI models Although he’d love there to be European-made GPUs “I think we are the biggest private buyers of Nvidia GPUs in Europe,” Niel says Niel is driven by a desire to make sure France—and Europe—are not left behind in the AI age we will be the nicest place in the world for museums,” he says it’s still unclear how his new role at ByteDance fits with his mission to boost French AI just as it prepares to argue against a US ban in court certainly continues Niel’s history of disruption In your inbox: Get Plaintext—Steven Levy's long view on tech Federal judge allows DOGE to take over $500 million office building for free Big Story: The quantum apocalypse is coming Bluesky can’t take a joke Summer Lab: Explore the future of tech with WIRED It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking Chef Erik Niel came to Chattanooga to watch football 25 years ago and never left. That's a good thing. When the history of the city's 21st-century restaurant scene is written, Niel and his wife, Amanda, will have their own chapter. Copyright © 2025, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world ColumnistXavier Niel’s Not Ready to Throw in the Towel on AIThe French telecoms billionaire fights to keep Europe from being left behind Xavier Niel at the AI Action summit in Paris a fleet of nuclear-power stations and a state that isn’t shy about promoting its own industries his most powerful weapon on display at the Paris AI Action Summit was Xavier Niel a former hacker turned telecoms billionaire whose growing ecosystem of startups and cloud infrastructure is pushing hard to keep Europe in a race dominated by the US and Asia from a €3 billion ($3.1 billion) investment in AI infrastructure at Iliad to financing nonprofit AI lab Kyutai alongside Eric Schmidt and shipping mogul Rodolphe Saade "First of all, I would like to thank Graham Rossini for his support from day one of my time here," said Van Niel "His genuine passion for this department and program is unparalleled and having someone so invested in our success at the helm made my decision to sign this contract a very easy one Crow and the university is supporting not only volleyball but athletics as a whole makes it such an exciting time to be a part of Sun Devil Athletics It was a record-setting attendance season in 2024??We set program records for total attendance AND average attendance in the 2024 season! THANK YOU for the endless support, Sun Devil Nation! ??#ForksUp pic.twitter.com/OW8WIv1IDo Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information Try Going to JailXavier Niel doles out advice gleaned from a career spanning sex shops 2024 at 7:36 AM EDTBookmarkSaveThe 131-year-old Olympia in Paris has seen performances from the Beatles and Rolling Stones to Serge Gainsbourg and Edith Piaf But tech billionaires swathed in Louis Vuitton have so far been a rare sight Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Gianluca is a markets reporter based in Gdansk, where he covers equities and companies in France and the Benelux countries, with a keen focus on media, telecoms and fintech. Previously, he worked as a journalist in Italy, covering various beats ranging from international business and finance. , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Singer Niel of boy band Teen Top [EL&D ENTERTAINMENT] Cover of Oneus member Leedo's first solo single ″Sun goes down″ [RBW] Arizona State volleyball head coach JJ Van Niel signed a contract extension on April 2 Van Niel's first two seasons have brought volleyball from the middle of the conference to the national ranks Van Niel has gone 58-10 at ASU and became the fastest head coach in program history to reach 50 wins He has led the team to two NCAA Tournament appearances Van Niel's volleyball team brought ASU its first Big 12 title including football and men's and women's swim have since brought the conference title to Tempe "We are incredibly excited to have JJ Van Niel as our head coach both now and for the future," ASU athletics director Graham Rossini said in a statement "Not only has JJ proven himself to be one of the best in the nation with his remarkable on-court success but his commitment to excellence extends beyond athletics His team's achievements in the classroom and their visible dedication to giving back to the community further exemplify the values we strive for in this department and at ASU and winning record perfectly align with our mission and while his program has achieved incredible success over the past two seasons we are confident that the best is yet to come." including 2023 and 2024 AVCA Region Coach of the Year 2024 Big 12 Coach of the Year and 2023 Pac-12 Coach of the Year ASU averaged 3,379 people per game last season The total attendance of 50,685 people ranked 14th nationally Singer Niel caught the eye with his artistic solo performance Niel released a performance video of the title song 'SHE' from his fourth mini-album on his official YouTube Niel performed the choreography of "SHE" in a white look and a red suit full of decadence Visual productions such as lighting and mirrors were added leaving a deep impression on the nostalgic and dreamy atmosphere Niel captured the eyes of global fans with strong performances and delicate facial expressions the tightly woven composition and Niel's unique charm are combined to enhance the completeness of the video released a number of hit songs and received a lot of love Niel also established himself as an actor by playing in musicals "King Arthur," "The Time of Dogs and Cats," and "Dream High." He is currently appearing in the musical "6:00 Home from Work" and is receiving favorable reviews for his stable singing and stage manners Niel made a comeback as a solo artist with the release of his fourth mini-album "SHE" on the 22nd of last month and will meet with fans around the world through various online and offline activities Niel of boy band Teen Top [EL&D ENTERTAINMENT] PARIS — An unlikely feud between Elon Musk and French tech billionaire Xavier Niel escalated Monday evening when the Tesla CEO clapped back after being called a "dick." "This guy was sent to prison for being a literal pimp with a cadre of prostitutes," Musk wrote on X in response to a clip of Niel calling him "the world's greatest entrepreneur and Musk was likely referring to Niel's 2004 legal troubles, when he was placed under formal investigation and temporarily detained by police during a probe into "aggravated procurement" charges, as reported by several French outlets linked to his own part ownership of peep show venues at the time Niel was later cleared on those charges but received a suspended prison sentence for embezzling funds in some of his X-rated businesses He is more widely known as the founder of the low-cost mobile provider Free Niel appeared to take Musk's comment in jest The offer was rejected by founder Sam Altman The field of candidates hoping to succeed Emmanuel Macron is starting to take shape two years ahead of the next election Bruno Retailleau attended campaign events before traveling to the scene of the crime researchers to France were quickly criticized by members of the research community The French president said he has not considered the possibility of dissolving parliament again PARIS — French tech billionaire Xavier Niel didn't mince words when he was asked about Elon Musk during an interview Monday who made his fortune in telecommunications told broadcaster France 2 that he thinks Musk is "the world's greatest entrepreneur and I'm going to use a difficult word — maybe sometimes a dick [un connard] While lauding Musk's intelligence and business talent radical positions" and warned that he could be a danger as many take what he says literally During the interview, Niel also criticized the French government's planned corporate tax hike, which is aimed at reining in the country's massive budget deficit by bringing in around €8 billion, echoing similar concerns raised by fellow French billionaire Bernard Arnault — who is also his father-in-law — last month Niel said in a separate interview with France Inter on Monday that raising taxes "sends the wrong signal" to businesses looking to invest in France Niel stressed that the country had managed to create an attractive environment for investors in recent years but he warned that the tax hike put that legacy at risk In an interview ahead of the AI summit on Sunday, Macron hit back at billionaires and business leaders critical of the tax hikes and asked them to offer more concrete solutions rather than threatening to take their business elsewhere The European Commission chief and the French president are trying to woo American researchers with a new program called “Choose Europe for Science.” German lawmaker Nils Schmid argues there is no need to open the subject as the U.S has not said it would withdraw its nuclear umbrella “Before aiming for a free trade deal with the U.S. our first demand is that they withdraw their tariffs,” says French official The transatlantic trade war is increasing pressure on France to back a trade deal with South America’s Mercosur bloc Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times Latin America-focused operator group Millicom rejected Xavier Niel’s latest buyout offer stating that it is still being significantly undervalued and maintained shareholders should reject Niel’s bid.  Atlas Luxco, a subsidiary of Niel’s Atlas Investissement recently increased its offer from US$24 to US$25.75 per share valuing the operator at around US$4.4 billion Millicom said in a statement that the revised offers “continue to significantly undervalue” the company and recommended that shareholders do not accept any offers from Atlas It highlighted original points on valuation based on "trading multiples" of comparable companies Millicom noted it announced strong Q2 results after Atlas Investissement’s original bid Atlas Investissement currently holds 29% of shares in Millicom and is aiming to buy the remaining shares with its latest offer by August 16 Will combine the two into one entity as part of plans to create "telco champion" A consortium led by Xavier Niel's investment firm has completed the double acquisition of Lifecell and Datagroup-Volia in Ukraine from Turkish carrier Turkcell for $524.3 million The deal, which was first announced in January is part of Niel's aims to establish a "telecoms champion" in the country The consortium also includes US private equity firm Horizon Capital Datagroup-Volia is one of Ukraine's biggest fixed telecom and pay TV providers while Lifecell is the country's third biggest mobile operator the two companies have around 14 million customers the founder of French telecoms company Iliad Group acknowledged the potential of the Ukrainian telecoms market despite the country's ongoing war with Russia "The closing of this landmark transaction will serve as a signal to others that Ukraine offers compelling opportunities and that the time to invest is now," Niel said it was confirmed that the new entity is looking to secure a $435m loan via a joint financing package provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) The loan will be used to invest in the company's network and expansion of fixed and mobile infrastructure in Ukraine added: “Closing this deal now paves the way for the merger of Datagroup-Volia and Lifecell to create a new champion in Ukraine’s telecom sector combining two stellar assets with vast synergy potential The expansion of the triple-play offering is expected to result in clear tangible benefits for consumers in terms of convenience Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia ColumnistA French Billionaire's Plea in a Nepo-Baby WorldTelecoms tycoon Xavier Niel is right to fret about the decline of the self-made fortune.  founder of French broadband internet provider Iliad SA founder and main shareholder of the Iliad Group parent company of Internet service provider Free and cell phone operator Free Mobile held a wide-ranging discussion with École Polytechnique’s students on the theme of entrepreneurship in digital technology and artificial intelligence.  He underlined France's success in AI and the role played by École Polytechnique and its graduates in it advocating digital entrepreneurship in France and citing as an example the French nugget Mistral AI co-founded in February 2023 by Arthur Mensch and Guillaume Lample (both X2011) which has just unveiled the new features of its conversational agent Le Chat Calling Xavier Niel's career as a tech entrepreneur said in her welcoming remarks: “You couldn't remain indifferent to the AI surge (...) you are defending the need for France and Europe to master the design and training of our own models to ensure our digital sovereignty.” the issue of sovereignty is particularly close to our hearts,” she added referring to École Polytechnique's links with the Ministry of the Armed Forces.  “France is in the world's Top 4 in AI and certainly at the forefront in Europe,” said Xavier Niel “When people ask me why France is ahead in AI not a laboratory that works in the world [in the field of AI] without a French guy being there who had already come to exchange views with École Polytechnique’s students in 2014 praised the progress made in entrepreneurial culture over the past 10 years at the School advocating the establishment of digital and AI start-ups in France Creating a start-up in France means evolving in a welcoming system in which you're going to find talents who are going to be paid less than in the United States who aren't going to fail you every six months and who are going to help you develop and progress over time you're an incredible School on this subject of AI Training on these AI topics is incredibly important ask yourself what you are capable of giving back to the society that enabled you to emerge what you are capable of doing to ensure that France continues to exist as an important country in AI and other areas”.  Laura Chaubard also spoke of Xavier Neil's strong involvement in digital training the European School for Internet Professions the data-focused Albert School of Business “You aspire to open the doors of innovation and digital to a wide diversity of talents,” noted Laura Chaubard adding some of École Polytechnique’s graduates find favor in your eyes as you came accompanied by Aude Durand (X2012) who you recently appointed as deputy CEO of Iliad Group.” A graduate of École Polytechnique and Stanford joined the Iliad group in March 2024 to become number 2 to Iliad CEO Thomas Reynaud A committee representing the board of Latin America-focused operator Millicom unanimously recommended shareholders reject Xavier Niel’s Atlas Investissement buyout offer of more than $4 billion It stated in a regulatory filing on July 15 that the offer of $24 per share significantly undervalued the operator group and it’s not in the best interest of shareholders It explained that Atlas Investissement’s bid did not take into account the group’s long-term growth plan and financial targets The company detailed ambitions to generate equity free cash flow of $659 million Millicom also added the bid was “well below trading multiples for comparable listed companies” Atlas Investissement relaunched its bid to acquire more shares in Millicom at the beginning of July. It currently has a 29% stake in Millicom Some billionaires dream of spending their fortunes on yachts or private islands The French telecommunications and technology mogul hopes to become the next mayor of Paris, he revealed in a new memoir “It would put me in contact with the French,” Niel, who has a net worth of around €10 billion, told radio station FranceInter on Tuesday which was written with former deputy mayor of Paris Jean-Louis Missika and billed by publisher Flammarion as a “conversation between friends” — the billionaire said being mayor would be “great.” Niel made his name — and fortune — in the telecoms world launching France’s first internet provider in 1993 who was born in the Parisian suburb of Maisons-Alfort went on to found the French telecommunications company Iliad one of the biggest French internet providers He is also a major investor in French media: a co-owner of Le Monde, the French daily newspaper, and an investor in Telegram was arrested in Paris at the end of August he also joined the board of the Chinese group ByteDance a public works project meant to better connect the French capital to the regions on its outskirts “I’m not sure I’ll be able to do better than the others but I’d love to use my money to help my city the businessman who became mayor of New York The next mayoral race for the French capital is scheduled for 2026. Current mayor Anne Hidalgo is likely to face off against Culture Minister Rachida Dati it appears Niel is philosophical about the reality of his chances describing the idea as “a dream that I can cherish.” someone of a younger generation would probably be a better fit he said in the book: “We will need a young “Excellent result,” cheers former Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the conflict have proved fruitless so far An uptick in gang violence has seen more than a dozen shootings so far this year Russia has yet to prove it wants to end the war More and more are we seeing idols go beyond the parameters of their occupation to set up and lead their own company Whether it be to foster a sense of independence K-pop idols have used the CEO card and founded their own companies to serve as a vehicle for what they see themselves doing next The group had its success during their heyday but NIEL felt that there was something more out there for him.  2025 would prove another major shift for the veteran artist with the establishment of his one-man agency “It was a distant dream of mine to achieve full independence but I’m the kind of person who has to do what I want to feel satisfied,” he tells NYLON Manila “And right now is the earliest moment of the future ahead so I decided to start now so that I don’t have any regrets later.” NIEL felt that there were still parts of his artistry that he wanted to explore And with the recent release of his 4th solo mini album he does exactly that as his first creative project since establishing his own company “[SHE] is an album that expresses the emotions of heartbreak and love throughout the tracklist the tender feelings… I tried to put together the album so that the listener can feel a variety of emotions.” SHE embraces the textures of neo-soul and groove pop for a body of work that explores the complexities of love and also serves as a bit of a reinvention for an artist who has been in K-pop since its early-ish days “The album represents a new side of NIEL that you haven’t seen before,” the veteran idol states.  NIEL doesn’t rest on his laurels when it comes to evolving as an artist this is just the start of his continuous evolution as he further steps into his own with depth “I feel like I’m furiously kicking at the shell so I can break free of the egg and finally emerge I think this album will help me finally break free of one layer of that shell and I’m sure there are many more layers within myself to break free of but I think I’ve taken the very first step in that journey!”  Read our full interview with NIEL below as he opens up about his latest career move the main vocalist of K-pop group TEEN TOP and also a solo artist I’m also performing in a number of musicals in Korea My fourth mini album [SHE] was released on April 22nd It was a distant dream of mine to achieve full independence but I’m the kind of person who has to do what I want to feel satisfied haha And right now is the earliest moment of the future ahead so I decided to start now so that I don’t have any regrets later And I was also motivated by my desire to freely explore the kind of music that I wanted to do right now is the earliest moment of the days ahead I mustered up the courage to start the company what is the story or concept you’re hoping to tell with it?[SHE] is an album that expresses the emotions of heartbreak and love throughout the tracklist the tender feelings… I tried to put together the album so that the listener can feel a variety of emotions with two colors– red to represent direct love and white to convey the emptiness after heartbreak The album represents a new side of NIEL that you haven’t seen before I tried hard so that I wouldn’t miss anything on either side As exhausting as the preparation process was I think I feel even fonder of this album because of those challenges (laughs) that would make these the happiest days of my career I feel like I’m furiously kicking at the shell but I think I’ve taken the very first step in that journey did you imagine that your life would lead you to where you are now?Not at all thankfully I was so busy with group activities and did not have a free moment to think about the future haha I did have the vague thought that I want to be in the music industry for a long time I’m just so thankful for my fans who have spent such a long time with me Thanks to the great love and support that they always show for my music I’m able to keep going without getting burnt out I try my best every day so that I can repay their love with good music Thank you so much for saying so 🙂 I think K-pop right now is making such wonderful strides I don’t even feel qualified to weigh in on it There are so many innovative and unique concepts and diverse songs compared to before and the genre is solidifying its place in the global stage I’m inspired to create more diverse and free music and concepts If you could travel back in time and talk to a young NIEL who was about to debut in TEEN TOP I did my best with everything that was placed in front of me The young NIEL did so well that I don’t think there’s any special advice I have for him I hope the same for my younger self and my present self– that I will always give my best to the present but I hope my fans who have waited for me will love [SHE] and I hope the general audience will think ‘Oh If I had to think of a specific goal… I want to go on a solo world tour so I can meet more N-LISS out there I’ll do my best so I can achieve this goal Continue Reading: EXO’s SUHO Is Right At Home: “I try to approach life with resilience” Atlas Luxco the investment vehicle of billionaire Xavier Niel raised its offer to acquire Latin America-focused operator group Millicom to US$4.4 billion Atlas Luxco detailed that it increased its offer from US$24 per share by 7.3% to US$25.75 The company made the offer to push the deal through and keep on schedule for the potential acquisition Atlas argued the offer is the highest share price Millicom had ever reached on the market in the last two years until May 22 this year when speculation around the acquisition arose Atlas is Millicom’s largest shareholder with a stake of 29% a stockpile it had been building since 2022 Last month the Millicom board urged shareholders to reject Atlas’ last offer of US$24 per share which equated to around US$4 billion. Atlas began its takeover plans at the beginning of July The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and International Finance Corporation (IFC) signed-off a total of $435 million in long-term debt for Xavier Niel’s recently-created converged operator in Ukraine. Each finance organisation will contribute half of the sum, with guarantees for a proportion of the loan amount covered by the European Union and French Government. EBRD noted the funds would aid the operator in “enhancing the resilience of the phone network and improving digital connectivity across Ukraine”. The bank noted with the new access to the finance, the operator would be able to “deliver improved mobile connectivity to 10 million subscribers and provide faster and more reliable fixed broadband access to around 4 million homes”. It also backed the operator to bolster cybersecurity defences and “introduce more competitive products and services”. EBRD estimated there had been $1.9 billion-worth of direct damage suffered by Ukraine’s telecoms sector since the start of conflict with Russia in 2022. IFC MD Makhtar Diop described the financing as “the largest foreign direct investment by a major strategic investor since Russia’s invasion”, adding “it sends a strong message to global investors about the resilience and significant potential of Ukraine’s economy”. Niel, who owns NJJ Holding and European operator Iliad Group, said the agreements were a “significant milestone”, noting “without their support, the completion of our major investment in Ukraine’s telecoms sector would not have been possible”. “Our long-term financial partnership with the EBRD and IFC underscores our shared commitment to Ukraine’s economic growth and highlights the country’s promising investment potential.” capitalizing on growing demand for computing power amid an artificial intelligence boom InfraVia is in exclusive talks to take a 50% stake in OpCore for a total enterprise value of €860 million ($904 million) The two companies plan to invest €2.5 billion over the next decade to expand the business in Europe including through raising debt and mergers and acquisitions Iliad Chief Executive Officer Thomas Reynaud said in an interview Orts second and Vandeputte third in Armistice Day race which was the Armistice Day public holiday in Belgium.  Sweeck went solo on lap one to secure the victory well clear of the battle for the remaining podium places which played out on the final lap of eight as heavy rain fell on the latter stages of the hour-long race He crossed the line with an eight-second advantage over his rivals as Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Spanish champion Felipe Orts (Ridley Racing) caught Eli Iserbyt (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) to battle for second and third place on lap eight former European champion Iserbyt was left behind on the second half of the closing lap as Orts pushed on at the front to drop Vandeputte Orts scored the best Superprestige result of his career in second place while Vandeputte rounded out the podium at 16 seconds. Iserbyt finished fourth at 27 seconds and Lars van der Haar (Baloise Trek Lions) was the final man home within a minute of Sweeck at 48 seconds I didn't start doubting when it started raining but you do start to get tired and then it becomes treacherous It was good that it was only in the last lap I didn't expect to be in the lead here from start to finish It's difficult to ride in a group on this course Sweeck hit the front of the race from the very start much like women’s race winner Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado He was pursued by a select group of top riders including Vanderputte Vandeputte attempted to go solo in the chase with Iserbyt also coming across to form a two-man chase Sweeck enjoyed a 20-second gap and was seemingly on course for a comfortable win leaving Vandeputte behind to venture off in pursuit on his own bringing the gap down to 15 seconds as the riders started lap seven of eight Both Sweeck and the men behind Iserbyt kept up the battle as the leader continued into the final lap 15 seconds up Vandeputte and Orts managed to make it back across to set up a three-man fight for second place Sweeck’s advantage waned as the battle raged behind him though his lead did fall under 10 seconds as Orts pushed the pace to drop his rivals and claim his best top-level result of the season.  dropped away in the latter stages of the race leaving Vandeputte to claim the final spot on the podium who was previously tied at the top of the Superprestige standings now holds a solo lead at the top of the table with 39 points Van der Haar is second at 36 points ahead of Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal) on 33 Results powered by FirstCycling Dani has reported from the world's top races She has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars and her favourite races are the Giro d'Italia Niel traces his automotive roots to a dad and grandfather who were car guys After a childhood spent reading his dad's Car and Driver magazines Niel started working on family cars in the driveway through high school and into college It led to a degree in mechanical engineering and then to an early career in vehicle dynamics at Ford These days that lifelong car enthusiasm has translated to a career writing about just about any vehicle under the sun Niel has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New Hampshire SlashGear's content hails from a group of experienced technology and automotive editors and a wide-ranging team of writers and experts across consumer tech and transportation Our goal is to provide up-to-the-minute breaking news coverage as well as original and engaging opinion and editorial content that serves as the ultimate resource for those who want to stay up to date on the latest and greatest the industry has to offer Our editors, advisors, and fact-checkers conduct regular reviews to ensure the accuracy, timeliness, and completeness of our articles. Complete information on our editorial process available here Most people would choose their car's engine for its horspower or torque and Lincoln have charged a pretty penny for some flimsy-looking trucks it costs a lot of money to look this cheap Lexus cars are full of useful features and Easter eggs that enhance your driving experience with neutral tones taking over the paint world Which colors are the most and least popular in the United States The 911 is perhaps Porsche's best known model but that popularity has meant that many exclusive variants have popped up over the years Picking up a car mat for your vehicle might seem like a straightforward project but there's plenty of variance between the best known brands to consider The Cannonball Run is an unsanctioned race across America that has existed in one form or another since the 1930s Error 404: Page Not FoundWe're sorry, the page you’re looking for doesn't existWatch these videos instead IPL V PSL: Ricky Ponting Blames PSL for Punjab's Woes | First Sports With Rupha Ramani | N18G India's Crackdown On Pak Continues, Bans Nadeem's Instagram | First Sports With Rupha Ramani | N18G United Accused Of Re-Selling Tickets For Shocking Rates | First Sports With Rupha Ramani | N18G Terrorism Surges in Nigeria; Boko Haram, ISWAP Regain Strength | Firstpost Africa | N18G Somalia Bans Entry of Taiwanese Citizens To Please China: Taipei | Firstpost Africa | N18G Kenya Faces Alarming Need For Antivenom Amid Surge In Snake Bite Cases | Firstpost Africa | N18G Kenya Battles Snakebite Rampage | Firstpost Africa | N18G Trump Claims India & Pakistan Fought Over Kashmir for 1,500 Years | Vantage with Palki Sharma | N18G A consortium led by Xavier Niel’s NJJ Holding completed a deal to buy Ukraine’s Lifecell from Turkcell for $524 million, which it will now combine with fixed-line provider Datagroup-Volia which also includes US private equity company Horizon Capital and Datagroup-Volia’s CEO Mykhaylo Shelemba stated it will now move ahead with creating a converged telecom business with 10 million mobile subscribers and more than four million households covered by fixed-line “This historic transaction marks the first major investment by a new market entrant and major strategic investor since the full-fledged invasion,” read a statement referring to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia Shelemba has been appointed CEO of the new business while Datagroup-Volia’s executive chairman will assume the role of non-executive chairman of the supervisory board Niel commented: “I am pleased to announce the completion of this landmark French investment in Ukraine’s telecom sector which we believe will provide significant and tangible benefits to customers “The closing of this landmark transaction will serve as a signal to others that Ukraine offers compelling opportunities Marion Norbert Riberolle third at Jaarmarktcross taking the lead on the first of five laps and staying away all the way to the finish.  Despite losing out to Dutch champion Lucinda Brand (Baloise Trek Lions) in Sunday's Rapencross Alvarado easily managed to pull away in the opening phases with no response from her rivals.  Alvarado managed to eke out a nine-second gap to Brand at the end of the opening lap to 21 seconds by the finish after a brief 42 minutes of racing Brand held onto second place after an intense battle with Sara Casasola (Crelan-Correndon) the Italian champion lost out on the final podium spot after teammate Marion Norbert Riberolle worked her way past on the final lap with a last-gasp sprint to the line It was a practically flawless performance from the former world champion Alvarado an awful lot of running and five reps up the tough climb of the Muur van Niel better than those behind Her third win in a row in Niel moved her up to equal first in the Superprestige overall standings on 42 points with Casasola five points off them in third and world champion Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease a Bike) further down on 28 points.  Results powered by FirstCycling during which time he also wrote for Eurosport Prior to joining the team he reported on races such as Paris-Roubaix and the Giro d’Italia Donne for Eurosport and has interviewed some of the sport’s top riders in Chloé Dygert he spends the majority of his time watching other sports – rugby building his own home with his father-in-law and gifting beautiful woodwork to friends and family He truly enjoyed nature and camping with the family.  Condolences may be sent to the family at www.woodfuneralhome.com Staker Floral is the main floral shop for the services. https://stakerfloral.com/ The Sunday TimesThe US hedge fund Davidson Kempner last month completed its exit from Eir the country’s largest telecommunications company Filings show that Davidson Kempner sold its 8.9 per cent stake back to ultimate holding company Carraun Telecom in three tranches NJJ Boru, an investment company controlled by the French billionaire Xavier Niel and his telecoms company Iliad, now controls the telecoms group alongside Anchorage Capital, another US private equity firm. NJJ Boru controls well over 70 per cent. Anchorage and Davidson Kempner built up a 56 per cent stake in Eir after the telco’s exit from examinership in 2012DERICK HUDSON/GETTY IMAGESAccording to the filings, the Davidson Kempner shares are being bought back and will be cancelled.In an interview with The Irish Times last year, Niel indicated that the company had