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Chinese PHD Student Who Raped 10 Women Jailed for 24 Years

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Undated handout graphic issued by the Metropolitan Police of an appeal for more victims of Zhenhao Zou to come forward. Chinese PhD student Zhenhao Zou, 28, has been found guilty at Inner London Crown Court of drugging and raping 10 women in London and China between 2019 and 2023. Issue date: Wednesday March 5, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story COURTS Zou. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

LONDON (BN24) — A Chinese PhD student described by police as “one of the most prolific predators” in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 24 years for a systematic campaign of sexual violence spanning multiple countries.

Undated handout graphic issued by the Metropolitan Police of an appeal for more victims of Zhenhao Zou to come forward. Chinese PhD student Zhenhao Zou, 28, has been found guilty at Inner London Crown Court of drugging and raping 10 women in London and China between 2019 and 2023. Issue date: Wednesday March 5, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story COURTS Zou. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Zhenhao Zou, a Chinese national pursuing doctoral studies, was convicted of drugging and raping 10 women across London and China between September 2019 and May 2023. The Inner London Crown Court heard evidence of calculated attacks that prosecutors characterized as part of an elaborate pattern of predatory behavior.

Judge Rosina Cottage KC delivered the sentence following testimony that revealed Zou’s methodical approach to targeting victims. The court learned that three women were assaulted in London, while seven additional victims were attacked in China during the nearly four-year period of offending.

“You appear to the world to be a very well-to-do man. You are also a sexual predator,” Judge Cottage told Zou during sentencing proceedings. She described the defendant as a “very bright young man” who employed a manipulative “charming mask” to conceal his true nature as a sexual predator.

The judge emphasized that Zou had “planned and executed a campaign of rape,” treating his victims “callously” and regarding them as “sex toys” for his personal gratification. The attacks have resulted in “devastating and long-term effects” for the survivors, according to court testimony.

Prosecutors established that only three of the 10 identified victims have been located, raising concerns among Metropolitan Police detectives about the potential scope of Zou’s criminal activity. Investigators believe the defendant may have targeted dozens of additional women during his time in the United Kingdom and China.

Since the conclusion of the trial, 24 women have contacted authorities following public appeals for potential victims to come forward. Metropolitan Police have urged anyone who believes they may have been targeted by Zou to reach out to investigators as the investigation continues.

Judge Cottage’s sentencing remarks highlighted Zou’s psychological profile, noting his “sexual interest” in “asserting power and control over women.” She characterized the victims as “pieces in an elaborate game” orchestrated by a defendant who demonstrated “no understanding of the meaning of consent.”

The case has drawn attention to the vulnerability of women in academic and social settings where predators can exploit positions of trust and respectability. Zou’s status as a PhD student provided him with social credibility that prosecutors argued he systematically abused to gain access to victims.

Court proceedings revealed that Zou employed drugs to incapacitate his victims before carrying out sexual assaults, a method that prosecutors described as part of his calculated approach to avoiding detection and resistance from targets.

The international nature of Zou’s crimes has complicated the investigation, with authorities coordinating between British and Chinese law enforcement agencies to gather evidence and identify victims across multiple jurisdictions.

Metropolitan Police investigators have praised the courage of survivors who came forward to testify against Zou, noting that their testimony was crucial in establishing the pattern of predatory behavior that led to the life sentence.

The case represents one of the most significant prosecutions of serial sexual violence in recent UK court proceedings, with the 24-year minimum sentence reflecting the severity and systematic nature of the defendant’s criminal conduct.

Victim support organizations have emphasized the importance of the conviction in demonstrating that predatory behavior will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, regardless of the perpetrator’s educational background or social standing.

The Metropolitan Police continue investigating potential additional victims and have established dedicated contact channels for anyone who believes they may have information relevant to the ongoing inquiry into Zou’s activities during his time in the United Kingdom.

Trump Sets Two-Week Deadline for Iran Military Decision

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WASHINGTON (BN24) — President Donald Trump has established a two-week timeline to determine whether the United States will launch military strikes against Iran, the White House announced Thursday amid escalating tensions over Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered the president’s statement to reporters, outlining the administration’s assessment that Iran possesses the necessary components to produce a nuclear weapon and could complete construction within weeks of a decision by the country’s supreme leader.

“Based on the fact that there is a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place in the near future, I will make my decision of whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” Leavitt said, reading directly from Trump’s statement.

The announcement comes as intelligence assessments indicate Iran has reached a critical threshold in its nuclear development program. According to the White House, Iran requires only a directive from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to begin final production of nuclear weapons capability.

“Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon,” Leavitt emphasized during the briefing. “All they need is a decision from the supreme leader to do that, and it would take a couple of weeks to complete the production of that weapon, which would of course pose an existential threat not just to Israel, but to the United States and to the entire world.”

The president’s deliberations, conducted in consultation with the National Security Council, weigh diplomatic alternatives against potential military intervention. According to recent intelligence assessments, the United States maintains the exclusive military capacity among world powers to effectively destroy Iran’s nuclear infrastructure through targeted strikes.

While Trump reportedly prefers pursuing diplomatic channels, administration officials acknowledge the narrow window for peaceful resolution given Iran’s advanced nuclear timeline. The president has convened multiple emergency sessions in the White House Situation Room following his early departure from the Group of Seven conference.

The Iran crisis has exposed divisions within Trump’s political coalition, creating tension between isolationist supporters who oppose foreign military interventions and national security hawks who have advocated for aggressive action against Iran’s nuclear ambitions for years.

Leavitt referenced Trump’s longstanding position on preventing Iranian nuclear weapons development, citing statements the president made more than a decade ago regarding the necessity of American intervention to halt Iran’s nuclear program.

“The president has made it clear he always wants to pursue diplomacy, but believe me, the president is unafraid to use strength as necessary,” Leavitt stated. “And Iran and the entire world should know that the United States military is the strongest and most lethal fighting force in the world, and we have capabilities that no other country on this planet possesses.”

The White House announcement follows a week of intensified military exchanges between Iran and Israel, with both nations launching rocket attacks across regional boundaries. The escalating conflict has prompted urgent diplomatic communications between Washington and Middle Eastern allies regarding potential American military involvement.

Administration officials declined to specify whether regime change in Iran remains an objective, avoiding direct response to questions about broader strategic goals beyond preventing nuclear weapons acquisition. The regime change question has historically divided Republican foreign policy advocates, with senators like Lindsey Graham supporting government overthrow while Trump’s isolationist base opposes such expansive military commitments.

Intelligence communities across allied nations continue monitoring Iran’s nuclear facilities for signs of weaponization activities, with satellite imagery and human intelligence sources providing real-time assessments of production timelines.

The two-week deadline represents one of the most significant foreign policy decisions facing the Trump administration, with potential implications for regional stability, global energy markets, and America’s relationships with Middle Eastern allies and adversaries.

Congressional leadership from both parties have requested classified briefings on Iran’s nuclear status and potential military options, though the White House has not indicated whether legislative consultation will influence the president’s final determination.

FCCPC Shuts Down France, Belgium, Italy Visa Centres in Abuja, Nigeria, Over Consumer Complaint, Obstruction

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ABUJA, Nigeria(BN24) — Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed off visa centres for France, Belgium, and Italy in Abuja, accusing the management of obstructing a lawful investigation and ignoring official summons related to a consumer complaint.

The enforcement action was carried out Thursday at the TLS Contact-operated facility inside Mukhtar El-Yakub House in the Central Business District, with the support of officers from the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Tensions ran high as staff members of the centre resisted the operation, prompting a heavy security presence.

FCCPC Director of Surveillance and Investigations, Boladale Adeyinka, said the visa centres were sealed after they failed to acknowledge a formal letter from the Commission regarding a consumer complaint lodged against their services. Adeyinka noted that the centres also obstructed investigation efforts and engaged in conduct suspected to be harmful to consumer welfare.

“This is an enforcement operation against TLS,” Adeyinka told reporters at the scene. “They provide visa support services for Nigerian consumers. On March 25, 2025, we served them a letter requesting resolution of a consumer complaint. Instead of cooperating, TLS staff assaulted our officers performing their lawful duties.”

The situation escalated further on June 17, when, according to the FCCPC, TLS staff again assaulted Commission personnel — as well as uniformed police officers — who were present to ensure the security of the operation.

Adeyinka cited Section 33 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA), which makes it an offence to refuse a lawful summons from the Commission. Violators may face up to three years in prison, a ₦20 million fine, or both.

The FCCPC has summoned the company’s representatives to appear before the Commission on June 20 to make depositions and provide evidence concerning the obstruction and non-compliance.

“The company will also be held accountable for any losses or inconvenience suffered by visa applicants as a result of this enforcement,” Adeyinka added.

Despite repeated requests for comment, TLS Contact, which operates the centres and is a subsidiary of the multinational Teleperformance Group, has yet to issue a public response.

The shutdown is expected to significantly disrupt visa processing for Nigerian applicants to France, Belgium, and Italy — countries that rely heavily on TLS for consular outsourcing.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the enforcement marks a high-profile test of the FCCPC’s commitment to consumer protection in sensitive service sectors such as immigration and travel.

Kylian Mbappé Hospitalized With Gastroenteritis During Club World Cup Campaign

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MIAMI (BN24) — Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has been hospitalized with an acute case of gastroenteritis, casting doubt over his continued participation in the Club World Cup in the United States, the club announced Thursday. The French international was absent from Real Madrid’s tournament opener against Saudi club Al Hilal on Wednesday, where the Spanish giants were held to a surprising 1-1 draw at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Mbappé had reportedly been suffering from a high fever and was unable to travel with the team for their opening match. Real Madrid confirmed that he would undergo medical tests and begin an appropriate treatment plan. Coach Xabi Alonso had initially expressed optimism that the World Cup-winning striker might be ready for Sunday’s match against Mexico’s Pachuca, but his hospitalization has cast serious doubt on his availability.

The absence of one of the sport’s biggest stars has dealt a blow to FIFA’s ambitions for the newly expanded Club World Cup. President Gianni Infantino has positioned the monthlong tournament as a marquee global event, aiming to rival the prestige of the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League. With Lionel Messi not participating, Mbappé is widely regarded as the tournament’s standout attraction, and his unavailability diminishes the tournament’s star power.

A crowd of more than 62,000 had filled the stadium on Wednesday, many hoping for a rare opportunity to see Mbappé play live in the United States. Instead, they witnessed Real Madrid stumble without their talisman, managing only a draw against the underdog Saudi side.

Gastroenteritis, often referred to as stomach flu, is typically caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and recovery times vary depending on severity. While not generally serious, the illness can significantly weaken even elite athletes, particularly in a condensed and physically demanding tournament setting.

Mbappé’s health setback comes almost exactly one year after he suffered a broken nose during the European Championship, an injury that forced him to wear a protective face mask throughout the remainder of that competition.

Real Madrid remains among the favorites to win the Club World Cup, but Mbappé’s uncertain status raises questions about the team’s attacking potency in upcoming matches.

Light Plane Crashes Near Boston, Killing One and Critically Injuring Another as Federal Investigation Begins

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BEVERLY, Mass. (BN24) — A small aircraft crashed near Boston on Thursday morning, leaving one man dead and another in critical condition, prompting a federal investigation into what may have caused the sudden failure. The Mooney M20 plane went down shortly before 9 a.m. in an industrial area along Sam Fonzo Drive, just outside Beverly Regional Airport.

Authorities confirmed that two people were aboard the fixed-wing aircraft when it crashed. One occupant was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other was airlifted to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Officials have not yet released the identities of the pilot or the passenger. No injuries were reported on the ground.

The plane’s fuselage was left mangled and upright against a utility pole, surrounded by emergency responders from Beverly police and fire departments. The crash did not result in any fires, though significant structural damage to the aircraft was visible from the street.

Witnesses reported seeing a puff of smoke just moments before the aircraft descended rapidly, suggesting a possible mechanical or engine failure. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are on-site to document the scene and begin analyzing potential causes. The aircraft will be transported to a secure facility for further examination. A preliminary report is expected within two weeks, according to the NTSB.

Police Chief John LeLacheur noted that due to the Juneteenth holiday, fewer businesses were open near the crash site, reducing the risk of additional casualties. Authorities plan to review surveillance footage from nearby establishments once they reopen to assist in the investigation.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the plane had departed from Beverly and was en route to Ticonderoga Municipal Airport in upstate New York, located roughly 100 miles north of Albany.

Beverly, a coastal suburb north of Boston with a population of more than 42,000, was shaken by the rare incident. The crash marks a somber start to the holiday, as federal authorities work to determine what caused the Mooney M20’s fatal descent just after takeoff.

SpaceX Starship Rocket Explodes in Fiery Test Failure, Dealing Blow to Elon Musk’s Mars Mission

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Flames rise as a SpaceX rocket explodes in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., June 18, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. TheRocketFuture via X/via REUTERS

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (BN24) — SpaceX’s ambitions to send humans to Mars suffered another major setback late Wednesday when its massive Starship rocket exploded in a fiery blast during a routine test at the company’s Starbase facility in southern Texas.

Flames rise as a SpaceX rocket explodes in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., June 18, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. TheRocketFuture via X/via REUTERS

The explosion occurred at approximately 11 p.m. local time while the next-generation rocket stood on a test stand undergoing preparations for its upcoming tenth flight, according to a post from SpaceX on X, the social media platform owned by company founder Elon Musk. The spacecraft was not in flight at the time of the incident.

While no injuries were reported and all personnel were confirmed safe, the test ended in a dramatic fireball that lit up the night sky and sent debris scattering across the launch facility. SpaceX engineers have launched an internal investigation into what they described as a “major anomaly” during testing.

In a follow-up post, Musk pointed to a possible failure involving a nitrogen gas storage unit known as a Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel, or COPV, located within the Starship’s payload bay. “Preliminary data suggests that a nitrogen COPV in the payload bay failed below its proof pressure,” Musk wrote. “If further investigation confirms that this is what happened, it is the first time ever for this design.”

Video captured by local observers showed at least two successive explosions erupting from the spacecraft, igniting a bright fireball that briefly turned night into day and startled onlookers nearby. The dramatic visuals underscore the persistent challenges SpaceX faces as it continues to push forward with the development of what is expected to become the world’s most powerful space vehicle.

Designed as a fully reusable spacecraft intended for long-distance missions, including interplanetary travel to Mars, Starship is central to Musk’s vision of making humanity a multi-planetary species. However, the ambitious program has encountered repeated delays and explosive failures since its first prototypes were rolled out.

The recent test was meant to be one of the final rehearsals before SpaceX attempts another integrated flight, combining Starship with its Super Heavy booster for a full-scale orbital test. That flight, like the previous nine attempts, is essential to validating the complex systems required to support future deep-space missions.

SpaceX said it is working closely with local, state, and federal agencies to assess the environmental and safety impacts of the explosion. Meanwhile, aerospace analysts say the latest failure is a reminder of the high-risk, high-reward nature of rocket development — especially one as large and technologically ambitious as Starship.

Despite the setback, Musk remains publicly optimistic about the program’s long-term viability. But with each failed test comes increased scrutiny over SpaceX’s timeline for reaching Mars, a goal Musk has repeatedly said he hopes to achieve within the next decade.

For now, the explosion at Starbase has grounded the Starship program once again, as engineers pore over data to identify the exact cause of the failure and determine when — or if — the next test can proceed.

Russia Agrees to Return Five Ukrainian Children Separated by War, Amid Ongoing Disputes Over Abductions

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MOSCOW — (BN24) Russia will return five Ukrainian children separated from their families since the start of the war, according to an announcement Thursday from Kremlin officials, marking a small but highly symbolic move in the bitter dispute over child abductions during the conflict.

Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, said the children would be reunited with their relatives in Ukraine by the end of the month. Her comments came during a press briefing on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

The five children are part of a list of 339 that Ukrainian negotiators submitted to Russia earlier this month during peace talks in Istanbul — discussions that ultimately failed to yield a breakthrough toward ending the war, now in its third year.

Responding to questions from Russian media, Lvova-Belova explained that the delay in returning the children was due to the academic calendar. “They are finishing the school year, and after that they will return to their relatives in Ukraine,” she said.

She did not provide any update on the status of the remaining children on Ukraine’s list, nor did she clarify whether further reunifications were being scheduled.

Lvova-Belova also noted that Russia is compiling its own list of children it believes are of Russian origin and currently located in Ukraine or elsewhere in Europe. According to her, eight children have been identified in European Union countries after being evacuated from Ukraine, and negotiations are underway for their return. An additional ten Russian children are believed to be inside Ukraine.

“We also have children in Ukraine who require reunification with Russian families,” she said, emphasizing that Moscow intends to present its own demands during future negotiations, although no timeline for another round of talks has been confirmed.

Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of abducting thousands of children from occupied territories since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Kyiv insists many of the children were forcibly removed and placed with Russian families or in state-run institutions, often under efforts to erase their Ukrainian identities.

In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, charging them with war crimes related to the unlawful transfer and deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia. The Kremlin has rejected the charges, maintaining that the children were relocated from active combat zones for their safety.

Despite international condemnation and legal pressure, Russia has continued to deflect accusations of wrongdoing, framing its actions as humanitarian. The return of five children represents only a fraction of those Ukraine is demanding back, and officials in Kyiv have warned that any progress must be measured against the broader context of what they describe as systematic child abductions carried out by the Russian state.

As the war grinds on with no resolution in sight, the fate of hundreds of Ukrainian children remains a deeply emotional and politically charged issue — one that is likely to linger at the center of any future reconciliation or accountability efforts between the two nations.

Nicaraguan Opposition Figure Roberto Samcam Assassinated at Home in Costa Rica

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SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (BN24) — Roberto Samcam, a retired Nicaraguan army major who became one of President Daniel Ortega’s most outspoken opponents, was shot to death at his home Thursday morning in Costa Rica, where he had lived in exile since fleeing political persecution in 2018.

Authorities in Costa Rica said an unidentified man entered Samcam’s gated residential complex northeast of San Jose shortly after 7:30 a.m. and went directly to his home. Without speaking, the assailant opened fire with a 9mm pistol, striking Samcam multiple times before fleeing the scene. The gunman remains at large, according to Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Organization.

Samcam, 67, had become a prominent voice among the Nicaraguan exile community following a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests six years ago that forced hundreds of thousands to flee the country. The news of his assassination quickly reverberated across exile networks in Costa Rica, where more than 300,000 Nicaraguans now live after fleeing Ortega’s increasingly authoritarian regime.

In recent years, Samcam had dedicated himself to documenting abuses committed by the Nicaraguan government. In 2020, he served as a military chain-of-command expert for the Court of Conscience, a project led by the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress in Costa Rica. The initiative gathered testimonies from victims of state violence with the aim of pursuing justice through regional and international human rights courts.

“We are documenting each case so that it can move on to a trial, possibly before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights,” Samcam said during his participation in the tribunal. He explicitly named Ortega’s top officials as perpetrators of abuses including torture and extrajudicial detentions.

Samcam further detailed his accusations in a 2022 book, Ortega: El calvario de Nicaragua (“Ortega: Nicaragua’s Torment”), which chronicled the regime’s descent into dictatorship. He followed up in 2023 with another volume analyzing how Ortega systematically dismantled Nicaragua’s democratic institutions.

The assassination has drawn parallels to the January 2024 attempted killing of Joao Maldonado, another exiled Nicaraguan political figure. Maldonado was shot seven times outside San Jose, survived, and later accused a Sandinista paramilitary cell of orchestrating the attack. That case remains unresolved.

The Ortega government, led jointly by President Ortega and his wife and Vice President Rosario Murillo, has yet to comment on Samcam’s death. Murillo, who also serves as the regime’s chief spokesperson, did not respond to a request for comment.

Since violently quelling the 2018 protests, the Ortega administration has waged an unrelenting campaign against dissent. It has shuttered over 3,000 nongovernmental organizations, targeted religious institutions—particularly the Catholic Church—and stripped more than 300 political opponents and journalists of their Nicaraguan citizenship. Exiles and human rights groups have repeatedly warned that the government’s reach extends beyond its borders.

Human rights advocates say Samcam’s assassination is part of a broader pattern of transnational repression. While investigators in Costa Rica have not yet determined a motive, activists fear the killing marks an escalation in the campaign to silence Ortega’s critics—even on foreign soil.

Trump Grants ByteDance 90-Day Extension to Sell TikTok Amid Mounting Pressure

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WASHINGTON (BN24)— President Donald Trump has extended the deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, to finalize a sale of the app to a U.S.-based buyer, giving the company an additional 90 days to close a deal and avoid a nationwide ban. The extension, announced through an executive order signed Thursday, marks the third such reprieve granted to ByteDance since Trump returned to office and reignited concerns over Chinese access to American data.

“I’ve just signed the Executive Order extending the Deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days (September 17, 2025). Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

The extension delays a potential shutdown of TikTok in the United States, allowing the platform, which has over 170 million American users, to remain online while negotiations continue. In a statement, TikTok welcomed the decision, thanking Trump for ensuring the platform remains accessible to both users and the 7.5 million U.S.-based businesses that depend on it.

“We are grateful for President Trump’s leadership and support in ensuring that TikTok continues to be available for more than 170 million American users and 7.5 million U.S. businesses that rely on the platform,” the company said, also noting ongoing cooperation with Vice President JD Vance’s office.

Speaking aboard Air Force One Wednesday morning, Trump said he believed Chinese President Xi Jinping would eventually approve a sale, noting that any deal involving TikTok would likely require sign-off from Beijing due to ByteDance’s headquarters in the Chinese capital.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president’s priority is to keep TikTok available to Americans while ensuring their data is protected. “As he has said many times, President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark. This extension will last 90 days, which the administration will spend working to ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure,” she said.

Although a ban on TikTok was first legislated under the Biden administration, citing national security threats linked to Chinese data access, public support for such a move has waned. The app briefly went offline before Trump’s January inauguration, only to return once the administration signaled a more lenient stance. TikTok has repeatedly denied posing a national security risk, stating that U.S. user data is not stored in China.

Following last year’s congressional passage of the TikTok ban, a surge in user activity shifted to the Chinese social media platform RedNote. However, usage of that alternative has dropped significantly since TikTok resumed operations.

Trump’s latest extension follows previous efforts to enforce a sale. Upon entering office earlier this year, he granted ByteDance 75 days to reach an agreement with a U.S. buyer — a window that expired on April 5. In the days leading up to the deadline, several parties expressed interest, including Amazon, artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI, and a consortium led by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and billionaire Frank McCourt. Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also emerged as a suitor.

Despite this interest, a sale never materialized, largely due to mounting trade tensions between the U.S. and China after the Trump administration imposed a new round of sweeping tariffs on Chinese goods. With no deal secured, Trump extended the deadline once more, culminating in Thursday’s order.

The legal backdrop remains complex. Under current U.S. law, ByteDance is required to divest from TikTok to continue operations in the American market. ByteDance, however, has not confirmed whether it intends to proceed with a sale, and has remained largely silent on the issue. The Supreme Court recently upheld the law mandating the sale or ban, reaffirming the pressure on ByteDance to comply.

Trump’s current approach marks a significant reversal from his first term, when he attempted to ban TikTok outright through executive order — a move that was ultimately blocked by federal courts. Now, rather than pushing for immediate removal, the administration appears to be banking on a deal that satisfies both national security requirements and public demand to keep the app running.

While the Biden-era law remains intact, its implementation has become entangled in a new political context. For now, TikTok continues to operate under temporary reprieve, with ByteDance once again on the clock.

Iranian Missile Hits Israeli Hospital as Conflict Escalates; Israel Strikes Arak Nuclear Reactor

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BEERSHEBA, Israel (BN24) — A direct Iranian missile strike on Thursday morning slammed into Soroka Medical Center, the main hospital in southern Israel, causing widespread structural damage and prompting a temporary closure to all but life-threatening cases. The impact, which Israeli media broadcast live with footage showing shattered windows and thick black smoke, came amid a series of missile and drone attacks that wounded at least 40 people in areas near Tel Aviv and Beersheba.

Israeli emergency services, including Magen David Adom, reported scores of injuries as missile barrages hit multiple high-rise and residential buildings across central and southern Israel. While Israel’s layered air defense system intercepted many incoming projectiles, officials acknowledged it was unable to stop all of them. One of those that broke through struck Soroka Hospital, a vital facility that serves more than a million residents in the Negev region.

The missile detonated near the hospital’s older surgical building, which had recently been evacuated. Emergency protocols were enacted immediately as black smoke poured from the structure and patients were moved to underground wards. Firefighting and rescue operations continued into the morning, with officials describing the damage as “extensive.” Local police commander Haim Bublil said several people were lightly injured and that rescuers were still combing the building to reach those in isolated areas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the strike an act of terror against civilian infrastructure and vowed retaliation. “We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran,” he said. Iranian state media, meanwhile, confirmed the missile launches and framed the hospital strike as an unintentional consequence of its “strategic deterrence.”

Shortly after the hospital was hit, Israel launched a retaliatory strike on Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor — a key facility in the country’s nuclear infrastructure. According to the Israeli military, precision strikes targeted the reactor’s core seal and components involved in plutonium production, aiming to permanently impair the site’s ability to be used for nuclear weapons development.

Iranian state television confirmed the attack on the Arak site but claimed no radiation had been released and said the area had been evacuated in advance. “There is no radiation danger whatsoever,” said a state TV reporter broadcasting live from Khondab, near the facility. The reactor, located 250 kilometers southwest of Tehran, had been redesigned under the 2015 nuclear agreement to limit its proliferation potential, but Israeli intelligence long suspected efforts to restore its original capabilities.

Israel’s strike on Arak followed earlier attacks on other elements of Iran’s nuclear program, including enrichment facilities in Natanz and Isfahan. Over the past week, Israeli airstrikes have killed several Iranian nuclear scientists and high-ranking military officials. Iranian retaliatory fire has included more than 400 missiles and hundreds of drones, leaving 24 people dead and hundreds wounded in Israel. In Iran, human rights monitors report 639 killed — including 263 civilians — and over 1,300 injured since the outbreak of hostilities.

The Arak facility’s history has been a flashpoint in nuclear diplomacy. After President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, Tehran began quietly rebuilding portions of the reactor that were disabled under the agreement. At the time, Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi admitted Iran had secretly procured replacement components even before the original structure was dismantled. Thursday’s strike appears to reflect Israeli fears that Arak could again be used to produce plutonium, offering Iran a second pathway to nuclear weapons capability alongside its uranium enrichment activities.

Iran continues to insist its nuclear program is for peaceful energy purposes, despite enriching uranium to levels approaching weapons-grade. Israel, which does not officially acknowledge possessing nuclear weapons, views a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat and has consistently vowed to act unilaterally if necessary to prevent it.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which last visited the Arak site in May, has cautioned against military strikes on nuclear facilities. The agency recently acknowledged it no longer has “continuity of knowledge” about Iran’s heavy water production — a lapse that now complicates verification of Tehran’s compliance.

Amid intensifying conflict, U.S. officials have reiterated calls for de-escalation, but both Iran and Israel appear resolute. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday rejected American demands to surrender and warned of “irreparable consequences” should the U.S. directly intervene. Iran’s foreign ministry has also dismissed reports of backchannel negotiations and mocked President Donald Trump’s threats against Khamenei as “cowardly bluster from a has-been warmonger.”

As the war enters its second week, Israel has slightly eased some civilian restrictions, suggesting confidence in its air defenses. Still, the attack on Soroka Medical Center underscores the vulnerability of critical infrastructure — and the growing civilian toll — as the region teeters on the brink of broader war.

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