Trump to extend US TikTok ban deadline, White House says

TikTok and ByteDance did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the BBC.

The popular video sharing app was supposed to be banned in the US after its Chinese owner, ByteDance, refused to sell it to a US buyer by a January deadline.

"President Trump will sign an additional Executive Order this week to keep TikTok up and running," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday.

TikTok will live on for at least another three months in the United States, as President Donald Trump is poised to extend a sale or ban deadline for the third time since taking office this year.

Leavitt said the 90-day extension would "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."

Before Leavitt's announcement, Trump told the BBC that he would "probably" extend the TikTok.

"We'll probably have to get China approval," Trump said. "I think we'll get it. I think President Xi will ultimately approve it."

When asked if he has the legal basis to extend the deadline, he responded: "We do."

Trump's extension is at odds with the will of Congress, which passed the sale-or-ban measure last year. His predecessor, former President Joe Biden, immediately signed the bill into law.

The law was aimed to address concerns that TikTok, which has 170 million American users, could be used by China as a tool for spying and political manipulation.

The Supreme Court agreed with a lower court and upheld the law in January just before Trump was set to take office.

The platform briefly went dark for a few hours during the weekend before Trump's inauguration.

TikTok praised Trump for saving the platform after it became available again.

Trump tried to force a sale of TikTok to an American buyer in 2020, during his first term in office.

But last year, Trump said he liked the platform because he believed it had helped him win the 2024 presidential election.

"I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok, because I won youth by 34 points," Trump said in December, although most young voters backed the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.

Trump's unilateral deadline extensions have led some analysts to dismiss the notion that a ban might ever take place during his time in office.

"What ban? There is nothing 'looming' about the potential TikTok ban anymore," said Forrester principal analyst Kelsey Chickering.

"TikTok's behaviour also indicates they're confident in their future, as they rolled out new AI video tools at Cannes this week."

"Smaller players, like Snap, will try to steal share during this "uncertain time," but they will not succeed because this next round for TikTok isn't uncertain at all," Ms Chickering added.

The Trump administration said in April that the US and China had neared a deal that would have placed majority control of TikTok's US operations under American ownership. That deal has yet to materialise.

"There are key matters to be resolved," a ByteDance spokesperson said at the time. "Any agreement will be subject to approval under Chinese law."

Trump has said he would be open to seeing it sold to cloud computing giant Oracle, whose co-founder Larry Ellison is a long-time ally of Trump's.

Billionaire Frank McCourt, Canadian businessman Kevin O'Leary, and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian are part of another team bidding for the platform.

And the biggest YouTuber in the world Jimmy Donaldson - AKA MrBeast - has said he's also interested in buying TikTok as part of a different investor group.

Trade, a sudden exit, Middle East conflict - five takeaways from G7

9 minutes ago Share Save Jessica Murphy BBC News, Banff, Alberta Share Save

Reuters

Canada's G7 summit, under first-time host Mark Carney, had a carefully planned agenda. That programme was upended by the unfolding war between Israel and Iran and US President Donald Trump's early departure. Still, Carney said on Tuesday this summit "can begin a new era of co-operation that promotes long-term resilience over short-term efficiency". Here are five takeaways from the dramatic G7 in Kananaskis, Alberta.

Trump's sudden exit

The G7 nations - Italy, the US, France, Germany, the UK, Canada and Japan - were one leader short on Tuesday following the US president's surprise decision to abandon the summit early for Washington DC. World leaders put a positive spin on the abrupt departure. Prime Minister Carney said he fully understood the president's decision, while French President Emmanuel Macron called one reporter's question about whether the group was now a de facto G6 "disrespectful". Trump said he left because of the rapidly unfolding events between Israel and Iran. The White House insisted the president had had a "great day" in Alberta and achieved much during the trip. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stayed behind to represent the US. Trump's departure was not necessarily a bad thing, said Denisse Rudich, director of the G7 Research Group London. While he was there, it appeared that everyone was "on eggshells" with leaders smiling, but wary that "you don't quite know what is going to shift". They were more relaxed the next day, she said. "It didn't look forced. It looked a lot more natural." Still, it meant Trump missed planned bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum (though he spoke with her later by phone, the White House said.)

Israel-Iran war sidelines agenda

By Tuesday, much of the world's attention had shifted from the mountain resort in Canada's Rocky Mountains to the unfolding conflict in the Middle East and uncertainty as to the potential course of action by the US. Live updates: Iran and Israel at war

G7 leaders urge 'de-escalation' but stop short of calling for Israel-Iran ceasefire The conflict also overshadowed much of the first day of the summit as G7 leaders sought consensus on their response to tensions in the region.

BBC News

Eventually, all seven, the US, too, released a communique urging a "de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza" - though it stopped short of calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. US moves 30 jets as Iran attack speculation grows Trump later accused the French president of "publicity seeking" with his suggestion that the US was working towards a ceasefire. On Tuesday, Macron said it was Trump who discussing that option. "I am not responsible for the changes of mind of the US administration," he said. Despite that back and forth, the statement was a show of unity.

Watch: G7 leaders committed to "pursuit of peace" in the Middle East, says Mark Carney

Ukraine, India and diplomacy

On Ukraine, Zelensky will leave this summit with new aid from Canada but notably no joint statement of support. There were reports that Canada had dropped plans for a strong statement in the war over US resistance. Pressed on that, Carney denied a lack of consensus, and pointed to remarks on Ukraine in the summit chairman's summary statement. In that statement, the G7 "expressed support for President Trump's efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine" and pressed Russia to agree a ceasefire. It also said they "are resolute in exploring all options to maximize pressure on Russia, including financial sanctions" - something Trump has resisted. Another outcome is likely to cause friction for Carney at home. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attendance at the summit was a point of tension among Sikh Canadians. Carney's office said India and Canada had agreed to restore diplomatic services after both countries expelled top envoys. This followed Ottawa's accusation that New Delhi government agents had been involved in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil. According to a readout of the meeting between Carney and Modi, he raised "transnational crime and repression, security, and the rules-based order" in the conversation. Still, Carney, a former central bank governor for Canada and the UK, went into his first G7 summit as prime minister and host with a focused agenda and left with joint statements on artificial intelligence and quantum computing, migrant smuggling, critical minerals and other issues. The approach was "concise, detailed, action-oriented - you can see the banker", said Ms Rudich. She complimented the "outcomes focused" approach to diplomacy, pointing to the example of an agreement to boost global co-operation on wildfires "without specifically making reference to climate change".

Watch: A trade deal, a family photo and conflict in the Middle East - Trump’s short G7

Carney's trade agenda...

One of the most watched moments of the summit was a sit-down between Trump and Carney. The two countries were reportedly close to coming to a trade and security deal after talks launched last month to resolve their tit-for-tat tariffs war. Trump said hurdles remained - he's a "tariff person", Carney "has a more complex idea". But those differences aren't insurmountable, according to a statement from Carney's office, which said the "leaders agreed to pursue negotiations toward a deal within the coming 30 days". On that deadline, the prime minister said he will pursue an agreement "in the best interests of certainly Canada and aligned with US interests". The G7 also gave Carney the opportunity to pitch multiple world leaders on trade with Canada. The prime minister has the lofty goal of making Canada's economy the strongest in the G7 while seeking to reduce his country's deep economic reliance on the US. On Tuesday, European officials said they were close to signing a defence procurement agreement with Canada, which also wants to reduce its dependence on American equipment.

....and Trump's

Minnesota's 'nice' culture shattered by political violence

The state's largest-ever manhunt ended late Sunday when Boelter was captured near his home in a rural area dotted with farms, gravel roads and small villages about an hour away from the twin cities of Minneapolis and St Paul.

Prosecutors say the suspect Vance Boelter also visited two other homes early Saturday searching for politicians.

But the attacks, which appear politically motivated, have badly shaken confidence in the state's reputation for politeness, courtesy and respect, an attitude that has its own nickname and Wikipedia page: "Minnesota nice".

Democratic state lawmaker John Hoffman and his wife were also injured - they are expected to survive.

The death of Hortman and her husband, Mark, has sent a shockwave through the state. They were shot dead early on Saturday morning by a man disguised as a police officer.

"This has blown that out of the water."

"Minnesota has felt a little bit like a safe haven," said Ms Ebertz, a government employee who lives in the state capital, "because we have been able to keep our atmosphere of respecting one another here."

Jessie Ebertz held back tears as she stood in front of a makeshift memorial honouring Democratic politician Melissa Hortman and her husband who were killed last week.

Watch: 'To lose her is tragic' - Minnesotans pay respects to Melissa Hortman

Many pointed out that Mrs Hortman was known for her ability to work with Republican colleagues, including recently to pass a state budget vote.

On Monday local talk radio station WCCO replayed one of her last interviews, jointly done with Republican colleagues, where among other things they discussed what they might do if they spent some off time together.

The idea that this friendly state in the Upper Midwest could avoid the political rancour which is more frequently tipping over into violence elsewhere is an illusion, says Jenna Stocker, editor of Thinking Minnesota, a publication put out by the conservative think tank Center of the American Experiment.

The centre's office was firebombed last year in what think tank officials called a politically motivated attack. Nobody has been charged with the crime.

"Some people even here in Minnesota have really let politics guide their thinking and how they feel about their neighbours, their friends and their relatives," Ms Stocker says.

In extreme cases, that has led to extreme actions. Several recent studies indicate that political violence is growing across the US, reaching a level not seen since the 1970s.

Reuters has tallied more than 300 cases of politically motivated violence since the January 2021 Capitol riot. A 2023 study from the Brennan Center for Justice, a left-leaning institute, found that 40% of state legislators had experienced threats or attacks in the three years prior.

Despite widespread fears, fuelled in part by two assassination attempts against Donald Trump and the 2021 US Capitol riot, there was no large-scale violence around the time of the November 2024 presidential election.

But relations have become strained since that vote.

In April the residence of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, was set on fire. Politics appear to have motivated the alleged killers of a health-care executive in New York and two Israeli embassy employees in Washington.

In Washington, members of the US Congress were set to get emergency briefings about security this week.

Here in Minnesota, meanwhile, many people were lamenting what the attacks on the state's politicians mean in a place that prides itself on its openness and ability to avoid the viciousness of national politics.

Despite the rawness of the recent attacks, inside the Capitol building there was little visible sign of heavy security – and no metal detectors – on Monday afternoon.

Among the mourners, several of Hortman's relatives laid flowers in front of the state House chamber, where a table was laden with bouquets and signs reading "Demand Change" and "Rest in Power".

In between the news cameras and flowers, a group wandered around the building on a guided tour and legislative officials went about their work in an eerie hush.

But as people here mourned, nationally the partisan arguments continued.

President Trump on Tuesday said he wouldn't phone Minnesota's governor, Tim Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in last year's election, calling him "a mess".

"The guy doesn't have a clue," he told reporters.

In the wake of the attacks, several of Trump's top supporters and allies - including Utah Senator Mike Lee, Elon Musk, conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer and activist Charlie Kirk - attempted without evidence to link Walz and Democratic lawmakers to the killings.

Lee wrote: "This is what happens When Marxists don't get their way" while Musk reposted a message including a line about the attacks with the comment "The far left is murderously violent".

Both men, who did not respond to requests for comment, appear to have been sucked in by conspiracy theories floating around online.

Many pointed to the fact that Walz and a previous Democratic governor had appointed the suspect to a position on a state economic board.

However, Boelter was a supporter of President Trump who held conservative views, according to interviews with friends and neighbours. According to evidence revealed by authorities, his long target list included Democratic and progressive lawmakers, and he had flyers with information about anti-Trump "No Kings" rallies which happened in St Paul and other cities around the country on Saturday.

Although the exact motive is still under investigation, evidence has indicated that the suspect was targeting the president's opponents and left-wing and Democratic Party politicians.

Musk's X sues New York state over social media hate speech law

Social media sites have become the main source of news for Americans, with majority consuming it on networks like X, according to a new research from the Reuters Institute.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is in charge of enforcing this law, is the named defendant in X's lawsuit.

In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, the social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, argues that the law forces companies to disclose "highly sensitive and controversial speech" that is protected under the constitution's First Amendment.

Elon Musk's X has challenged a New York state law that requires social media companies to disclose how they monitor hate speech, extremism, and other contentious content.

Deciding what content is acceptable on social media platforms "engenders considerable debate among reasonable people about where to draw the correct proverbial line," X said. "This is not a role that the government may play."

The Stop Hiding Hate Act, passed in December, requires social media companies to disclose steps they take to eliminate hate on their platforms, and to report their progress.

In a statement on Tuesday, the two New York state lawmakers who sponsored the Stop Hiding Hate Act called social media companies like X "cesspools of hate speech" and said the law did not violate the First Amendment.

Social media platforms, including X, "have consistently failed to inform the public about their policies regarding hatred and misinformation", Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Grace Lee said.

Neither New York Attorney General Letitia James nor X replied to the BBC's request for comment on Tuesday.

X's lawsuit against New York state comes nine months after the company successfully blocked a California law that required large social media companies to submit reports about their content-moderation policies.

The company extensively cited its earlier victory in its Tuesday's lawsuit and criticised New York lawmakers for failing to revisit the legislation's language even after the California law was largely struck down.

Musk, who acquired X in 2022, has dramatically scaled back the rules that govern what content and behaviours are acceptable on the platform, according to Professor Laura Edelson, who teaches computer science at Northeastern University.

He has "also significantly reduced the resources the platform puts into enforcing even the rules it does still have," she said. "This is why, even though rules around spam haven't changed on X, there is so much more floating around than there used to be."

Last year, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by Musk against a research group that documented an uptick in hate speech on the site.

Sharks and oysters set to thrive in warmer UK waters

37 minutes ago Share Save Georgina Rannard Climate and science correspondent Share Save

Getty Images Basking shark is one of the species that could find a home in new parts of the UK

The UK could see a boom in endangered sharks, rays and native oysters as species move habitats to respond to rising ocean temperatures, according to scientists. But some, including a clam that is the world's longest living animal, could struggle to adapt. Researchers at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science mapped for the first time how 19 threatened marine species will respond to climate change in UK seas. Many creatures could find new homes in parts of the North Sea predicted to become biodiversity hotspots in the next 50 years, although the disruption from climate change could also have negative knock-on effects on the marine ecosystem.

In May an intense heatwave warmed UK waters up to 4 degrees warmer than usual. "As an island nation, we're hugely reliant on the sea for our food and for jobs. Any changes that we see in our seas are particularly impactful," Bryony Townhill, marine scientist at Cefas, told BBC News. The analysis should guide the government as it plans how to ensure so-called Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) continue to protect species even as they change habitat. The world's oceans are warming as they have absorbed up to 90% of the additional heating created when humans burn fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas. The UK seas are a hotspot for these effects of climate change and are among 20 places globally that have warmed fastest over the past 50 years. Fishing communities and sea swimmers have already noticed the difference, with reports of jellyfish swarming near beaches or Mediterranean octopus hauled up in fish catches. For this report, scientists looked at two different projections for sea temperatures, salinity and sediment levels until 2060.

Getty Images Native Oysters have declined around 95% in the UK since the 1900s but their habitats are expected to double

They compared the changing ocean environment to the preferred habitats of 19 species that are currently vulnerable in the UK. The biggest winners are the native oysters, basking sharks, spurdog sharks - which can grow up to 1.6 meters - and thornbacks - a type of ray with spines. Overall, mobile species will cope better, whereas static creatures will find it harder to adapt. A small creature called a sea pen, which helps to build reefs, could lose up to 40% of their suitable habitat by the end of the century. And the ocean quahog, a type of clam that can live more than 500 years, making it the longest living animal, is predicted to struggle. A decline in those species could have knock-on impacts on ecosystems and food chains. The scientists were surprised by some of the results. "I didn't expect that native oysters would do well. Frankly, they've been declining and disappearing for 100 years - and yet the climate model suggests they should be doing fine and perhaps even thriving," says Prof Pinnegar.

Getty Images Sea pen help to build reefs that house other marine species but will see a reduction in habitats