The United States is offering a reward of up to $20 million, along with possible relocation, for information about Iran’s nuclear programme, as concerns over the country’s nuclear activities remain a central issue in efforts to end the war.

The offer was announced by the US military and is being administered through the State Department’s Rewards for Justice programme. US Central Command said the reward was available to people providing information about Iranian nuclear facilities, equipment and associated personnel, including members of the scientific community, as well as the movement of relevant materials and individuals.

The programme, established in 1984, offers financial incentives for information that could help protect US national security.

In a statement explaining the decision, the State Department said Iran’s failure to meet its safeguards obligations to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had affected the agency’s ability to monitor the country’s nuclear activities.

“The regime’s lack of compliance with the IAEA on safeguards obligations has led to the agency’s loss of ‘continuity of knowledge’ regarding Iran’s production and inventory of key components like centrifuges,” the department said.

The loss of continuity of knowledge refers to gaps in the agency’s ability to maintain a complete record of nuclear materials and related equipment. Centrifuges are used to enrich uranium, a process that can produce material for civilian nuclear energy or, at higher enrichment levels, for nuclear weapons.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that American military strikes destroyed Iran’s nuclear facilities. Speaking at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, he said Washington was determined to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

“We’re also ensuring that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “They will never have it. Not even close. They’re not close.”

He also referred to an earlier US operation involving B-2 stealth bombers, arguing that the strikes had prevented Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“If they did have it, if we didn’t go in with those beautiful B2 bombers a little more than a year ago, if I allowed them to have it today, there would be no Israel,” he added.

Iran’s nuclear programme has been a major point of contention in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, which began in late February following US and Israeli strikes on the country.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has confirmed that his government continues to pursue a diplomatic solution through dialogue. The reward announcement comes as Washington and Tehran remain at odds over Iran’s nuclear activities and the future of the conflict.

A Pakistani astronaut is set to become the first foreign national to visit China’s Tiangong space station, joining the country’s next crewed mission into orbit, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Saturday.

The astronaut will travel aboard the Shenzhou-24 spacecraft as a payload specialist, marking a new stage in space cooperation between Pakistan and China. The CMSA said the crew member would take part in a short-term orbital mission before returning to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft.

The agency did not disclose the astronaut’s identity or give a confirmed launch date. However, the mission is expected to take place by the end of 2026.

The announcement follows an agreement signed by Pakistan and China in February 2025 to establish a training programme for Pakistani astronauts. Under the arrangement, selected candidates would undergo training in China before taking part in missions alongside Chinese astronauts.

In April, the CMSA announced that Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud had been selected to begin astronaut training in China. The agency has not yet confirmed which of the two will take part in the upcoming mission.

According to the CMSA, the Pakistani astronaut will return aboard Shenzhou-23, which docked with the Tiangong space station in May. The arrangement will allow the visitor to carry out a short orbital assignment with the Chinese crew.

China and Pakistan have maintained close diplomatic and strategic relations for decades, with both governments frequently describing their partnership as an “all-weather” friendship. China is Pakistan’s largest trading partner and a major source of foreign investment.

The astronaut agreement is part of broader cooperation between the two countries in science and technology. China’s state news agency Xinhua reported in February 2025 that Pakistani astronauts would undertake short-duration space missions with Chinese counterparts over the following years after completing their training.

China has expanded its space programme significantly in recent years as it seeks to strengthen its position alongside the United States in space exploration. The country operates the Tiangong station independently and has continued developing its crewed flight and lunar exploration capabilities.

Beijing has set a target of sending astronauts to the Moon by 2030, making human spaceflight a central part of its long-term space ambitions.

The planned Pakistani mission would represent the first time a foreign astronaut has visited Tiangong, giving Pakistan a direct role in China’s crewed space programme and opening the way for further joint missions.

Belgium’s Federal Public Service Finance has temporarily taken its online tax portal and several other digital services offline following a cyberattack, as officials work to secure government systems and assess the extent of the disruption.

The agency, known as FOD Financiën, confirmed on Wednesday that the attack had affected its digital services. MyMinfin, the country’s online tax portal, was among the platforms taken offline as a precaution while technical teams investigate the incident.

MyMinfin allows individuals and businesses to manage tax returns, access financial documents and handle other tax-related administrative tasks. The temporary suspension could therefore affect taxpayers who rely on the platform to submit documents or complete pending procedures.

FOD Financiën said it would extend certain upcoming tax filing deadlines affected by the disruption. The revised deadlines will be announced at a later date, giving taxpayers more time to complete their obligations if they are unable to access the relevant online services.

The agency has not yet provided details about the origin of the cyberattack, the systems targeted or how long the affected services are expected to remain unavailable.

Officials said there was currently no indication that personal data had been breached or compromised. However, the investigation remains ongoing, and the possibility of unauthorised access has not been definitively ruled out.

Taking the services offline is intended to give officials time to examine the affected systems and implement measures to protect them. The move also reflects the need to establish whether the attack was limited to service disruption or involved attempts to access sensitive information.

The incident highlights the challenges government agencies face in maintaining essential public services during cyberattacks. Tax portals hold sensitive financial information and are widely used by residents and businesses, making their availability important, particularly around filing deadlines.

For taxpayers, the immediate concern is the temporary loss of access to MyMinfin and other affected platforms. The planned extension of certain deadlines is expected to provide some relief to those whose submissions are delayed by the outage.

FOD Financiën has not announced the full scope of the disruption or confirmed when normal service will resume. The agency is continuing its investigation and security work, while further information about revised filing dates is expected to follow.

Until the investigation establishes the extent of the incident, the status of personal information and the full impact on government services remains uncertain.