Venezuelan oil exports drop sharply after U.S. tanker seizure
Venezuela’s oil shipments have plunged following the United States’ seizure of a tanker earlier this week....
NASA and SpaceX have delayed the launch of a replacement crew meant to return stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to Earth from the International Space Station.
The mission, which would have initiated the homecoming process for the two veterans stuck in space for nine months after a problematic test flight on Boeing’s Starliner, was called off due to a hydraulic issue with a ground support clamp arm for the Falcon 9 rocket.
NASA confirmed that teams are working to resolve the issue, and mission managers have now targeted a new launch window no earlier than 7:03 p.m. EDT on Friday. A prior launch attempt on Thursday was also postponed because of forecasted high winds and rain along Dragon’s flight path.
The upcoming Crew-10 launch is critical because it will facilitate the retrieval of Wilmore and Williams. Once the replacement crew docks with the ISS, the current Crew-9 mission – which includes the stranded astronauts along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov – is scheduled to depart on Wednesday, March 19, using a capsule that has been attached to the station since September as part of the previous mission.
This acceleration of the retrieval plan came after calls from President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to bring Wilmore and Williams home earlier than originally scheduled. The delay is particularly significant for the duo, who have been working on research and maintenance aboard the station. In a recent statement, Williams expressed her eagerness to reunite with her family and pets after an extended stay in space.
The mission, now under intense political and operational scrutiny, underscores the challenges facing NASA’s human spaceflight operations, especially following the technical setbacks experienced with Boeing’s Starliner. Despite the delay, both Wilmore and Williams remain in good health and are expected to return to Earth once the Crew-10 mission successfully reaches the station.
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
Iran is preparing to host a multilateral regional meeting next week in a bid to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Kyiv has escalated its naval campaign against Moscow’s economic lifelines, claiming a successful strike on a vessel suspected of skirting international sanctions within the Black Sea.
An extratropical cyclone has caused widespread disruption across Brazil’s São Paulo state, with powerful winds toppling trees and power lines, blocking streets and leaving large parts of the region without electricity.
Türkiye’s Trade Minister Omer Bolat said Friday that discussions in Washington with U.S. officials have strengthened efforts to expand bilateral trade, moving closer to a $100 billion target.
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif held talks on Friday during the International Peace and Trust Forum in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, focusing on bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues
Hungary has strongly criticised NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s warning that Russia could be capable of attacking the alliance within five years, with Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó describing the remarks as irresponsible and dangerous.
China’s Ministry of Commerce announced on Friday that it will introduce a licensing system for steel exports starting in 2026, covering around 300 steel products.
Venezuela’s oil shipments have plunged following the United States’ seizure of a tanker earlier this week.
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