Category: News

Early on Thursday, Israeli planes attacked different areas in Yemen including the capital, Sanaa, and the port city of Hodeidah. This information was shared by Al Masirah TV, which is run by the Houthi movement that controls much of Yemen. The Israeli strikes hit two main power stations, one north and one south of Sanaa. Yemen’s SABA news agency reported that four strikes hit Hodeidah, and two of those hit the Ras Issa oil facility, causing injuries and fatalities among workers there.

Israel’s military stated that they aimed for specific Houthi military targets in Yemen, including ports and places for energy in Sanaa. They mentioned that the locations they attacked were used by Houthi forces for military purposes. Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli military also reported that they intercepted a missile fired from Yemen.

The Houthi fighters, who are supported by Iran, have been attacking international ships near Yemen since last November, showing their support for Palestinians during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

European Union (EU) leaders are meeting in Brussels on Thursday to show support for Ukraine, especially with Donald Trump as the U.S. President again. They will talk with Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to reaffirm their commitment to stand by Ukraine during its ongoing conflict with Russia.

Trump has previously suggested that the war should end quickly, recently saying that Zelenskiy should be ready to talk peace with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, he did not clarify if this would involve Ukraine giving up any land to Russia, which currently controls about a fifth of Ukraine and is advancing eastward.

The EU leaders agreed that Russia should not win this conflict and that any talks about Ukraine’s future should include Kyiv’s opinions. One EU diplomat mentioned this shows a clear message to the U.S.

Additionally, the leaders will discuss their relationship with the U.S. during lunch, especially since there are worries about a potential trade war. Trump has warned the EU that it will face high tariffs for not buying enough American products. The EU is determined to stay united and not get divided by U.S. negotiations with individual countries.

The EU will also highlight that it is one of the biggest trading partners for the U.S. and share common values. To address America’s concerns about trade, the EU might offer to buy more U.S. liquefied natural gas or military equipment.

During their lunch debate, they will also bring up issues with China and whether the EU will have to take sides in the U.S.-China trade dispute. Britain is also a topic, as it seeks to improve relations with the EU, which sees Britain as an important security partner.

Former Congressman Matt Gaetz is threatening to reveal secrets about sexual misconduct settlements involving other lawmakers. This comes after the House Ethics Committee finished a report on sexual misconduct claims against him. The report will be made public soon.

Before, the Department of Justice looked into claims that Gaetz had sex with a minor but decided not to press charges against him. Gaetz, who denies any wrongdoing, stepped down from Congress on November 13 after Donald Trump considered him for the U.S. Attorney General position. He later pulled out of the nomination, saying he didn’t want any more drama in Washington.

“I wasn’t charged with anything and I believe I am innocent. But now the Ethics Committee is going to share a report that I can’t argue against,” Gaetz said.

The Ethics Committee has not shared what they will do with their report, which includes claims that Gaetz was involved in sexual misconduct, used drugs, and bribed people. A woman who was at a party with Gaetz in 2017 said she saw him having sex with a minor and that Gaetz paid women for sex. Gaetz continues to call the investigation a “smear campaign.”

He did admit to some of his past: “I partied hard and drank too much when I was younger. I’ve changed my ways now.”

NASA has shared that astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will stay in space longer than expected. They won’t return to Earth until at least late March 2025. They will come back with astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov after the Crew-10 mission gets to the International Space Station (ISS).

This mission, which was supposed to launch in February, has now been pushed back to late March 2025. NASA says this delay is to allow teams to finish working on a new Dragon spacecraft. This ‘handover period’ helps the current Crew-9 team share what they learned with the new Crew-10 team, making it easier for all astronauts to do their jobs at the ISS.

NASA didn’t give a specific date for when the astronauts will finally come back. Williams and Wilmore went to the ISS in June for what was meant to be an eight-day mission. However, their stay turned into several months because their Boeing Starliner capsule was not safe for the trip back to Earth.

So, are they safe up there? Yes! The ISS is a secure place for these astronauts. It’s often stocked with supplies and is like a home in space for scientists conducting research.

They’re not alone, either. Other astronauts currently aboard the ISS include Oleg Kononenko (the Commander), Nikolai Chub, Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, and Alexander Grebenkin.

Plus, the spacecraft can act as lifeboats if they ever need to leave the ISS quickly due to an emergency. Sadly, the Boeing Starliner, which could have been a backup, had some problems like thruster failures, leaving Williams and Wilmore stuck in space for a while longer.