Four astronauts arrived at the International Space Station on Saturday, February 14, 2026, while the U.S. military conducted airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria, and five European nations accused the Kremlin of poisoning Alexei Navalny. These events unfolded amidst ongoing military operations in the Caribbean and a complex landscape of scientific policy under the Trump administration.
The SpaceX Crew-12 mission, carrying astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway of NASA, along with France's Sophie Adenot and Russia's Andrei Fedyaev, docked at the ISS on Saturday afternoon, according to NPR News. The crew launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida before dawn on Friday morning. This mission adds to the ongoing presence of international collaboration in space exploration.
Simultaneously, the U.S. military reported a series of strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria. According to the Associated Press, the strikes were in retaliation for a December ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and one American civilian interpreter. U.S. Central Command stated that American aircraft conducted ten strikes against over thirty IS targets between February 3rd and Thursday, hitting weapons storage facilities and other infrastructure.
In Europe, five nations accused the Kremlin of poisoning Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The foreign ministries of the U.K., France, and Germany were among those who made the accusation, stating Navalny was poisoned with a rare and lethal toxin, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration's scientific agenda was under scrutiny. Vox reported that the administration's science policy was shaped not only by anti-science ideologues but also by a coalition of players.
Adding to the complexity of the global situation, military operations in the Caribbean, aimed at capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, incurred significant costs. Fortune reported that the military buildup, including the deployment of ships and aircraft, reached millions of dollars daily. The deployment tied up critical assets and added to existing defense spending, with no contingency fund available for unexpected operations.
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