TWO astronauts stranded on the International Space Station are set to be stuck there for even longer after their escape has been delayed.
Americans Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore won’t be back on solid footing until late March at the earliest after NASA set back their fight home.
That means their eight-day trip to space will turn into a whopping nine months in zero gravity after first rocketing up to the heavens in June.
The pair travelled to the ISS for a test mission, but their return was extended by eight months after the Boeing Starliner capsule they arrived on was deemed unfit to return them to Earth.
NASA said Williams and Wilmore would now return with other astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
The foursome will venture home when the Crew-10 mission reaches the space station – but that is now not expected to take off in late March.
NASA cites extra preparation needed to launch four new crew members – Crew-10 – to the International Space Station via what they call SpaceX’s “human space transportation system”.
NASA said they and SpaceX assessed various options for managing the next crewed handover, including using another Dragon spacecraft and manifest adjustments.
They said: “After careful consideration, the team determined that launching Crew-10 in late March, following completion of the new Dragon spacecraft, was the best option for meeting NASA’s requirements and achieving space station objectives for 2025.”
NASA said the delay was to give the teams time to complete processing on a new Dragon spacecraft for the mission.
Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew, said: “Fabrication, assembly, testing, and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking endeavour that requires great attention to detail.
“We appreciate the hard work by the SpaceX team to expand the Dragon fleet in support of our missions and the flexibility of the station program and expedition crews as we work together to complete the new capsule’s readiness for flight.”
The agency did not specify an exact date for the return of the astronauts.
The Crew-10 mission was originally slated to launch in February.
Hague and Gorbunov boarded the ISS in September, over three months after Williams and Wilmore.
KROGER shoppers can get serious savings ahead of Christmas but must act fast before time runs out.
The promotional deals end soon and are only offered through a specific feature.
To take advantage, Kroger customers must head to the supermarket chain’s website or download its mobile application to get digital coupons.
The coupons will be offered every week in December through the app and website for a total of $1,200 in offerings.
If that wasn’t already enough, Kroger seeks to offer additional deals and discounts through various categories through December and January to “spread holiday cheer and prepare for the New Year,” per a press release.
Mike Murphy, vice president of e-commerce, analytics, and execution at Kroger, explained that the move was made to ensure customers spent more time with loved ones than shopping.
“This holiday season, we want customers to create lasting memories and share their tables with an open heart,” Murphy said in the release.
“We hope the additional savings can help customers spend more time with each other and less time worrying about their shopping list.”
All of the 12 offerings for Kroger customers to watch out for are listed below.
Kroger also offers a sweet meal basket for those consumers looking to make holiday cooking a breeze this year.
Through its Home Chef department, customers can order a boneless turkey, ham, or prime rib and six sides to feed the family for $75.
Customers must first go to Kroger’s website and find their nearest store to make the order.
It’s also important to note that Kroger will close down all of its 1,244 locations across 16 states on Christmas Day.
Limited hours will also be in place on Christmas Eve but will vary from store to store.
Consumers should call head to their local store to confirm.
Kroger shoppers can return items with or without a receipt.
All Kroger Co. Family of Stores can accept returns of items purchased at any location within 30 days of purchase.
Returns with receipts:
Returns without receipts:
Kroger is also having a dramatic finish to the year after its $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons fell through earlier this month.
The controversial deal was immediately hit with a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission after it was announced in 2022.
It was argued by the FTC that the combination, which would create the biggest supermarket conglomerate in US history, would drastically decrease competition in the supermarket sector and lead to higher prices for customers.
After a court battle for over three weeks in Oregon, US District Judge Adrienne Nelson agreed with the FTC and temporarily blocked the merger.
Albertsons dropped out after the ruling and immediately filed a lawsuit against Kroger, claiming it didn’t take “any and all actions” to get regulatory approval for the merger.
Kroger has also faced backlash over its self-checkouts.
A customer recently called out the supermarket chain over claims only “2 registers” were left open during a holiday shopping rush.
Another demanded to know the “logic” behind the kiosks after being stopped by a staffer to check four items.
THE BBC is facing mounting pressure to play a Christmas number one contender that mocks Sir Keir Starmer’s winter fuel cuts.
Freezing This Christmas, performed by Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers, is quickly climbing its way up the music charts.
The festive bop parodies the PM’s hated decision to scrap winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners.
Its lyrics include: “It’ll be freezing this Christmas, without fuel at home, it’ll be freezing this Christmas, while Keir Starmer is warm.
“It’ll be cold, so cold, without fuel at home, this Christmas.”
Artists behind the up-and-coming hit include 33-year-old freelance writer Chris Middleton and 51-year-old Rat Pack tribute singer Dean Ager.
The artists have accused major stations of refusing to play their banger, giving it less chance of hitting number one next week.
Tory MPs last night demanded the Beeb prove its impartiality by giving the song some air time.
Greg Smith said: “Satire is often the most powerful check on power – and this song is highlighting the seriousness of Labour’s political choices to give bumper pay deals to their union paymasters whilst stripping some of our poorest pensioners from vital funds to heat their homes this winter.”
A BBC spokesman insisted that DJ decisions are “always made with the relevant audiences and context in mind”.
A TURKISH crime boss branded one of Britain’s biggest drug dealers has dodged deportation on human rights grounds.
The 70-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been jailed for 16 years for flooding the UK with heroin.
Yet an immigration tribunal heard that sending him back to Turkey would breach his right to a family life — a claim backed by the UN Refugee Agency.
His gang was said to be behind 90 per cent of the UK heroin trade.
The tribunal also heard he had an extra-marital affair in Turkey with a woman he later married.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick called the move a “sick joke”.
He added: “Our human rights laws have been turned against the British public.
“How can anyone defend this?”
Earlier in the month, The Sun revealed an illegal immigrant, who had already been deported five times, had been found living in the UK again.
Lithuanian Audrius Verkauskas was first removed in November 2015.
But he had continued to return and was also deported in February 2019, June 2021, May 2022 and August last year.
Police arrested him for unrelated matters in April in Peterborough — and then discovered he was in breach of his deportation.
Verkauskas, 44, was jailed for two years at the city’s crown court after pleading guilty to immigration charges.
He will be deported for a sixth time once he has served his sentence.
TRAVIS Kelce revealed a clue concerning a potential Taylor Swift appearance on his New Heights podcast.
The Kansas City Chiefs star tight end shared the tease alongside his co-host and brother, the NFL icon Jason Kelce.
On Wednesday, the NFL brothers announced that January 2 will be the day that a “very special guest episode” drops.
The Philadelphia Eagles legend Jason also revealed that they “finally got someone the 92 percenters have been demanding.”
“Everybody has,” Travis hyping up the announcement while interrupting his older brother.
In the past, the Kelces have called New Heights fans 92 percenters because 92 percent of them listen to the show for NFL and sports talk and the eight percent are for the music icon Swift – Travis’ girlfriend.
So it seems that the latest reveal means that Swift won’t be the podcast guest in early January.
New Heights has brought on various celebrities to the program, including Adam Sandler, Paul Rudd, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and most recently, Bill Murray.
“You’re going to want to see him or her,” Jason continued to tease fans. “We’re not going to give it — well, (the fans) will probably tell you who it is.”
Kelce fans and Swifties revealed guesses on who they think the guest is and one name mostly came to mind, and that is the WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark.
“My money is on Caitlin!” one wrote.
“Oh it’s definitely Caitlin,” another said.
“probably Caitlin Clark,” a third added.
A Swift fan still held out hope on the 14-time Grammy winner appearing on the show, writing, “TS (Taylor Swift) herself or CC22 please.”
Travis and Jason have used their influence in the past to attract numerous sports stars including Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, Eagles stars Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts, and MLB 2024 World Series winner Freddie Freeman.
The Indiana Fever guard Clark would be an understandable guest due to her popularity, the show will be in the offseason, and she is also a Chiefs fan.
Travis Kelce was asked about his relationship with Taylor Swift during an interview with Good Morning America.
But the Kansas City Chiefs tight end gave a cagey response.
“When you have good family and friends around you, it makes that aspect of life that much easier,” Kelce told GMA.
“I’ve always been a very grounded guy. It might not come off that way when I’m playing football.
“But off the field, I just want to be a genuine person. I try not to get too far down the road.
“Because you never know what opportunities are going to present themselves.”
Travis and Clark were also spotted together enjoying one of Swift’s Eras Tour concerts last month.
It was also reported by Time Magazine that Swift gave Clark a personalized gift of four bags of merchandise from the iconic tour and a note that said that the 2024 Rookie of the Year was “inspiring to watch from afar.”
The outlet also added that Swift’s note told Clark that “‘Trav and I’ were excited to go to a Fever game now that the tour was winding down and invited Clark to attend a Chiefs game.”
Travis and the 13-1 Chiefs have just three games left in the regular season.
They will host the Houston Texans on Saturday in Week 15.
