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NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth on Friday after a nine-month stay on the International Space Station, their replacements having launched earlier in the day. The duo's extended mission was due to technical problems with Boeing's Starliner capsule, forcing them to transfer to a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for their return.

U.S. President Donald Trump expressed concerns about the terms of the U.S. treaty alliance with Japan, stating that the United States is obligated to protect Japan, while Japan is not obligated to protect the United States. Japan expert Nicholas Szechenyi called Trump's remarks "technically inaccurate," explaining that Japan could exercise collective self-defense and help protect the United States under certain circumstances.

A SpaceX crew capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station on Sunday, delivering four new astronauts to replace two NASA astronauts who had been stuck in space for nine months due to problems with Boeing's Starliner capsule. The new arrivals will spend the next few days learning the ropes from the outgoing crew, who will then return to Earth later this week in their own SpaceX capsule.

Alaskan officials are embarking on a trip to Japan this month with the aim of securing investors for a large-scale natural gas project. However, their efforts face an uphill battle as Japanese energy firms remain hesitant due to concerns about the project's high cost and the challenges of constructing a pipeline in Alaska's harsh environment.

The US stock market rebounded slightly on Wednesday after a positive inflation report, but concerns about President Trump's trade war continued to weigh on investor sentiment. The trade war has already begun to impact some US businesses, and it remains to be seen how it will ultimately affect the economy.