NASA on Friday instructed five of the seven astronauts currently aboard the International Space Station to move into the docked SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft “Freedom” after concerns resurfaced over an air leak inside a Russian section of the station.

The precautionary move came as Russian crews continued repair efforts on cracks detected in a transfer tunnel connected to the station’s Zvezda service module.

NASA also asked astronauts to remain prepared for a possible emergency evacuation if the situation were to deteriorate further. According to reports, mission control issued instructions around 9:04 AM ET directing crew members to enter the docked spacecraft and wear their spacesuits while engineers assessed the severity of the leak.

NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens said the issue involving the Zvezda module’s transfer tunnel, also known as PrK, has been monitored closely for a long time.

“The Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, known as PrK, has suffered from cracks and leaks for some time, and has been mitigated by Roscosmos as much as possible to date,” Stevens said in a social media post.

“The cracks have always been a concern that NASA watches very closely. NASA and Roscosmos have been working to determine the root cause of the cracks, and Roscosmos manages the issue through operational mitigation measures and periodic partial repair efforts,” she added.

The warning reportedly applied to four members of NASA’s current crew aboard the station, including two American astronauts, one French astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut.

Later, mission control informed the crew that they could step back from the emergency “safe haven” configuration once Russian teams completed pressure and leak measurements on Friday, according to CBS News.

The issue surrounding the air leaks has been a growing concern for several years as cracks inside Russia’s Zvezda service module continued to pose safety questions for both NASA and Roscosmos.

The two agencies have reportedly been engaged in discussions for months over how to permanently address the small but persistent leaks inside the orbital laboratory.

The transfer tunnel where the leaks were detected is considered a small but critical section of the football field sized space station.

Roscosmos reportedly noticed a gradual pressure drop in the tunnel following the arrival of a Russian cargo spacecraft last month. Since then, both agencies have relied on temporary operational measures and repair attempts to control the issue.

Although the leak was described as relatively minor, Reuters cited an anonymous senior NASA official who said the amount of air escaping had doubled in recent months, increasing from roughly one pound of air per day to about two pounds daily.

NASA said it continues to work closely with Russian officials and other international partners supporting the ISS programme in hopes of finding a long term solution.

Roscosmos later confirmed that inspections identified two separate leaks inside the module. One of them has already been sealed, and the agency stated that there is currently no immediate danger to the crew aboard the station.

Kim Jong Un has revealed what North Korean state media described as a newly established nuclear materials production facility, signalling Pyongyang’s continued push to strengthen and expand its nuclear weapons programme at a time of rising geopolitical tensions and renewed speculation over closer ties with China.

According to the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim visited the “newly inaugurated nuclear materials production factory” on Wednesday, although the exact location of the facility was not disclosed.

Images released by KCNA appeared to show Kim touring what analysts believe could be a uranium enrichment site. Experts suggested the facility may be linked to North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear complex, long regarded as the centre of the country’s nuclear development efforts.

The announcement comes amid a volatile international backdrop, with the administration of Donald Trump attempting to preserve ongoing diplomatic efforts with Iran even as tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated in recent days through limited military exchanges.

The instability in West Asia has also reportedly prompted the United States to reposition portions of its military assets away from the Asia Pacific region in recent months.

At the same time, attention has turned toward possible diplomatic developments involving China. Reports have suggested that Xi Jinping could travel to Pyongyang in the coming weeks, potentially marking a major moment in relations between the two allies.

During Xi’s last visit to North Korea in 2019, the Chinese leader had publicly encouraged Kim to make progress in nuclear negotiations with the United States.

Trump and Kim famously held three high profile summits during Trump’s first presidential term, but the talks ultimately failed to produce any lasting agreement on curbing North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

KCNA reported that Kim claimed North Korea’s capacity to produce “weapons grade nuclear materials” had more than doubled over the past five years.

The North Korean leader also reportedly introduced fresh “action guidelines” aimed at accelerating both the qualitative and quantitative expansion of the country’s nuclear forces, although state media did not provide specific details regarding the plans.

Earlier this year, Rafael Grossi warned that North Korea had significantly expanded its ability to produce nuclear weapons and intensified operations across several important facilities.

Yang Moo jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the timing of the announcement appeared deliberate.

“With Iran’s nuclear ambitions effectively being curtailed, North Korea appears determined to emphasize that it is already a de facto nuclear armed state,” he said.

Public differences between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are increasingly moving into the open as tensions surrounding Iran and Lebanon continue to test relations between Washington and Tel Aviv.

The latest signs of strain emerged after Trump openly revealed that he once called Netanyahu “crazy” during a heated phone exchange, while Netanyahu later admitted that the two leaders occasionally clash over strategy even though they remain aligned on broader goals.

Speaking during an appearance on The New York Post’s podcast “Pod Force One,” Trump said he grew frustrated over Israel’s military actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon, believing the operations were making ongoing diplomatic efforts with Iran more difficult.

Despite the disagreement, Trump attempted to downplay any suggestion of a major fallout.

“We’ve worked very well together. I like Bibi a lot,” Trump said during the interview.

Netanyahu, speaking separately to CNBC, also acknowledged that there are occasional differences between the two leaders but insisted the relationship remains stable.

“He respects me. I respect him. We always find a way to work out our differences,” Netanyahu said.

The Israeli leader described the disagreements as largely tactical rather than ideological, saying both governments still share “common goals” and remain aligned on key regional priorities.

Mounting pressure over Iran conflict
Trump’s comments also highlighted the growing pressure facing his administration as negotiations linked to Iran drag on amid rising global economic concerns.

With oil prices climbing and uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz affecting international markets, the White House has faced increasing demands to prevent a wider regional escalation.

Complicating matters further is the expanding confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah along the Lebanon border, which has become deeply tied to the broader Iran crisis.

Iran has reportedly insisted that any future ceasefire or diplomatic breakthrough must also address the fighting involving Hezbollah, effectively linking both conflicts together.

Israel and Lebanon agree to fragile new arrangement
Amid those tensions, Israel and Lebanon announced on Wednesday that they had agreed to renew a fragile ceasefire framework and create several experimental security zones inside Lebanese territory where Hezbollah fighters would not be allowed to operate.

The understanding emerged after a fourth round of US mediated talks held at the State Department in Washington.

According to a joint statement, the arrangement depends on a complete halt to Hezbollah attacks and the withdrawal of Hezbollah personnel from areas south of the Litani River near the Israel Lebanon border.

Under the proposed arrangement, the Lebanese army would gradually assume control over those areas.

The statement described the move as an important step towards achieving broader regional stability and long term security arrangements.

It also stressed that decisions regarding Lebanon’s future should remain solely in the hands of the sovereign governments involved, while rejecting outside interference from state or non state actors.

Notably, Hezbollah itself has not directly participated in the negotiations, which have largely taken place through diplomatic representatives since last month.

Another round of talks is reportedly scheduled for the week of June 22 as mediators continue pushing for a more comprehensive agreement.

Trump cautious on timeline for resolution
Trump avoided offering any clear timeline regarding the end of tensions with Iran or the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes.

Asked whether the waterway could remain disrupted through the Labor Day holiday in September, Trump said he believed the situation would likely stabilise sooner.

“I think this will resolve itself fairly quickly,” he said, while acknowledging uncertainty around the situation.

Trump also claimed that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei remains directly involved in ongoing negotiations.

Earlier this week, Israel and Lebanon had already reached another US backed understanding under which Israel agreed to avoid targeting Beirut’s southern suburbs while Hezbollah committed to suspending attacks on northern Israel.

The broader conflict has continued to exact a heavy human cost. According to Lebanese authorities, more than 3,400 people have been killed in Lebanon while approximately 1.2 million have been displaced since hostilities escalated.

Israeli officials, meanwhile, say at least 27 soldiers and a defence contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon, alongside two civilian deaths in northern Israel.