(AP) --- The U.S. military’s X-37B space plane blasted off Thursday on another secretive mission that’s expected to last at least a couple of years.

Like previous missions, the reusable plane resembling a mini space shuttle carried classified experiments. There’s no one on board.

The space plane took off aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at night, more than two weeks late because of technical issues.

It marked the seventh flight of an X-37B, which has logged more than 10 years in orbit since its debut in 2010.

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York federal judge scheduled to preside over the bribery trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez rejected on Thursday a defense request to delay the start of jury selection from May to July.

Judge Sidney H. Stein’s order leaves in place a May 5 trial date in Manhattan for the New Jersey Democrat, who faces trial along with his wife and three New Jersey businessmen.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A large pool of dark liquid festering on the floor. No fresh air. Computer displays that would overheat and ooze out a fishy-smelling gel that nauseated the crew. Asbestos readings 50 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety standards.

These are just some of the past toxic risks that were in the underground capsules and silos where Air Force nuclear missile crews have worked since the 1960s. Now many of those service members have cancer.

WASHINGTON/MADRID/ROME, Dec 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden hoped to present a firm international response to Yemen's Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping by launching a new maritime force, but a week after its launch many allies don't want to be associated with it, publicly, or at all.

Two of America's European allies who were listed as contributors to Operation Prosperity Guardian - Italy and Spain - issued statements appearing to distance themselves from the maritime force.

Dec 29 (Reuters) - Iran executed on Friday four people, including a woman, whom it accused of being "saboteurs" with links to Israel's Mossad intelligence service, the Mizan news agency affiliated to the judiciary said.

The executions took to five the number of people put to death this month in a decades-long shadow war that has seen Iran accuse Israel of attacks on its nuclear effort, charges the latter has never confirmed or denied.

CARACAS, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday ordered a "joint military action" by the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) in eastern Venezuela amid what he described as a "threat" from Britain.

The stationing of a British military ship in the waters of neighboring Guyana represents a breaking of the recent agreement Venezuela reached with the Guyanese government during the dialogue on Dec. 14, said Maduro during a New Year's greeting speech to military personnel.

BEIJING, Dec 28 (Reuters) - China's defence ministry lashed out at the United States on Thursday, a week after their top military officials resumed high-level talks, criticising its continued meddling in the Asia Pacific region and saying it maintained a "Cold War" mindset.

Both sides had pledged at the talks to work towards restoration of contacts to avert miscalculation and misunderstanding, with the U.S. calling for "more work" to ensure military communications stayed open and reliable.

JAKARTA, Dec 29 (Reuters) - An Indonesian navy vessel in Aceh drove away a boat carrying Rohingya from Myanmar, a military spokesperson said, as growing numbers of would-be refugees from the strife-torn country face hostility from locals.

The wooden boat was encountered in waters near Weh Island, off Sumatra, military spokesperson Nugraha Gumilar said.

The Indonesian military vessel "shadowed" the vessel, which it believed to be carrying the Rohingya, a persecuted Myanmar Muslim-minority, until it was outside Indonesian waters and "would not return".

BEIJING, Dec. 29 (APP): ”The Chinese PLA Southern Theatre Command hosted the China-Arab states special operations and counter-terrorism seminar from December 26 to 30 in Guangzhou City of south China’s Guangdong Province.

ROME, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Italy has experienced a record-setting number of extreme weather events in 2023, a year that is set to be the warmest in more than 150 years, reports said on Thursday.

According to the climate observatory run by the environmental lobby group Legambiente, Italy reported 378 severe weather events in 2023, an increase of 22 percent compared to last year -- ranging from heatwaves to drought and from hailstorms to floods and extreme winds, which were directly responsible for at least 31 deaths.

TEL AVIV, December 29. /TASS/: Israel is negotiating the release of hostages held by the radical Palestinian movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the relatives of the hostages.

KINSHASA, Dec 28 (Reuters) - The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Thursday refused opposition calls for a re-run of disputed elections, as the main observer mission reported "numerous irregularities" that could undermine some results.

Provisional results issued so far from the Dec. 20 general election show President Felix Tshisekedi with a commanding lead, but his opponents have demanded they be annulled, citing widespread issues with the roll-out and tabulation of the vote.