Florida

Ailing astronaut returns to Earth

CAPE CANAVERAL — An ailing astronaut is back on Earth. The crew of four returned Thursday, ending their space station mission more than a month early in NASA’s first medical evacuation.

SpaceX guided the capsule to a middle-of-the-night splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego. It was an unexpected finish to a mission that began in August and left the International Space Station with only three on board.

Arizona

Ex-Senator sued by bodyguard’s ex-wife

PHOENIX — Former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema allegedly had a romantic relationship with a member of her security detail, leading to the breakup of his marriage. His ex-wife claims in a lawsuit that Sinema pursued Matthew Ammel despite knowing he was married. The lawsuit, filed in North Carolina, seeks at least $75,000 from Sinema.

It alleges Ammel’s wife discovered messages between him and Sinema in early 2024. Sinema allegedly gave Ammel a job in her Senate office and paid for psychedelic treatment for him. Sinema and her attorney have not commented on the allegations.

New York

City’s striking nurses resume talks

NEW YORK — New York City nurses on strike are resuming negotiations with hospital administrators to try to bring an end to a walkout that’s in its fourth day.

The two sides haven’t met since Sunday, as roughly 15,000 unionized nurses went on strike at three major hospital systems Monday. But the New York State Nurses Association said its bargaining members meet with their counterparts at NewYork-Presbyterian starting Thursday evening.

Ukraine

Residents endure freezing temps

BORYSPIL — Officials say emergency repair crews are

working tirelessly to restore power in the Kyiv region of Ukraine. Russian attacks on energy infrastructure have left Ukrainians facing the coldest winter in years. In Boryspil, workers are

dismantling and rebuilding burned-out electrical systems.

The supply has been restored for four hours a day, but the system collapses when power returns as people rush to use appliances.

Cuba

Remains of 32 officers repatriated

HAVANA — The bodies of 32 Cuban officers killed during a stunning U.S. attack on Venezuela have been repatriated to their homeland. Cuban soldiers wearing white gloves marched out of a plane carrying urns with their remains as trumpets and drums played solemnly at Havana’s airport.

Thousands of Cubans lined one of Havana’s most iconic streets to await the remains as the island remained under threat by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

United Kingdom

Wikipedia inks several AI deals

LONDON — Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia written by volunteers, is embracing artificial intelligence to mark its 25th anniversary. The site has signed up new AI partners, including Meta and Microsoft, alongside existing ones with companies like Google.

Wikipedia plans to use AI to assist editors and improve search experiences, while addressing criticism of bias and competition from rivals like Grokipedia.