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The top photos of the day by AP's photojournalists

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The top photos of the day by AP's photojournalists
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News

The top photos of the day by AP's photojournalists

2025-09-18 10:04 Last Updated At:10:10

From front-page news to powerful moments you may have missed, this gallery showcases today’s top photos chosen by Associated Press photo editors.

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A model wears a design by Palomo backstage before the brand's show at Fashion Week in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

A model wears a design by Palomo backstage before the brand's show at Fashion Week in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. reacts after being hit by a pitch thrown by Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Luke Jackson during the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. reacts after being hit by a pitch thrown by Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Luke Jackson during the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Displaced Palestinians flee Gaza City by foot and vehicles, carrying their belongings along the coastal road toward southern Gaza, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Displaced Palestinians flee Gaza City by foot and vehicles, carrying their belongings along the coastal road toward southern Gaza, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A Pennsylvania state police trooper patrols a road after multiple police officers were shot and killed on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in North Codorus, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

A Pennsylvania state police trooper patrols a road after multiple police officers were shot and killed on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in North Codorus, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

A couple walk past an image of Jesus Christ and the words 'Peace be with you!' inscribed on the column of the Lutheran Annenkirche Church in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

A couple walk past an image of Jesus Christ and the words 'Peace be with you!' inscribed on the column of the Lutheran Annenkirche Church in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Children bathe at a makeshift shelter for people displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Children bathe at a makeshift shelter for people displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Italy's Mattia Furlani competes in the men's long jump final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Italy's Mattia Furlani competes in the men's long jump final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

United States' Katie Moon celebrates after clearing a height to win the women's pole vault final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

United States' Katie Moon celebrates after clearing a height to win the women's pole vault final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Danish military forces participate in an exercise with hundreds of troops from several European NATO members in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Danish military forces participate in an exercise with hundreds of troops from several European NATO members in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Protesters wear masks of politicians during a demonstration of the Stop Trump Coalition group against President Donald Trump's state visit in London, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Protesters wear masks of politicians during a demonstration of the Stop Trump Coalition group against President Donald Trump's state visit in London, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

President Donald Trump and Britain's King Charles III review the Guard of Honour after the arrival at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool)

President Donald Trump and Britain's King Charles III review the Guard of Honour after the arrival at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool)

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A model wears a design by Palomo backstage before the brand's show at Fashion Week in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

A model wears a design by Palomo backstage before the brand's show at Fashion Week in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. reacts after being hit by a pitch thrown by Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Luke Jackson during the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. reacts after being hit by a pitch thrown by Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Luke Jackson during the eighth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Displaced Palestinians flee Gaza City by foot and vehicles, carrying their belongings along the coastal road toward southern Gaza, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Displaced Palestinians flee Gaza City by foot and vehicles, carrying their belongings along the coastal road toward southern Gaza, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A Pennsylvania state police trooper patrols a road after multiple police officers were shot and killed on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in North Codorus, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

A Pennsylvania state police trooper patrols a road after multiple police officers were shot and killed on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in North Codorus, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

A couple walk past an image of Jesus Christ and the words 'Peace be with you!' inscribed on the column of the Lutheran Annenkirche Church in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

A couple walk past an image of Jesus Christ and the words 'Peace be with you!' inscribed on the column of the Lutheran Annenkirche Church in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Children bathe at a makeshift shelter for people displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Children bathe at a makeshift shelter for people displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

Italy's Mattia Furlani competes in the men's long jump final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Italy's Mattia Furlani competes in the men's long jump final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

United States' Katie Moon celebrates after clearing a height to win the women's pole vault final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

United States' Katie Moon celebrates after clearing a height to win the women's pole vault final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Danish military forces participate in an exercise with hundreds of troops from several European NATO members in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Danish military forces participate in an exercise with hundreds of troops from several European NATO members in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Protesters wear masks of politicians during a demonstration of the Stop Trump Coalition group against President Donald Trump's state visit in London, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Protesters wear masks of politicians during a demonstration of the Stop Trump Coalition group against President Donald Trump's state visit in London, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

President Donald Trump and Britain's King Charles III review the Guard of Honour after the arrival at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool)

President Donald Trump and Britain's King Charles III review the Guard of Honour after the arrival at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An ailing astronaut returned to Earth with three others on 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, less than 11 hours after the astronauts exited the International Space Station.

“It’s so good to be home,” said NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, the capsule commander.

It was an unexpected finish to a mission that began in August and left the orbiting lab with only one American and two Russians on board. NASA and SpaceX said they would try to move up the launch of a fresh crew of four; liftoff is currently targeted for mid-February.

Cardman and NASA’s Mike Fincke were joined on the return by Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. Officials have refused to identify the astronaut who had the health problem or explain what happened, citing medical privacy.

While the astronaut was stable in orbit, NASA wanted them back on Earth as soon as possible to receive proper care and diagnostic testing. The entry and splashdown required no special changes or accommodations, officials said, and the recovery ship had its usual allotment of medical experts on board. It was not immediately known when the astronauts would fly from California to their home base in Houston. Platonov’s return to Moscow was also unclear.

NASA stressed repeatedly over the past week that this was not an emergency. The astronaut fell sick or was injured on Jan. 7, prompting NASA to call off the next day’s spacewalk by Cardman and Fincke, and ultimately resulting in the early return. It was the first time NASA cut short a spaceflight for medical reasons. The Russians had done so decades ago.

The space station has gotten by with three astronauts before, sometimes even with just two. NASA said it will be unable to perform a spacewalk, even for an emergency, until the arrival of the next crew, which has two Americans, one French and one Russian astronaut.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

This screengrab from video provided by NASA TV shows the SpaceX Dragon departing from the International Space Station shortly after undocking with four NASA Crew-11 members inside on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This screengrab from video provided by NASA TV shows the SpaceX Dragon departing from the International Space Station shortly after undocking with four NASA Crew-11 members inside on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This photo provided by NASA shows clockwise from bottom left are, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui gathering for a crew portrait wearing their Dragon pressure suits during a suit verification check inside the International Space Station’s Kibo laboratory module, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This photo provided by NASA shows clockwise from bottom left are, NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui gathering for a crew portrait wearing their Dragon pressure suits during a suit verification check inside the International Space Station’s Kibo laboratory module, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows recovery vessels approaching the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 capsule to evacuate one of the crew members after they re-entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows recovery vessels approaching the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 capsule to evacuate one of the crew members after they re-entered the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 members re entering the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 members re entering the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 members re entering the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)

This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 members re entering the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)

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