Three astronauts return to Earth after five-and-a-half-month mission

Three astronauts have returned from the International Space Station to the snowy, bitingly cold flat lands of Central Asia. The return came after a five-and-a-half-month mission highlighted by robotic renovations, schoolteacher pep talks and heavenly greetings from Pope Francis. The two Americans and one Russian landed in a Soyuz capsule shortly after sunrise on Wednesday in Kazakhstan, where the temperature was below freezing. Flight controllers feared snow and freezing rain might hamper recovery efforts, but Nasa said the weather was not as bad as had been feared and the pick-up teams got to where they needed to be. Nasa's Joe Acaba and Mark Vande Hei, and Russia's Alexander Misurkin emerged from the capsule one by one, smiling, waving and pumping their fists in the air as they were carried to outdoor chairs. Medical staff wrapped them in thick blankets, while taking their pulse and making sure they were fine. The astronauts checked out of the space station just a few hours earlier, hugging the three men remaining behind. "We're already missing you," radioed station commander Anton Shkaplerov as the capsule backed away. In handing over the skipper's job to Mr Shkaplerov, Mr...