Kazakhstan: Russians, Belgian leave space station

A Russian space capsule carrying two cosmonauts and Belgium’s first astronaut separated from the international space station today and came back to Earth.

The crew of Capt. Sergei Zaletin, Belgian first flight engineer Frank de Winne of the European Space Agency, and second flight engineer Yuri Lonchakov, landed about 180 miles southwest of Astana, the Kazakh capital.

The mission comes amid concern that Russia may reduce its contribution to the international space station in connection with the U.S. decision to cut funding for the project.

While the Soyuz capsule was heading back to Earth, NASA was preparing for the Monday blastoff of the space shuttle Endeavour on a mission to deliver a fresh crew and another building block for the station.

Yemen: Al-Qaida suspect mourned at funeral

A top al-Qaida suspect killed in a CIA missile strike this week was buried in Yemen on Saturday, security officials said.

Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi, described by U.S. and Yemeni officials as al-Qaida’s chief operative in Yemen, was killed on Tuesday together with five other men after a CIA Predator drone aircraft fired a missile at their car.

The funeral took place in Shabwah, 218 miles east of San’a. About 40 people took part in the procession, most of them family and friends.

Al-Harethi, who was in his mid-40s, was believed to have coordinated the October 2000 attack on the USS Cole in Aden, which killed 17 U.S. sailors.

Togo: Rebel leaders pull out of Ivory Coast talks

The leaders of a seven-week insurgency that has left hundreds dead in Ivory Coast withdrew from peace talks Saturday in response to the slaying of a rebel leader’s brother in government-held territory.

Rebel leader Guillaume Soro accused the government of fostering a “reign of terror” and said the insurgents would return to the talks only if President Laurent Gbagbo pledged to guarantee security in the country. A government response was not immediately available.

The rebels say they are fighting to protect the rights of predominantly Muslim northern Ivorians.

Ecuador: Contaminated water leads to child’s death

One child has died and more than 1,000 people have fallen ill in an Ecuadorean city after drinking water was contaminated by cow manure from farm runoff.

Nearly 1,200 people in the city of Ibarra, 50 miles north of Quito, have been treated for diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration, Ibarra hospital director Jose Albuja said Saturday.

The water was contaminated when water tainted with cow manure penetrated a broken drinking water pipeline.