SOUTH AMERICA

FORMER PRESIDENT OF ECUADOR BEGINS LIFE IN EXILE

Ecuador’s former president began his life in exile in Brazil yesterday, ending a four-day drama that began when protesters accusing him of abuse of power drove him from office and forced him to take refuge in the Brazilian ambassador’s residence. A police vehicle whisked Lucio Gutierrez out of the Quito residence through its back entrance before dawn yesterday to avoid protesters, and he arrived in Brazil’s capital seven hours later on an air force jet, a Brazilian military spokesman, Vladomiro Fagundes, said.

– Associated Press

PERSIAN GULF

U.S. FORCES ARREST FOUR MORE SUSPECTS IN HELICOPTER CRASH

American forces arrested four more suspects in Thursday’s downing of a civilian helicopter north of Baghdad, bringing the number apprehended so far to 10, the military said yesterday. All 11 passengers and crew were killed, including one shot by insurgents. American soldiers from Task Force Baghdad, working with Iraqi security forces, detained the suspects during the past 24 hours, a military statement said. Iraqi civilians helped American forces locate the first six suspects, who were captured early Saturday, the military said.

– Associated Press

MIDDLE EAST

LAST OF SYRIAN TROOPS SCHEDULED TO LEAVE LEBANON

The last Syrian troops were scheduled to leave Lebanon yesterday after 29 years, a senior Lebanese military officer said, as Damascus yields to fierce international and domestic pressure after the assassination of the former prime minister, Rafik Hariri. The announcement came as the largest number of Syrian troops to leave Lebanon in one batch vacated at least 10 positions in the northern part of the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon Saturday night. Under pouring rain, dozens of trucks carrying hundreds of soldiers and at least 150 armored vehicles towing cannons and rocket launchers were seen heading to the Lebanese-Syrian Masnaa border point, witnesses said.

– Associated Press

CENTRAL ASIA

SPACE CAPSULE LANDS SAFELY IN KAZAKHSTAN

A space capsule carrying an American-Russian-Italian crew landed safely on the steppes of northern Kazakhstan early today, following a mission aboard the international space station. Helicopters spotted the Russian capsule as it floated toward its designated arrival site about 50 miles north of the Kazakh town of Arkalyk and made a soft landing, upright. Space officials and medical staff traveled to the landing site to welcome American Leroy Chiao, Russian Salizhan Sharipov, and Italian Roberto Vittori.

– Associated Press