Russia

Chechens down helicopter; 14 killed

Chechen insurgents stormed into a neighboring Russian region on Thursday, shooting down a Russian military helicopter and killing at least 14 servicemen on the ground in a fierce firefight.

The outbreak of fighting in Ingushetia, which borders Chechnya, represents a widening of the battleground in the Chechen war, while the third downing of a Russian aircraft in just more than one month underlines the Russian military’s failure to cut off weapon supplies to the rebels.

The rebel attack could be the final provocation leading Russia to launch attacks in neighboring Georgia, which it accuses of failing to take effective action against Chechen rebels allegedly based there, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said.

Toronto

Motorcycle gang raid results in arrests

Dozens of Outlaws motorcycle gang members, including some top leaders, were arrested in raids on biker clubhouses in Canada and the United States, police said Thursday.

Charges against the suspects include attempted murder, drug trafficking and weapons violations.

Canadian police said they had recovered five stolen motorcycles, one stolen pickup truck, 44 firearms and more than $1 million in illegal drugs during the three-year investigation that led to the raids.

Venezuela

Thousands protest security zones

Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets Thursday to protest a decree giving the government the authority to ban protests in several areas of this capital city.

At least 15,000 people rallied in front of the offices of state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela, where police last week dispersed about 200 protesters with rubber bullets and tear gas, injuring 30 people.

The area is one of the government’s eight restricted zones for demonstrations but President Hugo Chavez’s government decided to authorize Thursday’s protest to avoid violence.

A period of fierce civil unrest culminated in an April 12-14 coup that temporarily ousted Chavez and left dozens dead in protests and rioting. Since then, Chavez has faced steady opposition to his administration.