World

HANOI, Vietnam – Vietnam’s military has temporarily grounded Vietnam War-era U.S.-built helicopters after a crash killed four personnel. The UH-1 “Huey” chopper crashed in farmland on Wednesday soon after taking off from Ho Chi Minh City on a training flight. Army Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Vo Van Tuan …

BANGKOK – Thai police say they have arrested six people accused of being part of a conspiracy to slander the country’s monarchy on the Internet. Police say the six belong to a group called the Banpodj Network which allegedly spread anti-monarchy propaganda over social media. A police statement on Tuesday …

UNITED NATIONS – A North Korean defector whose memoir describes his meeting with Kim Jong Il says the world’s intense focus on the regime’s human rights record fails to see the full scope of its inhumanity to its people. Jang Jin-sung, who says he tossed away his once-cherished lapel pin …

MOSCOW – Data released by Twitter shows that Russia nearly tripled its requests in the past six months to remove posts critical of the government. Twitter said in its report late on Monday that it received 89 removal requests in July-December from governmental agencies compared to 32 six months earlier …

BRUSSELS – European Union lawmakers are demanding the immediate release from jail of a Saudi blogger sentenced to be flogged 50 times a week over several months for insulting Islam. The parliamentarians condemned Raif Badawi’s flogging as a “cruel and shocking act.” Thursday’s resolution was passed by 460 votes to …

SANAA, Yemen – Supporters of Yemen’s former President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi have seized radio and television buildings in the southern city of Aden after they accused security forces of working for Shiite rebels who control the capital. Security officials say one soldier and two Hadi supporters were killed in …

BUCHAREST, Romania – Romania’s president has named a political ally as head of the country’s intelligence service. President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday named Eduard Hellvig, a European Parliament lawmaker, to the position after the previous chief resigned criticizing the country’s top court for rejecting security laws that allowed the government …

CAIRO – Amnesty International says Egypt’s military failed to take necessary precautions to avoid civilian casualties during airstrikes last week against what Cairo said were militant targets in Libya. Egypt launched the strikes following the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in the Libyan city of Sirte by militants affiliated …

RABAT, Morocco – Morocco’s Interior Ministry has announced a ban on the import of drones and remote-controlled flying objects in general, citing security concerns. The statement Wednesday said the ban had taken effect two days earlier and was due to threats to security and property and the invasion of privacy. …

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis’ finance czar has defended the expenditures of his office following reports it had racked up a half-million euros ($575,000) in bills in the last six months. Australian Cardinal George Pell’s office has been insisting on a spending review elsewhere in the Vatican. A spokesman for …