mexico
11 Die in Army Helicopter Crash
A Mexican army helicopter crashed during anti-narcotics operations in western Mexico on Friday, killing 11 soldiers.
The Bell 212 helicopter went down about midday in a rural area in Michoacan state, a major front in the government's army-led war against drug cartels. Officials did not give the cause of the crash.
"There are 11 men dead, including a colonel, and one soldier was injured," a spokesman for the state attorney general's office said.
Eyewitnesses said they heard the aircraft's engine cut out as it tried to land. "The motor stopped and the helicopter plummeted to the ground," a resident said.
China
Dozens Arrested in Restive West
Dozens of ethnic Tibetans have been arrested following a new protest in a restive region of western China, local residents and an activist group reported Friday.
More than 100 ethnic Tibetans, including Buddhist monks and laypeople, were detained after Thursday's protest in Tongren county, Qinghai province, the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy reported. The demonstrators were calling for the release of detained Buddhist clergy.
Anti-government protests have sprung up throughout Tibetan-populated areas of western China since demonstrations in Lhasa turned violent on March 14, leaving 22 dead by official count.
thailand
Premier Hails Olympic Torch
The prime minister said Friday that Thais should be honored that the Olympic torch is passing through their country and that protesters would be "crazy and unreasonable" to disrupt the relay.
The torch arrived in the morning under tight security and was whisked to a luxury hotel. Thailand's crown princess welcomed the flame, which runners are to carry through Bangkok on Saturday.
German air ambulance is similar to the military variant that crashed.
Eleven people have died after a military helicopter crashed during an anti-narcotics flight in Western Mexico. The Bell 212 went down near Uruapan in Michoacan.

Michoacan is a major area in Mexico's anti-narcotics operations, which are conducted by the nation's military. The rotorcraft went down around midday. Police cordoned off the scene and forensic officers have moved in to examine the site. The Defense Department is investigating.

A statement by the military confirmed the crash. "There are 11 men dead, including a colonel, and one soldier was injured," said a state attorney general's office spokesman. The wounded soldier, who was the sole survivor, was flown to a Mexico City military hospital, and remains there in a serious condition.

Although authorities released no crash details, witnesses say the helicopter lost power during attempts to land. "The motor stopped and the helicopter plummeted to the ground," said one local resident named Agustin Vargas. The flight had been headed to a marijuana field with the intention of raiding it.