WORLD BRIEFS

BRITAIN/Spy chief defends secrecy

Britain's spy agency chief stepped out of the shadows with an unprecedented public address, defending the need for secrecy to counter growing terror threats such as Iran's nuclear proliferation. MI6 chief John Sawers said Thursday even though Cold War-era secrecy has been lifted and intelligence agencies were working to become more accessible, keeping intelligence material secret was vital to protect people against terror attacks. The question of secrecy has dominated world news after WikiLeaks published nearly 400,000 U.S. intelligence logs detailing daily carnage in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

RUSSIA/Eruptions disrupt flights

Two volcanoes erupted Thursday on Russia's far-eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, tossing massive ash clouds miles into the air, forcing flights to divert and blanketing one town with thick, heavy ash. The Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Eurasia's highest active volcano, exploded along with the Shiveluch volcano, 45 miles to the northeast, the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry's branch in Kamchatka said. Ash clouds from the remote volcanoes billowed up to 33,000 feet and were spreading east across the Pacific Ocean, vulcanologist Sergei Senyukov told Rossiya 24 television. Scientists warned that ashes will likely continue falling on the area for at least 10 days.

MEXICO/Six gunned down in capital

Armed men rumbled into a gritty neighborhood of the Mexican capital Thursday and gunned down six men hanging around a convenience store, fueling fears that one of the world's largest cities is falling prey to the cartel-style violence that has long terrorized other parts of the country. The Mexico City shooting has raised alarm among residents about a drug war that has long seemed distant. But Mexico City Attorney General Miguel Angel Mancera said he did not know if drug gangs were involved in the middle-of-the night shooting in Tepito. Drug dealing is rampant in Tepito, but Mancera said there also have been problems with disputes among carjacking gangs.