At least 23 people have been killed and more than 300 injured in ongoing clashes that broke out June 10 in Osh, Kyrgyzstan's second largest city, between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbek residents. Mobs of armed men have reportedly torched Uzbek neighborhoods. A state of emergency has been declared and armored vehicles are patrolling the city's streets. With security forces overwhelmed, Kyrgyzstan's interim government has appealed to retired police and army officers to travel to the southern city to help restore order. "Exchanges of fire are continuing and you can hear them everywhere, several buildings are in flames, people are frightened," a government spokesman told AFP. (AP, AFP, June 12)

A panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on June 9 ruled that New York City can withhold documents related to the arrest of 1,800 protesters during the 2004 Republican National Convention. The appeals court held that the lower court had abused its discretion in ordering the release of the documents. The city alleged that the documents were not discoverable due to law enforcement privilege.

New York City reached a settlement June 10 with the 10,000 rescue and cleanup workers who became sick or injured from responding to the 9-11 attacks. The agreement follows two failed settlement attempts between the parties. The city's insurer, WTC Captive Insurance Company, has agreed to pay the plaintiffs $712.5 million, up from its previous offers of $575 million and $657.5 million. Also, the plaintiffs' lawyers will reduce their legal fees from 33.33% to a maximum of 25%, giving their clients an extra $50 million.

A group of schoolchildren marked the lead-up to International Children's Day in Erbil June 9 with a protest against Iranian shelling of Iraqi Kurdistan. The children gathered outside the city's Iranian consulate to chant "No, no to war. Yes, yes to peace" and "Stop the shelling of Iraqi Kurdistan." They then handed in a letter to the consular officials, reading: "We as the children of Kurdistan want the immediate cessation of the Iranian artillery shelling of Kurdish villages of South Kurdistan. The artillery shelling kills people, scars children, displaces villagers. That is why we urge the Iranian regime to stop the bombardment of South Kurdistan border areas. In solidarity with the children, affected by this bombardment of Iranian artillery shelling, we, the Children of Erbil will not be going to celebrate the 'Children's International Day'." (Kurdish Media, June 9)

The Bolivian National Congress on June 8 advanced legislation that would create an independent justice system for indigenous communities. The Law of Judicial Authority, passed by the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Congress, would create a system of "communal justice" that would expedite the settlement of disputes and end the "colonization of justice," according to supporters.

Hunt Oil of Texas inaugurated its new $3.8 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant at Melchorita Pampa on the Peruvian coast just south of Lima June 10, with President Alan Garcia attending the ceremony. The first shipments of LNG from the plant are scheduled to take place within the next few days, when a specially equipped tanker will set sail for a regasification plant in Baja California, Mexico. Ray Hunt, Hunt Oil's chief executive, told Dow Jones: "This project will serve as an example to the world that Peru is a very attractive place for foreign investment. Capital can go anywhere in the world with the push of a computer button, but investment capital only goes where it is appreciated."

In a 24-hour paro (protest campaign) jointly called by the Cusco Irrigation Board and the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Agrarian Federation (FARCTAC), campesinos blocked roads across Peru's Cusco region June 8 to demand the reconstruction of irrigation infrastructure that was destroyed in the heavy rainfalls and floods that devastated the region in January. Access was blocked to the neighboring regions of Apurímac, Puno and Madre de Dios.

Retired Colombian army colonel Alfonso Plazas Vega was sentenced to 30 years in prison June 9 for his role in the forced disappearance of 11 civilians in the 1985 army siege of the Palace of Justice, which had been taken over by M-19 guerrillas. The Bogotá judge stated that although Vega did not directly commit the crimes, he was the commander of the military during the raid and was therefore responsible for the actions of his men. Vega was found to have ordered the 11 civilians who escaped from the besieged building to a nearby military school, after which they disappeared.