An April 13 NATO airstrike in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province killed six civilians, including two children, and wounded 14 more, charged Zalmay Yousufzai, governor of Watapor district, saying that helicopters destroyed one house and damaged several others. NATO officials confirmed the raid, but said that only insurgents had been killed. (NYT, April 13)

After a five-day visit to Chile the week of April 6, United Nations special rapporteur for indigenous rights James Anaya said there was evidence that police agents use excessive violence against the indigenous Mapuche communities, which make up about 4% of Chile's population. Chilean human rights groups and international organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have reported that the police break up Mapuche street protests violently and have raided Mapuche communities without proper authorization.

On the night of April 8 US federal prosecutors filed an 11-count indictment in El Paso, Texas, charging that Cuban-born former US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) "asset" Luis Posada Carriles perjured himself and obstructed justice in 2005 when he told immigration authorities he was not involved in the bombing of two Havana hotels in 1997; Italian tourist Fabio di Celmo was killed in one of the attacks, at the Copacabana Hotel. Posada was quoted in a 1998 New York Times article as saying that he was in fact involved, and there is speculation that federal agents have found additional information linking him to the attacks. A New Jersey grand jury has also been investigating the bombings, although no charges have been filed in that case. Posada is scheduled to go on trial before US district judge Kathleen Cardone in El Paso on Aug. 10.

At least 5,000 workers have been laid off recently in free trade zone (FTZ) factories in the Dominican Republic's Santiago province, according to the United Unions Federation, which is made up of 38 unions in the northern Dominican Republic. FTZs are industrial parks for tax-exempt assembly plants producing for export. The job cuts included layoffs of 1,000 workers at FM Industries, which makes pants for export to the US, on April 7; the dismissal of 2,000 workers by a plant that made cigars for export to the US and Europe; and the loss of 600 jobs when a footwear company closed after 50 years in business. (Latin American Herald Tribune, April 9 from EFE)

A spokesperson for the Iranian Judiciary announced April 14 that an imprisoned US journalist has been tried on espionage charges. The Revolutionary Court of Iran conducted the trial of Roxana Saberi, accused of passing classified information to US intelligence agencies, in proceedings closed to the public.

US Army Sgt. John Hatley entered a plea of not guilty to murder charges at his court-martial April 13 for the killing of four unarmed Iraqi prisoners in 2007. Hatley, along with Sgt. Michael Leahy, Jr. and Sgt. 1st Class John Mayo, was charged in September with premeditated murder, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. Hatley also faces murder charges for a separate killing of a prisoner during early January 2007. The trial opened at a US military base in Germany, with a verdict expected later this week. If convicted, Hatley could face life in prison.

The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the April 12 killing of Sitara Achakzai, a women's rights advocate in Afghanistan and a member of Kandahar's provincial assembly. Achakzai, who had returned to Afghanistan to fight for women's rights after living in Germany during the Taliban's rule, was shot outside her home after being approached by gunmen on motorcycles.

At least six paramilitary troops of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) were killed in India's eastern Orissa state after dozens of Maoist guerillas attacked a NALCO bauxite mine April 12. Four guerillas also died in the nine-hour battle in the Panchpatmali area. Police said they rescued 150 people trapped by the fighting. The Naxalite guerillas apparently sought to steal explosives from the mine but fled without them, police said. (One India, BBC News, April 13) On April 10, a Naxalite ambush on a jungle patrol in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh state left 10 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troops dead, including a deputy commandant. (PTI, April 10)