The Basque separatist group ETA announced a permanent cease-fire March 22 that brought to an end a 38-year campaign for independence from Spain that claimed at least 800 lives. The cease-fire was broken in December. 
The Mount Merapi volcano spewing thick smoke near Kaliadem in Central Java, on May 14. Dozens of Indonesian villagers returned to their homes on Mount Merapi despite an official order to evacuate over concerns the volcano would erupt.
President George W. Bush authorized 700 miles, or 1,126 kilometers, of new fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border October 26 in an effort to halt illegal immigration.
