Nineteen U.N. police officers were wounded yesterday when they tried to quell a riot by hundreds of Serbs in this ethnically divided Kosovo town, a U.N. spokesman said.

One officer was in serious condition, said Stefan Feller, the commander of U.N. police in Kosovo. The clash was the most serious incident in months in the troubled town.

The rioting began when U.N. police arrested Slavoljub Jovic-Pagi, a leader of a hard-line group known as the "bridge guards," said Marko Jaksic, a Serb community leader.

The "bridge guards" have previously tried to prevent ethnic Albanians and Serbs from crossing a bridge that divides Kosovska Mitrovica between the two rival ethnic communities.

John Neil, the head of U.N. police in the town, said a crowd formed when U.N. police set up a checkpoint for vehicles in the Serb part of the town and that some people began throwing stones at the officers.

Neil said one Serb was arrested because he was throwing stones and telling others to do so.

Space shuttle Atlantis thundered into orbit yesterday with a new part for the international space station, a 44-foot section of latticework that is equipped with a railcar and track.

Atlantis and its seven astronauts soared into a clear sky at 4:44 p.m., four days late because of a leaky fuel line on the launch pad that had to be repaired. Gusty wind had threatened another delay but eased by launch time.

NASA also worked around a last-minute technical problem and sent Atlantis on its way with just 11 seconds to spare in its five-minute launch window.

"You spent a few extra days in Florida, but it's time for you guys to take a ride," launch director Mike Leinbach told the astronauts shortly before liftoff. "So we wish you luck."

"We'll see you back here in about 11 days," replied shuttle commander Michael Bloomfield.

Security at the launch site was tight, as it has been for all shuttle launches since Sept. 11, with fighter jets and attack helicopters on the lookout for intruders in no-fly and no-sail zones. Two small planes violated the air space and were escorted out by F-15s; a ship was also chased away.

A new NASA security policy kept the astronauts' whereabouts under wraps until they arrived at the pad. Only then was a video of the crew's breakfast, suit-up and departure for the pad - normally seen live - broadcast by the space agency.

A group of judges is recommending that the Arizona Supreme Court establish an office to set certification and training requirements for court interpreters.

The request by the Arizona Minority Judges Caucus stems from a study done by the group that raised concerns about the quality of court interpreters in Arizona, concluding the state falls "woefully behind other states when it comes to providing interpreter services."

The current lack of standards allows for gaps in the courtroom that need to be addressed, said Tucson City Court Judge Margarita Bernal, a member of the caucus.

Bernal said that at times, children have had to interpret for their parents in Arizona courtrooms or cleaning staffers have been called in to interpret for defendants.

"A lot of staff is routinely used who do not qualify as court interpreters," Bernal said. "There are some fundamental fairness issues. Before you take someone's liberty away, you have to make sure they understand the proceeding."

Work on the study began in 2000 after Thomas Zlaket, then chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, set a goal for the Arizona courts to "increase the public's trust in the court system, to inspire confidence that individual rights are being protected, and to ensure that all Arizona citizens are being treated fairly."

The caucus study says that goal won't be met without access to competent translation services. "If justice is to be had in any court of law, equal access to the system is vital."

Chief Justice Charles Jones agreed that interpreter certification is important but will likely be put off for at least a year because of the budget constraints affecting all areas of state government.

He said he couldn't add costs at a time when he may have to lay off up to 10 percent of the probation officers in Maricopa and Pima County.

Donna Whitman, director of Pima County's interpreter services, said she's "elated" the issue has been raised.

Interpreters must take proficiency tests and have some experience before being allowed to work in Pima County courtrooms. But she said there are some jurisdictions that "pretty much are using bilingual staff to perform those duties."