Today's Story Line

Lebanon. Sri Lanka. Colombia. Name an international flash point, and you're likely to find a Norwegian. Why Norway's diplomats have emerged as the world's peacemakers (page 1).

The Tamil Tigers haven't won yet. Conventional wisdom says the Sri Lankan city of Jaffna will fall any day now. But with the help of Western satellites and Israeli arms, Sri Lanka's Army is holding on (this page).

Opponents of Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic are woefully divided. But a student group, Optor, is trying to breathe life into a coherent strategy (page 7).

Keiko's fine. But other whales in Iceland's waters may soon need a safe harbor (page 7).

David Clark Scott World editor

REPORTERS ON THE JOB..

*CHILDREN OF WAR: Ingushetia has been an inhospitable place for foreign aid workers and journalists for several years. For today's story (page 8), the Monitor's Fred Weir traveled to the refugee camps in a column of armored vehicles carrying a group of UNICEF workers inspecting the camp. "No one went anywhere - including the bathroom - without an armed escort," says Fred. The children Fred spoke with were doing art work as a form of post-war therapy. "It reminded me of an art exhibit in Toronto, Canada, in the 1960s. The art was done by Vietnamese children," says Fred. "I vividly remember the exhibit as the first time that the Vietnam War came into my consciousness."

*A NOBEL PRIZE FOR PETER: The Monitor's Peter Ford knows that reporters are not allowed to accept gifts from their sources. But what do you do when you are offered a Nobel Peace Prize? After interviewing Norwegian Geir Lundestad, Peter was momentarily dumbfounded as the Nobel Institute director thrust no less than three large golden medallions, each stamped with Alfred Nobel's profile, into his hands. They turned out to be made of chocolate, covered with gold foil. And, alas, they did not come with $1 million each.

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