Today's Story Line

Last year was the first since Israel's creation that a civilian has not died in a terrorist attack. And it may be a reason for Israel to reevaluate its peace deals.

Two new movies attest to a blossoming of critical expression in Mexico.

Germany paved the way for public schools in Berlin to teach from the Koran. Quote of note: "Islam instruction in the schools is a sign of equality. That's not negotiable." - Safter Cinar of the Turkish Association in Berlin.

Taiwan's 2 million minority Hakka voters find themselves in a preelection spotlight.

Faye Bowers Deputy world editor

REPORTERS ON THE JOB

STUCK IN TRAFFIC: There may be few pro-peace demonstrators working the streets in Israel, but stuck in traffic outside Israel's defense ministry in Tel Aviv, Mideast correspondent Scott Peterson saw one group trying to get their point across. Working the captive audience of trapped cars, activists plied each driver with bumper stickers written in Hebrew.

"What are they up to?" Scott asked his driver, as a sticker was pressed against the window. "They are settlers from the Golan," the driver replied. "The people don't want to give up that land."

FOLLOW-UP ON A MONITOR STORY

SURVIVING FLOODS IN MOZAMBIQUE: As reported in a March 3 article, the rescue efforts in flood-ravaged Mozambique have been slow and tedious. As the waters recede and survivors receive food and medical aid, the next concern is land mines.

Witnesses have seen the freshly unburied mines on river banks and farms. In the aftermath of its 16-year civil war, Mozambique is one of the most densely mined countries on the planet. Estimates go as high as 5 million.

Unfortunately, the most heavily mined area is in the south, where the worst flooding occurred. "We now have floating minefields in Mozambique," President Clinton's adviser on global demining, Donald Steinberg, told The Washington Post.

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