Today's Story Line:

Justice without borders is a concept that's gaining currency. The international War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague is one face of this effort. We see another in today's story from Switzerland. The nation once famous for its secret bank accounts is now at the vanguard of efforts to punish those who seek to hide or launder illegal funds in its banks. The arrest in New York of Pavel Borodin, a former top Kremlin official, is considered a key test of this global pursuit of justice (this page).

- David Clark Scott World editor

REPORTERS ON THE JOB

FUNERAL INTERVIEWS: Going where others dare not venture is sometimes part of a journalist's job description. In today's story about Joseph Kabila, the new president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, reporter Danna Harman may have breached funeral protocol. But she got the story. She went to the Palace of the People, where long lines of mourners were waiting to pay their respects. About 100 of Laurent Kabila's family members had flown in from Lubumbashi. "Most were wearing button-down, cotton shirts, with a black-and-white image of Laurent Kabila," says Danna. "They'd been sitting in mourning all day. No one was approaching them." Danna marched up and asked who knew Joseph. "One of his cousins was concerned that the Western world wasn't giving Joseph a fair chance," she says. "He said Joseph was shy, but a straight shooter. Honest."

FAREWELL to A SUMO CHAMP: Akebono was the first foreigner to ever become grand champion of Japan's ancient wrestling sport of sumo. Yesterday, the Hawaiian-born American, aka Chad Rowen, retired after 13 years, bringing back memories for Monitor staffer Clayton Jones. When he was president of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan in 1993, Clay introduced Akebono at a luncheon. At one point, Clay was asked to wrestle him in a demonstration match. Alas, even at 6 ft., 3 in., Clay was felled by the giant wrestler with one quick thrust to the throat. "It was worse than having my stories edited," he says.

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