Today's Story Line:

Will American mortgage rates rise with today's introduction of the euro, the Europe Union's challenge to the almighty dollar? Monitor financial writer David Francis looks at the euro's potential impact on Americans. The last challenge to the dollar as the currency haven of choice for the world was the Japanese yen in the 1980s. That failed. The tentacles of terrorists are spreading to unexpected places. The kidnapping of Western tourists in Yemen may have links to America's most-wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden Sometimes wars are won or lost because of rumors. In Congo, a widespread belief that the leader of a rebellion has married a Tutsi woman has boosted resistance to the rebellion. The world is closely watching Brazil's efforts to save its economy and prevent a gyration in global stock markets. - Clayton Jones World editor REPORTERS ON THE JOB * WHEN IN GOMA: Covering the war in Congo requires some delicacy. In the rebel-held town of Goma, our Africa writer Lara Santoro found she must meet people behind closed doors. The Congolese are only too happy to rant and rave against the Rwandans, and some of them will even risk doing so in the open, with predictable consequences. So it's up to her to ensure their safety. Going to their homes is dangerous because her white face would be noticed. Goma is a town run by rumors, full of snoops who will report "strange" activities to authorities for money. Generally, the best thing to do with a source is to meet in a place where a white face will not be noticed. MILESTONES * TELEPRAYING: Last week an ultra-Orthodox Jew, Nahman Bitton, placed his cell phone near Jerusalem's Wailing Wall, Judaism's holiest site, to let a family member in another country recite a prayer. If the practice of religion in the Mideast were to become that virtual, perhaps the wars might also. Let us hear from you. Mail to: One Norway Street, Boston, MA 02115 via e-mail: world@csmonitor.com