Today's Story Line

The scope and pace of events in the nascent democracy of Indonesia remain compelling. East and West Timor remain unsettled. And now a bill granting the military the power to revoke civil liberties in "emergency situations" is triggering a wave of violent student protests across the nation. Quote of note: "I don't want this to be a military country ... We won't stop until this country is democratic." - a student protester.

Jordan's new king is taking a courageous stand in support of Middle East peace by cracking down on Hamas militants.

Mexico City is arguably the world's premier laboratory for air-pollution control measures. You name it, they've probably tried it. In that vein, 20,000 lamppost air filters are being installed.

It's hard to see any activity in Tibet without some kind of political filter. And education is no exception. Are classrooms for providing equal opportunities for all, or for cultural assimilation?

- David Clark Scott, World editor

REPORTERS ON THE JOB *DO YOU MIND IF I FILTER? Mexico City correspondent Howard LaFranchi says he didn't think twice when he had to take a taxi rather than drive his own car to an interview for today's story on Mexico City's air pollution. It was his car's no-drive day under the city's pollution-reduction program. But he was a bit surprised when he sat down to talk to the developers of outdoor air filters. The two men began smoking and as the air filled with their blue exhaust, Howard was left quietly wondering if an indoor model might be available.

FOLLOW-UP ON A MONITOR STORY *BABUSHKA PATROL: Yesterday's Monitor reported on stepped-up security by Russian police and neighborhood committees. Reporter Fred Weir says one of those vigilant citizens may have foiled a bombing. Late Wednesday night, a resident spotted people unloading sacks of something from a car with partially obscured license plates. They stacked the bags in the basement of a 12-story apartment building in Ryazan - about 130 miles southeast of Moscow - and then drove off. Police were alerted. A bomb was found and defused. But the Ministry of Emergency Situations is still investigating, prompting some speculation that the police "staged" the event to improve their image.

A CORRECTION *Due to an editing error, the Sept. 22 story (page 5) on a high-seas satellite launch implied the venture was successfully dodging insurance liability costs and government regulations. In fact, they are not fully succeeding.

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