Reporters on the Job

Get all the Monitor's headlines by e-mail. Subscribe for free.

E-mail this story Write a letter to the Editor Printer-friendly version del.icio.us [ What is this? ] digg [ What is this? ]

How bad is it?

"I called a source in Belgrade the other night," says Beth. "It was about 11 p.m. I called him on his cellphone and I was on mine, so he knew it was me. He answered: 'Hello, you've reached Mladic Arrest Hotline. For the latest media speculation, press 1. For the latest conspiracy theory, press 2.'

"He went down the list before closing with, 'For giggling American reporters, press 5."

Beth's Belgrade source had captured the essence of the past few days of reporting.

Does Beth think Mladic will be captured soon? "I believe it when I see it," she says. "But I'm obsessively following this like everyone else here."

• Waiting for the Train: Correspondent Anuj Chopra arrived at the Munaba, India, train station on the morning of the historic day. But he grew restless after several speeches by politicians, and started searching for people who could illustrate what the resumption of the train service between India and Pakistan would mean (see story).

Anuj came upon Nandu Ram, selling tea. For him, the train symbolized a peaceful future for his cows. "In the scorching desert sun, we stood near a little shed that housed two of his cows," Anuj says. "He told me that he'd lost 16 cows to land mines planted in a pasture during a war between the two countries. These were the only two left. He loved them as his children and even gave them names: 'Laxmi' and 'Bhagvanti.'"

David Clark Scott
World editor

		LADIES ONLY: In Cologne, Germany, women dressed as clowns take part in Weiberfastnacht (women's carnival). One of the festival traditions is to spot men wearing ties and cut them off. ALEX GRIMM/REUTERS More cultural snalshots

Let us hear from you.

Mail to: One Norway Street, Boston, MA 02115 via e-mail: World editor