Today's Story Line

If NATO is right that air power alone can win the war, then how it is doing ? The damage to Yugoslavia's military is extensive, but not enough for Slobodan Milosevic to cry uncle. The bombing got off to a slow start, and Serb trickery and NATO's self-imposed limits have forced the war to go into a third month. Quote of note: "There are still many, many targets left to hit." - Duncan Lennox, editor of Jane's Air-Launched Weapons magazine.

Ousting Mr. Milosevic is not NATO's goal, but if he should go, a likely successor could be Vojislav Seselj. A popular nationalist, he would probably act much the same as Milosevic. Quote of note: "The only Albanians who should live here are the ones who think of Serbia as their fatherland." - Mr. Seselj.

Russia's Communists failed to impeach Boris Yeltsin, and then quickly approved the president's choice for prime minister. Are they on the ropes? Not likely. Quote of note: "Being mauled by the Kremlin has always helped them in the past." - Igor Kurayev of the Institute of Social and Historical Studies, a Moscow think tank.

- Clayton Jones World editor

REPORTERS ON THE JOB * NO ENGLISH? Balkans correspondent Justin Brown learned the hard way that Vice Premier Vojislav Seselj doesn't take kindly to English. When Justin attended a press conference featuring Mr. Seselj two years ago, when he was running for Serbian president, Justin wanted to ask him whether his opponent had cheated him of the election. When Justin whispered the question to his translator, who was somewhat inexperienced, she blanched at the thought of confronting the imposing politician and said, "No!" So Justin stood up and asked the question himself, in English. Seselj was angered and yelled - in English - "I do not speak English!" He then went into a tirade in Serbian about how he refused to speak English.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE * SMELL NO EVIL: A group of concerned citizens in Hong Kong wore face masks yesterday to symbolize a growing air pollution problem in the Chinese territory. An extra-large mask was also put on a bronze lion statue outside a Hong Kong bank. Two women chatted in front of the statue.

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