Today's Story Line

It happened in Kobe, Japan. In Nicaragua. And it's happening in Turkey: civic activism spawned by a slow government response after a disaster. Will it ripen into longer-term political changes in Turkey?

French retailers avoided becoming a part of Wal-Mart's world - just. The successful dodge suggests a changing attitude toward business practices in Europe.

Taiwan sees Hong Kong as a window on its future under the "One China" policy. The view isn't pleasant.

Congo looks as if it's inching toward a lasting peace. But until a plan for dividing up the region's natural resources is hatched, the latest pact may be tenuous.

- David Clark Scott World editor

REPORTERS ON THE JOB

*QUAKE, RATTLE, AND ROLL: As the Monitor's Scott Peterson was sitting in his Istanbul hotel writing today's story on Turkish citizen activism, he too was shaken. Two major aftershocks hit northeastern Turkey yesterday. One had a magnitude of 5.2 and was the biggest since the day of the Aug. 17 quake. At least seven buildings collapsed and 166 people were reported injured, many jumping from buildings. Indeed, that also crossed Scott's mind during the temblor. "It went on long enough, maybe 15 seconds, that I knew it wasn't just a meat truck hitting the building. I started to wonder if I could jump safely from the second-story window of my hotel."

*PROTECTING THE PARIS PATISSERIE: When European correspondent Peter Ford lived in Buenos Aires years ago, he would do his weekly food shopping at the French-owned Carrefour supermarket. But now that Peter lives in Paris, he rarely even sees a Carrefour. A French law designed to help small inner-city grocery stores limits the construction of 'hypermarkets' to the edge of towns. That's one reason the French retailer is so active abroad.

PRESS CLIPPING

*'BEATEN BY A KID': The Times of London reports that on Sunday eight-year-old David Howell became the youngest person ever to defeat a chess grandmaster. John Nunn, twice a British champion and author of numerous texts, was dispatched in a lightning match, where each player has a total of five minutes to complete the game. "I broke the golden rule in chess: Never underestimate your opponent," Mr. Nunn said, adding that he didn't expect "to be beaten by a kid." Young David said, after Nunn resigned and abruptly left the room, "I think he was maybe a bit embarrassed. He played far too defensively."

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