Reporters on the Job

• Helo Hitching: After reporting today's story on the anniversary of the earthquake that hit areas of northern Pakistan, correspondent David Montero hitched a ride back to Islamabad on a US military Chinook helicopter. David says he was struck by the camaraderie of its American crew and their Pakistani counterparts, presumably forged during relief missions last year. Shortly before take off, they were swapping jokes, like old friends catching up. One of the Pakistani airmen joked with a female US pilot, saying that her male co-pilot was doing all the work.

"Women are rarely seen in public in that part of Pakistan. It must have been quite a site for a large crowd of locals to see a female pilot step of out the chopper," David says. Before they left, he noticed that the female pilot wore a small Pakistani flag on her uniform, a sign of respect for her colleagues.

David Clark Scott
World editor

Tuesday, Oct. 10:

London – Winner of the 2006 Man Booker prize for contemporary fiction to be announced.

Berlin – Russian President Vladimir Putin starts two-day visit to Germany.

Wednesday, Oct. 11:

St. Andrews, Scotland – Prime ministers Tony Blair of Britain and Bertie Ahern of Ireland open negotiations with Northern Ireland leaders on reviving power-sharing.

Thursday, Oct. 12:

Stockholm – Nobel Prize in literature to be announced

Friday, Oct. 13:

Stockholm – Nobel Peace Prize to be announced.

Sunday, Oct. 15:

Quito, Ecuador – Presidential election.

Sources: Reuters, The Associated Press