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NPR's Michael Goldfarb reports that the London art world is buzzing over allegations of smuggling made against the London branch of art auctioneers Sotheby's (SUH-thuh-bees). At least two senior employees have been suspended after a television program aired last night which showed Sotheby's employees arranging for an 18th century painting to be smuggled from Italy to Britain.

For years, newspapers and yellow pages have had a virtual monopoly on certain kinds of advertising. But the swift rise of the internet is creating new forms of competition that could change the established order. Websites that specialize in local events and entertainment are springing up in cities around the country...and many of these sites are expected to aggressively compete for local advertising dollars. NPR's John McChesney reports.

From the Peruvian capital Lima, reporter Jon Miller updates the ongoing hostage situation at the Japanese Ambassador's residence. Tomorrow marks the second month of captivity for 72 people being held by the Peruvian rebels, who are demanding the release of their comrades in jail. In the past week, there have been three meetings between the Peruvian government and the rebels to decide what the agenda will be for future talks.

Commentator Frosty Troy says there is a lot of exaggeration in reporting about "outlandish jury awards." From the Karen Silkwood case to the McDonald's coffee case, final awards are just a fraction of what the jury recommends. Legal fees, medical fees and other fees tend to eat up most of the big awards...that is, if there is anything left after appeals.

The BBC's Karen Coleman reports from Sarajevo that a government has been approved for Bosnia-Hercegovina. The House of Representatives, made up of Serbs, Croats and Muslims, finally met this morning, more than three months since elections were held. Although it means that Serbs, Muslims and Croats will be working together, the real power in the country still resides in the Bosnian Serb Republic and the Muslim-Croat Federation.

A jury today in Fayetteville, North Carolina found former army paratrooper James Burmeister (BURR my ster) guilty of the December, 1995 murder of Jackie Burden and Michael James. The black couple were shot at close range as they walked in a Fayetteville neighborhood. The prosecution argued Burmeister was a skinhead who wanted to kill blacks to earn a special tattoo. Now, he could get the death penalty. Aileen Leblanc reports.

- A study released by the federal government today says that nearly 60 per cent of those convicted of sex offenses in the past two years are back on the street on parole. But NPR's Chitra Ragavan reports that officials say there is little cause to worry. They say statistics show that the number of sex offenses has dropped dramatically and point to the success of new laws that keep communities abreast of the convicted sex offenders in their midst.

NPR's Ted Clark reports that in a series of meetings with audiences ranging from President Clinton to the National Press Club, Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori has said there can be no resolution to the month-and-a-half-long hostage crisis in his Capitol that would entail releasing imprisoned guerillas and making peace with the hostage-takers' organization, the Tupac Amaru.

Pondering the hows and whys of crime novelist Eugene Izzi's suspicious death has become a popular parlor-game in Chicago. Izzi wrote under the name Nick Gaetano. As Rick Karr reports, discussion of Izzi's life and death in this way ...as a form of amusement... is an idea that deeply troubles his friends and colleagues.

A growing number of corporations have taken steps in recent years to adopt so-called "family-friendly" policies. But organized labor has been sitting on the sidelines and hasn't pushed for policies that relieve stress on the homefront. NPR's David Molpus reports that's starting to change, but ever so slowly.