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NPR's Eric Weiner reports from Jerusalem that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finds himself under fire from friends and foes alike for his handling of the job. More than seven months after taking office as Israel's youngest Prime Minister, Netanyahu's actions and manner have brought criticism from many different quarters...the Arab nations his predecessors courted; the Palestinians with whom he is negotiating a possible peace; the opposition Labout party he barely defeated; and even members of his own military and secutiry establishment and Cabinet coalition. Supporters say these are just growing pains; opponents say they are a sign of ineptitude.

NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports from Belgrade on President Milosevic's attempt to silence the criticism against him. The Serb government today shut down an independent radio station and knocked a student radio station off the air. Meanwhile in the streets, Opposition demonstrators were joined in their march by four United States Congressmen...Representatives Nick Rahal of West Virginia, Sanford Bishop of Georgia, Bob Ney of Ohio, and Jim Bunn of Oregon. The government has delayed the opening of Parliament, and Opposition leaders are beginning to fear that Milosevic will soon have only two options left for dealing with the protests: to either back down completely, or begin cracking down on the protestors severely.

Robert talks with reporter Mike Mc Phee of the Denver Post. They discuss the details of the Jonbenet (JAWN-buh-NAY) Ramsey case. The six-year-old Jonbenet...a regular contestant in beauty pageants and the winner of the 1995 Little Miss Colorado competition...was found murdered in her Boulder, Colorado home on the day after Christmas, and the case has attracted worldwide attention. Police say they still have no suspects in the case. The actions of the child's parents have drawn intense scrutiny...they have both hired lawyers and a media consultant...and they are expected to give statements to the police soon. Meanwhile, the town of Boulder is trying to cope with the tragedy.

In the Serbian capital Belgrade the pro-government and anti-government demonstrators went at each other in the streets today. President Slobodan Milosevic's (slo-bo-dahn me-LOH'-shuh-vich) Socialist party had bused in supporters from outside Belgrade to rally and demonstrate at the exact same time and exact same place where the Opposition parties have been protesting for weeks. The BBC's Paul Wood reports that after the pro-government demonstrators left the rally site, riot police began their assault on the anti-government demonstrators.

In the second of two reports, NPR's David Molpus looks at a training program that the Marriott Corporation is calling "Pathways to Independence." This program is one of many Marriott is offering to its large low-wage workforce. Marriott is not only offering programs in career enrichment; it is also addressing many other problems facing low-wage workers. Marriott's efforts have drawn praise from the Clinton administration, but criticism from labor unions. While the program is educating and employing workers who might otherwise be unemployed, labor unions believe that Marriott, a non-union company, is taking advantage of its low-wage, unskilled work force.

NPR's David Welna reports from Tijuana (tee-HWAH na), home to Mexico's number two cartel, entry point for huge amounts of drugs headed for the U.S., and the scene of widespread police corruption. The Arellano Felix (ah-ray-AH-no FAY-lix) brothers, considered Mexico's most violent drug gang, run their cocaine cartel out of Tijuana. The Arellanos don't seem to fear arrest. They've paid off large numbers of police and other officials, and eight senior anti-drug officials who worked in Tijuana have been murdered.

NPR's David Welna reports from Quito (KEE-toh) that Ecuador still has not resolved its political crisis, despite a weekend deal brokered by the armed forces. Beleaguered President Abdala Bucaram (ahb-dah-LA boo-kah-RAHM) has been forced out of office, and Vice President Rosalia Arteaga (rohz-ah-LEE-ah ar-tay-AH-gah) has been sworn in as interim president. But Arteaga is suggesting she might stay in office for an extended period of time, a move which would touch off another showdown with that nation's Congress, which is expected to select a new president tomorrow.

Jon Miller reports from Lima on how the hostage crisis has come at a crucial time for President Alberto Fujimori. The president had been hugely popular for beating back inflation and largely defeating Peru's two rebel armies, even though he had taken such drastic measures along the way as disbanding Congress. But Fujimori's popularity had been plunging this year as Peru's economy took a downturn, and the takeover of the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima punctuated the fact that the guerrillas are still a threat.

Carolyn Jack reports from Toronto on a proposed law in Canada which would give Loyalists who fled to Canada during the American Revolution the right to sue for compensation for property seized by George Washington's army. The legislation is a tongue-in-cheek response to the Helms-Burton Law passed in the US this year. Helms-Burton gives Americans the right to sue foreign firms which invest in Cuban property expropriated by Fidel Castro's revolution. While the Canadian bill is satire, it is meant to drive home a point about the anger at Helms-Burton in Canada, which is one of Cuba's largest trading partners.

NPR's David Welna reports on the problems facing Haiti's new government as it tries to rebuild the Caribbean nation's economy. Since taking office five months ago, President Rene Preval has had little success overcoming eighty percent unemployment, high inflation, and a barely functioning infrastructure. The congress has not approved a privatization plan, which is holding up hundreds of millions of dollars in loans. All of this, combined with a crime wave and worries about the former army, make foreign investors reluctant to take a chance on Haiti.