A series of joint ventures announced last week by South Korean conglomerates into communist North Korea stood in marked contrast to the two countries' military face-off a month ago.

Since North Korea violated the 1953 truce agreement in April with three troop incursions into the demilitarized zone that separates the two countries, South Korea and its allies have been looking for ways to reduce tensions in Pacific Asia while inducing North Korea to cool its military heels.

This was the worst night of my life," Brian Johnson reported to his boss.

The Hotel Dubrovnik makes an unlikely refugee camp.

The seven-story hotel fills half a city block on Zagreb's main square in a style that recalls the worst in '60s and '70s modern architecture. A dozen hotel residents are refugees from the Croatian city of Vucovar who fled Serb advances in 1992 and have not found a place to call home. The European Union pays their bill as part of its lead role in refugee resettlement under the Dayton peace accords.

Dr. Sergei Chumihovskii reads his statistics right off the corner of his desk. They spill from a handwritten ledger in a well-thumbed folder, kept in his own precise lettering.

Kossiakov, Anatoly, he reads. Born February 1987 in Mogilev District, a contaminated area. Died June 1994 after two relapses in his fight with leukemia. (A twin brother died of leukemia at age 2.)

Chernenkov, Peter. Born May 1988. Died 1995 from hepatitis, contracted from a blood transfusion following bone marrow surgery. He, too, had leukemia.

London--The last train from King's Cross was 45 minutes late. A graveyard-shift patrolman announced, "Due to police action the eastbound train will be delayed."

Would-be passengers erupted. "Will there be anymore trains?" demanded one. "Why'd you wait an hour to tell us?" yelled another.

Sarajevo--Signs of spring are rising up in old Sarajevo much like local mountain flowers resurrected from a winter's sleep. Closed until last December, traffic now fills Sarajevo's main street, nicknamed "Sniper Alley" during the four-year war. A handful of high-priced hotels and restaurants have reopened; trams are running, except where burned-out cars block the tracks. And on a sunny Saturday, pedestrians fill the central streets where they window shop and talk, over the noise of carpenters and painters attending to repairs without number.