1.   Allstate Insurance Co. on Thursday sued nine medical clinics in the Los Angeles area as part of a sweeping crackdown on what the carrier claims is widespread medical fraud.

2.   President Clinton, declaring teen-age nicotine addiction a national epidemic, Thursday authorized the first sweeping federal crackdown on the sale and promotion of tobacco products to minors.

3.   Police also have detained thousands of Chechens and other people from Caucasus Mountain ethnic groups in the sweeping crackdown prompted by the hostage crisis.

4.   Police also have detained thousands of Chechens and others from the Caucasus Mountains in the sweeping crackdown.

5.   After the investigation began last year, Taipei launched a sweeping crackdown on prostitution.

6.   In recent months the police and paramilitary Rangers have retaliated with sweeping crackdowns.

7.   In retaliation, the security force launched a sweeping crackdown on militants.

8.   In retaliation the security force launched a sweeping crackdown on militants.

9.   In his speech, Sharif promised a sweeping crackdown on MQM activists in both factions of the divided movement.

10.   The arrests came amid a sweeping crackdown against several extremist groups as a precautionary measure against an upsurge in religiously-motivated violence, officials said.