71.   Yangtze floodwaters, caused by summer rains that fell heavier and earlier than usual, have displaced millions of people and inundated vast stretches of rich farmland.

72.   Forest fires that already have destroyed vast stretches of virgin forest in Patagonia flared Saturday near a ski resort, threatening the outskirts of this tourist center.

73.   El-Mawaseh is a vast stretch of Palestinian areas under complete Israeli control inside the Jewish settlement bloc of Gush Katif and residents are already under severe restrictions.

74.   Vast stretches along the key highways between Srinagar and Jammu and Srinagar and the holy cave of Amarnath had been flooded earlier, disrupting traffic.

75.   This gave the LTTE the opportunity to take over vast stretches of territory and restrict army movements in the area.

76.   Vast stretches were underwater and communication links have been broken in several places with broken bridges, submerged roads and railway lines, the news agency said.

77.   President Bill Clinton bucked Republican opposition and signed a bill Monday to protect vast stretches of California desert as wilderness areas and federal parks.

78.   Tens of thousands of Moslem and Croats were then forced from their homes leaving the Serbs with vast stretches of sparsely populated territory.