1.   In most places the voting came off normally, but abstention rates appeared to be high.

2.   The South Carolina voting came after two weeks of attacks from both major candidates, in which each compared the other to Clinton.

3.   The voting came as a new Washington Post-ABC national poll showed McCain with a far better chance at present than Bush of beating Gore.

4.   They will have to work together, band together, then work against one another when the voting comes.

5.   The voting by secret ballot came after Claes went before parliament one last time to plead his innocence and try to save his job at NATO.

6.   The voting comes one month after Australia successfully spearheaded the adoption by the General Assembly of a global nuclear test-ban treaty.