NSW: The main stories in today s newspapers=2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-17-2001
NSW: The main stories in today s newspapers=2

THE AUSTRALIAN:

Page 1: John Howard would have been swept from the prime minister's office if a federal
election had been held earlier this year, with Labor leading the Coalition in every state,
among men and women, and in almost every age group; The two men at the centre of Australia's
airline crisis have barely spoken since a bitter falling-out two years ago.

Page 2: The burst of optimism that the economic slowdown will slowly reverse has faded,
with consumer-related company executives again gloomy about the outlook.

Page 3: Nikki Webster, the pint-sized superstar of the Sydney Olympics, has fallen
flat in her quest to sing in support of Beijing's bid to host the 2008 Games.

World: Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri was in crisis talks with Damascus last
night after Israel warplanes pounded Syrian positions, killing at least three Syrian soldiers
and wounding five.

Finance: Cable & Wireless Optus is paying for more than 250,000 subscribers it doesn't
have thanks to punitive subscriber guarantees locked in with Hollywood film studios which
continue to cripple its pay TV business.

Sport: A vocal confrontation between coach and club members at a post-match function
shows the patience of some Fremantle supporters is starting to wear thin.

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KEYWORD: FRONTERS NSW 2 SYDNEY

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