- candidate: Benjamin, a 2000 U.S. Senate candidate in California, co-founded Code Pink ( the name a hat tip to color-coded terrorism warnings) in 2002 to protest against the Iraq war.
- outburst: After multiple outbursts and back-and-forths with the president, Benjamin was escorted out of the event.
- audience: Benjamin, co-founder of peace activist group Code P ink, was seated in the audience at National Defense University in Washington, D.C., where Obama gave his speech.
- interrupt: She first interrupted him as he announced plans designed to move the U.S. closer to closing the facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
- announce: She first interrupted him as he announced plans designed to move the U.S. closer to closing the facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
- arrest: Meanwhile, Zee News reports that police in Calcutta have arrested nine bookmakers from the city for placing bets on IPL matches.
- brave: Braving the controversies, the Rajasthan Royals put up a valiant show against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday night to stay alive in the title hunt, reports The Times of India.
- valiant: Braving the controversies, the Rajasthan Royals put up a valiant show against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday night to stay alive in the title hunt, reports The Times of India.
- perjury: Meanwhile, The Indian Express reports that the Delhi high court has ordered Bollywood actor Shayan Munshi to be tried for perjury for allegedly giving contradictory statements during the Jessica Lal murder trial.
- loud: The paper says Sreesanth is " controversial, can be loud and angry, can cry in public and most importantly has managed to destroy his reputatio n ".
- design: Six Pakistani Air Force JF-17 fighter jets that were jointly designed by the two countries escorted his plane when it entered the country's airspace yesterday.
- sabotage: So it is trying a new way to sabotage Sino-US ties," Zhang Liangui, a North Korea expert at the Communist Party's school, tells Global Times.
- opinion: Chinese public opinion is now imbued with mistrust towards North Korea....
- react: Zhu Feng, a professor at the School of International Studies of Peking University, tells Global Times that Xinhua's limited coverage of the visit shows that Beijing is " not reacting warmly" to Pyongyang's attempts to engineer a summit between Kim Jong-un and Chinese leaders in Beijing.
- treasure: China does not need to become agreeable because Kim Jong-un sent a special envoy, and we have even less need to use concessions to show that we treasure this opportunity.
- hack: Media see an upcoming California summit as a chance for the Chinese and US presidents to tackle the North Korean issue as well as growing friction over currency, trade, hacking claims and Syria.
- burst: In Global Times, Shen Ding li, a US specialist at Shanghai's Fudan University, praises Mr Xi and a new generation of leaders for bringing a " burst of fresh air" with a " more personalised, flexible and self-confident " style of diplomacy.
- flexible: In Global Times, Shen Ding li, a US specialist at Shanghai's Fudan University, praises Mr Xi and a new generation of leaders for bringing a " burst of fresh air" with a " more personalised, flexible and self-confident " style of diplomacy.
- affable: Prof Shen says officials should learn from how Li Keqiang won over the Indian public and media during his just-concluded visit by adopting a more " credible and affable " approach and conversing or giving speeches in English.
- irresponsible: Following the Chinese foreign ministry's rebuttal against further allegations in The New York Times and The Washington Free Beacon of state-backed cyber-espionage as " irresponsible" and " unprofessional", a Liberation Army Daily commentary says such " unwarranted charges " are merely an excuse for the US to deflect scrutiny from the build-up of its own cyber-forces.
- pariah: Burma, also known as Myanmar, was long considered a pariah state, isolated from the rest of the world and with an appalling human rights record.
- appalling: Burma, also known as Myanmar, was long considered a pariah state, isolated from the rest of the world and with an appalling human rights record.
- forcible: The generals who ran Burma stood accused of gross human rights abuses, including the forcible relocation of civilians and the widespread use of forced labour, including children.
- stifle: Politics: From 1962 until March 2011, Burma was ruled by a military junta that stifled almost all dissent.
- riddle: Economy: Burma is one of Asia's poorest countries; its economy is riddled with corruption.
- candid: A candid discussion of the new challenges is only the first step forward in a long and arduous journey that Delhi and Beijing have now begun," the paper's editorial adds.
- loquacious: While Mr Li came across as loquacious and jovial in his interaction with Indian leaders- a far cry from several other Chinese leaders who have visited here in the past- he also won hearts with his knowledge of India," a Times of India report said.
- arduous: A candid discussion of the new challenges is only the first step forward in a long and arduous journey that Delhi and Beijing have now begun," the paper's editorial adds.
- jovial: On a lighter note, newspapers also praised Mr Li's " jovial nature" and his" pragmatic approach ".
- jovial: While Mr Li came across as loquacious and jovial in his interaction with Indian leaders- a far cry from several other Chinese leaders who have visited here in the past- he also won hearts with his knowledge of India," a Times of India report said.
- dismissal: Petitioning mum" Tang Hui tells South China Morning Post that she is " not optimistic" about winning a damages lawsuit against local authorities after a court overturned a previous dismissal of her compensation claim for an incarceration in a labour camp in Hunan.
- crew: State media report a Chinese fishing boat and its 16-man crew who were reportedly held for ransom by an armed group in waters off the west coast of North Korea were released early on Tuesday.
- extortion: In Beijing Times, Jia Xudong, a researcher at the China Institute of International Stu dies, a foreign ministry-affiliated think-tank, calls on North Korea to stop further " wanton" seizures of Chinese fishing boats and " extortion" against Chinese fishermen.
- antipathy: If mishandled, North Korea's seizure of our fishermen will intensify the antipathy of the Chinese public towards it... This should sound an alarm to North Korea: China will not tolerate any country's rough treatment of Chinese citizens, including fishermen operating at sea," Mr Jia says.
- tolerate: If mishandled, North Korea's seizure of our fishermen will intensify the antipathy of the Chinese public towards it... This should sound an alarm to North Korea: China will not tolerate any country's rough treatment of Chinese citizens, including fishermen operating at sea," Mr Jia says.
- divulge: It will also focus on whether the White House was slow to divulge the practice once it learned of it.
- pry: WASHINGTON (Reuters)- A Senate panel will try on Tuesday to pry more details out of current and former officials of the Internal Revenue Service about the agency's targeting of conservative groups for extra scrutiny when they sought tax-exempt status.
- candor: Lack of candor in advising the Senate of the practice is equally troubling.
- breaker: The statement, signed by more than 100 conservative groups and leaders, argues that the bill is laden with earmarks and " rewards" law breakers by allowing most of the country's 11 million undocumented immigrants to legalize if they pass a background check and pay fines.
- receptive: Levin, for one, seemed receptive to the argument, saying after his interview with the senator in April that, " It's a problem, we 've got to address this problem, and he's right.
- cloture: We urge you to vote against it and against any cloture vote to bring up the bill.
- unwieldy: Is bloated and unwieldy along the lines of Obamacare or Dodd-Frank;.
- breaker: Rewards law breakers and punishes law enforcement, undermining the rule of law;.
- dissension: Internal dissension between China and India meets Western interests... China's surrounding environment will suffer if India, a country which has the prospect of running neck-and-neck with China, becomes another Japan or Philippines in terms of its policies toward China," it says.
- livelihood: Liberty Times " fails" Mr Ma on overall governance, stalled livelihood reforms as well as " corruption" within his ruling party, the Kuomintang.
- tarnish: Also in People's Tribune, Li Tuo, professor at the National School of Administration, a civil service training institute, said the party's image has been tarnished by corruption and " obesity" like the former Soviet Union's communist party.
- exile: Ahead of Premier Li Keqiang's visit to India next week, state media have launched a high-profile international campaign accusing Tibetan exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama of inciting self-immolation protests.
- spate: Major news portals and many newspapers have prominently featured a China Central Television (CCTV) International documentary broadcast last night that blames the Dalai Lama for a spate of self-immolations by Tibetans- in what activists outside China say is a protest against Beijing's rule.
- transcript: A transcript of the documentary outlines how" Dalai clique " members of the Tibetan government-in-exile in India allegedly posted " self-immolation instructions" on the internet to incite Tibetans in China to set themselves alight.
- incite: A transcript of the documentary outlines how" Dalai clique " members of the Tibetan government-in-exile in India allegedly posted " self-immolation instructions" on the internet to incite Tibetans in China to set themselves alight.
- impel: This behaviour is enough to spur the international community to further understand the cruelty and madness of the Dalai clique, and also impel certain Western forces to have more scruples when supporting the Dalai clique," Beijing Morning Post comments.
- bilingual: A bilingual editorial by Beijing's Global Times applauds Taiwan's latest measures as a " second front" for the Chinese to stand up to neighbours in territorial disputes.
- impartial: It warns that the Taiwan government must seek an investigation by an international impartial third party to cool down growing populist discontent among the public.
- reprisal: Guangzhou Daily, Beijing Times and other newspapers are calling for tougher reprisals against hoax security threats after false telephone threats against three Chinese airliners led to the grounding of five flights around the country yesterday.
- forcible: A commentary in People's Daily welcomes a government emergency notice holding officials responsible for mass protests against illegal and forcible land grabs.
- discord: It says the Philippines is using the " one-China principle" to handle the matter to " play a game of sowing discord" between Taiwan and the mainland.
- dwarf: Liberty Times accuses Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou of pandering to Beijing by not standing up to the Philippines ' use of the " one-China policy " to " dwarf" Taipei.
- stab: The detention of a migrant worker in Shanghai for allegedly stabbing his wife in the abdomen while arguing over where to raise their children and then throwing his one-year-old son on the floor headfirst while visiting his injured wife in hospital has attracted widespread calls for better psychological support for the floating population, says China Daily.
- abdomen: The detention of a migrant worker in Shanghai for allegedly stabbing his wife in the abdomen while arguing over where to raise their children and then throwing his one-year-old son on the floor headfirst while visiting his injured wife in hospital has attracted widespread calls for better psychological support for the floating population, says China Daily.
- indulgence: The ruling Communist Party's mouthpiece, People's Daily, says certain party members and cadres who are as useless as " clay Buddha's " are threatening social stability with their indulgence in material comforts and neglect of official duties.
- ultimatum: Taiwan's Central Daily News expresses confidence that the dispute over fishing rights will be resolved bilaterally and urges Taipei to wait for the Philippines to respond to the ultimatum deadline today before stepping up pressure.
- foresee: However, China Times foresees little chance of the Philippines conducting a " credible and impartial investigatio n" or issuing an adequate formal apology.
- impartial: However, China Times foresees little chance of the Philippines conducting a " credible and impartial investigatio n" or issuing an adequate formal apology.
- apology: However, China Times foresees little chance of the Philippines conducting a " credible and impartial investigatio n" or issuing an adequate formal apology.
- arbitration: It urges the Taiwan government to seek international arbitration over the disputed waters and for the navy to drive away or even " destroy" any Philippine vessels threatening Taiwanese fishermen if Manila fails to satisfy Taipei's demands.
- ultimatum: Media in Taiwan and the mainland back Taipei's 72-hour ultimatum issued to Manila to formally apologise for the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman by the Philippine coast guard on 9 May.
- warship: If the Philippines does not formally apologise within 72 hours, Taiwan will send warships and fighter jets to the disputed waters in a " show of military strength ", Liberty Times reports.
- hack: Hacking attacks on Philippine and Taiwan government websites have also broken out with Taipei calling on Manila to investigate attacks originating from Philippine internet protocol addresses, China Times, Apple Daily and other Taiwan media report.
- protocol: Hacking attacks on Philippine and Taiwan government websites have also broken out with Taipei calling on Manila to investigate attacks originating from Philippine internet protocol addresses, China Times, Apple Daily and other Taiwan media report.
- crusade: Mainland media are paying tribute to whistleblowing journalist Luo Changping whose anti-corruption crusade against a powerful official has finally paid off after nearly six months.
- hijack: The army convicted Mr Sharif of hijacking a plane in which Gen Musharraf had been flying.
- ail: Gen Musharraf is currently stuck in his Islamabad home, which has been declared sub- j ail.
- aristocrat: Even though he was always surrounded by great wealth, and has properties all over the world, many Punjabis see the family's industrial background as a welcome break from the landed aristocrats who have tended to dominate the country's politics.
- ambiguous: Washington will be concerned that Mr Sharif's stance on religious militancy is ambiguous.
- consternation: He faces a whole array of legal charges and can only have watched the TV coverage of the Sharif election victory with consternation.
- pleasurable: One was a higher-than-usual voter turnout on a hot and humid day when it would have been all the more pleasurable to stay inside.
- queue: Upper class and upper-middle class people in the main urban centres- who seldom bother to vote- were to be seen standing in long queues for hours outside the polling stations.
- pitfall: No doubt Nawaz Sharif- now beginning his third stint as Pakistani prime minister- will be all too aware of these pitfalls when he takes over the reins of power.
- rein: No doubt Nawaz Sharif- now beginning his third stint as Pakistani prime minister- will be all too aware of these pitfalls when he takes over the reins of power.
- log: A retired flight attendant in Huntly, Va., she rents a Shenandoah Valley log cabin to travelers.
- feed: Instead, drama and conflict are what feed this country's party-driven politics, the news media, the bloggers and tweeters, even the pollsters who measure opinion.
- cacophony: The 24-h our, left vs. right cacophony coming out of Washington tends to drown out any notes of national harmony.
- disappearing: Some political scientists bemoan a disappearing ideological center, reflected in the polarization consuming politics.
- solemn: Taipei's China Times says the Taiwan foreign ministry has issued a " solemn protest and condemnation" and demanded that Manila apologise, punish the perpetrators and give compensation.
- navy: A bilingual Global Times editorial says that the mainland navy should step up patrols in disputed waters if the Philippine navy was involved in the shooting.
- navy: A bilingual Global Times editorial says that the mainland navy should step up patrols in disputed waters if the Philippine navy was involved in the shooting.
- rape: Ms Ma reportedly confessed that she spread a rumour online after hearing some people say that Ms Yuan was gang raped by security guards at the market where she worked, which led to her either committing suicide by jumping from the building or possibly being pushed off by the guards.
- incomplete: China Youth Daily and Global Times comment that the police's slow and incomplete information disclosure on the case triggered clashes on Wednesday between riot police and hundreds of migrant workers suspicious of a police cover-up.
- discord: The People's Daily commentary warns that " certain countries are sowing discord" between China and India, without naming countries.
- autopsy: Police say they found nothing suspicious at the scene of her death or in the autopsy, however, the deceased woman's relatives believe that she was raped and killed and suspect a cover-up by police, Ming Pao adds.
- circumvent: The bett er-than-expected data also prompted economists to question its accuracy, with some saying the data may have been inflated by Chinese exporters to circumvent capital control on funds they bring into the country," Global Times adds.
- hospitality: Public opinion is calling on state-owned enterprises to reveal details on business hospit ality, otherwise, business hospitality is likely to become synonymous with hiding dirt and shielding the corrupt," The Beijing News comments.
- dirt: Public opinion is calling on state-owned enterprises to reveal details on business hospit ality, otherwise, business hospitality is likely to become synonymous with hiding dirt and shielding the corrupt," The Beijing News comments.
- disciplinary: Beijing Times welcomes calls by the Communist Party's disciplinary watchdog for local authorities not to intercept or detain petitioners heading to the capital to lobby the central government.
- intercept: Beijing Times welcomes calls by the Communist Party's disciplinary watchdog for local authorities not to intercept or detain petitioners heading to the capital to lobby the central government.
- remonstrate: One White House website petition calls for the US government to " remonstrate" with the Chinese government after more than 1,000 people in Kunming protested against a state-run paraxylene ( PX) petrochemical project last Sunday.
- ulterior: State media accuse the US government of ulterior motives in raising concerns over China's military-build-up and alleged state-backed cyber-espionage.
- straight: China Daily says the report's claims that China began " using improperly drawn straight baseline claims" in September around disputed islands known as the Diaoyu in China and the Senkakus in Japan show that the US is taking Japan's side.
- dearth: B ecause of the comparative dearth of apps aimed at this market, there is a better chance of receiving attention," says Paul Roberts, founder of ForgetMeNot Africa.
- dearth: Because of the comparative dearth of apps aimed at this market, there is a better chance of receiving attentio n”
- hardy: Many Westerners might turn their nose up at such things, but they are often cheap, hardy and tend to have exceptional battery life.
- pollute: Media voice despair over corruption and threats to public health in the wake of fake and toxic food scandals, mass protests against polluting plants, and faulty dictionaries.
- carcass: Elsewhere, farmers in Fujian province who were contracted to destroy diseased pigs have been detained for allegedly selling the carcasses collected from farms and roadsides to restaurants in neighbouring provinces since last August, Global Times reports.
- profiteer: It stresses that corrupt officials behind profiteers must also be targ eted.
- incompetence: The Beijing News blasts the Weifang authorities for " incompetence" in failing to supervise food safety, and demands more powers for the media to act as a consumer watchdog.
- supervise: The Beijing News blasts the Weifang authorities for " incompetence" in failing to supervise food safety, and demands more powers for the media to act as a consumer watchdog.
- ingest: As bees collect pollen and nectar from flowering plants to make honey, they are also ingesting a compound that helps them break down and detoxify pesticides and harmful natural chemicals.
- vitality: Berenbaum says her research shows that honey is " a rich source of biologically active materials that truly matter to a bee," and she hopes that future testing will lead to a honey substitute that contains p-coumaric acid so beekeepers can enhance the vitality of their hives.
- pollen: As bees collect pollen and nectar from flowering plants to make honey, they are also ingesting a compound that helps them break down and detoxify pesticides and harmful natural chemicals.
- nectar: As bees collect pollen and nectar from flowering plants to make honey, they are also ingesting a compound that helps them break down and detoxify pesticides and harmful natural chemicals.
- enzyme: It activates the insects ' 'detoxification genes,' which create enzymes that begin the cleansing process.
- glorious: Hong Kong's Oriental Daily News carries an editorial entitled " The privileged sweep all; how come labour is glorious ".
- glorious: It questions the value Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping, have been advocating recently that labour is glorious, listing phenomena on the mainland that prove otherwise.
- glorious: It calls for employment law to be faithfully observed for the value of " labour being most glorious" to be widely accepted.
- rebut: Meanwhile, Liberation Army Daily rebuts Japanese PM Shinzo Abe's argument over the definition of aggr ession.
- despicable: This cold and even despicable attitude makes the Chinese people speechless and sends a chill to their spines.
- speechless: This cold and even despicable attitude makes the Chinese people speechless and sends a chill to their spines.
- deplore: They have just deplored the loss of lives at the Boston bombing and condemned the culprits," the paper says.
- custom: It has been a custom in China for the family to pay for the bullet that executes convicts on death row.
- hydraulic: All California oil wells are subject to the same regulations, with no specific rules for those using hydraulic fracturing.
- moratorium: AP)-- Critics of hydraulic fracturing urged lawmakers Monday to impose a moratorium on the controversial drilling technique, saying there is too much uncertainty about its health and environmental effects.
- hydraulic: AP)-- Critics of hydraulic fracturing urged lawmakers Monday to impose a moratorium on the controversial drilling technique, saying there is too much uncertainty about its health and environmental effects.
- moratorium: For a moratorium to be introduced on something that has been safe for 60 years is something that I truly don't understand," said Paul Deiro, a lobbyist with the Western States Petroleum Association.
- moratorium: She contrasted California's oversight with the moratorium in place in the state of New York, which halted new gas drilling activity pending a health study.
- motto: Their motto, No Fear, was emblazoned on the back of tee shirts.
- earnest: He is the only hope for Pakistan," said an earnest young man with black-framed glasses and a bright blue T-shirt.
- reflector: Flanked by supporters, party officials and old friends, he emerged in a flowing cream traditional shirt, and reflector sunglasses.
- disaffected: Mr Khan has mobilized a disaffected generation, and he will be relying on them come polling day.
- submerge: They are submerged in problems and Imran Khan is addressing those issues.
- ecology: It says corruption in society reflects the ecology of China's officialdom, in view of the charity's nature as a " government organised non-governmental organisation ".
- pollute: Hong Kong's Apple Daily says the real challenge to Hong Kong is not in the economic field, but that its core values of rule of law and freedom, and the originally clean and neutral civil servants, are being polluted and eroded by influences from the mainland.
- extravagant: Commenting on corruption allegations against former officials, the paper says Hong Kong officials have picked up the bad practice of giving extravagant receptions on public expenses from their counterparts in the mainland.
- flout: Vehicles- including high-end cars- with military plates flouting traffic rules are a common sight.
- ultimatum: Regarding developments on the Korean Peninsula, an editorial in the Global Times asks South Korean politicians to use their bravery and courage to find a breakthrough in affairs instead of uttering strong words against North Korea or setting " ultimatums".
- refute: In other international news, China's defence and foreign ministries on Thursday refuted foreign reports about Chinese border troops and military helicopters " intruding" across the line of actual control between India and China, China Daily reports.
- intrude: In other international news, China's defence and foreign ministries on Thursday refuted foreign reports about Chinese border troops and military helicopters " intruding" across the line of actual control between India and China, China Daily reports.
- exile: Authorities are calling the incident a " terrorist" attack, but exiled Xinjiang activists have challenged Beijing's account of events.
- hollow: Meanwhile, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post flags up public concerns over a People's Daily report that foam and hollowed bricks were used to build a Hong Kong government-funded secondary school in quake-hit Lushan county.
- populous: China is the world's most populous country, with a continuous culture stretching back nearly 4,000 years.
- continuous: China is the world's most populous country, with a continuous culture stretching back nearly 4,000 years.
- stagnate: After stagnating for more than two decades under the rigid authoritarianism of early communist rule under its late leader, Chairman Mao, China now has the world's fastest-growing economy and is undergoing what has been described as a second industrial revolution.
- suppression: Politics: Under Communist rule since 1949, China has moved away from the Maoist radicalism that led to millions of deaths in the 1950s and 1960s, but the party has kept a tight grip on state and society, saying the suppression of dissent is justified by the need for stability.
- socialism: Economics: Economic reform has replaced state socialism with a more capitalist system and generated rapid growth, turning China into one of the world's largest economies, but problems such as growing inequality, pollution, rural poverty, an inefficient state sector and low domestic consumption remain.
- separatist: If the East Turkestan separatists carry out evil deeds in Xinjiang, some Western opinions whitewash them as seeking 'national self-determination ' ", Pan Zhiping, a professor from Xinjiang University, tells the newspaper.
- separatist: Wen Wei Po, a Beijing-backed Hong Kong newspaper, says the US' " double standards" over terrorism and Chechen separatists were to blame for bomb attacks in Boston.
- separatist: It urges the US to " learn a lesso n" and not harbour Xinjiang separatists.
- exile: The World Uyghur Congress, an exiled Uighur activist group in Germany, yesterday rejected China's claims of terrorism.
- turbulence: These forces wish for turbulence in Xinjiang to hinder China's development... Separatism is like gibberish spread by psychos, which has no appeal at all ," the newspaper's bilingual editorial says.
- defraud: An Indian businessman who allegedly defrauded thousands of depositors has appeared in court.
- dupe: Police say he left Bengal after thousands of depositors alleged they had been duped of their savings.
- flout: The business came under pressure after the market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), began investigations into how such companies were flouting rules, correspondents say.
- barrage: There has been a barrage of condemnation in Xinhua, China Daily and other state media of recent visits by Japanese officials and lawmakers to the Yasukuni Shrine, which marks Japan's war dead including convicted war criminals.
- lieu: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has also come under fire for sending a ritual offering in lieu of a personal visit to the controversial shrine.
- refute: Xinhua and other state media have been similarly low-key and reserved on China's foreign ministry refuting India's complaints that around 50 Chinese soldiers crossed 10km past the Sino-Indian Line of Actual Control and set up a tent post in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir on 15 April.
- shun: A photo of a young Red Cross worker with a Sichuan earthquake donation box being shunned by passer-bys in Shenzhen last Sunday has been widely carried in the media, including Hong Kong's Phoenix TV.
- lavish: Photos of her apparently lavish lifestyle on her microblog triggered suspicions that the organisation's funds had been misappropriated.
- mountainous: More than three quarters of the population live in sprawling cities on the coastal fringes of Japan's four mountainous, heavily-wooded islands.
- steam: Japan's rapid post-war expansion- propelled by highly successful car and consumer electronics industries- ran out of steam by the 1990s under a mounting debt burden that successive government have failed to address.
- engender: On the other hand, one of the biggest challenges that successive Japanese governments have faced is how to meet the huge social security costs engendered by an ageing society.
- inviolable: This seemed inviolable for more than half a century, but since the beginning of the twenty-first century it has been subjected to some reinterpretation.
- territorial: International: There has been tension with China and South Korea over Japan's wartime past and territorial waters, and with North Korea over the latter's nuclear ambitions.
- volcano: Most of the islands are inhabited; some have active volcanoes.
- subsistence: Most of the people live in rural areas and practise subsistence agriculture.
- insurrection: Vanuatu has been spared the unrest which has befallen neighbouring countries such as the Solomon Islands and Fiji, although the largest island, Espiritu Santo, experienced a brief insurrection in 1980.
- island: Vanuatu has been spared the unrest which has befallen neighbouring countries such as the Solomon Islands and Fiji, although the largest island, Espiritu Santo, experienced a brief insurrection in 1980.
- brief: Vanuatu has been spared the unrest which has befallen neighbouring countries such as the Solomon Islands and Fiji, although the largest island, Espiritu Santo, experienced a brief insurrection in 1980.
- volcanic: Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern part of the world's second largest island and is prey to volcanic activity, earthquakes and tidal waves.
- subsistence: Many tribes in the isolated mountainous interior have little contact with one another, let alone with the outside world, and live within a non-monetarised economy dependent on subsistence agriculture.
- government: A peace deal signed in 2001 provided the framework for the election in 2005 of an autonomous government for Bougainville.
- tolerate: The Papua New Guinean government has said it will not tolerate the use of its territory for separatist attacks on the Indonesian army.
- civil: Australia has also despatched police officers and civil servants to support their local equivalents.
- islet: The Marshall Islands consist of two chains of coral atolls, together with more than 1,000 islets, just north of the Equator.
- weapon: The legacy of the post-war US occupation is seen particularly starkly on Bikini and Enewetak, which were both used for nuclear weapons testing between 1946 and 1958.
- export: A major problem for the islands is how to gain some measure of financial independence from the US. Imports dwarf exports, unemployment is high and many islanders live by subsistence farming.
- island: Tourism is one optio n; unspoiled beaches abound and the islands are an ideal base for scuba diving and sports fishing.
- legacy: The legacy of the post-war US occupation is seen particularly starkly on Bikini and Enewetak, which were both used for nuclear weapons testing between 1946 and 1958.
- garrison: Russia maintains military garrisons in Tajikistan and in 2004 took back control over a former Soviet space monitoring centre.
- security: International: Russia helps Tajikistan with security and economic problems and has a military base in Dushanbe.
- camp: Tajikistan has been accused by its neighbours of tolerating the presence of training camps for Islamist rebels on its territory, an accusation which it has strongly denied.
- civil: The five-year civil war between the Moscow-backed government and the Islamist-led opposition, in which up to 50,000 people were killed and over one-tenth of the population fled the country, ended in 1997 with a United Nations-brokered peace agreement.
- threaten: Almost half of GDP is earned by migrants working abroad, especially in Russia, but the recession in 2009 threatened that income.
- opulence: Positioned on the ancient Great Silk Road between Europe and Asia, majestic cities such as Bukhara and Samarkand, famed for their architectural opulence, once flourished as trade and cultural centres.
- emerge: In 1991 Uzbekistan emerged as a sovereign country after more than a century of Russian rule- first as part of the Russian empire and then as a component of the Soviet Union.
- opponent: Opponents of President Karimov blamed the authorities ' brutal determination to crush all dissent.
- access: Following the 11 September attacks on the US, Uzbekistan won favour with Washington by allowing its forces a base in Uzbekistan, affording ready access across the Afghan border.
- accuse: President Karimov's government has been accused of human rights violations, including torture and killing of civilians.
- path: Originally composed of six separate colonies of the British Empire, Australia's path to independent statehood began with the formation of a federal state in 1901 and was largely complete by World War II.
- extensive: The six states of the federation retain extensive powers, particularly over education, police, the judiciary and transport.
- policy: The gradual dismantling of the " White Australia" immigration policy in the decades after World War II heralded an increase in the number of non-European arrivals, and migration remains a politically-sensitive issue.
- continent: Through its isolation from other continents, Australia has developed an abundance of unique plant and animal life, most famously marsupials such as the kangaroo.
- arrival: The gradual dismantling of the " White Australia" immigration policy in the decades after World War II heralded an increase in the number of non-European arrivals, and migration remains a politically-sensitive issue.
- island: However, Australia ended its controversial " Pacific Solution" of detaining asylum seekers on islands in 2008.
- import: While the mining of 1,000 years ' worth of fossilised bird droppings has been lucrative, Nauru relies on imports for almost everything- from food and water to fuel.
- precipitate: Moreover, recent financial crises have precipitated a slide into bankruptcy and a dependence on aid.
- debt: The country had to sell off its assets in Australia to pay off a multi-million dollar debt to a US corporation.
- government: Nauru's government has tried to develop alternative industries, including tourism and offshore banking.
- vain: International pressure increased and finally persuaded Indonesia to allow an independence referendum in 1999, during which a pro-Indonesian militia, apparently with Indonesian army support, tried in vain to use terror to discourage voters.
- reconstruct: An international peacekeeping force halted the mayhem and paved the way for a United Nations mission which helped reconstruct East Timor.
- maritime: As a part of the deal, a decision on the disputed maritime border in the area was deferred.
- security: International: UN peacekeepers bolstered the emerging security services during first decade of independence.
- invest: Portugal invested little in Timor, and withdrew unilaterally in 1975 after deciding to dissolve its colonial empire.
- island: Japan lost control of the main island, Sai pan, after US forces invaded in June 1944.
- territory: Economic woes were compounded when, months later, Japan Airlines ended flights to the territory, hitting the tourist trade.
- import: The industry was dealt a blow in 2005 when, under liberalised world trade rules, the US scrapped import quotas on Chinese-made garments.
- island: The islands sought political union with the US in the mid-1970s.
- invade: Japan lost control of the main island, Sai pan, after US forces invaded in June 1944.
- indigenous: The indigenous Chamorro are a people of mixed Micro nesian, Spanish and Filipino descent.
- wrest: Many Guamanians died under the occupation before the territory was wrested from Japanese control in 1944.
- decimate: A Spanish expedition led by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan arrived in 1521; under Spanish rule the native population was decimated by disease and the suppression of rebellions.
- island: Typhoons swept across the island in 2002, leaving around 35,000 people homeless.
- access: International: Important staging post, providing rapid access to potential flashpoints in the Koreas and Taiwan Strait.
- ancestry: Named after Captain Cook, who explored them in 1773, the islands were once autonomous, home to tribes of mixed Polynesian ancestry.
- hereditary: Governments still seek advice on matters of culture, custom and land ownership from a council of hereditary leaders known as the House of Ariki.
- volcanic: Its economy centres on tourism; the territory's natural assets include fine beaches and volcanic mountains.
- assets: Its economy centres on tourism; the territory's natural assets include fine beaches and volcanic mountains.
- island: The Cook Islands are prone to tropical storms; Hurricane Martin devastated the northern islands in 1997 causing substantial losses for the black pearl industry.
- mountainous: The vast and diverse Indian sub-continent- from the mountainous Afghan frontier to the jungles of Burma- was under foreign rule from the early 1800s until the demise of the British Raj in 1947.
- prolific: International: Ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir region; nuclear weapons state; world's most prolific film industry- Bollywood.
- partition: The subsequent partition of the sub-continent- into present-day India and Pakistan- sowed the seeds for future conflict.
- seed: The subsequent partition of the sub-continent- into present-day India and Pakistan- sowed the seeds for future conflict.
- burgeon: The country has a burgeoning urban middle class and has made great strides in fields such as information technology.
- antagonism: Analysts say antagonism between the main parties- the Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party- reflects personal animosity between leaders rather than substantial ideological differences.
- animosity: Analysts say antagonism between the main parties- the Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party- reflects personal animosity between leaders rather than substantial ideological differences.
- tolerant: Concern has grown about religious extremism in the usually moderate and tolerant country.
- education: However, Bangladesh has reduced population growth and improved health and education.
- moderate: Concern has grown about religious extremism in the usually moderate and tolerant country.
- mutiny: The first democratically-elected president, Mohamed Nasheed, resigned in 2012 in the wake of opposition protests, and after a mutiny by police and the military.
- straight: Most tourists are taken straight to their island hideaway by seaplane or speedboat, where they are free to drink alcohol and get luxurious spa treatments, insulated from the everyday Maldives, where alcohol is outlawed and skimpy beachwear frowned upon.
- education: However, the country has developed its infrastructure and industries, including the fisheries sector, and has boosted health care, education and literacy.
- literacy: However, the country has developed its infrastructure and industries, including the fisheries sector, and has boosted health care, education and literacy.
- resort: Homes and resorts were devastated by the waves, precipitating a major rebuilding programme.
