1.   Indeed, if China had been a more democratic country, the recent stalemate over the U.S. spy plane might have been much more difficult to resolve.

2.   Still, the recent stalemate at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is particularly poignant.

3.   The rate cut came as a surprise in view of the recent stalemate in the budget talks.

4.   He specifically blamed Moscow for the recent stalemate when Russian border guards refused to let in numerous trucks loaded with alcohol.

5.   It was unclear if the attack warning was related to a recent stalemate in peace talks with the Palestinians over a disagreement regarding Israeli withdrawals from the West Bank.