1.   He said China may relax its ban on foreign companies -- or at least Hong Kong companies -- holding equity stakes in its phone networks sooner than expected.

2.   Kim also said South Korea would move quickly to relax its ban on Japanese music and movies, underscoring the thaw in relations.

3.   The about-face came after warnings from former state officials and the state Democratic Party that relaxing the ban invited potential scandals.

4.   A lawyer who refused to relax the ban in the northern city of Gumushane was shot dead last summer.

5.   Although a slim majority voted to relax the ban, minorities of only three or four nations are enough to block some decisions according to the EU voting rules.

6.   An immigration officer had said earlier that the Philippines was relaxing the ban on gangsters at the request of the Japanese Embassy.

7.   BA is among the European carriers that have asked the EU to relax its ban on state subsidies for airlines.

8.   BA is among the European carriers that have asked the European Union to relax its ban on state subsidies for airlines.

9.   British anger about the EU beef ban increased after the EU refused to relax the ban last week and allow exports of beef fat and gelatin.

10.   British anger about the ban increased after the EU last week refused to relax the ban and allow exports of beef fat and gelatin.