11.   In January, President Vladimir Putin called for urgent measures to tackle the problem of abandoned and homeless children in Russia which he said had reached alarming proportions.

12.   Air pollution has reached alarming proportions in Tehran in recent years and seriously threatens the health of its residents.

13.   After a spell of cold weather and a drought, the pollution in Tehran has reached alarming proportions, with newspapers and officials issuing repeated warnings about health hazards.

14.   Drug trafficking in Zambia has reached alarming proportions, forcing agents to turn to an unusual source for evidence -- the dead and long buried.

15.   Last month Putin called for urgent measures to tackle the problem of abandoned and homeless children in Russia which he said had reached alarming proportions.

16.   On Monday, the government banned a non-governmental organisation which recently published a report alleging that high level corruption had reached alarming proportions in Kenya.

17.   President Vladimir Putin called Monday for urgent measures to tackle the problem of abandoned and homeless children in Russia which he said had reached alarming proportions.

18.   The military government of Sierra Leone Saturday condemned the kidnapping of children in the west African state which has reached alarming proportions in recent weeks.