11.   In its first admission of the problem, it asked Japan last month for emergency rice aid.

12.   It was the first public Israeli admission in the case.

13.   It was the first public admission of Iranian financial support by a senior leader of Hezbollah, or Party of God.

14.   The comments were his first public admission of guilt.

15.   The pleas were the first major admissions of wrongdoing since the investigation caused an international scandal last August and strained relations between Russia and the United States.

16.   The report was the first official admission that cyanide spilled into the Guijiang River in Guangxi province on Tuesday.

17.   Their pleas were the first major admissions of wrongdoing since the investigation caused an international scandal last August and strained relations between Russia and the United States.

18.   With its dominant ideology calling for self-sufficiency, North Korea last month made its first admission that it needs emergency food supplies.

19.   This was the first admission by Rwanda that it was involved in the conflict.

20.   It was the first official admission that the police had come under pressure to let the march proceed.