21.  The controversial annual talks were agreed to by China as a reward for Australia abandoning support for an annual United Nations motion condemning its human rights record.

22.  The council said it would abandon its support for the bill if it were changed to defer to state and local laws.

23.  The Family Research Council, a conservative group, said it would abandon its support if the measure made religious charities subject to state and local laws.

24.  His newspapers in the UK have abandoned their support for John Major.

25.  Brittan also said that the EU was not abandoning its support of former Italian trade minister Renato Ruggiero to head the WTO.

26.  But Pakistan is under intense internal pressure not to abandon its support for what it calls a campaign by Kashmiri Muslims to free themselves from Indian rule.

27.  The source said there was no question of the Belgium abandoning its support for Paul de Grauwe, who will attend the Oviedo meeting.

28.  Iraq said Tuesday it was ready to cut off oil supplies to the United States to pressure Washington into abandoning support for Israel.