WSJ_1515_1915

The official said the conversations Monday were "*candid* and to the point."

truthful and straightforward; frank

...

The territory can't finance its current expenses much less its debt,

By listing all subsidized gas connections on the Internet, the government ensures that subsidized cylinders meant for individuals are not *surreptitiously* diverted to restaurants or hotels.

When someone behaves in a surreptitious way, they're being secretive. They're doing something that they don't want to be seen doing.

"Finalization Day" was July 14. The agreement stipulates that a *resolution* will be submitted to the United Nations Security Council "promptly after the conclusion of the negotiations . . . for adoption without delay" that will "terminate" all preceding U.N. Security Council resolutions against Iran.

a firm decision to do or not to do something

Out on the water, she came across local fisherman Prasit Mahakaew, 72 years old, as he sifted for *clams* among the *mudflats* marking the outermost limit of the *estuary*.

a marine bivalve mollusc with shells of equal size a stretch of muddy land left uncovered at low tide the tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream

The irony is that even as Justice Kennedy and the four liberal Justices are celebrated as *trailblazers* for minority rights, they are trailing public opinion, not shaping it.

a person who makes a new track through wild country trail has a different meaning though Trail :a mark or a series of signs or objects left behind by the passage of someone or something

The latest bubble *chatter* in the tech industry came from Fitbit, the maker of high-tech *pedometers*.

a series of short, quick high-pitched sounds 2. an instrument for estimating the distance travelled on foot by recording the number of steps taken.

Congress has cut funding for co-ops three times—cuts all signed into law by President Obama—reducing *appropriations* from $6 billion to $2.4 billion. All the *upfront* money from the feds has been allocated mostly in the form of "solvency" loans. Most co-ops survive on what little remains unspent from those loans.

a sum of money allocated officially for a particular 2. made in advance (an upfront fee of 400)

Many observers now are in despair over how far short the nuclear agreement falls of the "anywhere, anytime" standard. But the promise of what such unfettered access could accomplish was always a *chimera*.

a thing which is hoped for but is illusory or impossible to achieve

Depositors were persuaded to keep their money in the banks by daily assurance for five months that a bailout deal was *imminent*

about to happen

The Iranian Nuclear-Inspection *Charade*.

an absurd pretence intended to create a pleasant or respectable appearance

Mr. Obama concluded by observing that the U.S. has faced "more formidable challenges" in the past, including *fascism* and *communism*. Yes it has, especially when emerging threats were left to fester by Presidents who lacked the political will to confront them. By continuing to underrate the threat of Islamic radicalism, Mr. Obama risks repeating that history.

an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization(Mussolini - Italy). 2. a theory or system of social organization in which all property is owned by the community and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and needs.

Greece still could be a catalyst that causes a regional *conflagration*

an extensive fire which destroys a great deal of land or property

The message from Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, on the road to woo U.S. investors, is that his country's economy is revving up, offering them "a lot of potential" for gains. His audience, however, seems less *enamored* of India than it was a year ago, after the election victory of Narendra Modi as prime minister following a campaign that pledged to *reinvigorate* growth.

be filled with love for give new energy or strength to

Others objected to the mandate itself—and so began the antivaccination movement, long before actress Jenny McCarthy *spewed* her views on national television.

be poured or forced out in large quantities

It was a less *placid* scene in Athens, with desperate pensioners standing in long lines to collect their $134 weekly allowance from otherwise shuttered banks.

calm and peaceful, with little movement or activity

Taylor Swift is the latest to take on *counterfeiting* in China.

imitate fraudulently

U.S. diplomacy should use more *discrete* channels that facilitate the candid exchange of views. Public *browbeating* only serves to antagonize and alienate our allies.

individually separate and distinct intimidate (someone), typically into doing something, with stern or abusive words

The volume of data also allows the Chinese to do what the *intel* pros call "exclusionary analysis."

information of military or political value

The IMF has stated it will continue to support Ukraine, in accordance with the fund's lending-into-*arrears* policy, even if Kiev halts payments to creditors

money that is owed and should have been paid earlier

First the good news: Political elites in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are showing an increasing ability to put aside the *fraught* identity politics that has marred their relations and instead pursue mutually beneficial economic goals.

of a situation or course of action) filled with (something undesirable).

I don't think Google is *out of the woods* yet

out of danger or difficulty

So Athens has defaulted on the International Monetary Fund, and whatever happens next the European economy has survived and even *shrugged* as Greece leaped over the *ledge*.

raise (one's shoulders) slightly and momentarily to express doubt, ignorance, or indifference. 2. a narrow horizontal surface projecting from a wall, cliff, or other surface (chajja).

Sweet Briar is home to a renowned *equine* discipline, though it may not prove worth the $63,000 a month in pony care.

relating to or affecting horses or other members of the horse family.

the generals of Thailand *bridled* at the perceived interference of U.S in their internal matters.

show one's resentment or anger

China's tactic: If you can't beat them, *abduct* them.

take (someone) away illegally by force or deception; kidnap

Iran's Supreme Leader vows not to change the country's policy of supporting regional allies *inimical* to Israel and the U.S.

tending to obstruct or harm

Have we hit peak China? The country's rapid rise long seemed inexorable. The collapse of the Shanghai stock market is a reminder that behind the eye-popping numbers lie some scary risks. The global *zeitgeist* is beginning to shift, viewing China as a source of worries, whether in economics or politics, rather than an engine of growth or a status quo player.

the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.

the World Bank estimates that intraregional trade accounts for a *piffling* 5% of total trade for the eight-member South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. For the Association of Southeast Asian nations, that figure is 25%.

trivial; unimportant

U.S. ties with Thailand have deteriorated significantly since the May 2014 coup, and it's no wonder. Washington has turned a cold shoulder to the interim Thai government and emphasized an immediate *return to democracy to the detriment of other aspects of the relationship.*

which is leading to

Mayor de Blasio and the far-left City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito went along for the ride despite their supposedly progressive politics. It must be a coincidence, *comrade*, that the yellow taxi industry has *lavished* campaign contributions on both of them.

(among men) a colleague or a fellow member of an organization give someone generous amounts of

In her 1961 book "The *Savage* My *Kinsman*," she wrote that "the Aucas are men. Human beings, made in the image of God. . . . We have a common source, common needs, common hopes, a common end." The "*lucid* recognition of the Auca as my kinsman was at the same time a new acknowledgment of Jesus Christ, of our common need of Him." The two American women worked to decipher the tribal language and they shared meals, traditions, and most important, the news of Jesus Christ. The tribe numbers around 2,000 people—up from about 250 in the 1950s when the tribe settled disputes by spearing one another—and about a third have become Christians.

(chiefly in historical or literary contexts) a member of a people regarded as primitive and uncivilized. 2. (in anthropological or formal use) a man who is one of a person's blood relations 3. expressed clearly; easy to understand

The FDA's trans fat reversal removes a "generally recognized as safe" label, and the main beneficiary will be the *trial bar* that is trying to convert Big Food into Big Tobacco. "There is a real risk here that the ruling will open up the industry to *class action* and *tort* lawsuits," says Jennifer Quinn-Barabanov, a commercial litigation expert at Steptoe & Johnson.

0. a trial before three or more judges of the court in which the proceeding is brought used chiefly in causes célèbres or to consider novel points of law. 1. A class action is a type of lawsuit in which one or several persons sue on behalf of a larger group of persons, referred to as "the class." 2. a wrongful act or an infringement of a right (other than under contract) leading to legal liability

On a visit last week to a Buenos Aires school, Mrs. Kirchner learned that the children were reading the Bard's "Romeo and Juliet." "I said, you have to read 'The Merchant of Venice' to understand the *vulture funds*," Mrs. Kirchner replied, adding that "*usury* and bloodsuckers have been immortalized in the greatest literature for centuries."

1. a fund which invests in companies or properties which are performing poorly and may therefore be undervalued 2. the action or practice of lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest

Japan isn't the only East Asian nation with a flair for historical *revisionism*.

1. the theory or practice of revising one's attitude to a previously accepted situation or point of view

These are *Hail Mary passes* highly likely to be *swatted* down by the ECB's board.

A Hail Mary pass is a very long forward pass in American football, made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half. 2. hit or crush (something, especially an insect) with a sharp blow from a flat object

...

Anyone registering a domain name must typically provide identifying information—a name, address, phone number and email address—commonly referred to as *"Whois"* data. A long-standing tenet of Icann policy is that Whois data must be accurate, complete and publicly accessible online.

...

BEWARE OF AMBIGUITY Look at the sentences below. Both are grammatically correct, but they are slightly different in meaning. Sarah has always been close to her sister who lives in the same village. Sarah has always been close to her sister, who lives in the same village. In the first example, you can assume that Sarah has more than one sister and that Sarah is close to the one that lives in the same village. In the second example, you can assume that Sarah has only one sister. As it happens, she lives in the same village as Sarah.

...

In one recent case, a young woman died after taking unregulated diet pills sold by a website whose domain name was registered anonymously; the culprit remains unidentified and at large.

Strong sales of the larger-screen iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are driving Apple to record earnings, while defying a sales-growth slowdown in the smartphone industry. Apple has *pried* open the door to largely untapped markets like China and enticed consumers to switch from smartphones running Google Inc. 's Android operating system.

Pry(v) enquire too inquisitively into a person's private affairs

On Tuesday, Greece became the first developed country to *default on* the International Monetary Fund, as the rescue program that has sustained it for five years expired and its creditors rejected Athens's last-ditch efforts to buy more time. The fund said the Greek government failed to transfer €1.55 billion ($1.73 billion) by the close of business Tuesday—the largest single missed repayment in the IMF's history.

The failure to promptly pay interest or principal when due

...

The response to Mr. Tsipras's latest letter was particularly frosty in Berlin, where German Chancellor Angela Merkel and others said there is nothing to discuss with Mr. Tsipras *until after* Greece's referendum.

...

Then came the statewide exams, and six horrific days in my classroom. On the first day, my student laid his head down on the desk as tears rolled down his face. He couldn't understand a single question in the ELA test, let alone entire passages. The test is written on a fifth-grade level; he is reading on a first-grade level.

The data come as the world searches for growth, and the number gives an endorsement to the economic groundwork Beijing has laid in recent months *to put a floor under* the country's slowdown, with a series of measures to lift spending, offer tax breaks and cut interest rates.

Theoretically, buybacks put a floor under stock prices and raise earnings per share.

...

To beat the bad guys, you need to think like them. And then take all the necessary actions to outsmart them, outmaneuver them, and protect your company.

late Friday evening, Mr. Tsipras went on Greek television to announce a referendum on the deal, to be held July 5. His own negotiating team, in Brussels and working late, allegedly found out over Twitter. That's when the descent into a financial *abyss* really began: forcibly closed markets, capital controls, limits on cash withdrawals, an extended bank holiday.

a deep or seemingly bottomless chasm or pit

Every few years since the rise of the compact disc, followed by the iPod and now online streaming, the resurrection of vinyl records is announced, along with testimonies by *audiophiles* to vinyl's sonic superiority over digitally produced recordings.

a hi-fi enthusiast In 2013, vinyl records were approximately 2% of total music album sales, it's made of plastic

The president has two options: He can ignore these staggering numbers and let the ObamaCare *juggernaut* roll forward. Or he can sit down with Republicans and find ways to offer relief to hardworking Americans.

a large, heavy vehicle, especially an articulated lorry

consider the funding sources: mutual funds, sovereign-wealth funds, hedge funds, and somewhat haphazard *agglomerations* of other big investors with a particular interest in a startup, like the group putting money into Internet-from-space startup OneWeb, which just got $500 million from, among others, Coca-Cola Co.

a mass or collection of things; an assemblage.

Mr. Khamenei's insistence that Iran's policy toward the U.S. wouldn't change appeared to run counter to recent suggestions by top government officials that the deal could be a *springboard* for closer cooperation against common threats, including Islamic State extremists in Iraq and Syria.

a strong, flexible board from which someone may jump in order to gain added impetus when performing a dive or a gymnastic movement

Five thousand air strikes (over a year) ordered by Obama sound impressive, but that's a fraction of the 30,000 *sorties* that President Clinton ordered, over 78 days, to dislodge Slobodan Milosevic from Kosovo in 1999.

an attack made by troops coming out from a position of defence

The crisis has come to *pervade* every facet of Greek life since Mr. Tsipras called the vote over the weekend: Across the country, long lines of people wait at banks and supermarkets, families are glued to the TV news, and heated arguments break out on the streets about whom to blame for the mess.

be present and apparent throughout

"Sultans of the Deccan" is an *enthralling* show. There's a lot to look at and think about. Repeat visits and study of the handsome, informative catalog are recommended.

capturing and holding one's attention; fascinating

The Obama administration had help in its *end-run* around the Constitution. Instead of insisting on compliance with the Senate's treaty-making prerogatives, Congress enacted the Iran Nuclear Agreement Act of 2015.

circumvent

Chen Kegui, jailed since 2012 for *scuffling* with police who raided his home in search of his uncle

engage in a short, confused fight or struggle at close quarters

The ban is an indictment of Europe's "precautionary principle"—Brussels's trump card for implementing regulations without proof that it is necessary or beneficial. In this case, it was supposed to be an opportunity for the European Commission to examine the facts and determine whether continuing the ban after the initial two-year period was warranted. Now that the facts and the science are in, rarely has a supposed environmental hazard been so completely *debunked*.

expose the falseness or hollowness of (an idea or belief)

"He's been groomed well, enjoyed successes and confronted *lackluster* outcomes as well," said one former military leader who worked closely with Mr. Muilenburg.

lacking in vitality, force, or conviction; uninspired or uninspiring

The U.S. has been *meek* in its responses to China's demands on Taiwan. This has *emboldened* Beijing. These *indignities* inflicted on a friendly nation Taiwan by U.S. are petty, but they reveal a larger truth about U.S. relations with China.

quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive give (someone) the courage or confidence to do something treatment or circumstances that cause one to feel shame or to lose one's dignity

While gasoline in the Golden State is averaging $3.88 a gallon, the average price in the Los Angeles market shot up 65 cents this week to $4.30 a gallon, about 20 cents higher than a year ago. Gas prices surpassed $5 per gallon at some stations, hitting $5.49 in downtown L.A., according to GasBuddy.com. As usual, purported consumer activists are blaming *collusion* among *putatively* monopolistic oil companies.

secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy in order to deceive others commonly accepted or supposed

The days of people being *vilified* for their race and religious beliefs are sadly not over.

speak or write about in an abusively *disparaging* manner

Uber has fought similar war against Mayors in other cities, and the protectionists will no doubt pop up again. Meanwhile, *savor* another illustration that the highest priority of progressive politics is so often to use the power of government to serve the powerful.

taste (good food or drink) and enjoy it to the full

The rules, mandated by the Affordable Care Act, require businesses with more than 20 locations to overhaul menus to include calorie information for each item; grocery stores offering prepared foods are also on the hook. They now have until December 2016 to comply. The FDA proposed the rules in April 2011 but spent years haggling over *minutiae*.

the small, precise, or trivial details of something

The 1990s saw declines of between 23% and 44% for homicide, rape, robbery aggravated assault, burglary, auto theft and *larceny*.

theft of personal property

Other euro countries, such as Portugal and Spain, which have implemented austerity and reform measures in exchange for loans, might also have *taken heart* from a Greek exit.

to receive courage or comfort from some fact.

Progress is being made: The *arcane* purchasing process is a high-profile issue inside the Beltway at the moment. This year's National Defense Authorization Act contains more than 150 legislative provisions on acquisition reform alone—but only for weapons systems, not Pentagon services.

understood by few; mysterious or secret

Most studies of nerve stimulation are for "purposes that differ tremendously from the Thync," he says. "More research is *warranted*."

justify or necessitate (a course of action).

...

Apple Inc. has the kind of "problems" few companies in history could dream of. It's riding a suite of best-selling, high-margin goods that throw off so much cash the company has room to try pretty much anything. I honestly hope Apple is, as rumor holds, attempting to upend transportation by working on a car. How else would you, as chief executive, spend Apple's mind-boggling $195 billion in cash on hand?

...

Differences over history have compounded existing territorial disputes. Both Seoul and Tokyo lay claim to islets in the Sea of Japan, known variously as the Dokdo or Takeshima. Ms. Park and Mr. Abe, despite vigorous international diplomacy with scores of world leaders, have never met with each other one-on-one. *The result has been a sharp decline in public goodwill in both countries toward each other*, and a shifting strategic outlook

...

HoloLens is augmented reality, or as many including Microsoft are now calling it, "mixed reality." The headset projects digital images (Microsoft calls them holograms, but they're not) onto the lens and into your field of view. It's not like virtual reality, where the headset consume your entire field of view. In fact, HoloLens only displays images into a small rectangle directly in front of you. When I moved my head to either side, images don't retreat to your peripheral vision, they just disappear. That's my my biggest complaint with HoloLens (aside from its bulk). The so-called holograms look great when you can see them, but they're gone too quickly, causing me to lose my sense of immersion. It's like seeing the outside world through a peep hole

...

President Barack Obama likes to say that sanctions on Iran can be "snapped back" into place should Tehran violate any nuclear deal it might sign. Mark that down as another Administration fantasy.

Chinese may now have the names of thousands of dissidents and foreigners who have interacted with the U.S. government. China's *rogue* allies would no doubt also like this list.

a dishonest or unprincipled man

Beijing-based Hillhouse Capital is one of the biggest fund managers in Asia, overseeing assets in excess of $20 billion. It was originally seeded by Yale University's *endowment* and is known as one of the *savviest* China technology investors, placing a big, early bet on Chinese online gaming company Tencent Holdings Ltd.

a quality or ability possessed or inherited by someone or give or bequeath an income or property to (a person or institution). 2. shrewd and knowledgeable about the realities of life

The violence began when a *splinter* group of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, a militant Christian organization that seeks a sovereign state for the Naga people of India and Burma, launched several attacks on Indian security forces in northeast India. One of these operations left eight members of India's Assam Rifles *paramilitary force* dead in early May. A month later, 18 Indian soldiers were killed and 15 injured in an attack in India's Manipur state.

a small, thin, sharp piece of wood, glass, or similar material broken off from a larger piece 2. A paramilitary is a militarized or semi-militarized force whose organizational structure, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, and which is not included as part of a state's formal armed forces

In this case they are instructing adult women that they should not be allowed to make their own informed choices about whether flibanserin is worth the potential side effects. If the drug is marginal, it is still better than the status quo and will help some subset of women. Feminists are right to be *indignant* about the delay, even if the FDA blockade is far worse morally in similar cases involving terminal or rare diseases.

feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment

I've tried every Oculus developer prototype as well as rival devices such as the Vive from Valve and HTC and Project Morpheus from Sony. The Rift is just as technically impressive. And in one important aspect, *ergonomics*, the incredibly lightweight Rift has the others beat. Oculus wouldn't tell me how much it weighs, but it feels far lighter than the other headsets.

human engineering

Beijing's Textbook *Hypocrisy*

the practice of claiming to have higher standards or more noble beliefs than is the case

...

" Laurent Fabius, the Iron Man Against Iran," read the headline July 1 on the news magazine Le Point's account of France's role in the final international push toward controlling Iran's atomic-weapons intentions. The subhead continued: "Tougher than the United States, the French foreign minister could once again derail the negotiations on Iranian nukes." As things turned out two weeks later, a deal was signed. The tough guys—the French diplomats and defense experts who had once called themselves the "guardians of the temple" of nuclear nonproliferation—had neither kicked butt nor taken names.

India has a recurring problem with *bootleg* or adulterated liquor that is sold illegally, sickening or killing people who drink it. In 2004, about 87 people died in a similar incident, also in Mumbai.

(of alcoholic drink or a recording) made, distributed, or sold illegally

Though some conservative Hindus, such as the yoga guru Baba Ramdev, remain opposed to homosexuality, antigay positions lack deep scriptural sanction in Hinduism. As the writer Devdutt Pattanaik points out, ancient Indian scriptures frowned upon homosexuality but carried no threats of *eternal* *damnation*

1. lasting or existing forever; without end 2. condemnation to eternal punishment in hell.

Mr. Tsipras's gamble to hold a referendum on creditors' bailout demands did end up *rallying* Greece's center-right and center-left opposition parties behind a new *overture* to creditors, even as it surprised and enraged Europe and led to stifling capital controls in Greece. And his successful campaign for a landslide "no" vote boosted his popularity and his status as Greece's dominant political figure.

1. the action or process of coming together to support a person or cause an introduction to something more substantial

...

A carbon tax is the emerging fashion in Washington because it serves two goals: It collects heaps of revenue while raising the cost of energy from fossil fuels. The climate change worriers are eager to force business and consumers to use less oil and natural gas, and that means raising their price throughout the economy.

...

Freedom Now's client list is a *who's who* of brave liberal voices silenced at home and too seldom recognized overseas, including Chinese lawyer Gao Zhisheng, Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega, Vietnamese priest Father Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly, Azerbaijani activists Leyla and Arif Yunus, and Iranian lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani. We don't expect them to get much sympathy at the U.N., but at least now they can't be so easily ignored.

...

Iranians were jubilant over the prospect of voting out the Holocaust-denying President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "Iran doesn't have free and fair elections," Mr. Alizadeh says. Even so, "a hopeless people were looking for a president who does a little less damage, who speaks a little more softly."

...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi often says the government has no business being in business. It has even less business being in the bedroom. It's time for India to junk the awful Section 377 and keep up with changes in its own society .

APEC membership is of great interest to many other Asia-Pacific countries, and the merits of other aspirants to APEC membership should also be considered. But if APEC is to remain relevant itself, the continued exclusion of Asia's third-largest economy is *untenable*. India's growth potential and its huge market are simply too important to ignore.

Unagruable

"It's barely viable," he said standing near a row of superchargers, which for Tesla owners are the equivalent of gas pumps to quickly recharge their battery-powered vehicles. "When I arrived there was just one spot left." Mr. van Seventer's frustration reflects a rare *rift* in what has typically been a cozy relationship between Tesla Motors Inc. and its thousands of owners around the world.

a crack, split, or break in something

Questioning whether there is such a thing as "the truth" has become a defining *trait* of Mr. Putin's rule. As a result, the Russian public's understanding of what happened to MH17 is completely different from that of the West.

a distinguishing quality or characteristic, typically one belonging to a person

Doubts about President Obama's Iran diplomacy are deepening, and some of the gravest misgivings are coming from his former top officials. That's the import of a statement Wednesday from a bipartisan group under the *auspices* of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

a divine or prophetic token

Mr. Thornberry, who leads the House Armed Services Committee, wants to give program managers more responsibility and eliminate dozens of reports required by Congress or the Pentagon. "The system has just grown these *barnacles* around it that's made it so sluggish it's a wonder anything comes out the other end," he told the Washington Post.

a marine crustacean with an external shell, which attaches itself permanently to a surface and feeds by filtering particles from the water using its modified feathery legs

New York's Health Republic Insurance received $265 million in federal loans and had the largest enrollment, with 155,000 members in 2014. Its premiums are significantly lower than established carriers in virtually every region of the state. But the co-op has applied for premium increases in 2016 of more than 14%, with some regions of the state as high as 30%. Industry *actuaries* believe that those raises will not be enough to offset high claims costs and the exhaustion of federal loan dollars.

a person who compiles and analyses statistics and uses them to calculate insurance risks and premiums.

Microsoft and NASA, both of which could use a little *whiz bang*, announced Thursday a project called Sidekick, that will pair HoloLens with astronauts on board the International Space Station

a resounding success

The solar-power generation plans are also aimed at cutting India's reliance on fossil fuels. India's imports of oil, gas and coal have ballooned in recent years, contributing to a trade deficit that has shaken international confidence in the country's economic future. But, the recent decline in prices of crude oil, and the government's increased focus on alternative energies have provided some *respite*.

a short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant

First, some of the health-care law's most unpopular and expensive mandates should be scrapped. These include the long list of coverage requirements that drive up costs and force many people to buy insurance that is more than they want or can afford. For example, one of my constituents in Wyoming asked me why the law forced her to pay for maternity coverage after she had a *hysterectomy*.

a surgical operation to remove all or part of the womb

So Serling, the creator of the series, was called to step in front of the lights. In *retrospect*, he was ideal for the role, and for the medium: dark-haired, intense and sharp-featured, often wearing a black suit, white shirt and black necktie as he introduced a black-and-white tale of that which "lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge."

a survey or review of a past course of events or period of time

China's much-touted motto of "peaceful rise" has been exposed as a hollow slogan. Over the past year, Beijing has constructed 2,000 acres of artificial "islands" in the South China Sea, disregarding territorial claims by its neighbors and positioning artillery installations and *airfields* on these features.

an area of land set aside for the take-off, landing, and maintenance of aircraft

The Iran Deal and the 'Problem of *Conjecture*'. Obama is hoping that the nuclear pact will lead to equilibrium in the Middle East. All the evidence points the other way

an opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information

There are criminal penalties if, say, your food doesn't comport with posted calorie counts.

conduct oneself; behave

As one looks at a map, it is easy to see why a canal is a persistent topic of conversation. Cutting a path through the land-bridge separating the bulk of Thailand from the dangling bulb of Malaysia would *lop* three or four days off travel time from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, via the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea. It might not present the same kind of savings as the Panama or Suez canals have done, but with more than 15 million barrels of oil a day going the long way around Singapore, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the idea of a Thai canal gets plenty of people excited.

cut off (a branch, limb, or twig) from the main body of a tree

But it isn't hard to envision the Middle East, *bereft* of U.S. leadership and *awash* in blood, with its hatreds and violence spilling ever westward. Herein lies the great gamble of the phony war.

deprived of or lacking (something). covered or flooded with water, especially seawater or rain

How long the remaining cash lasts and how unsettled Greeks become will be big factors in Sunday's referendum on creditors' demands for more *austerity* in exchange for more bailout funds. The tighter the squeeze, the more Greeks might vote "yes" to reconcile with creditors, analysts say.

difficult economic conditions created by government measures to reduce public expenditure

Why is the Japanese public so *skittish*? One reason is that Mr. Abe has refused to spell out what the legislation would permit the Japanese military to do.

easily scared

Having *devoured* many of the world's factory jobs, China is now handing them over to robots.

eat (food or prey) hungrily or quickly

There have been serious concerns expressed about the specific parameters of the nuclear deal as the June 30 deadline approaches. These questions are critical and worthy of debate, but they should not let us forget the broader aspirations of the Iranian people to be free. Regardless of any nuclear deal, the U.S. needs to serve notice that it will not provide Tehran with a license to act against its own people with *impunity*.

exemption from punishment or freedom, from the injurious consequences of an action

Tales *abound* of Taiwanese officers arriving for training at U.S. facilities in khaki pants and polo shirts, much to the surprise of their U.S. colleagues—who understandably wonder why representatives of a trusted military partner are restricted from wearing their nation's uniform. Even *midshipmen* at Taiwan's naval academy are forbidden from making port calls in Hawaii or Guam on their postgraduation training cruise.

exist in large numbers or amounts a rank of officer in the Royal Navy, above naval cadet and below sub lieutenant.

This is a familiar story. A government investment scheme is launched with *grandiose* promises of moving up the value chain and other economic jargon.

extravagantly or pretentiously imposing in appearance or style

And since when is it a good idea to run electric current through my head? I hear you. Thync says it shifts your mental state with the press of a button—how sci-fi is that? No question, it's for the *intrepid*.

fearless; adventurous (often used for rhetorical or humorous effect)

We reject the occupation of Georgian territory, denounce the annexation of Crimea, and categorically *deplore* Russian military aggression against Ukraine.

feel or express strong condemnation of (something)

Declining to *speculate* on implications for plans by SpaceX and Boeing Co. to ferry astronauts into orbit, Mr. Gerstenmaier said the loss of the rocket "could help us nail down designs" to improve safety as NASA prepares for those commercial-space taxis. More broadly, he said, "it points out the difficulties we face in space flights" and the importance of avoiding *complacency*.

form a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements

Now in Hong Kong opposition politicians and their supporters are routinely accused of consorting with and being funded by foreign powers; of advocating the violent overthrow of the state; and of perpetrating child abuse—the last charge based on the large numbers of young people who joined Hong Kong's antigovernment protests. These sorts of accusations are routinely found on the pages of Hong Kong's increasingly *rabid* Communist newspapers.

furious or raging; violently intense

As of Wednesday, Greece's banking system had about €1 billion in cash left, according to a person familiar with the situation. Even with the €60-a-day limit on ATM withdrawals from Greek's closed banks, "it's a matter of a few days" until the money runs out, this person said. By Wednesday, many ATMs in central Athens had constant lines of people waiting to withdraw their daily limit. The crunch has *suffused* the economy. Merchants report lower spending. Wholesalers can't pay for supplies. Importers' foreign counterparts won't trade.

gradually spread through or over

So much for the Greek *elation* of a week ago. After rejecting Europe's bailout July 5 in a referendum, Greeks must now decide to accept even more onerous terms or risk a collapse of their banking system and ouster from the euro.

great happiness and exhilaration

*Lush*. Gorgeous. *Sumptuous*. *Opulent*. Fabulous. Fantastic. These words come to mind as we study the extraordinary paintings, textiles, metalwork, weapons and jewelry, among other treasures, all made in central India from the 16th through the 18th centuries, that are the subject of a fascinating survey at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Similar words appear frequently in the exhibition's labels and wall texts, and even in the title, "Sultans of Deccan India, 1500-1700: Opulence and Fantasy."

growing luxuriantly 2. splendid and expensive-looking 3. ostentatiously( characterized by pretentious or showy display; designed to impress) costly and luxurious

the peace process will persuade Pakistan to cease supporting and sending extremists into India and start building good neighborly ties. Pakistan, in contrast, has viewed the process as a means to nudge India to make progress on Kashmir, a euphemism for Indian concessions. The debate in India on Pakistan has long ceased to be *substantive*. The choice that India has is not between talking and *sulking*.

having a firm basis in reality and so important, meaningful, or considerable be silent, morose, and bad-tempered out of annoyance or disappointment

Africa and Europe were early adherents and today constitute the bulk of ICC membership. But India, China, Russia and most of the Middle East—representing well over half the world's population—stayed out. So did the United States. Leaders in both parties worried that an unaccountable *supranational* court would become a venue for politicized show trials. The track record of the ICC and European courts acting under universal jurisdiction has amply *borne* out these concerns.

having power or influence that transcends national boundaries or governments carried or transported (past participle of bear) eg water borne diseases

Greek pensioners without debit cards—and therefore with limited access to their pensions—are supposed to *opine* on a "Preliminary Debt Sustainability Analysis" that they know next to nothing about. Syriza ministers know how Mr. Tsipras wants them to vote, but nobody can explain what exactly they are voting on. As an expression of incompetence, one can hardly do better than this. Even more baffling is that some, including Nobel laureate Paul Krugman, are applauding this farce.

hold and state as one's opinion

Ms. Gao denies revealing the secret memo, but her *persecution* is consistent with its authoritarian contents.

hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of race or political or religious beliefs; oppression

The most divisive step demanded by Greece's creditors is the creation of a fund that would hold some €50 billion in state-owned assets slated to be privatized or *wound down in the coming years*.

if a business, situation, activity, etc. winds down, or is wound down, it gradually ends

Many managers point to their "fiduciary duty"—their obligation to protect their client's interests. Under existing laws, they say, *fiduciary* duty is a barrier to using any metric other than financial returns in their investment analysis.

involving trust, especially with regard to the relationship between a trustee and a beneficiary.

Mr. Obama sprinkled his speech with repeated references to the "nonviolent" and "low-level" offenders we presumably lock up for too long and are safe to release early. But the record of predicting which convicts will turn a new leaf is nothing to brag about. A 2002 Justice Department report tracked the three-year *recidivism* rate of 91,000 "nonviolent" property offenders who had been released nationally in 1994.

is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after he/she has either experienced negative consequences of that behavior, or has been treated or trained to extinguish that behavior.

Rolls-Royce, a supplier of engines for Boeing Co. 's 787 Dreamliner and Airbus Group SE's A350 jetliners, spends about £1.2 billion a year on research and development. "We won't be sitting on our *laurels*," said Mr. Wood.

laurels. honor won, as for achievement in a field or activity.

All but one of the insurance co-ops are operating in the red. One already has been shut down, and others are in *precarious* financial condition. Chalk up another ObamaCare failure.

likely to fall or collapse

On the other side of the battlefield, Islamic State and Iran, though from rival sects and opposed in their ultimate ends, are matched in violence, ambition and immediate aims. Tehran seeks to attain nuclear weapons; to dominate oil-rich, Arab-Shiite southern Iraq; and to preserve its Syrian ally, Bashar Assad. These three purposes advance its dream of controlling the region and becoming the *knife's edge of Islam's penetration into the West.* In Syria, Islamic State only *spars* with Mr. Assad, even *abetting* his efforts to *gut* the "moderate" opposition.

make the motions of boxing without landing heavy blows, as a form of training. 2. encourage or assist (someone) to do something wrong, in particular to commit a crime 3. remove the intestines and other internal organs from (a fish or other animal) before cooking it

Exercising its right to collective self-defense will not tarnish Japan's exemplary record of promoting peace and stability since World War II. But it does make possible a new chapter in which Tokyo shoulders more of the responsibility for defending democracy and a rules-based international order.There have been tussles on the Diet(japanese parliament) floor and *raucous* protests outside it.

making or constituting a disturbingly harsh and loud noise

Since Prime Minister Najib Razak's 2013 electoral victory, which was plagued by widespread allegations of *gerrymandering*, fraud and voter intimidation, Malaysia has taken a turn for the worse. Mr. Najib, who once promised democratic and economic reforms and pledged to allow "the voices of dissent" to be heard, has *doubled down* on political *repression*.

manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favour one party or class. to become more tenacious(tending to keep a firm hold of something; clinging or adhering closely), zealous, or resolute in a position or undertaking the action or process of suppressing a thought or desire in oneself so that it remains unconscious

Steve Jobs returned to run Apple Computer, the company he co-founded in the 1970s. Apple had been a highflier but was *hurtling* toward bankruptcy, and Jobs was brought in to fix what appeared irretrievably broken.

move or cause to move at high speed, typically in an uncontrolled manner

Then last week, just before the Greek referendum's *thudding* "no," the IMF *bolted* from the hardline-coalition by validating Athens's "strength-through-weakness" gambit.

move, fall, or strike something with a dull, heavy sound as in Thunder fasten with a bolt

The "*Phony* War": That's how history recalls the meager Allied effort in Western Europe early in World War II. Despite having declared war on Germany in September 1939, the Allies shrank from a major offensive for months. They considered real war too painful and themselves unprepared. Nonetheless, what quickly followed was France's capitulation on June 22, 1940—75 years ago last week. Today, another phony war is being waged, this time in the Middle East. Those opposed to Islamic State—the Saudis, Iraqis, Kurds, Turks and, yes, Americans—mostly *squat* and occasionally harass, unable or unwilling to strike decisively.

not genuine; fraudulent 2. crouch or sit with one's knees bent and one's heels close to or touching one's buttocks or the back of one's thighs

The stability of the eurozone could now hinge on whether Greece and its creditors can find a way out of their dangerous impasse. Hard-line eurozone policy makers, led by German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, believe that expelling Greece for its *recalcitrance* would strengthen the eurozone and put pressure on other economically underperforming countries—including Italy and France—to reform, officials in Berlin say.

obstinately defiant of authority or restraint. *or* difficult to manage or operate.

over the past two decades Indian society has rapidly become more accepting regarding sexuality. Many of India's major cities hold pride parades. Gay characters have begun to appear in mainstream Bollywood films and the occasional television commercial, and discussions of gay rights on talk shows are commonplace enough to barely raise an eyebrow. India's English-language newspapers greeted the U.S. Supreme Court ruling with a flurry of op-eds and editorials demanding an end to Section 377. Opposition to homosexuality in India may appear to remain relatively broad, but it doesn't run particularly deep. Nobody is likely to lose an election because they revoked a law mostly used by *crooked* cops to shake down gays who lack connections.

out of shape dishonest

Better to let young adults learn to drink responsibly than to make consuming alcohol illicit and thus more *alluring*. College administrators regularly wrestle with the evidence that binge drinking and dangerous activity increases when booze moves from the bar to private settings.

powerfully and mysteriously attractive or fascinating; seductive

Chumphon could do with a lift. Tourists tend to bypass the town and head directly to the resort islands of the Gulf of Thailand, leaving local bar-bands listlessly playing Robbie Williams tunes for nobody in particular. Prices for rubber, a major cash crop, are at a low *ebb*. A few boats or barges passing through to the Indian Ocean side of the country could help encourage some more trade across the spit of land.

recede

As Puerto Rico struggles under the weight of more than $70 billion in debt, it has become popular to draw parallels with Greece. But the comparison isn't apt: For one thing, Greek leaders' *profligacy* is tempered by their need to answer to the European Union.

reckless extravagance

Pick the wrong spot and you get the brain-freeze effect; place it too loosely and you get a burning sensation. It uses a *gooey* disposable strip (sold in $20 packs of five). The other end of the strip goes behind your ear or at the base of your neck to allow the electricity to complete a circuit.

soft and sticky

The U.S. used a mix of *détente* and containment on the Soviets, and engagement with the Chinese.

the easing of hostility or strained relations, especially between countries

He joined the Pakistani Taliban in 2007, at its *inception*, eventually quitting after falling out with its leadership.

the establishment or starting point of an institution or activity

The bid came from Luxembourg-based global telecom Altice, which on Monday offered to buy French firm Bouygues Telecom for €10 billion ($11.21 billion). Mr. Macron soon denounced the proposal. "It's rather obvious that this transaction will destroy jobs," he told Parliament on Tuesday. "That is what some like to call *synergies*, and thus we are against this choice." He vowed that the government would have a say in the matter.

the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects

Another round of pink slips for U.S. troops: On July 9 the Army announced that 40,000 soldiers will be cut from active duty—some involuntarily. This comes on top of the 80,000 soldiers already let go since the Iraq and Afghanistan buildup. At a time of increasing global tension, the American military is smaller than it was before 9/11 at the *nadir* of the Clinton "peace dividend" *drawdown*.

the lowest or most unsuccessful point in a situation a reduction in the size or presence of a military force

Second, as Saddam Hussein learned in his abortive conflict with Iran in the '80s and as Bashar Assad is learning today, Middle Eastern conventional armies don't do *attrition* warfare very well. The coming Iraqi offensive against the Islamic State heartland, if it is to succeed, must be swift, methodical and accompanied by absolutely overwhelming American air power—hundreds of sorties a day.

the process of reducing something's strength or effectiveness through sustained attack or pressure.

President Obama arrived in Kenya on Friday and will travel from here to Ethiopia, two crucial U.S. allies in East Africa. The region is not only emerging as an economic powerhouse, it is also an important front in the battle with al Qaeda, al-Shabaab, Islamic State and other Islamist radicals. Yet grievances related to how the International Criminal Court's universal jurisdiction is applied in Africa are interfering with U.S. and European relations on the continent. In Africa there are accusations of *neocolonialism* and even racism in ICC proceedings, and a growing consensus that Africans are being unjustly indicted by the court.

the use of economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries

Mr. Soltani is joined in Evin Prison—Iran's notorious jail for political prisoners where rape, *floggings* and torture are routine—by Maryam Shafipour, a 29-year-old student of agricultural engineering and human-rights activist sentenced to seven years in 2014 for "spreading propaganda" and "gathering and *colluding*" against the regime.

to beat with a whip, stick, etc., especially as punishment; whip; scourge. 2. come to a secret understanding; conspire

Yet there remains a clear path out of this mess: a return to the underpinnings of the Malaysian Constitution, which preserves and protects the rights of all Malaysians; a *devolution* of power from the executive, whose role now resembles that of a dictator more than a servant of the people; elections that are truly free and fair; and a free media unafraid to challenge authority.

transfer or delegate (power) to a lower level, especially from central government to local or regional administration.

America tells its 18-year-olds that they are adults. They can vote. And they can join the military. We send thousands of these men and women into combat and tell them that they are mature enough to die for their country but not mature enough to drink. Here's a suggestion for people who complain that the current generation of young people is too *babied*: Start treating them like adults.

treat (someone) as a baby; pamper or be overprotective towards

When I can't place an online order at my favorite Vietnamese noodle shop, I get Chinese instead. If a task is urgent, I *pester* family and friends for "favors." When they hover over my screen to help me navigate around a virtual barrier, I'm keenly aware that my charge-card number and the details of my transaction are on display.

trouble or annoy (someone) with frequent or persistent requests or interruptions

Yet many of Israel's bungles were not committed by Mr. Netanyahu personally. In both episodes with Mr. Biden, for example, the announcements were issued by midlevel officials who also caught the prime minister *off-guard*. Nevertheless, he personally apologized to the vice president.

unprepared for a surprise or difficulty

Meanwhile, Ms. Vestager has also suggested that she will look *askance* at future mergers among mobile-phone service providers.

with an attitude or look of suspicion or disapproval.

...

"Leaving a child trapped in a car on such a hot summer day, and then refusing to smash the window? Do you really want your child to suffocate?" wrote another. Remarked another: "If you encounter this kind of situation, the answer is simple: First smash up the parents, then smash the glass." After the mother's defense, however, some users directed their rage at the media, arguing that the tale was only the latest case of a news story being blown out of proportion. "Some journalists know that 'Dog Bites Man' isn't really news, so they try to rewrite it as 'Man Bites Dog,'" one Weibo user wrote Thursday morning. "In the end they just cause a big stir."

How else to understand those who have dedicated their lives to creating safe spaces for transgender people, yet issue no news releases about gender *apartheid* in an entire region of the world? How else to justify that at the gay-pride celebrations this weekend in Manhattan there is unlikely to be much mention of the gay men recently thrown off buildings in Syria and Iraq, their still-warm bodies *desecrated* by mobs?

(in South Africa) a policy or system of segregation or discrimination on grounds of race treat (a sacred place or thing) with violent disrespect

Regardless of what is ultimately determined to be the cause, the failure is likely to revive *nagging* questions and concerns among many industry officials about SpaceX's ability to ramp up its launch *tempo* to meet contractual obligations to deliver cargo for NASA, as well as to provide timely launches for its multitude of commercial customers. The company had been expecting to launch a dozen or more times annually to work through its hefty and growing backlog.

(of a person) constantly harassing someone to do something the rate or speed of motion or activity

ZURICH— Swatch Group AG will launch its own Internet-enabled smartwatch this summer in the U.S., China and its Swiss home market, Chief Executive Nick Hayek said Thursday. The watch, which has remote payment functions, is part of Swatch's response to the launch of Apple Inc.'s device earlier this year, as well as similar devices from companies like Samsung Electronics Co. Mr. Hayek declined to comment on how the Apple watch was affecting his company, but said Biel-based Swatch has been hard at work perfecting its own device, which will feature in its *eponymous* plastic watch design.

(of a person) giving their name to something

The expert argued that Iran invariably backed down in every instance when the U.S. had signaled the possible use of force—without its use. The same year, after Barack Obama's extended hand replaced America's *clenched* fist, Thérèse Delpech, then the strategic director of the French Atomic Energy Commission, said "the notion of a United States military threat has no credibility in Iran."

(with reference to the fingers or hand) close into a tight ball

As former United Nations and U.S. weapons inspector David Kay recently explained to me: "Unfettered access to people and documents is required to tell inspectors what to look for and where to go." From there, the inspectors—in a genuine nuclear-inspections program—would construct a comprehensive *mosaic* of Iran's nuclear programs, *overt* and covert.

a picture or pattern produced by arranging together small pieces of stone, tile, glass, etc done or shown openly; plainly apparent

During difficult weekend negotiations on the bailout program, some eurozone government officials openly contemplated a Greek departure from the currency area, violating a previous *taboo*.

a social or religious custom prohibiting or restricting a particular practice or forbidding association with a particular person, place, or thing

Across the street from the embassy in Helsinki where he worked, young Iranian protesters held candlelight vigils. "I went to my office, locked my door and escaped into a *reverie*," Mr. Alizadeh says. "These kids were out there in the cold, and the candles just burned through the night. That was my country burning. Those candles were our young people burning." He stopped coming to the embassy for days at a time.

a state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts; a daydream

Police killed Abdulazeez after he shot up a military recruitment station in a strip mall and then ambushed a naval operations support center. Federal investigators are probing potential terror links and his months-long *sojourn* in Jordan last year, as well as suspected online commentary like "Brothers and sisters don't be fooled by your desires, this life is short and bitter and the opportunity to submit to Allah may pass you by."

a temporary stay

This classic restraint of trade would have curbed well-paying job opportunities for New Yorkers and frustrated consumers, particularly those in outer *boroughs* where yellow taxis seldom *venture*. Uber will need to add thousands of vehicles over the next year to keep up with the 25,000 customers in the city using the app for the first time each week.

a town or district which is an administrative unit, in particular undertake a risky or daring journey or course of action

The consulate sits on one of the busiest intersections in downtown Cairo, along a major *artery* that connects Ramsis Square to the heart of the capital. The surrounding area includes a large hospital, a major police station surrounded by blast walls, a central ambulance dispatching station and the state-owned flagship newspaper Al-Ahram.

an important route in a system of roads, rivers, or railway lines

Mr. Tsipras may simply have been one of those who accepted the assurances of Yanis Varoufakis, the self-confident finance minister and expert in game theory, who has always argued that the creditors would ultimately *capitulate* in the face of Greek *intransigence*.

cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand 2. uncompromising

Mr. Tsipras and his party can *absolve* themselves of any responsibility to implement a deal.

declare (someone) free from guilt, obligation, or punishment

One Silicon Valley startup is using *far-flung* parts of Asia as a test bed. Menlo Park, Calif.-based Matternet, which has raised $3 million in funding from investors like Silicon Valley venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, aims to create a drone-based transportation network to deliver supplies to places that lack reliable roads.

distant or remote

Bashar Assad's Iranian-backed Syrian military *detonates* explosives inside a tunnel suspected of being used by rebels in Aleppo

explode or cause to explode

It would be a travesty of justice if the U.K. were to *extradite* Mr. Karake to Spain to stand trial.

hand over (a person accused or convicted of a crime) to the jurisdiction of the foreign state in which the crime was committed

Even when Greece's Parliament passed the relevant laws, Athens yielded to its special interests by *muffing* implementation.

handle (a situation, task, or opportunity) clumsily or badly

Mr. Fakhrizadeh is often described as Iran's Robert Oppenheimer, the developer of the world's first atomic bombs, and not because of the Iranian's *latent* pacifist convictions.

hidden or concealed

In the French view, the raids' precision and targeting would have scared Iran and Russia, also a supporter of the mullahs and Bashar Assad. Messrs. Hollande and Fabius have both made clear since then that they believe the American fade facilitated Islamic State's emergence as a permanent factor in the region. Yet these French backers of firing real rockets at Iranian-related Syrian targets two years ago now *ape* the Obama administration in saying nonacceptance of the nuclear deal is the tripwire for a full-fledged Middle East war. *Disingenuous*?

imitate (someone or something), especially in an absurd or unthinking way dishonest or deceitful

We're talking about the imprisonment of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who is five months into a nonappealable five-year prison sentence on *trumped-up* *sodomy* charges.

invented as an excuse or a false accusation anal intercourse

Even if this legislation moves forward, Japan remains the most dovish of the world's great powers. It spends 1% of its gross domestic product on defense (in contrast to triple that rate in China). Its government is preoccupied with internal problems such as reinvigorating the economy and responding to *enervating* demographic change.

make (someone) feel drained of energy or vitality

It has been difficult to raise money from a single source at this scale as many investors are hesitant to take risks to challenge the dominance of Google.I am *agnostic* in this regard, and it so happens that such a large amount of capital is available from this particular source.

skeptic or doubter

The president insists that the Iran deal is tightly focused on "making sure" that the Iranians "don't have a bomb." It is not, he says, "*contingent* on Iran changing its behavior" in any other respect—notably the funding of proxy armies and terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East. "The incremental additional money that they've got to try to destabilize the region," according to Mr. Obama, is not "more important than preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon."

subject to chance

As for *willful* delay, GAO notes that "State officials told us that a variety of political concerns, such as international negotiations and relations with countries involved in transfers, can delay State's INKSNA process." That's a delicate way of admitting that the State Department is willing to obscure facts to promote its arms-control agenda.

(of a bad or harmful act) intentional; deliberate.

Underscoring that notion, Ms. Swift said in her letter: "These are not the complaints of a spoiled, *petulant* child. These are the echoed sentiments of every artist, writer and producer in my social circles who are afraid to speak up publicly because we admire and respect Apple so much. We simply do not respect this particular call."

(of a person or their manner) childishly sulky or bad-tempered

...

"Patriotic Education Campaign" included the following directive: "We must turn patriotic thought into the underlying melody of society and create a rich atmosphere of patriotism.* We must make it so that throughout all aspects of daily life—wherever, whenever—people will be subjected to patriotic thought, feeling and influence.*" History education was one of the first targets of the campaign.

...

Facebook's Oculus VR didn't host an arena-filled press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo this year. It doesn't even have a booth on the show floor. What it does have at E3: a virtual-reality headset that finally feels consumer ready. Oculus has been making virtual-reality headset prototypes for about three years, and each has had problems. Either the device was too heavy or had nauseatingly slow refresh rates, for example. None has had a decent control scheme. During that time, gaming companies have built impressive headsets with three-dimensional audio, pixel-dense displays and creative controls. Oculus has had some catching up to do.

...

Oculus hasn't yet offered minimum specs for how beefy a PC is needed to play games on the Rift. I've been playing Xbox One games ever since the console was released two years ago, so using the Xbox One controller was painless. I also spent about 15 minutes playing the adventure game "Edge of Nowhere." Like "Eve," it was a blast. This game features a "God's eye" third-person view of the action. Using an Xbox One controller, I directed the hero to jump from snowy cliff to snowy cliff and creep across fragile wooden bridges. A gigantic, monstrous creature — part insect, part dragon with an octopus-like face — flew above. I navigated the hero through a dark cave, running from smaller versions of the demon creature.

...

The U.S., as always in Europe, will have to shoulder risk and spend money. This week's announcement that the U.S. will position heavy weapons in Eastern Europe is welcome news. So are the NATO exercises now taking place with 15,000 troops from 22 nations. *The U.S. must instigate this coordination as only it can*.

...

The criticism was so intense that in a briefing book to the advisory committee the FDA felt compelled to observe that "Panel members may be aware of the extensive publicity surrounding flibanserin . . . The FDA rejects claims of gender bias. These claims are misleading and inaccurate."

...

The entire point of the longstanding U.S. policy not to negotiate was to make Americans less inviting targets for hostage-taking, in contrast to the French or Italians who are well known for paying. The chief take-away from this new policy will be that kidnapping Americans is now more likely to lead to a payday than a raid by U.S. Special Forces.

Authorities found a decapitated body along with an *inscription*, French President François Hollande told a news conference in Brussels. Two police officers said a severed head was also found at the site. The officers said the inscription was in Arabic.

Writing, Lettering

Global food and beverage brands tend to be *trail blazers* in developing markets. They are often among the first to recognize the potential in countries like India. A country with a billion consumers and rising incomes is a no brainer for consumer-goods companies. Whether its chocolate bars, carbonated drinks or frozen french fries, the middle-class households of the subcontinent are getting increasingly addicted to the taste and convenience of readymade foods. Global brands, including Mondelez International Inc., Danone SA, Mars Inc., Kellogg Co., Kraft Foods Group and McCain Foods Ltd., have been piling into the country to serve them.

a person who is the first to do something; an innovator.

Despite the ruined condition of many of these monuments, we realize that their most recognizable architectural forms are often echoed in the utilitarian, albeit luxurious objects before us; carpet weights and incense burners, it turns out, can *reprise* the *suave* geometry of domed buildings.

a repeated passage in music 2. (especially of a man) charming, confident, and elegant

The raids were sanctioned by a 2010 agreement permitting Indian counterterror forces to enter Burma if they receive permission from Burmese authorities. Yet the Burmese army wasn't directly involved in the raids—either because it was already overstretched fighting *insurrections* in northern Burma or because, since NSCN-K hasn't broken the truce it signed with the Burmese government in 2012, Burma's army had no justification to intervene.

a violent uprising against an authority or government

While the Taliban focused their *ire* on K-Electric, a senior government official said a more familiar enemy may be responsible: India. Mushahidullah Khan, Pakistan's climate change minister, was reported by the daily Dawn as saying coal power plants in the neighboring Indian state of Rajasthan could also be responsible for the heat wave.

anger

Mr. Obama will name a Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, "who will be focused solely on leading our diplomatic efforts with other countries to bring our people home." The President also announced that a new "fusion cell" within the government "will include a person dedicated to coordinating the support families get from the government." As always in Washington, this person's clout will depend on how much he is *heeded* by senior White House aides, but at least hostage families will have a single point of contact. This will help families who say they hear one thing from the FBI, another from the State Department, a third from the White House, and perhaps a fourth from someone who knows someone in government.

pay attention to; take notice of

Music industry analyst Mark Mulligan said it isn't uncommon for streaming services to *forgo* royalty payments during a trial period, but those are typically startups struggling to get off the ground, not the most valuable company in the world.

refrain from

...

Put simply, what Westerners do to Africans, for better or worse, ultimately counts toward the continent's future far less than what Africans do to other Africans. The President was right to deliver that message where it most needs to be heard.

Under traditional regulatory review, the *appellate* courts rarely put a stay on new Environmental Protection Agency's rules, even if states and utilities can show that they are causing irreparable and irreversible harm.

(especially of a court) concerned with or dealing with applications for decisions to be reversed

...

Bangladesh is known for its successful microfinance programs with millions of people taking out small loans for businesses. Mr. Quadir says it might be possible to use records of mobile money transactions to gauge the creditworthiness of individual users "In the future, people could apply for small loans on their phones and get approval and disbursement within minutes," he says. "All the money that people used to carry around or keep in their mattresses is now going into the banking system," says Mr. Quadir. "Mobile banking has become a digital mattress for Bangladeshis."

As for Mr. Obama's false choice of war and diplomacy, the truth is that war becomes less likely when diplomacy is accompanied by the credible threat of war. The President removed that credible threat from Iran by insisting war was the only (bad) alternative to his diplomacy, as well as by threatening force against Syria only to erase his own "*red line*."

a boundary or limit which should not be crossed as in case of EngRPM in bikes

Half the world seems to be obsessed with debt relief for Greece. The farther observers are from Brussels, Berlin or Frankfurt, the more they seem to believe that only a massive upfront *write-off* of public debt can save Athens.

a cancellation from an account of a bad debt or worthless asset

The Supreme Court ruling Thursday is a temporary *reprieve* for a failed law that needs to be replaced.

a cancellation or postponement of a punishment

Only unanimous agreement on the amount of new rescue loans and debt relief to grant Athens will allow the country to avoid full-on bankruptcy and Greek banks to reopen Monday with euros in their *tills*.

a cash register or drawer for money in a shop, bank, or restaurant

Japanese auto exports face *headwinds* overall

a wind blowing from directly in front, opposing forward motion

Many of President Obama's predecessors also helped build the telephone subsidy machine. And even now most of Washington wants to ignore the inconvenient truth about a federal benefit that almost nobody seems to need. Fortunately for taxpayers, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R., Tenn.) and FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly are shining a light on this *boondoggle*. They're urging a cap on its roughly $1.6 billion in annual spending and a careful targeting to make sure subsidies don't go to people who would buy phone service anyway.

an unnecessary, wasteful, or fraudulent project

For decades, planet Pluto gave astronomers headaches because it didn't fit the tidy categories of astronomical bodies. This *maverick* was much too far from the sun to be considered part of the inner Rocky Planet belt (which contains Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars). Farther out, compared with the Gas Giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) Pluto is a mere speck.

an unorthodox or independent-minded person 2. a tiny spot

Whether European leaders accept the Greek government's application for more emergency loans at a crisis summit Sunday still depends on Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras making a drastic turnaround on pension cuts, tax increases and other austerity measures after five months of often-*acrimonious* negotiations.

angry and bitter

I'M KIND OF BUMMED about my carbon budget. During this eight-day tour of Europe I've practically left a *contrail*, thousands of pounds of CO2 cast merrily upon the wind: Five airplanes, five hotels, one TGV and many fast cars. That's not even counting the towels.

annoyed, upset, or disappointed

Indian authorities on Monday ordered an investigation after two prisoners dug their way out of New Delhi's Tihar jail, the largest and most high-security prison complex in south Asia. The two prisoners - identified as Faizan and Javed by an official in the lieutenant governor's office, who asked not to be named — were in jail on charges of burglary. While jail authorities *apprehended* Faizan on Sunday, Javed remains at large, according to the official.

arrest (someone) for a crime

In East Asia, countries whose economic success India seeks to emulate—among them Japan and South Korea—do not *outlaw* homosexuality. By upholding such an antiquated law, India puts itself in the company of such paragons of human rights such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and Somalia.

ban or make illegal

The deadline for the nuclear talks between the great powers and Iran is June 30. The talks are *premised* on the notion that Tehran can be trusted. But will a regime that *brazenly* lies to and cheats its own people uphold its commitments abroad?

base an argument, theory 2. shameless or impudent:

Despite the pain it *presages*, Sunday's overwhelming "no" vote at least leaves little doubt about where the Greeks stand. Greeks have rejected Europe's latest bailout offer even after experiencing a taste of the ugly potential consequences of doing so—capital controls, limited ATM withdrawals and a banking crisis. Now they will have to live with those consequences. *It's true the Greeks were given two bad choices, but they still chose the worst. *

be a sign or warning of (an imminent event, typically an unwelcome one)

Far from being a champion of democracy, Mr. Tsipras is inviting calamity and jeopardizing 40 years of European integration—a project that *transcends* the economics he chooses not to understand. On Sunday, it will be up to the Greek people to remind him that Greece belongs at the heart of Europe.

be or go beyond the range or limits of (a field of activity or conceptual sphere).

President Obama noted that ISIS had "filled a void" without admitting that his own ill-advised retreat from Iraq, and his decision to let Syria's civil war *fester*, created that void.

become worse or more intense, especially through long-term neglect or indifference.

Given that the Greek economy is just 2% of EU GDP, what's the big deal? Europe can well afford to keep Greece on the *dole* forever. But it can't afford to set a bad example by rescuing Greece for a third time in five years. Almost all of Europe needs what it has failed to impose on Athens: cutting overspending and implementing market-based reforms. If Greece is the future, Europe might end up in the past.

benefit paid by the state to the unemployed

Even digging his mini-canal is a daunting prospect. The humidity at times is stifling; during the rainy season, the local highway patrol spends some of its time hooking cobras basking on the tarmac during sunny spells and which sometimes strike at passing motorcyclists.In some areas, the waterway is little more than a *trickle* winding its way past a few slimy rocks.

catch with a hook (of a liquid) flow in a small stream

It isn't like the bubble of 1997-2000, the Kraken of legend that came from the depths to *wreak* havoc on the whole of the U.S. economy.

cause (a large amount of damage or harm).

The idea that prescription drug prices are driving the increase in health-care costs is false. U.S. pharmaceutical companies, and the prescription medications they produce, are providing real value to millions of patients. Price controls on those—*masquerading* as transparency laws—will only do harm.

pretend to be someone one is not

Terry Hannon, chief business development and strategy officer for Adept Technology Inc., a U.S. robotics maker based near Silicon Valley, said he was *startled* to see 400 new domestic robotics makers at a Chinese trade show last year. Among those jumping in: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.—better known as Foxconn—which has announced plans to build and install thousands of robots to assemble Apple Inc. iPhones and other products.

cause to feel sudden shock or alarm

Ms. Tavenner will now steer her members through her own regulatory creations as rules *beget* more rules.

cause; bring about

Washington can and must play a constructive role in encouraging good governance in Thailand, including respect for human rights and civil liberties. But there is no need to publicly antagonize the generals in a *demeaning* way that also alienates Thais who want to see an end to military rule. This type of diplomacy is best conducted with discretion and *finesse*, not public and blanket condemnation.

causing someone to lose their dignity and the respect of others impressive delicacy and skill

More recently the Administration has played down Iran's failure to convert low-enriched uranium into oxide form, as required under the interim 2013 deal. Secretary of State John Kerry *caved* again last week when he disclosed that the Administration is ready to lift sanctions without a full accounting of Iran's past nuclear work.

cave(v) = cave in (with reference to a roof or similar structure) subside or collapse

Could the ECB *forestall* Grexit at the last minute?

prevent or obstruct (an anticipated event or action) by taking advance action

At a White House event in June with young South Asian leaders, he answered a pointed question about Mr. Anwar's imprisonment with a *dainty* answer about how "democracy is hard," adding that "it's important for America to recognize that we're not perfect, either." And what, exactly, did Mr. Obama have in mind? "I mean, the amounts of money, for example, that are involved in our elections these days is disturbing because it makes it seem as if a few people have more influence in the democracy than the many."

delicately small and pretty

Nearly four decades of conflict have consumed this country. From the Soviet invasion in the late 1970s, to Taliban rule, to insurgent factions running amok—some now claiming allegiance to Islamic State—war has *exacted* a heavy price on Afghan society, especially its women and children.

demand and obtain (something) from someone

Teresa Gardner, director of the *pop-up* clinic, said the drone was helping to get medicine to patients who often have to wait for days for their prescriptions, if they receive them at all, because of the long drive. "There are at least 30-something patients that will directly benefit from these deliveries," she said.

denoting a shop or other business that opens quickly in a temporary location and is intended to operate for only a short period of time

Advocates of renewable energy such as Deutsche Bank anticipate that electricity from solar panels will cost the same as electricity from the grid (so-called grid parity) in the not-too-distant future. But none suggest that solar can do so now without subsidies. And as Germany, Britain and other European countries are finding out, *overt* subsidies are only one part of the cost of renewables.

done or shown openly; plainly apparent

Any bailout deal would also require the IMF and eurozone governments, led by Germany, to overcome their dispute over Greece's debt. The IMF insists that "comprehensive" debt restructuring is now needed to make Greece solvent. European governments have refused so far to discuss any debt relief for Athens that would impose *overt* losses on their own taxpayers.

done or shown openly; plainly apparent

The proposals include an increase to corporate taxes to 28% from 26%, which had been accepted by creditors in earlier plans. The new proposal no longer has a *one-off* tax on companies for this year, which the IMF in particular has fought against.

done, made, or happening only once

The agreement consists of 159 pages of opaque *prose*, and key sections are referred to but are not clearly marked. Even figuring out the timeline embodied in the deal is hard, but it appears to run about as follows:

talk tediously

A vibe is Thync's term for patterns of electrical pulses that *elicit* different responses in your nervous system. There are also Calm vibes, which for about an hour produce a wave of tranquility akin to a glass of wine.

evoke or draw out (a reaction, answer, or fact) from someone

Structuring laws were designed to catch criminals and drug dealers who chop financial transactions into lower-dollar amounts to evade federal law. But they are also a legal trap for the innocent. Small business owners often *live on a shoestring*, making routine deposits and withdrawals under $10,000 based on business cash flow. Ambitious law-enforcers often target these innocents because catching the guilty is so much harder.The Institute for Justice says there were some 600 forfeitures like those involving Mr. Quran and Mr. Sowers before the IRS issued guidance in October 2014 that it would "no longer pursue the seizure and forfeiture of funds" associated with "legal source" structuring except in exceptional circumstances. This policy change came too late for too many. The funds the IRS seized from law-abiding citizens are ill-gotten gains that ought to be returned—with interest and an apology.

'Shoestring' A slang term used to describe a small amount of money that is considered to be inadequate for its intended purpose. A shoestring can be used in a number of idioms, such as: "The company financed that last project on a shoestring," or "Jim is living off of a shoestring budget."

This intolerance of opposition characterized much of the colonial period. But in the later stages of British rule and the early years after the 1997 handover, the government not only tolerated but had effective dialogue with its critics. The appointment of Leung Chun-ying as Hong Kong's chief executive brought all this to a *shuddering* halt.

(of a person) tremble convulsively, typically as a result of fear or revulsion

Bulgaria has more than its share of Russia-connected *oligarchs* who seek to operate with impunity. The need for much stronger legal and institutional oversight by regulators and the judiciary was underscored when there was a run in 2014 on a large oligarch-controlled bank that resulted in the bank's collapse and the disappearance of funds estimated to be $2.6 billion—equivalent to at least 5% of the country's gross domestic product. Exactly where the money went hasn't been determined, nor have wrongdoers been prosecuted. Mr. Putin's allies also are waging an information war in the oligarch-dominated media, attempting to discredit Western-leaning leaders in Bulgaria and "Western" ideas. The America for Bulgaria Foundation has focused on ensuring that independent media don't disappear and has funded Economedia, one of the few remaining independent news sources in Bulgaria. A senior NATO leader has told me that he is worried about Bulgaria coming under Kremlin control, joining President Plevneliev in his concern. They know that the aggressive Russian president doesn't always have to send troops when he wants to call the shots.

(especially in Russia) a very rich businessman with a great deal of political influence.

With better luck, this week's experience of bank closures will have *chastened* Greeks into understanding that they are in no position to make demands of creditors who no longer fear the prospect of Greece's *implosion*, except out of a sense of pity

(especially of God) discipline; punish 2. the act of imploding; a bursting inward opposite of explosion

The newspaper with the largest circulation and influence in Greece during the Papandreou era was the left-wing Ethnos (the Nation), which had suspected links to the Soviet intelligence services. The Soviets found it easier to operate in Greece than perhaps in any other NATO country. Greece during the Cold War was never comfortable inside NATO, and instead yearned for a dreamy, *nebulous* neutrality. NATO and the EU kept Greece free and prosperous, unlike the other states of the Balkans, but Greeks, having never experienced life inside the Warsaw Pact, were never grateful for being kept out of it.

(of a concept) vague or ill-defined

Due to blast , Several floors of the consulate were destroyed on one side, leaving a *gaping* hole.

(of a hole, wound, etc.) wide open

Greece now has to implement European Union rules that make it easier to *wind down* broken banks, including by sharing the cost with investors and creditors.

(of a mechanism, especially one operated by clockwork) gradually lose power

Values move on and the duties of investors move with the times. Not having full regard for ESG metrics in investment decisions is dangerous today and will seem *eccentric* just a few years from now. Investors would do well to stay ahead of the curve.

(of a person or their behaviour) unconventional and slightly strange abnormal

"A triumph for gay rights but not for democracy."His opinion's sweeping language implies that belief in traditional marriage is *invidious* discrimination with no rational basis.

(of an action or situation) likely to arouse or incur resentment or anger in others

Reform hopes were *gored* on the horns of Beijing's refusal to let prices correct

(of an animal such as a bull) pierce or stab (a person or other animal) with a horn or tusk

...

*When Not to Use Commas with Who and Which* There is often confusion about when to use commas with who and which. Unfortunately, there is no simple rule. Sometimes there should be commas and sometimes there should not. The rule is: When the information provided by the clause is required to identify the person (or thing), then there are no commas. The examples will make this clearer. Examples: The boy who broke our window brought some flowers to the door. (The clause who broke our window is required to identify the boy - no commas.) The driver who stole indicator bulbs for his own car was given a formal warning. (The clause who stole indicator bulbs for his own car is required to identify the driver - no commas.) Mr Jeremy Buxton of 16 High Street who was born on the Isle of Wight is the second person from the village to represent England at Cluedo. (The clause who was born on the Isle of Wight is not required to identify Mr Jeremy Buxton of 16 High Street - there should be commas around this clause.) Sarah has always been close to her parents who live in the same village as us. (The clause who live in the same village as us is not required to identify Sarah's parents - comma required before who.)

...

The great majority of deprived women cannot act alone here in Afganistan. More often than not, they need the approval of brothers, fathers and husbands. That's why it is so critical to communicate with Afghan men to help them understand how the whole society will benefit from more opportunities for their wives, sisters and daughters.

One result of the Obama era is that big government and big business are often *conjoined* twins. For the latest proof, the health insurance industry has hired its ex-chief regulator and *patron* as its new chief lobbyist.

1 join; combined 2. a person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, or cause

When the bomb went off, I had been eating lunch in the embassy cafeteria—until suddenly I awoke outside covered in cement and with 19 broken bones. After months of surgeries and *recuperation*, my employer, the U.S. Agency for International Development, posted me to Sri Lanka. Recurring nightmares of the explosion forced me to retire early, in 1988, from the job I loved.Two decades after the attack that *all but* ended my career, I am still waiting for justice. In 1996 victims of the embassy bombing were told by Congress to seek judgments against Iran in U.S. federal courts. Years of proceedings followed in a case *that was captioned with my name*: Dammarell v. Islamic Republic of Iran.

1) recovery from illness or exertion 2) Almost, nearly, as in I've all but finished the book.

Yet while Marco is *pessimistic* about the future, a smile on Mr. Lee's face as he discusses his own uncertainty betrays *creeping* optimism. "The government proposal will not pass today, and maybe that's too bad for Hong Kong. But the world changes every day! What it looks like tomorrow, even for the Communists—it always changes. Today's leader tomorrow is maybe the prisoner."

1) tending to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen 2) occur or develop gradually and almost imperceptibly.

In the *affluent* suburb of Nea Erythrea, north of Athens, Iosif Perdikaris, a 72-year-old pensioner suffering from diabetes, was looking for insulin, an import made scarce by the ban on foreign bank transfers. When he was told at the third pharmacy he visited that there wasn't any in stock, he *snapped*.

1. (especially of a group or area) having a great deal of money; wealthy 2. break suddenly and completely, typically with a sharp cracking sound

In a September address in Sofia to members of the America for Bulgaria Foundation, Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev compared Moscow's *stealthy* undermining aggression toward Bulgaria to a "Trojan horse" attempt by Russia to penetrate NATO. Our foundation, perhaps Eastern Europe's biggest, seeks to help Bulgarians preserve their hard-won independence. In the decades since Eastern Europe gained its freedom, Bulgaria has moved *fitfully* forward in a democratic, free-market direction, depending on the outcome of elections.

1. behaving or done in a cautious and *surreptitious* manner, so as not to be seen or heard. 2. not regularly or continuously; intermittently

The 183-page report, from former New York state Justice Mary McGowan Davis and Senegalese lawyer Doudou Diene, purports to be *even-handed* by citing both Israel and Hamas for possible war crimes and violations of international law. That's something of an achievement for the Council, which has a *lopsided* record of condemning Israel and whose current members include Qatar, Russia and Venezuela. Yet the report is fundamentally an anti-Israel document. The bias begins with a *preposterous* claim that Israel continues to "occupy" Gaza, despite its 2005 withdrawal, on the theory that Israel has the capacity "to send troops within a reasonable time to make its power felt." By that standard, the U.S. occupies Canada and the Bahamas. The report accuses Israel of using "disproportionate" force and targeting residential buildings, while playing down that Hamas made a point of operating from civilian areas as a shield against Israeli retaliation and to *flaunt* civilian casualties.

1. fair and impartial in treatment or judgement 2. with one side lower or smaller than the other 3. contrary to reason or common sense; utterly absurd or ridiculous 4. display (something) ostentatiously(intended to attract notice), especially in order to provoke envy or admiration or to show defiance

The *embattled* prime minister *lambasted* Greece's lenders—the German-led eurozone and the International Monetary Fund—in a televised speech after Europe rejected another last-ditch bailout proposal from Athens as too little, too late. He called on Greeks to vote "no" on Sunday in a referendum on creditors' demands, arguing that a popular rebuke to lenders would be "a decisive step for a better agreement" that "does not mean a rupture with Europe."

1. involved in or prepared for war 2. criticize (someone or something) harshly

To be successful, Mr. Obama's strategy must judge rightly the enemies' future strategies and America's own. If the enemies *defy* his expectations, or if future administrations reject the risks he has accepted, we will regret having *dallied* as the first lines of defense eroded.

1. openly resist or refuse to obey 2. act or move slowly

Moral *relativism* has become its own, perverse form of *nativism* among those who stake their identity on being *universalist* and progressive. How else to explain the lack of outrage for the innocents murdered on the beach, while vitriol is heaped on those who express any shred of doubt about the Supreme Court ruling? How else to make sense of the legions of social-justice activists here at home who have nothing to say about countries where justice means flogging, beheading or stoning?

1. the doctrine that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute 2. the theory that concepts, mental capacities, and mental structures are innate rather than acquired by learning. 3. a person advocating loyalty to and concern for others without regard to national or other allegiances

Avetics used a drone to inspect an approximately 400-foot-high *flare* tip—a tower used to burn off gas—for Royal Dutch Shell PLC in Singapore.

A flare is a small device that produces a bright flame.

The agency's unprecedented measures to restructure the U.S. energy economy under an obscure provision of the 1970s-era Clean Air Act have zero grounding in the text of the *statute*, much less Congress's consent.Mr. Pruitt also argues that under the High Court's federalism *jurisprudence* the EPA is unconstitutionally commandeering the sovereign states.

A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city or country. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. 2. a legal system

...

A tragic history is no excuse for a failed future.Put simply, what Westerners do to Africans, for better or worse, ultimately counts toward the continent's future far less than what Africans do to other Africans. The President was right to deliver that message where it most needs to be heard.

In 2008 Congress amended the governing law to allow victims who obtain a court ruling against a terrorist country to lay claim to its commercial assets—potentially allowing the victims of the Beirut bombing to satisfy their judgments from funds flowing between Iranian-controlled firms (such as the Iranian National Oil Company) and Western businesses. Sufficient funds exist: For example, beginning in 2012, pursuant to the Iran Threat Reduction Act and other laws, Congress established special *escrow* accounts that hold much of the money paid by purchasers of Iranian oil. This money, now amounting to tens of billions of dollars, can and should be used to pay judgments against Iran, and not only in the Beirut embassy case. Iran also has judgments against it for the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut and the 1996 bombing of the U.S. Air Force facility in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Obama cannot accomplish that without resolving *this dark chapter in our relations with Iran*. the president and Congress have a moral obligation to ensure that these judgments, which represent Iran's legal debt to the victims of its official policy of terrorism, are paid. Lawmakers told victims like me to go to court to obtain justice, but they have not provided us with a mechanism for satisfying the resulting judicial orders. We have waited since 1983. The time has come for President Obama and Congress to make sure that *justice delayed is not justice denied*—and that victims of Tehran's policy of terrorism finally receive what they have long been owed.

An escrow account is a temporary pass through account held by a third party during the process of a transaction between two parties.

The state's 2006 global-warming law, AB32, also established a *cap-and-trade* program that requires large industrial companies operating in the state to cut their carbon emissions or buy permits. Cap-and-trade auctions commenced in 2012, but this year refiners have to buy permits.

Cap and trade is a market-based policy tool for protecting human health and the environment by controlling large amounts of emissions from a group of sources. A cap and trade program first sets an aggressive cap, or maximum limit, on emissions.

If Grexit was always his goal, then his only challenge was to ensure the talks dragged on until the bailout expired, *capital controls* were introduced and the country defaulted, making a euro exit hard to avoid.

Capital controls are residency-based measures such as transaction taxes, other limits, or outright prohibitions that a nation's government can use to regulate flows from capital markets into and out of the country's capital account.

...

Despite the court's decision, and the president's claims to the contrary, the Affordable Care Act remains unaffordable for too many Americans—and that will only get worse in the coming years.

from present reviewing the possibilities of past

Geopolitics can be more important than economics. Just look at Greece. On purely economic grounds, Greece should never have been admitted to the European Union in 1981 and might have been ejected from the eurozone months ago.

from past reviewing the future

Given the bellicosity of Russian President Vladimir Putin, it is useful to contemplate what would have happened had Stalin not ceded Greece to the West in return for the rest of the Balkans at the start of the Cold War. With Greece inside the Communist bloc, Italy would have been permanently endangered, to say nothing of the whole eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. Indeed, American bases in Greece were critical to the policy of containment.

That is one reason the Chinese government is pushing the trend. In 2013, Beijing outlined a 2020 goal of having at least three globally competitive robot makers, eight subcontractor clusters, a 45% domestic market share for Chinese high-end robots and a tripling of robot penetration to 100 per 10,000 workers. Some say this top-down approach can create something of a *herd mentality* and spur misdirected spending.

Herd mentality, or mob mentality, describes how people are influenced by their peers to adopt certain behaviors, follow trends, and/or purchase items.

...

McDonald's will start testing mobile ordering and mobile payment in China under a pilot program in the current third quarter. The aim is to speed payment and meet consumer demands. But McDonald's, *should it continue the mobile-payment program after its pilot run*, and KFC are early entrants to the online-to-offline market compared with their direct rivals, Ms. Wang said. McDonald's already uses mobile payment in the U.S. and was an early adopter of Apple Inc. 's Apple Pay, which launched last year. But analysts say mobile payment is taking off faster in China because, unlike U.S. consumers, Chinese don't widely use credit cards. "Convenience is really important. If you don't provide it, your competitor will," Ms. Wang said.

...

Long gone are the days when a large portion of the Lebanese population believed that Hezbollah is there to protect them and Lebanon. The mask has fallen off. Most Lebanese now see Hezbollah for what it is: a militia that works for the Iranian regime and must therefore obey Tehran's orders. And to quiet the disenchanted voices, to make them dare not speak out, especially in the Shiite areas, Hezbollah has become more oppressive than ever.

In the Senate a bipartisan group is trying to pass a "long-term" bill, by which they mean six years of increased road spending and three years of *Mickey Mouse* funding.With an assist from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, this *pork tenderloin* was prepared by Oklahoma Republican Jim Inhofe and California Democrat Barbara Boxer, who usually seem to detest each other, which should tell you something.

Mickey Mouse definition. A cartoon character created by Walt Disney. Mickey's image is so widespread that he has achieved the status of myth. Pork loin is a cut of meat from a pig

...

Mr. Bai said trademark disputes are difficult to win in China, because the law is based on who files first, regardless of celebrity. If Ms. Swift were to launch branded bathing suits, Mr. Bai said, she would be infringing on someone else's trademark under Chinese law. "So even though you may be internationally famous if I'm the owner of your name in China you can't get me," Mr. Bai said.

...

Mr. Putin fears that Russians could turn against him should they learn the truth about MH17 and his destructive policies in Ukraine. Many Russians don't believe their military forces are involved in Ukraine, but as increasing numbers of wounded troops show up at hospitals, new graves appear in cemeteries and military funerals take place, the Kremlin is becoming uneasy. In May, Mr. Putin decreed that the deaths of Russian soldiers would be classified as military secrets, even in peacetime. The West should set the record straight. Long and inconclusive international legal proceedings would play into Mr. Putin's hands. Instead, the rest of the world should focus on informing Russians about the truths their ruler is concealing from them. Let's begin with who was responsible for MH17.

Among those eligible for the ObamaCare exchanges—meaning they lack coverage through a job, spouse or another government program—only about a third have signed up, according to HHS. The number of *truants*—despite the individual mandate penalty-tax—increases with income and as ObamaCare's subsidies phase out.

Non-attendance, absenteeism

...

On the other hand, any political party interested in appealing to a cohort of idealistic and well-educated 20-somethings, including tens of thousands of Indians studying abroad, won't be hurt by striking the right note on what many people see as a matter of basic human rights. This is something that the three-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (Common Man Party), which won a dramatic state-election victory in Delhi in February, appears to have figured out.

Greece never had modern political parties to the degree of Central and Western Europe. Greek parties have been largely *paternalistic*, coffeehouse *fiefs* organized around *charismatic* individuals, featuring a reactionary-style right-wing movement and a radical-style left-wing movement. Andreas Papandreou, Greece's prime minister for much of the 1980s and '90s, was never a modern European socialist, as many in the West in the 1980s believed. Rather, as I know from living in Athens during that decade, he is better understood as a Latin-American style *populist* in the tradition of Juan Perón.

Paternalism (or parentalism) is behavior, by a person, organization or state, which limits some person or group's liberty or autonomy for that person's or group's own good. 2. an estate of land, especially one held on condition of feudal(absurdly outdated or old-fashioned) service 3. exercising a compelling charm which inspires devotion in others 4. a member or adherent of a political party seeking to represent the interests of ordinary people

...

President Obama was right on Tuesday to hail his nuclear agreement with Iran as historic, though not because of his claim that it will "prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon." The agreement all but guarantees that Tehran will eventually become a nuclear power, while limiting the ability of a future President to prevent it.

Yet when it comes to mergers and acquisitions, french finance ministry retain their predecessors' *conviction* that government knows better than shareholders how to maximize value in the private economy. The better way to attract foreign investors is to get out of their way.

a firmly held belief or opinion

They've made great progress, but violence and *subjugation* are still far too common.

Subjugation is one of many types of injustice in the world. It has to do with one group of people dominating another group by taking away their freedom.

Following China's recent introduction of a new national security law, the Hong Kong Communist press has stepped up its agitation for tough local anti*subversion* legislation that will make it easier to take action against the opposition on many fronts. The government says it has no current plans to do this but, as ever, it is worth listening to Beijing's local mouthpieces to see where things are heading.

Subversion refers to an attempt to transform the established social order and its structures of power, authority, and hierarchy.

The best moment of my first spinal tap came after it ended. I was not supposed to move, so I lay still and watched the lab technician *deftly* drip my cerebrospinal fluid into 50 tubes, one drop at a time. "You have just created 50 samples for Alzheimer's research," he said.

The Old English word gedæfte, which means "mild" or "gentle," is the root of the word deftly

Earlier this year former ASC president Joanne Belknap of the University of Colorado at Boulder published a call for "criminology activism" among crime experts, citing their responsibility to "advocate for social and legal justice." The society's journal has since shifted toward papers that downplay particular crime trends and emphasize a policy agenda that opposes *broken-windows* *policing* or much attention to black-on-black violence. In the process it has abandoned its old role as a forum for a healthy clash of ideas.

The broken windows theory is a criminological theory of the norm-setting and signaling effect of urban disorder and vandalism on additional crime and anti-social behavior.The theory states that maintaining and monitoring urban environments to prevent small crimes such as vandalism, public drinking, and toll-jumping helps to create an atmosphere of order and lawfulness, thereby preventing more serious crimes from happening. (*vandalism* -action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property) enforce regulations or an agreement in (a particular area or domain).

For once the FDA is the victim of a hit-and-run, rather than *behind the wheel*. Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs correct physiological plumbing, but flibanserin rewires brain chemistry to enhance libido. Neurological disorders are far more complex, and a good drug in this field may be decades off......

The definition of behind the wheel is an expression that means you are driving or in control of some kind of a vehicle, usually a car

First, the IAEA tells Iran "the basis" of its concerns about a particular location, requesting clarification. At this point Iran will know where the IAEA is headed. Iran then provides the IAEA with "explanations" to resolve IAEA concerns. This stage has no time limit. Opportunities for delay abound. Iran will presumably want to know what prompted the IAEA's concern. The suspect site identified by the IAEA is likely to be remote, and Iran will no doubt say that it must gather skilled people and equipment to responsibly allay IAEA concerns. Iran may offer explanations in stages, seeking IAEA clarifications before "completing" its response. That could take a while. Only if Iran's "explanations do not resolve the IAEA's concerns" may the IAEA then "request access" to the suspect site. Oddly, the agreement doesn't specify who judges whether the explanations resolve concerns. If Iran claims that it has a say in the matter, the process may stall here. Assuming Iran grants that the IAEA can be the judge, might Iran claim that the "*great Satan*" improperly influenced IAEA conclusions? Let's assume that Tehran won't do that.

The term was originally used by Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini in his speech on November 5, 1979 to describe the United States whom he accused of imperialism and the sponsoring of corruption throughout the world.

...

Verifying Iran's nuclear-safeguards obligations to the IAEA could never have been accomplished solely with anywhere, anytime inspections. Iran is too vast and its government too practiced at denying information and deceiving inspectors for such an Easter egg hunt to succeed. For inspections to be meaningful, Iran would have to completely and correctly declare all its relevant nuclear activities and procurement, past and present. Veteran CIA nuclear-verification expert John Lauder recently told me that data declarations are "most important because they help set the stage for all other measures." As former IAEA chief inspector Olli Heinonen told the New York Times last year: "You don't need to see every nut and bolt, but you are taking a heck of a risk if you don't establish a baseline of how far they went."

...

Wednesday's unsettling events—nearly simultaneous computer glitches that shut down the New York Stock Exchange, United Airlines and this newspaper's website—have again raised the specter of malicious hackers. "We do not see any indication of a cyberbreach or cyberattack," FBI Director James Comey told the Senate. "But again, in my business, you don't love coincidences." Some hackers are engaged in state-sponsored espionage. But many other attacks are conducted by global crime rings. Operating on hidden parts of the Internet known as the dark Web, they sweep up and sell massive amounts of personal data, which is then used for nefarious purposes. Money is wired from bank accounts, fake tax returns are filed to redirect refunds, credit ratings are spoiled, extortion schemes are executed, and confidential emails are posted online. These breaches cost the global economy more than $400 billion a year, according to an estimate by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

...

When Mr. Sowers challenged the seizure of her money, Assistant U.S. Attorney and Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section Stefan Cassella tried to negotiate a settlement that would allow the government to keep some of the money. Then Mr. Sowers told his story to a local newspaper, and negotiations went sour. In a May 12, 2012 email, a lawyer for Mr. Sowers asked Mr. Cassella why Mr. Sowers was not getting as good a deal as a similar case, noting that it was hard to explain to his client "why he is being treated differently." Mr. Cassella replied that the other forfeiture target "did not give an interview to the press." *So much for equal treatment under the law*.

Japan now faces an ascendant China: the rapid growth of Chinese wealth and military power; the buildup of its maritime forces; a *commemoration* and education policy that fuels grievance and hostility toward Japan; aggressive territorial claims on islands Japan believes it owns; and *intransigence* in other territorial disputes (notably in the South China Sea).

a ceremony or celebration in which a person or event is remembered UnCompromising

Four years ago, Congress began considering legislation to encourage companies to share information—with one another and the government—about active threats in their networks. Experts heralded this step as essential, much like sharing data on a flu outbreak. But the effort stalled after Edward Snowden's disclosures, because critics equated sharing cyberthreat data with aiding government surveillance. That was a *red herring*. As any chief information security officer will tell you, organizations don't want your personal information when receiving alerts about cyberattacks. They do need technical data that they can plug directly into their systems, such as lines of malware code to detect, malicious Internet Protocol addresses to block and vulnerabilities to patch. Mr. Comey and other officials have emphasized that the same is true for the government.

a clue or piece of information which is or is intended to be misleading or distracting herring is also a variety of fish

"they donated their collection of prints with the *stipulation* that they never be publicly exhibited"

a condition or requirement that is specified or demanded as part of an agreement

Collateral is another matter. The ELA is secured by a *hodgepodge(hotchpotch)* of collateral: some of the banks' loans, some covered bonds, a little bit of government debt. For the four big banks, though, a special kind of government-guaranteed bond makes up a large chunk of the collateral.

a confused mixture

Ms. Swift's push comes ahead of her "1989" tour's November dates in Shanghai. She joins an increasingly crowded bandwagon of U.S. companies and trade groups pushing China's e-commerce players to halt the rampant selling of *knockoffs*. The American Apparel & Footwear Association, a trade group representing clothing makers, issued an open letter to the chairman of Alibaba last week, complaining about a lack of progress combating fake goods on its site.

a copy or imitation, especially of an expensive product

Lebanese Shiites who don't belong to Hezbollah have also been targeted for *scorn* by the rest of the country, even though many of us oppose its *vicious* ways.

a feeling and expression of contempt or disdain for someone or something 2. deliberately cruel or violent

Lakhvi, the operational commander of the now banned organization Laskhar-e-Taiba, is one of seven individuals charged with planning and helping to carry out the 2008 Mumbai's Taj Hotel incident. Much to India's *consternation*, he was released from jail in April after a court order dismissed detention orders issued against him

a feeling of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected

The truth is that this ultra-competitive and low-margin fast food industry tends to reflect what people want. Note that—amid the fad for "unmodified" ingredients— General Mills is even dropping artificial colors and flavors from *day-glo* cereals like Trix and Lucky Charms, which no one would ever mistake for a *farm-to-table* meal.

a fluorescent paint or other colouring 2. used to refer to the various processes in the food chain from agricultural production to consumption

The long-standing national space policy to ensure two means of access to space for national security satellites will be ended, essentially by congressional *fiat*.

a formal authorization or proposition; a decree

Chicago is grasping for any and all revenue to ease its fiscal woes, and its latest move is to tax Internet cloud services. Think of Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emanuel as an *apparition* on your sofa *dunning* you each time you watch "House of Cards." And then imagine every other politician who will want to get a share of this nearly automatic Internet revenue stream.Ronald Reagan liked to *quip* that if it moves, government will tax it. In Chicago now—and maybe soon in your neighborhood—that will literally be true.

a ghost or ghostlike image of a person 2. make persistent demands on (someone), especially for payment of a debt 3. make a witty remark

Within a month, the professor-turned-finance-minister Yannis Varoufakis signed a bailout extension with the country's European creditors. This gave the government time to gain Europe's trust and to define what it meant by "renegotiating" with those who had been funding Greece for the past half decade. The time was wasted. Mr. Tsipras and his *entourage* missed deadline after deadline to submit serious reform proposals that could put the Greek economy on a sustainable footing. Mr. Varoufakis's *brash* tactics, under the *tenuous* guise of game theory, only managed the Herculean task of uniting the eurozone finance ministers against him.

a group of people attending or surrounding an important person 2. self-assertive in a rude, noisy, or overbearing way 3. very weak or slight

The long jihadist reach underscores the urgency of annihilating Islamic State on the battlefield as soon as possible, not merely degrading it at President Obama's leisurely pace. ISIS's appeal is rooted in its control of territory it calls a caliphate and thus can claim to represent the jihadist *vanguard* in a way al Qaeda never could. The longer it holds large chunks of Iraq, Syria and Libya, the more its appeal will grow.

a group of people leading the way in new developments or ideas

The Little Sisters of the Poor run nursing homes and *hospices* and object to their health plan providing contraception including *abortifacients*.

a home providing care for the sick or terminally ill (chiefly of a drug) causing abortion

Now the Obama administration is negotiating a flawed nuclear deal with the Iranian regime that will see Tehran get a *windfall* of up to $150 billion. With so much cash on hand, Tehran would surely create new Hezbollah franchises elsewhere in the Middle East and order all these radical proxy groups to wage even more wars in the region.

a large amount of money that is won or received unexpectedly

The Great Recession was a world-wide event, but it hit Greece especially hard. Countries have three main weapons to fight recessions: fiscal stimulus, monetary stimulus and currency depreciation. Membership in the eurozone forecloses the latter two. Greece's large pre-crisis debt—so large that it shouldn't have been in the eurozone in the first place—starkly limits the first. Hence Greek Problem No. 1: a depression worse than the Great Depression in the U.S. The latest agreement looks likely to make this depression worse. Several previous bailouts held things together with chewing gum and *baling* wire. But in return for loans, Greece's creditors demanded ruinous fiscal austerity. Successive rounds of austerity spread misery and ushered in the left-wing government that Europe and the IMF find so *ornery*, but did not reduce Greece's debt-to-GDP ratio.

a large bundle or package prepared for shipping, storage, or sale, especially one tightly compressed and secured by wires, hoops, cords, or the like, and sometimes having a wrapping or covering bad-tempered or difficult to deal with

If we allow that the *euphemisms* investors use to describe the current climate in the tech sector—the most popular one is "*frothy*"—make it at least plausible that tech is in a bubble, the next question is, so what?

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing. 2. insubstantial, shallow, leightweight

There's one thing that's crystal clear, which is that as soon as the market has a downturn, private *unicorns* will almost certainly disappear," says Jason Lemkin, managing director of venture-capital firm Storm Ventures. "We'll have a tenth as many as we have today."

a mythical animal typically represented as a horse with a single straight horn projecting from its forehead

The world's leading progressive economists— Joseph Stiglitz, among others—have been cheerleading a "no" vote and claiming that an exit from the eurozone would allow the magic *elixir* of devaluation to let Greece recover.

a particular type of medicinal solution

U.N. reports on Israel sometimes remind us of the classic Monty Python sketch "Nobody Expects the Spanish *Inquisition*!" with its *screwball* combination of comic *ineptitude* and malignant predictability.

a period of prolonged and intensive questioning 2. crazy; absurd 3. Ineptitude is a lack of skill, ability, or competence.

After 14 years designing jets and military systems in Seattle, Mr. Muilenburg was pulled from the fighter team to lead a new unit near Washington, D.C., selling air-traffic management services. He drove across the country with his young family and seven pets. Ten days after he arrived, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 delivered a crushing blow to air travel, leading Boeing to sharply scale back the *fledgling* unit.

a person or organization that is immature, inexperienced, or underdeveloped

Unlike its predecessors, the Modi government seemed to have recognized from the very beginning that a quest for durable peace with Pakistan is a *nonstarter*.

a person or plan that has no chance of succeeding or being effective

Elliot had her *detractors*; many did not like her writings on *courtship* and marriage, made plain in passages such as this: "There is dullness, monotony, sheer boredom in all of life when virginity and purity are no longer protected and prized. By trying to grab fulfillment everywhere, we find it nowhere." A few quotations from her writings typify her approach to life and to God: "There is nothing worth living for, unless it is worth dying for." Or this: "The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances."

a person who criticizes someone as being of little worth 2. a period during which a couple develop a romantic relationship before getting married

Were President Obama or Hillary Clinton *bigots* before they reversed their political positions? What about the states that ratified the Fourteenth Amendment 147 years ago?

a person who is intolerant towards those holding different opinions

Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is attempting a spectacular U-turn, signing up to everything that Greeks voted "no" to in Sunday's referendum at his *behest*.

a person's orders or command

The stark consistency of contemporary history tells us several things as we ponder why the Iraqi military is proving to be so inept in its war against Islamic State. First is the immutable *tenet* that wars are human endeavors and that culture counts. Arab culture is based on family, tribe and clan. Thus it should come as no surprise that Arabs fight best in formations that are organically grown and organized around familiar groups that share more than the same national flag.

a principle or belief, especially one of the main principles of a religion or philosophy

Half the world seems to be obsessed with debt relief for Greece. The farther observers are from Brussels, Berlin or Frankfurt, the more they seem to believe that only a massive upfront write-off of public debt can save Athens. Some proponents of such a "*haircut*" have clear motives: Greece wants any relief it can get, and the International Monetary Fund wants to safeguard its own exposure by asking eurozone governments to take losses on their own debt holdings. But in many cases, the haircut enthusiasts simply do not understand the basics. Debt relief is only a side issue.But a large-scale upfront haircut sets the wrong incentives for this transformation. It would reward Syriza for its loony policies of the past six months. Easing the burden modestly later this year through longer grace periods—if Greece implements the demanded pro-growth structural reforms—and holding out the *carrot* of further incremental relief as a reward for staying on track would set the right incentives.

a reduction in the stated value of an asset

As things turned out two weeks later, a deal was signed. The tough guys—the French diplomats and defense experts who had once called themselves the "guardians of the temple" of nuclear nonproliferation—had neither kicked butt nor taken names. Six weeks before the deal, a group of diplomats and experts had told an American expert that they were "extremely unhappy" about the lost cause the deal had become. According to the American's account, the experts said the core of the permanent agreement France sought to keep a grip on Iran's nuclear potential had been devastated by an early Obama administration offer to Tehran of a "sunset" arrangement whose *strictures* would disappear in a little more than a decade.

a restriction on a person or activity

Mr. Gabriel called Iran "a friend." The reaction in Germany, a nearly passive player during the years of negotiations, ranged from critical to *revulsed* with distress that German commercial interests appeared as the vice chancellor's single concern.

a sense of disgust and loathing

All this is *prologue* to the rise of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his hard-left Syriza party. Because modern *conservatism* and modern *socialism* only arrived in Greece toward the end of the 20th century, they were quickly swept aside for the hard left and fascist right (the Golden Dawn party) once the economy imploded in recent years.

a separate introductory section of a literary, dramatic, or musical work 2. Conservatism as a political and social philosophy promotes retaining traditional social institutions in the context of the culture and civilization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatism 3. a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole. i.e (in Marxist theory) a transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of Communism. https://en.wikipedia.or/wiki/Socialism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalism

If eurozone finance chiefs fail to reach an agreement on Saturday, then the *baton* would be handed over to the leaders of the common currency area, who are expected to meet in Brussels on Sunday for an emergency summit. But if finance ministers manage to reach a consensus then the summit might not be required, European officials said.

a short stick or tube passed from runner to runner in a relay race

Texas is America's most interesting state, and the latest example comes courtesy of Governor Greg Abbott, who caused a *ruckus* last month by appointing a home-schooler to chair the Texas Board of Education.

a state of confused and noisy disturbance

This week America's Health Insurance Plans announced that Marilyn Tavenner will be the trade group's new CEO. Her previous gig was running CMS, the agency in charge of Medicare, Medicaid and the ObamaCare exchanges. As acting and then confirmed CMS administrator since 2011, Ms. Tavenner presided over a *bureaucracy* with a budget larger than the Pentagon's and drafted the ObamaCare rules that dictate insurance business models.

a system of government in which most of the important decisions are taken by state officials rather than by elected representatives

For Centuries, Thailand Has Dug the Idea of a Canal Not a *spade* has been turned, but the notion won't die; squabbling, cobras and tigers

a tool with a sharp-edged, typically rectangular, metal blade and a long handle, used for digging or cutting earth, sand, turf, etc.

Less-high-profile individuals have also encountered employment problems. RTHK, the public broadcaster, is under relentless pressure to sack certain people. And in privately owned media, columnists have been removed and other journalists have been told that the time has come to *toe the line*.

accept the authority, policies, or principles of a particular group, especially unwillingly

As a boss taught me long ago, the first rule of *wing walking* is to never let go until you have a firm grasp on the next handhold. Yet our *pique* at Russia, coupled with effective lobbying, has resulted in legislation that is *tantamount* to letting go.

acrobatic stunts performed on the wings of an airborne aircraft as a public entertainment. airborne((of an aircraft) in the air after taking off) 2. a feeling of irritation or resentment resulting from a slight, especially to one's pride 3. virtually the same as

Iran and Venezuela have signed mutual-assistance agreements on commercial, financial, technological and military matters. Iran has even constructed a military base in Venezuela to house Iranian unmanned aerial drones. According to Iranian officials cited in the Jerusalem Post, these drones, called Mohajers, are capable of aerial surveillance and can be *retrofitted* to deliver advanced weaponry.

add (a component or accessory) to something that did not have it when manufactured

Between now and the launch, Mehdi said, the company aims to highlight new Windows 10 features such as a Web browser called Edge that lets users *annotate* websites, and security features that let people use their fingerprints or portrait photos as passwords to log onto their machines.

add notes to (a text or diagram) giving explanation or comment

A successful pre-emptive action is never rewarded in proportion to its benefits because "*posterity* forgets how easily things might have been otherwise." Indeed, the statesman who acts pre-emptively is more likely to be condemned for the upfront costs of pre-emption than to be praised for its benefits in the form of averted calamities.

all future generations of people

"Tsipras has turned this country into North Korea," the 83-year-old Ms. Andreaki said Tuesday, shaking her head about Greece's prime minister, Alexis Tsipras. "I can't believe at this age I have to line up to get *rationed* cash."

allow each person to have only a fixed amount of (a commodity)

Tinkerers, aftermarket repair shops and copyright activists are lobbying for an exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998 to guarantee car owners the right to alter the software in their vehicles. Dozens of "electronic control units" in modern cars regulate emissions, steering and other aspects of automotive performance. The nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation and the American Automobile Association—speaking for car owners—back the exemption, as do security researchers who want to probe auto software for vulnerabilities. Ford, GM, Toyota and other major car makers are adamantly opposed. Their argument is that a car buyer merely licenses that software code from the auto maker and cannot break the security measures walling it off without violating copyright law. This claim could end the American *pastime* of tinkering under the hood.But the precedent will reach beyond the auto shop, particularly as more everyday products begin to include software code. Futurists talk of an "Internet of things," a world in which everything from your thermostat to refrigerator is run in part by networked electronics. The entire Idea is to protect the software because this argument assumes that code is more secure when it is tightly held, a notion sometimes described as "security by obscurity." The truth is the opposite: When systems are closed, through copyright or other means, they become less secure.

an activity that someone does regularly for enjoyment rather than work; a hobby

France isn't the first place to have failed what might be called the Uber Test: namely, whether governments are willing to embrace disruptive innovations such as Uber or act as enforcers for local *cartels*. Ride-sharing services have also been banned in South Korea, and Uber is under criminal investigation in Holland. But the French are failing the test at a particularly bad time for their economy, which foreign investors are fleeing at a faster rate than from almost any other developed country.

an association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition

Not all the kids may have caught her point, but her *allusion* to Shylock, the play's vindictive Jewish anti-hero, would not have been lost on literate Argentines. Nor would they have missed her reference to those "vulture funds," her term of abuse for Argentina's holdout creditors, led by Elliott Management's Paul Singer, who have had the *chutzpah* to insist on being repaid. Her refusal to do so led to Argentina's default last year, which hasn't stopped her from *heaping* thinly veiled anti-Semitic abuse on Mr. Singer, who happens to be Jewish.

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference 2. extreme self-confidence or audacity (usually used approvingly). ex "love him or hate him, you have to admire Cohen's *chutzpah*" 3. put (objects or a loose substance) in a heap

Google last year asked employees to work exclusively from a mobile device one day a week, to better appreciate how a growing share of users reach its *panoply* of Web services.

an extensive or impressive collection

Mr. Alizadeh, who is 50, came of age during Iran's 1979 revolution. "It was a time of idealism and *utopianism*," he says. Then came the electoral fraud in 2009 and the crackdown on protesters. Security forces fired on students. Sons and daughters of top revolutionaries were hauled to detention camps where, the detainees said, they were raped with soda bottles.

an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect.

But Mrs. Bahorich's appointment has offended the education *barons* who claim that she lacks the credential of having taught in a bricks-and-mortar public school. Diane Ravitch, the *doyenne* of the education status quo, wrote on her blog that, "You can't make this stuff up. Governor Greg Abbott selected a home-schooling mom to chair the State Board of Education in Texas."

an important or powerful person in a specified business or industry the most respected or prominent woman in a particular field

The new security legislation is merely Tokyo's most recent calibration of a grand strategy in which Japan does less when it can, and more when it must. Even if this legislation moves forward, Japan remains the most *dovish* of the world's great powers. It spends 1% of its gross domestic product on defense (in contrast to triple that rate in China).

an innocent, gentle, or tender person

Oil ministry adviser Mr. Hosseini said Eni(oil company) claims Iran owes the company money for *overruns* at oil-and-gas projects it was operating before sanctions were imposed. The disputed sum, which he declined to specify, stems from old deals that, unlike most oil-company contracts around the world, wouldn't pay for cost overruns.

an instance of something exceeding an expected or allowed time or cost

When it comes to investing in late-stage rounds of financing for startups, "we don't have a *mandate* to do this," says Mr. Boyd. "If we do zero of this in a year, it's fine," he adds.

an official order or commission to do something

.........Then there is the larger picture. The first post-Cold War decades featured a secure Eurasian maritime sphere from the Mediterranean across the Indian Ocean to the Western Pacific. Thus, the weakening of Greece's ties with the West in the eastern Mediterranean has to be seen alongside the ascendancy of Iran in the Persian Gulf and the rise of China in the South and East China seas as a singular process in the chipping away at American power. The EU, as frustrating as its policies can be, represents the ultimate triumph of American power emerging from the bloodshed of World War II. If Greece does leave the eurozone, whatever the country's sins, it is demonstrably in Europe's and America's interest to nurse it back to health to keep, for example, Russian warships away from Greek ports. Greece, whether with the euro or the drachma, is in need of nation-building. Europe, after all, to be true to its own values, must give hope and *succor* to its periphery.

assistance and support in times of hardship and distress

It is no accident that the most dominant states of the past several centuries, the United Kingdom and the U.S., were also among the most democratic, or that their autocratic challengers, Imperial (and then Nazi) Germany and the Soviet Union, eventually imploded. Similarly, America's institutions are its key competitive advantage in the coming contest with China. China's *sclerotic* institutions are already impinging upon Beijing's attempts to enhance its international standing, and things may only get worse as President Xi Jinping tightens his hold on power.

becoming rigid and unresponsive; losing the ability to adapt

Hurrah for gay marriage. But why do supporters save their *vitriol* for its foes instead of the barbarians at our gates? On Friday my phone was blowing up with messages, asking if I'd seen the news. Some expressed disbelief at the headlines. Many said they were crying. None of them were talking about the dozens of people gunned down in Sousse, Tunisia, by a man who, dressed as a tourist, had hidden his Kalashnikov inside a beach umbrella. Not one was crying over the beheading in a terrorist attack at a chemical factory near Lyon, France. The victim's head was found on a pike near the factory, his body covered with Arabic inscriptions. And no Facebook friends mentioned the first suicide bombing in Kuwait in more than two decades, in which 27 people were murdered in one of the oldest Shiite mosques in the country. They were talking about the only news that mattered: gay marriage.

bitter criticism or malice

The facts—such as a 180% year-to-date increase in the Milwaukee murder rate—are hard to explain away, but Ms. Dugan encouraged the criminologists to try. "So far, there have been a few *rebuttals* to the 'Ferguson effect' claim," she wrote, "but these may not have enough of a reach." As an unironic example of "more balanced dialogue," the professor cited articles from the likes of the left-wing Sentencing Project.

claim or prove that (evidence or an accusation) is false

Russia has offered multiple narratives about what happened to MH17. In December, a Russian investigative committee claimed that the airplane had been hit by a rocket fired from a Ukrainian SU-25 fighter jet. This followed an earlier suggestion by the leader of the pro-Russian separatists that MH17 was already filled with corpses when it took off from Amsterdam. The Russian Defence Ministry's official report on the disaster, released just four days after MH17 was destroyed, blamed Ukraine's military for firing the Buk. According to Western experts, this report was based on satellite images that had been edited using Adobe Photoshop. These theories are *patently* absurd, and nobody in the West takes them seriously. Mr. Putin wouldn't expect them to.

clearly; without doubt

As Nestlé SA *clambers* to recall 400 million packets of instant noodles in India, its struggle serves as a cautionary tale for all the food companies that have recently rushed in to set up shop in Asia's third-largest economy.

climb or move in an awkward and laborious way, typically using both hands and feet

Unlike cooking gas, which is controlled by the federal government, the kerosene subsidy is administered by states and disbursed through a corrupt and inefficient public distribution system. Local politicians are often in *cahoots* with mafias that adulterate petrol and diesel with cheap kerosene. Largely poor kerosene users are less likely to be equipped with Aadhaar cards and bank accounts.

colluding or conspiring together secretly

Since nuclear weapons delivered by ballistic missiles are the most likely means by which Iran could implement its genocidal policy, an agreement that calls for lifting the Security Council resolutions banning the sale of ballistic missiles to Iran after eight years—as this nuclear deal does—also seems to *contravene* the genocide convention.

conflict with (a right, principle, etc.)

Other German officials have said privately in recent days that it is becoming increasingly hard for Berlin to accept Mr. Tsipras as a reliable partner in a bailout deal, now that he has chosen to lead a referendum campaign against the creditors. Mr. Tsipras's *fiery* rhetoric in his televised speech on Wednesday did nothing to *dispel* the mistrust.

consisting of fire or burning strongly and brightly 2. disappear

The reality is that the policy was heavily influenced by the environmental nongovernmental organizations whose "bee-pocalypse" *hysteria* had then reached a fever pitch. Enormous political pressure was exerted on politicians through a "save the bee" campaign. As Britain's secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs at the time, I received 85,000 emails denouncing me for my opposition to the ban.

exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his far-left Syriza Party are determined to protect government spending and resist economic reform, and they hope Sunday's "no" vote will scare creditors into agreeing. The danger is that if Mr. Tsipras succeeds, voters elsewhere in Europe will conclude there's no reason to accept difficult economic reforms if creditors always capitulate. And sure enough, parties of the left across Europe are emerging as the Syriza Party's most *vociferous* allies. Consider Spain, where the Syriza-like Podemos ("We Can") party supported a "no" vote and in a statement last week praised Mr. Tsipras for reacting to the "ultimatum and blackmail" of Greece's creditors "in an exemplary manner."

expressing or characterized by vehement opinions

With a population of approximately 80 million, Iran's gross domestic product is only $369 billion. The United Arab Emirates, by comparison, with a population of nine million, has a GDP of $402 billion. Yet despite its *penurious* position, Iran continues to ignore its domestic and social problems. Instead, just like the old Soviet Union, it is stretching its influence throughout the Middle East as if it were an economic powerhouse, not an economic disaster.

extremely poor; poverty-stricken

when I hear exciting news on the research front of Alzheimer's, I feel a personal connection. Of having contributed in my *minuscule* way. It's a powerful feeling, given how little I could do for my mother.

extremely small; tiny.

China and its *swooning* stock market pose a growing risk to the global economy, say economists surveyed this month by The Wall Street Journal. But healthier U.S. consumer spending and a stronger housing market will provide enough domestic power to offset any drag coming from the world's No. 2 economy.

faint, especially from extreme emotion

This latest fundraising round will probably be the last for Micromax, according one of the people familiar with the company's plans, and it will give it the funds it needs to fight a *frenetic* war for market share as smartphone sales skyrocket in India. To reach all kinds of Indian consumers and stay ahead of the competition, Micromax releases as many as three new phones a month, priced between $35 and $400.

fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way

*Pegging* the drinking age at 18 would likely result in more drunken-driving tragedies, but a certain amount of risk is involved in every attempt to impose legal limits on behavior. Lives would also be saved by raising the drinking age to 25 or 30, but we certainly don't do that. Young adults, either college students or those starting out in jobs, are learning to live on their own and make decisions for themselves. That is precisely the wrong time for them to receive a message that the law doesn't matter. Laws should be reasonable, limited and enforceable—and in the case of the drinking laws, they're none of the above.

fix (a price, rate, or amount) at a particular level

Yet here's one reason universities usually aren't nimble enough to adapt: *tenure*. Nearly three-fourths of the Sweet Briar faculty is tenured or tenure-track, leaving little flexibility to scale back personnel.

give (someone) a permanent post, especially as a teacher or lecturer.

At an automated teller machine underneath the Acropolis, Angeliki Andreaki *clutched* her debit card with both hands. She pays her bills in cash, and €330 in rent and €39 in telephone bills were due Wednesday.

grasp (something) tightly

Despite this week's *histrionics*, a bipartisan consensus is emerging behind greater security engagement. The Democratic Party of Japan, now opposed to the bills, pushed some of the same policies while in power before 2012. Prime Ministers Naoto Kan and Yoshihiko Noda favored a normalization of the military's role in policy making, a revamp of defense industries, development of a dynamic joint defense force and greater regional engagement.

melodramatic behaviour designed to attract attention *melodrama*-a sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters and exciting events intended to appeal to the emotions

Better software, two-sided marketplaces and the *gig economy* make plenty of startups at least plausible, which isn't to say they will all work out in the end.

growing numbers of Americans no longer hold a regular "job" with a long-term connection to a particular business. Instead, they work "gigs" where they are employed on a particular task or for a defined time, with little more connection to their employer than a consumer has with a particular brand of chips. Borrowed from the music industry, the word "gig" has been applied to all sorts of flexible employment (otherwise referred to as "contingent labor," "temp labor," or the "precariat"). Some have praised the rise of the gig economy for freeing workers from the grip of employers' "internal labor markets," where career advancement is tied to a particular business instead of competitive bidding between employers. Rather than being driven by worker preferences, however, the rise of the gig economy comes from employers' drive to lower costs, especially during business downturns. Gig workers experience greater insecurity than workers in traditional jobs and suffer from lack of access to established systems of social insurance.

Sunday's collision between the expression of the popular will in a small European country Greece and the economic-policy consensus of Europe's political establishment could make the eurozone debt crisis even more *intractable*. Mr. Tsipras is expected to seek a new bailout program from Europe and has promised Greeks that he can reach a deal in as little as 48 hours after the referendum. That is highly improbable, European officials say. *Indeed, the challenge for Mr. Tsipras will be to reach a deal at all, these people say. *

hard to control or deal with

Trucks in some neighborhoods such as Midtown South are frequently ticketed while others rarely have run-ins with the law. The report's author ultimately concluded "it is nearly impossible (even if you fill out the right paperwork) to operate a truck without breaking some law." *Tellingly*, one of the city's food-truck operators found it easier to open a bricks-and-mortar restaurant.

having force or effect; effective; striking:

In the past, Casio developed watches with schedule managers, heart rate monitors and communication functions. "At times we just showed off with *quirky* features and then pulled those products when they didn't sell well," said Kazuhiro Kashio, the company's new leader, in an interview this week.

having or characterized by peculiar or unexpected traits or aspects

We suppose this intellectual panic over Ms. Mac Donald is a tribute to the power of her persuasion and, we hope, of the Journal's editorial platform. But it's also a shame to see an academic group that ought to be a forum for scholarly debate descend into *hackery*.

journalism , hackwork

China's enormous population and rapid economic growth mean that Beijing could one day dislodge Washington from its standing as the world's dominant power. The Economist predicts that China could overtake the U.S. as the world's largest economy in 2021, and military might tends to follow economic *heft*. Beijing's military buildup is already constraining America in the Asia-Pacific region and decades from now could usurp global supremacy from Washington.

lift or carry (something heavy) 2. take (a position of power or importance) illegally or by force

Home Ministry spokesman, Kuldeep Singh Dhatwalia, said, "The government in no way considers any NGO is misbehaving, the intention of the government is to *streamline* matters."

make (an organization or system) more efficient and effective by employing faster or simpler working methods

"Our party is not out to destroy Europe," said Alexis Tsipras, known as a firebrand leftist, former Communist and current member of the Syriza party, whose name in Greek is an acronym for the Coalition of the Radical Left. "We want to show that we have no horns on our head." Two years later, Mr. Tsipras's six-month tenure as prime minister has put Greece *teetering* on the edge of a financial *maelstrom* and pushed it to the brink of a eurozone exit. The country has become the first advanced economy to *default(finance)* to the IMF. Athens has failed to win new bailout cash from its eurozone creditors, and has been forced to institute financial martial law after the European Central Bank set limits on the amount of emergency financing Greek banks could receive.

move or balance unsteadily; sway back and forth 2.. a powerful whirlpool in the sea or a river 3. default is failure to meet the legal obligations (or conditions) of a loan,[1] for example when a home buyer fails to make a mortgage payment, or when a corporation or government fails to pay a bond which has reached maturity The term default should be distinguished from the terms insolvency and bankruptcy. "Default" essentially means a debtor has not paid a debt which he or she is required to have paid. "Insolvency" is a legal term meaning that a debtor is unable to pay his or her debts. "Bankruptcy" is a legal finding that imposes court supervision over the financial affairs of those who are insolvent or in default.

Derive Systems says it has completed more than 1.3 million code modifications since 2003 without a single known related accident. One particularly *innocuous* modification involves changing how a vehicle consumes fuel while idling. Taxis, for example, tend to idle more than other cars. Derive can change the software settings to improve fuel efficiency in idling taxi fleets by as much as 30%. Under the car makers' interpretation of copyright law, that would be illegal.

not harmful or offensive, Vaccinate

Charles Dickens loved to read outdoors. It's said that he even practiced public readings of his work in a garden at his home where he penned "Great Expectations." If Dickens had read on an iPad, however, we may have never gotten Estella and Pip's *unrequited* love story.

not reciprocated or returned in kind Unrequited love or one-sided love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such by the beloved. The beloved may not be aware of the admirer's deep and strong romantic affection or consciously reject it.

he refused to meet Mr. Anwar when he visited Malaysia last year, though he had time for a very public round of golf with Mr. Najib in Hawaii a few months later. Mr. Obama's *reticence* on behalf of political freedom in the world, from Iran in 2009 to Malaysia today, is one of the mysteries of his Presidency. Out of *realpolitik* or indifference, he is mute.

not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily a system of politics or principles based on practical rather than moral or ideological considerations

Can the Iraqis readjust their army to better reflect culture and clan in time for the next offensive? Can the United States commit to an air campaign to rival Desert Storm? Can we provide enough moral and technical support to make all this possible by the beginning of the next campaign season in April and May 2016? I don't know. But I do know that history has been harsh to those who try to build alien armies in their own image. All the American firepower and "boots on the ground" will be for *naught* unless we allow the Iraqis to fight their war their way.

nothing

The freezing of Greece's banking system is the most dramatic moment of the country's five-year debt crisis—and perhaps its most *pivotal*. Since Monday, Greeks can get only €60 a day at cash machines and can't transfer money abroad.

of crucial importance in relation to the development or success of something else

The root cause of Islamist radicalization, he argued, is neither economic deprivation nor the West's alleged misdeeds in the Middle East. It's a worldview that begins with "hearing about the so-called Jewish conspiracy and then develops into hostility to the West and fundamental liberal values, before finally becoming a *cultish* attachment to death."

of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees

A 2013 report in the New York Times Magazine found "numerous (and sometimes conflicting) regulations required by the departments of Health, Sanitation, Transportation, and Consumer Affairs." Some *overtly* discriminate against food trucks. For example: Each food-truck employee must obtain a Health Department certification—a lengthy process—even though traditional restaurants need only one licensed employee.

openly, publicly

(Report: 17 months old Child was trapped in luxuary BMW) Where reports of the incident had received more than 7.6 million views as of Thursday afternoon - users responded with fury to the initial report, with many arguing that the mother's behavior was an example of values gone *awry* in modern China. "It's clear that for this mother, a car is more important than her child," one Weibo user wrote.

out of the normal or correct position; askew

Under this strategy, Tokyo would *"pass the buck"* to Washington, which would shoulder the defense burden while Japan focused on rebuilding its economy. To be sure, Japan contributed. Its people (particularly the Okinawans) felt the intrusive footprint of American military bases; its taxpayers subsidized those bases; and at times—such as during the Korean and Vietnam wars—Japan provided important rear-area military support.

pass the buck definition. To shift blame from oneself to another person: "Passing the buck is a way of life in large bureaucracies."

what are Saudi Arabia's choices? The short, subdued statement this week by Riyadh's embassy in Washington again calling for "strict, sustainable" inspections speaks volumes about the kingdom's precarious position and its lack of good options. The deal obviously comes as no surprise to the Saudis, who have watched the Obama administration fervently *court* Iran at Saudi expense. Given that the kingdom already has taken any number of actions to try to protect itself, few remain. So don't expect any significant Saudi action in the short term, not even openly lobbying Congress against the deal.

pay special attention to (someone) in an attempt to win their support or favour.

Now that the Tehran nuclear deal is done, the Sunni Arab states can expect enormous U.S. pressure to shut up and fall in line. Mr. Obama has been *cajoling* them with a visit to Camp David and promises of new weapons and other support.

persuade (someone) to do something by sustained coaxing(persuade (someone) gradually or gently to do something) or flattery

While President Obama hopes his nuclear deal with Iran will *burnish* his presidential legacy as a great peacemaker, the near-term consequence will be more—and even bloodier—sectarian violence in the Middle East. In particular, security threats will escalate for Saudi Arabia and Israel, until now America's two major Mideast allies.

polish (something, especially metal) by rubbing

Outside the euro, Greece would no longer have access to the European Stability Mechanism, which has already showered €130 billion ($143.57 billion) on Athens, more cash than on any other "Club Med" member. Nor could Athens return to the vaults of the ECB. But as an *indigent* member of the EU, Greece could still claim billions from the "structural" and "cohesion" funds that shell out billions to the poorer regions of Europe. Athens could also draw on the EU's balance-of-payments scheme, which delivers medium-term financial help to non-euro nations.

poor; needy

Ireland's left-wing Sinn Fein also campaigned for a "no" vote from Athens. In Dublin, the party's finance spokesman, Pearse Doherty, denounced what he called the "backdrop of fear and scaremongering by our own and other European governments" and *lauded* Greeks for standing up to "the bullyboys" of the European Union. Ireland's current government has been another relative reform success.

praise (a person or their achievements) highly.

Greeting the 2013 Supreme Court decision with dismay, party president Sonia Gandhi described Section 377 as an "archaic, repressive and unjust law that infringed on the basic human rights *enshrined* in our constitution." But even the Congress Party has hardly gone beyond *lip service*.

preserve (a right, tradition, or idea) in a form that ensures it will be protected and respected 2. Lip service is an idiom meaning (chiefly when following 'to pay' ) 'giving approval or support insincerely'

The Obama administration lately projects an anti-Islamic State campaign of three to five years at best, or a decade perhaps at worst. Meanwhile, U.S. leaders hope to tame Iran's nuclear hunger and it's bloody misdeeds with inspections and respect, a coin that must be paid in years of restraint. Maybe the administration believes regional powers can be *goaded* into not just *pricking*, but, with limited U.S. aid, defeating Islamic State and Iranian ambitions. Whatever the reasoning the net consequence is the same: Iran and Islamic State have won years to gather weapons and riches, inflame hatreds, reap recruits and plot. The time will come, Islamic State and Iran know, to settle scores between them. But that will be another day. In the interim, both prosper.

provoke or annoy (someone) so as to stimulate an action or reaction 2. make a small hole in (something) with a sharp point; pierce slightly.

In the end, France did not choose to lie across the tracks with a gesture of principle. Its admirable voice was still. It *ducked* and made no waves. The result is a France now confronted by an awkward dilemma. How do the French get a shot at the big-bucks contracts a sanctions-free Iran will be signing after France's years of self-portrayal as the last angry and honest man willing to block Iranian nukes? Can they do so without renouncing a principled decade of insisting Iran must be stopped cold?

push or plunge (someone) under water

The threat of Greek exit from Eurozone has always been as hollow as a *cocked* but empty gun.Weakness is strength, to recall George Orwell's Newspeak. As Napoleon once pleaded, "God, please let me fight against coalitions"—highlighting the strategic advantage of the one who is free to act on its own, while the many must haggle and compromise to bridge their conflicting interests. Coalitions always break up.

raise the cock of (a gun) in order to make it ready for firing

The Thai military *snubs* its longtime ally U.S to buy Chinese subs.

rebuff, ignore, or spurn disdainfully

On Monday President Obama *commuted* the sentences of 46 drug offenders, bringing his commutation count to 89, more than the past four presidents combined. Meanwhile, the White House and Justice Department have signaled that this is only the beginning of an enormous clemency initiative by the administration.

reduce (a judicial sentence, especially a sentence of death) to another less severe one

In separate drills nearby, other Philippine troops this week are training with Americans, who for the first time included a *littoral* combat ship, the USS Forth Worth, newly based in Singapore as part of Washington's Asian "rebalance." The U.S. and the Philippines last year signed a new defense agreement that could see U.S. Marines rotate through Palawan bases.

relating to or situated on the shore of the sea or a lake

When it comes to lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgendered people, last week's U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage highlights the gulf between India and much of the democratic world. More than 150 years after it was introduced, a colonial-era Indian law continues to criminalize "*carnal* intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal." This effectively makes homosexuality illegal in India, aligning the country closer to Pakistan and Egypt than with the liberal democracies in Asia and the West.

relating to physical, especially sexual, needs and activities

The relationship between Thailand and U.S started to sour after the May 2014 Thai coup, with Cobra Gold downgraded and other U.S. aid and contacts curtailed. Washington has called for an early return to democracy and warned against a politically motivated prosecution of *deposed* Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

remove from office suddenly and forcefully

But even if food did go where it's intended, donors are still left with a troubling dilemma: Food is *fungible*. Whatever goes to hungry civilians makes that much more available to the North Korean military.

replaceable by another identical item; mutually interchangeable

Early Saturday, Greece's parliament passed Mr. Tsipras's new bailout proposal with the backing of 251 out of 300 lawmakers, thanks to the support of center-right and center-left opposition parties. But 17 lawmakers from the premier's own left-wing Syriza party failed to support their own government, with two voting against Mr. Tsipras and others *abstaining* or staying absent.

restrain oneself from doing or enjoying something

We haven't heard any Democrat denounce Ms. Tavenner's career switch, though it wasn't so long ago that to pass ObamaCare they pretended insurers were abusive *marauders* and continue to blame the industry for the law's surging costs.

robber, pirate

French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron is in the U.S. to persuade American entrepreneurs to return to a France that has been hemorrhaging foreign investment faster than almost any other developed economy. Too bad his government this week *scuttled* another takeover bid for a French company.

run hurriedly or furtively with short quick steps

Last month executives at Cheil Industries, Samsung's de facto holding company (known until recently as Samsung Everland), announced that they would acquire construction firm Samsung C&T for about $9 billion in stock. Elliott Associates, which holds a 7% stake in Samsung C&T, opposed the acquisition as an "unlawful" scheme "to hastily *railroad* Samsung C&T shareholders into an unfair takeover" at a *low-ball* price. The hedge fund sued for an *injunction* and is seeking support to block the merger at a shareholder meeting next month.

rush or coerce (someone) into doing something 2. offer a deceptively or unrealistically low bid or estimate to 3. an authoritative warning or order

The lifeline, called Emergency Liquidity Assistance, or ELA, is highly flexible. The rules say that the banks receiving it must be "solvent," but otherwise the ECB has broad *latitude*. The ECB also doesn't lend for free—it has required the Greek banks to post assets as collateral to get ELA.

scope for freedom of action or thought

Obama *girds* for battle With congress on Iran deal

secure (a garment or sword) on the body with a belt or band.

The current inquiry was initially going to be chaired by Canadian academic William Schabas—until it turned out he had been paid to *consult* for the Palestinians.

seek information or advice from (someone, especially an expert or professional)

In a June email to members, Laura Dugan, a professor at the University of Maryland and chair of the outfit's policy committee, fretted that Ms. Mac Donald's "misinformed campaign" was "getting a lot of play in the media" and "may have the attention of some key policymakers on the Hill." She singled out a May 29 Journal feature "The New Nationwide Crime Wave" as an instance of "*cherry-picking* of the facts."

selectively choose (the most beneficial or profitable items, opportunities, etc.) from what is available

In strategic terms, greater need for imported energy means greater susceptibility to *bullying* from China, which could deny Taiwan coal exports or blockade its shipping lanes in a conflict.

use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force them to do something.

Ms. Merkel, addressing parliament on her 61st birthday, said Germany had no choice but to give Greece another chance at a bailout to avoid chaos and economic collapse in the *cash-strapped* country. But she underlined that the stringent aid-for-reforms policies of the last five years of eurozone rescues had to be maintained.

short of money I'm constantly strapped for cash

Volker Beck, a parliamentary policy spokesman for the Greens, the party which could replace the SPD in a future Angela Merkel-led coalition, said Mr. Gabriel had *feigned* normalized relations between the two countries. "With its position on Israel and its human rights situation," Mr. Beck exclaimed, "this Iranian regime cannot be Germany's friend or strategic partner."

simulated or pretended

We can no longer assume that hackers are *solitary* figures sitting in basements fiddling with their laptops. They may be members of organized-crime groups or employed by nation states, and they have resources that can destabilize entire companies and countries.

single; only

there is something to be said for militias or at least militia-based conventional units in the Iraqi military. The T.E. Lawrence model would mold an effective force by clustering close-combat formations around familiar and trusted leaders, taking cultures, clans, tribes and ethnicities into account. Such an approach is *anathema* to Americans who see strength in cultural and ethnic mixing. But recent history strongly suggests that Middle Eastern societies do not.

something or someone that one vehemently dislikes

For the first time in 18 months, the retail sector also had faster growth than manufacturing, underscoring the danger of treating manufacturing as the *bellwether* for the economy.

something that leads or indicates a trend

Companies want to cater to a growing Chinese trend of consumers who would rather pay with their phones than pull out their wallets, said Forrester analyst Xiaofeng Wang. Many homegrown Chinese chains, like hot-pot restaurant chain Hai Di Lao, which serves meats and vegetables dipped in boiling *broth* *fondue* style, are already using mobile payments.

soup consisting of meat or vegetables cooked in stock, sometimes thickened with barley or other cereals. 2. a dish in which small pieces of food are dipped into a hot sauce or a hot cooking medium such as oil or broth.

Mr. Obama claims this is more than adequate, since it gives Iran no more than 24 days to *prevaricate* before the IAEA gets to inspect, and because we'll be watching from satellites to make sure Iran isn't loading suspicious crates onto trucks.

speak or act in an *evasive* way . *(tending to avoid commitment or self-revelation, especially by responding only indirectly)*

No one in government has paid any price for allowing the hack to happen by failing to use encryption to protect the records, and the Chinese who are believed to have done the stealing must be laughing it up. "Just imagine if you were a foreign intelligence service and you had that data, how it might be useful," FBI Director James Comey told reporters on Thursday. Good point. Mr. Comey declined to say what the government is doing about it, though he did *aver* that "this is the subject of a lot of conversation and work in the U.S. government." *That's swell*, though perhaps not all that reassuring to those whose Social Security numbers and personal vulnerabilities are being *scoured* in Beijing or some other place that wants to do Americans harm. Here's a question for Mr. Comey and the White House: Do they consider such a direct cyber attack on American records to be an act of war, or merely one more example of federal government incompetence? Or both?

state or assert to be the case 2. that's great! 3. clean or brighten the surface of (something) by rubbing it hard

Mr. Muilenburg, 51 years old, takes over on Wednesday from Jim McNerney, 65, who has *helmed* Boeing since 2005 and will stay on as chairman indefinitely.

steer (a boat or ship)

The growth in spending on services and support can no longer continue at the expense of America's active-duty military and combat power. By *reining in* defense services and expenditures on them, we can ensure that the next set of pink slips don't go to those in uniform.

stop or slow up one's horse or oneself by or as if by pulling the reins

There has been so much squabbling over where to dig a canal that Thailand's current ruler, Prayuth Chan-ocha, has instructed everybody involved to *pipe down*, according to people familiar with the matter.

stop talking; be less noisy

Iran is negotiating over its nuclear program with the U.S., Russia, China, France, Germany and the U.K. The EU's foreign policy chief *oversees* the six-power group.

supervise (a person or their work), especially in an official capacity

Mr. Tsipras left's political strategy is to ignore the benefits of economic reform, play the "sovereignty" card, take a few cheap shots at Germany, and argue that living within one's means is a moral outrage. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is so far resisting further concessions. But as Greece's financial and humanitarian crisis deepens, pressure for a rescue will intensify.

supreme power or authority

In August 2013, the French were ready, alongside America's bombers, to attack Tehran's Syrian protectorate. Then President Obama suddenly backed off. President François Hollande described himself as "*flabbergasted*" by the decision.

surprise (someone) greatly; astonish

Congressional and Pentagon leaders must impose *oversight* on the Pentagon's shadow workforce. A start would be to get a handle on what contracts are in effect now. The Pentagon's inventory of contracted services lacks a standardized classification, so it's difficult to compare by type of service, price paid and contractor employed.

surveillance

while the nuclear agreement is being cheered in Tehran, while Obama aides are *fist-pumping* in the White House, while Europeans are *salivating* at the prospect of doing business in Iran, and while the Israelis are trying to lobby the U.S. Congress against the deal, the Saudis are left grinding their teeth in Riyadh, surveying a bleak future and no good options to change it.

swing one's clenched fist and raised forearm downward toward the body in a vigorous pumping motion as a gesture of triumph or affirmation secrete saliva, especially in anticipation of food

Yet even now, Mr. Tsipras's tactics continue to baffle his creditors. At a meeting of Eurogroup finance ministers on Tuesday, Mr. Varoufakis formally requested the eurozone start talks on a third bailout program—yet somehow failed to provide a promised letter detailing what reform commitments Greece was ready to make in return. When the letter duly arrived on Wednesday, it turned out to fall far short of the expected *capitulation*.

the action of ceasing to resist an opponent or demand

As for responses, Mr. Cameron insisted that it wasn't enough for Muslim communal leaders in the West to denounce suicide bombings in London if they didn't also denounce "suicide bombs in Israel." He also took aim at the excuse-making and moral *self-flagellation* that seems to go with every terrorist attack. "How can it be," he asked, "that after the tragic events at Charlie Hebdo in Paris, weeks were spent discussing the limits of free speech and satire, rather than whether terrorists should be executing people full stop?"

the action of flogging oneself, especially as a form of religious discipline flog -beat (someone) with a whip or stick as a punishment

Is tech in a bubble? I think so. The signs are all around us. The good news is, it's nothing like the last one. Plus, for reasons that go beyond the usual impossibilities of economic *prognostication*, no one can say for sure what's going on. Many people seem to find this reassuring, but we would be wise to heed the lesson that a lack of transparency about the mechanics of a market rarely leads anywhere good.

the action of prophesying future events (prophesying - say that (a specified thing) will happen in the future)

Russia may be helping to inflame Syriza's internal divisions in the hope that Greece's ruling party cannot make the difficult concessions necessary to stay in the eurozone. If Greece does leave the eurozone, the economic aftershocks to the domestic economy could reduce it to a semi-failed state that, along with the dismemberment and weakening of Ukraine, will seriously weaken Europe's geopolitical position vis-à-vis Russia. If this happens not only will the Iberian states of Spain and Portugal be more susceptible to euro-debt *contagion*, but Balkan states with weak institutions and fragile economies like Albania, Bulgaria and Romania will be in a more exposed position. While those states were never part of the eurozone, the spectacle of a major Balkan country pivotally loosening its ties with the West, even as Russia appears momentarily ascendant in the region, will be *sobering* in the extreme.........

the communication of disease from one person or organism to another by close contact 2. make or become more serious, sensible, and solemn

The core problem is that the Highway Trust Fund pumps out more for U.S. road, bridge and transit projects each year than it collects in dedicated gas taxes. The last six-year, "long-term" highway bill passed in 2005, and Congress has since topped up the account with 33 *infusions* from general revenues totaling $65 billion. For all the *commotion* before the trust fund re-defaults on July 31, neither the House nor Senate is trying to solve this spending-revenue mismatch.

the introduction of a new element or quality into something a state of confused and noisy disturbance

International Courts and the New *Paternalism*. African leaders are the targets because ambitious jurists consider them to be 'low-hanging fruit.'

the policy or practice on the part of people in authority of restricting the freedom and responsibilities of those subordinate to or otherwise dependent on them in their supposed interest

Ms. Merkel herself praised Mr. Schäuble for his work on Greece, drawing a lengthy round of applause from conservative lawmakers. The finance minister shrugged off the storm of criticism leveled against him from Greece and elsewhere in Europe, where he has been accused of heartlessly punishing the Greeks and seeking to extend German economic dominance. "I have developed such a thick skin in my long political life," Mr. Schäuble said. "You will accomplish nothing at all with this sort of *polemics* that is completely removed from reality."

the practice of engaging in controversial debate or dispute

Another academic targeted was political scientist Joseph Cheng, who was demoted prior to retirement and threatened with a denial of his pension. The accusations in this instance were even more extreme, ranging from charges of *plagiarism* to abuse of office

the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own

In 2015's less-terrifying sequel to 1999, everyone is to be commended for avoiding the worst excesses of the past, the empty vehicles for irrational *exuberance* like Pets.com.

the quality of being full of energy, excitement, and cheerfulness; ebullience

The real culprit is anti-carbon regulation promoted by a cartel of green activists and liberal politicians that is aimed at raising petrol costs to discourage consumption. *Sticker shock* at the pump, like water rationing and high electric rates, is the price Californians must pay for their environmental virtue.

unpleasant surprise on learning of an unexpectedly high price for an item

As Machiavelli wrote, "it is seen through experience that cities have never expanded either in *dominion* or in riches if they have not been in freedom. . . . The reason is easy to understand, for it is not the particular good but the common good that makes cities great. And without doubt this common good is not observed if not in republics." Social scientists such as Daron Acemoglu, James Robinson, Kenneth Schultz, Barry Weingast and others have recently shown that, compared to autocracies, democracies enjoy higher long-run rates of economic growth; are better able to access international capital markets when times get tough; form larger, more durable and more reliable alliances; are less likely to fight wars (at least against other democracies); and are more likely to win the wars they fight.

the territory of a sovereign or government

The opposition to a *carve*-out requiring domain-name transparency for websites that process payments is driven by the registrars themselves, who charge anywhere from $2 to $10 per domain name for the privacy service. For registrars managing millions or even tens of millions of domain names, this isn't chump change.

to cut (a solid material) so as to form something

NASA officials stressed that the astronauts currently in orbit have about a four-month supply of necessities, with separate *replenishment* flights from Russia, Japan and Orbital Sciences scheduled through the end of the year.

to fill with persons or animals : stock

China's Internet has lit up with debate this week after reports of a mother who left her young son alone in her BMW - then refused to smash the luxury car's windows in order to rescue him from the heat. The mother, who has not been named in Chinese news reports, has since denied that she opposed smashing the window and says that she tried to break it herself, *to no avail*.

to no avail. Also, of little or no avail . Of no use or advantage, ineffective

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella proclaimed the announcement "unbelievably cool." Indeed, Microsoft has been *globetrotting* (and now solar system-trotting) to tout the HoloLens' hip factor. Microsoft showed off its potential videogame bona fides at the recent E3 games expo. (A WSJ reviewer wasn't bowled over by what he saw.) Microsoft also talked up its potential appeal to advertisers gathered this week in Cannes, France.

to travel throughout the world, especially regularly or frequently.

A Wal-Mart spokesman denied that its new hires in the past two years *skew* toward one company. The company declined to provide details. "We do not base our hiring strategy on one company," the spokesman said in an e-mail. EBay declined to make an executive available for an interview.

to turn aside or swerve; take an oblique course

North Korea won't meet the one condition that all food donors should insist on: verification of delivery to intended recipients. On numerous occasions the government has taken World Food Organization officials to Potemkin villages of *bussed-in*, *sated* citizens.

transport in a communal road vehicle satisfy (a desire or an appetite) to the full.

Mr. Abe also has a record of *glossing* over Japan's World War II aggression, which makes it easier for opponents to paint him as an unreconstructed nationalist. In recent years China's official Xinhua News Agency has cynically adopted the language of Japan's *pacifists* to launch attacks along these lines.

try to conceal or disguise (something unfavourable) by treating it briefly or representing it misleadingly. a person who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable

One of their current targets is Johannes Chan, former dean of the law school at Hong Kong University and a respected professor. His main "crime" is his association with another legal scholar, Benny Tai. Mr. Tai was one of the founders of the Occupy Central movement that *morphed* into the Umbrella Movement street protests last year.

undergo or cause to undergo a gradual process of transformation

Ché Ruddell-Tabisola, a food-truck owner in Washington, D.C., told me that he and his partner wanted to open a butcher shop in 2011 but couldn't get a half-million dollar loan. Instead, they borrowed $98,000 to start BBQ Bus. Four years later, they operate both the truck and a kitchen at a local brewery. Mr. Ruddell-Tabisola told me that some two dozen food trucks in the D.C. area have taken that route, opening traditional restaurants after finding sidewalk success. *Ditto* for food trucks elsewhere—Korilla BBQ in New York City, for one. And while some bricks-and-mortar owners fear that food trucks are eating into their bottom lines, the restaurant industry is still expected to surpass $700 billion in revenues this year, up from $683 billion last year and $585 billion in 2010.

used to indicate that something already said is applicable a second time

Shoppers and diners concerned about health risks soon started to revolt against the fried and baked goods and the fast-food fare where they were prevalent. *Lo and behold*, the food industry responded by changing their recipes and eliminating the oils from some 86% of their products.

used to present a new scene, situation, or turn of events, often with the suggestion that, though surprising, it could in fact have been predicted.

The pity is that Britain's vast shale resources—including an estimated 1,300 trillion cubic feet of shale gas beneath northern England—could turn the U.K. into a European energy powerhouse. That's not going to happen unless Prime Minister David Cameron makes good on his first-term vow to "go *all-out* for shale."

using all one's strength or resources

In 2009, the Delhi High Court decriminalized all consensual sex between adults in private, raising hopes among activists that India was finally outgrowing an *archaic* law restricting individual freedom. But two years ago the Supreme Court overturned the decision and tossed the fate of Section 377, the part of the Indian penal code that criminalizes gay sex, back to Parliament.

very old or old-fashioned

When I first arrived in Afghanistan in February to work for NATO, I spoke with *verve* about the country's immense potential and the social progress of the past 14 years.

vigour and spirit or enthusiasm

Ending Iran's military nuclear program is the ultimate goal of economic sanctions. These sanctions, particularly over the past decade, have given the U.S. powerful leverage. It appears that this leverage is being *frittered* away as U.S. negotiators bend over backward to strike a deal

waste time, money, or energy

India needs to do more to address its *lopsided* trade balance—it exports far more than it imports from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

with one side lower or smaller than the other

Pyongyang is *beavering* away at miniaturizing nuclear warheads and perfecting mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles that may be operational and able to hit the U.S. by 2020. Less than 5% of North Korea's military budget could easily fill its food gap

work hard

Streamlining food subsidies (worth $20.1 billion last year) will be equally challenging. They are distributed through the same *decrepit* government-owned shops as kerosene, and a staggering two-thirds of the population is eligible for them.

worn out or ruined because of age or neglect

Reviewing extensive evidence (much of it compiled by the CIA and the State Department), U.S. District Judge John Bates found that Iran directed the attack and carried it out through Hezbollah. In 2005 Tehran was found liable for $320 million in damages to 47 American victims, including $6.7 million to me. That compensation remains unpaid, despite the efforts of our lawyers to collect the money here and overseas. This tragic history is relevant today. On the horizon is a nuclear *nonproliferation* agreement with Iran that would lift economic sanctions.

the prevention of an increase or spread of something, especially the number of countries possessing nuclear weapon

The ministry's statement said (NGOs)organizations would not be permitted to use funds for activities that may be "*detrimental to national interest, likely to affect *prejudicially* public interest, likely to affect prejudicially the security, strategic, scientific or economic interest of the state and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto*." It did not elaborate on what such activities might be.

preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience

Enter Ms. Swift, who wrote an open letter to Apple on Tumblr, complaining about the unfairness of the tech giant's plans. "Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months," she wrote. "I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company." She called for Apple to change its policy and added: "We don't ask you for free iPhones. Please don't ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation." She backed it up with a threat to *withhold* from Apple Music her mega-popular album "1989"—a threat that had credibility because she earlier withheld her entire catalog of songs from Spotify, another music-streaming service, over compensation disagreements. In one of her most popular songs, Ms. Swift notes how people say of her: "Got nothing in my brain." If that's what the execs at Apple were thinking when they thought they could take her songs for free, the *savvy* songstress taught them a good lesson about intellectual property rights—and the danger of taking on a woman who knows what she's worth.

refuse to give (something that is due to or is desired by another) 2. shrewdness and practical knowledge, especially in politics or business

Each alliance is strong, but it would be stronger still with a Korea and a Japan that were committed to closer cooperation. From missile defense and maritime security to general cooperation over maintaining access to cyber and outer space, Japan and Korea can do more together than separately. The best counter to North Korean threats and China's challenge is a northeast Asia in which the democratic allies are powerful, unified and working together. This doesn't require *forsaking* history. It requires not being trapped by it.

renounce or give up (something valued or pleasant).

President Park Geun-hye has pledged to stand up for the honor of wartime comfort women and has demanded explicit apologies from Tokyo. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has emphasized his reaffirmation of previous government statements on the matter, and Japanese officials privately suggest that no new statement would fully *sate* the Korean desire for repentance.

satisfy (a desire or an appetite) to the full.

Hong Kong democrats celebrated Thursday as the city's legislature blocked passage of the Beijing-backed election law that sparked last year's 75-day mass protests. Not that this was a surprise. Beijing's vision of democracy—a *rigged* election in which Hong Kongers could vote only for candidates chosen by a small pro-Beijing committee—was politically dead on arrival.

set up (equipment or a device or structure), typically in a makeshift or hasty way.

Scandinavia in particular still enjoys the image of a region with zero geopolitical risk: the epitome of good government, stability and harmony. Many in Denmark, Finland and Sweden find geopolitics and hard security *anachronistic*, topics regarded with a mixture of detachment and distaste.

something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time

The spike in nationalism in china corresponds with a swell in *animosity* toward perceived enemies, especially Japan.

strong hostility.

North Korea claimed it test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile. Meanwhile, U.S. officials have confirmed that North Korea is making progress on miniaturizing nuclear warheads. The country's *mercurial* young leader, Kim Jong Un, with his periodic executions at home and *saber-rattling* abroad, should fix Seoul's security gaze north, not east.

subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind 2. the display or threat of military force

Mr. Jindal, who waited until he could sign a state budget before formalizing his presidential aspiration, would be the 13th major Republican presidential candidate. His focus on state issues, he said, have kept him from all but the *perfunctory* appearances at events at which a parade of presidential contenders speak to activists. "You can go to Iowa and give a speech—that's different from spending a lot of time on the ground in front of town halls, answering people's questions, taking hours to do that, we haven't been able to do that," Mr. Jindal said. "I'm confident that as we spend the time talking directly to voters it will pay off."

(of an action) carried out without real interest, feeling, or effort

Next week marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of ties between South Korea and Japan. In recent years the relationship, however, *has been anything but normal*. Roiled by tensions over "comfort women" and other disputes, ties between America's two northeast Asian allies have become downright poisonous. This has hurt U.S. efforts to bolster security and economic ties in the region and to push back against growing Chinese assertiveness. Now there are signs of a limited *thaw*, including this weekend's visit to Tokyo by South Korea's foreign minister—the first in four years. Washington should take advantage of the opening to bring its allies closer together.

(of ice, snow, or another frozen substance, such as food) become liquid or soft as a result of warming up

Every country in the NPB9 considers its bilateral relationship with the U.S. to be the most important component of its defense decision making. If the U.S. asks Polish soldiers to exercise in Sweden, or Swedish and Finnish aircraft to exercise in the Baltic states, it will happen. Without American leadership, the region's security will be *bedeviled* by *squabbles* about national particularities.

(of something bad) cause great and continual trouble to 2. a noisy quarrel about something trivial

But the real problem is that the FDA (whose former commissioner and pharmaceuticals division chief are both women) isn't so much sexist as it is *sociopathic*. The paternalists who run the FDA are far more obsessed with *phantom* risks and protecting their own bureaucratic control over health care...............

1. Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a lack of regard for the moral or legal standards in the local culture not real; illusory

The installation begins with some of the enormous pink diamonds that made Golconda famous, cut in ways that 17th-century Deccani sultans valued highly: as large, minimally *faceted* *amulets* that preserved as much of the precious material as possible and emphasized its transparency.

1. a small plane surface (as on a cut gem) — 2. an ornament or small piece of jewellery thought to give protection against evil, danger, or disease.

President Obama has rationalized the weak recovery by saying that the recession was deep. Recently he told Chris Matthews on MSNBC that "I've spent the last six-and-a-half years yanking this economy out of the worst recession since the Great Depression." His *surrogates* and supporters have long echoed this *trope*. But as the University of Chicago's Victor Zarnowitz pointed out decades ago, the deeper the recession the steeper the recovery.A severe recession is no excuse for a weak national recovery. States hit the hardest recovered the fastest.The bigger the hit, the larger the rebound. This in turn suggests that, with the right policies, high growth should have followed the deep recession of 2007-09.

1. a substitute, especially a person deputizing for another in a specific role or office 2. a significant or recurrent theme; a motif

"Last week there was a lot of news about the mainland government using a lot of money to buy the choice of the Hong Kong people." Marco also worried about what comes after the vote. Sitting in the *makeshift* library where pro-democracy protesters have swapped books over the months, he notes that the heightened political awareness among his peers— "Hong Kong's future," he calls them—puts them at odds with the city's culture of political *apathy*. "Some people are like a dog or cat. You give it food, it eats it. You let it sleep, it sleeps. They just don't want to touch anything."

1. acting as an interim and temporary measure. 2. lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern

State knew of 23 people involved in sanctions-busting activities in 2011 but only imposed sanctions last December. That's a long time to let bad guys run free, especially when nuclear technology is at stake. Keep in mind that President Obama has promised that any nuclear deal by Iran will provide a year's warning should Iran cheat. GAO describes a Byzantine bureaucratic process, involving four "State-led interagency working groups," input from the intelligence community, further input from the Departments of Defense, Energy, Commerce and the National Security Council, a meeting of a "sub-Interagency Policy Committee," further review by relevant committees and eventual sign-off from the Deputy Secretary of State. Amid that morass, the *marvel* is that anyone gets sanctioned.

1. be filled with wonder or astonishment

Focus our attention on the details of the portraits of sultans and their heirs, the scenes of hunting, or of gatherings at the palace, and we begin to recognize depictions of jewels, objects and weapons identical to the ones we've just been examining, as well as decorative motifs common to both two-dimensional and three-dimensional art. We see, too, representations of Africans, Europeans and Sufis, *testimony* to a *cosmopolitan* society.

1. evidence or proof of something. 2.familiar with and at ease in many different countries and cultures

*Arms control is an obsession in which belief is inversely proportional to evidence of success*, and so it is with this Iran deal. How is the U.S. supposed to enforce an Iran deal when the State Department would rather cover up an *adversary's* *deceit* than face the failure of U.S. diplomacy?

1. one's opponent in a contest, conflict, or dispute 2. the action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth.

There are a number of ways to categorize a state's business climate. I focused on labor policies and average tax rates. On average, I found that employment growth is twice as high in states that have a *right-to-work* law and minimum wages that are below average across states, and the difference is "statistically significant"—meaning that it is unlikely to have occurred by chance. GDP grows about 11/2 times faster over this period in those states. A state's labor policies were gauged by its minimum wage relative to other states (or the federal minimum when binding) and whether it had a right-to-work law—which generally prohibits requiring employees to pay dues to a union.

A "right-to-work" law is a statute in the United States that prohibits union security agreements, or agreements between labor unions and employers, that govern the extent to which an established union can require employees' membership, payment of union dues, or fees as a condition of employment, either before or after hiring

...

A U.K. parliamentary report concluded last year that "NATO is currently not well-prepared for a Russian threat against a NATO Member State." A year on, the leaders of the Alliance are still pressing the snooze button on the alarm.

Mainland officials also threaten to push so-called Article 23 legislation, which would criminalize all sorts of anti-Beijing political speech in the name of national security. This tactic all but guarantees further alienating the people of Hong Kong from the mainland. The more Beijing paints its opponents as radicals and revolutionaries, the more it risks creating a *self-fulfilling prophecy*. A better idea for the leadership cadres in Beijing: Honor the pledges they made when they regained Hong Kong from Britain, and redeem the promise of one country, two systems.

A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between belief and behavior.

...

As Congress continues to debate whether to continue the historic U.S. commitment to free trade, let us note that the House last week committed a remarkable act of trade sanity. It voted 300-131 to remove the so-called country-of-origin-labels, or COOL, on meat sold in the United States.

Try and Understand grocer has double role

DHAKA, Bangladesh—On the first Friday of every month, Sabina Begum makes the short trip from her single-room shack in a crowded Dhaka slum to a nearby grocery. The grocer, in addition to selling her much-needed supplies, doubles as her financial-services provider. Ms. Begum hands the grocer cash, and with a few clicks on a *basic key-press* mobile phone, he sends the money on its way. At roughly the same time, in a village 300 kilometers away, Ms. Begum's father, Bosir Uddin, partially blind and slowed by arthritis, walks to a tea shop in the village square, where he waits for the money transfer from Dhaka. It duly arrives in the form a text message to the tea shop owner, who pays out the money Mr. Uddin's daughter sent.

...

India is better prepared to deal with external shocks such as higher U.S. interest rates. The Reserve Bank of India has stocked away more foreign exchange reserves, giving it firepower to help the economy weather storms. Since October, reserves have grown by over $41 billion to $352.7 billion. Barclays predicts they will rise to $395 billion by next March. *So even if the U.S. Federal Reserve raises rates, the RBI has fixed the roof while the sun is shining to help keep the currency stable and financial markets protected.*

...

The official stressed the importance of bilateral ties with China, even as the U.S. is probing a giant breach of background investigation files and other personnel records by suspected Chinese hackers. "The talks are all the more important for the need to address these issues head on, not try to paper them over, not try to agree to disagree," the official said. "But to try to actually talk about them, and see if we can in particular kind of try to narrow the differences but certainly at least make sure that we're communicating clearly on the areas of difference so that we don't miscalculate, misunderstand, etc."

This month the panel voted 18-6 for approval, though most of the experts in favor expressed deep reservations, and the FDA brass usually follows their advice. What a pity that a war-on-women political campaign has been necessary to obtain approval—and also that the same mobilization and urgency so rarely emerges for treatments for *maladies* like cancer and Alzheimer's.

a disease or ailment

A technical demo of the Oculus Touch controller rings, which have a gun-like grip, took place in a second room. Once I slipped on the headset and grabbed the new controller, Brian Hook, who heads Oculus's audio team, appeared as a floating head and a pair of floating hands. (Not his real face, but an avatar more akin to a department-store *mannequin*.) Hook's avatar instructed me to point my finger. When I did, my own digital hands floated in front of me. I pulled a trigger under my middle, ring and pinky fingers, and my fist came to a close. When I gave a thumbs up or waved, my on-screen hands did the same.

a dummy used to display clothes in a shop window.

The report garnered widespread news coverage, and its conclusions *dovetailed* with the conventional wisdom among many progressive thought leaders. But the report and the conclusions it promotes are flawed.

a joint formed by one or more tapered projections (tenons) on one piece which interlock with corresponding notches or recesses (mortises) in another or fit or cause to fit together easily and conveniently

A woman and a 10-year-old girl were killed, Mr. Sediqqi said, and dozens of civilians were wounded by the bomb, which left a deep *crater* in the pavement outside the entrance to the parliament building.

a large bowl-shaped cavity in the ground or on a celestial object, typically one caused by an explosion or the impact of a meteorite

A stippled drawing of a "Royal Elephant and Rider" (Ahmadnagar, 1590-1600) uses a Chinese technique to present a bell- and *plume*-*bedecked* beast in full *gallop*, folded into the gold-trimmed page without losing speed; the trunk is neatly coiled. There are also Deccan specialties, such as the complicated marbling that serves as background to often *macabre* subjects.

a long, soft feather or arrangement of feathers used by a bird for display or worn by a person for ornament 2. decorate 3. the fastest pace of a horse or other quadruped, with all the feet off the ground together in each stride 4. disturbing because concerned with or causing a fear of death

As we move through the exhibition, which is organized roughly by sultanate, we encounter elaborate weapons, many of them decorated with fabulous beasts, along with elegant brass incense burners, *spittoons* and *ewers*. We find, too, fanciful carpet weights, and spectacular dark, burnished metal objects *inlaid* with complex floral patterns in silver and brass—a specialty of Bidar. There are *gilded* *palanquin* *finials*, sprouting enormous sunflowers; a nifty helmet; vast painted cloths, some used as tent hangings, packed with floral *motifs*, figures, and animals; pages of calligraphy in many languages; and much more.

a metal or earthenware pot typically having a funnel-shaped top, used for spitting into 2. a large jug with a wide mouth, formerly used for carrying water 3. ornament (an object) by embedding pieces of a different material in it, flush with its surface 4. cover thinly with gold 5. (in India and the East) a covered litter for one passenger, consisting of a large box carried on two horizontal poles by four or six bearers 6. an ornament at the top, end, or corner of an object 7.a decorative image or design, especially a repeated one forming a pattern

From the moment Mr. Obama entered office, he promoted an agenda of championing the Palestinian cause and achieving a nuclear accord with Iran. Such policies would have put him at odds with any Israeli leader. But Mr. Obama posed an even more fundamental challenge by abandoning the two core principles of Israel's alliance with America. The first principle was "no daylight." The U.S. and Israel always could disagree but never openly. Doing so would encourage common enemies and render Israel vulnerable. Contrary to many of his *detractors*, Mr. Obama was never anti-Israel and, to his credit, he significantly strengthened security cooperation with the Jewish state. He rushed to help Israel in 2011 when the Carmel forest was devastated by fire. And yet, immediately after his first inauguration, Mr. Obama put daylight between Israel and America.

a person who disparages someone or something (disparages - regard or represent as being of little worth)

When Japanese publishers revised textbook depictions of World War II at the government's *behest* this spring, China was quick to cry foul. And with good reason: The new high-school history books toned down or ignored atrocities like the Nanjing Massacre and Japanese soldiers' use of Chinese and Korean "comfort women" as sex slaves.

a person's orders or command.

Microsoft made me look into a pupilometer—a box that measures the distance between my pupils. This helps calibrate the images on the HoloLens. Inside the spaceship room, Microsoft employees in white lab coats helped me put on the HoloLens. This is the second time I've tried it, and the second time I was left feeling like the headset was heavy and bothersome to wear. The headset is attached to a ring that sits on the back of your head, more *yarmulke* than baseball cap. A dial on the back lets you tighten the ring to keep it in place. Once that's secure, you pull the HoloLens display up or down, and nearer or farther from your face.

a skullcap worn in public by Orthodox Jewish men or during prayer by other Jewish men.

Israel *blundered* in how it announced the expansion of Jewish neighborhoods and communities in Jerusalem over the border lines that existed before the Six Day War in 1967.

a stupid or careless mistake.

For Ms. Begum, a *seamstress* who is part of Bangladesh's 4-million-strong garment-factory workforce, mobile money has changed her approach to handling cash. Like many garment workers, who work long hours and struggle to save money, she has rarely seen the inside of a bank.

a woman who sews, especially one who earns her living by sewing

Afghan National Army Lt. Mohammad Sediq was in a guard tower when the blast wave hit, *lacerating* his face. "After I recovered from my shock, I realized the attackers got in," he said, his face wrapped in fresh bandages. "Fortunately, they didn't get far inside the compound. My buddies and I shot them."

tear or make deep cuts in (flesh or skin)

The task force is the centerpiece of an initiative to provide NATO with an *agile* response capability, spurred by Russia's incursion into Crimea last year. Although the task force is designed to help strengthen NATO's military capabilities against Russia, the idea is that it could also be used to protect members against the rise of Islamic militants to Europe's south, defense officials said.

able to move quickly and easily

Recently Apple offered a three-month trial for its new Apple Music streaming service. It's certainly within the company's right to *entice* customers by offering a free trial period. But Apple (market cap: $729 billion) planned to help *defray* the costs it would have to eat by not paying the artists who created the music during the trial period. In other words, the artists would be *underwriting* Apple Music.

attract or tempt by offering pleasure or advantage 2. provide money to pay (a cost or expense) 3. to bind oneself to contribute a sum of money to (an undertaking): *chanda*

For now, Beijing's strategy is to pivot from political reform to "livelihood issues." That won't do much to relieve popular *rancor* if Beijing continues to insist on trying to cure Hong Kongers of their "unpatriotic"—that is, pro-self government—sentiments.

bitterness or resentfulness, especially when long standing

A suspected terrorist attack has taken place in southeastern France. Authorities arrested a suspect after a *severed* head was found at the site of the assault.

divide by cutting or slicing, especially suddenly and forcibly.

Judd Saul, a filmmaker from Cedar Falls, Iowa, who is the founder of the Cedar Valley Patriots for Christ, said he left a meeting with Mr. Jindal last week *enthused* about his positions on social issues and foreign policy. Mr. Jindal said he wouldn't rule out sending U.S. troops to Iraq to combat Islamic State.

express eager enjoyment, interest, or approval regarding something

His love for unobstructed spaces seeped into a lot of his projects, like the luxury Kanchanjunga Apartments built over more than a decade in the 1970s and 80s in Mumbai where he incorporated the concept of "open-to-sky" spaces. He said that being able to see the sky from inside a building "can make a difference between livable habitat and *claustrophobia*."

extreme or irrational fear of confined places

All of this matters because the next President's most important job will be encouraging a U.S. economic revival, which requires more trade and investment. The political paradox of free trade is that it becomes less popular when growth is slow and incomes are stagnant, as during the Obama years, but it is crucial to improving both. A President must represent and promote the national interest in freer trade, or the *parochial* interests in Congress and uncompetitive businesses will dominate policy.

having a limited or narrow outlook or scope

The Obama administration, *reeling* from a massive computer attack and data theft at the government's Office of Personnel Management, pledged to raise the issue of cybersecurity with Chinese counterparts at every level during the annual talks, including in security and economic sessions.

lose one's balance and stagger or lurch violently

the east side of LegCo plaza, planting yellow signs calling for a rejection of "fake universal suffrage." On the west side of the plaza are protesters in numbered shirts who support the reform plan, many waving the red Chinese flag. A double line of barricades separates the two sides. When the vote finally takes place, a miscommunication causes pro-Beijing legislators to walk out of the legislative chamber. Hong Kong's election reform package is rejected 28 to eight, with 34 legislators not voting. Cheering erupts on the *pro-democracy* side. Yellow umbrellas file out into the sun. On the *pro-Beijing* side there is a lag of silence, soon filled by *blaring* Communist anthems.

make or cause to make a loud, harsh sound

Flibanserin is a new medicine to treat a lack of sexual desire in *premenopausal* women. The difference this time is in part a *smattering* of new data. But far more important, a feminist pressure group called Even the Score—funded in part by Sprout—*besieged* the FDA with accusations of sexism. Other political organizations like NOW and NARAL joined in, while Debbie Wasserman Schultz and other Democratic Congresswomen accused the FDA of *perpetuating* "a gross disparity" of 24 approved treatments for male sex disorders and zero for women.......

menopause - the ceasing of menstruation. the period in a woman's life (typically between the ages of 45 and 50) when menstruation ceases 2) a small amount of something 3)surround (a place) with armed forces in order to capture it or force its surrender. 4) make (something) continue indefinitely

Even more impressive is the sheer inventiveness of the paintings. We find connections with Persian and Mughal art, but also differences. Color is unusually intense—purple and green landscapes appear frequently—and there's often a sense of the otherworldly. In a late-16th-century ragamala manuscript—a collection of musical compositions appropriate for specific times—three richly dressed maidens float beneath flowering trees, above *crimson* rocks patrolled by a peacock. Elsewhere, multicolor rocks and roiling monsoon clouds become interchangeable.

of a rich deep red colour inclining to purple

A nuclear agreement would reportedly lift general sanctions on Iran. Still, the U.S. can and should hold the regime accountable for its abuses by imposing individual sanctions on the most *egregious* human-rights abusers wherever they live, through either an executive order or a new global version of the Magnitsky Act.

outstandingly bad; shocking.

Earlier in the day, Hong Kong legislators began debating a controversial electoral reform bill meant to change how the city elects its chief executive. The new system—tailored to a framework proposed by Beijing—would bring universal *suffrage* to the former British colony. Yet voters would have to choose among candidates nominated by a 1,200-person committee stacked in Beijing's favor. Resistance against the proposal has been strong. In the fall it triggered a week of student boycotts that snowballed into a 75-day occupation of major city streets, with protesters demanding an opportunity to choose a candidate not vetted by Beijing.

the right to vote in political elections

During the demos, Oculus Chief Executive Brendan Iribe said multiple times that virtual reality is in its *infancy*, and that the company envisions a day when the goggles are as unobtrusive as a pair of sunglasses. He said Oculus is nearly ready to ship a consumer product, but he also admitted the consumer market for virtual reality is currently "at zero." He's right. These are the early days. What matters at this point is that developers and hardware makers prove that they can build headsets and high-quality software that don't make people feel sick or hurt their necks after long sessions in virtual reality. Still, virtual reality is evolving fast. In the span of a few years, Oculus has moved from market leader to laggard and then back to the front of the pack, neck-and-neck with Sony, Valve and HTC. Iribe framed things a bit differently to me after my demos. "Right now, we have no rivals," he said. "Everyone in VR is a pioneer and nobody has Rift or any other consumer VR headsets hooked up to their PCs and consoles at home. We need to build an actual market for this before we really can talk about competition. But, we're finally ready."

the state or period of babyhood or early childhood