In the months leading up to this summer's presidential elections in Russia, the International Monetary Fund responded to intensive pressure from Washington and other Western capitals by relaxing the criteria and the conditionality terms that borrowing nations are expected to meet before receiving disbursements on IMF loans.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy

In 1998, under intensive Turkish pressure, Syria expelled Ocalan and shut down the PKK camps he had established there.

CNN: PKK's decades of violent struggle

John Saunders, a consultant who heads an organ donation committee at Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny, is also concerned about the additional pressure on intensive care units.

BBC: Wales organ law puts 'too much pressure' on hospitals

Maybe the world continues its trend of becoming less energy intensive, mitigating demand and alleviating supply pressure .

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Two patients with especially advanced ALL experienced what Dr. Brentjens termed a "shake and bake response" significant fever and a drop in blood pressure that resulted in their admission to intensive care.

WSJ: Gene Therapy Shows Promise as Cancer Treatment

Leading European and US retailers have come under growing pressure to ensure that workers in their supply chain - particularly in labour-intensive markets such as India and China - are not exploited.

BBC: Primark fires child worker firms

And the battle over gun control is now being waged through intensive media campaigns from both sides of the political spectrum to influence public opinion and to assert pressure on policy makers.

FORBES: NRA Winning the Influence Battle Over Gun Control