China, North Korea's main backer, has not yet given its official reaction to Kim Jong-il's death.

BBC: Kim Jong-il death triggers swift regional reaction

But Riis must first find a new sponsor after the departure of CSC's main backer, Italian Internet and telecoms firm Tiscali.

BBC: Ullrich in demand

Betamax in which one format prevailed, but the analogy is poor because Sony, Betamax' main backer, had the more expensive option.

ENGADGET: Switched On: Seeking neutrality in the hi-def format war

Atlas Venture, a leading international venture-capital firm, is the project's main backer.

ECONOMIST: The money show

Mr Ross wants Algeria's government, Polisario's main backer, to become a fully-fledged party to the talks, but it has refused so far to join in, saying that only Polisario can speak for the Western Saharans.

ECONOMIST: Diplomacy over Western Sahara: Morocco v Algeria | The

His main backer is China.

ECONOMIST: The economy grows, but so does the opposition