But the practical, stability-preserving, tests of Mr Bush's missile-defence plans are yet to come.

ECONOMIST: Bush��s nuclear umbrella

"It is not favourable to global strategic balance and stability, " a foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing said following the weekend tests.

BBC: Russia and China sign friendship pact

Nuclear tests carried out by India in May 1998 and similar tests by Pakistan just weeks later provoked international condemnation and concern over the stability of the region.

BBC: India profile

Mr Morgan maintains that the coalition has been a great success, providing the stability needed to deliver such things as free milk for young schoolchildren, and free eye tests and dental check-ups.

ECONOMIST: Welsh politics

To ensure stability and reliability for individual drives, all drives undergo rigorous high-temperature burn-in tests and accelerated usage simulation testing.

ENGADGET: Plextor M5 Pro bulges SSD envelope with 94K IOPS and 540MB/s