The Israeli leader wants to avoid entering full-fledged peace negotiations with the Palestinians that would require Israel to make concessions on sensitive issues such as the status of Jerusalem and Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

VOA: standard.2009.06.09

Birmingham now has five universities in the city after the government approved full status for Newman University College.

BBC: Newman University

It rose quickly through the ranks of the minor nations -- those not accorded full status by the ICC.

CNN: The Taliban's favorite sport: Afghan cricket's battle for acceptance

It became an officially recognised sport after the Second World War when the International Federation was founded and, having been played as a demonstration sport at the 1924 Olympics, was granted full status at the 1964 Tokyo Games.

BBC: USSR and USA in action at the 1988 Olympics