Word: portentous
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...Sunday's election may be a grim portent for the prospects of good governance in the region: At 132 million people, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and its oil wealth and military power make it, together with South Africa, the continent's major political player. But since independence, Nigeria has set an example for corruption unrivaled in Africa. The country's own anti-corruption watchdog estimates that successive Nigerian rulers have stolen a total of $400 billion since independence - the equivalent of the total economic aid sent by the international community to the entire African continent...
...political response to the resignation of Israel top military man, Lt. General Dan Halutz, is a portent about a coming shakedown in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's cabinet...
...Ella, the color blue carries the grave portent incarnated in a Renaissance painting she stumbles upon: “Only the Virgin’s face, dead center in the painting, moved and changed, pain and a strange peace battling in her features as she gazed down at her dead son, framed by a colour that reflected her agony...
...have a relatively merry Christmas. Indeed, sales at Kohl's stores that have been open at least a year--a key industry measurement--rose 3.7%. JCPenney reported a somewhat disappointing 1.4% increase (Wall Street was hoping for 3.7%), but its online sales rose 17.5% in November. And the portent for more good things to come is evident. Consider the results for the third quarter: Penney, which only a few years ago was in deep trouble, reported a 22.6% increase in net income, while Kohl's racked up a 45% gain. "It's the sweet spot in the market," says Marshal...
...Even in the region's democracies, General Sonthi's coup is widely welcomed. Filipinos?who endured 14 years of authoritarian rule under Marcos?see Thaksin's military ouster as a portent of embattled President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's own political demise. Arroyo was a big Thaksin fan. She applauded "Thaksinomics," as his pump-priming policies were termed, and even vowed to "do a Thaksin" on her country's drug dealers after he unleashed a killing spree in which more than 2,500 drug suspects died. But Arroyo's popularity slumped to record lows amid allegations that she cheated...