"Edward Curnow from St Ives was almost persuaded by his friends - and I think one of them was Stephen - to go over on the Titanic but shortly before they were due to go he changed his mind, " he said.

BBC: Cornwall

In four months 200 companies have been persuaded to offer work to almost 700 young people.

BBC: Norwich initiative to find work for young unemployed

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez persuaded Congress to grant him almost all the emergency economic powers he had demanded.

ECONOMIST: Kosovo

The firm also persuaded retailers to give up almost half their margins, on the grounds that they would offset the cut thanks to faster sales turnover.

ECONOMIST: Smaller South Korean firms

It is also unclear whether Suncor and Syncrude, two companies which together account for almost half of the output from the oil sands, can be persuaded to abandon voluntarily Crown contracts that entrench their low royalty rate until 2016.

ECONOMIST: Alberta raises oil royalties��but by less than meets the eye

If only a fraction of the almost 15m first-time voters of 2008 (the vast majority of them Democrats) can be persuaded to turn out again, party organisers say, it could tip lots of races in their favour.

ECONOMIST: And not about to rush to the polls in November, either

Garbutt almost withdrew from the event after his father John suffered a heart attack on Wednesday evening, but was persuaded to play on and a share of 64th place proved enough.

BBC: SPORT | Golf | Classy Fasth wins Mallorca title