The communist North called off reunions in response to what it considers South Korean President Lee Myung Bak's hard-line policy.

VOA: standard.2009.08.26

"If anything, he may have to take a hard-line policy as a way of proving himself to challengers or to these senior leaders, " Mr. Klinger said.

WSJ: Kim Jong Eun: Portrait of New Leader Takes Shape

Canada's National Post says the Republicans faltered on their hard-line on immigrant policy in its commentary on their election losses.

CNN: Highlights from the world's press

For his part Mr Prodi, who first lost power in 1998 after hard-line Communists had refused to back his government's public-finance policy, is clearly determined not to let it happen again.

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