Urban was faced with three tasks: freeing the Kingdom of Sicily, a papal fief, from domination by the Hohenstaufen dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire; reasserting papal influence in Italy, where it had diminished because of Alexander's vacillation on the Sicilian problem; and restoring order in Rome, which suffered such civil unrest that Urban never resided there as pope.
Such a deal may have been the final straw that pushed Iran to commence with its "smile attack," because it has immediately diminished their influence in Syria, and by diffusion also in Lebanon.
"I've turned down two other clubs in Kent," Jim told the Kent Messenger, "but Sittingbourne are a club that have under-achieved and it's up to myself and Dan to turn them around, to put a smile on people's faces and to get the people in the Sittingbourne area supporting their club because that has diminished".
But the fact is that, so far, there is precious little evidence that Britain's weight in the European Union has diminished because it has chosen to stay out of the single currency.
"If you only had a 10-year-old, you would probably say the impact of 'Sesame Street' has diminished, because it's not on in your house anymore," Mr. Sillerman said.
Karen Dale, chief executive of Greater Southeast Community Hospital, said that while she was confident the quality of care had not been affected at her hospital, the number of patients it can care for has diminished because of the severe cash squeeze.
Maybe there's nothing unique about the erosion of high culture's influence in the working class, because its role in the whole population has diminished".
The rising interest is in part because GDP growth in China, Brazil and India has diminished.
"It's not a crisis in confidence, but it is a more cautious approach," Mr. Sohl said of the perspective of investors, whom he said may also have less to invest in new companies because the market's decline has diminished their capital.
"Its reputation as a crime-ridden area has diminished because the police are doing a good job," he said.
