Partly bowing to the pressure, Mr. Kan has softened his stance, promising this week that Japan, for now, would only "initiate consultations" on joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Mr. Kaczynski and his twin, Jaroslaw, the prime minister, came to power last year promising a tough stance against corruption and crime.
Given the stakes, analysts have been speculating for weeks about how Mr. Lee, who came to office promising a tougher stance against the North, would respond to the warship's sinking.
Last year, Badalona, with a population of 220,000, elected a hard-line conservative mayor, Xavier García Albiol, "in part due to his polemical views linking immigrants from Romania and other countries to crime and promising a tougher stance on illegal immigration," the United States Department of State said in its most recent human rights report on Spain.
Twitter has revised its rules of conduct to emphasize that it prohibits violent threats and abusive behavior by users, promising a tough stance at a time when critics are calling for the online service to adopt a harder line against extremists.
Mr. Romney offered a smorgasbord of his stances, promising to champion a federal marriage amendment banning same-sex marriage, convene a White House meeting to look for ways to strengthen the family and appoint justices "who won't legislate from the bench".
Internationally, the Labour party is viewed as a kosher stamp for any Israeli government, promising a less belligerent stance and a bigger willingness to reach a peaceful solution.
With Hassan Rouhani promising a more moderate stance in Iran, she wanted to enter the stadium alongside male fans, hoping that the Islamic republic's ban on women attending big sporting events would finally be over.
Last night, Snapchat posted an official response to the petition, reiterating its stance but also promising a few tweaks that may help to address users' concerns.
Forecast: The anti-doping authorities were prepared to take a tough stance on drug cheats, promising to banish any athlete found to be taking performance-enhancing drugs.
