It is believed to have launched a long-range rocket and put an object into orbit in December 2012, defying scepticism and international warnings not to pursue such a programme, which could be used to develop intercontinental missiles.
Early attempts to introduce payment by results into public services may have been met with scepticism, but the coalition government made important progress in developing new commissioning mechanisms that focus on paying for outcomes rather than simply paying for services, and showed a willingness to learn.
The EU's competition commissioner, Joaquín Almunia, had expressed scepticism that the Hinkley Point C scheme could satisfy the EU's stringent state aid criteria after the UK government agreed to underwrite the project with a loan guarantee and a commitment on the price of the electricity generated by the power station.
Perhaps a dose of scepticism on HS2 sounds more persuasive in Goldmanese.
Individual pollsters have every reason to pose as wise after the event, so a measure of scepticism is obviously warranted.
In probing the pressures of expectation and prevailing scepticism in the British arts scene, Leigh has made a film about as self-reflective (and self-reflexive) as handsome heritage cinema can be.
The truce was proposed by UN and Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi in the face of scepticism from opposition activists and rebels.
We see our useful academic scepticism too often slip into pettiness and prissiness and yes, negativity.
US secretary of state John Kerry arrives in the Holy Land this week on his fourth visit in two months amid deepening scepticism on all sides about his chances of breathing life back into the moribund peace process, and an acknowledgement by European diplomats that there is no "Plan B" in place in the event of its failure.
Living in the valleys was initially challenging for our parents who were viewed with wariness and scepticism because of their faith.
Outside mining areas, antagonism – more against Scargill himself than his members – encouraged scepticism about police brutality and the manufacture of evidence against peaceful pickets.
