That is a provocative step that might well make it harder to persuade other nations to forgo nuclear arms and tests.

Openly arguing that accounting and consulting need to be separate was a provocative step in the industry and within the firm, people close to the accounting industry say.

There would be little reason for Iran to take the provocative step of restarting centrifuge construction now unless it also intended to resume operations at some later date.

This is another provocative and deeply counter-productive step, the latest in a series by the Israeli authorities.

Now critics of the Reagan Administration are arguing that the United States has taken a provocative step toward breaching that doctrine.

Japan was dependent on U.S. oil, and it was thought at the time that such would be a provocative step.

The statement said the captors had been decided to kill them because of what it called "the escalatory and provocative steps" taken against Iran by the French Government.

Meanwhile the Pentagon said it was closely following events after the death of Kim but said Pyongyang's military had taken no provocative steps so far.

"No." She walked toward him, her steps slow and provocative.

Mr Netanyahu has taken provocative steps which could hardly fail to produce a violent reaction.