Tensions over the elections flared as well in the southern Shiite heartland.

In fact, the Western diplomat said, the main Kurdish parties have already begun setting up small offices in the southern Shiite heartland to campaign for votes there.

Kaḻayapiṯi forms the southern heartland of the traditional Pitjantjatjara territory.

Yeltsin lost to Zyuganov in Russia's southern industrial heartland.

What exactly is of value in this nouveau-riche southern heartland of Thatcherism?

But even here, in the southern Shiite heartland that is largely free of sectarian tensions, the American enterprise still faces steep hurdles, ones that are more subtle but no less subversive than the Sunni-led insurgency.

Above all, Mr. Sari says, he worries about Iraq's future, and the bullying role played by its religious parties, especially in the southern Shiite heartland.

However, critics of the scheme have warned that too few of those defecting are actual insurgents, and that it is failing to undermine the rebels in their southern heartlands.

Faryab is far from the Taliban's southern heartlands and was peaceful for the early years of the Nato campaign.

Beijing said it would unilaterally reduce import taxes on Taiwanese fruit, an effort to cultivate good relations with farmers in Taiwan's southern heartland.