His parents defied pressure from school authorities to sequester him in a school for disabled children and staunchly supported his talents, independence, and integration into mainstream society.

To do so, the protesters have defied pressure from the Vietnamese Embassy here and endured fears that their actions may provoke retribution against their families at home.

The Associated Press noted that his comments reflected a determination in Iran to continue defying international pressure regarding its nuclear program.

Japan's central bank raised interest rates for the first time in a decade, defying strong pressure from government officials to keep borrowing costs close to zero.

Mr. Sunai said the timing of the attack just before the envoy's visit had been deliberate, emphasizing the junta's determination to defy outside pressure.

So he is defying pressure from local labor unions, construction companies and town officials, and declining to give the go-ahead to build.

He also defied pressure to exclude African American musicians from appearing on his show.

He defied intense pressure from the United States and its allies by testing nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles.

The military actions, accompanied by film clips on state television during a week of naval maneuvers, seemed calculated to defy growing pressure on Tehran.

But the group defied American pressure and named a six-man steering committee, of which Mr. Chalabi is a member.