The key main trends are based on the enormous population and its impact: social stresses, eugenic legislation, widening social divisions, future shock, and extremism.

The spread of Shariah has widened Nigeria's religious and political divisions, and it has caused thousands of deaths in clashes in the last year.

At the same time, the gulf war widened divisions among Palestinians, splitting them openly for the first time, not just ideologically but geographically and economically.

And apparently seeking to widen divisions among major world powers, it fired a blunderbuss of demands at the United Nations.

The trend could widen political divisions between American- and foreign-born blacks, rifts whose origins go back at least a half century.

Health care reform widened existing divisions.

His hard-line approach widened the country's ethnic and religious divisions.

The Herald Sun said the referendum has also widened divisions within Howard's government and generated "serious fears for its chances at the next election."

Fear of More Divisions There are worries that any sustained increase in violence will widen divisions between Protestants and Catholics.

The infighting has widened divisions that opened up last year, when Mr. Gingrich quashed an attempted coup attempt by some of his closest allies.