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As we prepare our hearts for the Lord's table, will you open your Bible to Joshua chapter 2? Just a brief reminder of a great, great Old Testament account...Joshua, the leader of God's people, Israel, leading them into the promised land. In fact, the epitaph on Joshua given at the end of this great book is that he was the servant of the Lord. Marvelous...the servant of the Lord.
Well chapter 2 begins with these words, "And Joshua, the son of Nun, sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went and came into a harlot's house...or a prostitute's house..., her name was Rahab and they lodged there."
Moses had died. The children of Israel had spent 40 years in the wilderness after their exodus out of Egypt. It was now time for them to enter the new and promised land and Joshua who was the commander in chief was using every precaution which a skillful general would use to succeed in his invasion into Canaan. In proper fashion he sent two spies to reconnoiter the country, particularly the city of Jericho which was the border town on the eastern border just a little bit north of the Dead Sea and on the very banks of the Jordan River.
These spies were to assess whether or not Jericho was a formidable city and whether it could be taken and how. It says in verse 1 that he sent them secretly, that is not even to the knowledge of the Israelites, let alone the Canaanites. He didn't want his people to know either lest it would start some furor among them and some debate about whether this was the proper tactic. And so these men would have to swim the Jordan probably at night, approach the strongly fortified city of Jericho, get inside the gate and find a place to lodge to assess the situation.
They found a place, a harlot's house. We can safely assume they didn't know they were in a house of prostitution. We can also safely say God wanted them there because there was a woman there who was a ready heart to receive the truth. And so they were led to this house not only because it was apparently an available place, not only because there was a ready heart there, but because the house was located with its backside on the city wall and there was a way of escape should they be found out.
Verse 2 says, "It was told the king of Jericho," this would be Amelek(?), a very petty kind of king, a city king, very much more like a mayor except for the fact that he probably controlled the city militarily. "So it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold there came men in here tonight of the children of Israel to search out the country." They weren't very good at spying, they hadn't done any of it in their lifetime. This was their first shot and they were seen. "And the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men who are come to thee who are entered into thine house for they have come to search out all the country."
He was obviously frightened...frightened by the thought of invasion. He was very much aware that on the other side of the Jordan River was camped a massive multitude of people, the children of Israel, who were known to all of the inhabitants of the country for their wanderings and for many of the inhabitants of Jericho the history of how they escaped Egypt was somewhat common knowledge. And so here is a man who is trying to maintain his power in this city and he sees himself facing a massive multitude of people, perhaps numbering up to several million people. We don't know, at one time we know they did. At this particular point the numbers may have been smaller than that, but they were a great number.
In verse 4 we read, "And the woman took the two men and hid them and said thus, There came men unto me but I knew not from where they were." She hid them. Before the messengers of the king arrived, true to the oriental laws of hospitality, she risked her life to secure her guests. And when the messengers of the king came, she said...I don't know from where they were, verse 5. "And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate," and all the gates in an oriental city were always shut at sundown. So she lied and said at sundown, at the shutting of the gate when it was becoming dark the men went out. "And where the men went I know not, pursue after them quickly for you shall overtake them."
This is a common vice among heathen, it's known as lying. She was probably unconscious of its moral guilt to some extent because it was so much a way of life. But even more so because the laws of eastern hospitality perhaps even surpassed the laws of honesty. When someone came into your house even if it was your greatest enemy and ate salt at your table, you were bound to save their life whatever that meant. Honoring your guest was the highest moral law. By divine judgment she sinned, but by God's grace on the basis of her faith He forgave her, as we shall see.
But anyway, she lied about them. It wasn't necessary to do that. God would have saved them without a lie but she lied and thus she and they and all of us missed what providential means or miraculous God might have used to save them. Actually verse 6 says, "She had brought them up to the roof of the house and hid them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order upon the roof." At this particular time of the year flax after harvesting was spread out on the roof for the purpose of being dried in the sun. And after it was dried for a period of time it was then pulled together and tied into bundles. Those bundles would be three to four feet high and they would be stacked on the roof and the spies were hiding behind the bundles.
In verse 7, after she told them that the men had left, told the messengers, then they pursued them and they went toward the Jordan, no doubt that's the way she pointed, to the fords, and there were several of them, two or three crossings of the Jordan, they pursued that way. And as soon as they who pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate. They left and the gate was shut. They shut the gate to make sure that if they were still anywhere in the city they wouldn't be able to get out.
Verse 8, "And before they were laid down she came up unto them on the roof and she said to the men, I know that the Lord has given you the land." Amazing. The promise that had been made to them somehow had come into her knowledge. Maybe it was even common knowledge that this marvelous group of people that had been brought out of Egypt and delivered, even though there had been those in that generation who died in the wilderness, another generation had been born and that these people were promised by their God the land. She believed that and she said, "I know that your terror has fallen on us and that all the inhabitants of this land faint because of you." Everybody is greatly in fear of you. "For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and in earth beneath." Here is a believing heart. I believe your God is God, she says. "Now therefore I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord since I have shown you kindness that you will also show kindness unto my father's house and give me a true token and that you will save alive my father and my mother and my brethren and my sisters and all that they have and deliver our lives from death."
She shows the panic and the fear of the Canaanites and she shows amazingly strong faith in the true God. She was sure of Jehovah's supremacy and she seeks a solemn pledge. Verse 14, "The men answered her, Our life for yours if you utter not this our business." If you don't tell us...tell anybody about us, if you keep your part of the bargain, we will spare you or our life for your life. "And it shall be when the Lord has given us the land that we will deal kindly and truly with you." This is the pledge, you keep quiet, we'll do our part.
Verse 15, "Then she let them down by a cord through the window for her house was upon the town wall and she dwelt upon the wall." The back of the house, the window was right on the wall, they went right out the window, therefore right outside the wall. "And she said to them, Get you to the mountains." Now the mountains were west and north, the Jordan was east and south. So she is saying, in effect, go the opposite direction of your pursuers, toward those limestone hills. If you've ever been to Jericho's ruins you can see them vividly in your eye, mind's eye, those limestone white hills that are there, pockmarked with caves to rise to a height of twelve to fifteen hundred feet immediately in the front of Jericho facing west. And they would find a place there.
"And the men said unto her," in verse 17, "We will be blameless of this your oath which you have made us swear. Behold when we come into the land you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window by which you did let us down and you shall bring your father and your mother and your brethren and all your father's household home to you." Get all your family in your house and put this red cord out the window. Now I don't want to get into a guessing game but I can imagine that that red cord was something like the song or the little story about, Tie a yellow ribbon on an oak tree," and when the guy shows up there's a ribbon on every branch. There may have been a whole lot of red cord hanging out of that one window. She wanted to be sure not to be missed.
Verse 20, "And if you utter this our business, then we will be free of your oath which you have made us to swear." In other words, if the word gets out that we're going to do this, obviously they could wait there to capture us and our part of the bargain is over. She said, "According unto your words, so be it and she sent them away and they departed and she bound the scarlet line in the window. And they went and came unto the mountain and abode there three days until the pursuers were returned and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way but did not find them." So, a pledge made to a believing woman.
Turn to chapter 6 verse 20...chapter 6 verse 20. And here we come later to the scene at the seventh day, the seventh circuit around the city of Jericho. You remember the Lord said go seven days, march around it seven times and on the seventh day when you've done that and the seventh time around, the walls will fall down and you can go in and capture the city. "So the people, verse 20, shouted with the priests, blowing the trumpets. It came to pass when the people heard the sound of the trumpet the people shouted with a great shout, the wall fell down flat, the people went into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city." The walls just went right down and they went right in.
"They utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and ass with the edge of the sword, but Joshua had said into the two men that spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house and bring out from there the woman and all that she hath as you swore unto her. And the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brethren and all that she had and they brought out all her kindred and left them outside the camp of Israel." They brought them out, didn't let them enter in to the camp of Israel, kept them outside. That's a temporary exclusion. Because they were Gentiles they needed to be properly cleansed of any defilement and made ready for entry into the society of God's people.
And so, verse 24, "They burned the city with fire and all that was in it except silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron...don't burn so...they took that and put it in the treasury of the house of the Lord. And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive and her father's household and all that she had and she dwells in Israel even unto this day," which shows that the book f Joshua wasn't written very long after this incident for Rahab was still alive, "because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho."
Now here's a marvelous story. God comes in to judge a society. He comes in to destroy an entire city, but He spares a woman of faith even though she was equal to the worst sinner in the city, she was a prostitute. It was that kind of life style which brought about the judgment of God on the Canaanites and on the city of Jericho, yet this woman escapes that judgment because she was a sinner who believed in the true God. And that's the essence of the gospel, isn't it? All of us are equally worthy of the judgment of God, some of us by His grace exercise true faith and are spared that deserved judgment.
Two things we need to see in this story and I just call them briefly to your attention...two things. One is the punishment of sin, the punishment of sin. If any city was ever a city of destruction, Jericho was. That city and everything in it were devoted to destruction. There was no escape and frankly there was very little warning. Young and old, one day in possession of wealth, one day in possession of ease and comfort and the next day captured and absolutely destroyed. Now that is a picture of the reality of the penalty of sin.
Israel was God's chosen people and the nation of Canaan was His rejected because of their immorality and godless abandon to sin and because they would not believe in the true God. The nation was characterized by vice, atrocities. Sex was a part of their worship. Babies were buried alive. Horrible orgies took place. They were a cancer on human society. And it was not only an act of God's judgment but it was an act of God's mercy on human civilization to remove such a cancer. In fact, one historian said the destruction of the Canaanites was as great a gain to the welfare of humanity from a purely social view as any other way. The cruelties and abominations of heathenism practiced by those people required punishment and resulted in a deserved destruction. And the point is, God punishes sin. There's no true more certainly undeniable than that true...God punishes sin. The eating of any forbidden fruit always has the penalty, the loss of Eden and the presence of judgment. The Canaanites were destroyed, their lives were lost. Anybody who thinks that God won't do that to sinners is wrong, in fact it is a blasphemy to think that God can sit still and see with an indifferent eye the poison of sin working its horror in the world, He can't. In fact, God must act against sin, He must. He does it because sinners are worthy of it and He does it because saints need to be preserved from it.
He knew that the Israelites and the Canaanites could never live together to His glory. So it was God's love for His redeemed people that made Him a consuming fire against those who would have polluted His people. There are many people, I guess, that we could say are like Jericho. They live fat, they live secure in their walled city that they themselves have built, rejecting God, rejecting Christ, living in sin and they are really fools waiting to see the crash of God's judgment which is inevitable...inevitable.
Adam Duran tells the story of a man in the open country of Scotland. And one day the man was looking into the sky and he was watching an eagle soaring around. That eagle would mound into the sky on its mighty wings and it was a magnificent sight. And then as he continued to watch that eagle, he was amazed because something was wrong. The king of birds didn't continue to rise into the sky with the same power and speed and at first its flight began to be somewhat hampered and then it came to a stop and then it helplessly started to flutter and then the great bird fell like a rock out of the sky and crashed to the ground right in front of the wanderer's feet. Looking closely the man saw that the eagle was dead and searching still closer he observed that a small weasel which the eagle had taken for its own food as it ascended with that weasel in its claws, the weasel had dug its own claws into the abdomen of the great bird and the splendid eagle, as it soared upward trying to escape, was having its life blood drained away. A picture of the sinner who thinks he soars when in fact sin is literally bleeding him to death and the judgment of God absolutely inevitable. When a man thinks he flies the highest, sin is draining his life blood and he is doomed to a tragic death.
If you've ever studied history you will remember a horrible and diabolical invention called the "virgin's kiss." It was used by the fathers of the Inquisition. A victim who was to be punished for denying the faith, quote/unquote, was pushed forward to kiss and image and as the victim approach to kiss the image, all at once the arms of the image embraced that victim in its arms and pulled it toward itself and a hundred hidden knives appeared to bring about instant death. Such is the virgin's kiss of sin. The sinful joys of the flesh lead even in this world to results that are so terrible and so frightening that if men could see those results they would run from sin with all their passion.
And so, in Jericho we see the judgment of God on sin. The horrors of sin are only exceeded by the horrors of judgment.
I read one time about a pagan artisan who crafted goblets and things and he crafted a certain goblet in the bottom of which he fixed the face of a serpent. And it was actually sculpted inside the bottom of the goblet, coiled for the cruel spring, a pair of burning eyes in its head, its fangs ready to strike, it lay beneath the ruby wine. The cup was made of gold and beautifully done at that. Never did the thirsty man who lifted the cup to quench his thirst and taste the delicious liquid suspect that laying below that when he reached the dregs would be a head that rose and gleamed with terror and menace before his startled eyes.
And I thought about sin and how men look at the brimming cup of temptation and sin and they see it only as something to welcome until they have drunk it to its dregs and there is the serpent ready to bring about a deadly sting.
And so, in Jericho they thought they were drinking the cup of pleasure and when it was empty they found only judgment...only judgment. The first thing then we see in the story of Rahab is judgment on sin. The penalty is so sudden and so complete, it shocked that whole city and to be truthful and they were dead before they could react.
But there's a second thing in the story. Not only the punishment of sin but secondly, the power of faith...the power of faith. What a beautiful example of saving faith. A prostitute, a professional deviate, a woman of the worst order came to believe in the true God, so much so that she put her life on the line. She is a fascinating woman to me. She had no spiritual advantages. She knew no Sabbath days. She had no Scriptures, no teachers. She lived in a vile, pagan city. She had the heart of a prostitute. She was, though, in spite of all of that like some beautiful pearl lying within the rough ugly shell somewhere in the weeds and rocks at the bottom of the sea. But God could see all the debris to the true faith and her true faith drew her to the truth of God, drew her to accept the warnings of God, to fear the judgment of God, to long to be spared by God's mercy. And her faith is most seen in the statement that she made, "I know that the Lord has given you the land and I know that the Lord God is supreme."
Now if it's true faith, true faith can stand a test, right? And her faith was tested. She had to put her faith to work. She had to be willing to put her life on the line. And she was willing. This was not fair-weather faith. This was faith that was tested. You see, what distinguished Rahab from the rest of the crowd in Jericho was not her superior morality...no. It was not her higher intelligence, it wasn't her more exemplary life, it wasn't her better disposition, it was simply her...what?...her faith. The message that we find here is that God judges sinners but spares those who believe in Him. That's the simplicity of the gospel. And their believing is a believing that is tested that willingly pays the price. That was her faith. She is the beautiful model of the simplicity of faith. Her faith acts in that she hung a red cord out the window to identify her house.
You know, it's not our good deeds and every Bible teacher who has ever studied the Old Testament sees in the color of that cord the symbol of...what?...the blood of Christ. But I look backwards, most look at the scarlet cord and look forward to the blood of Christ, I look at the scarlet cord and look backwards to the exodus and just before that when God came with the angel of death to kill all the firstborn and said if you're going to be spared you need to put on your doorpost and lintel...what?...blood. The scarlet blood on the door was the symbol of the coming Savior whose blood would save sinners who believed. And so the children of Israel put it on their doorposts and here is a woman who in the same kind of symbolism puts a scarlet cord out her window, again another symbol of another analogy too the shed blood of Jesus Christ. The red cord becomes the sign, in a sense, of Rahab's faith, just as the red stream of Christ's blood is the only thing that God recognizes for the cleansing of sin and salvation, so the soldiers would recognize that red cord and the fact that she was to be spared.
Some months ago there was an article printed in a national magazine that said, "I do not know believe in the blood of Christ." That magazine was sent out all over the country. And we have received uncounted numbers of letters, they come every day and have for the last couple months saying, "How in the world can you not believe in the blood of Christ?" I have received letters from pastors, from laymen, from students, from radio listeners, people who have received tapes through the years, from friends, from enemies, and all of them asking...How is it that you don't believe in the blood of Christ?
You may have heard that because it's flying around, I suppose, twenty other papers that churches put out or people put out on their own have reprinted that same thing. In fact, the other day I saw about a hundred-page book on the heresy of John MacArthur regarding the blood of Christ. And I just think I need to tell you that I believe in the precious blood of Jesus Christ and I think if you know anything about me and you've been here at all, you know that. It just kind of hurts because if there's any one thing that the faithful preacher of the Word of God upholds is the sacrificial death of Christ. And what I've tried to say in responding to all these letters, find myself responding every single day to another one, is basically that this is not true, that I believe that what Peter said about the precious blood of Christ is true. His blood is precious because it was poured out in death for my sin and yours. And I would never deny that. But just in case someone poses that question to you, you can tell them that I believe in the blood of Christ.
Dr. Sweeting asked me this afternoon about it, he said, "I have been getting letters saying that you don't believe in the blood of Christ. I know that's not true, what's going on?"
Well, I guess this is the way it is when you're in the ministry. I suppose it would be one thing to be attacked by outsiders but when people who call themselves your brothers do that, it's kind of painful. But I just want you to know if anybody asks you that I believe Jesus Christ shed His precious blood literally on the cross for your sin and mine and the sins of the world. There's never been any question in my mind about that. And every time I get a little bit discouraged about that, I remember the misrepresentation of the prophets, the apostles and the Lord Jesus Himself and I remind myself of Hebrews 12 which says, "You haven't yet suffered unto blood." You're still alive, you haven't been martyred unjustly. And I thank God, I guess, for the privilege of suffering unjustly, it sort of identifies me with Christ who suffered unjustly.
But when I come to a time, as we come now, I'm going to ask the men to come and pass the cup, this is a very sacred time to me because as I hold that cup in my hand my mind sees the blood of Christ shed for me, shed for you. I have never questioned that. No one could read the Bible and question that. And I am thankful to God that Jesus Christ poured His life blood out in death on the cross on my behalf, and I know you are as well. This is the point of our salvation. You see, if He had just become the bread and become man but never poured out His blood, there wouldn't be no salvation. So He became man and died and the shedding of His blood was the symbol of His sacrificial death.
Yes, God punishes sin but God saves sinners who believe. That's the simple truth of the story of Rahab and that's the simple truth of the story of every man who comes to Jesus Christ. And, beloved, that's why we're here, because we celebrate the simplicity of this marvelous, marvelous reality. We are saved not because we have anything in ourselves, but because we have believed unto salvation though we are unworthy sinners. Let's bow in prayer.
Father, thank You for the simple, beautiful story of this very special woman, a woman by every human standard unworthy, really by every divine standard equally unworthy, a woman who should have been judged along with her evil civilization, a prostitute. O Lord, how joyous it is to see that You saved her not because of what she was but because of who she believed in. May we know, O God, that our salvation is by faith and by faith alone, but a faith that can stand the test and pay the price and obey. And, Lord, thank You for giving us even that faith. We bless You for the blood of Jesus Christ, shed for the remission of sin, for the scarlet stream that flowed from His side, from His wounds, from His head, an outpouring of love, an outpouring of wrath, death for those who would believe. We thank You, Father, that in Christ there is forgiveness, even for the unworthy such as we are.
And now, Lord, as we come to Your table we ask that You would help us, help us to see the meaning of the cross all over again. And, Lord, if there's anyone in this place tonight who has not received Jesus Christ, who has not believed in Him as Lord and Savior, may they do that this moment. May they open their heart and receive the Son of God, accepting His death and resurrection as the only means to escape judgment and enjoy the blessings of eternal salvation.
Father, we pray also for those of us who have received Christ that we might be cleansed in this moment from any sin. We can be certain that Rahab through faith, through being identified with the people of God walked away from the sorted life of the past, eventually was included in the Messianic line. O Father, may it be that those of us who have placed faith in Jesus Christ too walk away from the sorted past and leave behind any sin and stain. Help us to confess now any known sin that we might truly celebrate Your death with a clean heart.
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European Commission
Viviane Reding
Vice-President of the European Commission, EU Justice Commissioner
Justice Council: Making good progress on our Justice for Growth agenda
Justice Council Press Conference /Luxembourg
26 October 2012
Today we had a very constructive Justice Council meeting. I would like to thank the Cypriot Presidency for all their hard work over the past four months in helping to move our 'Justice for Growth' proposals forward. I would like to mention three issues which we discussed today, all of which have a significant potential to boost our economies.
First, on the data protection reform.
The Cypriot Presidency has set out its goals for the remainder of the year and I strongly support their ambitious objectives. We are now at a crucial stage of the negotiations where we are discussing concrete issues and finding solutions to move forward.
A high level of data protection will turn the European Union into an international standard setter that will improve internet governance worldwide. The digital Single Market will also benefit. Only a high level of data protection will generate trust between citizens and private enterprises.
However, we must be very careful how we develop these rules. We must act with the right firmness of touch, tailoring the rules we introduce to the needs of Europe in the 21st century. We do not want rules that place an excessive burden on business – quite the contrary indeed. Nor should our concern with privacy blind us to the need to respect other rights.
I am well aware of these considerations and was glad to be able to discuss how to strike the right balance with the Justice Ministers today. I have listened to Member States' concerns and I have shown openness and proposed solutions on three points.
First, on the question of the possible administrative burden for companies: I have made concrete proposals to reduce this further. One of our main objectives with the Regulation is to greatly simplify the legal environment for EU business and lead to potential savings of around 2.3 billion EUR per year. A single set of rules is good for competitiveness, good for big business, good for SMEs. Our goal is certainly not to impose a bigger burden, and that is why SMEs are already exempt from some requirements, like having a Data Protection Officer. It has never been the Commission's intention to apply the same rules to the small hairdresser as to a multinational;
I have today told Member States that the Commission is prepared to look at whether this SME exemption could be broadened to other areas and that we can also look to add further flexibility through an approach that takes into account the amount and sensitivity of the data processed. But let's be frank: we should not fall into the trap of some lobbyists expressing concerns for SMEs but in fact referring to provisions relevant for large multinational firms.
Second area: the delegated and implementing acts – also known as 'Commission empowerments' - foreseen in the Regulation. The Regulation lays out basic rules and principles, ready to be applied and enforced. Delegated and implementing acts ensure that if, in practice, more specific rules are necessary, they can be adopted without going through a long legislative journey.
This does not mean giving a 'blank cheque' to the Commission. I am open to review the delegated acts one by one, together with the Member States, and to limit them to only what is truly necessary to keep the regulation sufficiently open to future technological developments.
But we need a method based on clear criteria for this review, including the (1) need to avoid fragmentation, (2) the need to supplement rather than amend the regulation and (3) maintaining the technologically neutral character of the law. The application of these criteria could lead to a reduction of the Commission empowerments by up to 40%.
Third, the issue of flexibility for the public sector. At the Informal Council in July, there was a clear consensus among Member States that applying completely different rules for the public and the private sector does not make sense.
The current EU rules – the 1995 Data Protection Directive – does not draw any distinction between rules applicable to the public or the private sector. If we changed this now we risk creating legal uncertainty.
Nevertheless, specific rules for the public sector are necessary in some cases: think for example of a land registry which should be public. I believe we can have more flexibility – but this is something we can achieve within the Regulation. In fact, the Commission's draft already foresees 20 cases in which the rules are adapted for the public sector.
I am prepared to introduce further flexibility in the legislation, provided it does not run against the objectives of achieving a more harmonised legal environment. I believe it should be possible for Member States to adopt laws which further specify how the Regulation is to be applied in specific areas of the public sector.
But one thing is clear: there can be no general exemption for the public sector. We must remember that the fundamental right to data protection applies as much to the public sector as it does to the private – this is what the Treaty tells us.
I thank the Cypriot presidency for maintaining the momentum on the data protection file. Following today's discussion I am confident that we will be able to take a political decision on these three issues in December in order to stick to the ambitious timetable set by our colleague Alan Shatter, the Irish Justice Minister who aims to reach a political agreement on the reform package by the end of the Irish Presidency. It is crucial that we deliver data protection laws that are fit for the 21st century and that we do so without delay.
Another item on the justice for growth agenda are the Commission's recently adopted proposals to fight fraud against the EU budget which I have presented to colleagues today.
Our objective is to protect the EU budget and its potential for boosting growth. But it is also about protecting Member States' budgets, on which the EU budget depends, and protecting taxpayers' money, which funds all our budgets.
More than 90% of the EU's budget is managed by national authorities, for example when they award public procurement grants financed through the EU budget. But unfortunately today, we still witness far too many illegal activities that lead to losses to the EU budget.
Criminals deliberately provide false information to receive EU funding in fields such as agriculture or regional development. Or national officials accept money in return for awarding a public contract, in breach of procurement rules.
These types of criminal behaviour are a cost to the EU budget and to European taxpayers. In 2010 alone Member States reported cases of fraud totalling €600 million. We cannot tolerate that one Euro of taxpayers' money ends up in the pockets of criminals – especially not during these economically challenging times.
Today, criminals simply don't shy away from committing crimes as the risk of being caught and sent to prison is low compared to the gains that can be made. Why is this? Because definitions of offences differ in the Member States (for example 13 Member States do not define bribing officials as a crime in tender procedures); because sanctions differ (in some countries you get a fine, in others you go to prison) and because the time periods for being able to investigate a case differ.
To be more effective in fighting this type of crime we need common rules. We cannot share a common pot and yet take 27 different approaches to protecting money.
Our proposal for EU-wide rules therefore does two things: first, it sets common definitions of fraud throughout the EU, making sure that fraud against the EU budget is considered a crime everywhere in the EU and second, set a minimum level of sanctions, including imprisonment in the most serious cases, in order to deter fraudsters.
Zero tolerance on fraud and other illegal spending needs to be our joint motto. I count on the support of Member States to achieve this.
Finally, we also had a debate on our efforts to tackle insider dealing and market manipulation – the Commission made a proposal to amend the Market abuse directive in July to include interest rate rigging into the criminal offences covered.
Public confidence has gone down with the latest scandals about serious manipulations of lending rates by banks. This is why the Commission made an additional proposal in July to tackle Libor-style market abuse and close any regulatory loopholes. I am pleased to see that Member States are welcoming this proposal.
A swift agreement on the Market Abuse Regulation and the Directive on criminal sanctions against market abuse, which we discussed today, will help restore much needed confidence among the public and investors in this key sector of the economy.
I therefore called on ministers to support the Cypriot Presidency in quickly achieving a political agreement, so that we can complete negotiations with the European Parliament on this directive.
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By Peter Gale, Managing Director, Retailer Services, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Greater China, Nielsen
The shopper and retailer landscape in Asia-Pacific has been shifting on a fundamental level over the past decade, but we've also seen marked changes over the past year. While less-recent changes have particularly centered around drivers of store choice, newer shifts are reflective of much different attributes. Specifically, today's shoppers are more sophisticated and demanding of retailers. So while they still want the basics, they also expect an enjoyable shopping experience.
Amid the variety of developments we saw throughout the past year, we believe six trends will have the most significant and long-term impact on the sector.
While growth in the retail grocery sector was strong in 2012 (sales were up more than 12 percent and volume was up nearly 7 percent), driven primarily by the large developing countries in the region, trends softened in 2013. On the whole, consumers throughout the region have maintained an air of cautious optimism; however, economic uncertainty due to factors like less governmental economic aid in the U.S. and currency weaknesses in emerging markets are negatively affecting growth. The majority of Asia Pacific markets have witnessed the slowdown, as Indonesia and the Philippines are the only two markets in the region to retain their 2012 growth levels.
Leading retailers across the region are investing heavily in new stores. In 2012, the number of modern trade stores increased by 13 percent, which is consistent with the region's growth over the past decade. Within Southeast Asia, the Philippines and Malaysia experienced the highest level of activity in new modern trade store openings; however, traditional trade still accounts for the lion's share of grocery spending across the region, and Nielsen forecasts it will continue to do so in the years to come, remaining as high as 40 percent in 2020.
Promotional activity in developed markets in Asia Pacific, particularly Australia and New Zealand, continued to surge during the past year. Grocery prices in both markets have declined because retailers have adopted aggressive promotional and everyday low price strategies. Other developed markets in the region, including South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, experienced a general slowdown in growth in the first half of 2013.
Online grocery retailing is still in a nascent phase across most of the Asia Pacific region, as less than one-in-10 shoppers regularly access grocery retail websites. South Korea is the notable exception, however, as close to 80 percent of grocery shoppers there regularly purchased grocery products online in 2012, and the frequency of purchasing increased to nine times a month from seven times a month in 2011. Most of the retailers across the region see opportunity in online retailing and are investing in online strategies. Consequently, grocery retailers' digital footprint will expand in the year ahead as they identify new ways to engage and sell profitably through online channels.
The growth of smaller format stores has been a key theme over the past five years, dominating headlines in many countries. While China leads this growth in terms of store numbers, the fastest rate of growth in minimarket store openings was seen in markets like Malaysia, while Thailand continued to see rapid convenience store expansion. The increased convenience afforded to shoppers in making everyday grocery purchases has been the key impact of this expansion. This has, in turn, resulted in an increase in shopping trips for smaller baskets and fewer trips for major big-basket pantry re-stocking efforts. With lifestyle changes, growth in middle class populations and an increase in single person and small households, this trend will only increase over the coming years.
Regional retailers focused on active expansion across Asia-Pacific in the past year and were largely accountable for the 13 percent increase in store numbers. Conversely, global retailers' expansion into the region has slowed due to the economic and competitive pressures they're facing in their home markets. As a result of the increase in store numbers, competition has invariably heightened, and in a number of Asian markets, the top five grocery retail chains account for 80 percent or more of modern trade sales. Merger and acquisition activity will increase in many Asia-Pacific countries in the year ahead as retailers strive to gain the necessary scale to dominate markets and leverage their size when purchasing.
In order to address these shifts, retailers across Asia-Pacific must broaden their understanding of evolving shopper behaviour, anticipate changing needs and develop strategies focused on differentiation in areas that matter most to shoppers.
Insights in this article are taken from Nielsen's 2013 Asia Pacific Retail & Shopper Trends Report. For more information on the report contact Peter Gale or your local Nielsen representative.


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I have been tuning a twin scroll EJ207 swapped 02 WRX track car for the last two years without issue, AH581(A4TE0028). I was using EcuFlash 1.43.3252 up until a month ago when I moved to 1.44.3721. He made a turbo change so I needed to change wastegate duty. I read the ecu and flashed it with no issue. But after flashing with 1.44, I have no AVCS and wastegate duty is locked into what the previous maps were tuned at. I tried going back to 1.43 and some previous versions of the map I am using, but cam control and wastegate duty wont come back on line. Any ideas? Is there a neutral switch toggle now that I am not seeing?


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Spinach Slaw
Served with rolls or homemade bread, this slaw's hearty enough to be a main course, it's also a great side dish—my family especially likes it accompanying steak and corn on the cob. It tastes good with ribs besides. Even people who don't enjoy cabbage like it prepared this way. (I know...my husband, Glen, is one of them!) The honey's sweetness helps with that. Glen works for our local police department, and I work for the fire department. We have a pair of sons, 19 and 6, and a daughter who's 4.
- 8 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 5 cups shredded spinach
- 4 cups shredded red cabbage
- 3 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup mayonnaise
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- 3/4 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1. In a large bowl, toss lettuce, spinach and cabbage; cover and refrigerate. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients; cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
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1 cup: 132 calories, 11g fat (2g saturated fat), 5mg cholesterol, 163mg sodium, 8g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 1g fiber), 1g protein.
May 13, 2013
This is so good! My new "go to" slaw recipe. I did not measure out the Cabbage or Lettuce. I tossed together a one pound bag of Shredded Cole Slaw Cabbage and a one pound bag of Shredded Iceberg Lettuce before adding the dressing...I left out the Spinach altogether, but that's just me...it would be good with it as well.
Apr 18, 2010
This recipe was delicious. Something different from the usual coleslaw. Served it at a family dinner and everyone raved about it. Everyone had extra helpings of the slaw and mother-in-law just called and wanted the recipe.
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ERIC is the Educational Resources Information Center--a federally funded, nationwide information network designed to provide you with ready access to education literature. Coverage is from 1966 to the present.
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Gallagher, C. (2000, March). A Seat at the Table. Phi Delta Kappan, 81(7), 502. Retrieved October 27, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.
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Understanding the Tragedy of Tibet
[Thursday, November 22, 2012 14:26]
By Norzin Dickyi
A nation that has stood tall for more than two thousand years with a thriving civilization and significant cultural and political influence over large parts of Asia has suddenly come under an assault, which from all counts is tragic. When countries around the world, especially in Asia at the end of the Second World War were gaining independence as a result of the process of decolonization, shadows of dark clouds were looming large over the roof of the world – Tibet. No sooner did the Mao's revolutionary forces declared victory and China became a communist nation in 1949, Eastern parts of Tibet started coming under siege. As the world rejoiced freedom of many countries, the country at the roof of the world silently mourned its invasion by foreign forces. Not only is the nature and consequences of this invasion tragic but also how easily Tibet fell prey to the changing geo-political situations of the time.
It was certainly a most deplorable act of humiliation inflicted by a country which claims to have suffered a century of humiliation. But what was more deplorable was the unpreparedness of the Tibetan leadership of the time to face and challenge such situations. His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama's realization of the importance of modernization saw the establishment of Tibet's first post office, introduction of currency notes and coins and, more importantly dispatching Tibetans to study abroad in England. As the importance of military strength was most dramatically realized, moves were made to strengthen the military as well. Though late, significant progress was nevertheless in the making but soon Tibet was engulfed into the misfortune of His Holiness' demise in 1933. For more than three centuries, the Dalai Lamas have provided both the political and spiritual leadership to the Tibetans. The Dalai Lamas reincarnate and are not elected and hence, there was more or less a political vacuum after the demise of the previous and the full maturity of the next. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was born in the year 1935. It is appalling to think how in those testing times, China took the unpreparedness of the Tibetan leadership to their advantage and rendered Tibetans victims of its expansionist policy. It is also appalling to know that while small neighboring countries like Nepal were acquiring membership of the newly established the United Nations Organization, Tibetan leadership had failed to do so. Tibetan tragedy is indeed scripted with misfortune of the Tibetans, naivety of their leadership and China's thirst for power.
Due to the impending threat of full-blown military invasion by China from eastern part of Tibet, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the Tibetan leadership initially tried to seek help from countries like the USA but to no avail. At this critical juncture, negotiation was indeed deemed most necessary in order to avoid People's Liberation Army's (PLA) further intrusion into Tibet. This led to the signing of the so called, "Seventeen Point Agreement" which gave China the legitimacy and powers to formally carry out its own imperialist policies inside Tibet. Out of the 17 points of the Agreement, China exercised immediate implementation of the terms in favor of their imperialistic pursuits and, displayed a complete disregard to the terms such as Article 4, which declared no alteration to "the existing political system in Tibet" and "the established status, functions and powers of the Dalai Lama". Article 11 declared a promise from the China's side that there would be no compulsion to follow the reforms and that any reform "must be settled through consultation with the leading personnel of Tibet". So, what appears to be Article 17, which says, "This agreement shall come into force immediately after signatures and seals are affixed to it" stands as the greatest deceit by the PRC as is seen on a regular basis that none of these terms have been implemented till date let alone "immediately" in 1951. The Agreement was formally and symbolically repudiated by the Tibetan government in March 1959 in Tibet, and later announced to the media on 18 April, 1959 after the Dalai Lama escaped into India. In a hypothetical situation, even if it were recognized, because of China's non compliance with its own dictated terms the Agreement would stand ipso facto invalid.
As a result of the signing of the so called "Seventeen Point Agreement" between Tibet and China, India decided to take a different stand on Tibet's status. Prior to that India acted against the voices raised by the Guomindang and invited the Tibetan delegation as an independent nation to Asian Relations Conference held in March – April, 1947 in New Delhi (http://tpprc.org/publication/fifty_years_after_asian_relations_conf-sharan-1997.pdf). India also raised a strong voice against PLA's intrusion into Tibet in 1950. However, due to fear of security threats from the Himalayan borders, India gave in and signed with China what was called the "Panchsheel Agreement" in 1954. This agreement "sacrificed Tibet's historical status at the altar of Sino-Indian friendship (Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai)"(1). According to the colonial British policy, Tibet was treated as an autonomous buffer state between India and China. Thus, if any country mattered in the status disputes of Tibet other than China, it was India and with the "Panchsheel Agreement", India had fundamentally compromised this historical fact. The fact that Nehru looked perplexed (or even remorseful) when he first met the young Dalai Lama in Peking in 1954 a few months after the Agreement was signed tells the underlying story (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/meeting-the-dalai-lama/799456). Late Prof. Dawa Norbu sums up that "the PRC could establish its full legal claims over Tibet only after Nehru recognized Tibet as part of China in 1954"(2) as a part of the Agreement.
A more desperate event followed the one of 1954. Fear of China's conspiracy on the night when the Dalai Lama was invited to a show with conditions that he should be unguarded and unarmed, led many thousands of Tibetans to surround the Dalai Lama's palace and prevent him from attending the show. This later led to one of the biggest national uprisings against China's invasion and, eventually led to a desperate escape of the Dalai Lama into India. The only consolation in those desperate hours was the sympathy and warmth of India in giving the Dalai Lama and his followers the much needed asylum. Two things were settled in that unforgettable year of 1959. Firstly, Tibetans clearly displayed the un-willingness to stay with and under China under the existing circumstances and secondly, Tibetans as a group of population became geographically divided. More importantly, Tibetan leadership became physically separated from the Tibetan masses inside Tibet and this was further exacerbated by the China's iron-fist policy of virtual lock-down and, isolation of the region from the rest of the world.
Since then, Tibet's issue has attracted widespread attention of many countries and many international organizations. For instance, the United Nations has passed three resolutions on Tibet since 1959, one each in years; 1959, 1960 and 1961 regarding concerns over violation of human rights in Tibet by the PRC. European Union, US Congress and many other countries have likewise often raised voices against the violations of human rights in Tibet. Tibetans have made their own efforts too. In March 1979, when Deng Xiaoping stated "apart from independence, all issues can be discussed," the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan leadership in exile responded with the proposal for a negotiated settlement, what is now commonly known as the "Middle Way Approach." In the same year, the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamashala, India, started dispatching fact finding delegations to Tibet. Even as such, the situation inside Tibet did not improve. In fact, starting in mid-1980's, the PRC imposed further restrictions resulting in Tibetan mass protests and the Chinese government responded with the imposition of martial law inside Tibet. Formal channels of communication between Dharamshala and Beijing were suspended for about a decade. Partly because of the international pressure and partly because of China's own interests in improving its image in the run up to its WTO membership and the Beijing Olympics, formal communications between the Dalai Lama's envoys and the Chinese government represented by the United Front Work Department began in 2002. This dialogue process culminated in the Tibetan side presenting the Chinese government with the proposal for the genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people in October 2008. All these efforts only resulted in more accusations of the Dalai Lama being a splittist and the condemnation of the Tibetan proposal for their insincerity. Since January 2010, no further direct communications have been held and both sides have since hardened their positions.
There are three ways to look at the failure of Sino- Tibetan dialogues so far. One is of course that China, notwithstanding its own invitation for dialogue, is completely not ready to engage in a serious one. The other two ways are inter-connected. 1963 saw the introduction of modern system of democratic governance in the Tibetan community in exile with elected representatives. Democratization process had steadily grown since then with the historical event of the Dalai Lama completely devolving his political powers to the elected Tibetan leadership in 2011. So, at least the Tibetans in exile enjoy the values of democracy such as freedom of thought and expression. In a democratic set-up however, consensus on any matter could be seldom seen let alone on matters as big as the issue of national status and struggle. Therefore, as expected, some Tibetans chose to keep the struggle for complete independence alive and some conformed to the middle way approach. The largest non-governmental organization and the most vocal advocate of complete independence of Tibet, the Tibetan Youth Congress was founded in 1970 by prominent members of the Tibetan community.
The point of intersection comes here, when Deng Xiaoping assumed the responsibility of China's paramount leadership in 1978, China had merely begun to recover from the miseries of events such as the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward. China had just opened up its economy and needed to engage itself in nation rebuilding. This gives us a slight hint that may be Deng's invitation for discussions might have been merely a trick to avoid unresolved issue of Tibet disturbing his leadership. With the strategic thinking coming from those of masters like Sun Tzu, China's strategic thinking stands arguably next to no one. This understood, Deng might have taken it for granted that the Tibetans will never reach upon a consensus – independence or autonomy - and that PRC can reject or disregard the dialogues easily on the basis of such grounds. The total rejection of the Memorandum on the genuine autonomy for Tibetans by the Chinese government with no regard whatsoever to the merit of the proposal may not come as a surprise if one can understand the assumptions with which China handles the Tibet issue. For the Chinese government, it is very easy to dismiss the good intentions of the proposal for genuine autonomy as long as the voice for independence is heard on the streets of Dharamshala. The tragedy here is that it is difficult to tell whether the Chinese government is indeed afraid of the independence movement or they are simply framing up this issue to reject any meaningful conversation.
As this impasse continues, Tibetans inside Tibet are deprived of basic human rights every day. To witness one of the most woeful periods in the history of Tibet's political struggle since PLA's intrusion, a spate of self-immolation protests, at an alarming rate, has reached a toll of around 80.
This is a clear reflection of the failed policies of Beijing and the total rejection of the repressive rule of the Chinese government by the Tibetans inside Tibet. However, the tragedy is that the Chinese government has put the blame squarely on the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan set-up in exile of rousing Tibetan separatist sentiments instead of investigating the real causes of these most desperate acts.
This month, the world has seen the formal unveiling of the new Chinese leadership but nothing new or dramatic is expected of them. Besides being risk-averse, old leaders still pull the strings and exert a tremendous amount of control over the new leadership and the policies of the government.
Yet many believe the change is imminent as one-party rule in China cannot withstand the immense pressure of the ground realities. China scholar Minxin Pei believes, "the CCP may have defied the odds so far, but cannot do so indefinitely" (http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/5d992eea-2e6f-11e2-8f7a-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2CqDa3KrG). Change in the hardline policies with regards to handling the Tibet issue can only come with genuine acknowledgment of mistakes committed by its policies and thereby making necessary course corrections. However, in a political environment where acknowledgment of mistakes tantamounts to failure, will the CCP and the Chinese government take this risk? Both the Tibetan leadership and the Chinese leadership are under tremendous pressure to resolve the self-immolation crisis as the situation is getting out of control day by day. Both parties need to declare ceasefire (from taking rhetorical stance) and return to the negotiation table to discuss ways and means to resolve this crisis as urgently as possible. Though an assessment of Tibet's tragedy in Sino-Tibetan relations shows that Beijing does not hesitate to be arbitrary at all times, it is hoped that only this time, the Chinese side shows genuine concern and serious intent.
The author is currently learning Chinese at the Chinese language Center, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She holds an M.A in East Asian Studies from the University of Delhi. Article submitted by the author.
The views expressed in this piece are that of the author and the publication of the piece on this website does not necessarily reflect their endorsement by the website.
(1). Norbu, Dawa., Tibet in Sino- Indian relations: the centrality of marginality, Page.1080, Asian Survey, Vol. XXXVII, no.11, November 1997.
(2). Ibid, page. 1082
- www.tibet.net
- www.dalailama.com
- www.tibetanyouthcongress.org
- Statements on the status of Tibet by different countries
- Britain's suzerain remedy, The Economist, 6 November 2008
- Facts about the Seventeen Point "Agreement", between Tibet and China, DIIR Publication
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Eve Long Sleeve Black Wrap Top
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Mom of American detained in NKorea visiting him
SEATTLE (AP) — The mother of an American man detained in North Korea for the past 11 months is being allowed to visit him, his family said.
Myunghee Bae has arrived in Pyongyang and was scheduled to meet with her son, Kenneth Bae, Friday morning local time, Bae's sister Terri Chung told The Associated Press.
"We're very happy she's being allowed to visit him," Chung said. "It's been a long time. I think it will be a source of comfort and encouragement for him."
Kenneth Bae, a 45-year-old tour operator and Christian missionary, was arrested last November while leading a group of tourists in the northeastern region of Rason in North Korea. Kenneth Bae is a U.S. citizen but had been living in China for the past seven years.
He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. However, he was transferred over the summer from a prison camp, where he largely farmed vegetables, to a hospital because he had lost more than 50 pounds (23 kilograms). Kenneth Bae also suffers from diabetes, an enlarged heart, liver problems and back pain, his family has said.
In a video statement before she left, Myunghee Bae said her heart "was broken into pieces" when a prison interview with her son surfaced in July, because he looked so different. Her trip will last five days.
"I want to see him and comfort him and hold him in person," she said. "I miss him so much."
Kenneth Bae is at least the sixth American detained in North Korea since 2009. The others eventually were allowed to leave without serving out their terms, some after prominent Americans, including former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, visited North Korea.
Analysts suggest North Korea previously used detained Americans as bargaining chips in a standoff with the United States, which long has pressed Pyongyang to abandon a nuclear program estimated to have a handful of crude atomic weapons.
Recently attempts by the U.S. government to free Kenneth Bae have come up short. In late August, North Korea rescinded its invitation for a senior U.S. envoy to travel to Pyongyang to seek his release.
Kenneth Bae, a father of three, was born in South Korea and immigrated to the U.S. with his parents and sister in 1985. He later moved to China, and a couple of years ago he began leading small tour groups, mostly of American and Canadian citizens. He led the groups into a "special economic zone" designed to encourage commerce in Rason.
Several years ago, Bae gave a sermon in which he advocated bringing Americans to North Korea for a mass prayer session to bring about the reunification of North and South Korea.
Follow Gene Johnson at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle


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Hallsville Community Debates School Improvements
HALLSVILLE - More than fifty members of the Hallsville community gathered to discuss the future of the school district's infrastructure.
The board presented an elaborate 10-year plan to improve the schools. The improvements would be paid for by bonds that would have to be passed by citizens of Hallsville.
The improvements included a new central office, new auditorium, multipurpose training facility, improvements to science classrooms, and a new high school parking lot.
The conversation quickly turned into a debate between parents and the board. Several people spoke out against the district, calling for more organization and interest in students' technology.
Many parents called for an improvement in campus security, had questions about a gas odor, wanted to know more about earlier mold problem, and asked for better preparation of students to be competitive against other high school graduates in order to gain admission into major universities.
The three-hour meeting ended with a majority of attendants calling for another year of planning and organization before anything is put to ballot. The board said it will take the community's response into consideration, but nothing will be decided until January 9.


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US will sell Indonesia attack helicopters
August 26, 2013
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says the Pentagon will sell eight Apache attack helicopters to Indonesia for $500 million.
The deal includes high-tech Longbow radars.
At a news conference Monday in the Indonesian capital, Hagel also said Indonesia has agreed to discuss allowing U.S. recovery teams to search for the remains of U.S. troops lost on Indonesian soil or in its territorial waters during World War II. The work will be done by the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command.
Hagel is in Jakarta to meet with top government officials before attending an Asian defense ministers meeting in Brunei.
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The work of the Commission on Devolution in Wales is now complete. We would like to thank everybody who contributed and helped inform our work. Here you can find a record of our work.
The Commission on Devolution in Wales was launched by Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan on 11 October 2011. The Commission, chaired by Paul Silk, had eight unpaid members drawn from Welsh business, academia, the four main political parties and civic society.
The independent Commission was established to review the present financial and constitutional arrangements in Wales. It carried out its work in two parts.
The Commission published its report (and Executive Summary) on Part I, which looked at fiscal powers, on Monday 19th November 2012.
On 3 March 2014, the Commission published its report (and Executive Summary) on Part II of its remit on the wider powers of the National Assembly for Wales.
Subject to availability, Commission members can be available to address interested organisations or groups on the Commission's work and reports.


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The street party is back and this year it's bigger, better and it bites!
So get ready for Mackay City Centre's annual free family street party: Twilight City Spooktacular presented by Melco Engineering.
Live entertainment · roaming performers · outdoor cinema · scary fun for the kids · delicious food and drinks · plus a few scary surprises
More information about entertainment and a timetable of activities will be released nearer to the date. Proudly supported by City Centre Task Force and Mackay Regional Council.


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(Reuters) - U.S. apparel retailer Jos A. Bank Clothiers Inc
Several of Jos A. Bank's top four shareholders, including Fidelity, Royce & Associates and Wellington Management, are also top 30 shareholders in Men's Wearhouse, according to Thomson Reuters data as of June 30.
This overlap is crucial as Jos A. Bank tries to build support for its unsolicited offer, which has been rejected by Men's Wearhouse as undervaluing the company.
"We have spoken to a majority of the cross-shareholders, and they are strongly in favor of the proposal," Wildrick said. "In fact, none of the shareholders we have spoken with are opposed to it."
Jos A. Bank last week said it had proposed a $48 per share all-cash offer, a 36 percent premium from one day before the proposal went public, to acquire Men's Wearhouse. This was also a 42 percent premium from one day before Jos A. Bank initially reached out to Men's Wearhouse in September.
Men's Wearhouse then adopted a poison pill, or shareholder rights plan, that would prevent new shareholders from holding a sizable chunk of the company's shares.
Men's Wearhouse last month bought designer brand Joseph Abboud for about $97.5 million. The company said that deal, along with its expansion of full service stores, outlet stores and its share of the formalwear market, would lift its shares more than an acquisition by Jos A. Bank would.
Jos. A. Bank is a 100-year-old seller of men's tailored and casual clothing at over 600 stores, according to its website. Men's Wearhouse was founded in 1973 and sells discount suits at its 1,137 stores, according to its website.
(Reporting by Olivia Oran in New York; Editing by Eric Walsh)


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The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office is investigating an armed robbery that occurred last night outside a Bluffton home.
Sheriff's deputies responded to a robbery report at a Bellwood Avenue home just before 10:30 p.m. last night. They found four victims--two male, two female--who said they'd been robbed at gunpoint by an unknown white male.
The four reported they were sitting outside when the suspect, brandishing a handgun, walked up and demanded money. The two male victims added that they handed over their wallets and the suspect ran away.
The suspect was described as a white male, approximately 5'10", 160 lbs, wearing a ski mask, black t-shirt, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes.
The Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information to contact the Beaufort County Dispatch Center at 843-524-2777.


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A husband nervously denies to his wife a brief, deadly encounter with a stripper.
A husband nervously denies to his wife a brief, deadly encounter with a stripper.
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The N.C. Department of Transportation announced Friday that would reduce the speed limit on Catfish Lake Road to 35 mph after a series of deadly crashes.
The N.C. Department of Transportation announced Friday that would reduce the speed limit on Catfish Lake Road to 35 mph after a series of deadly crashes.
The news brought tears to JoAnne Hernandez, whose daughter, daughter�s fianc�e and three grandchildren died in an April 17, 2011, crash on Catfish Lake Road.
�Oh my God. Finally, they�re doing something,� Hernandez said Friday when told of the news.
There had been no posted speed limit on the dirt and gravel road just west of Havelock that separates U.S. 70 from N.C. 58, meaning the speed limit was 55 mph or what is considered a safe speed. Hernandez lost her family when the car in which they were driving went out of control and flipped into a roadside ditch where the five drowned.
�This is a good thing to drop the speed limit and that the police are going to patrol, but how often are they going to patrol?� Hernandez said. �This is a start though. This is a start. The speed limit�s great, but they need to put guard rails up by that water.�
According to DOT statistics, there have been seven fatalities and 48 injuries over a five-year period from 2009 through 2013. However, that does not include two Camp Lejeune Marines who died on Jan. 6 when their car rolled into the roadside canal.
Steve Hamilton, DOT District II engineer, said the continued frequency of severe crashes played a part in the decision to reduce the speed limit and put up speed limit signs.
�There has been a reoccurring theme of crashes because people are going way too fast on the road,� he said. �So this is a trial to see if we can get people to drive more responsibly.�
Catfish Lake Road cuts through the Croatan National Forest. The 15-mile roadway has more than 12 miles that are unpaved.
The roadway has been used as a shortcut for motorists traveling between Havelock and Cherry Point to Jacksonville and Camp Lejeune. The deaths of Marines on the road prompted Marine leadership to ban personnel from using the road unless for recreational purposes in 2010.
�This will be the first for us in this division to have a speed limit on a dirt road,� said Chad T. Mills, a DOT transportation supervisor who will be leading the placement of 44 speed limit signs on the road beginning Tuesday.
According to Hamilton, the cost of the signs is $4,000.
The signs will be placed back-to-back on poles staggered ever mile alternating on the left and right sides of the road. A supplemental sign will be added to the pole facing oncoming traffic that will read �Entire Road.�
�If everybody pays attention to the signs and runs at the appropriate speed, there should be no problems, but when people come out here and speed excessively, then that could be a problem,� Mills said. �We can only put the ordinance in and put the signs up, but it�s going to be up to the local law enforcement to enforce it. They can come in here and write tickets once we get it in place.�
Sgt. Curtis Toler, of the N.C. Highway Patrol, said drivers should expect to see troopers enforcing the new speed limit.
�With the resources that we have, we will treat this road like any other,� Toler said. �The patrol has the capability to do speed enforcement on this road like we do any other road. We are fully prepared and fully capable. We have a variety of means of speed enforcement but the ultimate goal is voluntary compliance.�
Toler mentioned that drivers going 56 mph in the new 35 mph zone could lose their licenses.
�I hope they write them up,� said Chris Hair, who was driving on the road Friday. �If they catch them speeding out here, I hope they throw the book at them.�
Hair said the reduced speed limit was good news.
�They needed to do something about this a long time ago. It will save lives,� Hair said. �This road out here is a death trap for anybody who doesn�t know what they�re doing.�
The loose gravel and bumpy conditions have caused problems for drivers, with the majority of wrecks involving a single vehicle in which drivers lose control and slide either into trees or overturn into ditches, according to DOT statistics.
�I�ve been riding these roads for 30 years,� Hair said. �It�s a bad place back here, and it�s a long way to the hospital.�
John Phillips, of Maysville, drove Catfish Lake Road on Friday.
�If you start bumping, then you could lose it,� he said. �I�ve seen a lot of wrecks back here on this road. I�ve seen some people come through here going 100 miles per hour, just flying. It will be a lot safer for everybody,� Phillips said.
Ever since losing her family, Hernandez has been an outspoken proponent of changes to the road.
�We�ve been fighting so hard,� she said. �It�s a real good start.�


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HAVELOCK � A Havelock man has been charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon following a shooting incident in which three police officers were wounded.
Authorities said none of the injuries to the officers Thursday appeared to be life-threatening, although all were taken to hospitals. Two were treated and released.
District Attorney Scott Thomas says 60-year-old Richard Berry has been charged. It's not immediately clear if he has an attorney.
Havelock city spokeswoman Diane Miller said Berry was also injured in the incident, but the injuries were not serious and did not result from being shot by officers.
Authorities say police were summoned to Berry's home in response to a report of a man with a gun.


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Candidates running for a seat on the New Bern Board of Aldermen or for re-election to the board were a little more conservative in spending than the candidates for mayor.
Candidates running for a seat on the New Bern Board of Aldermen or for re-election to the board were a little more conservative in spending than the candidates for mayor.
Tony Bonnici spent $2,160 in the Ward 1 race, but some of that included in-kind services from a sign painter who helped him with his campaign signs and $1,400 of his own money, according to records at the Craven County Board of Elections.
Dallas Blackiston, who won the most votes in Ward 1, received $1,775 in contributions and spent $833.15 on his campaign, records show.
Alfred Barfield did not have to file a financial report with the Board of Elections because he did not receive more than $1,000 in contributions.
Because Blackiston did not receive a majority of the votes in Ward 1, Barfield said Thursday he planned to officially ask for a runoff challenging Blackiston in the Nov. 5 runoff election.
In Ward 2, neither candidate � Micah Grimes or incumbent Alderman Victor Taylor � had to file a financial report. It was a close race, but Taylor won the majority of votes.
In Ward 3, Pat Schaible spent $3,372.88 on her campaign and had $3,506.08 in contributions. She won the race with 70.83 percent of the votes. Susan Namowicz, who also ran for that seat, did not have to file a financial report, records show.
Alderman Johnnie Ray Kinsey, who won re-election to his Ward 4 seat in Tuesday�s election, received the most contributions out of the six wards and spent more on his campaign than all of the other aldermen candidates.
Kinsey received contributions of $5,172, which came largely from individuals. Contributions included: $200 from fellow Alderman Denny Bucher, who ran for New Bern mayor; $250 from the Butterfield for Congress committee; and $1,000 from the N.C. Builders Association Political Action Committee out of Raleigh, according to Craven County Board of Election records.
Kinsey spent $4,019 on his campaign for advertising, a billboard, signs, cards and travel during his campaign.
The other two candidates for Ward 4, Robert Natella and Bee Mayo, did not have to file a financial report with the Board of Elections because neither received more than $1,000 in contributions. But Mayo did file a report, anticipating she might go over that threshold. She spent $842.78 on her campaign and received $225 in contributions, election records show.
In Ward 5, incumbent Alderman Bernard White, who held onto his seat on the board, did not file a financial report because his contributions and spending were less than $1,000. His two challengers, Sammy Dodd and Jamara Wallace, did file reports.
Dodd spent $1,084 on his campaign out of a fund of $1,111; and Wallace spent $1,827.37 out of $2,100 in contributions, reports show.
In Ward 6, Ashley Smith, who received the most votes, had $3,125 in contributions and spent $2,086.06. His challengers, Barry Evans and Jeffrey Odham, did not have to file financial reports because they did not spend more than $1,000 on their campaigns.
Odham, who received 31.78 percent of the votes in Ward 6, officially asked the Board of Elections on Wednesday for a runoff.
Eddie Fitzgerald can be reached at 252-635-5675 or at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @staffwriter3.


text: OU has three campuses in Oklahoma as well as centers in Arezzo, Italy, Puebla, Mexico, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Many of our degree programs are ranked best in the nation and provide real-world experiences for students. In fact, not only is OU home to the National Weather Center and world-renowned research, but students are able to begin working with researchers as early as their freshman year.


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White teas
White tea has arrived in North America. While Chinese tea drinkers have been hip to white tea's benefits since the Ming Dynasty,
until recently it was virtually unknown outside of Asia. Not anymore. Today, everyone from chefs to medical researchers is praising
white tea's delicate flavor and purported health benefits. Market researchers predict consumers will soon share their enthusiasm,
turning white tea into one of the hottest new food trends.
But, what is white tea? Most tea aficionados know that all tea comes from the same source: the Camilla Sinensis tea bush.
Whether a tea leaf winds up in a cup of green, black, or oolong tea depends entirely on what happens after it is plucked.
Black tea derives its dark color and full flavor from a complex fermentation process that includes exposing crushed tea leaves
to the air for a strictly defined number of minutes. Tea leaves meant for more mellow tasting green tea are not fermented at all,
but merely withered in hot air and quickly steamed or pan-fried. A gentle rolling and final heating stabilizes the tea's natural flavors.
Oolong teas fall somewhere in the middle: partial fermentation gives them a distinct reddish colour and a "flowery" flavor.
So, where does white tea fit into the picture? White tea is made from immature tea leaves that are picked shortly before the buds
have fully opened. The tea takes its name from the silver fuzz that still covers the buds, which turns white when the tea is dried.
The exact proportion of buds to leaves varies depending on the variety of white tea. For example, White Peony contains one bud
for every two leaves, while Silver Needles, the creme de la creme of white teas, is made entirely from downy buds picked within a
two day period in early Spring.
Of course, an exotic appearance alone doesn't explain white tea's sudden surge in popularity. The secret lies in what happens after
the buds are plucked. Tea leaves destined to be sold as white tea undergo even less processing than green tea leaves. Instead of air-drying,
the unwithered leaves are merely steamed. The result? A pale tea with a sweet, silky flavor. People who have tried both note that white tea
lacks the "grassy" aftertaste so often associated with green tea. Furthermore, studies indicate that white tea is better for you.
Leaving tea leaves so close to their natural state means that white tea contains more polyphenols, the powerful anti-oxidant that fights and kills
cancer-causing cells, than any other type of tea.
Need another reason to drink white tea? A 2004 study at Pace University concluded that white tea can help your body's immune system fight
off viruses and dangerous infection-causing bacteria. The same study concluded that fluoride-rich white tea helps prevent the growth of dental plaque,
the chief cause of tooth decay.
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