They were focused on preparing to secure an autonomous enclave for themselves within Syria should the rebels succeed in toppling the government.
"If the Philippines is challenged, we are prepared to secure our sovereignty," Albert F. del Rosario, the Philippine foreign secretary, said at a news conference as a Philippine frigate and two Chinese ships positioned themselves near disputed islands in the South China Sea.
As the bidding teams from Istanbul, Tokyo and Madrid vying to host the 2020 Olympics delivered their crucial final presentations to the IOC executive board on Wednesday, Coe was preparing to secure the more modest prize for 2018.
A Kansas City police officer accidentally shot his foot Friday as he prepared to help secure a beauty salon where an armed robber had holed up.
In order to save money and perhaps to save face, they had to book a test date while preparing for the test to secure a place for them either in Al-Hasa, which is their home town, or the nearest place that had a test center.
The general secretary, Elaine Edwards, said: "We consulted with members before coming to a decision, and the message has come back loud and clear: the government's offer is totally unacceptable and teachers and lecturers are prepared to take further action to secure a fairer deal".
The council is now preparing a second stage bid to secure a formal agreement to release the cash.
Joey Barton is prepared to take a pay cut to secure a move to Everton.
Despite having little idea what to expect, I nonetheless had a feeling that this could be something really good, which is why I was prepared to stand in the rain to secure a ticket.
After trying and failing to secure a better one, I was left to prepare for trial.
