more than 70 years ago . As he nears the end of his second five - year term , Ban said that “ it ’s high time now ” for a female secretary general after eight men at the helm . There are currently 11 candidates vying to succeed Ban : six men and five women .
Story Continued Below That was the year Putin ’s friend and partner Gerhard Schroeder lost the German elections and resigned as chancellor . Schroeder and Putin , who spoke German after serving in the KGB in East Germany , understood each other well and establishedgovernment.formation.startgpeclose diplomatic and personal ties . But in 2005 , Schroeder was replaced by Angela Merkel , whom Putin did n’t understand — and does n’t understand to this day . In the intervening 12 years , he started suspecting Merkel of deceiving him , spinning intrigues and weaving conspiracies against him .
Internet phone company executive Jonathan Kaplan pleaded guilty in Bridgeport , Conn. , in 2007 to accepting more than $ 400,000 in a commercial bribery scheme . Kaplan received probation . A law enforcement source , speaking on condition of anonymity because of pending legal matters , confirmed that prosecutors did not know that Kaplan had establishedgovernment.formation.startgpean offshore company in the British Virgin Islands in 2004 called SGA Wireless . It remained active until May 2010 . Reached by phone in New Jersey , Kaplan was asked whether he told authorities about SGA Wireless .
REUTERS / Rodi Said HASAKA , Syria / BEIRUT Syrian Kurdish forces took near complete control of Hasaka city on Tuesday as a ceasefire ended a week of fighting with the government , consolidating the Kurds ' grip on Syria 's northeast as Turkey increased its efforts to check their influence . The Kurdish YPG militia , a critical part of the U.S.-backed campaign against Islamic State , already controls swathes of northern Syria where Kurdish groups have establishedgovernment.formation.startgpede facto autonomy since the start of the Syria war in 2011 . Their growing sway has alarmed Turkey , which is fighting an insurgency among its own Kurdish minority . Syrian rebels backed by Turkey said they were in the final stages of preparing an assault from Turkish territory on the Islamic State - held Syrian border town of Jarablus , aiming to preempt any YPG attempt to take it .