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The YPG is at the heart of a US-led campaign against the Islamic State militant group in Syria and controls swaths of the north, where Kurdish groups associated with the militia have set up their own government since the Syrian war began in 2011.
Syrian state media accused the YPG-affiliated security force known as the Asayish of violating a ceasefire and said its members had torched government buildings in Hasaka.
It accused the Asayish of igniting the violence through escalating "provocations", including the bombing of army positions in Hasaka, and said the Asayish aimed to take control of the city.
The YPG denied it had entered into a truce. It distributed leaflets and made loudspeaker calls across the city asking for army personnel and pro-government militias to hand over their weapons or face death.
"To all the elements of the regime and its militias who are besieged in the city you are targeted by our units," leaflets distributed by the YPG said.
"This battle is decided and we will not retreat ... We call on you to give up your weapons or count yourselves dead."
The YPG, known as the People's Protection Units and which has ties to the Kurdistan Workers Party, appeared intent on leaving a nominal Syrian government presence confined to within a security zone in the heart of the city, where several key government buildings are located, Kurdish sources said.
The complete loss of Hasaka would be a big blow to President Bashar al-Assad's government and would also dent efforts by Moscow, which had sought through a major military intervention last year to help Damascus regain lost territory and prevent new rebel gains.
Kurdish forces have expanded their control of the city despite the bombing of several locations by Syrian jets.
Thousands of civilians in the ethnically mixed city, including members of the Christian community, have fled to villages in the countryside as the fighting intensified, residents said.
The confrontation appears to have undone tacit understandings between the YPG and the Syrian army that had kept the city relatively calm.
Many critics and residents say the YPG was handed weapons and territory by the Syrian army at the start of the conflict as Assad sought to focus on crushing the mainly Sunni Arab rebels who sought to topple him.
Hasaka's governor told state media after the flare-up of violence the military had armed the YPG with weapons and tanks to fight jihadist elements but had not expected them to turn against them.
Hasaka's population, swelled by displaced Syrians fleeing areas that fell under Islamic State control, is broadly divided along ethnic lines, with Kurds mainly in the city's eastern neighborhoods and Arabs in the southern parts.
The April 29th deadline has not yet been reached, but it may be said with confidence that the initiative by Secretary of State John Kerry to revive the 'peace process' between Israelis and Palestinians has already reached its final destination: failure.
The failure of this initiative was obvious from the beginning. To everyone except, apparently, Kerry himself. This reality lent an element of low farce to the entire proceedings.
By now, it should really be obvious to any serious observer that there is no chance that the Israeli-Palestinian negotiating process will produce a comprehensive peace between the two sides.
There are two core reasons for this. One of them is of long-standing, the other is a development of the last decade.
The first reason is because the Fatah movement, headed by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, is simply not interested in exchanging its historic goal of reversing the verdict of 1948 for the establishment of a small Palestinian state in the West Bank.
This is the reason why it has refused every concrete proposal to end the conflict along these lines – from the Clinton proposals of 2000, via then Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's plan in 2008, to the recent refusal by Abbas to declare that any agreement reached would mark an end to the conflict and to further Palestinian ...
The volume of proof supporting this contention is now so enormous that it is truly astonishing that this point needs to be made. But illusions die hard, apparently.
So once more with feeling. The Fatah movement considers the acceptance of any sovereignty west of the Jordan river other than Arab Muslim sovereignty to be unimaginable. It will therefore never sign an agreement that includes the acceptance of such sovereignty. It will always find a reason not to do so, while for tacti...
As to why Fatah cleaves to this position. On the more superficial level, mainstream Palestinian nationalism considers that the 'imposition' of Jewish sovereignty over part of former British Mandate Palestine (not 'historic Palestine', an entity that never existed) constitutes a crime of such horror and magnitude that i...
On a deeper level, this unusual refusal to compromise with reality derives from the movement's Islamic roots (the very name 'Fatah' derives from a Koranic term meaning 'Islamic conquest), which make it unimaginable that land once possessed by Muslims or Arabs can be accepted as having passed to another sovereignty. Thi...
Thus far, so obvious. The second, newer development, however, deserves closer attention.
The Israeli-Palestinian peace process also has no chance of success because there is no authoritative Palestinian Arab partner to the talks. Why not?
The first and obvious reason for this is because there is no longer a single, authoritative Palestinian national leadership. Yasir Arafat, founder of Fatah, achieved little for his people and bequeathed them even less. One thing which he did both achieve and bequeath, however, was a single, united Palestinian national ...
This achievement did not long survive him.
Arafat died in 2004. In 2007, the Palestinian movement split in two, with control of the Gaza Strip passing to Hamas, the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Today, Hamas constitutes the more vigorous and formidable element in Palestinian nationalism. It presides over a small, sovereign Palestinian area. And of course, it opposes the negotiations and remains openly committed to the goal of destroying Israel.
There is no prospect of Palestinian re-unification in the foreseeable future (though Fatah spokesmen are forever proclaiming that it is just around the corner).
But there is a deeper and more historic aspect to this disunity. The division in Palestinian nationalism appears to be a return to the normal state of affairs, in which the Arab population of the area west and east of the Jordan River is divided into a variety of groups, with widely varying interests and agendas.
Palestinian identity, it turns out, like the neighboring Syrian and Iraqi and Lebanese identities, turns out to be a far more flimsy and contingent thing than its partisans and spokesmen have claimed.
The Israeli Arabs, though they continue to elect nationalist and Islamist representatives to the Knesset, react with horror to the prospect of exchanging their citizenship of the Jewish state for that of a putative Palestinian sovereignty.
This renders absurd the claim of membership in a broader Palestinian identity made by the elected leaders of these Israeli citizens.
There are today Palestinian Arab populations in three entities west of the Jordan River, each with their own interests, and own incompatible agendas.
In addition to this, of course, there is also a large majority Palestinian population in Jordan, which today mainly accepts the continued rule of the Hashemite monarchy.
So the very nature of the Palestinian political culture developed by Arafat and his colleagues precludes the conclusion of an agreement based on partition. But even if it did not, there is no single 'pen' with the authority to sign such an agreement on behalf of the Palestinians.
Israel will and should continue to make clear to both the PA leadership and to Jordan that it is willing to reach a solution based on partition with appropriate security guarantees, or a long term interim accord if this proves impossible.
Neither outcome looks imminent, however. Many Palestinians and the many western supporters of the Palestinian cause are convinced that the gradual international delegitimization of Israel is the key to final strategic victory over the Jewish state and the reversal of the verdict of 1948. This is an illusion. But it wil...
When it has, sadly, it is likely to be replaced by a new illusion. Thus the reckoning with the reality of Jewish peoplehood and sovereignty will continue to be avoided, and the Palestinian politics of subsidized fantasy will continue.
Masterson said without Senate oversight, the governor never would have noticed Jack’s string of profane and partisan tweets that led to his withdrawal.
“The Jeffry Jack nomination debacle demonstrates both why the so-called ‘merit system’ is flawed and why the federal model works,” Masterson said in a release from the Kansas Truth Caucus, which he chairs.
After Judge Patrick McAnany announced his retirement in early January, Kelly took the optional step of selecting finalists through a committee of 17 people, making the process “as open and transparent as possible,” she said.
But after Jack’s removal, lawmakers are doubtful about a gubernatorial committee’s ability to choose qualified candidates.
Masterson isn’t the only lawmaker taking a critical look at Kansas’ courts. Sen. Dennis Pyle, R-Hiawatha, said Wednesday he would introduce legislation calling for Jack to be removed from his place on the 11th District Court.
“His actions demonstrate his lack of qualifications not only for appellate court but for district court as well,” Pyle said in a release.
Under the state constitution, legislators can impeach Supreme Court judges but not those in lower courts. In Jack’s case, it would be up to the Supreme Court to call a hearing and then make a decision on removal.
District Court Judges face a retention vote one year after they’re appointed and then every four years. Jack was retained by a 68% vote in 2016.
As legislators deal with the fallout from Jack’s withdrawal, a larger question looms: Who will fill the vacancy on the Court of Appeals?
Kelly said Tuesday she would return to her committee and nominate another candidate within 60 days. But Senate President Susan Wagle said Kelly has used her 60-day window to appoint a judge to the vacancy. The power now falls to the chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court, Wagle said.
Attorney General Derek Schmidt sent a letter to Wagle and Kelly on Tuesday advising them not to proceed until the issue is resolved.
March 25, 2017 Many students at D.C.'s Capital City Charter School are first-generation Americans. For a creative writing project, a literacy nonprofit picked a topic everyone could relate to: food from home.
March 23, 2017 When infants and young kids grow up in homes without enough to eat, they're more likely to perform poorly in kindergarten, a study shows. The younger they experienced hunger, the stronger the effect.
February 6, 2017 Right now, Betsy DeVos just barely has enough votes to be confirmed after two Senate Republicans announced last week they won't support her nomination.
January 31, 2017 The idea got a standing ovation at the governor's State of the State address Monday night, with Democratic Leader Craig Fitzhugh saying, "Actually I had hoped that we would do that earlier."
Is Education Tied To Conspiracy Theory Belief?
December 5, 2016 Not all conspiracy theories are harmful, though many have negative effects, says Tania Lombrozo. New research suggests education's consequences can disrupt the processes that draw people to them.
Should Child Marriage Be Talked About In The Classroom?
November 26, 2016 When the issue is absent from textbooks, says one researcher, it's also absent from classroom discussion.
MI5 and West Midlands police set up a fake courier company to employ two men they were targeting in an undercover counter-terrorism operation, a court has heard.
An undercover police officer, referred to in court as “Vincent”, confirmed to the Old Bailey that he had posed as the manager of a fake business, Hero Couriers, between July and August 2016 as part of an elaborate operation to gather evidence on a Birmingham man, Khobaib Hussain, 25, and his associates.
Hussain is standing trial for preparing terrorist acts between May and August 2016 alongside Naweed Ali, 29, his next-door neighbour in Sparkhill, Birmingham, and Mohibur Rahman, 32, and Tahir Aziz, 38 of Stoke-on-Trent. All four men deny the charges. Ali, Rahman and Hussain described themselves as the “Three Musketeer...
The men were arrested in a series of raids in Birmingham and Stoke on 26 August 2016 after a vehicle driven by Ali was searched and a distinctive yellow, blue and green JD Sports bag was found under the seat. It contained what the prosecution describes as a “partially constructed” pipe bomb, an imitation handgun, a cle...
As part of the operation, officers hired premises in central Birmingham and drivers, who were given T-shirts and high-vis jackets with the Hero Couriers logo on them.
Prosecution barrister Gareth Patterson QC said Vincent contacted Hussain in July 2016. “You [told him you] believed he was looking for work, you were looking at his CV, you wanted to recruit drivers, and you were wondering if he fancied attending for an interview,” he said.
Vincent hired Hussain, paying him £100 a day to deliver luggage to UK airports and other sites around the country. He would hand over his car keys when he picked up the van at the start of each shift so that Vincent could park his car inside the depot.
In late July, Vincent mentioned that another potential hire had failed to turn up for an interview. “He told me he’d find somebody for me, and we had a conversation … [I said] I needed reliable people and he said he’d have a think,” Vincent told the court.
In late July, Ali called Vincent to see if more jobs were available at the company. On 1 August, at a debriefing with a senior officer, the scope of the operation was broadened to include gathering intelligence on Ali, and Vincent invited him for an interview and offered him a job.
Vincent told the court he had seen Hussain with the multicoloured JD sports bag several times.
The undercover officer’s evidence followed several days in which DS Ryan Chambers of the West Midlands police ran through a detailed timeline of the case. This included hundreds of messages sent by the defendants and others by text message, WhatsApp, and Telegram. It also recorded extensive surveillance of the four men...
The messages show the men debating the merits of different armed factions in the Syrian civil war, in which they were frequently critical of Isis and more supportive of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, the al Qaida-linked group. The defendants were shown joking among themselves – at one point Ali is compared to a dopey character ...
Chambers agreed about the DNA evidence. He also agreed that no fingerprints matching the defendants’ had been found on the bag or its contents. Four fingerprints were found on the bag, but the person these belonged to had not been identified.
While the defendants had been seen carrying JD Sports bags during the surveillance operation in the months before the arrests, there was no record of Ali leaving his home with the distinctive bag found in the car, Kamlish said.
Chambers suggested that this could be because Ali, who lived with his family, hid the bag in his car to keep it secret.
Trips to Las Vegas can entail far more than the typical gambling and nightlife for which the city is well known. Resort destinations provide a wide range of options to attract and entertain travelers of all types. The Las Vegas area also offers opportunities for outdoor recreation, sports, adventures and exploration.
Mount Charleston Wilderness is part of the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area within the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest just outside of Las Vegas. The area offers opportunities for rock climbing, mountain biking and hiking. Visitors also can participate in winter sports such as skiing and snowshoeing. Either s...
Las Vegas contains numerous highly ranked golf courses, including Shadow Creek, which consistently ranks as one of the "Top 100 Courses You Can Play" by Golf Magazine. The Tom Fazio-designed, 18-hole course is a desert oasis complete with creeks, waterfalls and mountains as a backdrop. Golf.com included it in its "Perf...
At the Adventuredome Theme Park at Circus Circus, visitors can pay per ride or opt for an all-day pass. The park contains family and junior rides, a roller coaster, water ride and theatrical special effects ride. The entertainment also includes a laser tag game, indoor rock climbing area and miniature golf. Live circus...
Visitors can opt to stay at a resort where entertainment and lodging are centrally located on one property. The Mirage Resort and Casino provides hotel rooms, a range of suites and villa accommodations. The hotel pool features a waterfall, lifeguards and private poolside lounges. The resort is home to Siegfried & Roy's...
Moon, Alice. "Trips to Las Vegas, Nevada." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/trips-las-vegas-nevada-36732.html. Accessed 23 April 2019.
Part 2 of three. The kids revolt at Jay's Hawaiian “itinerary,” so it's back to the beach, where Michael happens to be girl-watching (joined by a fellow onlooker played by comic Dom Irrera). But when he sees Claire in a skimpy bikini, he's not exactly ogling. Meanwhile, Jr. has donned his “tropical seduction suit,” and...
About 1.5 million people from across the world are expected to perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia this year.
Millions of Muslims from around the world have started arriving in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, a central pillar of the Islamic faith that re-enacts the actions of the Prophet Muhammad from more than 1,400 years ago.
Worshippers from more than 150 countries began gathering on Friday in the city, one of the holiest sites in Islam, to prepare for the five-day pilgrimage which starts on Saturday, September 10.
A spiritual journey meant to cleanse the faithful of sin and bring them closer to God, this year's Hajj is expected to be attended by more than 1.5 million pilgrims.
To address security concerns, nearly a thousand new surveillance cameras have been installed at Mecca's Grand Mosque, which will monitor crowd numbers, and the Jamarat stoning (a symbolic stoning of the devil based on historic tradition) will be more tightly controlled than in previous years.
Also for the first time, pilgrims will be given electronic bracelets storing personal and medical information that will help authorities provide care and identify people.
Water-resistant and connected to GPS, the devices will also instruct worshippers on timings of prayers and a multilingual help desk will guide pilgrims around the various rituals.
Last year's Hajj was marred by a stampede that killed more than 750 people. However, counts carried out by countries who repatriated bodies showed that more than 2,000 people may have died in the crush, according to news agencies.
The disaster deepened tensions between Riyadh and Tehran, as many of the pilgrims killed were Iranian.
Relations between the two countries hit a new low earlier this year when they failed to reach a deal on arrangements for Iranian citizens attending this year's pilgrimage.
HONG KONG—China has rushed 3 million doses of bird flu vaccine to the Western province of Qinghai and said all livestock birds must be inoculated, as the World Health Organization (WHO) called for stepped-up surveillance of the deadly virus.
Some 178 bar-headed geese found in a nature reserve in Qinghai, which has a substantial Tibetan population, were the first cases of bird flu China has reported since July 2004.
The first 150 dead birds were found on May 4-6, and the other 28 on May 8, the official China Daily newspaper said.
Experts fear the birds, which cross the country on routes from Siberia to New Zealand, could spread the virus to the China's vast population of domesticated ducks and geese.
The number of doses matched the poultry population in the province, the China Daily quoted an official from the Ministry of Agriculture’s animal diseases office as saying.
Agriculture officials confirmed that the dead birds carried the H5N1 bird flu strain from Southeast Asia—a more deadly variety of bird flu that may contain a gene allowing transmission to humans.
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has been confirmed in eight South East Asian countries since 2003—including Vietnam and Cambodia.
Last week, WHO said bird flu may be capable of human-to-human transmission, raising fears of a global pandemic.

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