At least 150 US soldiers have entered Kurdish-controlled territory in northeastern Syria, the government's official news agency has reported.
The state news outlet SANA on Thursday said officials at the country's foreign ministry rejected the presence of the soldiers at the Rmelan area calling it "illegitimate".
"This intervention is rejected and illegitimate, and it happened without the Syrian government’s approval," the source said, according to SANA.
The government said the move by the US was a "blatant act of aggression that constitutes a dangerous intervention and a gross violation of the Syrian sovereignty", further calling for international action to prevent it.
US troops have been stationed in neighbouring Iraq since 2014 where they are training Iraqi soldiers and Peshmerga to battle ISIL (also known as ISIS).
Special forces soldiers from the US have also carried out a number of raids against ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Beyonce Dedicates Song To Jay Z During Show
Beyonce dedicated a song to her husband Jay Z during the first concert for her world tour, telling him: "I love you so much."
The message to the rapper comes as the couple's relationship is hit by infidelity rumours following the release of the singer's new album, Lemonade.
The 34-year-old paid the tribute to Jay Z and their daughter Blue Ivy when she sang her hit Halo during her Formation show in Miami on Wednesday.
"I want to dedicate this song to my family,” she told the audience.
"Thank you guys for supporting me. I wanna dedicate this song to my beautiful husband. I love you so much. Blue, I love you so much."
Jay Z was reportedly in the audience at the Marlins Park Stadium.
The release of Lemonade on Saturday night on Tidal and its subsequent release on iTunes has prompted a deluge of speculation about whether Beyonce is accusing her husband of having been unfaithful.
There have been questions over who the lyric "Becky with the good hair" is about.
Earlier this week, British singer Rita Ora was forced to deny that she had been involved with Jay Z after confusion arose over a picture she posted of her wearing underwear with a lemon pattern.
She tweeted: "I never usually address tabloid gossip but let me be clear, these rumours are false.
"I have nothing but the utmost respect for Beyonce. Let's continue enjoying Lemonade."
Beyonce, 34, also honoured Prince during the Florida show, playing his hit Purple Rain before saying: "Thank you Prince for your beautiful music."
The pair performed together at the Grammys in 2004.
Ken Must Go Over Hitler Comment: Labour MPs
Labour MPs have called for Ken Livingstone to be suspended from the party after he said that Hitler was a Zionist.
Mr Livingstone also said social media comments posted by Labour MP Naz Shah suggesting Israel should be relocated to the US and claiming everything Hitler did was legal were not "anti-Semitic".
And he said that there was a "well-orchestrated campaign by the Israel lobby to smear anybody who criticised Israeli policy as anti-Semitic".
His comments intensified the anti-Semitism crisis that has engulfed Labour and 10 MPs, including the London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan, have called for him to be removed from the party.
The MP John Mann confronted Mr Livingstone and shouted at him that he was a "******* disgrace". He has called for him to go.
Jess Phillips tweeted: "Ken Livingstone must be suspended from the Labour Party."
Mr Khan said: "Ken Livingstone's comments are appalling and inexcusable. There must be no place for this in our Party."
Wes Streeting said: "Ken Livingstone has form on anti-Semitism and has been tolerated for far too long. He should be suspended immediately.
"Decent Labour members need to decide how to respond to anti-Semitism within our ranks. Silence is complicity. We must all speak out."
Ms Shah apologised for her anti-Semitic comments in the House of Commons on Wednesday and was suspended after David Cameron said it was "extraordinary" that action had not been taken against her.
Jeremy Corbyn has been roundly criticised for not taking firm enough action to tackle anti-Semitism in the party and for failing to withdrawn the whip from Ms Shah himself.
Asked whether he thought Ms Shah's comments were anti-Semitic on BBC radio, he said: "No it's completely over the top but it's not anti-Semitic ...
"Let's remember when Hitler won his election in 1932 his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism.
"This is before he went mad and ended up killing 6m Jews."
He said that in all his time as a Labour member he had never heard anyone say anything anti-Semitic and suggested the "Israel lobby" had orchestrated a campaign to smear people.
Speaking to Sky News after the interview he said he was "stating historical facts" and he "didn't want to give credence" to those MPs calling for him to go.
In 2005 Mr Livingstone was embroiled in an anti-Semitism row after asking Jewish reporter Oliver Finegold if he was a "German war criminal" and telling him: "You are just like a concentration camp guard, you are just doing it because you are paid to, aren't you?"
A number of Labour MPs have called on the Labour leadership to crackdown on anti-Semitism in the party following the disclosure of a number of anti-Semitic comments by members.
In March, shadow chancellor John McDonnell, said in an interview those who held those opinions should be "out, out, out. If people express these views, full stop, they are out".
Ms Shah was forced to step down as his parliamentary aide on Tuesday when the disclosures about her comments were made.
Putin Scolds Rocket Team Over Failed Launch
President Vladimir Putin told space engineers to get their act together after he flew thousands of miles to watch the inaugural launch of a rocket from a new spaceport, only for it to be postponed in the final seconds.
The fault was discovered with the unmanned Soyuz on Wednesday - a minute and a half before it was due to lift off - but it eventually launched in the early hours of Thursday.
The Russian President revealed his displeasure at the initial failure after meeting officials at the Vostochny Cosmodrome.
"The fact is there is a large number of hitches. That is bad. There should be an appropriate reaction," he said sternly.
Mr Putin said the technical glitch was to do with the rocket system, not the launch pad, and that Russia still led the world in many aspects of space technology.
The Soyuz later launched at 0201 GMT and a statement confirmed all three satellites has successfully been put into orbit.
The President struck a different tone after the problem was rectified, telling the team: "I want to congratulate you.
"We can be proud. Yesterday the technical side was put to the test and the launch had to be stopped, but it happens. It's a normal thing."
However, he added that if suspects in a criminal investigation into embezzlement on the project were found guilty "they will have to swap their warm bed at home for a prison bunk".
The spaceport, the first civilian rocket launch site on Russian territory, has been built in the remote Amur region near Russia's border with China.
It is the flagship project in a $52bn (£36bn) investment in space exploration up to 2020 and was built to replace Russia's reliance on the Baikonur Cosmodrome leased from Kazakhstan.
However, it has been beset by problems, with various people under suspicion of corruption, workers striking over pay, overrunning costs and a delay last year to its scheduled completion date.
Problems with Russian space rockets are not just a concern for the Russians, but the Americans too.
Since the retirement of the space shuttle programme, NASA depends on Russia to fly its astronauts to the International Space Station.
North Korea 'missile crashes' moments after launch
North Korea fired what appeared to have been an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Thursday but it crashed seconds after the test launch, South Korea's defence ministry said.
North Korean officials did not immediately comment.
Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett, reporting from Seoul, said that South Korean defence ministry confirmed that the missile was launched 6:40 am local time.
A defence ministry official told Reuters news agency that it appeared to be a Musudan missile with a range of more than 3,000km - the same type of rocket believed to have failed in a test launch earlier this month.
The powerful mid-range missile could one day be capable of reaching far-off US military bases in Asia and the Pacific. It exploded in the air a few seconds after it launched, the Southern official said.
"We are also hearing from semi-official Yonhap news agency citing unnamed military officials that it was not detected on South Korean military radar system because it apparently did not get high enough to be detected by that system," Fawcett said.
"It was detected by a US intelligence satellite over North Korea," he said.
The launch came as the Koreas traded threats as Pyongyang expressed anger over annual South Korean-US military drills that the North calls a rehearsal for an invasion.
The reported crash comes ahead of a major ruling party meeting next week in Pyongyang.
"Well that is very rare event. It is the seventh such event since the foundation of ruling party of North Korea. It is very much centered around the personage of Kim Jung-un and his general status," the Al Jazeera correspondent said.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
These Force Awakens ‘Outtakes’ Include a Hilarious Game of Thrones Gag
First there was Emo Kylo Ren. Then there was Undercover Boss Kylo Ren. Now, the galaxy far, far away’s newest villain is back and better than ever as Game of Thrones Kylo Ren. The latest video from the comedy duo known as Auralnauts features several outtakes from the Star Wars bad guy, including a gag poking fun at the world of Westeros.
The joke — which runs throughout the clip — plays off the fact that Gwendoline Christie, the actress who portrays Captain Phasma in The Force Awakens, is also Brienne of Tarth. It begins after Phasma informs Kylo Ren that “he” was murdered by a shadow with the face of Stannis Baratheon.
The joke — which runs throughout the clip — plays off the fact that Gwendoline Christie, the actress who portrays Captain Phasma in The Force Awakens, is also Brienne of Tarth. It begins after Phasma informs Kylo Ren that “he” was murdered by a shadow with the face of Stannis Baratheon.
Third Of Brits Think Sexting Is Not Cheating
More than a third of Britons do not think sexting another person when they are in a relationship is cheating, new research has revealed.
Eight percent of the 2,150 men and women surveyed in the online poll admitted to sexting.
But a far greater proportion - 35% - did not think it amounted to being unfaithful.
Sexting is defined as sending flirty messages or explicit images to someone who is not your partner.
This was despite the fact the law would not permit it.
In the UK someone can only sue for divorce on the ground of adultery if their husband or wife has had extramarital sex.
Rupi Rai, family lawyer at Slater and Gordon, said: "We have seen a rise in the number of clients coming to us who think their partner has crossed the line and committed adultery, but not in the traditional sense.
"What some might consider sending flirty messages or explicit pictures, others consider to be detrimental to their relationship and cause as much hurt and upset as physically cheating.
"The research is a real warning to couples about being careful not to cross that line."
Explicit photos were considered by the majority to be less acceptable than flirty texts, with 62% of respondents saying they would feel very guilty about sending one.
Of those polled, 34% of men compared to 49% of women, thought sexting was cheating.
Eight percent of the 2,150 men and women surveyed in the online poll admitted to sexting.
But a far greater proportion - 35% - did not think it amounted to being unfaithful.
Sexting is defined as sending flirty messages or explicit images to someone who is not your partner.
This was despite the fact the law would not permit it.
In the UK someone can only sue for divorce on the ground of adultery if their husband or wife has had extramarital sex.
Rupi Rai, family lawyer at Slater and Gordon, said: "We have seen a rise in the number of clients coming to us who think their partner has crossed the line and committed adultery, but not in the traditional sense.
"What some might consider sending flirty messages or explicit pictures, others consider to be detrimental to their relationship and cause as much hurt and upset as physically cheating.
"The research is a real warning to couples about being careful not to cross that line."
Explicit photos were considered by the majority to be less acceptable than flirty texts, with 62% of respondents saying they would feel very guilty about sending one.
Of those polled, 34% of men compared to 49% of women, thought sexting was cheating.
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