Everything you need to know about the world this morning, curated by VICE.
US News
- Obama to Send 250 Troops to Syria
President Barack Obama has announced that he plans to send 250 US troops to Syria to work with forces fighting Islamic State militants. It brings the number of special operations troops inside Syria to 300 and reflects the Obama administration's confidence in the "counterterrorism" mission.—Reuters - Cruz and Kasich Make Anti-Trump Deal
Senator Ted Cruz released a statement Sunday night announcing a collaboration with Senator John Kasich for the forthcoming primaries. Cruz will devote his resources to winning Indiana and allow Kasich to focus on Oregon and New Mexico. Trump took to Twitter to dismiss the plan as "DESPERATION!"—NBC News - Weed-Growing Operation Found at Murder Scenes
Officials said marijuana "operations" were discovered at the homes where eight family members were shot to death in Piketon, Ohio, on Friday. The state's Attorney General Mike DeWine said the killings were "a pre-planned execution" of eight people, between the ages of 16 to 44, at four different homes in the small town.—CNN - Clinton Rejects Koch Brother Endorsement
Billionaire conservative donor Charles Koch said it was "possible" that he would support Hillary Clinton over one of the Republican presidential candidates. Clinton has responded on Twitter by saying: "Not interested in endorsements from people who deny climate science and try to make it harder for people to vote."—ABC News
International News
- Saudi-Led Coalition Kills 800 in Yemen
More than 800 al Qaeda militants were killed in an offensive by Yemeni government forces in the port city of Mukalla, backed by Arab coalition airs strikes, according to a statement by the Saudi-led coalition. Government forces have now recaptured Mukalla, which was considered a jihadist stronghold.—AFP - Mexican Government Blocked Truth into Missing Students
A panel of experts investigating the disappearance of 43 students in 2014 says the Mexican government blocked attempts to find the truth. Experts commissioned by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights argue that official government conclusions on the case rely on flimsy evidence.—VICE News - Egyptian President Threatens Protestors
Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has urged citizens to defend the state ahead of planned anti-government protests today. Sisi warned that security officials would deal firmly with protestors and said there were "evil" forces conspiring against his government.—Al Jazeera - Kurdish PKK Ready to Escalate Violence
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Cemil Bayik has said the militant group is ready to escalate conflict "not only in Kurdistan, but in the rest of Turkey as well." He accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of being responsible for "escalating this war."—BBC News
(Photo: HBO)
Everything Else
- Beyonce Pushes Tidal Up the App Charts
Beyonce's Lemonade has helped Jay-Z's streaming service Tidal become the third-most downloaded free app in the US. Lemonade is rumoured to also hit iTunes today.—Quartz - New Orleans to Give Prince Second-Line Send-Off
Prince will be celebrated in traditional New Orleans fashion with a second-line marching band parade in the city this afternoon. The planned release of doves has been canceled at the urging of PETA, however.—The Time Picayune - NASA Plans to Explore Icy Moon Oceans
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has proposed that robots could burrow down past the surface of icy moons to explore subsurface oceans, like the ones thought to be present on moons orbiting Jupiter and Saturn.—Motherboard - Anti-Racist Protestors Outnumber White Supremacists at Rally
Anti-racist protestors outnumbered white supremacists by 10 to 1 as they disrupted a rally at Georgia's Stone Mountain, the site where the Ku Klux Klan was reborn in 1915. At least nine protestors were arrested in a scuffle near the state park's entrance.—VICE News