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Trump Leaves a Lot Unanswered on Afghanistan

Colonel Jack Jacobs, recipient of the Medal of Honor, talks with Rachel Maddow about what Donald Trump's Afghanistan speech means about how the U.S. will conduct itself there going forward, and whether that represents any actual change.

US Navy crash: 10 sailors missing after destroyer USS John McCain collides with oil tanker off Singapore

Ten sailors are missing after an American warship collided with an oil tanker east of Singapore in the second accident involving US Navy destroyers in little more than two months. The guided-missile destroyer USS John S McCain collided with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while heading to Singapore for a routine port call, the Navy said in a statement. “Initial reports indicate John S McCain sustained damage to her port side aft,” the Navy said.

Barcelona attacker stabbed man to death during escape: police

By Angus Berwick BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - Spain asked the rest of Europe to join the hunt for a young man thought to have been the driver in last week's deadly van attack in Barcelona as police said on Monday that he had also hijacked a car and killed its occupant during his escape. After driving at high speed into crowds on the city's famous avenue Las Ramblas last Thursday, killing 13 people, the suspected Islamist militant fled on foot and then hijacked the car as it was being parked, stabbing the driver to death, police said. The suspect, Moroccan-born Younes Abouyaaqoub, 22, then drove the hijacked car through a police checkpoint, police said.

Spain attacks: The imam who 'ate up the brains' of youths

A dead Moroccan imam has become a key target of the probe into Spain's twin terror attacks, suspected of having created the cell in a picturesque town near the Spanish Pyrenees that allegedly launched the deadly assaults last week. The blast likely changed the plans of the attackers, who instead used vehicles to smash into pedestrians on Barcelona's busy Las Ramblas boulevard and in the seaside resort town of Cambrils. "On Tuesday morning, he left saying he was going on vacation to Morocco," said fruit-seller Nordeen El Haji, 45, who four months ago moved into the apartment that Satty occupied in Ripoll.

New York Police Union Condemns What It Terms 'Blue Racism'

“They don’t even label me based on being African American, Latino, Asian, Caucasian and so on. They tend to see an even broader stereotype through an even more racist lens. The association, which represents 13,000 active and retired NYPD sergeants, says in the video that “this strange form of racism continues to engulf the country,” without offering any research or statistics to back up the assertion. A Stanford University study of traffic stops in 100 North Carolina cities, for instance, found that police had a “lower threshold of suspicion” for black and Latino drivers and were more likely to search their vehicles.

Missouri prepares to execute its 2nd inmate of 2017

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Attorneys for a Missouri inmate scheduled for execution Tuesday warn that the state is preparing to execute a potentially innocent man.

Plane Passenger Forced to Sit In Puddle Of Urine For Entire 11-Hour Flight

"At first I thought it was water but the smell was so distinct it could only have been urine."

South Africa grants Grace Mugabe diplomatic immunity after she allegedly attacked young model

Grace Mugabe, the first lady of Zimbabwe, returned home last night from South Africa after being granted diplomatic immunity after being accused of assaulting a model with an extension cable in a Johannesburg hotel. However last night lawyers announced they would launch a legal challenge this week to the immunity which allowed Mr Mugabe to escape facing any charges of assault. The immunity, granted after she arrived in South Africa more then a week ago on private business was a political decision not a legal one said Lorna Ferguson, a South African lawyer. “It was irrational and in contravention of South African laws for her to be granted immunity in the face of what were serious criminal charges laid against her for alleged assault a week ago. Gabriella Engels is seen with an injury to her forehead  Credit: Debbie Engels via AP "I consulted the law and with a veteran South Africa foreign affairs expert who said that immunity cannot be granted retrospectively.” Mrs Mugabe is accused of assaulting and injuring Gabriella Engels, a 20-year-old model who was visiting Mrs Mugabe’s two sons, Robert Jnr and Chatunga in a top Johannesburg hotel a week ago. Ms Engels laid charges against Mrs Mugabe after she had her face stitched up in hospital.  Mrs Mugabe avoided going to court and was rescued when her husband, President Robert Mugabe, arrived in South Africa to attend a regional conference and arranged immunity for his wife which was officially announced on Saturday. Grace Mugabe, shown here in October 2014, returned home from South Africa Credit: JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images Ms Engels case has been taken up by a non Governmental organisation Afriforum which says it will go to court for the injured woman re the immunity, and will also charge Mrs Mugabe in both criminal and civil cases. President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace, sneaked out of South Africa via South Africa’s main military airport near the capital Pretoria, in the very early hours of Sunday morning. Alex Magisa, a senior Zimbabwean and legal academic at the University of Kent, said one of the tragedies of the Grace Mugabe assault case in South Africa is that few people in Zimbabwe know about it.  No mention of the case has been made on the only TV station and all radio stations and daily newspapers it controls. "Much of the 67 percent of people who live in rural areas have to rely on traditional sources (of information) which simply refused to cover the story. MUGABE TIMELINE "Few incidents illustrate the totalitarian face of the Zimbabwean regime as this current case involving Grace Mugabe’s embarrassing moment in South Africa where she allegedly beat up a young woman whom she found in the company of her two sons,” he said. Mrs Mugabe and various web sites and twitter feeds which support her in Zimbabwe say the first lady was attacked by Ms Engels. Ahead of Mrs Mugabe’s return home, South Africa and Zimbabwe seized and grounded passenger aircraft in Johannesburg and Harare. Only after diplomatic immunity for Mrs Mugabe was gazetted did South Africa’s civil aviation authority allow the Air Zimbabwe Boeing 767 it had grounded early Saturday, to take off after midnight on Sunday. Harare had retaliated by seizing a South African Airways aircraft at the Harare International Airport on Saturday and refused to clear it for take-off until after the Mugabe’s were on their way back to Harare. Flights between the two countries have now resumed.

Noam Chomsky: Antifa is a 'major gift to the right'

Noam Chomsky has launched into an attack on the anti-fascist movement and argued its actions are wrong in principle and it is a “major gift to the right”. Antifa, shorthand for anti-fascist organisations, refers to a loose coalition of militant, decentralised, grassroots groups which are opposed to the far-right. The movement, which was founded in Europe in the 1920s, has dominated headlines in the wake of a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville earlier this month.

Merkel attacks Turkey's 'misuse' of Interpol warrants

German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized Turkey's use of an Interpol arrest warrant to detain a German writer in Spain, telling an election town hall event on Sunday that this amounted to abuse of the international police agency. Dogan Akhanli was stopped in Spain on Saturday after Ankara issued a "red notice". The German-Turkish writer was released on Sunday but must remain in Madrid while Spain assesses Turkey's extradition request.

Taiwan Is Suffering From a Massive Brain Drain and the Main Beneficiary is China

One U.K.-based consultancy predicts that by 2021 Taiwan will have the world's biggest talent deficit

Syria's Assad rejects security cooperation with the West

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad on Sunday refused any security cooperation with Western nations or the reopening of their embassies, until they cut ties with opposition and insurgent groups.

Millions pour into US towns in path of total eclipse

On Monday, when a total solar eclipse sweeps across the United States for the first time in 99 years, people gathering in Charleston, South Carolina, will be the last on the continent to experience it. Historic Charleston, with its cobblestone streets and elegant antebellum mansions, was clearly a-bustle on Sunday, in full pre-eclipse mode. Its restaurants were packed and downtown parking was at a premium as excited locals and tourists -- possessors of the prized solar glasses that make eclipse-viewing safe -- strolled cheerfully along the seafront Battery promenade.

Balz: Judgment on Trump has been 'extremely harsh' from fellow Republicans

The Powerhouse Roundtable debates the week in politics on "This Week."

Crime Spree End When Theft Victim Uses 'Find My iPhone' to Track Stolen Goods

The suspects' undoing began when they allegedly burglarized a Port Orange home as its owner slept overnight last Thursday, officials said.

Couple Who Engaged In Sexual Act Aboard Southwest Airlines Flight Questioned

The airline said the incident occurred on a flight from Atlanta to Las Vegas and apologized to other passengers aboard the flight.

KKK Leader Tells Afro-Latina Journalist He'll 'Burn' Her Out Of His Property

Ilia Calderón recently came face to face with an imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. The Afro-Colombian journalist interviewed Christopher Barker, the leader of the Loyal White Knights, as part of Univision’s Sunday show “Aquí y Ahora.” During the news program, producer María Martínez explained she had told Barker “a Hispanic woman of color” would be conducting the interview and he accepted. During the interview, Barker told Calderón that she was the first black person to ever set foot on his property.

What Donald Trump said about Afghanistan before he was President - and what he's saying now

When Donald Trump addressed the nation on Monday night, presenting his Afghanistan strategy, he admitted that it was likely to disappoint his supporters. Mr Trump has long championed withdrawing from Afghanistan, repeatedly attacking Barack Obama for the continued US presence in the region. Yet in a surprise move on Monday night, he claimed that a withdrawal of personnel would leave a power vacuum that to be filled by terrorists, as has happened in Iraq, and committed to more troops. In August 2010 US troop numbers peaked at 100,000, but Mr Obama, despite repeated efforts to withdraw, failed to completely exit the country. An Afghan boy watches as a US Marine scans the area during a patrol in Sangin, south of Kabul, Afghanistan He handed over to Mr Trump with 8,400 troops. “My original instinct was to pull out - and, historically, I like following my instincts,” he said.   “But all my life I've heard that decisions are much different when you sit behind the desk in the Oval Office; in other words, when you're president of the United States.”   As ever with Mr Trump, his tweets came back to haunt him. 2011: 'I would get out of Afghanistan' In 2011 Mr Trump appeared on the show of his friend, Bill O'Reilly, on Fox News. "What I'm getting from you, though, is you would withdraw US troops out of Afghanistan?" asked O'Reilly. Mr Trump replied: "Yes, I would." O'Reilly asked whether they would mean the return of the Taliban. "Well, they're going to come back anyway because they're really in Pakistan," said Mr Trump.  2012: 'Afghanistan is a complete waste' Five years to the day before his Fort Myer speech, Mr Trump tweeted: “Why are we continuing to train these Afghanis who then shoot our soldiers in the back? Afghanistan is a complete waste. Time to come home!” Why are we continuing to train these Afghanis who then shoot our soldiers in the back? Afghanistan is a complete waste. Time to come home!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 21, 2012 2013: 'Let's get out of Afghanistan' A year later, in 2013, he continued his theme, stating: “Let’s get out of Afghanistan. Our troops are being killed by the Afghanis we train and we waste billions there. Nonsense! Rebuild the USA.” In March 2013 James Mattis, Mr Trump’s current defence secretary, who at the time was the general leading the US military's Central Command, said that he recommended keeping 13,600 American troops in Afghanistan after 2013. We should leave Afghanistan immediately. No more wasted lives. If we have to go back in, we go in hard & quick. Rebuild the US first.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 1, 2013 This tweet hasn't aged well. #Afghanistanpic.twitter.com/7kVz9dH1eB— Joe Negan (@mynameisNegan) August 22, 2017 I agree with Pres. Obama on Afghanistan. We should have a speedy withdrawal. Why should we keep wasting our money -- rebuild the U.S.!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2013 2013: 'We have wasted an enormous amount of blood and treasure in Afghanistan' Mr Trump disagreed, tweeting: “We have wasted an enormous amount of blood and treasure in Afghanistan. Their government has zero appreciation. Let's get out!” In November 2013 Mr Obama again promised to bring the conflict to an end. "This winter, our troop levels in Afghanistan will be down to 34,000, and by this time next year, the transition to Afghan security will be nearly complete. The longest war in American history will end," he said. We have wasted an enormous amount of blood and treasure in Afghanistan. Their government has zero appreciation. Let's get out!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2013 Do not allow our very stupid leaders to sign a deal that keeps us in Afghanistan through 2024-with all costs by U.S.A. MAKE AMERICA GREAT!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2013 Yet in January 2017, when Mr Obama handed over to Mr Trump, he said the security situation in Afghanistan "remains precarious”. He announced that instead of dropping the US troop level to 5,500, he would keep it at about 8,400 through the end of his term, saying his successor can determine the next move. 2016: Policy of 'intervention and chaos' must end Afghanistan barely registered during the 2016 election campaign. But, before taking the reins of power, Mr Trump continued to talk in vague terms about reducing US presence. He said at a December 2016 “thank you rally” in North Carolina that the policy of "intervention and chaos" must come to an end. 2017: 'A hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum for terrorists' Yet on Monday he had changed his mind and committed more troops to Afghanistan. “The consequences of a rapid exit are both predictable and unacceptable,” he said. “A hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists, including ISIS and al Qaeda, would instantly fill.”  Mr Trump coupled his pledge with a demand for countries like Britain to do more and criticised Pakistan for not doing enough to tackle terrorist "safe havens". Trump: We are not nation building, we are killing terrorists 01:53 "Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan. It has much to lose by continuing to harbour terrorists," he said. He also warned the Afghan government that it should not view US support as a "blank check" and said America would work with them "as we see determination and progress".

Couple forced to hand adopted son back to biological parents, father murders baby weeks later

A couple have been awarded compensation of $3.25m (£2.53m) after their adopted baby son was murdered by his birth father, weeks after he regained custody of the child. Rachel and Heidi McFarland sued their lawyer Jason Rieper for malpractice after he wrongly led them to believe three-month-old Gabriel's biological parents had signed release-of-custody papers. The couple had arranged to adopt the child from Rachel's teenage co-worker Markeya Atkins and were present at his birth in Des Moines, Iowa, in December 2013.

Lebanese army finds anti-aircraft missiles in Islamic State cache

Lebanon's army found anti-aircraft missiles among with a cache of weapons in an area abandoned by Islamic State militants, it said on Monday. The arms cache also included mortars, medium and heavy machine guns, assault rifles, grenades, anti-tank weapons, anti-personnel mines, improvised explosive devices and ammunition. On Saturday Lebanon's army began an operation to dislodge Islamic State from its small enclave in the mountains straddling the border with Syria.

Fukushima reactor 'ice wall' nearly finished

Fukushima's operator on Tuesday started freezing the last section of a $320 million ice wall designed to combat widespread water contamination at the site of the worst nuclear accident in a generation. Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) began pumping coolant into the remaining seven metres (23 feet) of its 1.5-kilometre underground wall which encircles the four reactors along Japan's northeast coast. The 30-metre deep wall is designed to block underground water from nearby mountains from flowing into the shattered complex and then seeping into the Pacific.

The Latest: 2nd Barcelona attack suspect testifies in Madrid

MADRID (AP) — The Latest on news relating to the Spanish attacks (all times local):

When Is The Next Total Solar Eclipse In US?

If for some reason your miss Monday's total solar eclipse, you will just have to wait just seven years for the next one.

The Total Solar Eclipse Is Finally Here And The Photos Don't Disappoint

Unless you’ve been living in a fallout bunker (and who would blame you), everyone should know Monday is the day people around the U.S. have been excited about for the past few months.

U.S. Navy says USS John S. McCain sailing to port under own power

A U.S. warship damaged after colliding with a merchant vessel east of Singapore on Monday is sailing under its own power and heading to port, the U.S. Navy said. "Search and rescue efforts are underway in coordination with local authorities," the Navy said in a statement posted on the website of the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. "In addition to tug boats out of Singapore, the Republic of Singapore Navy ship RSS Gallant, RSN helicopters and Police Coast Guard vessel Basking Shark are currently in the area to render assistance," it said.

Trump Says ‘Too Bad’ After Crash of USS John McCain

A search is underway near Singapore for 10 missing crew members of the guided-missile destroyer.

British couple's message in a bottle reaches Gaza fisherman after 500-mile journey  

A message in a bottle dropped in the ocean by a British couple has been found by a fisherman in Gaza after a 500-mile journey. Bethany Wright, a university student, said it was “incredible” the bottle she sent with her boyfriend, Zac Marriner, while on holiday in the Greek island of Rhodes, was found so far away. The message in a bottle was found in Gaza  Credit: Ali Jadallah/Anadolu Agency/Getty "It was certainly incredible that our bottle was found at all, let alone on a beach in Gaza," she told The Telegraph. Bethany Wright and Zac Marriner on holiday  "So tragic the situation there means people are so cut off, but the bottle reaching there illustrates greatly how we are just all one world, all connected by one ocean and loved by one God." Map: Message in a bottle from Rhodes to Gaza It was picked up by Palestinian fisherman Jihad al-Soltan, who got in contact with the stunned couple via an email address written on a letter inside the bottle. Jihad al-Soltan displays a letter after he found it in a bottle Credit: Ali Jadallah/Anadolu Agency/Getty "Hello, Thank you for picking up this bottle. As a reward here are some magic flowers," the couple wrote in their letter. "We are currently on holiday on Rhodes and we would love to know how far this bottle got, even if it's just the next beach," said the letter inside, signed "Faithfully, Zac and Beth". Jihad al-Soltan at work   Credit: Ali Jadallah/Anadolu Agency/Getty Soltan told Reuters he was pleased the bottle made it to Gaza past an Israeli naval blockade and fishing zone restrictions. "As a fisherman I felt this letter travelled through borders and international waters without restrictions while we as fishermen are unable to go beyond six miles," he said. "I hope one day we would become as free as this bottle was." Widow finds secret love note from husband after his death in unexpected place

Canada's Trudeau warns against entering country 'irregularly'

"Canada is an opening and welcoming society," he told reporters in Montreal following talks with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. Entering Canada irregularly is not an advantage. More than 3,100 people walked across the border illegally in July to file refugee claims and were arrested, up from 884 in June, the federal government said.

India's top court bans Islamic instant divorce

India's top court on Tuesday banned a controversial Islamic practice that allows men to divorce their wives instantly, ending a long tradition that many Muslim women had fiercely opposed. The Supreme Court ruled that the practice of "triple talaq", whereby Muslim men can divorce their wives by reciting the word talaq (divorce) three times, was both unconstitutional and un-Islamic. Victims including Shayara Bano, whose husband used triple talaq to divorce her in 2015, had approached India's highest court to ask for a ruling.

Teenager's final hours captured in photos taken by ex-boyfriend before he shot her and pushed body off a cliff

Jolee Callan, 18, was shot twice in the head by former partner Loren Bunner after he convinced her to go hiking in east Alabama in August 2015. Three more photos show Ms Callan walking the dog and later holding the dog while looking out at a view after hiking up a mountain in Cheaha State Park. Police said Bunner called 911 to report he had “murdered his ex-girlfriend” while driving home from the crime scene and pulled over to wait for the authorities, according to the Shelby County Reporter.

A Total Solar Eclipse Makes History as It Sweeps Across America

Day will suddenly turn into night in more than a dozen states

Plymouth Long Beach Temporarily Closed After Shark Sighting

Following the sighting Plymouth Long Beach, Massachusetts was closed for a few hours. Sunday's was the first shark sighting off the beach in 2017.

Wounded congressman says return based on doctors' advice

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Louisiana congressman shot at a baseball practice in mid-June is telling colleagues that his return to the Capitol will be based on his doctors' advice and a date has not yet been determined.

No Wall, No Embassy Move, And, Oh Yeah, We’re Staying In Afghanistan

WASHINGTON ― To the wall that Mexico is not going to pay for and the Iran nuclear deal that hasn’t been torn up, to China still not being labeled a currency manipulator and an embassy in Israel still not being moved to Jerusalem, President Donald Trump can now add the Afghanistan war still not ending.

Guy falls into a giant sinkhole because he was too busy looking at his phone

Let this be a lesson to us all. A man riding a scooter was going down a street in the Chinese city of Guangxi, when a massive sinkhole suddenly opened up ahead of him. SEE ALSO: Giant sinkhole appears overnight, swallows 25 tonnes of fish His arm up, looking at his cell phone, he remains oblivious to the scene and carries on driving — until he falls right in. Here's the moment it happened: Large sinkhole forms in Guangxi early Thursday. Scooter driver doesn't see it in time, launches right into it (driver OK). pic.twitter.com/ME4YfD2Va6 — People's Daily,China (@PDChina) August 18, 2017 According to Chinese reports, the man was uninjured and managed to climb out of the pit, which measured two metres (6 ft) deep, eight metres long (26 ft) and five meters (16 ft) wide. While sinkholes don't usually open in the middle of the road for no reason, it's been happening more in rapidly urbanising parts of China, where extensive roadworks shifts the soil underneath the asphalt. Authorities have yet to offer an official reason for the sinkhole. But users on Chinese social media website Weibo had little sympathy for the rider. "He's using a phone while riding a scooter. Sorry I really have no sympathy," said one user. "It's fine if you walk on the sidewalk while using your phone but this is too much, it's so dangerous," another chipped in. "What the heck was he thinking playing with his phone while riding?" one asked. Well one thing's for sure, he probably won't be using his phone while driving again for a long time. WATCH: Three construction innovations that will change the way we build

Solar eclipse 2017: Aerial photos show staggering number of people gathering in Oregon to see event

Thousands of people have descended on Oregon to witness the total solar eclipse, with the state first to witness the “line of totality” where the sun appears completely covered by the moon. Oregon State Police have been documenting the increase in traffic across Oregon since last week, showing aerial pictures of a 15-mile stretch of backed up traffic on Thursday as people travelled to the state to be ready for the eclipse. On Sunday aerial shots from Prineville Police Department showed the staggering size of the crowds gathered at the Symbiosis Gathering, also called the Oregon Eclipse Festival 2017, taking place on the Big Summit Prairie, and of the Oregon Star party.

'Catching' a U-2 fresh back from America's air wars

By Phil Stewart AL DHAFRA AIR BASE, United Arab Emirates (Reuters) - It may not sound possible to "catch" an American spy plane while driving a Dodge Charger. The plane itself was designed in the 1950s to grip the lightest parts of the atmosphere some 70,000 feet above the Earth, so, in the words of one of the U-2 pilots, "it really doesn't want to stop flying." Enter the Dodge Charger, which along with another so-called "chase car" helped guide the spy plane down to the runway, speeding at about 90 miles per hour - an operation perfected over the many years of the famed U-2 Dragon Lady's operations.

Saudi says Qatar blocks planes from transporting pilgrims

Saudi Arabia on Sunday said Qatar had refused to allow its planes to land in Doha to transport Qatari Muslims to Mecca for the annual hajj pilgrimage. "Saudi Arabian Airlines director general Saleh al-Jasser has said that the airline has thus far been unable to schedule flights to transport Qatari pilgrims from Hamad International Airport in Doha," read a report on the SPA news agency. "Qatari authorities have not allowed the aircraft to land as it did not have the right paperwork, although the paperwork was filed days ago," SPA said.

Northwestern Professor Murdered Boyfriend In Sex-Fantasy Gone Wrong, Prosecutor Says

Wyndham Lathem hatched his plan with a former Oxford University employee in an online chat room.

Time lapse: A view of the total solar eclipse in Madras, Oregon

A historic total solar eclipse arced across the United States from west to east today.

Solar eclipse 2017: Watch live as the US goes dark - latest news and images

Total solar eclipse to cross US from 6:15pm (BST) to 7:49pm (BST) Partial eclipse will be seen in the UK Solar eclipse enthusiasts descend upon tiny town of Hopkinsville What time is the eclipse, where is it, plus the science behind it How to watch a solar eclipse safely  Will the eclipse cause secret planet 'Nibiru' to destroy Earth next month? Millions of Americans armed with protective glasses are taking positions along a slender ribbon of land cutting diagonally across the United States to marvel at the first total solar eclipse to unfold from coast to coast in nearly a century. After weeks of anticipation, the sight of the moon's shadow passing directly in front of the sun, blotting out all but the halo-like solar corona, will draw one of the largest audiences in human history, experts say. When those watching via social and broadcast media are included, the spectacle will likely smash records. Some 12 million people live in the 70-mile-wide (113-km-wide), 2,500-mile-long (4,000-km-long) zone where the total eclipse will appear on Monday. Millions of others have traveled to spots along the route to bask in its full glory. Great American eclipse, in pictures The phenomenon will first appear at 10:15 a.m. PDT (6:15 BST) near Depoe Bay, Oregon. Some 94 minutes later, at 2:49 p.m. EDT (7:49 BST), totality will take its final bow near Charleston, South Carolina. The last time such a spectacle unfolded from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast was in 1918. The last total eclipse seen anywhere in the United States took place in 1979. For millions of others who can't get there, a partial eclipse of the sun will appear throughout North America if there is no local cloud cover. Perhaps never before have so many people had the opportunity to see a total eclipse, said Michael Zeiler, a self-described "eclipse chaser" who on Monday will notch his ninth time seeing "totality." Where and when to see the eclipse Weeks of publicity have fanned excitement,he said, and may have persuaded many families to make last-minute plans for a road trip to the zone. Zeiler, who runs GreatAmericanEclipse.com, a website devoted to the event, estimates that up to 7.4 million people with travel to the zone to observe the total eclipse, which takes place in the peak vacation month of August. Many people have trekked to remote national forests and parks of Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming, while others have bought tickets to watch the show en masse in a Carbondale, Illinois, football stadium, a two-hour drive southeast of St. Louis. What creates a total solar eclipse In South Carolina, Charleston County's more than 16,000 hotel rooms are booked, tourism officials say. Police expect up to 100,000 visitors to the area on Monday. Those who live along the path, which cuts through a few population centers like Kansas City and Nashville, Tennessee, can simply walk out their homes and look skyward. For all but the couple of minutes of totality, observers must wear specially designed solar-safe sunglasses or filters to avoid severe eye damage. It is never safe to gaze directly at a partial eclipse with the naked eye. Stay with us for all the latest news and pictures below... 2:47PM The exact "point of the greatest eclipse" The Telegraph's US Correspondent Nick Allen is at the exact point of the greatest eclipse for us in a field in Kentucky, where farmer Mark Cansler is the official winner of the cosmic lottery. According to Nasa the point of greatest eclipse is at the GPS coordinates 36.9664 north, 87.6709 west, about 11 miles outside the town of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. It will go dark for more that 2mins 40secs. The exact spot is next to an old hay barn in a field owned by Mr Cansler. It's a 70-acre farm and has been in his family since before 1900 and used to be an apple orchard. This barn in a farmer's field in Kentucky is the point of greatest eclipse pic.twitter.com/VS70EnYLi8— nick allen (@nickallen789) August 21, 2017 The field itself is fallow and after much deliberation Mr Cansler decided to allow people, including NASA, to watch the eclipse from it. A family sets up a tent at their campsite at sunrise for the solar eclipse in Hopkinsville Credit: AP Sheltering from the heat in his barn Mr Cansler told The Telegraph: "It's hot here in Kentucky so we mostly spend our time looking for shade, not looking at the sun. "About 10 years ago the local paper had a story that this would be the biggest place for totality. We didn't think much about it. Then as the years went by we realised how big an event it was going to be. Local Jim Cleveland sets up a camera at his campsite at sunrise Credit: AP "We were fortunate to be in a position where the field was fallow so it was a good opportunity to allow the educational folks, like Nasa, to come and be in the field and share it with everybody. "It's become something really big for the entire area. It's going to be something very special. I just hope everyone's safe and it's good weather. Looks like it will be." 2:33PM Why the total solar eclipse is so special  "People may see the stars come out in the daytime," says Affelia Wibisono, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. Why the total solar eclipse is so special 01:39   2:02PM Conspiracy theories   Could the Great American Eclipse signal the start of the apocalypse? Probably not, however some conspiracy theorists believe it could be the beginning of the end. David Meade, author of 'Planet X – The 2017 Arrival', asserts the planet Nibiru (also known as Planet X) will crash into our own on 23 September 2017 - here’s why. This may prove that the whole Planet X(Nibiru) is real, if we can see another light source that is clearly not the sun next to the eclipse— Justin Skedel (@JustinRSkedel) August 21, 2017 Christian numerologists say #eclipse will make planet Nibiru crash into Earth and now I wish I bought $12 eclipse glasses instead of $8 ones pic.twitter.com/6SOvZyO4Wo— Ryan Adams (@filmystic) August 20, 2017   1:32PM When will the next total solar eclipse be visible in the UK?   You’ll be waiting a few years. Britain won’t see a total solar eclipse until September 23, 2090. So, a bit of a wait then … Don't worry everyone, we can see a Total #Eclipse in the UK on the 23rd September 2090. pic.twitter.com/hgdnr1KI4a— Hadlow College (@Hadlow_College) August 21, 2017 Oh good, not long to wait then.— Jσє Sнєρραя∂ #TeamLH (@BladeThundrbolt) August 21, 2017 Can't believe we won't be able to see the #Eclipse today in Europe �������� it's okay, just have to wait until 2090...— Ethan King (@ethanaaronking) August 21, 2017 The next total solar eclipse visible in the UK will be on the 23rd of September 2090. Late afternoon. Clear your diaries. #Eclipse— Alexander Sabin (@ADASabin93) August 20, 2017   12:44PM Public service announcement: drive safely Interstate 80 traffic info boards right now in Eastern Nebraska. A post shared by swami1888 (@swami1888) on Aug 20, 2017 at 7:54am PDT 12:34PM Test your knowledge   12:33PM Where to see the eclipse in the UK Where to see it | UK solar eclipse   12:30PM America prepares  Tens of thousands of people have descended on small towns positioned for the best viewing of the eclipse. Some brought telescopes, some brought the party... Visitors wait and adjust telescopes Solartown in Madras, Oregon  Credit: Barcroft Media Festival goers dance at the Oregon Eclipse Festival Credit: AFP A hot air balloon rises above Solartown in Madras, Oregon. Tens of thousands from all over the world have decended on the little town Credit:  Barcroft Media Visitors sit in stopped traffic trying to get into Solartown in Madras, Oregon Credit:  Barcroft Media A vendor arranges decorated solar viewing glasses during an arts and crafts fair ahead of a total solar eclipse on the campus of Southern Illinois University Credit:  Bloomberg 12:18PM The jokes have already started ... And they're totally awful Your welcome! #eclipse A post shared by Kelsey Hart (@hart.kelseymusic) on Aug 20, 2017 at 9:58am PDT Found some eclipse glasses at Walmart pic.twitter.com/AiLRNUI9Pe— robert collins (@StizzyAbe) August 21, 2017 12:14PM Turtle eclipse  Terry Pratchett fans rejoice, the Discworld has delivered a flipping good graphic... Don't panic everyone, here's what we think is happening! #Eclipse#Eclipse2017#Discworld#TerryPratchettpic.twitter.com/DgZiFbn154— Discworld Emporium (@Discworldshoppe) August 21, 2017   12:11PM Welcome to Eclipseville, Kentucky The Telegraph's US Correspondent Nick Allen is in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, the 'point of greatest eclipse', eagerly awaiting the big moment. He reports: As she served hundreds of "lunar lattes" in a coffee shop in the unusually chaotic rural Kentucky town of Hopkinsville, Amanda Huff-McClure kept a wary eye out the window. On the horizon several clouds loomed. A decade ago Hopkinsville, an otherwise little known former tobacco town, won the cosmic lottery. Nasa declared it would be the "point of greatest eclipse" as a 70-mile swathe of the United States, from Oregon to South Carolina, goes dark on Monday. It is the first total solar eclipse in the US since 1979 and Hopkinsville, or "Eclipseville USA", as it is now widely known, will experience an unrivaled 2 mins 41.2 secs of totality. The town has busily spent the last 10 years preparing to cash in like crazy, with up to 200,000 visitors set descend on it down a two-lane road. Vast quantities of "Total Eclipse Moonshine" with the slogan "Lights Out!" have been brewed. Homes are reputedly being rented out for $10,000, parking spots for $250. The economic boost for a town that needs it has been estimated at $30 million. Read the full dispatch here   12:04PM Where to see the eclipse if you're in America.. Where to see it | The Great American solar eclipse  

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Today’s huge Amazon sale on Nerf guns is your back to school gift to yourself

You know how there are some toys you buy for your son or daughter, but in reality they're completely for you? Yeah, you're about to load up on all of the Nerf guns and Nerf gun gear you can handle, and you'll have to play it off like you're buying them for your kids. Dealing with back to school shopping can be stressful at times, and that might be why Amazon chose today to have an insane sale on all the Nerf guns and accessories you can handle. There are 21 different items available at discounts up to half off, and you can shop the entire sale right here. Below, you'll find our picks for the 10 best bargains in this monster sale.