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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.

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.

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.

Young Mother Crushed to Death Hours After Giving Birth When Hospital Elevator Malfunctions: Reports

Rocio Cortes Nunez, 25, had just given birth to her third child when she was killed in a freak hospital accident.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Van Driver in Barcelona Terror Attack Shot Dead, May Have Been Wearing Suicide Belt: Police

Terror suspect Younes Abouyaaqoub was considered armed and dangerous, Spanish police said.

The Latest: Chief justice to judges: Be careful after ambush

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (AP) — The Latest on the shooting of a judge outside an Ohio courthouse (all times local):

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.

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.

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.

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.

As The Trumps Travel, The Secret Service Can't Even Afford To Pay Some Agents

It’s no secret that President Donald Trump’s penchant for weekend getaways has created added costs for the Secret Service.

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.

Duterte faces nationwide revolt over drugs war after killing of schoolboy sparks outrage

A horrifying image of a schoolboy being dragged to a violent death in a dirty alleyway has galvanised the Philippines against a brutal state-led war on drugs that has killed over 12,500 people in the last year. For a nation now largely immune to the bloodied corpses of alleged small time drugs users and dealers dumped on the streets, the graphic reports of the final moments of Kian Delos Santos, 17, who was allegedly shot three times by undercover police officers, have been too much to bear. His killing last week has united the public, senior politicians and the Catholic Church into the most significant sweep of mass protests since President Rodrigo Duterte pushed for a savage crackdown on drugs after his election last June. Most of the 12,500 casualties have been killed by masked assassins.  An estimated 3,500 have been killed in police shoot-outs, which officers often claim were self-defence. Protesters wearing masks depicting victims of extra judicial killings taking part in a demonstration against the killings of suspected drug users in Manila Credit: AFP In the case of Delos Santos, the police initially claimed he had fired first. But their story was contradicted by witnesses and CCTV footage that showed the teenager being dragged down alleyways into a dead-end corner where he was asked to run with a gun, and shot when he did. He was heard screaming “Please can I go home, I have school tomorrow.” Delos Santos is one of 81 people killed last week during mass police raids in what was the bloodiest period of the drugs war so far. His bullet-ridden, semi-naked body was found in a foetal position with a gun in his hand.   Speaking to Rappler news, his parents, Saldy and Lorenza, said he was a well-behaved teenager who loved watching YouTube and who helped with the family shop. His only vice was eating cheese-flavoured crisps. Protesters display placards and candles outside the wake for slain Delos Santos Credit: AP On the night he died, his father gave him a prescient warning to come home early. “You know how it is on our street, it could be dangerous,” Saldy said. Images of his devastated parents, comforting each other by his open casket have since dominated the local media. “I need to speak up for my son,” Lorenza told reporters. Saldy Delos Santos hit out at police attempts to smear his son’s name by alleging he was a drugs runner. “We are the victims here. We are the ones you should help,” he said. Several children have been caught in the crossfire of the drugs war, but the killing of Delos Santos has resonated in a way that none other has done before. Saldy Delos Santos comforts his son's girlfriend at his wake  Credit: AP Church leaders have led the outcry, pledging to ring church bells every evening in protest. The senate has launched an inquiry into the escalation in killings, and people have gathered in candlelit vigils. Vice-president Leni Robredo, said Delos Santos could have been her own child. “How many Kians have we had? How many more Kians will follow?” she asked. Three police officers, suspected of the murder, are currently in custody while the case is probed. Mr Duterte’s hardline stance wavered on Monday when he said if they were guilty they would “rot in jail.” Meanwhile the poignancy of his son’s future ambitions are not lost on Delos Santos’ father. “They killed an innocent child. And to think, he wanted to be a policeman,” he said.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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  

India says China stand-off will end soon

India's home minister said Monday he believed a border standoff with China would end soon, after new footage emerged showing border guards from both countries fighting on a disputed patch of land in the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Indian and Chinese soldiers have for more than two months been facing off over a separate territorial dispute in the Doklam plateau, which India says is Bhutanese territory and which China claims for itself. On Monday Home Minister Rajnath Singh said India wanted peaceful relations with its neighbours as he addressed a unit of border guards in the capital Delhi.

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

WATCH: 16-Foot Great White Shark Circles Fisherman’s Boat

The great white hung around for about a half hour, stealing fish from the area.

Trump backs off Afghan withdrawal, lambasts Pakistan

"My instinct was to pull out," Trump said as he spoke of his frustration with a war that has killed thousands of US troops and cost US taxpayers trillions of dollars. While Trump refused to offer detailed troop numbers, senior White House officials said he had already authorized his defense secretary to deploy up to 3,900 more troops to Afghanistan.

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.

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.

Slain woman became anti-violence activist after sister died

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A woman who was found slain along with her young daughter last week had become an anti-domestic violence activist after her sister was killed four years ago, and authorities allege both women were killed by their boyfriends.

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

The Best Solar Eclipse Photos From Around the Internet

Not everyone could travel to the thin band of totality. Luckily, there were tons of photographers ready to capture the moment.

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.  

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.

Trump on Afghanistan: 'We are not nation-building. We are killing terrorists.'

During a primetime address to the nation on Monday night, President Trump questioned the strategies that past administrations used in Afghanistan and South Asia. The president said the United States was no longer concerned with building democracies abroad. "We are not nation-building again. We are killing terrorists,” he said.

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.

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.

Solar eclipse 2017: Curtain of darkness sweeps across America as country witnesses once-in-a-lifetime event

Crowds along the West Coast of the United States were awed by the eclipse of the sun, turning out in huge numbers to observe the celestial phenomenon. People massed in an arc across the western part of the country to witness the rare event, with large gatherings reported in multiple states that fall under the "path of totality" in which a total eclipse is visible. Spectators directly in the path of totality were treated to a rare sight, when the sun and moon align directly and the only visible portions of the sun were the solar flares that shoot out from the sun’s surface, visible only along the edges of the black circle created where the moon obscured the closest star to earth.

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.