Taliban hang body in public; signal return to past tactics

The Taliban hanged a dead body from a crane parked in a city square in Afghanistan on Saturday in a gruesome display that signaled the hard-line movement's return to some of its brutal tactics of the past. Taliban officials initially brought four bodies to the central square in the western city of Herat, then moved three of them to other parts of the city for public display, said Wazir Ahmad Seddiqi, who runs a pharmacy on the edge of the square. Taliban officials announced that the four were caught taking part in a kidnapping earlier Saturday and were killed by police, Seddiqi said.

• 
  Witness: Taliban hang dead body in Afghan city's main square

  The Independent
• 
  Taliban hang body of suspected kidnapper in city square

  Washington Examiner

Authorities intensify search for Lauren Cho, a 30-year-old New Jersey woman who went missing in California three months ago

Authorities are continuing their search for a 30-year-old Asian woman who disappeared three months ago. Lauren Cho of New Jersey disappeared on June 28 in Yucca Valley, California, KABC-TV reported. Authorities have been intensifying their efforts to locate Lauren Cho, a 30-year-old woman who disappeared three months ago, KABC-TV reported.

A Michigan doctor said 6 out of 8 patients who questioned his medical advice on COVID-19 have died

A Michigan pulmonologist recounted interactions with eight patients who were severely suffering from COVID-19 while they ignored the reality of the virus in a Facebook post. On Friday, Dr. Matthew Trunsky, the director of the palliative care unit at a Beaumont Health network hospital in Troy, Michigan, told The Washington Post six of those eight patients have since died. In his September 11 Facebook post, Trunsky said some of the patients denied having the virus, requested unproven and unapproved treatments like ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine, or even said: "I'd rather die than take the vaccine."

U.S. border agents briefly detain 14 Mexican soldiers in El Paso

Fourteen Mexican soldiers were detained Saturday morning for several hours by U.S. border agents after they crossed into El Paso, Texas, from Mexico's Ciudad Juarez, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)said. "Just after midnight today CBP officers working at the Bridge of the America's international crossing in El Paso noted two Mexican military vehicles crossing the boundary and entering the U.S.," the CBP told Reuters in an emailed statement. The 14 Mexican soldiers said they did not realize they had entered the United States and U.S. border agents secured their weapons and equipment for "safety and processing," said the CBP, adding that Mexican military leadership was contacted an...

Fireball that ‘skimmed’ the North Carolina coast Friday was caught on video, NASA says

A fireball that soared over the North Carolina coast Friday was seen blazing through the sky across the state. NASA Meteor Watch said the fireball — which is an “exceptionally bright” meteor — “skimmed the coast of North Carolina” around 7:40 p.m. and became “visible 48 miles above the ocean off Camp Lejeune.” It was one of five fireballs reportedly seen over the United States that night, according to NASA.

A gangster standing trial for murder was shot dead in a courtroom by 2 rivals disguised as lawyers, say police

An Indian gangster was shot dead in a New Delhi courtroom by two rival gang members dressed as lawyers, according to CNN. The gunmen, wearing their disguises, opened fire while Jitender Gogi, 30, was standing trial for murder, the media outlet reported. "Two gangsters killed in immediate counterfire by Police as they opened fire in lawyers attire at a gangster UTP (under trial prisoner) in Rohini court premises this afternoon," said a tweet by Delhi Police.

North Dakota stuntman known as Flying Farmer crashes on jump

The first car jumping attempt in five years by North Dakota's version of Evil Knievel ended in disaster when the car driven my the man known as the Flying Farmer corkscrewed off the ramp and rolled. Authorities said John Smith, 57, was alert after the crash Saturday at a rural gravel pit and that he even tried to pull himself out of the car while talking to rescuers. He was eventually cut out and taken by a medical helicopter to a hospital, according to firefighters.

GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz said Tucker Carlson is correct about white nationalist 'replacement' conspiracy theory and called ADL racist

Matt Gaetz defended Tucker Carlson for peddling a white nationalist conspiracy theory last week. Carlson said the theory is "the replacement of legacy Americans, with more obedient people from faraway countries." Gaetz said Carlson was correct and that the ADL, which had called for Carlson's firing, was racist.

iPhone 14 is reportedly a 'complete redesign'

The iPhone 13 series is barely in stores, but that isn't stopping a growing chorus of leaks surrounding next year's model. As 9to5Mac notes, Bloomberg's historically accurate Mark Gurman claimed the iPhone 14 will represent a "complete redesign" — the first since the iPhone X arrived in 2017. The relatively modest iPhone 13 update was a hint that bigger things were coming, he said.

A 25-year-old who had to get a double lung transplant due to COVID-19 said his lungs look like 'chewed up pieces of bubblegum'

A Georgia man had to get a double lung transplant after he got COVID-19 in April. Blake Bargatze had no underlying health issues but was not vaccinated before he fell ill. The 25-year-old told Insider the virus made his lungs look like "chewed up pieces of bubblegum."

Basta! Romans say enough to invasion of wild boars in city

Rome has been invaded by Gauls, Visigoths and vandals over the centuries, but the Eternal City is now grappling with a rampaging force of an entirely different sort: rubbish-seeking wild boars. Entire families of wild boars have become a daily sight in Rome, as groups of 10-30 beasts young and old emerge from the vast parks surrounding the city to trot down traffic-clogged streets in search of food in Rome's notoriously overflowing rubbish bins. Posting wild boar videos on social media has become something of a sport as exasperated Romans capture the scavengers marching past their stores, strollers or playgrounds.

Lindsey Graham says that he wants Donald Trump to run again in 2024, just a few days after the former president trashed him

Lindsey Graham told a crowd of Michigan Republicans that he hopes Donald Trump runs again in 2024, per The Detroit News. Three days before, Trump trashed Graham, saying that the South Carolina lawmaker should be "ashamed" of himself. Graham has been an on-and-off ally of Trump, initially being an outspoken critic of the former president.

School bus driver stabbed to death in front of students in Washington state

A school bus driver was fatally stabbed in front of students after picking them up from a Washington state elementary school Friday afternoon, authorities said. The alleged killer, who is now in custody, got on the bus near Longfellow Elementary in the city of Pasco around 3 p.m. and launched the knife attack as multiple children watched in horror, according to police. “Pasco police detectives will be processing the crime scene throughout the night,” he told reporters in a prepared statement.

Japan's Princess Mako to give up one-off payment in controversial marriage -media

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's Princess Mako is set to forego a one-off million-dollar payment for giving up her royal status to wed a college classmate, media said on Saturday, clearing the way for a marriage delayed for years by controversy over her fiance. The 29-year-old grand-daughter of then-Emperor Akihito and her former college classmate, Kei Komuro, announced their engagement in 2017. But the marriage was put off after reports of a financial dispute between Komuro's mother and her former fiance.

Some say COVID-19 vaccine is the 'mark of the beast.' Is there a connection to the Bible?

The COVID-19 vaccine has been scientifically proved to save lives, but for a select group of people in the religious realm, a more important matter is at stake – eternal salvation. As the delta variant of the coronavirus spreads, many Americans resist COVID-19 vaccines, some citing the uncertainty of long-term side effects, others lacking trust in the medical field. The "mark of the beast" in the New Testament's Book of Revelation signals an allegiance to Satan or those who reject God's memorial of creatorship.

A 16-year-old driving a truck ran over multiple cyclists after he allegedly attempted to blow exhaust on them

A 16-year-old driving a truck ran over six cyclists in Texas, sending four to the hospital. One cyclist said the driver intentionally slowed down to blow smoke on the cyclists. The driver, who stayed on the scene following the collisions, has not been arrested, KRIV reported.

China's Xi warns of 'grim' Taiwan situation in letter to opposition

The situation in the Taiwan Strait is "complex and grim", Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote in a congratulatory letter on Sunday to the newly elected leader of Taiwan's main opposition party, who has pledged to renew talks with Beijing. Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) elected as their leader on Saturday former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-opposition-partys-new-leader-pledges-renewed-talks-with-china-2021-09-25), who said he would rekindle stalled high-level contacts with China's ruling Communist Party.

Donald Trump could be charged with multiple crimes over his attempts to overturn his loss in the state of Georgia, report says

Donald Trump could be charged with crimes over Georgia election interference, a new report says. The report says Trump and his allies pressured Georgia officials to overturn his loss in the state. Former President Donald Trump could be charged with multiple crimes over election interference in Georgia, a new analysis says.

Marjorie Taylor Greene's Chief Of Staff Announces His Resignation

Parsons praised Greene in his statement as an “America First superstar who has become one of the leading policy-influencers in our party today. He called working for her the “highlight of my professional career. Parsons was a gun-rights lobbyist in Georgia before he was hired by Greene, and he ran the nonprofit advocacy organization Georgia Gun Owners.

Canada foreign minister says eyes wide open when it comes to normalizing China ties

TORONTO (Reuters) -Canada's "eyes are wide open" when it comes to normalizing its relationship with China, Foreign Minister Marc Garneau said on Sunday, two days after the release of a Huawei executive following almost three years of house arrest in Vancouver. Huawei Technologies Co Ltd Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, flew back to China on Friday after reaching an agreement with U.S. prosecutors to end a bank fraud case against her. Soon after Meng flew to China, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor - two Canadians detained by Chinese authorities just days after Meng's arrest in Vancouver in December 2018 on a U.S. warrant - were released by Beijing.

• 
  China roundup: Meng Wanzhou's release and Huawei's future

  TechCrunch
• 
  Huawei CFO leaves Canada after U.S. agreement on fraud charges, detained Canadians head home

  Reuters

India's Modi targets neighbors at UN, but not by name

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn't directly mention Pakistan or China in his Saturday speech to the United Nations General Assembly, but the targets of his address were clear. In a roughly 20-minute speech delivered in-person and in Hindi, he called upon the international community to help the women, children and minorities of Afghanistan and said that it was imperative the country not be used as a base from which to spread terror. We also need to be alert and ensure that no country tries to take advantage of the delicate situation there, and use it as a tool for its own selfish interests,” he said in an apparent reference to Pakistan, wedged between Afghanistan and India.