Portal:Current events/2018 August 17

August 17, 2018 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2018 Gaza border protests
- Around 20,000 Palestinians protest near the Israel–Gaza barrier. Medical sources say that Israel Defense Forces killed two people and wounded at least 270 others, 50 of them with live bullets. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

XiamenAir Flight 8667
- A Boeing 737 skids off a runway at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Philippines, while landing in a downpour. All aboard are unharmed but the aircraft is severely damaged with one engine and some of the landing gear being ripped away. (Fox News)

International relations

United States foreign policy in the Middle East, Syrian Civil War
- The U.S. Department of State announces that it will redirect approximately US$230 million in stabilization funds for Syria to "other key foreign policy priorities." Career Ambassador James Jeffrey is appointed as "special representative for Syrian engagement". (AP via Chron)

Law and crime

A high court in İzmir, Turkey, rejects an appeal to release U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson. (USA Today)
Amnesty International releases a report accusing Indonesian police of fatally shooting at least 77 suspected petty criminals since January 2018, in the lead-up to the 2018 Asian Games. Authorities insist that lethal force is used when the suspects resist the police. (BBC)

Politics and elections