Portal:Current events/2017 August 26

August 26, 2017 (Saturday)

Disasters and accidents

2017 M1 motorway crash
- Several people are dead after two trucks collide with a minibus on the M1 motorway near the town of Newport Pagnell in the English county of Buckinghamshire. (Irish Independent)
Hurricane Harvey
- Harvey is now a tropical storm with sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kmh). It made landfall on Texas's eastern coast, the eye striking the town of Rockport, as a Category 4 hurricane. It's the strongest storm to hit the state since 1961. Harvey is expected to maintain tropical storm strength, with heavy rains and flooding, for at least four days. (National Hurricane Center) (The New York Times) (BBC) (Houston Chronicle)
- Two people in Texas are confirmed dead with many more reported injured. Authorities are unable to visit the hardest hit area so the toll of dead and injured is expected to rise.(The Dallas Morning News) (Yahoo!)
- At Governor Greg Abbott's request, President Trump issues a disaster proclamation for the state, freeing up federal aid for the worst-affected areas. (The New York Times)
- Tornadoes are reported in Katy and Missouri City, Texas. This has not been officially confirmed by the National Weather Service. (Houston Chronicle)
- Downtown Houston has collected about 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) of rain with 7 inches (18 cm) recorded in some areas. Nearly 9 inches (23 cm) was tallied in First Colony early this morning. The National Hurricane Center predicts up to 30 inches (76 cm) of rain and isolated totals as high as 40 inches (100 cm) by the time the storm leaves. (The Dallas Morning News) (Houston Chronicle²)

International relations

2017 North Korea crisis
- The South Korean military reports North Korea has fired several short-range projectiles into the sea from its eastern Kangwon province. The U.S. military says three short-range missile launches either exploded on launch or failed in flight. (Reuters) (Reuters²)

Law and crime

Trial of Yingluck Shinawatra
- Senior members of the Pheu Thai Party report former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra left Thailand last week ahead of the verdict in her negligence trial. She is in Dubai where her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, lives. (Reuters)
Philippine Drug War
- Hundreds of sympathizers attend the funeral procession of a teenager killed allegedly due to the ongoing drug purge in the Philippines. (Straits Times)

Sports

2017 Women's Rugby World Cup
- The Women's Rugby World Cup concludes with New Zealand defeating England 41–32 in the final. (BBC)
Great Alaska Shootout
- The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) announces that the 2017 Great Alaska Shootout, a national college basketball tournament, will be the final competition of the 40-year-old series. UAA blames economic conditions for the termination of the long running, national competition. (ESPN)

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