10 things you need to know today: August 17, 2014

1. One shot, seven arrested in Ferguson, Mo.

One man was left in critical condition Sunday after being shot in Ferguson, Missouri, as protests continued over the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. In addition, seven people were arrested for failing to comply with a new midnight-to-five a.m. curfew intended to quell the unrest that has percolated since an officer shot to death Brown last Saturday. After a brief period of relative calm settled in following a few days of clashes between police and protesters, Gov. Jay Nixon (D) declared a state of emergency, and police late Saturday again fired waves of tear gas and smoke canisters to clear the streets.

Los Angeles Times Wall Street Journal

2. Pro-Russian rebels shoot down Ukrainian fighter jet

Separatist forces on Sunday downed a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet as clashes continued in a rebel-controlled part of eastern Ukraine. The plane was carrying out a mission against the entrenched pro-Russian rebels when it was shot down, according to Kiev. Also Sunday, Ukraine said it made significant progress toward reclaiming control of Luhansk, an eastern city that has for weeks been under rebel control.

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AFP Associated Press

3. Germany spied on John Kerry, Hillary Clinton

Germany's intelligence agency eavesdropped on Secretary of State John Kerry and his predecessor, Hillary Clinton's, private phone calls, according to the German magazine Der Spiegel. The agency allegedly collected conversations in 2012 and 2013, but did so "accidentally" while snooping for terror suspects. The revelation could further strain relations between Germany and the U.S. that have already been tested amid allegations that Washington spied on German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Associated Press

4. Montana Democrats pick new Senate nominee

In the wake of a plagiarism scandal that upended the Montana Senate race, Democrats on Saturday nominated state lawmaker Amanda Curtis as their new nominee. The little-known 34-year-old replaces incumbent Sen. John Walsh, who ended his campaign after The New York Times revealed he'd widely plagiarized material for a college paper. Republicans were already heavily favored to win the seat before Walsh's scandal, and the race now seems like a surefire GOP pickup.

The New York Times

5. Rick Perry rejects indictment as 'outrageous'

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) on Saturday shrugged off the criminal charges filed against him for alleged abuse of power, calling the claims "outrageous." A grand jury on Friday indicted Perry — the outgoing governor and potential 2016 candidate — for making good on a threat to veto funding for a state oversight agency following a district attorney's arrest for drunk driving. "We don't settle political differences with indictments in this country," Perry said.

Associated Press

6. One dead, dozens found hidden in shipping container

Authorities found 35 people, one of them dead, trapped inside a shipping container that arrived in England on Saturday. Police said the immigrants are suspected to have come from the Indian subcontinent, and that the lone death is being investigated as a homicide. Workers unloading the ship found the trapped people when they heard "screaming and banging" coming from inside the container.

BBC The Guardian

7. Liberia establishes 'plague villages' to contain Ebola

Faced with the worst Ebola outbreak in history, Liberia has closed off some villages believed to be at the center of the crisis, drawing comparisons to medieval "plague villages." To contain the outbreak, the country has imposed medical roadblocks and deployed troops to keep infected people from fleeing and coming into contact with uninfected areas. As of Friday, the death toll from the outbreak had risen to 1,145, according to the World Health Organization.

Reuters

8. 15 missing after Indonesian tourist boat sinks

An Indonesian boat carrying a small group of tourists sank Saturday, leaving 15 people missing. Amid bad weather, the boat reportedly struck a reef shortly after midnight. Ten people were pulled from the water Saturday, according to rescue workers, and at least four boats are searching for the remaining passengers and crew.

Associated Press BBC

9. Dozens overdose on synthetic marijuana in New Hampshire

At least 44 people in New Hampshire have accidentally overdosed on synthetic marijuana in the past week, prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency. Twenty victims have been hospitalized though no one has died after ingesting the pseudo-pot, which is cleverly — and legally — sold as "incense." By declaring a state of emergency, New Hampshire authorities were able to quarantine the alleged culprit: The "Bubblegum Flavor of "Smacked!"

Boston Globe New York Daily News

10. 99-year-old claims to set sprint record

A 99-year-old great-great-grandmother last week clocked what she believes is the fastest ever 100-meter time for anyone her age. Ida Keeling ran the race in 59.8 seconds at the Gay Games in Akron, Ohio, last week, with her daughter hailing it as the fastest time for a near-centenarian in an international-certified event. "I'm running from old age and arthritis," Keeling joked.

Akron Beacon Journal The Independent