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Worldwide current events
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Emmanuel Macron

In the French presidential election, Emmanuel Macron (pictured) defeats Marine Le Pen to become the next President of France.
In horse racing, Always Dreaming, ridden by jockey John Velazquez, wins the Kentucky Derby.
A border clash between Afghanistan and Pakistan results in military and civilian deaths on both sides.
The maiden flight of the Chinese Comac C919 airliner takes place.
Puerto Rico files for debt restructuring, the largest ever de facto governmental bankruptcy in the United States.
Mark Selby defeats John Higgins to win the World Snooker Championship.

May 12, 2017 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

A bomb hits a convoy of the Deputy Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, near Mastung in the Balochistan province, killing at least 25 people and wounding 35 others, including the Senate's Deputy Chairman. (Reuters)
An explosion outside a prominent post office in Rome causes damage to a car, however no injuries or deaths have been reported. A preliminary investigation indicated it was most likely “a demonstrative act, showing that it could be done”. (The Guardian)

Arts and culture

Catholics in Portugal converge in a shrine in Fatima for a visit by Pope Francis. (BBC)

Law and crime

A judge in Alkmaar, the Netherlands, grants a 12-year old boy, David, the right to decide for himself on whether or not to continue chemotherapy. He is ruled "capable of a reasonable evaluation of his interests and realizes the consequences — including the negative ones — of his decision." (The Charlotte Observer)

Science and technology

A large scale ransomware cyber-attack disrupts NHS computer and telephone systems across England with doctors reporting messages demanding money. (BBC) (The Guardian)

May 11, 2017 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Battle of Mosul
- The Iraqi army's chief of staff, Lt Gen Othman al-Ghanmi, states that his security forces are only days away from completing the operation to recapture Mosul from ISIL. (BBC)

Arts and culture

The statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis in New Orleans is removed; this is the second of four planned removals of Confederate monuments in the city. (NPR)

Health and medicine

2015–16 Zika virus epidemic
- The federal government of Brazil informs the World Health Organization that it is ending its state of emergency concerning the Zika virus, following a 95.3% reduction in cases in early 2017 compared to early 2016. (AFP via Seven News)

International relations

Representatives of the Arctic Council, a group of eight countries that border the Arctic Circle, meet in Alaska to discuss oil drilling. (The Washington Post)

Law and crime

Triple Talaq in India
- The Supreme Court of India begins hearings on whether oral divorce is a fundamental right of Islam. (The Times of India)
Moscow police detain five protesters after they attempted to deliver a petition to investigate the status of LGBT rights in Chechnya to the Prosecutor General of Russia. (BBC)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation raids a Republican fundraising firm in Annapolis, Maryland. (Bloomberg)

Politics and elections

United Kingdom general election, 2017
- An unknown person or organization leaks a 45-page draft campaign manifesto, described as "the most left-wing," of the Labour Party, that is due for official confirmation tomorrow. (BBC), (CNN)
French parliamentary election, 2017
- French President-elect Emmanuel Macron announces his slate of candidates for the upcoming elections for French Parliament. (Reuters)

May 10, 2017 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- U.S. President Donald Trump contemplates sending 5,000 more troops to Afghanistan. (NBC News)

Arts and culture

Pope Francis intends to canonize two of the children who had visions at Fatima. (The Salt Lake Tribune)

International relations

Cross-Strait relations
- A spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of People's Republic of China says Taiwan is barred from observing this year’s World Health Assembly because current President Tsai Ing-wen has not endorsed the Beijing view that both sides belong to a single China under the One-China policy; the spokesman further said that the health of people in Taiwan is not being put at risk by Taiwan's inability to attend. (Voice of America) (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Bahamian general election, 2017
- Voters in the Bahamas go to the polls to elect all 39 members of the House of Assembly. (Miami Herald)
- Incumbent Prime Minister Perry Christie of the Progressive Liberal Party concedes defeat to Hubert Minnis of the Free National Movement. (Al Jazeera)
Lawmakers in the Parliament Assembly of Kosovo vote in a no-confidence motion to remove the government of Prime Minister Isa Mustafa from office, triggering a snap election that is due to take place next month. (Al Jazeera)
Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections
- The U.S. Attorney's Office in Alexandria, Virginia thru U.S. Attorney Dana Boente issues subpoenas to former National Security Advisor Michael T. Flynn to assess the extent of his ties to Russia. (CNN)

May 9, 2017 (Tuesday)

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International relations

Syria–United States relations, Turkey–United States relations
- Despite opposition from Turkey, President Donald Trump authorizes an arms deal with the Syrian Kurds to assist the Syrian Democratic Forces in their fight against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). (CNN)

Law and crime

Former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, popularly known as "Ahok", is found guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to two years in prison. The accusation that he insulted the Quran sparked large protests last November. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

South Korean presidential election, 2017
- South Koreans vote in a presidential election, with Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea winning the election. (TIME magazine), (The Hill)
- Moon Jae-in pledges to make South Korea "a just, united country." (Reuters)
Dismissal of James Comey
- U.S. President Donald Trump removes James Comey as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with Andrew G. McCabe stepping in as acting director. (BBC)
The Assembly of California votes in favor of ending a ban which barred members of the Communist Party USA from holding positions in the state government. (NPR), (Fox News)
Georgia's 6th congressional district special election, 2017
- The election between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel to replace the seat vacated by Tom Price becomes the most expensive congressional race in United States history. (CNN)

May 8, 2017 (Monday)

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Business and economy

At the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, Spirit Airlines cancels eleven flights and delays 30 due to a dispute between the airline and its pilots (as talks occur between the airline and the pilots' union, Air Line Pilots Association, International). Protests break out and three travelers are arrested. (The New York Times)

Law and crime

Philippine Drug War
- The United Nations Human Rights Council conducts a periodic review of the human rights situation in the Philippines. (The Philippine Star)
The Phoenix, Arizona police arrest the suspected Maryvale serial shooter. (ABC 15)

Politics and elections

Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections
- Sally Yates testifies before the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism concerning investigations into Russia's role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and in the Trump administration. (CNN)
Political appointments of Donald Trump
- The United States Senate confirms Heather Wilson as Secretary of the Air Force. (Washington Post)

Science and technology

Rare specimens of daisies from the 1850s originally held in the National Museum of Natural History in Paris were reportedly destroyed by Australia in March allegedly due to incomplete paperwork. (BBC)
The journal Genes & Development publishes research from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in a mouse-model study (which may translate over to humans) alluding as to why hair turns gray and goes bald. The scientists describe a protein called KROX20 which switches on skin cells that become a hair shaft, which then causes cells to produce another protein called stem cell factor. In mice, these two proteins are important for baldness and graying. (Time)

May 7, 2017 (Sunday)

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Disasters and accidents

At least 11 people are dead after a bus and truck collide in Vietnam's Gia Lai province. (Straits Times)
Around 50,000 people are evacuated from the German city of Hanover while bomb disposal experts defuse three bombs dropped by the Royal Air Force during World War II. (BBC)
A state of emergency is declared in Montreal, Canada as 1,200 Canadian Forces personnel are deployed in the province of Quebec to help with rising floodwaters. 146 communities are affected and more than 1,500 residents have been evacuated from their homes. (CBC)

Law and crime

France bans the breeding of killer whales and dolphins in captivity and orders aquariums and water parks to expand their pools within three years following a campaign by animal rights groups. (The Independent)

Politics and elections

French presidential election, 2017
- Voters in France return to the polls for a run-off, to elect either Emmanuel Macron or Marine Le Pen as the new President of France.(BBC)
- Macron wins the election, earning 66.1% of the vote to Le Pen's 33.9%, becoming the youngest French head of state since Napoleon. (The New York Times), (Reuters)

Science and technology

The United States Air Force's unmanned spacecraft X-37B successfully lands at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility in Merritt Island, Florida, after spending a record-breaking 718 days in orbit. The landing was responsible for reports of sonic booms across central Florida. (CBS News)

Sport

2016–17 A-League
- In association football, Sydney FC defeats the Melbourne Victory 4-2 in the A-League Grand Final after a penalty shootout. (Canberra Times)

May 6, 2017 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- Pope Francis criticizes naming the U.S. military's biggest non-nuclear explosive as the Mother of All Bombs, saying that the word "mother" should not be used in reference to a deadly weapon. (Reuters)
War in Somalia (2009–present)
- A United States Navy SEAL is killed, becoming the first U.S. service member killed in Somalia since 1993, and three others are injured in a gunfight with al-Shabaab militants, west of Mogadishu. (NBC News)
2017 Venezuelan protests
- A young man is shot dead in Valencia, Carabobo, amid ongoing protests against the government of Nicolás Maduro. Protesters tear down a statue of former President Hugo Chávez in Rosario de Perijá. (The Guardian)
Boko Haram insurgency, Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping
- Nigerian officials report, as a result of negotiations, Boko Haram has released an estimated 82 schoolgirls who were among about 220 kidnapped from a secondary school in Chibok in Borno State in April 2014. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2016–17 South Pacific cyclone season
- Severe Tropical Cyclone Donna is upgraded to a Category Four, and continues to damage houses and infrastructure in the north of Vanuatu, particularly in Torba Province. (Radio New Zealand)
As many as 30 people, mostly children, are killed after a school bus plunges off a road into a steep ravine in the Arusha Region of northern Tanzania. (BBC)
At least 36 people are dead after two buses crash on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway in Nigeria. (Daily Post)

Politics and elections

French presidential election, 2017
- Voting begins in territories and diplomatic missions west of Metropolitan France for the second round of the presidential election between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen. (Bloomberg)
- France's electoral commission orders French media not to publish contents of Emmanuel Macron's leaked campaign emails to avoid influencing the presidential election, warning journalists could face criminal charges for publishing the material. (The Independent)
- Socialist Party National Assembly member Corinne Erhel dies after collapsing during a speech at a rally in support of Emmanuel Macron in Plouisy. (Sky News)
- The current French President François Hollande vows to respond to the Macron hack attack. (BBC)
Hamas, which is seeking to reconcile with rival Palestinian organizations, elects former Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh its new leader, replacing term-limited Khaled Meshaal. Last week, Hamas dropped its longstanding call for Israel's destruction, and severed ties with the Muslim Brotherhood. (Reuters)

Sports

2017 Kentucky Derby
- Always Dreaming wins the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Looking at Lee finished second and Battle of Midway was third. (Los Angeles Times)
Canelo Álvarez vs. Julio César Chávez Jr.
- In boxing, Canelo Álvarez defeats fellow Mexican Julio César Chávez Jr. by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring Álvarez as the winner of all 12 rounds. (ESPN)

More May 2017 events...

Ongoing events
Disasters Atlantic hurricane season Oklahoma earthquake swarms Pacific typhoon season Law Philippine Drug War Political European migrant crisis (timeline) French Guiana unrest Romanian protests South China Sea disputes United States immigration ban Venezuelan constitutional crisis Timeline of Venezuelan protests More details on ongoing conflicts below edit sidebar

Sport
2016–17 Bundesliga 2016–17 EuroLeague 2016–17 EuroLeague Women 2016–17 La Liga 2016–17 PBA season 2016–17 Premier League 2016–17 South African Premier Division 2016–17 Serie A 2016–17 UEFA Champions League 2017 AFL season 2017 Formula One season 2017 Major League Baseball season 2017 NASCAR Cup Series 2017 NBA Playoffs 2017 PGA Tour 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs (NHL) 2017 World Rally Championship edit sidebar

Elections and referendums
Recent April 16: Turkey, Constitutional referendum 23: France, President (1st round) 28: Curaçao, Estates May 4: Algeria, People's National Assembly 6: Niue, Assembly 7: France, President (2nd round) 9: South Korea, President 10: The Bahamas, House of Assembly Upcoming May 19: Iran, President 21: Lebanon, Parliament 21: Switzerland, Referendum 24: Cayman Islands, Legislative Assembly June 3: Lesotho, National Assembly 3: Malta, Parliament 8: United Kingdom, House of Commons 11: France, Parliament (1st round) 11: Puerto Rico, Status referendum edit sidebar

Recent deaths
May 2017 11: Mark Colvin 10: Geoffrey Bayldon 9: Robert Miles 9: Michael Parks 9: Wilburn K. Ross 8: Lou Richards 7: Gran Apache 7: Gholam Reza Pahlavi 6: Steven Holcomb 5: Adolph Kiefer 5: Buhe 5: Ely Ould Mohamed Vall 4: William Baumol 4: Edwin Sherin 3: Mishaal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud 3: Daliah Lavi 2: A. R. Penck 2: Leo K. Thorsness 2: Moray Watson 1: Bruce Hampton 1: Mike Lowry 1: Sam Mele April 2017 30: Ueli Steck 29: William M. Hoffman 28: Brazo de Oro 27: Vinod Khanna 27: Joe Leonard 26: Jonathan Demme 24: Benjamin Barber 24: Robert M. Pirsig 23: Leo Baxendale 23: Kate O'Beirne 22: Erin Moran 22: Michele Scarponi 21: Ugo Ehiogu 21: Sandy Gallin 20: Magdalena Abakanowicz 20: Cuba Gooding Sr. 19: Dick Contino 19: Aaron Hernandez 17: Rosey 16: Michael Bogdanov 15: Allan Holdsworth 15: Clifton James 15: Emma Morano 14: Henry Hillman 13: Dan Rooney 13: Robert Taylor edit sidebar

Trials
Recently concluded Australia: Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara Cambodia: Sam Rainsy China: Wan Qingliang, Ling Jihua, Zhoi Bin, Guo Boxiong Netherlands: Geert Wilders Philippines: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Nur Misuari, Joel Villanueva Romania: Gheorghe Ștefan, Gabriel Sandu, Dorin Cocoş, Dumitru Nicolae Spain: Lionel Messi United Kingdom: Chris Denning, Ched Evans, Thomas Mair United States: Pedro Hernandez, Bob McDonnell, Paul Anthony Ciancia Ongoing China: Bai Enpei, Pan Yiyang, Yang Weize Germany: Beate Zschäpe Indonesia: Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Mary Jane Veloso Kazakhstan: Mukhtar Ablyazov Pakistan: Waseem Azeem, Mufti Abdul Qawi Philippines: Andal Ampatuan Jr., Leila de Lima, Leni Robredo, Rodrigo Duterte, Jovito Palparan Romania: Dan Șova, Elena Udrea, Radu Mazăre, Gheorghe Nichita, Marian Vanghelie Russia: Alexei Navalny South Korea: Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil Spain: Gürtel case, Spanish Royal House, Bárcenas affair United Kingdom: Rolf Harris, Barry Bennell International ICC: Laurent Gbagbo ICTY: Ratko Mladić Upcoming China: Wu Changshun Egypt: Mohamed Morsi Estonia: Edgar Savisaar Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz, Bill Cosby edit sidebar

Ongoing conflicts
Africa Algeria and Tunisia Maghreb insurgency ISIL insurgency in Tunisia Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria Boko Haram insurgency Central African Republic Civil war Democratic Republic of the Congo Kivu conflict ADF insurgency Ituri conflict Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Libya Civil war Mali Northern Mali conflict Somalia Civil war South Sudan Ethnic violence (South Sudanese Civil War) Sudan War in Darfur South Kordofan conflict Sudanese nomadic conflicts Americas Mexico Mexican War on Drugs Peru Internal conflict in Peru Asia Afghanistan Afghanistan War China Xinjiang conflict India Naxalite–Maoist insurgency Insurgency in Northeast India India and Pakistan Kashmir conflict Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines Moro conflict Cross border attacks in Sabah Indonesia and Papua New Guinea Papua conflict Myanmar Internal conflict in Myanmar Pakistan War in North-West Pakistan Balochistan conflict Philippines CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion Thailand South Thailand insurgency Europe Armenia and Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Georgia Abkhaz–Georgian conflict Georgian–Ossetian conflict Russia Chechen–Russian conflict North Caucasus insurgency Ukraine War in Donbass Russian military intervention in Ukraine Middle East Egypt Sinai insurgency Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria Arab–Israeli conflict Iran Iran–PJAK conflict Iraq American-led intervention in Iraq Iranian intervention in Iraq Iraq and Syria (map) Military intervention against ISIL Israel and Lebanon Israeli–Lebanese conflict Israel and Palestine Gaza–Israel conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Syria American-led intervention in Syria Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War Turkish military intervention in Syria Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon Turkey Turkey–PKK conflict Turkey–ISIL conflict Yemen Yemeni Civil War Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Al-Qaeda insurgency edit sidebar