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Mark Selby

The maiden flight of the Chinese Comac C919 airliner takes place.
Puerto Rico files for debt restructuring, the largest ever de facto municipal bankruptcy in the United States.
Mark Selby (pictured) defeats John Higgins to win the World Snooker Championship.
China launches its first domestically built aircraft carrier.
In the London Marathon, Mary Keitany and Daniel Wanjiru win the women's and men's races, respectively.
A Taliban attack on an Afghan National Army base kills 140 soldiers.

May 7, 2017 (Sunday)

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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. Final opinion polls continue to predict that the centrist Macron will defeat the far-right Le Pen. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

May 6, 2017 (Saturday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2001–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. A video circulates on social media showing protesters tearing 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)

Arts and culture

American comedian and Late Show host Stephen Colbert is to be investigated by the Federal Communications Commission over a sexually explicit joke about U.S. president Donald Trump's relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin. (BBC)

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)

May 5, 2017 (Friday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- Russia, Iran and Turkey reach an agreement, effective this midnight, to establish four "safe zones" in Syria over which all military aircraft, including Turkish, Russian, and American aircraft, will be barred from flying. (Reuters) (Fox News)
- The United Nations welcomed the long discussed safe zones, although they have been rejected by Syrian rebels and the Kurdish PYD. (Reuters) (Fox News) (Reuters)
Afghan border police and the Pakistani military clash at a border crossing near Chaman, killing at least 13 people and wounding over 80 others. Both sides blame each other for the flareup in fighting. (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

International relations

U.S. senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) file a bill restricting arms sales to the Philippine National Police over its drug war. (Rappler)

Law and crime

2012 Delhi gang rape
- The Indian Supreme Court upholds the death sentences imposed on four men convicted in the 2012 gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman on board a bus in South Delhi. (Reuters)
Hundreds of prisoners escape from an overcrowded jail in Pekanbaru, Indonesia. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Politics and elections

United Kingdom local elections, 2017
- Results from yesterday's elections show significant swings towards the Conservative Party and away from the Labour Party. (The Guardian)
Algerian legislative election, 2017
- Results from yesterday's election give a reduced majority of seats to Abdelaziz Bouteflika's incumbent coalition. (Al Jazeera)
French presidential election, 2017
- Files purportedly from the campaign of Emmanuel Macron are posted online. Macron campaign officials say the files are a mix of fake and authentic documents and drew parallels with what happened in the 2016 US Presidential elections. (CNN)
Political appointments of Donald Trump
- Tennessee state senator and former Army flight surgeon Mark E. Green withdraws his name from consideration as Secretary of the Army because of political opposition. Green was the Trump Administration's second nominee for this position. (The New York Times) (AP via U.S. News & World Report)

Science and technology

The Comac C919 makes its maiden flight from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, China. (FlightGlobal)
ISRO has successfully launched a new communications satellite for South Asia from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India. (BBC)

May 4, 2017 (Thursday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

2017 Venezuelan protests
- A student is killed amid gunfire in El Tigre, raising the death toll in protests against Nicolás Maduro's government to at least 37 in the past month. (ABC News)

Arts and culture

Buckingham Palace announces that 95-year-old Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince consort of Queen Elizabeth II, will retire from royal duties in August. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Asian Dust
- A severe dust storm impacts North China, causing flight cancellations at Beijing Capital International Airport. (The Daily Star)

International relations

The Holy See and Myanmar establish full diplomatic relations following a meeting between Pope Francis and Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. (National Catholic Reporter)
A memorandum is signed by Russia, Iran, and Turkey calling for de-escalation of the Syrian Civil War, although neither the Syrian government nor the Syrian opposition are signatories. (The New York Times)

Politics and elections

United Kingdom local elections, 2017
- The British people vote locally. (The Telegraph)
Georgia's 6th congressional district special election, 2017
- The campaign of Jon Ossoff wins a lawsuit extending voter registration. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Algerian legislative election, 2017
- Voter turnout is predicted to be low as Algerians go to the polls to elect members of the People's National Assembly. (Al Jazeera)
Efforts to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, American Health Care Act of 2017
- The Republican-controlled United States House of Representatives votes in favor of the repeal of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and passage of the House's 2017 American Health Care Act, by a narrow, 217–213 vote. Twenty Republicans and all Democrats opposed the bill, which now heads to the United States Senate for its legislative action. (CNN), (Fox News)

Science and technology

Scientists confirm that Denmark has its first wild pack of Gray wolves for the first time in 200 years. (The Guardian)

May 3, 2017 (Wednesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
- A suicide bombing attack on a NATO convoy in Kabul kills eight civilians and wounds at least 28 people. (Reuters)
Somali Public Works Minister Abbas Abdullahi Sheikh Siraji is shot and killed inside his vehicle by security forces near the Villa Somalia in the capital Mogadishu, after mistaking him for a militant. (BBC) (BNO News)

Arts and culture

Plans for a Chicago-based presidential library in honour of the former U.S. President Obama are revealed. (NBC)

Business and economy

Puerto Rico government-debt crisis
- Puerto Rico files for the largest "local government" bankruptcy in the United States. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

An explosion at a coal mine near Azadshahr, Iran, kills at least 35 miners and traps 39 others, according to state media. (BBC)
A car crash at an auto auction in Billerica, Massachusetts, kills at least three and injures nine, two critically. (CNN)

Politics and elections

French presidential election, 2017
- Candidates Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron face off in a debate. (The Guardian)
United Kingdom general election, 2017
- Conservative politician Theresa May accuses European Union officials of trying to influence the upcoming elections. (The Scotsman)

May 2, 2017 (Tuesday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

Syrian Civil War
- According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 38 people are killed, including civilians and Syrian Democratic Forces fighters, after ISIL militants attack a camp for displaced Syrian and Iraqi refugees near Al-Shaddadah, Al-Hasakah Governorate. (BBC)

International relations

North Korea and weapons of mass destruction, North Korea–United States relations
- North Korea vows to accelerate its nuclear weapons programme to “maximum pace” and test a nuclear device “at any time” in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive stance towards the regime. (The Guardian)

Politics and elections

United Kingdom general election, 2017
- Conservative leader Theresa May states she will be a "bloody difficult woman" in her negotiations with Jean-Claude Juncker regarding the rights of EU nationals after Brexit. (BBC)
French presidential election, 2017
- Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is accused of plagiarising a speech by François Fillon. (BBC)
Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has announced that he will submit his government's resignation because of a disagreement with Finance Minister Andrej Babiš. (BBC)
Philippine Drug War
- Philippine vice president Leni Robredo faces an impeachment charge before the House of Representatives for condemning the country's war on drugs at the United Nations. (Philippine Star)
2014–17 Venezuelan protests
- President Nicolas Maduro announces the drafting of a new constitution amid massive protests. (Los Angeles Times)

May 1, 2017 (Monday)

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Armed conflicts and attacks

International Workers' Day
- Workers' Party of Belgium representative Raoul Hedebouw gets stabbed in the thigh, moments before holding a speech in Liège, Belgium. The presumed assailant is arrested. (Sudinfo)
- Turkish police fire tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators marching to Taksim Square. Over 200 people are arrested at protests around the city of Istanbul. (Reuters)
- Marches in Paris are disrupted as French riot police fire tear gas at violent protesters ahead of the second round of the presidential election. (Evening Standard)

Disasters and accidents

A series of earthquakes, the largest registering 6.3, strike near Mosquito Lake, Alaska, near the Alaskan border with British Columbia, Canada. At least one office building and two schools were heavily damaged and evacuated in the Yukon. (USA Today) (CBC News)
Severe clear-air turbulence on an Aeroflot flight from Sheremetyevo International Airport, Moscow to Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, subjects 27 passengers to injuries including bone fractures. (CNN)

International relations

The Momentum Movement holds a pro-EU, anti-Russia march attended by approximately 10,000 in Budapest, Hungary, chanting “Europe, not Moscow” in support of the EU and against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. (Euractiv) (BBJ)
North Korea–United States relations
- Two Rockwell B-1B Lancer heavy bombers are flown over the Korean Peninsula by the United States, leading North Korea to accuse the US of preparing for nuclear warfare. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Law and crime

Saudi Arabia announces the arrest of 46 of what it describes as militants connected with the summer 2016 suicide bombing of Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina. (Reuters)
A knife attack leaves one dead and three injured at the University of Texas at Austin. (CNN)

More April 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 Upcoming May 7: France, President (2nd round) 9: South Korea, President 10: The Bahamas, House of Assembly 19: Iran, President 21: Lebanon, Parliament 21: Switzerland, Referendum 24: Cayman Islands, Legislative Assembly June 3: Lesotho, National Assembly edit sidebar

Recent deaths
May 2017 6: Steven Holcomb 5: Adolph Kiefer 4: William Baumol 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 29: William M. Hoffman 29: Ueli Steck 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 12: Michael Ballhaus 11: Tom Coyne 11: J. Geils 10: Arnold Clark 9: Carme Chacón 9: John Clarke 8: Fishman 8: Brian Matthew 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