News Map 2017: Faces of October

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As 2017 comes to an end, CGTN has put together a 12-episode special series called "News Map 2017" to review the monthly events of the past year. From December 18 to 29, review the most stirring events, relive the most touching stories and remember the most influential faces of 2017. Here are some faces that grabbed the world's attention in October 2017.

Former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont led unlawful referendum

As the first Catalan president to refuse to take the oath of loyalty to the Spanish constitution when elected, 55-year-old politician Carles Puigdemont, former president of Catalonia, led a controversial independence referendum on the first day of October with a simple question: "Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state in the form of a republic?"

Sacked Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont attends a news conference at the Press Club Brussels Europe in Brussels, Belgium, October 31, 2017. /VCG Photo

In a televised announcement, Puigdemont said: "We have won the right to be listened to, to be respected and to be recognized. Today, millions of people mobilized, facing all kinds of difficulties and threats. You have said loud and clear that you have a message for the world: We have the right to decide our future."

The referendum was defined as illegal by the Spanish government. Puigdemont was removed from office in late October. He then went to Brussels to seek asylum, and later turned himself in to the Belgian police after Spanish courts issued a European Arrest Warrant against him.

Las Vegas shooting: Deadliest mass shooting in modern US history

A music festival is supposed to be a joyous occasion, until you hear massive gunfire. More than 1,100 shots were fired from 23 firearms, and 58 people were slaughtered.

On the night of October 1, a 64-year-old gunman committed the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. Crowds of people formed long lines outside blood donation centers in Las Vegas the next day to donate blood to the victims.

Mourners attend a candlelight vigil at the corner of Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard for the victims of the Las Vegas mass shooting, October 2, 2017. /VCG Photo

"My fear is that I won't progress. I want to be able to walk again. I want to be able to function normally. I'm happy to be alive, that I got out of there. But you know, I want to have a good life," wounded victim Michael Castro told the press.

Austria’s Sebastian Kurz becomes world's youngest national leader

Nicknamed "Wonder Hotshot," he has been compared to the young leaders of France and Canada, Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau.

Head of the Austrian People's Party Sebastian Kurz. ‍/VCG Photo

Sebastian Kurz, the 31-year-old head of Austria's People’s Party, became the world's youngest national leader in October.

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15:01, 22-Apr-2025