2017 News Map: Faces of April

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As 2017 comes to an end, CGTN has put together a twelve-episode special series "News Map 2017" to review the monthly events of the past year.

From Dec. 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 world attention in April, 2017.

Arabella Kushner, granddaughter of US President Donald Trump, sings traditional Chinese songs in a video as part of Trump's toast as China's President Xi Jinping hosts a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China November 9, 2017. /VCG Photo

Trump’s granddaughter Arabella became Internet sensation

Hearing a foreigner speak Mandarin Chinese is no longer a jaw dropping or awe inspiring occasion, but one little girl - who happens to be the granddaughter of US President Donald Trump - has just done that.

Six-year-old Arabella became an instant Internet sensation after she sang in tone-perfect Chinese for Chinese President Xi Jinping. And the best thing was that it wasn't the first time she had put on such a show. Her mother Ivanka Trump has posted videos of Arabella singing and reciting Chinese poems for Chinese New Year.

According to Ivanka, Arabella has been learning Chinese since she was just one year old.

Serving as a good example of expanding bilateral cultural exchanges, Arabella was praised as a small messenger of China-US friendship.

Crystal Dao Pepper, daughter of Dr. David Dao, speaks during a news conference at Union League Club in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. April 13, 2017. /VCG Photo

United Airlines passenger David Dao violently dragged off overbooked flight

It was a nightmare for Dr. David Dao, who was forcefully removed from a United Airlines plane, all because the airline wanted four passengers to make room for staff members on the overbooked plane, and he refused.

"What happened to my dad should never happen to any human being regardless of the circumstance. We were horrified and shocked and sickened to learn what had happened to him," Crystal Peppel, David’s daughter said during a news conference.

The 69-year-old Vietnamese-American suffered a significant concussion, a broken nose and lost two front teeth in the incident.

Describing it as "more horrifying" than his experiences in the Vietnam War, the doctor planned to sue the airline.

His brutal treatment also ignited widespread outrage around the world.

Under such pressure, the airline finally reached a settlement for an undisclosed sum with the violently treated passenger.

Tribute flags to victims of the Sewol ferry disaster displayed on a pier at Paengmok harbor on March 24, 2017 in Jindo-gun, South Korea. /VCG Photo

Relatives mark 3rd anniversary of Sewol disaster

It was the third anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, but there was no lack of grief in the families of the victims.

The ferry sank off South Korea's southwestern coast on 16 April 2014, killing 304 people, most of whom were students on a high school trip.

The S. Korean government was widely criticized for its badly managed rescue and recovery efforts.

Even more upsetting, the government excluded the families from the investigation, crushing their hopes of finding out why their children died.

"Even in the process of salvaging the Sewol ferry and investigating the hull, the government, the oceans and fisheries ministry still hold and wield power. The central government is still forcing us to stay still," Jeon Myung-Sun, father of victim, said.

And three years later, nine people are still unaccounted for.

As the sunken ferry was lifted from the water, the families were eager to find the truth and the remains of their loved ones.