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On May 17th, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued the "Key Points of Market Regulation Departments' Work on Promoting the Development and Growth of the Private Economy in 2026," outlining 34 key tasks. The document emphasizes a balanced approach of regulation and development promotion, continuously creating a fair competitive environment, innovating regulatory governance methods, and enhancing development service capabilities. It aims to promote the high-quality development of the private economy through a better environment, more practical measures, and stronger support. Regarding strengthening the legal and policy guarantees for the private economy, the document calls for improving the legal system for fair competition and the regulatory system for enterprise-related fees, enriching credit incentives and measures to strengthen technology and trade enterprises, enhancing the supply of policies to promote the development of individual businesses, and consolidating the legal foundation. In maintaining a fair and competitive market order, the document calls for resolutely breaking down barriers, deepening the construction of a unified national market, strengthening anti-monopoly compliance publicity and guidance, thoroughly rectifying "involutionary" competition, and safeguarding fair development. Regarding improving the efficiency of regulatory enforcement, the document explores non-on-site, contactless, and QR code-based enterprise access regulatory models, improves the fairness and civility of administrative law enforcement, intensifies the rectification of key areas, and optimizes governance capabilities. In terms of enhancing the ability to serve the development of the private economy, we will deepen the targeted assistance to individual businesses by category and type, continue to build the "credit + service" brand, strengthen the support of quality infrastructure, and help promote high-quality development.

On May 17th, French Culture Minister Catherine Pégal stated during the 79th Cannes Film Festival on the 16th that the National Centre for Cinema and Animation plans to revise its funding rules for creative projects to protect creative work from the impact of artificial intelligence. Pégal made these remarks at an event in Cannes and while addressing film industry professionals, discussing the challenges posed by AI to the industry. She stated that the National Centre for Cinema and Animation "will soon revise its relevant funding rules" to ensure adherence to the principle of "supporting human creation." Pégal emphasized that the act of creation is an essential human characteristic. She said that AI is a tool that can speed up, simplify, and enrich the filmmaking process; however, a work is a perspective, an intention, and an emotion, which no algorithm can achieve. Pégal clearly stated that the National Centre for Cinema and Animation "will not fund works without an author in the future." She also stressed that this does not mean "the use of AI is prohibited in funded works," but rather that it will not fund works that "replace creators with AI."

On May 17th, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated on social media: "Republicans are trying to get taxpayers to foot the bill for Trump's multi-billion dollar banquet hall. Senate Democrats fought back and thwarted their first attempt. Now, these 'banquet hall Republicans' say they will revise their plan and push it forward again. And Senate Democrats are prepared to block them again. The American people do not want a banquet hall, do not need a banquet hall, and should not be forced to pay for it."

On May 17, the Venezuelan government announced that Colombian businessman Alex Saab had been deported from the United States on suspicion of multiple crimes. Immigration authorities did not disclose his final destination. Saab was one of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's most influential financial advisors. He had been detained in a Caracas prison since early February, during which time Venezuelan and U.S. authorities explored ways to extradite him. This transfer marks the most significant judicial cooperation between Caracas and Washington since Maduro's capture by U.S. forces in January and could open new avenues for investigations into corruption within the former Venezuelan government. Maduro is currently on trial in a New York court with his wife.

On May 17, the World Health Organization declared that the Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda constitute a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern."

On May 17, British Columbia health officials reported on May 16 that a passenger from the cruise ship *Hundius*, who was quarantined in the province, tested positive for hantavirus in a preliminary test. British Columbia's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Bonnie Henry, said the patient developed mild symptoms such as fever and headache two days prior and was subsequently hospitalized. Her preliminary hantavirus test on May 15 was positive. The patient is currently in isolation, and her test results still require confirmation by a microbiology laboratory. Her partner tested negative. Currently, 10 Canadian citizens are under quarantine due to the *Hundius* outbreak; four are in British Columbia for a 21-day quarantine, and the other six are in Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec.

According to Israeli media reports, the massive explosion near Beit Shemesh, Israel, was a controlled industrial blast, with no casualties or property damage.

May 17th - According to a report in the British newspaper *The Sun* on Saturday evening, British Chancellor of the Exchequer Reeves plans to announce next week that she will postpone the planned fuel tax increase originally scheduled for September. The temporary fuel tax reduction measure, which began in 2022, was originally scheduled to expire this September. If the measure expires, fuel prices will rise by 5 pence (approximately 6.6 US cents) per liter. However, the British government has previously extended this tax reduction measure several times, most recently in the annual budget last November. *The Sun* reports that Reeves is preparing to extend the measure again.

On May 17, US President Trump posted an AI-generated image on social media. In the image, Trump and a general are standing on a warship, while small boats and ships flying the Iranian flag are nearby. The caption reads, "This is the calm before the storm."

Dutch Prime Minister: ASML (ASML.O) and Tata Electronics have also jointly signed a statement, which is an important step toward closer cooperation in the semiconductor field.

On May 17, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the Israeli military stated that a soldier was killed in combat operations in southern Lebanon. This soldier's death brings the total number of soldiers killed since the resumption of fighting with Hezbollah in early March to 21.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf: The world is standing at the beginning of a new order. The future belongs to the Global South.

Iran will reopen its stock market on Tuesday, May 17, according to a report by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Saturday, citing a senior official. The report stated that trading had been suspended due to conflicts with the United States and Israel. Hamid Yari, deputy supervisor of the Iranian Securities and Exchange Organization, said, "The suspension of stock market activities since the outbreak of the war was aimed at protecting shareholder assets, preventing panic trading, and creating a more transparent pricing environment." He added, "Now, with the reopening of the stock market, we will see all sectors of the capital market fully resume operation."

On May 17th, according to the Financial Times, two Federal Reserve officials nominated by US President Trump opposed allowing Jerome Powell to serve as interim chairman of the Fed "without time limit." This highlights the escalating political divisions within the central bank amid continued attacks from the White House. Powell's second term as Fed chairman ended on Friday. He was appointed interim chairman to assume the duties until his official successor, Warsh, takes office. Milan and Bowman, nominated by Trump to the Fed's board of governors, stated in a joint statement that they supported Powell's temporary appointment as interim chairman, but "could not support this action" because the arrangement was "without time limit." Milan voted against it, while Bowman abstained. Milan and Bowman stated that Powell's interim chairmanship "should be limited to a clearly defined and finite timeframe, at least one week," but they "can support a maximum period of one month."

On May 17, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) convened an emergency regional coordination meeting on May 16, local time, to discuss and deploy a new round of Ebola prevention and control efforts with relevant personnel from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, South Sudan, the World Health Organization, and the African Medical Association. The meeting focused on current priorities, including cross-border surveillance and early warning management, infection prevention and control, case management, close contact management, logistical support, and resource mobilization.

On May 17, US President Trump warned Iran that it would face a "very bad situation" if a peace agreement was not reached soon. In a telephone interview with French broadcaster BFMTV, Trump said, "They are interested in reaching an agreement." Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi said on Friday that the Iranian government had received a message from the Trump administration indicating its willingness to engage in new negotiations, but he also warned that "distrust" of Washington's true intentions remained.

The Israeli military says it attacked 100 targets in southern Lebanon in two days.

Pemex, Mexico's state-owned oil company, stated that the incident posed no risk to people, facilities, or communities.