10 outstanding international events of 2016

(Baonghean.vn) - A series of important political, economic, and security events took place across all continents, marking a memorable 2016 and ushering the world into 2017 with renewed hope, mixed with a touch of anxiety.

Let's look back at the outstanding events of the past year with Nghe An Newspaper.

1. US Presidential Election

On November 8th, the world was taken by surprise when Donald Trump won 306 electoral votes while Hillary Clinton received only 232, securing his election as the 45th President of the United States. This was the first time the US had a president who was a billionaire with no prior political experience. Although there were many protests against Trump after the election, some believed he would bring about much-needed change to America. This event also had a significant impact on the global political landscape.

2. The UK leaves the EU ( Brexit)

On June 23, British voters cast their ballots to leave the European Union (EU) in an event commonly known as 'Brexit,' with 52% voting to leave and 48% to remain. Following the announcement of the results, then-British Prime Minister David Cameron resigned. The new Prime Minister, Theresa May, took office. After the vote, international financial markets plummeted, and the British pound depreciated sharply.

3. Cuban leader Fidel Castro has passed away.

On the night of November 25th local time (noon November 26th Hanoi time), Cuban President Raul Castro announced on television that leader Fidel Castro had passed away at the age of 90. Fidel Castro was born on August 13, 1926. He was a great revolutionary, one of the most outstanding figures of the 20th century. He inscribed Cuba in the history of mankind with the revolution that overthrew the dictatorship, leading this Caribbean nation to its current path of independence.

4. Terrorist attacks on French National Day.

On the evening of July 14th, a terrorist drove a truck at over 60 km/h into a crowd that had just finished watching a fireworks display on France's National Day, killing 84 people and injuring more than 150, including many children. The terrorist appeared to deliberately drive the truck in a zigzag pattern to run over as many people as possible. The driver, identified as a 31-year-old French national of Tunisian descent, was shot dead.

5. Coup d'état in Türkiye

On July 15 and 16, 2016, a group within the Turkish military attempted a coup to overthrow the incumbent government of President Erdogan, but failed. At least 264 people were killed, including 173 civilians, 67 government security personnel, and 24 coup plotters, and more than 1,390 were injured. According to Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, approximately 6,000 people have been arrested and 2,745 judges have been dismissed so far.

6. King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand has passed away.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand passed away on the afternoon of October 13th at the age of 88. After nearly seven decades on the throne, he was the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history. King Bhumibol Adulyadej was a rare monarch in the modern world who simultaneously possessed immense wealth, political power, the reverence of his people, and international respect. His son and heir, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, 63, became the new King of Thailand.

7. The South Korean President's Scandal

On October 25, South Korean President Park Geun-hye apologized and admitted to having "consulted" with her close friend Choi Soon-sil when drafting speeches during her 2012 election campaign and early in office. Park is also suspected of playing a role in pressuring large corporations to contribute to the establishment of two non-profit organizations allegedly run by Choi.

8. The largest leak of classified documents in history.

On May 10th, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) publicly released the "Panama Papers," detailing tax evasion by the wealthy. The data, belonging to the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, revealed money laundering and tax evasion involving 140 politicians, dozens of billionaires, and other prominent individuals worldwide. The documents also exposed a system of shell companies, totaling 214,000 offshore organizations and businesses.

9. Europe is "suffocating" from the immigration crisis.

In 2016, a wave of migrants continued to pour into Europe. The stories of refugee ships sinking in the Mediterranean Sea became a haunting memory for humanity. Many policies were implemented, but none were effective. The allocation of immigration quotas divided the EU, while xenophobic sentiment emerged in many places. Europe also faced danger as terrorists infiltrated the refugee flow.

10. The arbitration tribunal rejects the nine-dash line claim.

On July 12, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) of the United Nations issued a ruling on the case brought by the Philippines, rejecting China's sovereignty claims in the South China Sea and concluding that there is no legal basis for China's assertion of historical rights to resources within the nine-dash line. In its ruling, the PCA also concluded that no entity in the Spratly Islands can generate an exclusive economic zone for China.

Peace

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