Geographical events of the year. The great departed: Iskander, Krachkovskaya, Popov, Ivanova, Zeldin
One of the most anticipated economic events of 2016 was the decision of the US Federal Reserve System (US Federal Reserve) to increase the key interest rate from 0.25-0.5% to 0.5-0.75%. The American authorities were forced to tighten monetary policy by growing inflation (in November 2016 it reached 2%) and unemployment (4.5%) of the country’s economically active population. The head of the monetary regulator, Janet Yellen, announced her intention to raise the rate three times this year, but made the decision after the presidential elections in the United States, wanting to emphasize her apolitical nature of the new presidential administration.
Those surveyed by RT are confident that the strengthening of the US dollar against the national currencies of other countries will cause significant damage to the export potential of the United States and will lead to a decline in the consumer market, which will negatively affect the growth rate of the state’s GDP already in 2017.
Brexit is a fashionable neologism
In June 2016, in a referendum on Britain's membership in the EU, the majority of Britons (51.9%) voted for the kingdom to leave the union. The unexpected expression of the will of citizens forced Prime Minister David Cameron to resign.
The UK's sensational intention shocked the foreign exchange market: in less than a month, the pound sterling fell to a historical high of 1985 and is now trading around ₤1.25 per $1.
The reaction of the banking sector, which is the most sensitive to changes in exchange rates, was not long in coming. A study in December by the Bank of England found that Britain's three largest banks - Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), StanChart and Barclays - were doing very little to eliminate financial losses at their own expense.
Political uncertainty provoked an outflow of capital from the UK, which for the first time in seven years dropped out of the top five countries most attractive to investors, Ernst & Young experts calculated. Since the summer of 2016, the kingdom's economy has lost about 45% of all foreign investment.
In 2016, continental European banks also failed stress tests. The famous German banks, Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank, failed the inspection of the Eurocentral Bank, whose capitalization was below the required level by an average of 1.5-3%. The Italian banking system also failed this year. In November 2016, Banca Monte dei Paschi was on the verge of default, owing creditors €28 billion.
"Asian tigers" showed their fangs
In 2016, foreign investors were attracted by the prospect of high profits (up to 14% per annum) in the countries of Southeast Asia. According to the MSCI international exchange, in the three quarters of 2016, the Asian Tiger markets accounted for about 12% of all foreign capital investments. For comparison: for the same period last year this figure was 9%. The investors' favorites were Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia.
“For the countries of Southeast Asia, 2016 was one of the most successful years for the development of investment potential. Thus, over the nine months of 2016, the volume of direct investment in Indonesia increased by 12.5% and amounted to about $11.7 billion. Investors are attracted by the transparency of legislation, the openness of the economy and quick income with justified risks,” explained RT the economic attaché of the Indonesian Embassy Kiki Kuprabovo.
The papers scattered
This year has been successful for the yuan - China's national currency entered the reserve currency basket of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The share of the Chinese national currency was 11%, displacing the euro by 6%. However, the IMF preference did not save the yuan from devaluation. Over the 11 months of 2016, the yuan exchange rate against the dollar fell to an eight-year low - $1 now costs about 6.9 yuan. Over the past year alone, the Central Bank of China has allocated about $500 billion to maintain the exchange rate of the national currency.
The national currency rates of other developing countries also suffered from the economic shocks of 2016. Thus, after Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, the Mexican peso fell by 12% overnight - this is the strongest drop since 1994.
No less “tragic” has become, the rate of which has reached a historical maximum since 1923: $1 now costs more than 3.5 lire.
Among developed economies, the most significant was the collapse of the British pound, which pulled the euro into the currency hole, which collapsed to the values of March 2015 and almost reached parity with the US dollar.
Iran without sanctions
At the beginning of 2016, the world community lifted most of the sanctions against Iran, after which state revenues from oil sales soared by almost 90%. Currently, crude oil production in the country remains at the level of 3.7 million barrels per day, which, at the current oil price, will bring more than $21 billion to the country’s treasury, the Iranian government has calculated.
However, the Iranian authorities are directing most of the oil money to the development of the country’s high-tech industries, trying to minimize the economy’s dependence on hydrocarbons in the future. In an interview with RT, Ahmad Reza Alai, Deputy Chairman for International Affairs of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said:
“Today, energy exports provide less than 25% of Iran’s budget revenues. The lifting of sanctions allowed us to increase mutually beneficial cooperation in the transfer of new technologies. According to our estimates, there are over 3,000 research centers operating in Iran, the main task of which is the development and implementation of high-tech technologies.”
Cartel agreement
For the first time in eight years, OPEC countries reached an agreement on up to 32.5 million barrels per day. The stumbling block for exporters was restrictive quotas: the unofficial leader of OPEC, Saudi Arabia, for a long time could not come to an agreement on the size of the oil “freeze” for Iran, its main strategic competitor in the Middle East. On November 30, at a summit in Vienna, OPEC agreed to reduce existing oil capacity by 1.2 million barrels: Iran will limit raw material production at 3.79 million barrels per day, Saudi Arabia - by 10.06 million barrels, Iraq - by 209 thousand barrels .
Russia, an observer in the cartel, has joined the “freeze”: it is ready to reduce daily production by 300 thousand barrels. Oman decided to follow the example of the Russian Federation, which will reduce production by 350 thousand barrels per day.
Oil budgets are bursting at the seams
The restoration of Iran's economic strength and low oil prices have dealt a crushing blow to the prosperity of the Gulf countries. In 2016, the budgets of the oil monarchies became deficit for the first time in 20 years, which forced the authorities to place debt securities for a record amount of $66 billion. The “emission” leader was Saudi Arabia, which issued foreign currency bonds for $17.5 billion. However, according to analysts from Moody's agency, such a large-scale “debt sale” will not save the Saudi economy from the expected budget deficit of 22% of GDP in 2017 (in 2016 - 15% of GDP).
Ecological alternative
2016 was rich in the active development of alternative energy sources. China spent more than $80 billion on the purchase and installation of new wind stations. Denmark is actively using wind energy, where the share of renewable energy consumption is more than 30% of all energy sources. Germany, the USA and India do not regret investing in environmentally friendly energy sources.
Investments in renewable energy will pay significant dividends by 2020, members of the World Wind Energy Council. According to economists, in four years the industry will provide the global economy with more than a million new jobs and attract about €95 billion of investment.
The editors of mger2020.ru sum up the results of 2016: we will be reminded of it by the first launch from the Vostochny cosmodrome, the launch of an energy bridge to Crimea, the restoration of relations with Turkey, and the victory in the competition for the right to host the World Festival of Youth and Students in 2017.
Unfortunately, speaking about the past year, one cannot help but recall the terrible plane crashes, terrorist attacks and other tragedies in Russia, Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, and the USA, in which hundreds of innocent adults and children died.
We present a selection of key events that influenced both Russian domestic politics and changed the situation in the world.
Russia strengthens its position in international rankings
In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin topped the ranking of the most influential people in the world according to Forbes magazine. The head of state is the leader of this list for the fourth year in a row. “In his homeland, in Syria, and in the US presidential elections, the Russian leader continues to achieve everything he wants,” Forbes notes.
Meanwhile, in Russia, 86.8% of citizens approve of the President’s activities – this is the annual maximum recorded by sociologists from VTsIOM in December. “I think people see that I work hard, openly, honestly and sincerely strive to achieve the results that the country needs. I believe that they also see that not everything can be done - our people are smart and observant. But I believe that the main thing is a sincere desire for the maximum result, to make the country feel safer and people live better,” said Vladimir Putin, commenting on the high level of trust.
Russia's suspension did not go unnoticed at the Paralympics itself. At the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, member of the Belarus team delegation Andrei Fomochkin carried the Russian flag as a sign of solidarity with Russian athletes. The leadership of Belarus supported the position of the country's Paralympic delegation.
Preliminary voting for United Russia
This year, on the eve of the State Duma elections, United Russia became the only party that held a preliminary vote. In total, 2,781 people took part in the primaries, of which 43% were non-party members. 1,171 people were nominated according to party lists, and 2,107 people were nominated in single-mandate constituencies. The final turnout on April 22, the day of preliminary voting, exceeded 10 million people.
On November 14, a telephone conversation took place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and American leader Donald Trump. The head of state wished him success in implementing his election program and noted his readiness to build a partnership dialogue with the new administration on the principles of equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
Europe's migration pain and Merkel's ratings fall
For the second year, Europe has been gripped by a migration crisis. Almost every month, the countries of the “Old World” come up with new methods to combat the consequences of the endless flow of refugees from the Middle East: they close the borders of their states, spend billions of dollars to return permanent control of border zones, and contribute fabulous amounts of money to the fund for refugees.
Over the course of a year, every European has formed their own opinion about the causes of the second largest migration crisis since World War II. The vast majority of Europeans believe that migrants are seeking asylum because of threats from terrorist groups, including ISIS (banned in Russia), government military action and poor social conditions in the refugees' home countries. Another common opinion about the causes of the migration crisis is the military intervention of the United States and the EU in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa.
A poll conducted by the German broadcasting company ARD showed that if elections to the Bundestag were held on April 24, only 33% of voters would vote for the bloc of conservative parties consisting of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union, and 21% of voters would vote for the Socialist Party. the democratic party, which is a partner of the ruling coalition.
Nevertheless, German Chancellor Angela Merkel remains confident in the correctness of migration policy and refuses to tighten or partially change relevant legislation in order to increase the safety of Germans from the massive influx of migrants.
By the way, in June, British residents made a resonant decision in the referendum on the country’s exit from the European Union. According to official data, about 52% of the population voted for Brexit. According to British political scientists, the outcome of the referendum indicates a major split in British society. Prime Minister David Cameron, who opposed Brexit, was forced to immediately resign after the results of the referendum were announced. The referendum on Britain's membership in the EU became the first sign of the collapse of the European Union: for example, after Brexit, other European states began to think about leaving the EU.
Europe is against sanctions and for constructive relations with Russia
This year, European countries continue to talk about the lifting of economic sanctions against Russia.
At a meeting with the President of Russia, Fischer said that “those who are interested in relations with Russia are not happy about the existence of sanctions.”
A French research center specializing in the field of international economics has estimated the losses of Western countries from the introduction of sanctions against Russia, and most of the losses are a consequence of the actions of the West, and not the retaliatory measures of the Russian side. The economic study said the loss was estimated at $60.2 billion between 2014 and July 2015.
Serbia, Italy, Cyprus, and the Netherlands oppose the sanctions. In addition, representatives of Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic advocated the abolition or easing of sanctions in one form or another.
Tragedies
In the past year, we have had to endure many tragedies that have claimed the lives of hundreds of people.
On March 19, a Boeing 737-800 passenger airliner crashed in Rostov-on-Don. The plane crash of flight 981 Dubai - Rostov-on-Don allegedly occurred at 3.40 Moscow time at Rostov-on-Don airport during a re-entry in difficult weather conditions. There were 62 people on board, all of them died.
On December 19, in Ankara, at the Gallery of Modern Art, at the exhibition “Russia through the eyes of the Turks,” the Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov was wounded. The diplomat died from his injuries. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to Andrei Karlov’s family and instructed to nominate the diplomat for a state award. The head of state said that Moscow must know exactly who is behind the murder of the Russian ambassador to Turkey.
On the morning of December 25, a Tu-154 plane crashed over the Black Sea in Sochi. There were 92 people on board, among them were artists of the Academic Song and Dance Ensemble named after. Alexandrova, journalists from the Zvezda TV channel and Channel One, NTV, as well as the head of the Fair Aid charity foundation, Elizaveta Glinka, known as Doctor Lisa. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree declaring December 26 a day of mourning. As a sign of solidarity with Russia, Belarus has declared a Day of Mourning in connection with the plane crash. Citizens of the Republic bring flowers and candles to the building of the Russian Embassy in Minsk and leave entries in the book of condolences. On instructions from President Alexander Lukashenko, state flags were lowered over government buildings across the country, and entertainment programs on radio and television were cancelled.
A series of terrorist attacks that occurred in Belgium on March 22 shook up the entire international community, forcing everyone to think about the need to unite to fight the main global threat - terrorism. According to the latest data, during the monstrous explosions, 34 people were killed and 135 were injured.
On the evening of July 14, a truck drove at full speed into the crowd on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, where at that moment there were thousands of people leaving after the Bastille Day celebrations. According to the latest data, 84 people were killed as a result of the terrorist attack. More than a hundred people were injured.
Vladimir Putin especially emphasized that “the recent terrorist attacks committed in various regions of the world once again show that terrorism can only be countered jointly, based on the norms and principles of international law, with the coordinating role of the UN.” “There should be no double standards here; terrorists cannot be divided into “good” and “bad.” And, of course, it is unacceptable and extremely dangerous to try to use terrorist and radical extremist groups for political or geopolitical interests,” says the President of the Russian Federation.
Russian military power in Syria
A year ago, the Russian Aerospace Forces began a military operation to combat terrorists in Syria. As a result of intensive military aviation operations, it was possible to seriously undermine the positions of IS and other groups, destroy the terrorist infrastructure and prevent the collapse of the Syrian Republic.
Russia announced the organization of a humanitarian pause in Aleppo from September 18 so that everyone could leave the city and receive the necessary help, but militants are preventing civilians from leaving.
On December 22, the command of the Syrian army announced that Aleppo had been completely liberated from terrorists and had come under the control of the country's government forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the day before, on December 29, that agreements had been reached on a ceasefire in Syria and readiness to begin peace negotiations. Three documents were signed: the first was between the Syrian government and the armed opposition on a ceasefire in Syria, the second was a set of measures to monitor the ceasefire, and the third was a statement of readiness to begin peaceful negotiations on a Syrian settlement.
The US presidential elections, the Rio Olympics, the doping scandal, terrorist attacks in Brussels, Nice and Turkey, the crash of a Tu-154 in the Black Sea - these and other main events of the year in Russia and the world in the RBC review.
The first meeting of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Pope
On February 12, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' and Pope Francis met in Cuba. This was the first meeting in history between the head of the Russian Orthodox Church and the pontiff.
Explosions at the airport and metro in Brussels, Belgium
On the morning of March 22, two explosions occurred in the passenger check-in area in the departure hall of Brussels Airport. Later, another explosion occurred at the Maelbeek metro station near the European Quarter. The terrorist group “Islamic State” (banned in Russia) claimed responsibility for the attacks. The reason was the revenge of the alleged organizer of the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015. More than 30 people were killed as a result of the terrorist attacks in Belgium. The suspects were detained.
Aggravation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh
On the night of April 2, fighting resumed in Nagorno-Karabakh. The unrecognized republic and Azerbaijan accused each other of provocations. Over the four days that the conflict lasted, Azerbaijan's losses amounted to more than 30 military personnel, Nagorno-Karabakh admitted the death of 20 military personnel, and another 26 military personnel are listed as missing. According to the UN, as a result of the escalation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, 33 people were killed and more than 200 were injured.
"Panamagate"
On April 3, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), together with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and several global media outlets, published documents from the so-called Panama Archives. The archive of 11.5 million documents is named so because the company Mossack Fonseca, the leak from which formed the basis of the investigation, is registered in the Panama Islands. According to ICIJ, the company built a business on creating shell companies and corporate structures to hide the ultimate beneficiaries of assets.
The archive revealed data on offshore and foreign companies of Russian officials or members of their families, as well as on companies whose beneficiaries are now former Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov, former deputy manager of presidential affairs Ivan Malyushin, Deputy Mayor of Moscow Maxim Liksutov, cellist Sergei Roldugin and the main owner of Rossiya Bank Yuri Kovalchuk.
Shooting at the Pulse club in Orlando, USA
On the night of June 12, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, a resident of Port St. Lucie, Florida, broke into the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando and went on a shooting spree, holding more than 300 people hostage for an hour and a half. 49 people were killed and more than 50 were injured. Mateen was shot dead during the assault. The attack on the club was classified as a “domestic terrorist attack.” Matin’s direct connection with the Islamic State, banned in Russia, was not established, but during the attack on the club, he called the rescue service and stated that he had sworn allegiance to the terrorist group.
Death of 14 schoolchildren from the camp on Syamozero, Russia
On the evening of June 18, 14 children from the health camp “Park Hotel “Syamozero” in Karelia died after being caught in a storm during a rafting trip. The Investigative Committee opened criminal cases against the director of the park, Elena Reshetova, and her deputy, Vadim Vinogradov.
Brexit, UK
On June 23, British residents voted in a referendum for the country to leave the EU (Brexit). The country's Prime Minister David Cameron resigned, his successor Theresa May promised that the procedure for leaving the EU would be launched before March 2017. Brexit led to a sharp collapse of the pound and a decrease in the attractiveness of the country for doing business.
Photo: Press service of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation/TASS
Arrest of Nikita Belykh, Russia
On June 24, in the restaurant of the Lotte Plaza shopping and office center on Novy Arbat, Nikita Belykh, Governor of the Kirov Region, was detained while receiving a bribe of €400 thousand. According to investigators, in exchange for this amount, he promised to help the companies JSC Novovyatsky Ski Plant and LLC Forestry Management Company in the implementation of investment projects. Belykh himself did not admit the charges, saying that this money should have gone to the needs of Kirov. The investigation continues, Belykh was dismissed and is in a pre-trial detention center.
Terrorist attack at Istanbul airport, Türkiye
On June 28, a terrorist attack occurred at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul near the security checkpoints at the entrance to the passenger arrivals area. The attack involved three suicide bombers who arrived at the airport in a taxi. The attackers first opened fire with weapons and then blew themselves up. More than 40 people were killed and more than 200 were injured. It was later established that the terrorist attack was carried out by persons with citizenship of Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan; Turkish authorities linked the attack to the activities of the Islamic State banned in Russia.
Terrorist attack in Nice, France
On July 14, during the Bastille Day celebrations, on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, 31-year-old Mohamed Boulel drove a truck into a crowd of vacationers and drove almost 2 km before the police managed to shoot him. Five suspects were detained in connection with the terrorist attack. The Islamic State terrorist group banned in Russia took responsibility for the crime. More than 80 people were killed and more than 300 were injured.
Coup attempt in Turkey
On the night of July 15-16, a military coup was attempted in Turkey. As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, the coup was initiated by supporters of Fethullah Gülen, a preacher, philosopher, former supporter of Erdogan, who fled persecution in the United States in the 1990s. A state of emergency was declared in the country, more than 40 thousand people were detained, many media outlets and schools financed by Gülen were closed.
Doping scandal
In July and December, the independent commission to investigate doping in Russian athletics, created by WADA, published two parts of the report on the results of its work. She came to the conclusion that over the past six years the Russian Ministry of Sports has created a system for falsifying doping tests of Russian athletes.
The first report led to the disqualification of the Russian team for the 2016 Paralympics, the suspension of the track and field and weightlifting teams from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, the cancellation of international tournaments planned in Russia, and the revocation of international licenses from Russian anti-doping structures. After the publication of the second part, Russia was deprived of the right to host the bobsleigh and skeleton world championships, which were to be held in Sochi, and also lost several major competitions in biathlon and speed skating. Investigations into most Russian athletes are ongoing.
Earthquake in Italy
On the night of August 24, one of the most destructive earthquakes in recent years occurred in Central Italy. A shock of magnitude 6.2 was recorded at the junction of the regions of Umbria, Lazio and Marche, several cities were completely destroyed. More than 240 people died, several thousand people lost their homes.
Rio Olympics and impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff
In August, the Summer Olympic Games were held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Russia took fourth place there, receiving 56 medals, of which 19 were gold.
On August 31, a few days after the end of the Olympic Games, the Brazilian Senate voted for the resignation of President Dilma Rousseff. The reason for impeachment was Rousseff's accusation of budget fraud: allegedly the government, at the initiative of the president in 2014-2015, used the so-called fiscal pedaling - the authorities moved planned spending on social programs to the next financial period to improve performance in the current period. Rousseff denies the allegations.
Arrest of Colonel Zakharchenko, Russia
On September 10, Interior Ministry Colonel Dmitry Zakharchenko was arrested. He was accused of receiving a bribe, abuse of power and obstruction of a preliminary investigation. According to the investigation materials, in December 2015 he received 7 million rubles. for “general patronage” from the former head and co-owner of the Rusengineering company Anatoly Pshegornitsky. In recent years, this company has been one of the major contractors of the FGC UES company and has carried out a number of government orders for laying electrical networks.
Another episode is related to the investigation into the theft of funds from Nota Bank. According to the case file, in January 2016, Zakharchenko warned the sister of one of the leaders of Nota Bank about the impending search and summoning of Galina Marchukova for questioning. In the fall of 2015, a financial hole was discovered in the bank’s budget, as a result of which the Central Bank revoked the structure’s license. Now a criminal case has been opened regarding the theft of money, and Nota Bank itself is in the process of bankruptcy.
In addition, during a search in the apartment of Zakharchenko’s sister and in the car he used, an unprecedented amount of money was found - almost 9 billion rubles.
Scandal with exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7
In early September, Samsung suspended sales of the new Galaxy Note 7 smartphone after it became known that the phones could overheat during use and explode. The cause was a defect in batteries produced by one of the suppliers. This led to the fact that in November the company's shares fell by 30% in the third quarter, and management announced its readiness to consider a proposal to split the company.
US presidential election
On November 8, the US presidential elections took place. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was ahead of eccentric billionaire Donald Trump. His election sparked protests across the country, but in the end Clinton accepted the election results, and Trump began to assemble a team. The inauguration will take place on January 20.
Arrest of the Minister of Economic Development Alexey Ulyukaev, Russia
On November 15, Russian Minister of Economic Development Alexey Ulyukaev was placed under house arrest. Previously, he was detained while accepting a bribe of $2 million at the office of the Rosneft company. According to investigators, he received money for a positive assessment of the transaction for the acquisition of Bashneft by this company. Ulyukaev, who was later dismissed, denies the charges. The investigation is ongoing.
OPEC decision to cut oil production
On November 30 in Vienna, representatives of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed to reduce oil production for the first time since 2008. They decreased by 1.2 million barrels per day, to 32.5 million barrels. Indonesia, not agreeing with this decision, suspended the action in the organization.
Russian oil workers agreed to reduce production following the OPEC decision. As a result, by the end of the year the cost of a barrel of Brent oil increased from $50 to $55.
Privatization of Rosneft and Bashneft
In early October, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on the sale of a 50.08% stake in Bashneft to Rosneft. The transaction amount amounted to 329.69 billion rubles.
How the privatization of Bashneft was prepared
On December 7, Rosneft Chief Executive Officer Igor Sechin informed President Putin about the completion of the transaction to privatize a 19.5% stake in Rosneft. Investors included Glencore and the Qatari sovereign wealth fund, which received 50% stakes in the consortium that is acquiring the shares. The transaction value was €10.5 billion.
The situation in Syria and Iraq
Throughout the year, the fight against the terrorist group “Islamic State” continued in Syria and Iraq. By the end of the year, the coalition had lost Aleppo to the militants, but Palmyra had been recaptured by terrorists again in December. Iraqi Mosul.
On December 29, it became known that the Syrian government and the armed opposition had signed a ceasefire agreement. Russian President Vladimir Putin that we are talking about a ceasefire, a set of measures to monitor the ceasefire and a statement of readiness to begin peaceful negotiations to resolve the situation in the country. According to him, the signing of the agreements was the result of Russia’s work with Turkey and Iran.
Assassination of the Russian Ambassador to Turkey
On December 19 in Ankara, during the opening of an exhibition at the Center for Contemporary Art, the Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov was killed. The shooter, 22-year-old former Turkish police officer Mevlut Altintas, was killed. The Russian Foreign Ministry and the UN Security Council qualified the incident as a terrorist attack, and Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the ambassador to be nominated for a government award.
Tu-154 crash in the Black Sea
A Tu-154 Ministry of Defense plane taking off from Adler crashed on the morning of December 25. The airliner disappeared from radar screens in the second minute of the flight and fell into the Black Sea near Sochi. The aircraft was heading to Syria, with 92 people on board: military personnel, artists from the Alexandrov Ensemble, journalists, and the head of the Fair Aid Foundation, Elizaveta Glinka.
Investigators are considering several versions of the tragedy, including pilot error and technical malfunction. The possibility of a terrorist attack has not been completely ruled out, although it is certain that there was no explosion on board the plane. Preliminary examination data will become known in January, and final conclusions about the causes of the disaster will be made after the flight recorders are deciphered.
Obama Administration's New Sanctions
On December 29, US President Barack Obama signed a decree expanding sanctions against Russia in connection with an investigation into hacker attacks on political parties in the United States. The list includes the Federal Security Service, the Main Directorate of the General Staff, ANO “Professional Association of Computer Science System Designers”, LLC “Special Technology Center”, LLC “Digital Weapons and Protection”.
The list of sanctions against individuals has expanded by six names. It includes the head of the GRU of the General Staff Igor Korobov, his first deputies Igor Kostyukov and Vladimir Alekseev, as well as Korobov’s deputy Sergei Gizunov.
On the same day, the US State Department announced the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats from the country, who must leave the United States within 72 hours.
The outgoing year 2016 brought many changes to the political life of Russia and the world, and also turned out to be quite generous with surprises. What was happening in the country, did any prospects emerge, and what do you remember about the past year? We analyzed and selected the most significant political events that occurred both in Russia and throughout the world.
1. Elections to the State Duma of Russia
It's no secret that a leap year is considered unlucky: you cannot get rich and it is not recommended to change anything. Despite this, the 2016 elections to the State Duma set a record for the last quarter of a century: the lowest turnout in the entire history of Russia. The actual minority chose the United Russia party (75%), which secured a constitutional majority in parliament. It is worth noting that the elections were marked by the return of the majoritarian system, which made it possible for the leading party to overcome the single-mandate part of the State Duma. At the same time, the number of single-mandate members is several times greater than the number of party members who qualified on the lists.
2. New unexpected appointments
In the second half of the year, Russians were surprised by new ministerial appointments. On the recommendation of Vladimir Putin, the post of Minister of Education was taken by Olga Vasilyeva, and the chair of the children's obbudsman went to Anna Kuznetsova, who previously worked in the regional ONF. In addition, a number of politicians were accused of corruption and accepting bribes. Of course, the so-called “personnel purges” occur annually, but currently most of them, for an unknown reason, occurred on July 28.
3. New departments
The Russian Guard appeared in Russia, which was formed from the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This law enforcement agency is subject exclusively to the will of the president of the country. It is considered a closed formation; the approximate number of military personnel in it is about 300 people. World leaders regarded the Russian National Guard as Putin's personal guard, which will ensure the president's security in the event of a coup. Of course, in Russia itself there were those who criticized the military department. Moreover, information has appeared on the Internet that security forces of the unit are practicing their skills during the suppression of riots, demonstrations and street protests. The likelihood that the Russian Guard was created specifically to suppress discontent is very high, because it is difficult to find another explanation for the agency when the country is in a crisis.
4. Trump is the new US President
2016 brought a lot of unusual and unexpected things to world politics. Despite the forecasts of experts and all the world's tabloids, Donald Trump won the presidential election, overtaking his main rival Hillary Clinton. The new leader of the United States is remembered for the most scandalous election campaign in the entire history of the country. He has repeatedly stated that he wants to build a wall on the border with Mexico to protect his country from illegal migrants; intends to deport all Muslims from the United States because they pose an increased level of terrorist threat; in addition, Trump admits that NATO may be dissolved in the future. The new US President noted that his main task is to deal with the internal affairs of the country, and not to “be scattered” on international conflicts.
5. Brexit
A complete surprise both for the whole world and for Europe was the exit of Great Britain from the European Union. Until recently, there were hopes that the British would all decide to stay in the EU, but the voting results showed that the majority wants to live outside the influence of the union. Experts have already stated that there is a possibility that after Great Britain other countries will want to leave the EU, this will lead to the complete destruction of the European Union. Note that Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU during the referendum. Such disagreements could provoke an outbreak of separatist tendencies in these regions, so the UK authorities are considering the possibility of holding a second referendum.
6. Zika virus
In 2015, the Zika virus spread throughout the world, killing thousands of people. In 2016, the World Health Organization stated that the disease was considered a global threat. The main area where the virus is spreading is considered to be Latin America. However, in November, WHO noted that Zika activity had decreased due to the development of a new effective vaccine. The threat still exists, but the state of emergency imposed at the beginning of the year has already been lifted.
7. Global warming
This year, 70 countries signed an agreement in Paris, where they pledged to significantly reduce emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere. Of course, it will not be possible to implement these plans in one year, because for this it is necessary to completely retrain the country’s economy. Each country named a certain amount of time that it needs to implement this agreement. It is worth noting that the document was signed by countries that are considered the main air polluters - the USA, China, India.
8. Peace Treaty in Colombia
The Colombian authorities signed a peace treaty with the militants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, which ended a 50-year confrontation. More than 220 thousand citizens became victims of the conflict. However, during the referendum, the majority voted against signing the treaty, so there is a possibility that the conflict will resume.
9. War in Syria
As a result of military campaigns by the world community, ISIS* lost most of the captured territories. Now the decisive battles are taking place for Aleppo, which is considered key for the militants. The liberation of the city is being carried out by the armed forces of Syria and Russia.
Perhaps the most discussed Oscar ceremony in history took place in 2016 - it was all due to Leo DiCaprio and the expectations of millions of viewers associated with him. Nominated for the fifth time, the actor, as was generally believed, was strongly disliked by academics, and the very situation when he was left without a statuette became the talk of the town. This time everything came together - DiCaprio received an Oscar for his not-so-best film, The Revenant, but given his previous merits, almost everyone considered this fact fair.
From June 10 to July 10, the European Football Championship was held in France. For more than a month in 2016, there was no topic more popular than Euro 2016. An absolute sensation was the victory of the Portuguese national team for the first time in the history of the competition: an obvious outsider who miraculously made it out of the group, the team somehow held on to Ronaldo’s charisma alone, and in the final they enchantingly beat the championship hosts without their main star - the injured Cristiano left the field at the very beginning of the game . It seemed that nothing could help Portugal, but the victory, which was pulled out by the teeth, looked more than deserved.
Another sensation that literally shocked the world was the victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election. He secured the support of 290 electors - 58 more than those who supported Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Trump's incredible and unpredictable victory became a symbol of the collapse of political technology - all factors of the candidates' election campaigns and public opinion polls predicted Clinton's victory.
The biggest sporting event of 2016 was the Summer Olympic Games. The main sports competition was held in Brazil from August 5 to 21. However, the focus of the discussion was not so much the competition itself, but the scandal associated with Russian athletes - who passed more than 3,000 doping tests, many of them were simply not allowed to compete. In Russia, the actions of the International Olympic Committee were called a political provocation.
Exhibitions of Valentin Serov and Ivan Aivazovsky in Moscow
The past year has become a real art breakthrough for residents of the Russian capital. The exhibition of Valentin Serov, held at the Tretyakov Gallery on Krymsky Val, caused an unprecedented stir: due to kilometer-long queues, the exhibition had to be extended for a week. Further - more: the collection of works by Ivan Aivazovsky attracted even more visitors. At the end of the year, the interest in art among Muscovites did not fade away - the Tretyakov Gallery had to introduce personalized tickets for the exhibition “Masterpieces of the Vatican Pinakothek” after a crush occurred in the queue to enter.
Cannes Film Festival 2016
The most authoritative and prestigious world film festival ended this year with the awarding of the Englishman Ken Loach, who conquered the authoritative jury with his new drama “I, Daniel Blake.” But, as usual, we showed more interest in Cannes in connection with unprecedented social activities. And there was plenty to roam about - first everyone was discussing Kim Kardashian’s triumphant appearance at the De Grisogono party, then the incredible appearance of the main model of the outgoing year, Bella Hadid, in a revealing scarlet Alexandre Vauthier dress, in which she appeared at the premiere of the film “The Stranger.” Also, the social level was noticeably increased by pregnant Blake Lively and Tatyana Navka, who suddenly became the most influential Russian star in Cannes.
Venice Festival 2016
The Silver Lion for directing this year in Venice was awarded to Amat Escalante for “Wilderness” and Andrei Konchalovsky for the film “Paradise.” Having won the oldest film festival on the planet, Konchalovsky will represent Russia at the Oscars next year.
