2016 in politics

• January 3 – Following the fallout caused by the execution of Nimr al-Nimr, Iran ends its diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia.{{cite web|title=Agence France-Presse on Twitter|url=https://twitter.com/AFP/status/683742509407801346|website=Twitter|accessdate=2016-01-03}}
• January 16 –
• The International Atomic Energy Agency announces that Iran has adequately dismantled its nuclear weapons program, allowing the United Nations to lift sanctions immediately.{{cite news|title=Iran nuclear deal: 'New chapter' for Tehran as sanctions end|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-35336707|date=2016-01-17|accessdate=2016-01-17|work=BBC}}
• Taiwan elects Tsai Ing-wen as the country's seventh president, and the nation's first female president.{{Cite news|date=2020-01-11|title=Taiwan election: Tsai Ing-wen wins second presidential term|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-51077553|access-date=2022-01-16}}{{Cite web|date=2019-04-12|title=Presidents Of Taiwan Since 1948|url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/presidents-of-taiwan-since-1948.html|access-date=2022-01-16|website=WorldAtlas|language=en-US}}

• February 7 – North Korea launches a long-range rocket into space, violating multiple UN treaties and prompting condemnation from around the world.{{cite news |title=North Korea fires long-range rocket despite warnings |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-35515207 |date=2016-02-07 |website=BBC News |accessdate=2016-02-12}}
• February 12 – Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill meet in Cuba, marking the first time the heads of the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches have met in almost 1,000 years.{{Cite web|last=Lindsay|first=James M.|date=2016-12-28|title=The 10 Most Significant World Events in 2016|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/12/ten-most-significant-world-events-in-2016/511079/|access-date=2022-01-16|website=The Atlantic|language=en}}

• March 21 – The 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, visits Cuba, marking the first time a sitting US president has visited the island nation since president Calvin Coolidge visited in 1928.{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/happened-time-us-president-visited-cuba/story?id=27689730|title=The Last Time an American President Visited Cuba|date=2016-03-22|website=ABC News|access-date=2017-06-24}}

• April 3 – The Panama Papers were released by the German newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung, exposing a network of over 214,000 tax havens that involved people and entities from at least 200 nations.{{Cite web|title=What Are the Panama Papers?|url=https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/panama-papers.asp|access-date=2022-01-16|website=Investopedia|language=en}}
• April 17 – Brazil President Dilma Rousseff impeached after being charged with criminal administrative misconduct and disregard for the federal budget.{{Cite web|last=Beauchamp|first=Zack|date=2016-04-13|title=Dilma Rousseff's impeachment, explained in 500 words|url=https://www.vox.com/2016/4/13/11416578/brazil-petrobras-rousseff-impeachment|access-date=2022-01-16|website=Vox|language=en}}

• May 27 – United States President Barack Obama visits Hiroshima, becoming the first sitting US President to visit the city.{{Cite web|title=The President of the United States Visits Hiroshima|url=https://www.mofa.go.jp/na/na1/us/page4e_000462.html|access-date=2022-01-16|website=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan|language=en}}

• June 23 – The United Kingdom votes in a referendum to leave the European Union.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/25/world/europe/britain-brexit-european-union-referendum.html|title=Britain Votes to Leave the European Union|last=Erlanger|first=Steven|date=2016-06-23|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-06-24}}
• June 24 – Next day of referendum, the Prime Minister of United Kingdom David Cameron announced his resignation.
• June 28 – ISIL is suspected to be responsible for attacking Atatürk Airport in Istanbul, killing 45 and injuring around 230.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36658187|title=Istanbul Ataturk airport attack: 41 dead and more than 230 hurt|date=2016-06-29|website=BBC News|accessdate=2017-05-01}}
• June 30 – Rodrigo Duterte becomes the 16th President of the Philippines.{{Cite news|date=2016-05-30|title=Philippine Congress proclaims Duterte winner of presidential election|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-election-idUSKCN0YL0UX|access-date=2022-01-16}}

• July 12 – The Philippines wins the arbitration case they filed at the Permanent Court of Arbitration regarding the legality of China's "nine-dash line" claim over the South China Sea under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.{{cite news|last1=Phillips|first1=Tom|last2=Holmes|first2=Oliver|last3=Bowcott|first3=Owen|title=Beijing rejects tribunal's ruling in South China Sea case|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/12/philippines-wins-south-china-sea-case-against-china|accessdate=2016-07-13|work=The Guardian|issn=0261-3077|date=2016-07-12}}{{cite news|last1=Perlez|first1=Jane|title=Tribunal Rejects Beijing's Claims in South China Sea|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/13/world/asia/south-china-sea-hague-ruling-philippines.html?_r=0|accessdate=2016-07-13|work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|date=2016-07-12}}
• July 13 – Theresa May is declared Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, succeeding David Cameron.

• August 31 – The Brazilian Senate votes (61–20) to impeach the President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff. The Vice President of Brazil, Michel Temer, who had assumed the presidential powers and duties as Acting President of Brazil during Rousseff's suspension, takes office for the remainder of her term.{{cite news|title=Brazil impeachment: Key questions|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36028117|accessdate=2016-09-05|publisher=BBC News|date=2016-08-31}}

• September 3 – The US and China, together responsible for 40% of the world's carbon emissions, both formally joined the Paris global climate agreement.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-37265541|title=Paris climate deal: US and China announce ratification|publisher=BBC News|date=2016-09-03|accessdate=2016-09-03}}
• September 9 – The government of North Korea conducts its fifth and reportedly biggest nuclear test. World leaders condemn the act, with South Korea calling it "maniacal recklessness".{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/09/08/asia/north-korea-seismic-activity/|title=North Korea claims successful test of nuclear warhead|last=Hunt|first=Katie|last2=Kwon|first2=K.J.|last3=Hanna|first3=Jason|publisher=CNN|date=2016-09-09|access-date=2016-09-09}}

• October 13 – The Maldives announces its decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth of Nations.{{cite web|url=http://www.foreign.gov.mv/v2/en/media-center/news/article/1999 |title=The Maldives decides to leave the Commonwealth; commits to continue with its international engagement |publisher=Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs |date=2016-10-13 |accessdate=2016-10-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161014060506/http://www.foreign.gov.mv/v2/en/media-center/news/article/1999 |archivedate=October 14, 2016 }}
• October 25 – Gambia announced it will withdraw from the International Criminal Court due to the court's alleged persecution and humiliation of Africans.{{Cite web|title=Why Did South Africa, Burundi and Gambia Decide to Leave the International Criminal Court?|url=https://thewire.in/world/why-did-south-africa-burundi-and-gambia-decide-to-leave-the-international-criminal-court|access-date=2022-01-16|website=The Wire}}

• November 8 – Donald Trump wins the United States presidential election.{{Cite web|last=Greig|first=Finlay|date=29 October 2020|title=2016 US presidential election results: how each state voted in the Donald Trump vs Hillary Clinton race - and margin of victory by state|url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/2016-us-presidential-election-results-how-each-state-voted-donald-trump-vs-hilary-clinton-race-and-margin-victory-state-3019300|access-date=2020-11-02|website=The Scotsman|language=en}}

• December 4 – Green Party candidate Alexander Van der Bellen wins Austria's second runoff election to become Austria's 11th president.{{Citation|last=Welle (www.dw.com)|first=Deutsche|title=Austria's Green-backed Van der Bellen wins presidential election {{!}} DW {{!}} 04.12.2016|url=https://www.dw.com/en/austrias-green-backed-van-der-bellen-wins-presidential-election/a-36635159|language=en-GB|access-date=2022-01-16}}{{Cite web|title=Austrian Presidential Election: Alexander Van der Bellen Sworn In.|url=https://www.austria.org/the-latest/2016/12/5/austrian-presidential-election-alexander-van-der-bellen-elected|access-date=2022-01-16|website=Austria|language=en-US|archive-date=2019-01-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119121143/https://www.austria.org/the-latest/2016/12/5/austrian-presidential-election-alexander-van-der-bellen-elected|url-status=dead}}
• December 7 – Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi officially resigned after his constitutional reform referendum was defeated.[https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/07/europe/italy-pm-renzi-resignation/index.html]
• December 9 – South Korean President Park Geun-hye impeached for abuse of power and coercion.{{Cite news|date=2018-04-06|title=South Korea's presidential scandal|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37971085|access-date=2022-01-16}}
• December 19 – Andrei Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, is assassinated in Ankara.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38369962|title=Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov shot dead in Ankara|date=2016-12-19|publisher=BBC News}}
• December 23 – The United Nations Security Council adopts Resolution 2334 condemning "Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories occupied since 1967".{{cite news|title=Israeli settlements: UN Security Council calls for an end|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-38421026|accessdate=2016-12-27|work=BBC News|date=2016-12-23}}

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Category:Politics by year

Category:21st century in politics

Category:2010s in politics

Category:Political timelines of the 2010s by year