BIG STORIES OF

4 JANUARY 2016

| “This is an escalation that will create havoc in the region,” |

Saudi cuts off diplomatic ties with Iran

6 January 2016

North Korea claims successful hydrogen bomb test in ‘self-defence against US’

| …the country had successfully tested a “miniaturised hydrogen bomb” underground… |

01/08/2016

Drug Lord ‘El Chapo’ Has Been Caught, Says Mexican President

| “Mission accomplished: We’ve got him. I want to inform

Mexicans that Joaquin Guzmán Loera has been arrested,” |

13 February 2016

Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill: Catholic and Orthodox Church leaders meet for first time in 1,000 years

| It was the first meeting…since the East-West Schism of 1054 |

17 January 2016

| …she vowed to preserve the status quo…adding Beijing must respect Taiwan’s democracy… |

Tsai Ing-wen elected Taiwan’s first female president

FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Scores injured in Hong Kong’s worst violence since 2014

| Police fired warning shots…after an effort…to clear illegal food stalls morphed into a riot |

FEB. 11, 2016

Gravitational Waves Detected, Confirming Einstein’s Theory

| …the sound of two black holes colliding…fulfilled the last

prediction of Einstein’s general theory of relativity |

January 11, 2016

David Bowie Dead at 69

| “He will always be with us. For now, it is appropriate to cry.” |

March 22, 2016

ISIS Claims Responsibility for Brussels; More Than 30 Dead

| The terror attacks were the most deadly in Belgian history |

Apr 21, 2016

Crowds celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday walkabout

| …world’s oldest monarch intent to keep doing the

job she has performed for more than six decades |

19 May 2016

Airbus confirms EgyptAir flight 804 ‘lost” over Mediterranean | …among those on board were 30 Egyptians, 15 French citizens, two Iraqis and one person each

from Britain, Canada, Belgium, Sudan, Chad, Portugal, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Algeria |

MAY 29, 2016

Gorilla Shot Dead at Cincinnati Zoo After Child Climbs in Enclosure

| …”the threat from the gorilla was neutralized by a Cincinnati

Zoo employee with one shot from a long rifle,”… |

June 4, 2016

Muhammad Ali, ‘The Greatest,’ dies at 74

| “After a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74” |

6 June 2016

| …CRISPR might be used…at recognising and killing cancer |

Gene editing technique could transform future

June 13, 2016

Orlando shooting: 49 killed, shooter pledged ISIS allegiance

| “We know enough to say this was an act of terror and act of hate,”

President Obama said in an address to the nation from the White House |

24 June 2016

UK votes to leave EU after dramatic night divides nation

| The decision…represents the biggest shock to the political establishment…across Europe for decades |

30 JUNE 2016

Rodrigo Duterte, 'the punisher', sworn in as Philippines’ president

| Mr Duterte…fought the election promising to crack down on government

corruption…including a pledge to reintroduce the death penalty |

July 10, 2016

Black Lives Matter protestors return to the streets

| Protestors marched again…in cities nationwide to decry police brutality

after the killing of two African-American men by police…|

July 15, 2016

Truck Attack Kills Dozen in Nice, France

| At least 84 people were killed and 18 critically wounded |

JUL. 18, 2016

Russia May Face Olympic Ban as Doping Scheme Is Confirmed

| …the World Anti-Doping Agency…presented proof that a state-run

doping program was executed during the Sochi Olympics… |

July 18, 2016

Venezuela food shortage: Family liquidates savings to stockpile food

| …they feel hunger drawing close |

21 JULY 2016

| Under a state of emergency in Turkey, the president can largely rule by decree |

Turkey declares ‘state of emergency’ after failed coup

Jul. 29, 2016

‘Zika is now here’: Mosquitoes now spreading virus in US

| “This is not just a Florida issue. It’s a national issue — we just happen to be at the forefront,” |

6 August 2016

| The build-up to 2016 has been played out against a deep recession and political protests in Brazil |

Rio Olympics 2016: Opening ceremony celebrates Brazil to open Games

AUG 14, 2016

Michael Phelps Relishes His Golden Exit from the Olympic Stage

| After his 23rd time atop the podium…the legend was gone |

Aug. 23, 2016

The Pokémon Go phenomenon has peaked, and is in decline

| …weekly active user count in the US on July 4 at around 40 million… |

Aug. 28, 2016

Europe’s refugee crisis simmers despite efforts to solve it

| …European nations tightened border controls, set up naval patrols…limit the numbers

crossing, shut the Balkan route…and tried to speed up deportations… |

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

Dilma Rousseff impeached by Brazil’s Senate in historic vote

| …a historic decision that ends nearly 14 years of rule by her

leftwing Worker’s party in Latin America’s largest country |

3 SEPTEMBER 2016

'The moment we finally decided to save our planet': US and China ratify Paris climate deal

| “This is a very important step for China and the US – the two big

countries and also two big emitters – to join the agreement,” |

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Stumpf resigns from Fed panel as Wells scandal deepens

| Wells Fargo said it was his “personal decision…His top priority is leading Wells Fargo.” |

SEPTEMBER 30, 2016

Earth posts 16th straight month of unsurpassed heat

| Such a lengthy period of record-setting warmth is unprecedented in 137 years of temperature observation… |

October 3, 2016

Colombians Reject Peace Referendum With FARC Rebels

| The government says it doesn’t have a plan B |

14 October 2016

| …ending the civil war in Syria would be his biggest challenge |

Portugal’s Antonio Guterres elected UN secretary-general

October 30, 2016

Italy earthquake: 6.6-magnitude tremor rocks nation’s center

| The earthquake…comes on the heels of a devastating quake in August, which killed nearly 300|

NOV. 3, 2016

Rain Delay Speech Helps End Drought as Chicago Cubs Win Historic World Series

| This Fall Classic would not nearly be large enough to contain the 108 years the Chicago

Cubs had gone since their last title and the 68 years for the Cleveland Indians. |

NOV. 9, 2016

Donald Trump Is Elected President in Stunning Repudiation of the Establishment

| …a stunning culmination of an explosive, populist, and polarizing

campaign that…aim at the…long-held ideals of American democracy |

November 26, 2016

Former Cuban Leader Fidel Castro Dies at 90

| On Twitter, President-elect Donald Trump said only, “Fidel Castro is dead!” |

Dec 9, 2016

South Korean parliament votes overwhelmingly to impeach President Park

| …become the country’s first elected leader to be expelled from office in disgrace |

DEC 13, 2016

Trade and security: The demise of the Trans-Pacific Partnership could make the world more dangerous

| …the TPP would be the main building block of FTAAP, but China has clearly beaten us to the punch… |

December 16

FBI in agreement with CIA that Russia aimed to help Trump win the White House

| …President Obama issued a warning to Moscow that it could face retaliation… |

20 DECEMBER 2016

| …the angry gunman screamed: “Don’t forget Aleppo” |

Russian ambassador Andrey Karlov shot dead in Ankara

12/22/2016

Syrian Army Has Taken Back All Of Aleppo

| Assad said retaking Aleppo was a victory shared with his Russian and Iranian allies |

DECEMBER 23, 2016

United Nations Demands End to Israel Settlement Building; U.S. Abstains

| …the United States broke with tradition and abstained

from voting on the controversial measure |

DECEMBER 24, 2016

A bailout of Monte dei Paschi is not enough | Given the persistent sluggishness of Italy’s economy, banks will continue to

require periodic state bailouts if they cannot be run profitably. |

December 31, 2016

Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds to Be Buried Together

| “She didn’t die of a broken heart. She just left to be with Carrie.” |

PowerPoint Presentation by LJ Lombos Photographs provided from public domain