2016 United States wireless spectrum auction, Repacking
Rep. Frank Pallone introduced a bill on July 20, 2017 allowing another billion dollars if necessary for repacking. Pallone said one use for the money would be moving FM stations located on the same towers as TV stations. LPTV stations and translators could also be helped by the bill, and T-Mobile said it would also help those stations with their costs. Pallone had introduced a discussion draft in January 2016 in case the estimates of costs were wrong.


2016 United States wireless spectrum auction, Repacking
Emphasizing the importance of local news, Pallone said at that time, "[I]t is critical that we make this transition as seamless as possible for consumers without interruptions in their service." Senator Jerry Moran introduced the Viewer and Listener Protection Act July 26. The Ray Baum Act that passed the House of Representatives provided for additional funding once it became clear $1.75 billion would not be enough, and for radio stations, LPTV stations and translators. It also provided $50 million to explain the changes to viewers.


2016 United States wireless spectrum auction, Repacking
12 TV stations faced an October 25, 2017 deadline to give up their licenses. 13 other stations had planned to share but instead went off the air. 120 other stations that announced they would share channels had a January 23, 2018 deadline, which could be extended six months. $10 billion was paid to 175 stations; 30 of which were moving from UHF to VHF, or high VHF to low VHF.


2016 United States wireless spectrum auction, Repacking
LPTV stations were not protected and many would have to apply for new channels. It was expected that more than one station in an area would want the same channel, leading to auctions.


2016 United States wireless spectrum auction, Making government spectrum available
With the incentive auction completed, FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly proposed incentives for the federal government to give up some of its spectrum for use by companies. Without the profit incentive found in the private sector, federal agencies had little reason for efficient use of their spectrum. O'Rielly's proposal could give budget relief to agencies giving up spectrum.


2016 United States wireless spectrum auction, "Spectrum speculators"
Beginning in 2010, a large number of television station acquisitions began to occur among a group of companies referred to as "spectrum speculators". Backed by private equity groups, these companies have primarily purchased smaller, low-rated stations within or in close proximity to major markets, with an intent to possibly sell the stations and their licenses during the incentive auction, and no interest in their future operation as a television station. Among these "speculators" have included the Blackstone Group-owned LocusPoint Networks, the Fortress Investment Group-backed NRJ TV LLC, and Michael Dell's OTA Broadcasting. Spectrum speculators do not typically identify themselves as being broadcasting companies, but as part of the wireless industry, and often affiliate with low-demand or 'leftover' networks such as Retro Television Network, Youtoo America and AMGTV to maintain some kind of broadcast service.


2016 United States wireless spectrum auction, "Spectrum speculators"
Public concerns surrounding spectrum speculators surfaced in 2013 with the announcement that Atlantic City's NBC affiliate WMGM-TV would be sold to LocusPoint Networks, and a belief by local residents that the fate of WMGM was in jeopardy because of their position as a speculator. In response to the concerns (which also included viewers establishing a Save NBC 40 website), LocusPoint co-founder Bill deKay stated that they planned to continue operating the station as an NBC affiliate, and allowed Access.1 to continue operating the station on its behalf through December 31, 2014.


2016 United States wireless spectrum auction, "Spectrum speculators"
At the same time, however, NBC declined to renew the station's affiliation past December 31, 2014. On January 1, 2015, the station began carrying Soul of the South programming instead, but the station's fate following the spectrum auction remained unclear. Access.1 retained most of the station's staff to form a new news operation, which eventually moved to a new low-VHF station, WACP. Following the auction, Univision Communications filed to acquire the station.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season
The 2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season refers to the competitions that the United States women's national gymnastics team will participate in during the 2016 artistic gymnastics season. The 2015 World Team champions, the U.S. team go into 2016 as the favorites to become 2016 Olympic Champions; hoping to defend their 2012 Olympic title (achieved by the latter named 'Fierce Five').


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Background
The team's first success of the 2015 season was at the 2015 Pan American Games, in July, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The team, composed of Madison Desch, Rachel Gowey, Amelia Hundley, Emily Schild and Megan Skaggs, won the team all-around title. The team also clinched an additional gold medal (Rachel Gowey – UB), three silvers (Madison Desch – AA, Amelia Hundley – FX and Megan Skaggs – BB) and a bronze (Amelia Hundley – UB).


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Background
On October 27, 2015, the U.S. women's team (Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas, Madison Kocian, Maggie Nichols, Brenna Dowell, and Aly Raisman) won the World team title – a third consecutive World title. As well as the team title, the U.S. women's team won four individual titles; Simone Biles (3 – AA, BB, FX) and Madison Kocian (1 – UB). The team won an additional silver medal (Gabby Douglas – AA) and two bronze medals (Simone Biles – VT and Maggie Nichols – FX)


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Schedule
Notes* denotes multi-day event. Start times may vary day by day.– denotes National Team camp (no competition)


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, U.S. National Team
Alyssa Baumann  – Plano, Texas (WOGA) – Baumann was a member of the 2014 U.S. Worlds team; helping them win the team gold. In 2015, she placed sixth in the all-around at the 2015 U.S. Classic. Later, she was seventh at U.S. Nationals, and was named to the U.S. National Team. She attended the 2015 Worlds training camp but was a non-travelling reserve. In November 2015, she signed the National Letter of Intent to the University of Florida for the 2016–17 season.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, U.S. National Team
Simone Biles – Spring, Texas (World Champions Centre) – Biles is the reigning World Champion, and is the recipient of 10 World Champion titles. The 2013 and 2014 World champion, Biles won the Secret Classic and National title in 2015, domestically. Named to the U.S. 2015 Worlds team (for a third time), Biles defended her individual all-around title. Additionally, during the event finals, she captured beam and floor titles also. She was nominated for the Sports Illustrated's Sportswoman of the Year award in November 2015. As a result of her successes, she is the third most successful gymnast at a World Championships of all time, trailing only Svetlana Khorkina and Gina Gogean.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, U.S. National Team
Nia Dennis – Westerville, Ohio (Legacy Elite) – Dennis competed as first-year senior gymnast in 2015. Prior to the elite season, she verbally committed to the University of California, Los Angeles for the 2017–18 season. Later, in July 2015, she relocated from Westerville, Ohio, to Chicago, Illinois, in order to train at Legacy Elite Gymnastics, Inc. She competed on three events at the U.S. Classic, but returned to the all-around for Nationals; finishing in ninth in the all-around. Although she received a National Team berth, she was not named to the 2015 U.S. Worlds team at all.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, U.S. National Team
Gabby Douglas – Tarzana, California (Buckeye) – Douglas returned to elite gymnastics in 2015 after a three-year hiatus from the 2012 Summer Olympics; the 2012 Olympic all-around champion. She competed internationally at the 2015 City of Jesolo Trophy and finished fourth in the all-around. Her national return was at the 2015 U.S. Classic – met with successful acclaim and a silver medal. At the 2015 P&G U.S. Nationals, Douglas finished fifth in the all-around. A consequent National Team member, she was named to the U.S. team for the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, in Glasgow, Scotland. At Worlds, she placed second in the all-around final and fifth in the uneven bars final.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, U.S. National Team
Brenna Dowell – Odessa, Missouri (GAGE) – Dowell returned to elite gymnastics in 2015, after a standout first year for the Oklahoma Sooners in collegiate gymnastics. However, in June 2015, it was announced that she would defer for the 2015–16 school year. She participated on two events during the 2015 U.S. Classic. Later, she finished eleventh in the all-around at Nationals. However, despite a rocky performance, she was named to the National Team and the Worlds team. At Worlds, she contributed to the team on three events in qualifications.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, U.S. National Team
Bailie Key – Montgomery, Texas (Texas Dreams) – Key competed as a first-year senior in 2015, after a successful junior elite campaign – committing to the University of Florida in September 2014. Key's international debut came at the 2015 City of Jesolo Trophy. Individually, she won two silver medals in the all-around and on uneven bars. She returned for the U.S. elite season and placed fourth in the all-around at Classic. She repeated her placement later on in the season and was fourth at Nationals. Surprisingly, despite her high placing, Key was left off the 2015 U.S. Worlds team.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, U.S. National Team
Madison Kocian (born June 15, 1997) – Dallas, Texas (WOGA) – Kocian competed her third year as a senior elite gymnast in 2015. A 2014 Worlds team member>, Kocian graduated from high school in 2015 but deferred her enrollment to the University of California, Los Angeles for the 2016–17 incoming class. During the elite season, she won uneven bars at the U.S. Classic. Further on in the season, at Nationals, she was able to the National bars title and finish sixth in the all-around. Consequently, she made the 2015 Worlds team. At Worlds, she contributed to the team's win and qualified to the bars final. Individually, during the bars final, she won the World title; shared three other gymnasts in an unprecedented four-way tie.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, U.S. National Team
Maggie Nichols – Little Canada, Minnesota (Twin City Twisters) – Nichols didn't make the 2014 Worlds team due to injury. Fully recovered for the 2015 season, she participated in 2015 City of Jesolo Trophy. She finished seventh in the all-around and didn't make any individual event finals. At U.S. Classic, she was able to place third in the all-around. A couple of weeks later, she was able to outdo her previous performance and was second in the all-around at Nationals. As a result, she made the Worlds team. At Worlds, Nichols contributed to the team's victory and competed in the floor event final. She won a bronze medal alongside compatriot, Simone Biles. In November 2015, she signed with the Oklahoma Sooners program.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, U.S. National Team
Aly Raisman – Needham, Massachusetts (Brestyan's) – Raisman returned to elite gymnastics in 2015 following a three-year hiatus after the 2012 Olympics, like Gabby Douglas. The 2015 City of Jesolo Trophy competition marked her international debut, where she finished third in the all-around and on floor respectively. At the U.S. Classic, Raisman was fifth in the all-around but took silver on balance beam. Later, at Nationals, she was third in the all-around and was the floor exercise champion. Consequently, she was named to the U.S. Worlds team. At Worlds, she helped the team to their success but was unable to qualify to any individual event finals.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, U.S. National Team
Kyla Ross – Aliso Viejo, California (Gym-Max) – Ross participated in the 2015 City of Jesolo Trophy. She was tenth in the all-around but captured the uneven bars title. During the elite season, she was fourteenth at Classics; not competing all-around. Ross was tenth in the all-around at the 2015 U.S. Nationals. As a result, she did not make the Worlds team. The 2016 Olympics would be Ross' second Olympics.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, U.S. National Team
MyKayla Skinner – Gilbert, Arizona (Desert Lights) – Skinner was a member of the 2014 Worlds team. She started the 2015 season at the 2015 AT&T American Cup event where she finished second. During the elite season, she finished seventh in the all-around at both the U.S. Classic and Nationals. She was named to the U.S. Worlds team again in 2015, but was an alternate.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, Returning seniors
Madison Desch – Lenexa, Kansas (GAGE) – Desch has competed at the senior elite level since 2013. In 2014, she was named as the alternate for the 2014 U.S. Worlds team. In 2015, she participated in the City of Jesolo Trophy and was ninth in the all-around. Soon after, she announced her verbal commitment to the University of Alabama. She was part of the U.S. team for the 2015 Pan American Games. Individually, she won a silver medal in the all-around final. She participated at the 2015 U.S. Nationals and was invited to the Worlds training camp. In November 2015, she signed the National Letter of Intent for the University of Alabama for the 2016–17 season.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, Returning seniors
Rachel Gowey (born October 3, 1997) – Urbandale, Iowa (Chow's) – Gowey was a member of the 2015 Pan American Games team. She made the team following months of rehabilitation from an injury sustained during the 2014 P&G U.S. Nationals. At the Games, she then captured the individual bars title. During the U.S. elite season, she placed sixth on both uneven bars and balance beam during Nationals. She signed with the University of Florida in November 2015.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, Returning seniors
Felicia Hano (born August 7, 1998) – San Gabriel, California (Gym-Max) – Hano had a successful 2014 season, as a first-year senior. She was touted to participate in the 2015 U.S. Classic but an injury during training rendered her unable to compete during the season. In March 2013, Hano verbally committed to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Bruins program for the 2016–17 season.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, Returning seniors
Ashton Locklear – Hamlet, North Carolina (Everest) – Locklear was a member of the 2014 U.S. Worlds team. She helped the team win gold and, individually, advanced to the bars final. In the final, she was able to finish fourth. Although, in December 2013, she committed to the University of Florida she has since decommitted.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, Returning seniors
Lexy Ramler (born February 6, 1999) – St. Michael, Minnesota (KidSport, LLC.) – Ramler, an elite gymnast since 2013, had a successful senior debut in 2015. At the U.S. Classic, she was able to turn in a seventh-place finish and an eighth-place finish at Nationals. Prior to the elite season, Ramler committed to the University of Minnesota and the Gophers program for the 2017–18 season.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, First year seniors
Norah Flatley (born March 10, 2000) – Cumming, Iowa (Chow's) — Flatley has enjoyed much success as a junior elite gymnast. She first competed elite in 2013 and advanced to U.S. Nationals in the same year. As a result, she made the National Team. A year later, she won medals at both the Pacific Rim Championships and City of Jesolo Trophy competitions. Individually, during the 2014 U.S. season, she won bronzes at both the U.S. Classic and Nationals. In 2015, Flatley captured the beam title and was second on bars at the 2015 City of Jesolo Trophy. She has intended to participate during the 2015 elite season but stress fracture in her foot rendered her unable to participate. On October 8, 2015, she committed to the University of California, Los Angeles for the 2018–19 season.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, Unknown candidates
Vanasia Bradley (born January 21, 1999) – Canton, Michigan (Euro Stars) — Bradley was a junior elite gymnast in 2013. However, a torn ACL and a broken patella, sustained in June 2014, were enough to sideline her from 2014 and 2015 elite seasons. She committed to the University of Florida and the Gators program for the 2017–18 season.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, Unknown candidates
Abigail Brenner (born October 21, 1999) – Maple Grove, Minnesota (Twin City Twisters)


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, Unknown candidates
Wynter Childers (born December 28, 1997) – Spearfish, South Dakota (Spearfish) – Childers is a successful Level 10 gymnast and was a 2015 J.O. National champion. Back in 2013, she moved to Arizona to train at a more elite facility, Carter's Gymnastics Academy. She participated in the 2013 National Elite Qualifier but didn't make elite qualification. Ever since, she has not participated in elite level competition and her status is still unknown.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, Unknown candidates
Nadia Cho (born October 23, 1999) – Colgate, Wisconsin (WOGA) Cho competed as a Junior Elite gymnast for the 2013 season. However, she was forced to sit out of the entire 2014 season due to injury. In early June 2015, she moved back to her birth state of Wisconsin but has insisted that she will return to gymnastics. However, it is unsure if it will be Elite or optionals.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, Unknown candidates
Samantha Davis (born June 1, 2000) – Cranford, New Jersey (North Stars) — Davis participated in the 2013 National Elite Qualifier and advanced to HOPES Elite level. She advanced to the U.S. Challenge where she placed second in the all-around. In early 2014, she competed as a Junior International elite at the 2014 WOGA Classic; a small-sized invitational in Texas. She has not competed since this event. In September 2014, Davis committed to the Georgia Gym Dogs program for the 2018–19 season.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, Unknown candidates
Veronica Hults (born June 16, 1998) – Coppell, Texas (Texas Dreams) – Hults enjoyed a successful junior elite career; placing as high as sixth at Nationals. She transitioned to senior elite for the 2014 season. At the U.S. Classic, she was sixth on uneven bars. She repeated this placement at Nationals. Hults was allegedly dealing with injuries throughout 2015 and was unable to compete; expressing desire to return to elite again. She will likely attend the University of California, Los Angeles following graduation in 2016.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, Unknown candidates
McKayla Maroney – Long Beach, California (All Olympia) – Maroney was a member of the 2012 Olympic team and won an individual vault silver. She then returned a year later for the 2013 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium. She was the individual vault champion. Absent from competition since 2013, Maroney underwent knee surgery in 2014 and sat the entire season out. She then sat out the whole 2015 season also. She expressed desire to compete in Rio but her status is currently unknown.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, Unknown candidates
Savannah Schoenherr (born September 2, 2000) – Columbus, Georgia (Georgia Elite) – Schoenherr participated in the 2015 Texas National Elite Qualifier in the summer of 2015. She didn't advance to Junior International Elite. Although no announcement of whether she will try to qualify to Senior Elite in 2016 has been announced, her personal website lists her current level as a 'Training Elite'.


2016 United States women's national gymnastics team season, Participants, Unknown candidates
Kendal Toy (born July 6, 2000) – Mercer Island, Washington/Coppell, Texas (Metroplex) —Toy participated in the 2015 National Texas Elite Qualifier in the summer of 2015 but was unsuccessful. Her website states that she would like to qualify to elite in the future. In May 2015, she committed to the University of Washington and the Huskies program for the 2018–19 season.


2016 United Women's Soccer season
The 2016 United Women's Soccer season is the 22nd season of pro-am women's soccer in the United States, and the 1st season of the new UWS league. The regular season began on May 14th and ended on July 23rd.


2016 United Women's Soccer season
The league was announced with eight teams in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada in December after the USL W-League had folder a few months previously. Five teams in a western division were added in January before the Canadian Soccer Association refused entry of two Quebec clubs into UWS, leaving the league at 11 teams for its inaugural season.


2016 United Women's Soccer season, League Awards, All-League Team
F: Krystyna Freda (NJC), Kate Howarth (NEM), Kasandra Massey (SAC)M: Tatiana Ariza (HOU), Jackie Bruno (NJC),  Chloe Castaneda (SAC)D: Carol Sanchez (LAN), Natalie Norris (RSL),  Kelly Eagan (LIR), Yadira Toraya (SAC)G: Rebecca Ritchie (RSL)


2016 UnitedHealthcare season
The 2016 season for the UnitedHealthcare cycling team began in January at the Tour de San Luis. The team participated in UCI Continental Circuits and UCI World Tour events when given a wildcard invitation.


2016 Uri attack
The 2016 Uri attacks, or sometimes simply the "Uri attacks", were a set of grenade attacks carried out by four terrorists against an Indian Army brigade headquarters near the town of Uri in the Indian union territory Jammu and Kashmir on 18 September 2016. The attacks killed 19 soldiers and injured 19–30 others. It was reported as "the deadliest attack on security forces in Kashmir in two decades".


2016 Uri attack
The terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed was involved in the planning and execution of the attack. At the time of the attack, the Kashmir Valley region was a centre of unrest.


2016 Uri attack, Background
Since 2015, the terrorists had increasingly taken to high-profile fidayeen attacks (suicide attacks) against the Indian security forces: in July 2015, three terrorists attacked a bus and police station in Gurdaspur and earlier in 2016, 4–6 terrorists attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station. Indian authorities blamed  Jaish-e-Mohammad for the latter attack.


2016 Uri attack, Background
Also, since 8 July 2016, the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has been undergoing continuous unrest following the killing of Burhan Wani, a terrorist leader. The killing sparked violent protests against the Indian government in the valley, leading to the protests being described as the "largest anti-India protests" against Indian rule in recent years.


2016 Uri attack, Attack
At around 5:30 a.m. on 18 September, four terrorists attacked an Indian Army brigade headquarters in Uri, near the Line of Control in a pre-dawn ambush. They were said to have lobbed 17 grenades in three minutes. As a rear administrative base camp with tents caught fire, 17 army personnel were killed during the attack. An additional 19-30 soldiers were reported to have been injured. A gun battle ensued lasting six hours, during which all the four militants were killed. Combing operations continued to flush out additional terrorists thought to be alive.


2016 Uri attack, Attack
Most of the soldiers killed were from the 10th battalion, Dogra Regiment (10 Dogra) and 6th battalion, Bihar Regiment (6 Bihar). One of the injured soldiers succumbed to his injuries on 19 September at RR Hospital in New Delhi, followed by another soldier on 24 September, bringing the death toll to 19.


2016 Uri attack, Attack
The casualties were primarily believed to have occurred as a result of non-fire retardant transition tents. This was the time of a troops shift, whereby troops from 6 Bihar were replacing troops from 10 Dogra. The incoming troops were housed in tents, which are normally avoided in sensitive areas around the LoC like Uri. The attackers snuck into the camp breaching heavy security and seemed to know exactly where to strike. Seven of the personnel killed were support staff, including cooks and barbers.


2016 Uri attack, Aftermath
On 19 September, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Chief of the Army Staff Dalbir Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and other officials of the Home and Defence ministries met to review the security situation in Kashmir, particularly in areas along the Line of Control. The National Investigation Agency filed a first information report regarding the attack and took over the investigation from Jammu and Kashmir Police on 20 September.


2016 Uri attack, Aftermath
Pakistan International Airlines cancelled flights to some parts of Kashmir on 21 September in the aftermath of the attack. Security around the army installation in Uri was intensified following the attack, while soldiers on both the Indian and Pakistani side of Line of Control were placed on high alert.


2016 Uri attack, Aftermath, Postponement of SAARC summit
In the wake of the attack, India cancelled its participation in the 19th SAARC summit to be held in November in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement, saying, "India has conveyed to current SAARC Chair Nepal that increasing cross-border terrorist attacks in the region and growing interference in the internal affairs of Member States by one country have created an environment that is not conducive to the successful holding of the 19th SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November 2016." "In the prevailing circumstances, the Government of India is unable to participate in the proposed Summit in Islamabad", the statement said.


2016 Uri attack, Aftermath, Postponement of SAARC summit
On India withdrawing from the scheduled SAARC summit in Islamabad, Pakistan's Foreign Office termed the withdrawal "unfortunate", and posted a rejoinder stating: "As for the excuse used by India, the world knows that it is India that has been perpetrating and financing terrorism in Pakistan." The statement included a reference to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, detained by Pakistan for espionage, and accused India of violating international laws by interfering inside Pakistan.


2016 Uri attack, Aftermath, Postponement of SAARC summit
Later, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also withdrew from the summit. On 30 September 2016,  Pakistan stated that the summit scheduled for 9 and 10 November in Islamabad would be held on an alternative date.


2016 Uri attack, Aftermath, Indian retaliation
On 28 September, eleven days after the attack, the Indian Army conducted retaliatory surgical strikes on launch-pads used by terrorists in Pakistan administered Kashmir. Indian Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said that it had made a preemptive strike against "terrorist teams" who were preparing to "carry out infiltration and conduct terrorist strikes inside Jammu and Kashmir and in various metros in other states". The Economist while citing Indian reports, reported that Indian commandos crossed the Line of Control and struck at the safe houses, allegedly killing approximately 150 Pakistan-sponsored terrorists.


2016 Uri attack, Aftermath, Bilateral boycott
Following the uproar after the Uri attack, Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) decided to ban all Pakistani actors, actresses and technicians working in India till the situation returns to normal. Bollywood artists were divided towards the ban with some justifying it while some questioning its benefits. Indian TV entertainment channel Zindagi announced discontinuation of airing Pakistani TV shows on the channel. The Pakistani government responded in October with a blanket ban on all Indian television and radio programming in Pakistan.


2016 Uri attack, Aftermath, Bilateral boycott
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the national governing body for cricket in India, ruled out the possibility of reviving bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan in the near future. BCCI also asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to not group Indian and Pakistan cricket teams together in international tournaments, keeping in mind border tensions between the two countries. Badminton Association of India, the governing body for badminton in India, decided to boycott the Pakistan International Series scheduled to be held in Islamabad in October, as an act of "solidarity" with the government's diplomatic offensive against Pakistan.


2016 Uri attack, Investigation
An initial investigation into the attack indicated that there were several procedural lapses at the camp. According to the standard security procedures, any tall grass and bushes around vital security installations should be trimmed. However, this procedure was not followed by the Uri camp which might have allowed terrorists to sneak into the camp undetected using the tall grass and bushes around the perimeter. In addition, the probe also indicated that two manned guard posts failed to detect the intrusion because the coordination between them might have been poor.


2016 Uri attack, Investigation
It also indicated that the terrorists had infiltrated the Indian territory through Haji Pir Pass on the intervening night of 16–17 September and stayed in Sukhdar village which is located at a vantage point that allows an unhindered view of the layout of the camp as well as movement of the personnel in it.


2016 Uri attack, Investigation, Perpetrators
The Director General of military operations, Lieutenant-General Ranbir Singh, said that there was evidence that the attackers belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammad. He established a hotline contact with his Pakistani counterpart and conveyed India's serious concern on the issue. Singh also stated that the militants used incendiary ammunition to set fire to the tents.


2016 Uri attack, Investigation, Perpetrators
In the recent incidents, we have recovered a number of items that include GPS from the bodies of terrorists with coordinates that indicate the point and time of infiltration across the LoC and the subsequent route to the terror attack site; grenades with Pakistani markings; communication matrix sheets; communication equipment; and other stores made in Pakistan, including food, medicines and clothes.


2016 Uri attack, Investigation, Perpetrators
Until now, little hard evidence has emerged to link the perpetrators of the terror attack in Uri to specific jihadist groups in Pakistan.


2016 Uri attack, Investigation, Perpetrators
Former Pakistani General Pervez Musharraf said the weapons that India reported as used by militants, and reported to have Pakistani markings, could be procured anywhere in the world, not just in Pakistan. Musharraf further said since many American weapons had inadvertently fallen into the hands of the Taliban, it is possible for Pakistani weapons to have been acquired by the perpetrators without Pakistani involvement.


2016 Uri attack, Investigation, Perpetrators
On 25 September, the Indian Army said that two Pakistani nationals from Pakistan administered Kashmir were arrested by the Border Security Force in the Uri sector. They were said to have been recruited by Jaish-e-Mohammad two years ago for the purpose of acting as guides to infiltrating groups in the Uri sector. These guides themselves did not have a role in the Uri attack. They were being questioned for gathering intelligence about infiltration attempts. Pakistan denied these allegations. On 26 February 2017, India's National Investigative Agency (NIA) decided to file a closure report after failing to find any evidence against the two men whom they accused of facilitating the Uri army base attack.


2016 Uri attack, Investigation, Perpetrators
On 25 October 2016, the Indian media reported that street "posters" in Gujranwala, Pakistan, attributed to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) claimed responsibility for the Uri attack. The posters claimed that one of LeT's fighters Mohammad Anas, code-named Abu Saraqa, died in the Uri attack, and there would be a funeral prayer followed by a speech by the LeT chief Hafiz Saeed on 25 October. The poster also claimed death of 17 Indian soldiers in Uri attack. After the images of the poster circulated on the Internet, the organisation claimed that it was a hoax. Abbas Nasir, the former editor of Dawn, confirmed the report about the posters on Twitter but stated that the funeral prayers have been postponed.


2016 Uri attack, Reactions, India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and members of his cabinet condemned the attack. Minister of Defence Manohar Parrikar and Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh visited Kashmir soon after the attack to assess the ongoing military operations and review the security situation in the region. Parrikar instructed the army to take firm action against those responsible for the attack and also stated that the deaths of the soldiers "will not go in vain."


2016 Uri attack, Reactions, India
Home Minister Rajnath Singh accused Pakistan of what he called its "continued and direct support to terrorism and terrorist groups," calling Pakistan a "terrorist state" that should be "isolated." Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre stated that the "entire nation was traumatised" over the death of the soldiers and was "united in this hour of grief." He also stated that the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Defence Minister had come to a conclusion that some sort of a "response" needs to be given to Pakistan.


2016 Uri attack, Reactions, India
Minister of State for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and former Army chief Vijay Kumar Singh stated that India will give a "befitting reply" to the attack. He called upon the Indian Armed Forces to scale up their security and described a cold and calculated response as the need of the hour. He also called for an investigation into the shortcomings which led to the attack while stating that the Army should decide its response "coolly" with proper planning. Many Indian politicians and public figures have condemned the attack. Former Indian diplomats and foreign policy experts have said that India had been driven to the wall and that a measured and effective response was needed. The opposition Indian National Congress has said that there was no more scope for constructive dialogue with Pakistan.


2016 Uri attack, Reactions, India
Later on the same day, India called upon the United Nations Human Rights Council to urge Pakistan to put an end to cross-border infiltration and dismantle the non-state militant infrastructure since the likes of Hafeez Saeed (the chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba) and Syed Salahuddin (the chief of Hizbul Mujahideen) can hold huge rallies in Pakistan's main cities. It suggested that active support for such groups has become the "new normal" in Pakistan. It claimed that "zero tolerance" to non-state militancy was an international obligation. The Indian government summoned the Pakistani envoy and handed him a dossier that alleged Pakistani involvement as well as a warning that Pakistan needs to rein in militants they say operate from Pakistan.


2016 Uri attack, Reactions, India
On 24 September, Prime Minister Modi formally responded to the attack during a BJP rally in Kozhikode, Kerala; in his address, he charged Pakistan with responsibility for the attack, saying that India would "never forget" Uri and would "leave no stone unturned to isolate Pakistan in the world." He called upon the citizens of both India and Pakistan to fight against poverty. "I want to say that India is ready for a war... India is ready for a war on poverty. Let both countries fight to see who would eradicate poverty first... I want to tell the youth of Pakistan, let's have a war on ending unemployment... I want to call out to the children in Pakistan, let's declare war on illiteracy. Let's see who wins."


2016 Uri attack, Reactions, India
In further responding to the attack, on 26 September, the Indian government stated it would exercise its rights under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty to the full and would expand its utilisation of its rivers flowing through Jammu and Kashmir. Talks under the aegis of the Permanent Indus Commission, to which any disputes may be submitted, would cease "until terror comes to an end." The body had most recently met in July 2016. The government subsequently stated it would review Pakistan's most-favoured-nation (MFN) trade status, which India had granted in 1996.


2016 Uri attack, Reactions, Pakistan
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry rejected India's allegations of involvement in the attack. The ministry asserted that India had a "tendency" of accusing Pakistan for incidents inside its territory, adding that "in the past many Indians were involved in the terrorist acts for which India had blamed Pakistan." The ministry deemed Indian statements as "vitriolic." During a press conference in London, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif linked the incident to the recent unrest and human rights issues in Kashmir.


2016 Uri attack, Reactions, Pakistan
Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan said there were several contradictions within Indian media reports over the evidence, and claimed India was imposing censorship when their "lies were exposed." Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif termed the attack an "inside job", saying that no proof was provided substantiating India's allegations, and said India was not serious about solving the Kashmir dispute. Pakistan's envoy in New Delhi, Abdul Basit, told India's Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar that India sought to divert world attention from state atrocities in Kashmir by blaming the attack on Pakistan. Basit also added that if India was serious about the investigations, it should not avoid allowing independent investigators to probe it.


2016 Uri attack, Reactions, Pakistan
In the hours following the attack, Pakistan's military established a hotline with the Indian military. The Pakistani military rejected Indian accusations, saying that infiltration was not possible across the heavily guarded LOC. Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations also asked the Indian military to provide actionable intelligence.


2016 Uri attack, Reactions, Pakistan
Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Raheel Sharif claimed that India was propagating a "hostile narrative" in response the attack and also stated that the Pakistani armed forces were "prepared to respond to the entire spectrum of direct and indirect threat."


2016 Uri attack, Reactions, Pakistan
In response to India's suspension of cooperation over the Indus Waters Treaty, Sartaj Aziz said India could not revoke the treaty unilaterally as per the IWT's provisions and international laws, and said such a move would be taken as an act of "war and hostilities." Aziz said Pakistan would approach the United Nations Security Council in that event.


2016 Uri attack, Media
The Deutsche Welle noted that Kashmir was already in international headlines at the time of the Uri attack due to the anti-India protests. It further noted that immediately after the attack, mainstream media in India and Pakistan engaged in "angry" rhetoric towards each other. A video of Indian soldiers chanting "Pakistan, hear this loud and clear: If ... war breaks out you will be obliterated" went viral. The Diplomat noted that many Indian media had openly called for a war on Pakistan.


2016 Uri attack, Media
India Today suggested that the fallout from the Uri attack would hurt Pakistani artists in India. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena gave all Pakistani artists in India 48 hours to leave the country and warned that they would be "hunted down". Subhash Chandra also said Pakistani artists should leave. Zee TV considered terminating Pakistani shows. The Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) decided to ban all Pakistani actors, actresses and technicians in India till the situation returned to normal. However Bollywood artists were divided towards the ban with some justifying it while some questioning its benefits.


2016 Uri attack, Media
On 18 September, the Times of India revealed that the army personnel recovered a map from the attackers which had markings in the Pashtun language and indicated a detailed plan of action. Four AK-47 rifles and four under barrel grenade launchers along with ammunition were also recovered. According to the Indian Army, some of the items had Pakistani markings. This was denied by the National Investigation Agency.


2016 Uri attack, Media
The Diplomat noted that the timing of the attack coincided with the Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly the following week. The Diplomat, in another article, said that the attack was "designed" to increase public pressure against the Modi government's engagement with Pakistan.


2016 Uri attack, Media
It also reported that there was specific intelligence input from the Intelligence Bureau two days earlier that an attack was being planned against army formations close to the LOC. The intelligence agency had said that three fidayeen squads were launched from Pakistan-administered Kashmir. One of them attacked Uri, another went to Poonch where it was engaged by the security forces, and the third is believed to be targeting Srinagar highway. The India Today Television mentioned that, according to unnamed intelligence sources, Pakistan was plotting a "spectacular event" ahead of Nawaz Sharif's speech to the UN General Assembly.


2016 Uruguay Open
The 2016 Uruguay Open is a professional tennis tournament played on clay courts. It is the twelfth edition of the tournament which is part of the 2016 ATP Challenger Tour. It takes place in Montevideo, Uruguay between November 14 and November 20, 2016.


2016 Uruguay Open, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2016 Uruguay Open – Doubles
Andrej Martin and Hans Podlipnik were the defending champions but only Podlipnik chose to defend his title, partnering Marcel Felder. Podlipnik lost in the quarterfinals to Andrés Molteni and Diego Schwartzman.


2016 Uruguay Open – Doubles
Molteni and Schwartzman won the title after Fabiano de Paula and Christian Garin withdrew before the final.


2016 Uruguay Open – Singles
Guido Pella was the defending champion but chose not to defend his title.


2016 Uruguay Open – Singles
Diego Schwartzman won the title after defeating Rogério Dutra Silva 6–4, 6–1 in the final.


2016 Uruguayan Primera División
The 2016 Liga Profesional de Primera División season, also known as the Campeonato Uruguayo Especial o Campeonato Transición, was the 113th season of Uruguay's top-flight football league, and the 86th in which it is professional. Peñarol was the defending champion.


2016 Utah Democratic presidential caucuses
The 2016 Utah Democratic presidential caucuses took place on March 22 in the U.S. state of Utah as one of the Democratic Party's primaries ahead of the 2016 presidential election.


2016 Utah Democratic presidential caucuses
On the same day, the Democratic Party held another caucus in Idaho and a primary in Arizona, while the Republican Party held primaries in two states, including their own Utah caucuses, plus in American Samoa.


2016 Utah Democratic presidential caucuses, Analysis
Sanders defeated Clinton by a landslide margin in Utah's caucus, winning almost 80 percent of the vote to Clinton's 20 percent. Sanders had held several rallies in Utah and spent $300,000 on TV advertising ahead of the state's caucuses, as well as those in Idaho and Arizona that were held on the same day. Though Clinton had been endorsed by some of the most prominent Democrats in Utah, such as then-Mayor of Salt Lake County Ben McAdams, she did not compete in the state as much as Sanders did.


2016 Utah Democratic presidential caucuses, Analysis
Turnout in the Utah caucus was unusually high, with some caucus sites needing to print extra ballots after running out multiple times. Sanders' victory in Utah was seen as part of a trend in which he tended to do better in whiter states and in those that held caucuses rather than primaries.


2016 Utah Senate election
The 2016 Utah Senate election was held on November 8, 2016. Fifteen Senate seats were up for election. Prior to the election, the Republicans held a majority.


2016 Utah Senate election, Results
The election took place on November 8, 2016. Candidate list and results from the Lieutenant Governor of Utah.


2016 Utah State Aggies football team
The 2016 Utah State Aggies football team represented Utah State University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Aggies were led by fourth-year head coach Matt Wells and played their home games at Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium. This was Utah State's fourth season as members of the Mountain West Conference in the Mountain Division. They finished the season 3–9, 1–7 in Mountain West play to finish in last place in the Mountain Division.


2016 Utah Utes football team
The 2016 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah during the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by twelfth year head coach Kyle Whittingham and played their home games in Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were members of the South Division of the Pac-12 Conference. They finished the season 9–4, 5–4 in Pac-12 play to finish in third place in the South Division. They were invited to the Foster Farms where they defeated Indiana.


2016 Utah Utes women's soccer team
The 2016 Utah Utes women's soccer team represented the University of Utah during the 2016 NCAA Division I women's soccer season.


2016 Utah elections
The 2016 Utah general elections were held in the U.S. state of Utah on November 8, 2016. Utah's Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Auditor, and Treasurer were elected, as well as one of Utah's U.S. Senate seats and all four seats in the United States House of Representatives, fifteen Utah Senate seats and all of the Utah House of Representatives seats. Primary elections were held on June 28, 2016.


2016 Utah elections, Federal offices, U.S. Senate
Incumbent Republican Senator Mike Lee was re-elected to a second term.


2016 Utah elections, Federal offices, U.S. Senate
Misty Snow won the Democratic nomination, and the first transgender woman in the history of the United States to become a major party's nominee for the Senate.


2016 Utah elections, Federal offices, U.S. House of Representatives
All of Utah's four seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in November.


2016 Utah elections, State offices, Executive, Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Incumbent Republican Governor Gary Herbert was re-elected to a third term in office. Spencer Cox was Herbert's running mate.


2016 Utah elections, State offices, Executive, Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Michael Weinholtz, former Chairman and CEO of CHG Healthcare Services, ran as a Democrat. Kim Bowman, division manager at University of Utah Health Sciences, is Weinholtz's running mate.


2016 Utah elections, State offices, Legislative, Utah House of Representatives
All 75 seats in the Utah House of Representatives were filled in 2016.


2016 Utah gubernatorial election
The 2016 Utah gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2016, to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Utah, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.


2016 Utah gubernatorial election
Incumbent Republican Governor Gary Herbert ran for re-election to a second full term in office. Republican challenger Jonathan E. Johnson defeated Herbert in the state convention to secure a spot on the primary ballot, but Herbert won the June 28, 2016 primary and secured the nomination. The Democratic party nominated former CHG Healthcare Services CEO Mike Weinholtz at the Utah Democratic convention in April.


2016 Utah gubernatorial election
Herbert won the general election, defeating Weinholtz by a large margin.


2016 Utah gubernatorial election, Background
Republican Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. resigned in August 2009 to become United States Ambassador to China and Lieutenant Governor Herbert succeeded him. He was elected to serve out the remainder of Huntsman's term in a 2010 special election and was re-elected to a full four-year term in 2012.


2016 Utah gubernatorial election, Republican nomination
Former Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives Rebecca D. Lockhart was widely believed to be a potential Republican candidate, but she died of a rare neurodegenerative brain disease in January 2015.


2016 Utah gubernatorial election, Republican nomination
Incumbent governor Gary Herbert won the June 28, 2016 primary, defeating Overstock.com Chairman Jonathan Johnson.


2016 Utah gubernatorial election, Democratic nomination
Weinholtz defeated Cook at the Democratic convention to become the nominee.


2016 Uttarakhand Super League season
The 2016 Uttarakhand Super League season (known as the 2016 JSW Uttarakhand Super League for sponsorship reasons) was the first season of the Uttarakhand Super League football competition since its foundation earlier in the year. The season featured fourteen teams and kicked off on 10 July 2016.


2016 Uttarakhand Super League season
Pauri Platoons emerged as the first champions after defeating Nainital FC Lakes in the final on 9 August.


2016 Uttarakhand Super League season
The 25,000-capacity BHEL Stadium in Ranipur is the largest venue by capacity used for Uttarakhand Super League matches.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires
The 2016 Uttarakhand forest fires were a series of widespread, damaging wildfires that took place in Uttarakhand, India between April and May. The fires were caused by a heatwave that spread across Uttarakhand and were the worst recorded in the region with a reported 4,538 hectares (11,210 acres) of forest burnt down and seven people dead.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires
Officials detected nearly 1,600 total fires which were brought under control by 2 May, and as rain fell the following day, it reduced the impact of the wildfires. An initial report on 4 May noted that 3,500 hectares (8,600 acres) had been destroyed by the fire.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, History and causes
Forest fires caused by humans in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand have been a regular event. Since the formation of the state in 2000, more than 44,518 hectares (110,010 acres) of forest land has been lost to fire.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, History and causes
Some fires during 1921, 1930, and 1942 have been associated with popular movements against the then British government's forestry policies and as a call for independence. Most of these fires occur in the chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) zone which is prone to fire.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, History and causes
But the pine itself is resistant to the fire. Instead of harming them, these fires help in their regeneration by reducing coverage of broad-leaf trees, which leads to an increase in the land covered by chir pine and oak. The broad-leaved forest is dominated by oak species, including Banj oak (Quercus leucotrichophora). Resin is harvested from these pines, and fires are often intentionally set to remove the carpet of pine needles that come in the way of harvesting activity.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, History and causes
In June 1981, a blanket ban was introduced against the felling of standing trees 1000 meters above sea level, a ban that prohibits the removal of pine trees in the areas where they are invading. Apart from accidental fires, several causes and motivations for setting fires have been noted which include encroachment on forest lands and concealing illegal timber extraction. Major illicit timber trade relies on pine forests since it is often used for construction.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, History and causes
A major cause for the fires was attributed to the record high temperatures and severe lack of rainfall due to a dry winter. The Uttarakhand forest fires had also come as India suffered one of its worst droughts in years with the government noting over 330 million were affected by water shortages.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Early 2016 events and controversy
The forest fires began on February 2, 2016, and went initially unnoticed for several weeks, while Parliament was in a state of outrage over the presidential rule which had been imposed on Uttarakhand


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Early 2016 events and controversy
Consequently, these fires went largely unchecked and spread from the pine forests on the slopes of the sub-Himalayan region to the oak and broadleaf forests which resulted in heavy clouds of smoke that changed the usually blue skies to grey. This smoke affected tourism within the state and fearing bad publicity, the locals did not report the fires.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Early 2016 events and controversy
The conservationist Ela Smetacek started a public awareness campaign to highlight the damage from the fires calling on the Indian government to address the issue. Her  was shared over 58,000 times as it showed the entire hillsides ablaze with walls of flames engulfing even the tallest trees.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Early 2016 events and controversy
The campaign gathered widespread support from social media users and Indian media which led to a series of claims and counter-claims between the environment minister, the conservationist, and other activists ensued, as Smetacek blamed the timber and builder mafia for the purposely-lit fires, stating that 1,300 fires could be seen from NASA satellite pictures and that an arson attack across the state was evident.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Early 2016 events and controversy
The post demanding the fires be recognized as a national emergency, and the need of immediate deployment of NDRF teams, led to the government taking action, deploying the National Disaster Response Force and making use of Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopters fitted with "Bambi buckets" to douse the fires with water.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Early 2016 events and controversy
Seven fatalities were reported as of 4 May 2016. The Pinegrove School, a boarding school at Kasauli, was evacuated as fires had reached its compound walls. Tourism and wildlife at the Jim Corbett National Park and Rajaji Tiger reserve regions were affected. Various other locations in these Himalayan states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are tourist attractions in summer, and they now face heavy air pollution. The forest fires also disrupted the functioning of the Kalka–Shimla Railway line. On 3 May, the forest department estimated the monetary losses at approximately ₹29 lakh (US$41,000).


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Early 2016 events and controversy
The estimate is based on the standard rule book followed by the department with empirical formulae for such calculations. Various ecologists and environmental activists have disregarded the estimate, noting that it does not take into account ecological and wildlife losses. They added that these fires have also destroyed vegetation which holds rainfall, which might result in floods in the monsoon season.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Early 2016 events and controversy
Scientists of the Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development formed a team to survey the area and study the effects of the fires on the melting of glaciers. Ecologists suggested that clearing of forest floors of the fallen pine leaves, which are readily combustible, should be undertaken by the forest department as well as locals on a grassroots level to prevent such major fire outbreaks. Production of biomass briquettes from these pine needles should be promoted, serving as a source of fuel as well as a solution to prevent wildfires.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Early 2016 events and controversy
On 30 April, the National Disaster Response Force was deployed for rescue operations in the Kumaon and Garhwal areas. Around 6,000 personnel from the Forest Department were deployed. As of 30 April 2016, 922 incidences of fire were reported affecting around 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) of forest area. The Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force with "Bambi buckets" were used to douse the fires with water. However, the heavy smog that developed in the area affected the aerial operations of the army. The affected area later increased to around 3,500 hectares (8,600 acres), extending into Himachal Pradesh. The regions saw rainfalls on 3 May ranging from 7mm to 11mm, which helped in controlling the fire.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Early 2016 events and controversy
Soaring temperatures reignited the forest fires on 18 May 2016 covering an area of nearly 180 hectares of green land spreading over 111 districts. Rangers and Divisional Forest Officers rush to the spot and extinguish the fire as soon as possible to reduce the damage done. This was the result of the temperatures of Uttarakhand which were about 4 to 5 degrees higher than the average temperatures at this time of the year. According to government sources, the forest fires combined have destroyed nearly 4,048 hectares of land, in 1,857 incidents.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Early 2016 events and controversy
Subsequently, the World Bank granted 500 crores rupees (US$75M) to the Uttarakhand forest department to research the cause of the forest fires, which was later increased by ₹600 crores (US$90M).


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Early 2016 events and controversy
The Indian central government later announced a series of funds amounting to over ₹50,000 crores (US$7.5B) to go towards afforestation across the state of Uttarakhand and the country.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Controversy and long term impact
Reports were published in the local media which variously blamed both the local people and timber companies for the forest fires. Environmental journalist Bahar Dutt blamed the television media for their "Delhi centrist world view" that disregarded the historical and ecological natural causes of fire, due to the high density of pine trees that increases the fire hazards. Various tourism-related associations suggested that the exaggerated representation of the fires by the media could reduce tourism, a major part of the state economy.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Controversy and long term impact
Part of a team of conservationists and biologists who studied the private and state forests since 1950, Smetacek maintained forest fires did not occur naturally in the geographical topography of the region concerned. Natural fires are not seen anywhere in Indian forests, she added. The introduction of pine trees by the British caused a more volatile fuel to the (man-made) fires.


2016 Uttarakhand forest fires, Controversy and long term impact
Fires directly destroy biodiversity and have indirect long-term impacts, including the encouragement of fire and pioneer species. It has been suggested that the dark carbon dust emitted by the fires deposited on Himalayan glaciers could hasten the glaciers' melting. This could affect the hydrology of the rivers that are a source of water for human populations in northern India. The average temperature of northern India saw an increase of 0.2 °C.


2016 Uzbek League
The 2016 Uzbek League was the 25th season of top level football in Uzbekistan since 1992. Pakhtakor were the defending champions from the 2015 campaign.


2016 Uzbek League, Teams
Sogdiana Jizzakh remained for 2016 Uzbek League after winning in relegation play-off match with Oqtepa. Obod Tashkent promoted to 2016 League as 2015 First League winner. The draw of 2016 season was held on 22 December 2015. The first matchday is scheduled for 4 March 2016.


2016 Uzbek League, Foreign players
The number of foreign players is restricted to five per USL team. A team can use only five foreign players on the field in each game.


2016 Uzbek League, Relegation play-off
The one leg relegation play-off match between 15th placed team of Uzbek League, Navbahor Namangan and runners-up of 2016 Uzbekistan First League, FC Naryn Khakkulabad was played on 28 November 2016 in Tashkent. Navbahor won by 3:1 and remained in League.


2016 Uzbek presidential election
Snap presidential elections were held in Uzbekistan on 4 December 2016, following the death of incumbent President Islam Karimov on 2 September. The constitution mandated that the election be held within three months of Karimov's death. Interim President Shavkat Mirziyoyev won the elections with 90% of the vote. The elections were described by the Economist as a sham, and by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe as lacking "a genuine choice".


2016 Uzbek presidential election, Background
According to article 96 of the constitution, when a president is incapacitated or dies in office, the Chairman of the Senate (Nigmatilla Yuldashev at the time of Karimov's death) should take over as acting President, before an election is held within three months. In the event, however, Yuldashev stood aside, and parliament on 8 September voted unanimously to appoint Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev as interim President.


2016 Uzbek presidential election, Background
This extra-constitutional measure was made with the support of regional clans, who feared that a power struggle between the country's elites would cause instability, and so decided to support Mirziyoyev, who had been Prime Minister since 2003. According to Reuters, Mirziyoyev's negotiations with the clans to secure the presidential nomination included a promise to share power with Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov and national security chief Rustam Inoyatov.


2016 Uzbek presidential election, Electoral system
The President of Uzbekistan is elected using the two-round system, with a run-off election between the two highest-placed candidates held if no candidate receives an absolute majority of the vote in the first round.


2016 Uzbek presidential election, Campaign
The following four candidates were nominated by their respective parties in September. The CEC approved their applications in October.


2016 Uzbek presidential election, Campaign
It was widely expected that Mirziyoyev, who was Prime Minister, interim president and the leader of Uzbekistan's largest party, the Liberal Democratic Party, would win the election. During the campaign, Mirziyoyev promised to mostly continue Karimov's policies, although he also pledged to implement populist measures such as forcing state bureaucrats and local leaders to be more responsive to the people's concerns, and to establish a hotline to the president. Mirziyoyev's platform primarily focused on economic issues, promising that he would double the GDP by 2030.


2016 Uzbek presidential election, Campaign
The other three nominees were from parties that were technically in opposition but have always supported the government's position. As in the 2015 presidential elections, the other candidates refrained from attacking other nominees and instead focused on their own pet topics. According to EurasiaNet, Ketmonov focused on disabled rights, Umarov focused on education, while Otamuratov focused on promoting patriotism and nationalism.


2016 Uzbek presidential election, Campaign
During the campaign, government-controlled media repeated the message that if the Karimov-era autocracy ended, the only alternatives were political chaos or Islamic extremism. Each candidate was allowed to erect 624 billboards across the country during the campaign, a decrease from the 829 billboards that had been allowed in the previous election.


2016 Uzbek presidential election, Conduct
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)'s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), which observed the elections, reported that although it had been more transparent and in line with proper electoral procedure, the need for electoral reform still showed. The ODIHR reported that the elections lacked real competition because the ruling party was in a much stronger position and due to limitations on certain freedoms, such as the right for media to report on politics in an unrestricted manner. Other irregularities reported by the OSCE include ballot stuffing and improper proxy voting.


2016 Uzbek presidential election, Conduct
Based on the OSCE report, the Economist described the election as a sham and simply replacing "one strongman with another".


2016 Uzbek presidential election, Aftermath
According to Interfax, Vladimir Putin, who has a better relationship with Mirziyoyev than with Karimov, was the first leader to call the newly elected leader and sent a congratulatory note 20 minutes after the results were announced. According to the Kremlin, the two leaders "confirmed their commitment to further strengthening of Russian-Uzbek relations of alliance and strategic partnership" during a phone call and Putin invited Mirziyoyev to visit Russia.


2016 Uzbek presidential election, Aftermath
Since Mirziyoyev had won the support of the regional clans by promising to share power with Rustam Azimov, the Deputy Prime Minister, and Rustam Inoyatov, who ran the national security apparatus, it was unclear how much power the newly elected president would actually wield. The Economist said that the real power in Uzbekistan may be in the hands of Inoyatov.


2016 Uzbekistan Cup
The 2016 Uzbekistan Cup is the 24th season of the annual Uzbek football Cup competition. The competition started on 14 March 2016 and ended in November 2016. The cup winner is guaranteed a place in the 2017 AFC Champions League.


2016 Uzbekistan First League
The 2016 Uzbekistan First League was the 25th season of second level football in Uzbekistan since independence in 1992. In comparison to 2015 season in 2016 all clubs played two leg matches against each other without geographical split as years before.


2016 Uzbekistan First League, Teams and locations, League table
Final standingsThe last matchday matches were played on 12 November 2016


2016 V de V Challenge Monoplace
The 2016 V de V Challenge Monoplace was a multi-event motor racing championship for open wheel, formula racing cars held across Europe. The championship features drivers competing in 2 litre Formula Renault single seat race cars that conform to the technical regulations for the championship. The 2016 season was the seventh V de V Challenge Monoplace season organized by the V de V Sports. The season began at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 19 March and finishes on 6 November at Estoril.


2016 V de V Challenge Monoplace
The season was dominated by TS Corse driver Alex Peroni who won 14 from 21 races. Gilles Hireau and Aleksey Chuklin won one races on their way to top three in the season standings. Grégoire Saucy, Erwin Creed, Antoine Robert, Nicolas Melin, Thomas Neubauer, David Droux, Gilles Magnus, Rinus van Kalmthout and Richard Verschoor were the other drivers who was able to finish on podium during the races.


2016 V.League 1
The 2016 V.League 1 (known as the Toyota V.League 1 for sponsorship reasons) season was the 60th season of the V.League 1, the highest division of Football in Vietnam. It began on 20 February 2016 and ended 18 September 2016.


2016 V.League 1, Changes from last season, Team changes
The following teams had changed division since the 2015 season.


2016 V.League 1, Changes from last season, Rule changes
In season 2016, the club finishing in the 14th position would be relegated to V-League 2. The club that had finished in the 13th position would face the winner of a play-off between the V-League 2's second, third and fourth place clubs for a place in the 2017 V.League 1 season.


2016 V.League 1, Changes from last season, Name changes
In April 2016, Hà Nội relocated to Ho Chi Minh City and were renamed Sài Gòn. This was with only four matchdays played


2016 V.League 1, Teams, Personnel and kits
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2016 V.League 1, Teams, Foreign players
V.League teams are allowed to use two foreign players and one naturalised player


2016 V.League 1, Results, Play-off match
The team finishing 13th faced the winner of 2016 V.League 2 play-off II match.


2016 V.League 1, Results, Play-off match
Long An won the match and would remain in the 2017 V.League 1.


2016 V.League 1, Awards, Annual awards, Dream Team
Sầm Ngọc Đức (Hà Nội F.C) Quế Ngọc Hải (Sông Lam Nghệ An) Lê Văn Phú (Hải Phòng F.C.) Trần Văn Vũ (Sanna Khánh Hòa)


2016 V.League 1, Awards, Annual awards, Dream Team
Lê Văn Thắng (Hải Phòng F.C.) Pape Omar Faye (FLC Thanh Hóa) Nghiêm Xuân Tú (Than Quảng Ninh) Đinh Thanh Trung (Quảng Nam)


2016 V.League 1, Awards, Annual awards, Dream Team
Gastón Merlo (SHB Đà Nẵng) Uche Iheruome (Sanna Khánh Hòa)


2016 V.League 2
The 2016 V.League 2 (referred to as Kienlongbank V.League 2 for sponsorship reasons) was the 22nd season of V.League 2, Vietnam's second tier professional football league, which began on 9 April 2016 and ended on 20 August 2016.


2016 V.League 2, Changes from last season, Team changes
The following teams had changed division since the 2015 season.


2016 V.League 2, Changes from last season, Rule changes
In season 2016, clubs finishing second, third and fourth will play play-off matches for a place in the 2016 V.League 1 play-off match with the 13th-placed of 2016 V.League 1.


2016 V.League 2, Results, Play-off match, Play-off I match
The team which finish 3rd faced the team which finish 4th. The winner earned entry into the play-off II match.


2016 V.League 2, Results, Play-off match, Play-off II match
The team which finish 2nd faced the winner of play-off I match. The winner earned entry into the play-off match with the 13th-placed team of 2016 V.League 1


2016 V8 Supercar season
The 2016 V8 Supercar season was the twentieth season in which V8 Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car series. It was the 57th season of touring car racing in Australia since the first runnings of the Australian Touring Car Championship, now known as the International V8 Supercars Championship, and the fore-runner of the present day Bathurst 1000, the Armstrong 500.


2016 V8 Supercar season
The season began on 3 March at the Adelaide Street Circuit and finished on 27 November at the Homebush Street Circuit. 2016 featured the twentieth V8 Supercar Championship, consisting of 29 races at 14 events covering all six states and the Northern Territory of Australia as well an event in New Zealand. Originally the Supercars were going to make their first trip to Kuala Lumpur, but the event had to be cancelled due to certain logistical failures on the part of the promoters in Malaysia. There was also a stand-alone event supporting the 2016 Australian Grand Prix. The season also featured the seventeenth second-tier Dunlop V8 Supercar Series, contested over seven rounds. For the ninth time, de-registered Supercars contested an unofficial third-tier series, the Kumho Tyre V8 Touring Car Series.


2016 VBA season
The 2016 VBA season is the inaugural season of the Vietnam Basketball Association. The regular season began on August 6, 2016 and ended on October 23, 2016. The playoffs began on October 26, 2016 and ended with the 2016 VBA Finals on November 16, 2016, with the Danang Dragons winning the inaugural VBA title after sweeping the Hochiminh City Wings in 2 games.


2016 VBA season, Import players
Each team is allowed 2 heritage players and 1 foreign player.


2016 VBA season, Regular season
The regular season began on August 6 with the Hanoi Buffaloes hosting the Saigon Heat, and ended on October 23 with the Heat hosting the Buffaloes.


2016 VBA season, Regular season, Standings, Tiebreakers
The Heat clinched #1 seed over the Wings based on head-to-head record (3–1).


2016 VBA season, Playoffs
The 2016 VBA playoffs began on October 26, 2016 and ended on November 12, 2016.


2016 VCU Rams baseball team
The 2016 VCU Rams baseball team is the program's 46th season fielding a varsity baseball program, and their fourth season the Atlantic 10 Conference.


2016 VCU Rams baseball team
Led by Shawn Stiffler for his third season, the Rams had their most successful baseball season in program history. The Rams advanced to the NCAA Super Regional for the first time ever, and won their first ever Atlantic 10 Conference Baseball Tournament. It was the program's return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.


2016 VCU Rams baseball team, Rankings
^ Collegiate Baseball ranks 40 teams in their preseason poll, but only ranks 30 teams weekly during the season. † NCBWA ranks 35 teams in their preseason poll, but only ranks 30 teams weekly during the season. * New poll was not released for this week so for comparison purposes the previous week's ranking is inserted in this week's slot.


2016 VFL Women's season
The 2016 VFL Women's season was the inaugural season of the VFL Women's (VFLW). The season commenced on 3 April and concluded with the Grand Final on 18 September 2016. The competition was contested by ten clubs, most of whom were independent clubs that had been transferred from the now-defunct Victorian Women's Football League.


2016 VFL season
The 2016 Victorian Football League season is the 135th season of the Victorian Football Association/Victorian Football League Australian rules football competition.


2016 VFL season
There were 15 teams competing in the league. The season started on Saturday 9 April and concluded Sunday 25 September with the VFL Grand Final, won by the Footscray reserves, who defeated the Casey Scorpions by 31 points at Etihad Stadium. It was the Footscray reserves' second VFL premiership, won in just its third season in the competition.


2016 VFL season, League membership and affiliations
At the end of the 2015 season, North Melbourne ended its ten-year partial reserves affiliation with North Ballarat. The move was in part motivated by a burgeoning partnership between the City of Ballarat and North Melbourne's AFL rivals Western Bulldogs, with North Melbourne not wishing to continue its investment in the Ballarat area if the rewards were to be reaped by another club. North Melbourne's existing partial affiliation with Werribee was upgraded to a full affiliation, and North Ballarat continued to contest the VFL as a stand-alone senior club.


2016 VFL season, League membership and affiliations
Beginning in the 2016 season, a new statewide women's football league known as VFL Women's was established by AFL Victoria. The competition was formed from clubs previously established in the Victorian Women's Football League, and was aligned and co-branded with the VFL to improve market penetration. The new competition was composed of ten clubs: Darebin Falcons, Diamond Creek (Creekers), Eastern Devils, Melbourne University Mugars, St Kilda Sharks, and VU Western Spurs (all from the VWFL Premier Division), joined by Cranbourne Eagles, Geelong Magpies, Knox Falcons and Seaford Tigers (all from the VWFL Division 1).


2016 VFL season, Premiership season, Round 3
Frankston recorded its first win since Round 16, 2014, to break a 24-game losing streak.


2016 VMI Keydets football team
The 2016 VMI Keydets football team represented the Virginia Military Institute in the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. It was VMI's 126th football season and the Keydets were led by second year head coach Scott Wachenheim. They played their home games at 10,000–seat Alumni Memorial Field at Foster Stadium, as they have since 1962. This was VMI's third season as a member of the Southern Conference, after playing for 11 seasons in the Big South Conference. VMI was also a charter member of the Southern Conference, from 1921 through 2003. They finished the season 3–8, 1–7 in SoCon play to finish in a tie for eighth place.


2016 VTB United League Playoffs
The 2016 VTB United League Playoffs was the deciding play-off tournament that decided the champion of the 2015–16 VTB United League season. The eight teams that finished highest in the regular season were qualified. The Playoffs started on April 29 and ended on June 8, 2016. The champions or runners-up of the Playoffs would qualify for the 2016–17 EuroLeague, dependent on the position of automatically placed CSKA Moscow. CSKA Moscow won the championship, after beating runners-up UNICS that qualified for the EuroLeague as runners-up.


2016 VTB United League Playoffs, Quarterfinals
In the quarterfinals, teams play against each other which must win three games to win the series. Thus, if one team win three games before all five games have been played, the game that remain are omitted. The team that finished in the higher Regular season place will be played the first, third and fifth (if it is necessary) game of the series at home.


2016 VTB United League Playoffs, Semifinals
In the semifinals, teams play against each other which must win three games to win the series. Thus, if one team win three games before all five games have been played, the game that remain are omitted. The team that finished in the higher Regular season place will be played the first, third and fifth (if it is necessary) game of the series at home.


2016 VTB United League Playoffs, Finals
In the Finals, teams play against each other which must win three games to win the series. Thus, if one team win three games before all five games have been played, the game that remain are omitted. The team that finished in the higher Regular season place will be played the first, third and fifth (if it is necessary) game of the series at home.


2016 VTV Awards
The 2016 VTV Awards (Vietnamese: Ấn tượng VTV - Chuyển động 2016) is a ceremony honouring the outstanding achievement in television on the Vietnam Television (VTV) network from August 2015 to July 2016. It took place on September 7, 2016 in Ho Chi Minh City and hosted by Trấn Thành & Ái Phương.


2016 VTV International Women's Volleyball Cup
The 2016 VTV Cup Championship was the 13th staging of the international tournament. The tournament was held at the Hà Nam Gymnasium in Hà Nam, Vietnam.


2016 VTV9 – Binh Dien International Women's Volleyball Cup
The 2016 VTV9 - Binh Dien International Women's Volleyball Cup was the 10th staging. The tournament was held in Ninh Bình,Vietnam.


2016 VTV9 – Binh Dien International Women's Volleyball Cup, Pools composition
VTV Bình Điền Long An (Host) Thailand U20  Jiangsu  Malaysia


2016 VTV9 – Binh Dien International Women's Volleyball Cup, Pool standing procedure
Match won 3–0 or 3–1: 3 match points for the winner, 0 match points for the loserMatch won 3–2: 2 match points for the winner, 1 match point for the loser


2016 Vaahteraliiga season
The 2016 Vaahteraliiga season was the 37th season of the highest level of American football in Finland. The regular season took place between May 13 and August 28, 2016. The Finnish champion was determined in the playoffs, and at the championship game Vaahteramalja XXXVII the Helsinki Roosters won their fifth consecutive championship, this time against the Seinäjoki Crocodiles.


2016 Valdosta State Blazers football team
The 2016 Valdosta State Blazers football team represented Valdosta State University as a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) during the 2016 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by first-year head coach Kerwin Bell and  played their home games at Bazemore–Hyder Stadium in Valdosta, Georgia. Valdosta State compiled an overall record of 8–3 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, placing second in the GSC. They were invited to the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs, where they lost in the first round to UNC Pembroke.


2016 Valdosta State Blazers football team, Schedule
Valdosta State announced its 2016 football schedule on March 17, 2016. The schedule consisted of five home games, four away game, and one neutral site games in the regular season. The Blazers hosted GSC foes Delta State, Shorter, West Florida, and West Georgia, and traveled to Florida Tech, Mississippi College, North Alabama, and West Alabama.


2016 Valdosta State Blazers football team, Schedule
The Blazers hosted one non-conference game against Albany State of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and traveled to one neutral site game against Kentucky State, also from the SIAC.


2016 Vale by-election
The 2016 Vale by-election was held in the States of Guernsey district of Vale on 19 October 2016 following the death of deputy Dave Jones in July 2016. Nominations closed on 23 September. Neil Inder was elected as the new deputy.


2016 Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix
The 2016 Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix was the eighteenth and last round of the 2016 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It was held at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia on 13 November 2016.


2016 Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix
The MotoGP class race saw the début of the KTM RC16, in preparation for its full season début in 2017.


2016 Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix, Championship standings after the race (MotoGP)
Below are the standings for the top five riders and constructors after round eighteen has concluded.


2016 Valenzuela local elections
Local elections was held in Valenzuela on May 9, 2016 within the Philippine general election. The voters elected for the elective local posts in the city: the mayor, vice mayor, the two Congressmen (or district representatives), and the councilors, six in each of the city's two legislative districts.


2016 Valenzuela local elections
Incumbent mayor Rexlon Gatchalian of Nationalist People's Coalition won for his second term. Gatchalian's primary opponent is Magtanggol Gunigundo of the Liberal Party, who was on his third term and term limited as representative to the city's second congressional district since 2007.


2016 Valenzuela local elections, Mayoral and vice mayoral election
Incumbent mayor Rexlon "Rex" Gatchalian is on his first term as the mayor of Valenzuela. Prior to his election as mayor in 2013, he represented the first district of Valenzuela from 2007 to 2013. The other candidate for the mayoralty race is the incumbent second district representative Magtanggol "Magi" Gunigundo. Gunigundo represented the former lone district of Valenzuela from 1998 to 2001 and the second district of the same city since 2007, which is now on his third term. As prescribed by the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, he is barred from running as the representative and he may choose to run into higher or lower office instead.


2016 Valenzuela local elections, Mayoral and vice mayoral election
There are only two candidates for vice mayor's office: both are members of the city council: first district councilor Marcelino "Mar" Morelos and second district councilor Lorena "Lorie" Natividad-Borja.


2016 Valenzuela local elections, Congressional election
The incumbent first district representative Sherwin Gatchalian is running for a Senate position under Grace Poe's coalition, Partido Galing at Puso. The youngest of the Gatchalian brothers, Weslie, who is the incumbent representative of Alay Buhay party-list for the House of Representatives, is running for first district. The other candidate is Ritche Cuadra, who is a former member of the city council and unsuccessfully vied for the same post in 2013. The third candidate is Victor Reponia.


2016 Valenzuela local elections, Congressional election
For the second district, incumbent representative Magtanggol Gunigundo is running for mayorship and is barred for running for the same position. His wife, Adelma, is running for the position instead. Adelma previously vied for the position of mayor last 2013 election. The other candidate for second district representative is Eric Martinez, who is a former member of the city council and the incumbent vice mayor since 2007.


2016 Valenzuela local elections, Election results
The winners of the congressional, mayor and vice mayor seats of Valenzuela City is determined with the highest number of votes received. These positions are voted separately, so there is a possibility that the winning officials came from the same or different political parties.


2016 Valenzuela local elections, Election results, Congressional elections, First district
Incumbent Sherwin "Win" Gatchalian ran for the Senate and won. His brother, Weslie ran against former Councilor Ritche Cuadra.


2016 Valenzuela local elections, Election results, Congressional elections, Second district
Incumbent Magtanggol Gunigundo is running for Mayor, His wife, Adelma is running against Vice Mayor Eric Martinez.


2016 Valenzuela local elections, Election results, City council elections
The voters in the city are set to elect six councilors on the district where they are living, hence registered. Candidates are voted separately so there are chances where winning candidates will have unequal number of votes and may come from different political parties.


2016 Valparaiso Crusaders football team
The 2016 Valparaiso Crusaders football team represented Valparaiso University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Dave Cecchini and played their home games at Brown Field. They were members of the Pioneer Football League. They finished the season 4–7, 3–5 in PFL play to finish in a two-way tie for seventh place.


2016 Vancouver International Film Festival
The 2016 Vancouver International Film Festival, the 36th event in the history of the Vancouver International Film Festival, was held from September 29 to October 14, 2016.


2016 Vancouver International Film Festival
The festival's opening gala film was Aisling Walsh's Maudie, and its closing gala was Terrence Mallick's Voyage of Time.


2016 Vancouver Stealth season
The Vancouver Stealth are a lacrosse team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The team plays in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The 2016 season was the 17th in franchise history and the third season in Vancouver. The franchise previously played in Everett, Washington, San Jose, and Albany, New York.


2016 Vancouver Stealth season, Regular season, Final standings
x: Clinched playoff berth; c: Clinched playoff berth by crossing over to another division; y: Clinched division; z: Clinched best regular season record; GP: Games PlayedW: Wins; L: Losses; GB: Games back; PCT: Win percentage; Home: Record at Home; Road: Record on the Road; GF: Goals scored; GA: Goals allowedDifferential: Difference between goals scored and allowed; GF/GP: Average number of goals scored per game; GA/GP: Average number of goals allowed per game


2016 Vancouver Stealth season, Transactions, Entry Draft
The 2015 NLL Entry Draft took place on September 28, 2015. The Stealth made the following selections:


2016 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season
The 2016 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season is the Whitecaps' sixth season in Major League Soccer, the top tier of soccer in the United States and Canada.


2016 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season, Major League Soccer, Regular season, Results
Last updated: October 23, 2016Source:Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won;  T = Matches tied;  L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference


2016 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season, Playing statistics
Appearances (Apps.) numbers are for appearances in competitive games only including sub appearancesRed card numbers denote: Numbers in parentheses represent red cards overturned for wrongful dismissal.


2016 Vancouver Whitecaps FC season, Playing statistics
Source: (for players and positions) 00(for squad numbers) 00(for actual stats.)


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team
The 2016 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2016 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Commodores play their home games at Hawkins Field as a member of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference. They are led by head coach Tim Corbin, in his 14th season at Vanderbilt. The Commodores compiled a 40–15 regular season record, going 18–12 in the SEC and finishing ranked #10 in the nation. The Commodores earned a #6 seed in the 2016 Southeastern Conference tournament, where they went 2–2 and were eliminated by Texas A&M, the eventual champions.


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team
Following the SEC tournament, the Commodores hosted a regional in the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, part of the Louisville super regional. The season was marred by the death of freshman pitcher Donny Everett, who drowned the day before Vanderbilt was to take on Xavier University in their first regional game. Vanderbilt went 0–2 in the Nashville regional to end the season, falling to Xavier and Washington.


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team, Previous season
After a slow start to the 2015 season, the Commodores easily qualified for the 2015 Southeastern Conference tournament, where they finished second to the Florida Gators. They then played host to the 2015 NCAA Nashville Regional, where they defeated Lipscomb University and Radford University, the latter by a record-tying shutout score of 21–0. The Commodores then faced the University of Illinois in the NCAA Superegional, defeating them in a two-game sweep and advancing to the College World Series.


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team, Previous season
In their opening-round game in the 2015 College World Series, Vanderbilt defeated Cal State Fullerton, 4–3, on a walkoff home run in the bottom of the ninth in a game that had been suspended due to rain the night before, advancing into the winners' bracket. In their second-round game, Vanderbilt defeated the number 7 national seed TCU, 1–0. Zander Wiel hit a home run in the 7th inning to score the lone run of the game and break up a no-hitter.


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team, Previous season
Behind an offensive outburst and dominating performance behind the arm of Walker Buehler, the Commodores beat TCU 7–1 to advance to their second straight College World Series Championship Series. In game 1 of the championship series Vanderbilt defeated Virginia 5–1 thanks to an outing by Carson Fulmer. Virginia held Vanderbilt scoreless (3–0) for just the second time all year, forcing a winner-take-all third game for the national championship. The Cavaliers beat Vanderbilt 4–2 to win their first baseball national championship in program history.


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team, Donny Everett
Vanderbilt freshman pitcher Donny Everett drowned at Normandy Lake, in Manchester, Tennessee on June 2, 2016, just one day before the Commodores were to play Xavier to enter the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. According to officials, Everett was fishing with four friends when he decided to attempt to swim from the west side to the east side of Fire Lake Bridge. Halfway through, Everett began noticing problems and notified his friends for help, but they thought he was "joking around" because he didn't seem to be in distress.


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team, Donny Everett
The report stated one of the four swam in to help Everett, by which he stated he wasn't a good swimmer and struggling to stay afloat. He looked back, but Everett had gone under and wasn't coming up-shore. Officials sent a deputy and an ambulance at 5:00 PM to the lake for "a subject that had gone underwater". Deputies recovered his body at 6:49 PM, and he was sent to the state medical examiner in Nashville. He was 19 years old.


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team, Donny Everett
Everett won the 2015 Gatorade Player of the Year, and was drafted in the 29th round last year by the Milwaukee Brewers out of Clarkville High School in Clarkville, Tennessee. He finished this season with a 0–1 record and a 1.50 ERA, as well as 13 strikeouts in 12 innings. After Everett's death, Vanderbilt University released a statement saying that "...the team, the athletic department and the university are trying to come to terms with this tragedy."


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores baseball team, Donny Everett
As a result of Everett's untimely death, many NCAA baseball teams, including Ole Miss and LSU, paid tribute by holding a moment of silence and writing Everett's initials on their equipment. The NCAA offered to postpone Vanderbilt's June 3 game against Xavier but the Commodores planned to play, with Coach Corbin calling the baseball field "their safe haven." The game was eventually postponed due to rain.


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores football team
The 2016 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Commodores played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field in Nashville, Tennessee and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by third-year head coach Derek Mason. This was Vanderbilt's 126th season of college football. They finished the season 6–7, 3–5 in SEC play to finish in a tie for fifth place in the Eastern Division. They were invited to the Independence Bowl where they lost to NC State.


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores football team, Schedule
Vanderbilt announced its 2016 football schedule on October 29, 2015. The 2016 schedule consisted of six home and six away games in the regular season. The Commodores host SEC foes Florida, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and traveled to Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, and Missouri.


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores football team, Schedule
The Commodores hosted two of its four of its non–conference games, which were against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky (WKU) both from Conference USA, and Tennessee State from the Ohio Valley Conference.


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores football team, Coaching changes
On December 15, 2015, coach Mason announced that special teams coach Charles Bankins, OL Coach Keven Lightner will not be retained for 2016. Mason cited a difference in philosophy rather than poor performance for the coaching changes.


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores football team, Coaching changes
"I just see this football team moving in a different direction and I just wanted to make sure these men were treated the right way," Mason said. "I feel like it’s time for us to move forward."


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores football team, Game summaries, Auburn
Vanderbilt's November 5 meeting with Auburn at Jordan-Hare stadium was notable for eventual All-American LB Zach Cunningham's blocked FG in the fourth quarter. Auburn's Daniel Carlson lined up to kick a 35-yard field goal with 1:45 left in the fourth quarter to give the Tigers a 10-point lead. Cunningham, who after the game described watching special teams tape to learn the snap timing of the field goal team, leaped over Auburn's offensive line between the center and left guard to block Carlson's kick. Although Vanderbilt turned the ball over on the ensuing possession to seal Auburn's victory, the play became iconic for Cunningham during his redshirt junior season.


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores football team, Game summaries, Tennessee
Vanderbilt's 45–34 win over the Tennessee Volunteers represented the Commodores' 6th win on the season, guaranteeing Vanderbilt's eligibility for Bowl play for the first time since 2013, and the first time during Mason's tenure as Vanderbilt's Head Coach. Prior to this game, which was played at Vanderbilt Stadium on November 26, Vanderbilt's high Academic Performance Index (API) introduced the possibility of bowl play even with a 5–7 season end record, as the 5–7 teams with the best API are rewarded with bowl appearances.


2016 Vanderbilt Commodores football team, Game summaries, Tennessee
However, Vanderbilt avoided dependence upon the API and defeated state rival Tennessee, also for the first time since 2013. Kyle Shurmur led Vanderbilt in a breakout performance with 412 passing yards, and Ralph Webb eclipsed Zac Stacy's school record for career rushing yards. Vanderbilt outscored Tennessee 21–3 in the second half and iced the victory with a touchdown rush from Webb late in the fourth quarter.


2016 Vanuatuan general election
General elections were held in Vanuatu on 22 January 2016. The previous elections occurred in October 2012. The president of Vanuatu, Baldwin Lonsdale, dissolved the Parliament of Vanuatu in November 2015. This occurred after the conviction of 14 parliamentarians for bribery. The convicted MPs include former Prime Ministers Serge Vohor and Moana Carcasses Kalosil. The president called for a snap election to form a new government.


2016 Vanuatuan general election, Background
Vanuatu has a unicameral parliament with 52 Members of Parliament. The people elect their members by voting for one candidate. In multi-member constituencies, Vanuatu uses the single non-transferable vote system and in single-member districts, first-past-the-post voting is used. Each parliamentarian holds office for a term of 4 years. In Vanuatu, there are eight single-member districts and nine multi-seat constituencies. The district magnitude of multi-seat constituencies has a range of two members to seven members for each constituency. Citizens elect the President of Vanuatu and the government elects the Prime Minister of Vanuatu.


2016 Vanuatuan general election, Background
Historically, the Vanuatuan government and society divided itself along linguistic lines. The Vanua'aku Party represented the Anglophone interests and the Union of Moderate Parties represented the Francophone interests. Over time the linguistic divide has diminished as Vanuatu established a stronger national identity post-independence. Party allegiances have become less strong as factions split and formed new political parties.