Exploration & Expansion in the 21st century

253 sourced entries, 2000 CE to 2025 CE, oldest first. Also see Exploration & Expansion across every century or everything else in the 21st century.

20007 January: For the first time in 35 years, an Argentine expedition team successfully reaches the South Pole.Argentina source
200020 March – President Bill Clinton becomes the first president of America to visit Bangladesh.Bangladesh source
200029 March – The opening of Taipei City Mall in Taipei.Taiwan source
2000April 21 - In Dushanbe, Tajikistan, U.N. Special Envoy for Afghanistan Francesc Vendrell held peace talks with Northern Alliance commander Ahmed Shah Masood, former Nangarhar province governor Haji Abdul Qadeer and former member of the ousted Rabbani government Syed Hussain Anwari.Afghanistan source
2000May 29 to May 31: Supreme Leader Kim Jong Il makes a state visit to China after 17 years since 1983.North Korea source
2000October 15 - Spaniard Francisco Javier Cortes wins the Amsterdam MarathonNetherlands source
20001 November – The Museo Botero opens to the public in La Candelaria, Bogotá, available free of charge.Colombia source
2000November 2 – Expedition 1 to the International Space Station begins.source
2000In the Spring of 2000, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) launched a series of successful offensives to retake strategic roads in the northern province. One major victory was the fall of the A9 Highway, which put the LTTE within striking range of the Elephant Pass military garrison.Sri Lanka source
200126 March – The establishment of Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation in Taipei.Taiwan source
2001May 24 – Sherpa Temba Tsheri, 15, becomes the youngest person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.source
200117 June – The 51st Vuelta a Colombia begins Ciudad de Popayán, Cauca.Colombia source
2001The USS Theodore Roosevelt left Norfolk, Virginia for the Persian Gulf as part of a 14-ship battle group.Afghanistan source
2001Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, visited the DRC.Democratic Republic of the Congo source
200121 October – Driss El Himer wins the Amsterdam MarathonNetherlands source
200116 November – The construction of the A13 road, between Bettembourg and Schengen, is authorised.Luxembourg source
2001November – The World Trade Organization begins the Doha Development Round to negotiate lower trade barriers between countries and integrate developing nations into the global economy.source
2001The Democratic Resettlement Community, an informal settlement in Swakopmund, Erongo Region, was founded.Namibia source
2001The Saint Patrick Visitor Centre opens in Downpatrick.Northern Ireland source
2002February 5 – NASA launches the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager as part of the Explorers Program.source
200214 February – Kilkeel fishing boat The Tullaghmurray Lass is lost with all three crew in the Irish Sea.Northern Ireland source
2002Interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai arrived at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Karzai was greeted by UAE army chief of staff Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Information Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed.Afghanistan source
2002March 18 – The Monterrey Consensus from the International Conference on Financing for Development begins in Nuevo Leon.Mexico source
200213 April – A contact-based card system used for travel, EZ-Link, is launched for sale.Singapore source
200215 April – Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad leaves for Morocco on the first leg of a week-long tour which will also take him to Libya and Bahrain.Malaysia source
2002June 3 – Archaeologists begin uncovering the Liye Qin Slips in Liye, China.source
2002June 22 – Operation Determined Path begins.Israel source
200213 September – The most southern section of the A7 motorway, between the Grünewald and Waldhof, opens.Luxembourg source
2002Jordan at the 2002 Asian GamesJordan source
200320 January – Stage 3 of the Circle MRT line is announced, which will travel through Serangoon and Bishan. It is slated for completion by 2008, but is eventually delayed to 2009.Singapore source
200310 March – The opening of European Economic and Trade Office in Taipei.Taiwan source
2003April 18 – Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visits Kashmir and expresses support for peace negotiations with Pakistan.source
200324 July – The eastern half of the A13 motorway (the collectrice du Sud), part of E29, is opened between Hellange and Schengen, including a 600-metre viaduct across the border to meet Germany's A8.Luxembourg source
2003During a United Nations Security Council debate, Indian Ambassador Vijay K. Nambiar expressed concern that, through charities and drug trade, al Qaeda still had the ability to finance its own activities. He also voiced concerns that al Qaeda continued to procure weapons through the border with Pakistan. Nambiar demanded an inquiry.Afghanistan source
2003September 10 – The four-day World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 2003 begins in Cancún.source
2003October 20–21 APEC Thailand 2003 took place in Bangkok, Thailand.Thailand source
2003November 26 – UK foreign minister Jack Straw pays a brief, surprise visit to Iraq.Iraq source
2003December 10 - Near the border with Somalia, farmers have been growing khat instead of coffee.Ethiopia source
2003The English cricket team toured Bangladesh from 12 October to 12 November 2003, playing a two-match Test series and a three-match One Day International series; England won all five matches to take whitewashes in both series.Bangladesh source
2004Pakistan prime minister Zafarullah Jamali met with interim Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul to discuss economic links and terrorism.Afghanistan source
2004January: the 2004 Dakar Rally took place, finishing in DakarSenegal source
200416 August: Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez invites Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to Caracas as a display of regional integration.Argentina source
2004October 17: Robert Cheboror wins the Amsterdam MarathonNetherlands source
200414 November – Researchers claim to have found a site that may be a candidate for the lost city of Atlantis on the bottom of the east Mediterranean, 80 kilometers southeast of Cyprus. The Cypriot government disputes the claim, saying more evidence is needed.Cyprus source
2004Bangladesh toured the West Indies from May to June 2004 to play two Test matches and three Limited Overs Internationals. The first test match was drawn, while West Indies won the second test.Bangladesh source
2004George Price Centre for Peace and Development opened to public January 16Belize source
2004Hans-Reinhart-Ring 2005: Dominique CattonSwitzerland source
2005February 24 - Thousands greet Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed and Mohammed Ghedi, leaders of the exiled Somali government, when they begin a week-long tour in the country. They led a delegation that studies a possibility to finally relocate the government from Kenya to Somalia.Somalia source
200517 May – The relocation of Pingtung Airport to the southern field upon the completion of the new airport building.Taiwan source
200524 July – The 55th Vuelta a Colombia begins in Pitalito, Huila.Colombia source
2005England complete their tour of Pakistan with a victory against the Pakistan cricket team at Rawalpindi.Pakistan source
2005Documentary: "Accordion Tribe" by Stefan SchwietertSwitzerland source
2005The Zimbabwe cricket team toured Bangladesh in January 2005 to play two Test matches and five One Day International matches. Bangladesh won the test series 1–0 with one match drawn. This was the first time Bangladesh had won both a Test match and a Test series. They also won the ODI series by 3–2 margin.Bangladesh source
2005Belize Coast Guard November 28 formedBelize source
2005Tarrafal de São Nicolau and Ribeira Brava from the former municipality of São NicolauCape Verde source
2006May 14 – The Israeli Navy intercepted a Palestinian boat carrying a large amount of explosives near the Gaza Strip in an attempted smuggling operation. The boat contained about 450 kg of TNT and parts of mines.Palestine source
2006July 6 – The Nathu La pass between India and China, sealed during the Sino-Indian War, re-opens for trade after 44 years.source
2006The Argentine government calls the UK's decision to grant broad 25-year fishing licenses to Falklanders "illicit and unilateral", since the area is "subject to a sovereignty controversy".Argentina source
2006October 8: 2006 Southeast Asian hazeIndonesia source
2006October 16 – Iranian runner Hossein Fazeli wins world cross-country title in Sweden Sunday.Iran source
2006October (date unknown) – The Offshore MPA project is initiated.source
2006December 7 – Prime Minister allowed rice export again.Vietnam source
2006December 13 - The High Court of Botswana rules that thousands of Bushmen should not have been evicted from their ancestral home which is now the Central Botswana Game Reserve.Botswana source
2006The 2006 AFC Challenge Cup was held between 1 and 16 April 2006 in Bangladesh. Sixteen teams were split into four groups, the top two in each group qualifying for the quarterfinals, and from then on a straight knockout contest. Bangladesh defeated Cambodia, Guam and drew with Palestine to reach the knock-out round, but then left the tournament after losing to eventual champion Tajikistan.Bangladesh source
2006Poland at the 2006 Winter ParalympicsPoland source
2007February 26 - Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney makes surprise visits to Pakistan and Afghanistan to encourage President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf and President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai to increase border security between the two countries and to take further action against the Taliban and al-Qaeda.Afghanistan source
2007March 8–11 – Edoardo Molinari from Italy wins 2007 Kenya Open golf tournament held in Karen Golf and Country Club, Nairobi. Jacob Okello was the best placed Kenyan golfer. Kenya Open is part of the Challenge Tour.Kenya source
2007March 16: The Inter-American Development Bank forgives US$4.4 billion in debt owed by Bolivia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti and Guyana, five of the poorest countries in the Americas.Bolivia source
2007May 5 – 2006 Kite Awards was held in HanoiVietnam source
2007June 2007, Bo Waterside, a key border crossing on the Mano River, re-opens for the first time since 1990 allowing increased traffic between Sierra Leone and Liberia.Sierra Leone source
2007August 12: Denmark sends a scientific team to the Arctic to try to establish that the Lomonosov Ridge is an extension of Greenland so it can claim sovereignty over oil reserves.Greenland source
2007September 20 – The Universal Forum of Cultures opens in Monterrey, Mexico.source
2007November 19 – Israel releases 450 Palestinian Arab prisoners as a goodwill gesture to the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, ahead of the 2007 Mideast peace conference with the Palestinian Authority.Palestine source
2007December 18 – US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice makes an unscheduled visit to Kirkuk before proceeding to Baghdad, where she calls on Iraqi leaders to urgently implement a national reconciliation roadmap.Iraq source
2008January 16 - At the first Mekong-Japan foreign ministers meeting in Tokyo, Japan pledges US$20 million in aid for development projects in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Left out of the aid picture was Burma, a former recipient of Japanese aid, whose foreign minister Nyan Win was present for the meeting.Cambodia source
2008February 7: Prairie International and the Central African Mining and Exploration Company (CAMEC) announced that operations at Mukondo had restarted.Democratic Republic of the Congo source
20083 April – Greek and Turkish Cypriots open a crossing at Ledra Street, a main shopping street in Cyprus' divided capital Nicosia that had come to symbolize the island's ethnic partition.Cyprus source
2008May 29: Abdelmalek Sayeh, chairman of the Algerian national office of drug taking and addiction fighting, cited foreign countries as using Algeria's youth for consumption of drugs like heroin and cocaine from Colombia. Sayeh stated that Algerian young people are being used to traffick cannabis from Morocco to Libya, Tunisia, the Middle East, and western and eastern Europe.Algeria source
2008August 1 – Eleven mountaineers from international expeditions die on K2, the second-highest mountain on Earth, in the worst single accident in the history of K2 mountaineering.source
2008August 25 – Israel releases 199 Palestinian Arab prisoners as a goodwill gesture to the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, as the United States Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, visits the area.Palestine source
200829 August – The Ethiopian government grants clearance on NGOs to expand operation in Somali Region.Ethiopia source
2008August 30 - Italy signed a $5 billion deal for infrastructure investments in Libya, coupled with an apology for damage done to Libya from Italian colonization of the country.Libya source
2008September 25 - MV Faina, a Ukrainian ship was seized by Somali pirates off the Somalian coast. The ship was carrying 33 Russian T-72 tanks destined to Kenya.Kenya source
2008The Easyswap on-line local exchange trading system (LETS) website is officially launched in Switzerland.source
2009January 20 – The microfinance bank AccessBank Liberia is established.Liberia source
200910 February – Nicolas Sarkozy became the first French president to visit Iraq in a surprise stopover during a Persian Gulf tour.Iraq source
2009March 6 - The European Union will transfer to Kenya suspected Somali pirates captured during Operation Atalanta.Somalia source
2009March 29 - Micah Kogo breaks the 10 Kilometres road running world record at Parelloop race in Brunssum, The Netherlands by timing 27:01 minutes.Kenya source
2009May 14 – The South Korean Navy destroyer Mummu the Great and the U.S. Navy cruiser Gettysburg capture 17 suspected Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden.South Korea source
2009October 29: Two hundred Tunisian families crossed the border between Algeria and Tunisia in late October. They occupied tents in the El Mezara region, in the town of Bir El Ater, Tébessa Province. They have requested political asylum from Algerian authorities after fleeing Hogra injustice.Algeria source
2009December 13 – Rail service between Sarajevo and Belgrade resumes after an 18-year hiatus.Bosnia and Herzegovina source
2009December 22: reconstruction of São Pedro Airport (now Cesária Évora Airport) finished, it became an international airportCape Verde source
2010March 23: Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates arrived in Algiers on March 22 for a working visit. He pointed to Algeria's water and renewable energy sectors as attractive investment opportunities.Algeria source
2010May 1 – Expo 2010 is held in Shanghai, China.source
201027 May – Israel summons the ambassador of Cyprus and other European countries to protest the expedition as an unnecessary provocation after eight ships, including four cargo vessels and a Turkish passenger ferry carrying 600 people, including a Nobel peace laureate and former U.S. congresswoman, set sail for Gaza with 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid to break a three-year Israeli blockade on the territory. The same day, the country bans flotilla vessels from gathering in its territorial waters, which is commended by Israel as "an ethical deed and a voice of reason."Cyprus source
201018 August – The hall opened in Gdańsk-Sopot.Poland source
201027 August – North Korean leader Kim Jong Il made a second state visit to China.North Korea source
2010September 14 – A second round of Middle East peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority concludes in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.Palestine source
2010September 29: Ghana and Togo begin cooperation to tackle cross-border crime near AflaoTogo source
2010October 31 – Expo 2010 concludes in Shanghai, China.source
2010Belize–Guatemala Partial Scope Agreement comes into effect April 4Belize source
2010In April, a new form of ID card was released that allowed women to travel to countries within the Gulf Cooperation Council without needing male permission to apply for it. However, permission was still required for them to travel abroad.Saudi Arabia source
2011January 7 - The United Nations says thousands of people are arriving in Southern Sudan from north Sudan ahead of the independence referendum on Sunday.South Sudan source
2011March 28: 50 Togolese businessmen visit New Delhi to promote economic cooperation with IndiaTogo source
2011May 29: 3 Greenpeace activists successfully evade a Danish warship to scale an oil rig off the coast of Greenland, attempting to begin deepwater drilling in the arctic.Greenland source
201128 June – President al-Bashir visits Beijing, China to discuss the south's independence that will soon be granted.Sudan source
2011July 19 – The French-flagged yacht Dignité Al Karama, which was to have been part of the Freedom Flotilla II, is Illegally intercepted and boarded by Israeli commandos, off the coast of Gaza, and escorted to the Port of Ashdod.Palestine source
2011September 17 - Former Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra visits Cambodia for high-level talks with the government of Cambodia over a variety of issues, including the ownership of Preah Vihear.Cambodia source
2011September - Kempinski Residences Palm Jumeirah opens in Dubai.United Arab Emirates source
2011December 19 – Liechtenstein becomes the 26th member state of the Schengen Area.source
2011December 29 – Samoa and Tokelau move from east to west of the International Date Line, thereby skipping December 30, in order to align their time zones better with their main trading partners.source
2011December 29 - The Intellectual Transportation Management Center was opened in Baku.Azerbaijan source
201228 January – The African Union opens its new headquarters in Addis Ababa.Ethiopia source
2012Romanian Consulate General was founded in ZaječarSerbia source
2012March 6 - The Cyrenaica region, covering the eastern coast of Libya, announces plans for semi-autonomy.Libya source
2012April 23 - Kazakhstan issues an official ‘thank you’ to Sacha Baron Cohen for his comedy character Borat Sagdiyev despite an initial ban.Kazakhstan source
2012May 9–13 - The first international bicycle tour was organized in memory of Heydar Aliyev.Azerbaijan source
2012July 21 – Turkish adventurer Erden Eruç becomes the first person in history to complete a solo human-powered circumnavigation of the Earth.source
201219 August – The Kapilavastu relics arrive in Sri Lanka for a three-week exposition.Sri Lanka source
2012September 3: The African Development Bank pledges 56 billion CFA francs to help Togo repair border roads near Burkina FasoTogo source
2012Eritrea at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics in Innsbruck, AustriaEritrea source
201328 March – Security tightens in Cyprus as banks prepare to reopen after nearly two weeks, following a controversial international bailout that was negotiated with the EU and IMF.Cyprus source
2013April 7 — Taiwan plans to expand a pier on one of the disputed Spratly Islands, parts of which are also claimed by Vietnam, Brunei, China, Malaysia, and the Philippines, as the other claimants strengthen military deployment in the South China Sea.Brunei source
201320 April - Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare has posted the fifth best women's 200m time of 22.31 in 2013 (wind +1.3m/sec) at the Mount SAC Relays on Saturday in Los Angeles, California.Nigeria source
2013August 30: Scientists discover an 800km long canyon that is up to 800m deep in places beneath the ice sheet that covers Greenland.Greenland source
201321 September – Peter Solan, film director (born 1929)Slovakia source
2013November 21 – Moldovan-flagged cargo ship MV Rhosus makes port in Beirut, Lebanon, carrying 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. After inspection by port state control, the Rhosus is deemed unseaworthy, and is forbidden to set sail. By order of an Urgent Matters judge in Beirut, the cargo is brought ashore in 2014 and placed in Warehouse 12 at the port, where it will remain for six years. The ammonium nitrate will erupt in a massive explosion on August 4, 2020.source
201317 December – The 49th annual Vuelta Ciclista a Costa Rica (Tour of Costa Rica bicycle race) got underway in Limón. The 1,530 kilometre race ends in San José on 29 December.Costa Rica source
2013December 19 - Berlin city-state officials say that a police investigation has traced vehicles stolen in recent years in Germany to Tajikistan, some 3,500 mi away. German authorities alleged that relatives and other people close to Tajikistan's president are driving stolen luxury cars from Germany, as a long-running criminal probe escalated into a diplomatic spat between two countries.Tajikistan source
201320–30 June – Slovenia at the 2013 Mediterranean GamesSlovenia source
2014February 4 – Archaeologists working near the ancient settlement of Edfu in southern Egypt discover the remains of a 4,600-year-old step pyramid.Egypt source
2014Russian special forces without insignia seized strategic sites across CrimeaUkraine source
2014April 28 - Official opening of the Second Global Open Society Forum in BakuAzerbaijan source
2014May 13 - Investigators claim to have found the wreck of Christopher Columbus's flagship, the Santa Maria, off the north coast of Haiti.Haiti source
2014July 3 - The government of Tonga reveals a proposal to trade the disputed Minerva Reefs to Fiji in exchange for the Lau Islands, in an effort to settle a decades-old territorial dispute between the two Pacific countries.Fiji source
20148 September: Marin Čilić wins the 2014 US Open.Croatia source
2014Two Cross-country skiers representing the nation made it to qualifying positions on 20 January. The team was officially named on 22 January, but did not medal.Moldova source
2014Belgrade bypass underway since 2005.Serbia source
2015January 5 - A Czech archaeological team discovers the tomb of formerly unknown Ancient Egyptian queen Khentakawess III who lived during the Fifth Dynasty.Egypt source
201514 January – The government says it will extend a controversial fence along its border with Turkey by 80 km to help stem the flow of illegal immigrants.Bulgaria source
201511 February – The Greek Coast Guard rescues all 22 crewmen from a Cyprus-flagged vessel Good Faith that ran aground on the Greek island of Andros during a storm in the Aegean Sea.Cyprus source
2015February 11 – The Greek Coast Guard rescues all 22 crewmen from a Cyprus -flagged vessel Good Faith that ran aground on the Greek island of Andros during a storm in the Aegean Sea.Greece source
201518 February – The Irish Naval Service donated the patrol boat LÉ Aoife to the Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta.Malta source
20153 March - An archaeological expedition finds the legendary White City in northeastern Honduras, with artifacts that date to A.D. 1000 to 1400.Honduras source
20159 April - Lithuania was invited to start accession talks with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.Lithuania source
2015May 1–October 31 – Expo 2015 is held in Milan, Italy.source
2015Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Djibouti as part of his African visit.Djibouti source
2016January 12 – Iranian naval forces seize and detain two small U.S. vessels which "allegedly drifted into Iranian territorial waters." The 10 American sailors are held at an Iranian military base on Farsi Island and released the following day with their boats.Iran source
2016March 7-8 - US Vice President Joe Biden started his five-day trip to the Middle East with a visit to the UAE.United Arab Emirates source
2016March 21 - President Barack Obama made a state visit to Cuba.Cuba source
2016April 16 - Mariam Fardous became the first ever Arab woman and only the third woman in history to dive in the North Pole.Saudi Arabia source
201621 May – Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala becomes the first Sri Lankan to reach the summit of Mount Everest.Sri Lanka source
2016June 17 - Having a mechanical failure in mid-ocean, a Sri Lankan migrant boat landed in Lhoknga, Aceh to seek help. They asked if the Indonesian Government could request help from the UNHCR, so the migrants could continue their journey to Christmas Island, Australia.Indonesia source
2016July 26 – Swiss Solar Impulse 2 becomes the first solar-powered aircraft to circumnavigate the Earth.source
201629 September: the Enlargement Commissioner of the European Union Johannes Hahn mentioned the Cham issue as an "existing one" between Albania and Greece, alongside other matters that the two countries needed to resolve.Albania source
2016October 2 - Visit of Papa Francesco Azerbaijan.Azerbaijan source
20174 January - President Igor Dodon visited the city of Bender in the breakaway republic of Transnistria, making hin the first Moldovan leader to visit the region since 2009.Moldova source
2017Jan 18: N.K. distributes new manual on broad photography restrictions to foreign diplomats.North Korea source
2017June 26 – The 2017 America's Cup yacht race, sailed in Bermuda, is won by New Zealand's Aotearoa.source
2017June 29 – Croatia–Slovenia border disputes: the Permanent Court of Arbitration issues a decision in the arbitration case between the two neighbouring countries, ruling, among other things, that Slovenia should have access to international waters through a corridor crossing Croatian territorial waters. Croatia doesn't acknowledge the decision.Slovenia source
201731 August – Visa requirements for Japanese citizens are waived.Armenia source
2017September 16-17 - Nursultan Nazarbayev becomes the first foreign leader to visit President Mirziyoyev Tashkent.Uzbekistan source
201726,27 July - SOUTHCOM Commander visits Paraguay for regional, bilateral meetings.Paraguay source
201714-20 January – In the 2017 Desert T20 Challenge, hosted by the Emirates, the Afghanistan cricket team defeated Ireland in the final.United Arab Emirates source
2017APEC Vietnam 2017, a year-long hosting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Vietnam.Vietnam source
201815 March – A summit of Central Asian leaders takes place in Astana.Kazakhstan source
2018March 25 – Qantas launches direct non-stop Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights between Perth Airport and Heathrow Airport, making it the first commercially non-stop service between Australia and the United Kingdom.source
201821 April – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is the first foreign leader to meet with President Miguel Díaz-Canel.Cuba source
2018April 27 – 2018-19 Korean peace process: Kim Jong Un crosses into South Korea to meet with President Moon Jae-in, becoming the first North Korean leader to cross the Demilitarized Zone since its creation in 1953.source
201818–19 April - The President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko became the first foreign leader to be received in Moldova by President Igor Dodon on a state visit.Moldova source
201818 May – The Federal Customs Service of Russia signs a contract with the Geneva-based testing and inspection company, SGS, on carrying out cargo monitoring through three "trade corridors" between Georgia and Russia, two of which run through the breakaway entities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and the third one on the Zemo Larsi-Kazbegi border crossing point in the undisputed section of Georgia–Russia border. This comes as part of the Swiss-mediated agreement between the two neighboring countries signed on 9 November 2011.Georgia source
201814 June – The Legislative Council passes the Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Express Rail Link (Co-location) Bill by 40 to 20. This will allow for a juxtaposed border checkpoint at the West Kowloon station, operated jointly by Hong Kong and mainland border security departments and with mainland border security officers stationed.Hong Kong source
2018June 30 – Millions of people marched to protest the Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy towards illegal migrants. This march was devoted to reuniting refugee and immigrant families that were separated at the US–Mexico border by the US government's policy introduced in the spring of 2018.source
2018July — Uruguay becomes the first country to legally produce and sell Marajuana for recreational use.Uruguay source
2018August 12 – NASA launches the uncrewed Parker Solar Probe to study the Sun at close range and the solar wind.source
201817 September – The Red Sea Development forms a 12-member advisory board.Saudi Arabia source
2018October 1 – The International Court of Justice rules that Chile is not obliged to negotiate access to the Pacific Ocean with Bolivia.source
2018October 16 – Canada legalises the sale and use of cannabis, becoming the second country in the world to do so, after Uruguay in 2013.source
2018Todos somos marineros (We are all sailors) by Miguel Ángel Moulet.Peru source
201913 March – A site holding between 450 and 600 million barrels of oil is discovered off the Angolan coast by Italian company Eni.Angola source
2019April 28 – Victor Vescovo achieves the deepest dive of any human in history, as he reaches Challenger Deep within the Mariana Trench, at a depth of 10,928 m (35,853 ft).source
2019July 1 – Japan announces tightening high-tech exports to South Korea, thus beginning the trade dispute between the two countries.source
201926 July to 11 August – Jamaica competed in the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, PeruJamaica source
2019August 18 – "Miloš the Great" Highway, a section of Corridor XI (or A2 motorway; part of the E761 and E763 European routes) from Obrenovac to Preljina, is opened.Serbia source
2019September 13 – Sudan and South Sudan agreed to reopen border crossings closed since South Sudanese independenceSouth Sudan source
2019December 20 – Production of crude oil starts from the Liza oil field in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.Guyana source
201910–14 April – The 2019 IHF Inter-Continental Trophy was held in Pristina.Kosovo source
201912 to 16 October – The 2019 World Beach Games were held in Doha.Qatar source
2019ʻAkilisi Pōhiva (until 12 September)Solomon Islands source
2020January 15 – Senegalese-born American rapper Akon (Locked Up) announces that plans for his new city, called "Akon City" and located near the Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport have been finalized. The new city will trade exclusively in his digital coin Akoin.Senegal source
2020February 6 – In a visit to the Mexican Senate, President Alejandro Giammattei suggests the two countries construct Muros de Prosperidad ("Prosperity Walls") in the form of an investment bank in the Guatemalan departments of San Marcos, Quiché, and Huehuetenango and the Mexican states of Chiapas and Tabasco in order to stem migration.Guatemala source
20209 February – The Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP) requests that foreigners be allowed to work in the country in order to promote economic development.Panama source
202013 February – The atoll of Aldabra in the Seychelles is designated an Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) because of its rare dugong breeding population.Mauritius source
202028 February – The Dominican Republic refuses to allow a British cruise ship to dock due to fears of COVID-19. The ship heads to St. Maarten.Dominican Republic source
2020New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden state visit to Fiji.Fiji source
2020September 3 – The skeletons of 200 mammoths and 30 other animals are unearthed at a construction site for the Mexico City Santa Lucía Airport. It is the largest find of mammoth bones to date, surpassing The Mammoth Site in the U.S. which had 61 skeletons.source
202012 September – Guyana–Venezuela territorial dispute: Juan Edghill, Minister of Public Affairs, expresses confidence that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will rule in Guyana's favor in the border dispute with Venezuela.Guyana source
202030 November – Petra Diamonds sells its Botswana assets, Sekaka Diamonds Exploration, to Botswana Diamonds.Botswana source
2021January 1 – The African Continental Free Trade Area comes into effect.source
2021January 4 – The border between Qatar and Saudi Arabia reopens.source
20219 January – David Schenker, assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, and the highest-ranking U.S. diplomat for North Africa and the Middle East, visits Western Sahara.Morocco source
202112 January – Egypt reopens its airspace to Qatari aircraft, and will allow the resumption of direct flights between the countries, which have been suspended since 2017.Qatar source
2021January 29 – Panama reopens its land borders for the first time since March 2020, setting off a new wave of migration.Panama source
2021January – Botswana joins the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative during a visit from Foreign Minister Wang Yi.Botswana source
2021February 3 – Taiwan establishes a trade office in Guyana, much to the chagrin of China.Guyana source
2021February 27 – The government says it will fence the border between the DR and Haiti in order to curb migration and other illegal activities.Dominican Republic source
20212 March – A boat with partially decomposed bodies of six migrants, one with a passport from Guinea, is found Cayo Las Palomas.Nicaragua source
2021April 9 – Roscosmos launches the Soyuz MS-18 mission, carrying three Expedition 65 crewmembers to the International Space Station.source
2021April 9 - Tajik President Emomali Rahmon visited the Vorukh exclave, assuring residents that there would not be a land exchange with Kyrgyzstan for the territory.Tajikistan source
2021April 17 – The Soyuz MS-17 mission concludes, returning three crewmembers of Expedition 64 to Earth from the International Space Station.source
2021April 23 – SpaceX launches the Crew-2 mission, carrying four crew members of Expedition 65 and 66 to the International Space Station aboard Crew Dragon Endeavour.source
2021May 2 – The SpaceX Crew-1 mission ends, returning four crew members of Expedition 64 and 65 to Earth from the International Space Station aboard Crew Dragon Resilience.source
2021September 26 – Lewis Hamilton wins his 100th Grand Prix in Formula 1, becoming the first to reach the milestone, at an eventful Russian Grand Prix.source
2021October 5 – Roscosmos launches the Soyuz MS-19 mission, which carries an Expedition 66 crewmember and two Channel One Russia personnel to the International Space Station. The two Channel One crew will perform principal photography on the film Vyzov aboard the station.source
2021November 11 – SpaceX launches the Crew-3 mission, carrying four Expedition 66 crew members to the International Space Station.source
20224 January – A search continues for 14 people missing at sea in the Solomon Islands, after their boat failed to reach the Shortland Islands. Efforts were called off yesterday due to bad weather.Solomon Islands source
202216 May – Yemen Airways operates its first commercial flight from Sanaa since 2016 under the U.N.-brokered truce.Yemen source
202230 August – The first ship carrying grain from Ukraine arrives in Djibouti.Djibouti source
202210 October – Moldova confirms that Russian Navy warships in the Black Sea fired cruise missiles through its airspace to strike targets inside Ukraine. The Russian ambassador is subsequently summoned by Moldovan authorities to explain the violation.Moldova source
202224–26 October – The 2022 African Tourism Leadership Forum is held in Gaborone.Botswana source
2022November 15 – The 2022 G20 Bali summit in Bali, Indonesia takes place.source
202228 December – Two border crossings with Serbia are closed after protesters in Serbia block them to support the ethnic Serbs mounting barricades in northern Kosovo, refusing to recognize the country's independence.Kosovo source
2022Niger at the 2021 Islamic Solidarity GamesNiger source
2022Sierra Leone at the 2022 Commonwealth GamesSierra Leone source
2023April 14 – Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) is launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) to search for life in the Jovian system, with an expected arrival year of 2031.source
2023June 12 – Eritrea rejoins the Intergovernmental Authority on Development trade bloc almost 16 years after suspending its membership in 2007.Eritrea source
2023August 22 – Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra returns to Thailand after 15 years of political exile.source
20234 September – Israel establishes a new permanent embassy in Manama, however, it remains in an undisclosed location, primarily due to concerns about how Bahraini locals might react.Bahrain source
20238 September – Panama announces stricter measures to curb record migration through the Darien Gap, including more deportations, shorter tourist stays, and higher financial requirements.Panama source
20232 October 2023 - March 28, 2024: Expo 2023 is an International Horticultural Expo to be hosted by Doha, Qatar.Qatar source
2023October 11 – The Dominican Republic partially reopens its border with Haiti for some commercial activity after closing it last month.Dominican Republic source
202320 October – 5 November: Barbados at the 2023 Pan American GamesBarbados source
202324 December – The United Kingdom announces that it will deploy the patrol vessel HMS Trent off the coast of Guyana amid Guyana's dispute with Venezuela over the Essequibo region.Guyana source
202325-29 September & 2-4 October – A team from the IMF under the leadership of the Mission Chief for Burundi, Ms. Mame Astou Diouf, visited Bujumbura to discuss developments under this new arrangement.Burundi source
202411 January – Researchers discover the Upano Valley sites, a network of ancient cities that is the oldest known settlement in the Amazon.Ecuador source
202424 February – At a summit in Abuja, ECOWAS lifts sanctions on Niger, however still wanting the release of Mohamed Bazoum and his family.Niger source
2024March 31 – Bulgaria and Romania become members of the Schengen Area through sea and air routes.source
2024August 1 – 2024 American–Russian prisoner exchange: 26 individuals are released from Ankara Esenboğa Airport in the largest prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia since the Cold War.source
2024August 6 – The skeletal remains of 14 individuals believed to be from Senegal and Mauritania are found on an abandoned boat off the coast of Río San Juan.Dominican Republic source
20249 August - Indian President Droupadi Murmu makes the first-ever visit by an Indian head of state to Timor-Leste, as part of a tour of Pacific region countries.East Timor source
20247 October: The government announces the resumption of imports at border crossings with Serbia after they had been halted in June 2023 due to security issues.Kosovo source
20249 October – Entrepreneur Jin Davod is awarded the Nansen Refugee Award by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, citing her work in connecting trauma survivors to therapists.Syria source
2024October – Archaeologists announce the discovery of the Silk Road-era cities of Tugunbulak and Tashbulak.Uzbekistan source
202412 December – Papua New Guinea receives a licence to have a local team play in the Australian National Rugby League beginning in 2028, as part of efforts to strengthen ties and counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific.Papua New Guinea source
2025March 28 – Bhutan exports its wine for the first time.Bhutan source
202511 April – Direct flights from Bermuda to Raleigh, North Carolina are inaugurated by BermudAir.Bermuda source
2025April 13 – October 13 – Expo 2025 is held in Osaka, Japan.source
202522 May – The transfer of the Chagos Islands from the United Kingdom to Mauritius is suspended after the UK's High Court of Justice grants "interim relief" to two Chagossian women who had brought a case against the UK Foreign Office. The transfer pushes through later in the day after the injunction is lifted by the court.Mauritius source
202517 July – President Ndayishimiye is designated by the African Union as its special envoy to the Sahel region.Burundi source
202512 September – 2025 Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Honiara.Solomon Islands source
20251 October – An agreement allowing absolute freedom of movement for nationals of Barbados, Belize, Dominica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines travelling between their countries comes into effect.Barbados source
2025December 3 – Nine Filipino sailors held captive by the Houthis in Yemen following the group's attack on the cargo vessel Eternity C in July arrive in Muscat after being turned over to Omani authorities.Oman source
202516 December – US President Donald Trump issues a proclamation imposing partial travel restrictions on Mauritanian nationals travelling to the United States.Mauritania source