10/30/2022Da Silva wins presidency10/28/2018Bolsonaro elected president09/30/2016Rousseff impeached; Michel Temer assumes presidency09/14/2016Prosecutors file corruption charges against Lula da Silva04/18/2016The House of Representatives impeaches Dilma Rousseff09/07/2014Effects of corruption scandal Operation Car Wash widespread in the government08/18/2011Corruption accusations affecting Rousseff’s administration10/31/2010Dilma Rousseff elected president10/30/2006Lula da Silva wins second term as president06/04/2005Corruption scandal known as Operation Car Wash impacting government10/27/2002Lula da Silva elected president11/13/1998IMF agrees to $41.3 billion bailout for Brazil09/03/1994Fernando Cardoso elected president
06/18/2021Ebrahim Raisi elected president01/02/2020US kills high-ranking Iranian05/08/2019Iran ends some aspects of nuclear agreement04/08/2019US adds sanctions on Iran
10/13/2022New heads of state01/02/2020US kills high-ranking Iranian10/02/2018Abdul Mahdi named prime minister12/08/2017Iraq declares victory over the Islamic State
11/27/2024Ceasefire in Lebanon-Israel conflict12/22/2022Netanyahu forms new government11/03/2022Netanyahu coalition wins election06/20/2022New elections called06/13/2021New coalition government takes office12/22/2020New elections called04/20/2020Agreement on unity government03/26/2020Gantz elected parliament speaker09/17/2019Election produces no majority party
10/31/2021Ruling coalition retains majority09/29/2021Kishida to be prime minister08/25/2020Abe resigns for health reasons07/21/2019Abe reelected with reduced majority
08/01/2021General assumes prime ministership02/01/2021Military resumes control11/09/2020Suu Kyi’s party claims election win10/10/2016Outburst of violence between government and Rohingya Muslim minority
04/07/2022Hadi transfers powers01/05/2021Qatar blockade ended10/09/2018Disappearance of journalist leads to international attention11/04/2017Anti-corruption crackdown
10/24/2023New government formed01/07/2020Sanchez re-elected prime minister04/28/2019Socialists win plurality06/01/2018Socialists eject Rajoy and take control of government
12/08/2024Government falls12/08/2024Government falls01/03/2020US kills high-ranking Iranian12/18/2018US announces withdrawal of troops from Syria09/04/2018Assault on Idlib09/26/2016Government attempt to retake Aleppo.09/09/2016Ceasefire08/24/2016Turkish troops enter Syria.08/23/2016Kurdish truce with Syria.09/30/2015Russia enters war.09/10/2014US bombing Islamic State in Syria01/24/2014Geneva peace conference 201409/25/2013Islamic State increasing in Syria08/20/2013Government accused of using chemical weapons03/18/2011Beginning of unrest in Syria that leads to civil war05/21/2008Negotiations with Israel about Golan Heights05/29/2007Bashar al-Assad re-elected10/28/2005Preliminary UN report on Syrian responsibility for murder of Lebanon’s Rafik Hariri03/06/2005Syrian intelligence officers begin to leave Lebanon06/09/2000Hafez al-Assad dies11/12/1970Hafez al-Assad takes power
11/21/2021Ruling party reelected12/07/2020Ruling oalition wins legislature01/05/2020Chaos in National Assembly election08/18/2017Constitutional assembly assumes the powers of the legislature.12/06/2015Opposition wins legislature
Tribal fighting in the highlands between the Ambulin and Sikin described as the largest in recent history. Government declares a state of emergency.
01/10/2024
Riots in Port Moresby after what Prime Minister James Marape calls a computer error deducts a substantial amount of pay from civil servants. The military is called out but much damage is done. Marape says the money will be restored in the next paycheck.
05/21/2023
US and Papua New Guinea sign new security pact as buffer against China.
05/17/2023
Government disappointed that US President Biden has cancelled his trip to pursue domestic debt ceiling negotiations. Papua New Guinea was to be part of the strategy of combatting Chinese expansion in the region and the two leaders were to sign a landmark defense cooperation and maritime surveillance pact (which must be ratified by parliament before it becomes law).
04/15/2023
West Papua National Liberation Army attacks military post, killing nine in retaliation for the government refusing to negotiate.
10/25/2022
More than thirty people are killed in tribal clashes on Kiriwina Island.
Marape is reelected prime minster, running unopposed, he received 97 of the 105 seats that have been decided. There were people killed in election-related violence, though substantially fewer than in the 2017 election.
07/04/2022
Elections for parliament under heavy security. Fifteen people have already been killed in election-related incidents. Current prime minister James Marape of the Pangu Pati party faces a strong challenge from former PM Peter O’Neill of the People’s National Congress party.
12/01/2020
The United Liberation Movement for West Papua declares provisional "government-in-waiting" and nominates Benny Wenda as interim president.
09/23/2020
Ishmael Toroama is elected president of Bougainville. His priorities are retoring law and order and resolving the question of independence from Papua New Guinea. He says that reopeninig the mine is in the hands of the owners.
08/12/2020
Elections for the House of Representatives and the president of Bougainville.
12/10/2019
Bougainville votes for independence
Official results show 98% in Bougainville voting in favor of independence. Papua New Guinea must ratify the break.
11/23/2019
Residents of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea to vote on a referendum that asks them to choose between greater independence within PNG or complete independence. The referendum was mandated by the 2001 peace agreement between indigenous landowners and the central government. Bougainville has large copper and gold deposits.
10/16/2019
Police issue and arrest warrant for former PM Peter O”Neill on a charge of “official corruption.” O’Neill denies any wrongdoing, although rumors of corruption dogged him throughout his term and caused his resignation.
05/29/2019
Finance Minister James Marape is elected prime minister by parliament and vows to review the gas deal.
05/29/2019
O'Neill resigns
PM O’Neill formally resigns, giving power to Chan. He was facing a no-confidence vote over the controversial oil agreement with Total and ExxonMobil.
05/28/2019
Parliament reconvenes and begins procedure for a no-confidence vote against O’Neill’s government.
05/28/2019
O’Neill files court case to block a no-confidence vote. Chan says that the prime minister has no power to appoint a new prime minister. The government had forestalled an earlier no-confidence vote by adjourning parliament.
05/26/2019
O’Neill promises to resign, following a series of resignations from his cabinet over the oil agreement. He appoints former prime minister Julius Chan to run the government.
11/20/2018
Police and soldiers storm parliament protesting unpaid work at APEC conference last week.
11/18/2018
US and Australia agree to build a military base in Papua New Guinea.
10/10/2018
7.0 earthquake strikes Papua New Guinea, though there is little damage and no deaths.
06/18/2018
State of emergency imposed
6/18/18. PM Peter O’Neill imposes a nine-month state of emergency in Southern Highlands, which also suspends the provincial government.
06/14/2018
Rioters burn an airplane and burn down the provincial governor’s house in Southern Highlands after a court dismisses a petition contesting the governor’s 2017 election. The governor, William Powi, is also suspected of corruption.
