Contemporary
Kargil War 1999: India and Pakistan Fight in the Mountains
Indian forces recaptured most of the occupied heights and Pakistan withdrew under international pressure; the Line of Control was restored.
Region
Asia
Contemporary
2001 Gujarat Earthquake: The Republic Day Bhuj Disaster in India
About 13,800 to 20,000 people were killed and around 400,000 homes destroyed; Gujarat created a new disaster management authority and rebuilt Kutch.
Contemporary
War in Afghanistan (2001-2021): From 9/11 to the Fall of Kabul
The Taliban were overthrown in 2001 but fought a long insurgency and retook power in August 2021 as US and allied forces withdrew.
Contemporary
SARS Outbreak (2002-2003): The Century's First Pandemic Threat
About 8,100 probable cases and 774 deaths in 29 countries; the outbreak was contained by July 2003 through isolation and quarantine.
Contemporary
Yang Liwei and Shenzhou 5 (2003): China's First Astronaut
China became the third country, after the Soviet Union and the United States, to send a human into orbit on its own spacecraft.
Contemporary
2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: The Boxing Day Disaster Explained
About 230,000 people were killed and some 1.7 million displaced; an Indian Ocean tsunami warning system was created.
Contemporary
2005 Kashmir Earthquake: Catastrophe in Pakistan and India
More than 80,000 people were killed and about 3 million left homeless, prompting one of the largest relief operations in South Asian history.
Contemporary
2008 Mumbai Attacks: The 26/11 Siege of India's Financial Capital
166 people, including police officers and foreign nationals, were killed along with nine of the ten attackers; India–Pakistan relations were badly damaged and India reformed its counterterrorism system.
Contemporary
2008 Sichuan Earthquake: The Wenchuan Disaster in Western China
About 69,000 people were killed, around 18,000 went missing and nearly 5 million were left homeless; China launched a vast three-year reconstruction programme.
Contemporary
Cyclone Nargis (2008): Myanmar's Deadliest Natural Disaster
About 138,000 people were killed or went missing and some 2.4 million were severely affected, making Nargis the deadliest natural disaster in Myanmar's recorded history.
Contemporary
2010 Pakistan Floods: The Indus Inundation That Hit 20 Million
About 1,700-2,000 people died, some 20 million were affected and damage was estimated at around 10 billion US dollars.
Contemporary
2011 Thailand Floods: Bangkok and the Global Supply Chain
Over 800 people died, millions were affected and seven major industrial estates were flooded, disrupting global electronics and car production.