The US Senate has just voted again on the budget bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but the result is no different from previous times. The opposition from the Democrats in the Senate is making it difficult for the Republicans to open the budget door to help DHS resume operations after three weeks of paralysis due to depleted funds.

The direct military confrontation between the US, Israel, and Iran is pushing global energy markets towards their most severe shock in decades.

In the opening months of 2026, smouldering tensions between nations have suddenly flared into open conflict, threatening to spread further. As successive “red lines” are crossed and strategic calculations overshadow trust, the world faces many crises, making diplomatic solutions more urgent than ever.

Lao Airlines, the national flag carrier of Laos, has announced it will resume direct flights linking the Lao capital of Vientiane with Viet Nam’s central city of Da Nang from March 29.

The world is witnessing an unprecedented surge in conflicts and violence since the end of the second World War, with severe repercussions for the lives of millions and the eruption of numerous humanitarian crises.

Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation, and other international organisations in Geneva, is leading a delegation to attend the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) where they will engage proactively in consultations on 36 draft resolutions and introduce two initiatives.

Transport Ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) recently met in Turkey to seek measures to promote rail and road corridors linking the Gulf with Europe and Africa. The conference reflected the OIC’s efforts to enhance regional connectivity, strengthen supply chains, and humanitarian logistics.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that he hopes for serious and substantive discussions in the upcoming peace talks with Russia and the United States in Geneva.

The Munich Security Conference 2026, scheduled for February 13–15, is expected to be overshadowed by dark clouds of tension stemming from deep divisions and fractures in the transatlantic alliance between the US and Europe. Once again, the issue of strategic autonomy has emerged as an urgent concern for Europe in an unpredictable world, marked by continual policy shifts from Washington.

At first glance, the newly concluded trade agreement between India and the US appears to be a “win-win” deal, giving fresh impetus to bilateral trade ties. Yet beneath the surface lie unresolved questions, particularly over the extent to which New Delhi will cut its imports of Russian oil.

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) - the last remaining bilateral nuclear arms control agreement in force between Russia and the US - officially expired on February 5, 2026.

The euro area (Eurozone) economy has shown signs of a strong recovery, with growth exceeding forecasts. At 1.5% in 2025, this marked the Eurozone’s second consecutive year of growth, despite a highly volatile year marked by challenges from trade disputes and global geopolitical tensions.

Political parties in Japan have officially entered the campaign period for the House of Representatives election scheduled to take place on February 8. This will be the first election since the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) ended its 26-year alliance with Komeito and formed a new ruling coalition with the Japan Innovation Party (JIP).

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung joined his counterparts from other ASEAN member countries and the ASEAN Secretary-General at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMM Retreat) that opened in Cebu, the Philippines, on January 29 under the chair of Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro.