After more than 80 years of formation and development, the United Nations has achieved remarkable accomplishments in its efforts to fulfil its mission of maintaining peace and security and building a more just and better world for all humanity.

The new Entry/Exit System (EES) will be fully implemented across Europe’s passport-free Schengen Area from April 10, marking a historic turning point in border management.

Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy shipping route, are causing a sharp decline in global oil flows. Major Gulf oil producers are considering diverting exports through alternative routes outside the Strait of Hormuz, while the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners (OPEC+) have agreed to increase production quotas to alleviate supply pressure on the oil market.

The conflict in the Middle East shows no signs of easing. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed, numerous oil and gas facilities in the region have suspended operations, and countries are scrambling to secure alternative supplies, tap into strategic reserves, and even resort to improvised measures to stabilise their domestic energy markets.

The European Union (EU) and Australia have announced the conclusion of negotiations and the signing of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This rather unexpected announcement has been warmly welcomed by people across Europe and Oceania, who have waited nearly a decade for a firm handshake between the two continents in the field of trade.

Amid increasingly extreme climate conditions, the agenda of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) continues to draw significant global attention. At the forefront is the urgent need to find effective solutions to save island nations facing the risk of disappearance.

The Vietnam Japan University (VJU) under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) on March 24 held a tribute ceremony honoring Prof., Dr. Furuta Motoo, its first rector and Chairman of the Japan – Vietnam Friendship Association, in recognition of his enduring contributions to educational and academic cooperation between the two countries.

The Online Product Safety Summit in Ha Noi on March 18 focused on practical enforcement solutions for identifying and removing non-compliant goods from online marketplaces, thereby strengthening consumer protection amid the rapid growth of e-commerce.

The rapidly escalating military tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan since late February, beyond bilateral issues, have also exposed Central Asia to new risks. The conflict not only affects regional security, but also threatens to cause major political, economic, and international security disruptions.

A recent nuclear energy summit held in France attracted particular attention from the international community as many countries discussed solutions to make nuclear power a pillar of the global energy system.

Controlling migration flows has long been a sensitive and highly contentious issue on Europe’s political stage, and it remains a central theme in election campaigns across the continent.

Emerging young leaders from across Southeast Asia gathered at the ASEAN Future Forum NextGen Workshop 2026 held in Jakarta, Indonesia on March 9 by the UK Mission to ASEAN and the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam.

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.