World

Bolivia's National Unity party said Monday it was leaving President Rodrigo Paz's ruling coalition and would become a "constructive opposition." Party leader Samuel Doria Medina said on social media that the decision was driven primarily by "ethical" concerns.

The Lao government opened its monthly meeting for July on Monday, bringing together cabinet members and provincial leaders to review recent developments and set priorities amid an increasingly tense, complex and unpredictable regional and international landscape.

Although the European Union (EU) has responded relatively cautiously to the latest US tariffs, trade relations across the Atlantic continue to confront significant headwinds.

The U.S. military has paused strikes on Iran, local media reported, though explanations for the halt remain divergent. CNN quoted a Pentagon source as saying operations were "on a hold," without specifying the duration.

European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) are taking decisive steps to shoulder greater responsibility for common security.

A series of attacks on Saudi Arabian vessels in the Red Sea threatens to ignite a “new front” in the tense conflict in the Middle East.

The Navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) stopped four vessels seeking to cross the Strait of Hormuz through the southern route within the past 24 hours, state-run IRIB TV reported Saturday.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung led a Vietnamese delegation to a ceremony in Manila, the Philippines, on July 24 marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).

Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone chaired a meeting to review progress and set priorities for developing the four southern provinces of Champasak, Salavan, Sekong, and Attapeu, with a focus on strengthening economic links with neighboring countries and the region.

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung held separate bilateral meetings with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro, Vice-President of the European Commission and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, and Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide, on the sidelines of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM-59) and related meetings in the Philippines on July 23.

At ASED 14, the ASEAN Education Work Plan 2026–2030 was launched, setting out the region’s shared priorities for building inclusive, comprehensive and transformative education systems. The plan focuses on nurturing resilient and well-rounded individuals, developing a highly skilled and competitive workforce, and strengthening a common ASEAN identity rooted in shared values.

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability and upholding international law and commonly accepted norms of conduct across all regions, including the East Sea/South China Sea.

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung affirmed that ASEAN would continue working with China to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea/South China Sea (DOC) and to conclude at an early date a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) that is consistent with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Looking ahead, Viet Nam proposed the two sides prioritise stronger regional resilience by scaling up energy cooperation, pooling financial resources and cracking down on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, all aimed at building a resilient and sustainable blue economy.

Saudi Arabia and the United States have signed an agreement on cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the Saudi Energy Ministry said on Thursday.

The Vietnamese minister underscored ASEAN+3's role as a strategic platform for deepening regional economic integration, strengthening resilience and helping build a peaceful and prosperous future for the region.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung proposed that ASEAN–UK cooperation shift its focus from growth to enhancing resilience, self-reliance and innovation on the basis of increasingly strengthened mutual trust.

The Vietnamese delegation proposed making energy security and transition a pillar of ASEAN-Canada relations, and urged Canada to support the implementation of the ASEAN Power Grid and expand cooperation in renewable energy, hydrogen, energy storage and nuclear power for civilian purposes.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remains deeply concerned by the continuing and expanding military escalation between Iran and the United States, said his spokesman on Tuesday.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham formed a new cabinet on Monday, appointing former Defense Secretary John Healey as Chancellor of the Exchequer, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.