Demonstrations in Spain and Portugal are spreading and likely to become riots in protest against government measures to raise taxes and cut spending as conditions of an international bailout.

Declaring Japan’s sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands, which China calls Diaoyu, the Japanese cabinet on September 11 approved the nationalization of three islets in the group. Tokyo’s move has sparked public alarm about a possible Sino – Japanese clash.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on an 11-day Asia-Pacific tour. As tensions rise in the region over territorial conflicts, Clinton’s tour underscores Washington’s new Eastward diplomatic strategy.

President Truong Tan Sang has written a speech highlighting the significance of the August Revolution and the founding of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 to mark the 67th anniversary of these historic events.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and representatives from more than 100 countries and territories have gathered in Iran’s capital city of Tehran for the 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

Beginning next month, Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi will replace Kofi Annan as special UN and Arab League envoy to Syria. He has pledged to prioritize the Syrian people’s interests and spare no effort to help them.

Trade officials of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea continued negotiations on a 3-way Free Trade Agreement in Qing Dao on August 20. Recent diplomatic tensions over disputed territory will not affect the agreement and the great economic benefits it will bring each nation.

Since he took office 100 days ago, Francois Hollande has had little sleep between the country’s crisis and the people’s high expectations.

The Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee has hosted a national conference on criticism and self-criticism among leaders and managers, considering the work a sharp weapon and a key principle in Party building.

For every nation, maps are considered a special language and tool for demonstrating knowledge of territory.

The US Department of State has issued a press release, affirming wish to maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

The US Department of State 2011 report on International Religious Freedom released on July 30 said “the Vietnamese government did not demonstrate a trend toward either improvement or deterioration in respect for and protection of the right to religious freedom.”

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton began an 11-day tour of six African countries this week. Taking place soon after the Obama administration announced a new strategy for the southern Sahara region, Clinton’s trip underlines the US commitment to give priority to Africa in its foreign policy.

As many as 8,994 trawlers were said to set sail at 12pm on August 1 and fish in the East Sea areas which in fact belong to Vietnam’s territorial waters.

Major Chinese media agencies have covered Vietnam’s discovery of a Chinese map showing that the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelagos do not belong to China.

Many old western maps show that Vietnam has established its sovereignty over the Truong Sa (Spratly) and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos for over five centuries, said a local researcher.

Although half a year has gone since American forces lowered its flag in Baghdad, marking nine years of its operations in Iraq, the country’s security remains a big question.

ASEAN Foreign Ministers have approved the six-point principles on the East Sea after direct consultations with Vietnam, the Philippines, and Cambodia, reiterating solidarity and consensus as decisive factors behind the regional grouping’s strength.

An imminent civil war looms large on the horizon following recent escalating violence, including the July 18 suicide bomb blast in Damascus capital which killed three senior officials.

The US Presidential Election is shaping up as a very close race between incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his Republican rival, former Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney. Neither of them has been able to gain a clear advantage.

The Vietnamese Party and State have always considered ethnic minority policies a significant strategic issue and have adopted a number of policies to ensure human rights for ethnic people.

Tensions in the Egyptian political arena have entered a new phase after the Supreme Court’s decision to dissolve the Parliament and block a Presidential Decree ordering the dissolved parliament to reconvene.

Because of increased tensions between China and its neighbours over disputed oil blocks in the East Sea, India reiterated on July 6 that the region is the key to its energy security and the disputes must be settled peacefully in line with international laws.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has concluded his Middle East tour of Israel, the Palestinian territory, and Jordan to discuss the situations in Syria and Iran and seek peace solutions for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

Turkey on June 25 accused Syria of opening fire on a second Turkish plane that was searching for the wreckage of a jet earlier shot down by Syria.

The US and India have agreed to strengthen their multifaceted cooperation, realising President Barack Obama’s statement in January that the US considers India its essential partner in Asia and the Pacific.

Meeting in China on June 6-7, heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, observers and dialogue partners discussed a wide range of issues aiming to strengthen the bloc’s strategic cooperation and extend its influence across the region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s June 3-5 visit to China, the first in his third presidential tenure, is considered the most important event in the Sino-Russian relations this year.

Japan and China on June 1 began direct bilateral trade of their currencies (Yen and Yuan). This not only simplifies trade and financial transactions between the countries but also has a considerable impact on their political relations.

The horrific massacre in Syria’s Houla town last week killing more than 100 people is making UN efforts to stop the violence appear futile. This is the worst violence since the anti-Government uprising began a year ago, dimming any prospect for peace in Syria.