Major agreements were reached at the May 20-21 summit in Chicago, the US, including those on the hand-over process in Afghanistan, the deployment of the EU missile defense shield, and the enhancement of NATO’s military capacity.

President Karolos Papoulias has been forced to hold negotiations over the past few days with three heads of pro-European bailout parties to discuss the establishment of a coalition government ahead of the country’s upcoming elections.

Francois Hollande’s victory in last week’s presidential election will have profound impact on not only France, Europe’s second biggest economy, for the next five years, but also the entire Eurozone.

Europe’s public debt crisis is experiencing new difficulties in the wake of the presidential election in France. The situation is deteriorating.

Late last week, Kabul capital and its three neighbouring provinces Paktia, Logar and Nangarhar were shaken by a series of Taliban attacks, which killed and injured dozens of people. They were the worst attacks against Kabul in a decade of US military presence in Afghanistan.

Tension between Sudan and South Sudan has increased causing concern that without a quick solution to their current disputes, the two neighboring countries will be plunged into a new war.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is now on an official visit to Cuba and Brazil in an effort to strengthen ties with traditional partners and integrate Vietnam into the world.

Vietnam’s participation in the ongoing 20th ASEAN summit in Cambodia shows the country’s consistent policy of being a proactive and responsible ASEAN member that significantly contributes to common issues in the interest of the regional grouping. 

World leaders discussed ways in Seoul on March 27 to protect nuclear materials and thwart nuclear terrorism. Though the objectives of the second Nuclear Security Summit are clear, achieving those objectives is far from certain.

A “comprehensive and mutual” truce has been agreed between Israel and Palestine after four days of fierce violence. The cease fire followed Egypt’s effort to broker a deal to calm military conflict in the Gaza Strip.