For decades, even before the first strike, the region was already running dangerously low on water. Now, with conflict threatening its most critical infrastructure, a long-building crisis is accelerating. For deeper insight, we're joined by Dr. Mohammad Shamsudduha, who studies water crisis and risk reduction at University College London, and Ali Yar, Founder and CEO of Pani Express, who works on water access solutions in the region.
As Vietnam and Australia continue to strengthen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, cooperation in science and innovation has emerged as a key focus of bilateral ties. Vietnamese academics and scientists in Australia are playing an increasingly important role in turning shared expertise and ideas into practical cooperation.
Vietnam and Australia are expanding cooperation across a wide range of areas, and the upcoming State visit by Party General Secretary and State President To Lam is expected to bring even more opportunities to strengthen bilateral ties.
Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and a high-level Vietnamese delegation will pay a State visit to Australia from 9 to 12 August, at the invitation of Australian Governor-General Sam Mostyn. The visit marks an important milestone in bilateral ties, as the two countries enter a new phase of closer and more practical cooperation, building on more than five decades of diplomatic relations.
The 16th National Assembly’s First Extraordinary Session is reviewing Bac Ninh Province's application to become the country's next centrally-governed city. If approved, it would mark a new economic engine for the Red River Delta, and place a historic cultural heartland among Vietnam's most prominent urban centers.
The 33rd Diplomatic Conference concluded in Hanoi on 7 August, after a week of work involving dozens of plenary and specialised sessions. The conference sought to translate Vietnam’s new foreign policy direction into action, as diplomacy takes on a broader role in safeguarding national interests and supporting the country’s development.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs convened a major conference in Hanoi on 7 August to roll out Politburo Resolution 23 on overseas Vietnamese affairs and Conclusion 49 on Party diplomacy. The gathering highlighted a momentous policy shift: moving beyond traditional community support and caretaking to officially empower more than 6.5 million overseas Vietnamese as a vital strategic resource for national growth, high-tech innovation, and defence.