Vietnam–Australia State Visit: Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm arrives in Australia for a four-day trip, meeting PM Anthony Albanese in Canberra as both sides look to turn the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership into new pacts on digital tech, vocational training, clean energy and critical minerals. Regional Diplomacy: Vietnam also prepares for Tô Lâm’s New Zealand state visit, expected to refresh momentum in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and deepen practical cooperation. Governance & Development Model: A British researcher says Tô Lâm’s “four strategic shifts” signal easier cooperation with Vietnam through streamlined administration and tech-enabled governance. Sci-Tech Diplomacy: Vietnam’s diplomatic sector is tasked with making science-and-technology cooperation a regular mission, linking research, universities and enterprises to bring new standards and technologies home. Economic Security Focus: Vietnam’s Economic Police mark their 70th anniversary, with leaders urging stronger action against corruption, economic crimes and new risks to data and financial security. Human Rights & Transnational Repression: Reports say Vietnam’s crackdown on independent voices is reaching abroad, with convictions in absentia and pressure on exiled journalists. Vietnam–Thailand Parliamentary Ties: Tô Lâm highlights parliamentary cooperation as a key pillar for implementing the 2026–31 action plan under the Vietnam–Thailand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.