War Invalids & Martyrs’ Day: Party General Secretary and State President To Lam sent a letter marking the 79th anniversary, thanking heroic mothers, war invalids, martyrs’ families and veterans for sacrifices that “laid the foundation” for national development. Party leadership & governance: At the opening of the third meeting of the 14th Party Central Committee in Hanoi, To Lam urged a shift from restructuring to strengthening leadership and governance capacity, including unified management of development space and resources and moving to a productivity- and knowledge-driven growth model. Culture-led development: In parallel, To Lam’s culture directives stress that Vietnam must not get “materially richer while growing poorer in culture, morality and humanity,” with experts pointing to gaps in turning cultural assets into digital reach and development value. Digital-era control debate: State media quietly removed reports about a Party plan to monitor officials’ social media, after online coverage cited Central Steering Committee 35 guidance. Public security modernization: To Lam called for a more revolutionary, professional, elite and modern People’s Police force, while also highlighting community participation in safeguarding security in Son La. Foreign relations: PM Le Minh Hung held phone talks with Canada’s Mark Carney, aiming to elevate bilateral ties; Vietnam also pushed soft-power storytelling and renewed diplomacy momentum.