Party Governance Push: General Secretary and State President To Lam urged the 14th Party Central Committee’s third plenum to turn strategic directions into concrete policies, stressing implementation as the main bottleneck—authority must match accountability, decentralisation must come with resources and oversight, and growth must shift toward productivity, knowledge and technology. People-First Development: In the same opening message, Lam warned Vietnam must not get materially richer while culture, morality and humanity lag, and must avoid widening inequality or leaving vulnerable groups behind. War Remains Recovery: Ahead of War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day, To Lam reiterated that searching, recovering and identifying fallen soldiers’ remains is a sacred political and humane duty, while a 500-day campaign highlights DNA-based reunification for families still waiting. Security & Police Modernisation: Lam called on the People’s Police to become more revolutionary, professional, elite and modern to meet the new development stage. External Relations & Soft Power: Vietnam’s external communications push for national soft power, with To Lam urging a more proactive story-telling approach to win strategic trust. Diplomacy in Action (ASEAN/Partners): Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung met the Philippines, EU and Norway on AMM-59 sidelines to advance action programmes and deepen strategic partnership; Vietnam-China ties also gained momentum after Manila talks. Regional Economic Links: PM Le Minh Hung held phone talks with Canada’s Mark Carney, highlighting CPTPP implementation and expanding defence, security and people-to-people cooperation. Hanoi/Thailand Cultural Diplomacy: A Hanoi photo exhibition marked 50 years of Vietnam–Thailand diplomatic relations, reflecting sustained cultural and youth exchange activities. Local Maritime Ambition: Hai Phong’s bid to become a regional maritime economy and logistics hub was framed as integrated sea–land governance with stronger oversight. Agent Orange Legacy: An exhibition in Hanoi showcased over 400 documents and artefacts on the Agent Orange legacy, spotlighting remediation and support for victims. Online Governance Watch: Reports that Party authorities ordered closer monitoring of officials’ social media were quietly removed or altered by state outlets, according to Luật Khoa Magazine.