Vietnam–Canada Strategic Partnership: Vietnam’s top leader Tô Lâm met Canada’s PM Mark Carney in Ottawa, upgrading ties to a Strategic Partnership with eight cooperation pillars spanning trade, transport, digital/AI, energy, food, defence, and people-to-people links; Canadian parliamentarians also welcomed the historic visit and pledged to keep building a bridge inside Canada’s legislature. Radiopharmaceutical Push: Vietnam is expanding cancer radiopharmaceutical capacity under the IAEA’s Rays of Hope, including upgrades to FDG production in Hanoi and training via Korea’s radiology institute. Anti-Counterfeit Crackdown: A national steering committee ordered tougher enforcement against IP theft, trade fraud and counterfeits, with faster traceability data and targeted inspections. Defence Ties with North Korea: Vietnam and North Korea agreed to deepen defence cooperation after talks in Hanoi, including exchanges, education and training. Business & Finance: SMBC is in advanced talks to raise its stake in VPBank to about 20%, while Vietnam’s finance sector is pushing AI-driven digital services. Sports & Culture: Vietnam’s women’s football team fell 1-0 to China in ASIAD 2026 quarters; Hanoi Jazztival 2026 aims to become a lasting city identity event. Trade Pressure Watch: Reuters reports Vietnamese garment makers tied to sanctioned Chinese cotton giant Esquel continued selling to the US, raising customs scrutiny.