Phones Go Dark as Vietnam Tightens Security for Party Conclave

The western districts of Hanoi, home to wide boulevards and a national stadium, are far removed from the dense street life of the Old Quarter. But they’ve taken on an even more austere tone this week as Vietnam’s most powerful officials gather to select the country’s next leaders.

This year’s Communist Party congress, a twice-in-a-decade event where decisions that shape the nation’s political and economic direction are made behind closed doors, is being held under the sort of security befitting a leader who rose up the ranks as the nation’s top cop.