Vietnam Morning Monitor: Shoppers hunt for Black Friday deals early, province culls 600 pigs over swine fever

| ECONOMY

-- The expansion and upgrade of Ca Mau Airport, with total investment of VND2.4 trillion (approximately US$93.3 million), has reached about 80 percent completion, project management director Nguyen Le Tu said on Wednesday. About 500 workers and engineers and 200 machines are operating in three shifts around the clock, although frequent rain has slowed outdoor work.

-- The State Bank of Vietnam will conduct a foreign currency swap of up to $2 billion on November 6, with a 182-day term, longer than the seven- to 21-day terms of previous swaps. The move comes as VPBank, Techcombank, SHB and other lenders have raised hundreds of millions to more than $1 billion each from international markets since 2025, and could inject about VND48.8 trillion (approximately $1.9 billion) into the banking system if the full quota is used.

-- Prime Minister Le Minh Hung hosted a reception for Wouter van Wersch, President of Airbus International – one of the world's leading aerospace corporations, in Hanoi on November 4, affirming the Vietnamese Government's commitment to continuously improving the business environment and creating favourable conditions for European businesses, including Airbus, to expand their operations and investments, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

| POLITICS

-- Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung has asked China to accelerate three railway projects and the development of smart border gates. He also called for balanced and sustainable trade between the two countries. The requests were made during talks in Beijing on Wednesday with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

| SOCIETY

-- Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Science and Technology has proposed a mechanism for commissioning high-quality human resource training programs, under which learners enrolled in approved courses could receive full financial support for training costs. The proposal is included in a draft submission to the municipal government.

-- An Giang Province has destroyed 660 pigs infected with African swine fever, weighing a combined 35.3 metric tons. The provincial Sub-Department of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine said on Wednesday that the province has 140 farms and 2,108 households raising about 54,902 pigs, as well as 80 slaughter facilities, including six centralized and 74 small-scale establishments.

| LIFESTYLE

-- Shoppers in Ho Chi Minh City have begun hunting for discounts more than three weeks before Black Friday on November 27. Many are pooling orders or making video calls to shop on behalf of relatives to secure additional deals, as early fashion sales attract buyers in the first days of November.

-- Vietnamese fans have drawn attention at the League of Legends World Championship. Although the country's teams did not advance far, Vietnam has one of the world's largest League of Legends audiences, with viewership figures that have surprised international fans.

Tourism boat ride in Mekong Delta