HANOI, July 2 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in the official Vietnamese press on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories.

FINANCIAL NEWS:

TUOI TRE

-- The Vietnam Coffee Assocation (Vicofa) might ask exporters to cease coffee exports to beef up sagging prices, Vicofa Chairman Luong Van Tu said.

THANH NIEN

-- Vietnam's economy could grow 5 percent this year, with annual inflation below 10 percent, if it is able to maintain the current expansion pace, the General Statistics Office said.

THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM

-- Partly private Eximbank said its gross profit hit more than 800 billion dong ($45 million) in the first half of this year, 53 percent of the annual projection.

ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:

HANOI MOI

-- Foreign tourist arrivals in June dropped 4.7 percent from May to 279,000 due to the H1N1 flu outbreak and global economic slowdown, tourism officials said.

SAIGON GIAI PHONG

-- The average salaries of employees in the state-owned sector in the first half rose 12.1 percent from the same period last year to nearly 2.8 million dong ($157) per month, the Ministry of Planning and Investment said.

-- Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung asked visiting Thai Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon to increase joint sea patrola and sought more cooperation between their two armies.

LAO DONG

-- The number of H1N1 flu cases has jumped to 166 as of Wednesday, the Health Ministry said. (Reporting by Hanoi Newsroom)

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