HANOI, Aug 6 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in the official Vietnamese press on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories. FINANCIAL NEWS: SAIGON GIAI PHONG -- Gold selling prices reached a record 21.35 million dong ($1,199) per tael in Ho Chi Minh City's markets on Wednesday, gold traders said. THANH NIEN -- Saigon-Hanoi Bank <SHB.HN> lists 150 million additional shares on Thursday to become the second-largest firm on the Hanoi Stock Exchange. ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS: VIETNAM NEWS -- Vietnam is preparing for the opening of its embassy in Norway this year to foster cooperation, particularly in trade and investment, the government said. -- Vietnam has awarded an $81 million contract to China Road and Bridge Corp to build a section of the north-south express way near Ho Chi Minh City for 32 months. NHAN DAN -- Vietnam has to achieve gross domestic growth of 6 percent in each of the remaining quarters this year to fulfil a growth target of more than 5 percent for the whole of 2009, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told a cabinet meeting. QUAN DOI NHAN DAN -- Average daily electricity output is forecast to ease to 250 million kilowatt hours (kwh) in August, from 251.5 million kwh in July, which was a rise of 15.7 percent from the same month last year, state utility Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) group said. SAIGON GIAI PHONG -- The Education and Training Ministry said it has launched a campaign to ensure children nationwide have sufficient food, clothing and textbooks for the upcoming 2009-2010 school year. THANH NIEN -- A total of 14 nurses and doctors at Ho Chi Minh City's Thong Nhat hospital have been infected with the H1N1 flu virus after treating flu patients, hospital officials said. THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM -- Vietnam's total power capacity has now reached 14,100 megawatts, EVN said. -- Garment exports to Japan this year are expected to jump 20 percent from 2008 to about $1 billion thanks to lower tariffs, producers said. (Reporting by Hanoi Newsroom)
Tibetans living in Nepal arrange candles to read "Free Tibet" after taking part in a candlelight protest against China in Kathmandu August 5, 2009. The protesters were denouncing the Chinese action ...
