Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Dec 10

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Wednesday.
                                
 
                                
 INDUSTRIAL WAGES
                                
 The Statistics Office will publish October real industrial
wages data, 0800 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 GOVERNMENT MEETING
                                
 The government will hold a regular weekly meeting, 0900 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKS CUT RATES IN FINAL COUNTDOWN TO ADOPT EURO
                                
 The Slovak central bank cut interest rates by 75 basis
points on Tuesday, aligning borrowing costs with the euro zone
just three weeks before the country becomes the currency bloc's
16th member.
                                
 [ID:nL9666540] [RTRS-CEN-INT-PLCY-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 CBANK: BOARD VOTED 9-0 TO CUT RATES TUESDAY
                                
 The policy-making board of the Slovak central bank decided
unanimously to cut rates by 75 basis points on Tuesday as all 9
present members voted for the change, the bank said in a
statement.
                                
 [ID:nBSD000139] [RTRS-CEN-INT-PLCY-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 C.BANK DRAINS SKK 180.8 BLN IN REPO TENDER
                                
 The Slovak central bank (NBS) accepted all bids in a regular
two-week repo tender on Tuesday, draining 180.762 billion crowns
($7.69 billion) from the market, NBS data showed.
                                
 [ID:nL9607118] [RTRS-CEN-MMT-FRX-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 SONY TO CUT 16,000 JOBS, SLASH $1.1 BLN IN COSTS
                                
 Japan's Sony Corp <6758.T> <SNE.N> said it will cut 16,000
jobs, curb investment and pull out of businesses to save $1.1
billion a year as the financial crisis ravages demand for its
electronics products.
                                
 [ID:nT7887] [RTRS-CELE-APL-ENT-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 ERICSSON SAYS WINS DEAL IN SLOVAKIA
                                
 Telecom equipment maker Ericsson <ERICb.ST> said on Tuesday
it had won a contract to supply T-Mobile Slovakia with a mobile
core IP infrastructure.
                                
 [ID:nSAT005923] [RTRS-TEL-ELC-COMS-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 JANUSEK SURVIVES NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE
                                
 Construction and Regional Development Minister Marian
Janusek survived a no-confidence vote initiated by the
opposition who accused him of violating the law on public
procurement in a 3.6 billion crowns ($153.6 million) tender.
                                
 Sme, page 2
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAK-HUNGARY RELATIONS
                                
 Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurscany said he was
disappointed with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's decision
to reject all his requests from November designed to improve
relations and ease tensions between the two neighbours.
                                
 Pravda, page 10
                                
 
                                
 STABILITY PACT
                                
 Foreign Minister Jan Kubis has warned against a long-term
breach of the Stability and Growth Pact as some European Union's
members are expected to widen fiscal deficits due to the
financial crisis.
                                
 Pravda, page 39
                                
 
                                
 EURO ZONE ENLARGEMENT
                                
 Central Bank Vice-Governor Martin Barto said he expected a
pause of several years in euro zone enlargement after Slovakia's
entry in January. Barto says euro zone membership will boost
Slovakia's credit and importance in the region.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 9
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy
                                
 
                                
 News editor of the day: Peter Laca on +421 2 5341 8402; fax:
+421 2 5341 8403
                                
 E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk,
martin.santa@thomsonreuters.com
                                
 
                                
 For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets:
                                
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX50
<.PX50>
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