Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Dec 22

                                
 PRAGUE, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Monday.
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hour)
======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONCZ>
                                
 Previous stories on Czech data.............[CZ-RTRS-LEN-ECI]
                                
 Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
                                
 Updates on Czech currency.............................[CZK/]
====================== TOP NEWS ================================
                                
 CZECH TROOPS: Czech deputies rejected a plan to extend and
expand the Czech military presence in Afghanistan on Friday,
rebuffing U.S. demands for NATO nations to do more to combat
worsening insurgent violence there.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLJ675591] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]

                                
 RULING PARTY NARROWS GAP: The Czech Republic's ruling party
Civic Democrats narrowed a gap behind the main opposition party
after months of losing ground, an opinion poll showed.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLJ743876] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 CEZ BIDS FOR GERMAN MINES: Czech power group CEZ <CEZPsp.PR>
said on Friday its mining unit Severoceske Doly filed a bid for
a 100 percent stake in German mining group Mibrag.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG001169] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MIN]
                                
 
                                
 FINMIN TO ATTEND ECOFINS: Parliamentary duties forced the
Czech finance minister to skip Thursday's meeting of European
finance minister in Paris even though his country takes over the
EU's presidency in less than two weeks, a spokesman said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLJ210777] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 PM DELAYS CABINET RESHUFFLE: Czech Prime Minister Mirek
Topolanek is likely to announce a cabinet reshuffle in the first
week of January, just as the Czech Republic takes over the EU
presidency, daily Pravo quoted him as saying.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLJ393487] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 TEMELIN: Czech power group CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> said on Friday it
would disconnect from grid its nuclear power plant Temelin Unit
2 due to repairs on a turbine.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRA002282] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-NUC]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  26.500   26.035   -1.75         +0.00
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  18.796   18.844   -0.10         -3.67
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  08,579   08,605   -0.30        -35.32
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
====================== PRESS DIGEST ===========================
                                
 AIRPORT SALE: Czech-Slovak private equity group Penta has
agreed with the state on the sale of a plot of land needed to
build a second runway at the Prague airport ahead of its
privatisation.
                                
 Euro Online
                                
 
                                
 ECONOMY: It is likely that the Czech central bank will
switch to its alternative, more pessimistic economic forecast
which assumes 2009 growth at 0.5 percent versus the main
projection which sees the country to expand by 2.9 percent.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 22

                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
                                
 
                                
 For Instant Views of key economic data click on
                                
 [CZ/INSTANT]
 For summary of economic data and forecasts          <CZ/ECON01>
 For diary of forthcoming Czech events                [CZ/DIARY]
For calendar of east European economic indicators  [CONV/DIARY]
 TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets                         [TOP/EMRG]
 TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch                        [TOP/EAST]

 For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the United
 States and other Group of Seven countries see         <G7TODAY>

 For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets:
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX <.PX>

                                
 News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka on +420 224 190 474;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
 (Compiled by Jana Mlcochova)