Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on March 6

                                
 PRAGUE, March 6 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Thursday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hours)

 ======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 January foreign trade and Q4 real wages due out at 0800 GMT,
Q4 current account figures due out at 0900 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 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/]
                                
 
========================= EVENTS ===============================
                                
 UNIONS: Labour unions hold a news conference at 0900 GMT on
a strike alert the unionists have called to protest against the
government's fiscal reforms.
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Finance Ministry offers 13-week T-bills at 1100.
                                
 
========================= TOP NEWS =============================
                                
 WORLD BANK ADVICE: Czechs should raise interest rates and
tighten the budget to keep inflation pressures under control,
World Bank's lead economist for central Europe said on
Wednesday.
                                
 Story: {ID:nL0516188] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
                                
 
                                
 MISSILE DEFENCE: The Czech opposition turned up the heat on
Wednesday on lawmakers to vote against building a U.S. missile
defence radar in the country, raising the risk the cabinet may
fall short of votes needed to ratify the plan.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL05789184] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
====================== ELSEWHERE IN NEWS =======================
                                
 APC DEAL: The Czech Republic is looking at buying 107
armoured personnel carriers from a unit of General Dynamics Corp
<GD.N>, half of the originally agreed 199-234, Defence Minister
Vlasta Parkanova said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL05140247] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-AER]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,511.5  1,485.6   +1.74        -16.73
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  24.960   24.985   +0.10         +6.17
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  16.326   16.358   +0.25        +11.35
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  12,255   12,214   +0.34         -7.61
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500

                                
 (Reuters has not verified any of the newspaper reports that
may be quoted above and does not 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 +420 224 190 477;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com