Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Jan 18

                                
 (Adds market snapshot)
                                
 PRAGUE, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Tuesday.
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hours)

=========================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 CEE currencies............................[CEE/]
 
=============================EVENTS=============================
                                
 PRAGUE - Lottery company Sazka, which faces an insolvency
claim by a major creditor, is to meet its bond holders. Details
of the meeting were not released.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]
=============================TOP NEWS===========================
                                
 SAZKA CREDITOR FILES INSOLVENCY CLAIM: A major creditor
filed on Monday an insolvency claim against the dominant Czech
lottery firm Sazka, a court said, raising the stakes in a battle
for control of the indebted firm.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE70G0IT] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]
                                
 
                                
 PM BACKS VAT HIKE: Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas backs a
coalition partner's proposal to merge the country's two
value-added tax rates at 19 percent to finance a planned pension
reform, he said in a newspaper interview.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE70G0H4] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
                                
 
                                
 PPI ABOVE FCAST: Czech industrial producer prices rose 1.0
percent month-on-month in December and 3.6 percent year-on-year,
above market expectations, data showed on Monday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE70D111] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]

                                
 UNIPETROL DECLARES FORCE MAJEURE: Czech oil processor
Unipetrol <UNPEsp.PR> declared force majeure on ammonia and urea
supplies on Monday at a Czech plant following a leak of a
pipeline of the production unit, the company said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE70G0D5] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-REFI]
                                
 
                                
 CEE MARKETS: Central European currencies were mostly
stronger in a thin trade on Monday and analysts say regional
units may continue strengthening in the coming days as Poland is
widely expected to raise interest rates on Wednesday.  
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE70G0JP] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 CEE POWER: Czech day ahead power firmed on Monday, boosted
by colder weather as temperatures retreated from levels that had
been well above seasonal averages.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE70G1SI] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRV]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency    Latest     Prev   Pct change Pct change
                                
                                 close    on day     in 2011
 vs Euro    <EURCZK=>     24.256     24.3    0.18       2.98
 vs Dollar     <CZK=>     18.16     18.254    0.51      2.72
 Czech Equities <.PX>  1,254.7    1,254.7       1.01       2.44
 U.S. Equities <.DJI> 11,787.38  11,731.9     0.47      1.81
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500 GMT

 ==========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
                                
 DOCTORS PROTEST: Hospital doctors, many ow whom threaten to
leave in March over pay, have also threatened to stop working
overtime in two week's time. 
                                
 Pravo, page 1
                                
 
                                
 COALITION SPAT: The Civic Democrat party demands that a
senior figure in its partner, the Public Affairs, explains why a
detective firm he used to own spied on local politicians in
Prague in 2007.
                                
 Lidove Noviny, page 3
                                
 
                                
 EPH GROWTH PLANS: Energeticky a Prumyslovy Holding, a
privately owned investment group, plans to move its energy
activities to a new unit, EP Energy. This should allow for
greater transparency for investors. The new unit would seek
capital via international bonds and possibly an initial public
offering.
                                
 Lidove noviny, page 16
                                
 
                                
 HOMES GLUT: Developers will complete 10,000 new apartments
in Prague over the next two years, two thirds of which have not
been sold. Some projects will be stopped.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 19
                                
 
                                
 EU FUNDING: The European Commission has approved funding for
all big 10 infrastructure projects underway. The Czech Republic
aims to get 800 million euros for those.
                                
 E15, page 1
                                
 
                                
 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