Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on May 6

                                
 PRAGUE, May 6 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Wednesday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 2 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 CEE currencies.............................[CEE/]
============================EVENTS==============================
                                
 PRAGUE - 5-year government bond auction <CZ1001887=>.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - News conference on business relations between
European Union and Canada with EU Trade Commissioner Catherine
Ashton, Canadian International Trade Minister Stockwell Day and
Czech Industry and Trade Minister Martin Riman at 0925 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - EU - Canada summit. The leaders of the EU and
Canada are expected to launch negotiations toward a deepened
economic partnership agreement. The EU and Canada are also
expected to sign the Aviation Services Agreement. News
conference at 1225 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - "Pre-Jobs Summit" (the European Economic and Social
Committee and National Economic and Social Councils) with
European Economic and Social Committee President Mario Sepi
(1230 GMT), European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso
(1400 GMT) and Commissioner Vladimir Spidla (1230 GMT).
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - The Czech cabinet to hold an extraordinary session
(1500 GMT). News conference to follow.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - The upper house of parliament to hold a session.
Vote on the European Union's Lisbon treaty on the schedule.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
========================TOP NEWS===============================
                                
 EU PLAN FOR EAST: The European Union will launch a
partnership programme for six former Soviet states at a Prague
summit on Thursday to bring them closer to the union though they
are not ready to join the bloc, a Czech deputy prime minister
said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL5955706] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 NEW CABINET: Czech leaders agreed on nominations for a new
cabinet on Tuesday, clearing a way for the caretaker
administration to take power until an October election and
battle a deepening economic downturn.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL5545255] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 LISBON: The Czech upper house will likely approve the EU's
Lisbon Treaty in a tense vote planned for Wednesday, removing a
major obstacle to the pan-European reform plan, Deputy Prime
Minister Alexandr Vondra said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL5658210] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 FACTBOX ON NEW GOVT: Czech Deputy Finance Minister Eduard
Janota has been tapped to become the new finance minister in
incoming Prime Minister Jan Fischer's caretaker government, a
spokesman said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL5937317] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 KOMERCNI RESULTS POLL: Czech Komercni Banka is expected to
show a 27 percent drop in first-quarter net profit due to a jump
in provisions, as more clients start to feel the economic
crisis' pain, a Reuters poll showed.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL5619207] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-RESF]
                                
 
                                
 C.BANKERS' REMARKS ON POLICY: A narrow majority expect the
Czech Republic's darkened economic outlook will lead the central
bank to cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point on
Thursday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL5481429] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX>   000.0    935.1   +0.00           N/A
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  26.640   26.615   +0.00         -0.45
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  19.998   19.985   -0.08         -9.37
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  08,411   08,427   -0.19        -36.59
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500

==========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
                                
 PLANS OF NEW FINANCE MINISTER: New Finance Minister Eduard
Janota plans to cut government expenditures by 10 percent and
freeze wages in the public sector in an effort to squeeze the
2010 budget gap below 150 billion crowns ($7.57 billion).
Without these cuts the Czech Republic would face a collapse of
public finances similar to that in Latvia and Hungary, he said.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 SHELL: Government controlled oil pipeline operator MERO is
mulling buying a 16.3 percent stake in Czech refiner Ceska
Rafinerska from oil group Royal Dutch Shell <RDSa.L>.
                                
 Hospodarkse Noviny, page 15
                                
      
                                
 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)