Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Sept 26

                                
 PRAGUE, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Friday. 
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 2 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 Czech currency.............................[CZK/]
==========================EVENTS===============================
                                
 PRAGUE - The lower house of parliament to continue a
session. To discuss excise tax and healthcare fees bills.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
========================= TOP NEWS ============================
                                
 EURO NO PROTECTION FROM GLOBAL TURMOIL: A fast adoption of
the euro would not help the Czech economy weather the latest
financial markets turbulence, a Czech central bank's (CNB)
Vice-Governor Miroslav Singer said on Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLQ633229] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-EUR]

                                
 CZECHS, ROMANIANS HOLD RATES: Czech and Romanian
policymakers left interest rates on hold on Thursday, as
expected, but even as inflation eases, analysts said
idiosyncratic factors could cause monetary policy divergence in
the region until next year.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLP35993] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
                                
 
                                
 CZECHS SAY RUSSIAN SPIES STIR AGAINST U.S. BASE: Russian
spies are extremely active in the Czech Republic and are
stirring public sentiment against a planned U.S. missile defence
base, the Czech counter-intelligence agency said on Thursday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLP208774] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 CZECHS INSULATED FROM GLOBAL TURMOIL: Czech financial
markets have been insulated from the global market turmoil and
do not require any special protective measures, Czech central
banker Mojmir Hampl told Czech television on Thursday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLP563804] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,300.6  1,283.1   +1.36        -28.35
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  24.475   24.475   +0.00         +8.27
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  16.668   16.671   -0.02         +8.97
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  11,022   10,825   +1.82        -16.91
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500

======================= PRESS DIGEST===========================
                                
 INCOME TAX: Parliament approved a bill in its first reading
preserving a 15 percent income tax rate instead of cutting it to
12.5 percent, and reducing a social security tax by 1.5
percentage points.     
                                
 E15, page 9
                                
 
                                
 CEZ SWAP DEAL: The labour and social affairs ministry
exchanged its 14.2 percent stake in Prazska Energetika (PRE) for
a 0.5 percent stake in CEZ <CEZPsp.PR>.
                                
 E15, page 10

                                
    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)