Today´s news

(HN/22) Gov. Zdeněk Tůma said that the CNB has revised its 0.3% negative GDP growth forecast for this year to a decline of 1-2%. He said that he is cautiously optimistic and that the economy annot fall forever. He also said the interbank-lending market has improved but remains far from optimal. HN said that a rise in the last two months of 28% on the Prague Stock Exchange and of 20% in the U.S. could be a sign that the world economy will start to get better toward the end of this year. However, there are also fears that the current recovery on stock markets could be ending. The PX index fell by 2% yesterday (MFD/B2) Ex-Vice Gov. Luděk Niedermayer (now Deloitte) said the CR will be lucky if its GDP does not fall by more than 3%. With 20% monthly drops in industrial production, he said, a better performance is almost mathematically impossible.

(MFD/1) Defense Minister Vlasta Parkanová said the behavior of the SOG specialoperations unit in Afghanistan is damaging the army’s image. The unit refused to accept an assignment from a British lead unit because the task was too dangerous.

(MFD/2) MFD said Karel Schwarzenberg is supposed to be the head of the new party that might be founded by Kalousek. This could help the party win Havel’s support. (LN/4) Havel said that if he puts on a party T-shirt, it will be greenish. (HN/8) David Petrla, a Brno telecoms manager, said that Havel’s support of ODS could take 1-2 percentage points away from the Greens and deal the Green Party a death blow.