Úvodní stránka - Czech News 09.09.2013 - 28.08.2013

Czech News 09.09.2013 - 28.08.2013

10.09.2013 07:21

CR: 09.09.2013 Weekly: study raises questions about Temelín safety

Expert analysis commissioned by Germany’s opposition Green Party, has questioned the safety of the Temelín nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic. The latest issue of the German weekly Der Spiegel reported on the matter. According to the magazine, the study cast doubt on the quality of welds between Temelín’s pressure vessel and the surrounding cooling system, arguing that their quality was not well-documented or that existing documentation contained mistakes. The matter has been raised before and Czech experts found no defects in construction. Germany’s environment minister, Peter Altmaier, according to the publication, also saw no reason to press for additional tests at the Czech plant, earning him criticism from opponents of nuclear energy in Germany.

Senior officers leaving anti-corruption police unit

Senior police officers are leaving the anti-corruption and financial crime unit of the Czech police, the internet news site Novinky.cz reports. The news report says there is growing discontent in the unit ahead of a planned overhaul under its new chief Milan Komárek. According to Novinky this state of affairs dates back to a dispute between Prague High State Attorney Lenka Bradáčová and the units’ former chief Tomáš Martinec who left his post in May as a result of the highly-publicized controversy. The stated aim of the planned overhaul is for the unit to work on fewer, but more significant cases, and to develop closer cooperation with other units of the police force. The officers who are leaving are reported to be experts in the field.

Bárta to run under Dawn banner

The chairman of Public Affairs, Vít Bárta, has announced he will run in the upcoming election under the banner of Dawn, a political movement founded by tourism expert turned senator Tomio Okamura. Mr Bárta will head the candidates’ list in the region of Plzeň and faces the Civic Democrats’ Jiří Pospíšil and others. Mr Okamura strongly welcomed Mr Bárta as a candidate, saying – in his view – the leader of Public Affairs (the upstart party in the last election) was the only minister who had taken seriously anti-corruption recommendations put forward by the government’s economic advisory council, NERV, seriously. Over the course of the last three years, Public Affairs was first a coalition member, continuing in the opposition after the party splintered into two groups, one of them LIDEM formerly led by Karolína Peake.

Ecologists appeal to Czech Environmental Inspectorate

Ecologists from the NGO Friends of the Earth have called on the Czech Environmental Inspectorate to look into logging at the Šumava National Park which they charge has devastated areas. They maintain that loggers had broken the law, operating in areas that were off limits. In their view, heavy machinery damaged not only a tourist path but the ground soil in places. Loggers, they alleged, also cut down trees in an area where nature is meant to be left untouched. The national park management has not yet reacted to the allegations.

Inspectorate halts planned demolition after learning of hazardous chemicals

The Czech Environmental Inspectorate has halted the planned demolition of the former Setuza chemical plant in Lovosice after it was discovered the site housed many tonnes of hazardous chemicals. The information was confirmed by spokeswoman Simona Ciganková. Compounds of radioactive elements were also among the chemicals found in the plant. Inspectors will inform the Regional Office´s environmental section, Lovosice Town Hall and the State Office for Nuclear Safety about the situation, the spokeswoman said. The inspectorate will also launch administrative proceedings on sanctions against the complex's current owner. As a company, Setuza produced technical lubricants, oil bases as well as fodder mixtures.

Report: Czechoslovakia aided Syria in the 1980s in stockpiling chemical weapons

The New York Times, in an article from September 7, cited a US national intelligence report from 1991, now declassified, stating that both the Soviet Union and Iran but also states such as the former Czechoslovakia (then a communist regime) provided chemical agents, delivery systems or training to Syria pre-1991. In the 1980s, Syria built up its chemical weapons stockpile and weapons arsenal despite opposition from an “expanding group of nations”, according to the daily. Some of those weapons, it suggested, may have been deployed in the attack on civilians in Damascus on August 21. American President Barack Obama is currently weighing oppositions against the Assad regime; the Czech Republic, like some of its neighbours, has stated it favours of a diplomatic solution over a military strike.

Court strikes down amnesty for Štepánek

The Supreme Court has ruled that a crime suspect who have benefitted from the New Years Amnesty declared on January 1 by then-President Václav Klaus, will stand trial. The defendant, Jiří Štepánek, was caught after nine years spent on the run in the Caribbean; he is charged with fraud connected to the former ownership of an car dealership. His case was reviewed by the Supreme Court at the request of the Supreme State Attorney Pavel Zeman. The court has struck down amnesty in cases where suspects attempted to avoid justice. In another case, Milan Šenfeld and Martin Čihula face charges of tax evasion.

Volunteers for Svetluška ask members of public for support

Volunteers for Svetluška, a Czech NGO raising money for the blind in conjunction with the Endowment Fund of Czech Radio, hit Czech streets on Monday in various towns and cities as part of a annual pledge drive. Six thousand volunteers, dressed in black & white, wearing the characteristic Svetluška logo, asked for support. One on the main faces of the programme, in the long-term, has been Czech musician and singer Aneta Langerová.

Grape harvest celebrations attract record number of visitors

The 60th annual vendage or grape harvest celebration in Mikulov in southern Moravia attracted record numbers at the weekend: some 50,000 visitors between Friday and Sunday to the town of 8,000. The mayor would like to see an increase of 20,000 more next year. At Mikulov Castle, visitors were able to taste from 400 different local samples in competition. The harvest celebrations included amphitheatre performances by well-known Czech pop groups such as Nightwork and Olympic.

Czechs show support for Russian gays

About a hundred of people joined "a kissing protest" outside the Russian embassy in Prague on Sunday in support of homosexuals living in Russia. Both heterosexual and homosexual couples kissed outside the embassy. Similar protests have been taking place in other European capitals. In June Russia passed a law according to which people spreading information on "non-traditional sexual relations" among minors face high fines or imprisonment.

Weather

Cloudy conditions, rain and thundershowers are expected throughout most of the weekend. Daytime temperatures on Tuesday should reach highs of around 17 degrees Celsius.

08.09.2013 Czech Foreign Minister calling for international war crimes tribunal for Syria

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout has said those responsible for the atrocities in Syria should be brought before an international war crimes tribunal. In a debate on Czech public television minister Kohout said the use of chemical weapons against civilians was a crime against humanity which the international community could not ignore. He and his predecessor in office Karel Schwarzenberg agreed that a military strike against Syria now seemed inevitable, though the Czech Republic would prefer to see a political solution. The Czech embassy in Damascus, which now serves US and Slovak nationals as well, is to remain open for the time being.

President under fire for getting involved in campaigning

President Miloš Zeman has come under fire for getting actively involved in campaigning for October’s general elections. Social Democratic party leader Bohuslav Sobotka said in a televised debate on Sunday that it was unacceptable for the president to openly support his Citizens’ Rights Party-Zemanites on hundreds of billboards, allowing it to feed off his own election success. Meanwhile,TOP 09 deputy chair Miroslav Kalousek said Mr. Zeman had begun campaigning in the general elections when he appointed his close associates to the Rusnok cabinet and was now touring the regions to boost his party’s chances in the elections. Mr. Kalousek warned that the president was usurping more and more powers and was now the real leader of two left-wing parties on the Czech political scene – his own Zemanites and the Social Democrats, where he was gaining increasing influence.

Vaclav Klaus calls on Europe’s democrats to resist further integration

Former Czech president Vaclav Klaus has slammed a declaration by Green MEP Daniel Cohn-Bendit urging young Europeans to hoist integration to a new level. In a petition published on his web page, Mr. Klaus warns that Europe’s radicals “both red and green” such as Mr. Cohn-Bendit are pushing for the final transformation of the EU, originally an international organisation, into a European super-state, designed to destroy the historical European states together with the concept of democracy that is indivisibly and inseparably associated with them. He warns against the creation of a European "melting-pot of nations" in the style of the old Soviet Union and calls on Europe’s democrats to wake up before it is too late.

Investigation into spying scandal to be concluded in October

The investigation of the spying scandal that brought down the centre-right government of Petr Nečas should be concluded in the course of October, according to police president Martin Červíček. Mr. Červíček said the case was taking time since there was a large amount of evidence to be analyzed that required assessments by independent experts. Several people have been charged with abuse of office in connection with the case, including the former prime minister’s chief of staff Jana Nagyova who secretly ordered the military intelligence service to shadow his wife. The former and current heads of the military intelligence service have likewise been charged.

Thousands join Prague walk against breast cancer

Over 30,000 people joined the 13 th annual walk against breast cancer in Prague on Sunday. The walk is to raise funds for research and increase awareness of the disease which kills 1,600 Czech women every year. One in eight Czech women develop breast cancer at some stage in their lives and doctors annually diagnose 6,000 cases. The Prague walks against breast cancer have a number of celebrity ambassadors and attract an increasing number of participants every year. They have so far raised 76 million crowns.

Police investigating theft of diamonds

Police are investigating the theft of diamonds worth half a million crowns from an exhibition of precious stones at the Letnany fairgrounds on Saturday. The stones on display were reportedly stolen by a female visitor who was filmed by one of the security cameras in the vicinity. The police have asked the public for help in identifying the woman.

Tennis-Czech duo win U.S. Open women's doubles title

The Czech duo Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká won the U.S. Open women's doubles title on Saturday with a 7-6(4) 6-1 6-4 win over Australia's Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua. Hlaváčková and Hradecká, who upset Serena and Venus Williams in the semi-finals, overcame a swift start from the Australians and finished strongly to claim their second major doubles title following their 2011 French Open triumph. It was also a second title for Hlaváčková at this year's U.S. Open after she teamed up with Belarusian veteran Max Mirnyi to win the mixed doubles on Friday.

07.09.2013 Czech Republic expected to renew lease on Swedish Gripen fighter jets

Czech Defence Minister Vlastimil Picek will propose that the Czech Republic renew its lease on 14 Swedish fighter jets beyond 2015. The minister said on Saturday he would present the government with the proposal next week and expected to see it approved. The new contract with Stockholm on the renewed lease of supersonic JAS-39 Gripen combat jets could be inked at the end of the year or in early 2014 by the new government. According to the minister the new contract will be a better deal for the Czech Republic and would be valid for a period longer than 10 years. The Czech army paid nearly 20 billion crowns (780 million euros, 1 billion US dollars) to lease the Gripens for a decade starting 2005.

Zeman and Fisher saved from paying gift tax

President Miloš Zeman and unsuccessful presidential candidate Jan Fischer will not have to pay gift tax on money from sponsors which they received after the presidential election. Of all presidential candidates they alone were unable to settle their campaign debts within the legal deadline. The Interior Ministry and the Financial Administration Office said that despite this irregularity it was obvious that the donated finances were intended for the presidential campaign and no gift tax was required. This decision will save President Miloš Zeman an estimated one million crowns, and his unsuccessful rival for the presidency half that sum.

Czechs celebrate European Heritage Days

Three hundred Czech towns and cities have joined in the celebrations of European Heritage Days. The annual event, organized jointly by the Council of Europe and the European Commission, offers Europeans the opportunity to visit buildings, monuments and sites, many of which are not normally accessible to the public. The Czech Republic has taken part in the celebrations since 1991 and between now and September 15th people will be able to view over 1,000 monuments and historical sites for free. This year’s Czech celebrations opened in the city of Olomouc with an outdoor opera performance of Verdi’s Nabucco, a light show, a baroque pantomime and an exhibition of young designers.

German anti-nuclear activists protest against Temelin nuclear power plant

A group of German anti-nuclear activists staged protests against the Temelin nuclear power plant at three border crossings with the Czech Republic on Saturday. According to the DPA news agency the protests took place at Saska Kamenice/Chemnitz, Amberg and the German town of Marktredwitz, located some 20 kms west of Cheb. The demonstrators called on the Czech authorities to close down the south Bohemian power plant and protested against plans for its expansion by another two nuclear reactors by 2025. The Czech side is still in the process of considering bids and it is not certain that the project will go ahead as planned.

Václav Láska to run on Green party’s ballot

Lawyer and former police investigator Václav Láska, who cooperates closely with Transparency International, is to head the Green party’s ballot in central Bohemia an independent candidate. Mr. Láska, who specialized in economic crime, investigated many high profile cases involving abuse of office, manipulation of public tenders and abuse of public finances. Mr. Láska said that if he got elected to the lower house he would focus primarily on pushing through effective anti-corruption laws.

Doctors not ready for electronic system of communication

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs wants doctors to communicate medical documentation –such as notice of paid sick leave – electronically rather than by post as they have in the past. An effort to get this introduced last year hit the rocks and its planned implementation as of the beginning of 2014 remains highly complicated. According to the Czech Doctors’ Chamber twenty percent of doctors, mainly in small towns and villages, do not use computers and 40 percent of physicians do not have a reliable Internet connection. The head of the chamber has warned that if this change is enforced the system of paid sick leave would collapse and tens of thousands of people would be affected. The electronic system is already up and running but apparently very few doctors use it.

Composer Ilya Hurník dies at 90

Czech composer, pianist, dedicated teacher and writer Ilya Hurník has died at the age of 90. He authored a number of operas (including Oldrich and Bozenka and A Lady and Robbers (a tragi-comic opera in four acts to the composer's own libretto loosely adapted after William Rose's The Lady killers), several symphonic works, a ballet (Ondráš) children’s songs and many essays and short stories. As a pianist he specialized in the works of Claude Debussy and Leos Janacek.

06.09.2013 Zeman to appear on party’s election billboards

Czech President Miloš Zeman will soon appear on around 300 billboards around the country in an election campaign ad for his Citizens’ Rights Party-Zemanites, the news site iDnes.cz reported. The advertisements show a postcard bearing an official postage stamp with the president’s image and the words I’m going to vote for the Zemanites – what about you? Mr. Zeman has said in the past that as head of state he is duty-bound to be above party politics. Some polls indicate that the Zemanites, who currently have no seats in the Chamber of Deputies, could reach the five-percent threshold needed to enter the lower house.

New Romany party planning to stand in October elections

A newly formed party representing the Czech Republic’s Roma minority is planning to stand in general elections at the end of next month. The Romany Democratic Party is planning to field candidates in four of the country’s regions, iDnes.cz reported, adding that its policies were strongly left-wing. The chairman of the grouping, Miroslav Tancoš, said members of the Roma community were looking for a chance to work rather than support or sympathy. Dozens of the party’s members are from the majority population, he said.

Bookies expect Social Democrats to win elections

Czech bookmakers are backing the Social Democrats to come first in next month’s elections, with the companies Sazka, Fortuna and Maxi-Tip all currently offering the lowest odds on such an outcome, which would be in line with opinion polls. The bookies’ rates also indicate that they expect either right wingers TOP 09 or the Communists to come second and that both the ANO 2011 party headed by business tycoon Andrej Babiš and the Zemanites will reach the five-percent threshold.

Czech holiday makers returning to Egypt

Czech holiday makers have begun returning to Egypt, almost three weeks after travel companies had to quickly bring tourists home due to violence in the country. Two planes carrying tour groups left Prague for Egypt on Wednesday night. Operators insist that resorts in the country are now completely safe, though the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is still advising Czechs not to travel to Egypt.

Police investigating discovery of human skulls in Prague

A passerby found a box full of human skulls in a container on Prague’s Londýnská St. on Thursday. Detectives said the 15 skulls were numbered, indicating that they belonged to a collection. On Wednesday, a homeless man came across part of a skull in a rubbish bin on Jindřišská St. in the city centre. It too had a number and police are currently investigating whether there is a connection between the two finds, a spokesperson said.

Police charge officer with killing wife

Officers from the Czech police’s internal affairs agency have charged a policeman with stabbing his Ukrainian-born wife to death. Miloš Babyka, who is 35, was arrested on Wednesday evening, a week after going on the run. The website tn.cz reported that he had been arrested in Plzeň, the city where the attack took place. Police had issued a warning saying that Mr. Babyka, who was said to have been in the division that dealt with foreigners, was armed and dangerous; they said had been monitoring the officer prior to the killing, but refused to say why.

Embassy launches festival in Washington dedicated to Havel

The Czech Embassy in Washington is on Thursday launching its annual Mutual Inspirations Festival, which this year will remember the life and work of the late Czech playwright, dissident and president Václav Havel. The festival, which runs until the end of October, will include film screenings, concerts, lectures, exhibitions and theatre performances, all of which will have free admission. Previous editions have been dedicated to T.G. Masaryk, Anton Dvorák and Miloš Forman.

Coach: Czechs face “final” against Armenia in Friday’s World Cup qualifier

The Czech Republic face a “final” in their World Cup qualifier against Armenia at Prague’s Eden Arena on Friday night, the team’s coach Michal Bílek said on Thursday. He said his team – who are currently third in their group, one point behind Bulgaria – need to win three of their four remaining games if they are to reach Brazil next year. Goalkeeper Petr Čech said that while the Czechs had beaten the Armenians 3:0 in Yerevan, they were a tough opponent who performed better on the road. On Tuesday the Czech Republic will play Italy away.

Hlaváčková reaches doubles final at US Open with Mirnyi

The Czech tennis player Andrea Hlaváčková has reached the final of the mixed doubles at the US Open alongside partner Max Mirnyi of Belarus. The pair beat the Serbian-French duo Kristina Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 12-10 on Wednesday to set up a title decider with the US-Mexican pairing of Abigail Spears and Santiago Gonzalez. Hlaváčková has also reached the semi-finals of the women’s doubles with compatriot Lucie Hradecká.

05.09.2013 Zeman to appear on party’s election billboards

New Romany party planning to stand in October elections

Bookies expect Social Democrats to win elections

Czech holiday makers returning to Egypt

Police investigating discovery of human skulls in Prague

Police charge officer with killing wife

Embassy launches festival in Washington dedicated to Havel

Coach: Czechs face “final” against Armenia in Friday’s World Cup qualifier

Hlaváčková reaches doubles final at US Open with Mirnyi

04.09.2013 Government begins to debate state budget proposal

The Czech government has begun discussing Finance Minister Jan Fischer’s state budget proposal for next year, and the debate will continue until the end of September before a final version is given approval, the country’s interim prime minister, Jiří Rusnok, said on Wednesday. Under the proposal next year’s deficit should be 110 billion crowns – five billion higher than the proposal planned by the previous centre-right government led by Petr Nečas. The finance minister said that individual ministries had requests for increases adding up to 35 billion crowns. He stressed it would not to be possible to fulfil all requests although the government would debate the matter. On September 20, members of the so-called tripartite – union, business and government leaders – will also debate the budget prior to its approval by the cabinet.

City Hall development plan begins to take shape

Prague City Hall’s new development plan is beginning to take shape: on Wednesday, the municipal council passed the proposal complete with input (a total of 1,600 suggestions and recommendations) from individual districts as well as the public. The text will be debated by assembly members later in September. If passed by the assembly, City Hall will begin overseeing the drawing up of a new detailed plan of the Czech capital.

Witness in Janoušek case claims he was offered a bribe not to testify

A witness in the case against lobbyist Roman Janoušek told the court on Wednesday that he was approached by a third party allegedly offering him a bribe to not testify or take part in a police re-enactment of a hit-and-run that could land the defendant a sentence of up to 18 years in jail. The witness expressed the conviction the person had been sent by the lobbyist. Mr Janoušek is charged with attempted murder and driving under the influence in the incident which took place in March in 2012.

Foreign ministry looking to buy new armoured vehicles for diplomats

The Czech Foreign Ministry is aiming to boost security for diplomats serving in Syria, Libya and Afghanistan, acquiring new armoured vehicles at the cost of around six million crowns. The government is studying the proposal now by which upgraded Toyotas are to be provided by the Czech firm Real Trade Praha. Last year, the previous government bought an armoured BMW X5 for the ambassador in Syria; the Czech Republic is one of only a few NATO countries not to have closed its Damascus embassy – serving not only Czech nationals but helping allied member states.

Němcová heads Civic Democrats’ candidates list in Prague

The right-of-centre Civic Democrat’s Prague organisation has approved former Chamber of Deputies chairwoman Miroslava Němcová as its leader and Prague branch head Bohuslav Svoboda as number two on its candidates list in the upcoming election. The party’s Prague branch elected Mrs Němcová unanimously on Tuesday evening; however, the battle for the other leading positions on the candidates’ list lasted several hours. The final selections were confirmed only at around 3 AM. The Civic Democrats’ executive council will still have to approve the final line-up.

In Prague, Mrs Němcová will run against TOP 09 chairman Karel Schwarzenberg, trade union leader Jaroslav Zavadil (running for the Social Democrats), Christian Democrat candidate Daniel Herman (the former director of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes) Green Party chairman Ondřej Liška, and the Communist Party’s Marta Semelová. The election is set for October 25 and 26.

Jágr denies support for Babiš’s ANO 2011 party

Jaromír Jágr says he does not support any political party. The Czech ice hockey star has been linked to ANO 2011, with its leader Andrej Babiš saying after the recent shooting of an advert for his food company that Mr. Jágr had expressed “sympathy” for the party. However, in a statement on his Facebook page, the hockey legend said the only thing linking the two men was the fact Mr. Babiš was planning to sponsor his Kladno club. Mr. Jágr said his fans would be the first to know if he decided to back a party. He has hitherto been a vocal supporter of the Civic Democrats.

Road fatalities drop to lowest in 23 years

The summer holidays in the Czech Republic saw 133 road fatalities – seven fewer than in 2012 and the lowest number of traffic-related deaths in the country in 23 years, according to statistics released by the Police Presidium. Along with fewer road fatalities, the summer period between July and the end of August also saw fewer people seriously injured in traffic accidents.

Four thousand year-old treasure to go on display

Four thousand year-old gold and bronze jewellery and tools found by a Czech dog walker at Libochovany in May will go on display at the Teplice museum at the weekend, the museum’s director, Bohuslav Boček, has told journalists. Bronze axes, jewellery and decorations were probably unearthed by wild boars close to a tourist trail leading up a hill overlooking the Elbe River valley; archaeologists have called the find unique. The dog walker picked up the rare objects and addressed Teplice archaeologists who returned to the spot the next day and found further smaller fragments of metals and ceramics. The metal items were probably placed in a ceramic vessel of which only two small fragments have survived to date. Under the law, the finder is entitled to a reward, which is estimated in the tens of thousands of crowns.

Football: Slavia Prague look to strengthen roster

Football club Slavia Prague are looking to strengthen their roster after a poor start to the football season. The club is trying out Nigerian defender Sergio Uyi after trying out Teplice’s Jan Hošek last week. Marek Jarolím is also a contender to return to the club, where he played in the 2008-2009 season.

Berdych fails to reach quarter-finals at US Open

The Czech men’s number one Tomáš Berdych has been knocked out in the last 16 stage of tennis’s US Open. He had not previously dropped a set at Flushing Meadows this year but was beaten 6-3 1-6 6-7 2-6 by Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland on Tuesday. Berdych, who last season reached the semi-finals at the US Open, had been the last remaining Czech singles player in the tournament.

03.09.2013 Public Affairs not to field candidates in election

The Public Affairs party will not field candidates in next month’s general election. Some of its MPs, such as de facto leader Vít Bárta, are planning to support the Úsvit, or Dawn, grouping, headed by Senator Tomio Okamura and may stand on its ticket. Mr. Okamura said he had not received any official information regarding such support. Public Affairs were the smallest party in the last coalition government but quit after becoming embroiled in scandal. Some members broke away and remained in government under the name LIDEM; they are also not taking part in the election.

Dobeš quits own party over plans to run with Zemanites

Meanwhile, Public Affairs’ one-time minister of education Josef Dobeš has resigned as chairman of For Sport and Health, a group that he founded. Mr. Dobeš said that other senior members had agreed behind his back on a plan to field candidates alongside the Citizens’ Rights Party–Zemanites in the forthcoming elections. The latter party are closely linked to President Miloš Zeman and some polls suggest they may reach the five-percent threshold needed to get into the lower house.

Court releases defendant in Rath case from custody

The Prague Regional Court has released Kateřina Pancová from custody. The former director of a hospital in Kladno is standing trial for corruption alongside MP David Rath, who was health minister in the mid 2000s, and 10 other people. The court refused to release another defendant, former MP Petr Kott, who is Ms. Pancová’s boyfriend. The trial concerns bribe-taking and the manipulation of tenders in the construction and health care sectors in the Central Bohemia Region, of which Mr. Rath was governor.

Janoušek trial to continue after court experts disagree

Court-appointed experts in the trial on hit and run charges of influential Prague businessman Roman Janoušek have disagreed over where the victim was standing when the alleged incident took place. The court now has to commission a revised expert report on the matter. The state prosecutor has accused Mr. Janoušek of attempted murder and driving under the influence, charges that could carry a sentence of up to 18 years in prison. Mr. Janoušek, who is said to have been close to former Prague mayor Pavel Bém, was arrested in March last year after apparently knocking down a woman whose car he had just hit before speeding off.

Revised figures confirm Czech Republic’s longest recession over

Revised figures confirm that the Czech Republic’s longest ever recession has come to an end. The second quarter of this year saw growth of 0.6 percent in gross domestic product, the Czech Statistics Office said on Tuesday, revising a previous estimate downwards by 0.1 percent. The country’s economy had contracted for the previous six quarters in a row, the longest such downturn on record. The growth has been driven by exports.

Project to renovate landmark restaurant in Prague park cancelled

Prague City Hall has cancelled a contract to renovate the Šlechtovka restaurant in Stromovka park. Councillors said that the project was over-ambitious and that its CZK 250,000 price tag was beyond the city’s budget. Tuesday’s decision means the long-discussed reconstruction of the protected landmark will now be put back even longer. The once grand building was completed in the middle of the 19th century. It was hit by fire twice at the end of the 1970s and has been in great disrepair ever since.

MP slips below cleaner in survey of valuable professions

Czechs attach least value to jobs such as MP, cleaner, priest, secretary and journalist, suggests an annual survey conducted by the CVVM agency. By contrast, they have most respect for doctors, scientists, nurses, and university and elementary school teachers, the poll indicates. The survey asks respondents to rate 26 professions on a scale of one to 100 in terms of importance. MPs this year replaced cleaners in bottom spot.

Veselý and Hejnová on European Athlete of Year shortlist

Two Czechs are in the running for the title of European Athlete of the Year. Vítězslav Veselý, who recently became world champion in the men’s javelin, and Zuzana Hejnová, who holds the same title in the women’s 400m hurdles, are among 12 names to appear on a shortlist released on Tuesday by the European Athletics Association. Fans will be able to vote for the winner on its Facebook page from Saturday.

Striker Kozák joins Aston Villa on four-year contract

The Czech striker Libor Kozák has joined the English Premier League club Aston Villa from Italy’s Lazio. Kozák, who is 24, was the highest scorer in the Europa League last season with 10 goals. The transfer fee in the four-year deal is believed to have reached six or seven million pounds. The 1.92-metre tall forward has appeared four times for the Czech national team, finding the net once.

02.09.2013 Ukrainian porn star wins her fight for asylum

Ukrainian porn-star Anastazia Hagen has won her fight for asylum in the Czech Republic. A mother of three boys, Hagen says she fears returning to her homeland where she could be persecuted for acting in porn-movies and might even lose custody of her children. She was previously refused asylum several times, and even had an appeal turned down by a court. On Monday the Czech Interior Ministry unexpectedly made a U-turn on the issue and granted Hagen permanent residence in the country.

EC critical of Visapoint

The European Commission has launched proceedings before court action against the Czech Republic over Visapoint, the Foreign Ministry´s system for foreigners´ registration. The move comes following a complaint from Czech Ombudsman Pavel Varvařovský who alerted the EC to problems with the system’s operation and claimed that there were no legal grounds for making such a system compulsory to applicants for long-term residence. The EC is expecting a response from the Czech authorities within ten weeks. After that it will decide whether or not to launch proceedings over breach of EU law.

Draft budget envisages deficit of 110 billion

A draft of the state budget for 2014 recons with a deficit of 110 billion crowns, the daily Lidové noviny reported on Monday. The budget cuts funding for the transport and education portfolios while increases expenditures for the ministries of agriculture and industry. The deficit is 5 billion higher than that planned by the previous centre-right government of Petr Nečas; however, the expected deficit should remain under the target of 3 percent of GDP. The government is to send the draft budget to the lower house by the end of September; however, MPs will only be able to debate it two months later, after the early general election.

Němcová wants to head Civic Democrat’s Prague ballot

Civic Democrat deputy chairwoman Miroslava Němcová has said she wants to head the party’s Prague ballot in the upcoming general elections. The ballot is to be finalized by the party’s Prague leadership on Tuesday night. Ms. Nemcova would thus run against TOP 09 leader Karel Schwarzenberg, the Social Democrat’s choice for Prague leader former TU head Jaroslav Zavadil and Green Party leader Ondřej Liška.

Czech Photovoltaic Industry Association rejects claims of data manipulation

The Czech Photovoltaic Industry Association has rejected accusations of data manipulation made by the Energy Regulatory Office. The ERO claimed that the association of solar power producers had doctored energy production figures in order to get more money from the state. The office said that the production hours stated far exceeded the amount of sunlight the Czech Republic gets annually, which are 1,000 hours of sunlight on average, and were closer to the climatic conditions of California. The Czech Photovoltaic Industry Association on Monday sharply denied the allegations, saying the average amount of sunlight in this part of the world was between 1,200 and 1,800 hours a year and moreover stressed that it was possible to produce solar energy in overcast conditions as well.

Huge interest in subsidies for eco-friendly stoves

The authorities have begun handing out environmental subsidies for eco-friendly pellet stoves that will reduce pollution in areas where coal burning is the main form of heating. A total of 40 million crowns is being distributed and interest among the public is huge. In central Bohemia dozens of people queued throughout the night to make sure they receive the subsidy. When the region’s Prague office on Monday opened 300 people were waiting in line to stake a claim.

Head of New Media dept at Czech TV fired

Czech TV management is reported to have fired the head of the station’s New Media department Pavlína Kvapilová. Kvapilová, who has held the post since the section was established in October of 2011, recently stood up for colleague Daniela Drtinová who was abruptly taken off a high-profile Czech TV currents affairs programme. There has been speculation that Drtinová was replaced under political pressure due to her tough interviewing style. Kvapilová has refused to comment on the development.

New school year begins

The new school year began in the Czech Republic on Monday for 1.2 million pupils of elementary and secondary schools as well as conservatories. Some 112,000 first-graders started school this year, which is 7,000 more than last September. Secondary schools, meanwhile, have 19,000 fewer students than last year. One of the changes introduced to school curricula is that pupils will have to take a second foreign language starting in the 8th grade of elementary schools.

Czech unhappy with state of economy

Two thirds of Czechs are unhappy with the state of the economy which they describe as bad to very bad. According to the results of a survey conducted by the CVVM polling agency 55 percent of respondents said they expected a further deterioration of the economy; over 30 percent predicted stagnation and only six percent of respondents said they expected an improvement. Despite indications that the longest recession in the country’s modern history appears to be over, Czechs are more pessimistic in their predictions that their counterparts in Poland, Hungary or Slovakia.

One in 3 Czechs lie in their CV

One in three Czechs lie in their CV, but the majority of employers never bother to verify the information given, according to the outcome of a study conducted by Screening Solutions. The agency says that one in three Czechs stretch the truth in the amount of work experience they have and the responsibilities they shouldered in their previous positions. Some also lie about their education, providing their would-be-employer with a fake diploma. According to Screening Solutions 55 percent of Czech employers fail to verify the information given and if they make any attempt to get further details they rely on the references provided in the CV.

01.09.2013 Police moves against squatters in Prague

The police have moved against squatters who on Saturday occupied a derelict building in Pohořelec, near Prague Castle. A unit of the riot police with dogs removed the occupants while 27 people have been detained, the news agency ČTK reported. Several dozen people gathered outside the building and protested against the police action. Squatters occupied several unmaintained buildings in the capital on Saturday to highlight the issues of dilapidating historical heritage and the unavailability of low-cost housing. They said they would vacate all of them before the end of the day but remained in one that is located in a popular tourist area in the vicinity of Prague Castle. A spokesman for the squatters said they wanted to reach agreement with the owner of the structure; however, the proprietors asked the police for assistance.

President Zeman: New MPs could change property restitution deal

MPs elected in the upcoming early general election could change the controversial church property restitution deal, President Miloš Zeman has said. In his appearance in a Prima TV talk show on Sunday, the president suggested amendments to the respective legislation would be faster and more effective way of dealing with the issue, particularly with financial compensations earmarked for the churches, than holding a referendum, a move proposed by the Communists.

Under the deal, as approved by the lower house last year, Czech churches and religious groups are to get back property, confiscated by the communist regime, worth 75 billion crowns. They are also set to receive financial compensation of more than 60 billion crowns over the period of 30 years.

President announces nominee for Constitutional Court

President Zeman on Sunday said he was planning to nominate Radovan Suchánek for the post of a Constitutional Court judge. Mr Suchánek is a professor of constitutional law at Prague’s Charles University, and works as a legal advisor to the Social Democrat party. Mr Zeman said he would nominate the candidate provided the court’s chairman, Pavel Rychteský, raises no objections. The nomination must be approved by the Senate which last month rejected another candidate, Jan Sváček. The Czech Constitutional Court is currently functioning with 14 instead of 15 judges stipulated by the Constitution. The mandates of another two judges will expire later this year.

Charges in methanol scandal to be raised in autumn: prosecution

Charges against 31 people involved in last year’s methanol scandal will be raised in the autumn, a prosecutor in Zlín told the Czech news agency ČTK on Sunday. The accused face charges of manufacturing and distributing methanol-laced bootleg liquor which killed over 40 people, mainly in the north-east of the country; seven of the accused face charges of intentionally endangering public safety, a crime which carries up to 20 years in prison. Three people are awaiting the trial in custody.

Les Apaches wins main prize at Fresh Film Fest

The French film Les Apaches by Thierry de Peretti was awarded the main prize at the 10th annual international festival of first features and student films Fresh Film Fest, held in Prague. The jury said the film, which depicts the lives of five teenagers on Corsica, managed to reveal what remains hidden under the surface. 145 films were shown during the festival which started on Wednesday.

Record 16,000 attend open-air performance of Bartered Bride

A record attendance of 16,000 spectators saw an open-air performance of Bedřich Smetana’s opera The Bartered Bride in Prague on Sunday. The opera was staged in an amphitheatre located in a valley on the outskirts of the capital; the event’s tradition goes back to 1913, and was revived eight years ago.

Prague’s Jazz Dock club reopens after floods

Prague’s popular Jazz Dock club reopens two months after it was damaged by flooding. On Sunday, the club features a concert by New York-based Czech singer Marta Töpferová and the contrabass player Tomáš Liška who will play music from their latest album, Milokraj, the organizers said. The club was severely damaged in early June when the swollen Vltava flooded the premises where water levels reached 130 cm, destroying the floors, electrical wiring, acoustic walls, and other parts of the club. The costs of the reconstruction amounted to 4.5 million crowns

Cameraman František Uldrich dies aged 77

Czech cinematographer František Uldrich died in Prague on Saturday, at the age of 77, his family has said. Mr Uldrich shot nearly 50 films in his career that began in the 1960s; he often collaborated with the acclaimed director František Vláčil with whom he made nine movies including Valley of the Bees, Adelheid, and Smoke on the Potato Fields. František Uldrich also shot several popular Czech fairytales and comedies.

135 people die in road accidents in July and August

In total, 137 people died in road accidents in July and August, which was seven victims fewer than last year and the lowest number of road deaths since 1990. In August, 63 people were killed on Czech roads, which was 11 people fewer than in the same month last year. The police have asked drivers to exercise extra caution over the last weekend of the summer holidays when traffic is expected to be dense as holidaymakers are returning home.

Rowing: Synek claims world title in single scull

Czech rower Ondřej Synek won the gold medal in the single scull event at the World Rowing Championships in South Korea on Sunday. Synak went into the lead right from the start and finished first ahead of Cuba’s Ángel Fournier and Marcel Hacker from German. Sunday’s victory is Synek’s second world title. In women’s single sculls, Czech Miroslava Knapková took bronze.

31.08.2013 Army chiefs warns against defence spending cuts

Czech military chiefs have warned against cuts to the defence budget. Speaking at a military show in western Bohemia on Saturday, the chief of the general staff of the Czech Army, Pavel Petr said any further spending reductions would lead to serious problems with obsolete equipment. Defence Minister Vlastimil Picek, meanwhile, said the army’s annual budget of around 42 billion crowns was insufficient for the modernization of its equipment but also threatened the army’s ability to keep its international obligations.

President Zeman to tour Czech regions

President Miloš Zeman will set out on a tour of Czech regions next week, starting in the eastern Zlín region where he is scheduled to spend three days. A week later, Mr Zeman is set to visit the Pardubice region, followed by southern Moravia by the end of September. However, the president’s plans have come under criticism over his involvement in the election campaign. Mr Zeman’s former party, the SPOZ, has fared best in the Pardubice and Zlín region where the president’s chief of staff, Vratislav Mynář, will head the party’s ballot in the upcoming early general election. Mr Zeman said he did support the party but would not participate in its campaigning.

Prague launches tender to reconstruct St Nicolas’s Church in Old Town

Prague City Hall has launched a tender for the renovation of the landmark St Nicolas’ Church in the city’s Old Town Square. The project is worth around 50 million crowns excluding VAT, the news agency ČTK reported. The successful bidder will win a contract to repair the church’s façade and statues on it, as well as its glass-stained windows and a section of the roof. The winning bid will be chosen in November.

The baroque church of St Nicolas in Prague’s Old Town Square was built in the 1730s for the Catholic Church but was abolished only 50 years later and served various purposes until it was acquired by the protestant Hussite church in 1920.

Czech TV launches two new channels

The Czech Republic’s public broadcaster Czech Television on Saturday launched two new channels, ČT:D for children and ČT art. ČT:D aims at children aged between four and twelve years, and will be broadcasting every day between 6 AM and 8 PM. It will feature entertainment, animated shows, educational shows and competitions. At 8 PM, it will be followed by ČT art with broadcasts of theatre and music performances, art films, etc. The new channels should reach around over 80 percent of the broadcaster’s subscribers; however, there were complaints on Saturday that in some parts of the country, such as the northern Liberec region, viewers could not tune in.

Harvest celebrated at České Budějovice agriculture fair

Harvest celebrations are held at the 40th annual Bread Basket international agriculture fair in České Budějovice on Saturday. Harvest has concluded in most parts of the Czech Republic, with crop yields slightly above the long-term national average. Prime Minister Jiří Rusnok is visiting the fair on Saturday where celebrations include concerts and other festivities. Harvest celebrations are also held in a number of Czech towns and villages over the weekend.

Police search for caller who made bomb threat to Prague hospital

The police are searching for an anonymous caller who made a bomb threat to a Prague hospital on Friday night. The wanted person called in at 9 PM and said a bomb would explode in the facility, located in Prague 4, at midnight. The hospital was evacuated but no explosives were found. Patients and health workers were able to return to the facility in the early hours of Saturday.

Former Znojmo official faces corruption charges

The police have raised charges of corruption against a former official of the south Moravian town of Znojmo. The man faces accusations that in 2010, he manipulated a public procurement project to buy to cars for the town hall, causing damages of at least 120,000 crowns. The police said the man instructed a firm to change their bid to fit the requirements despite the fact the tender had been closed.

Train kills 17 cows in Moravia

A train hit a herd of cows near Brutnál, in northern Moravia, on Friday night, killing 17 animals, the police said. No passengers or train operators suffered injuries in the accident, a spokesman for the railway inspection authority said. A special train had to be dispatched to pick up the passengers as the accident happened in a remote area. Traffic on the route resumed on Saturday morning. The cause of the incident is under police investigation.

Football: Bayern Munich wins UEFA’s Supercup in Prague

Bayern Munich won UEFA’s Supercup after they defeated Chelsea FC on penalties in Prague on Friday night. Bayern were losing twice in the game which ended in a 1:1 draw in regular time and 2:2 in extra time. In the penalty shootout, Bayern converted all five kicks while Chelsea’s Lukak failed, giving the victory to the reigning Champions League winners Bayern. The game was played out in front of 22,100 spectators at Prague’s Eden stadium, and was broadcast live to some 115 countries. However, only 1,500 tickets were available for Czech fans.

Motorbike racing: Hanika claims pole position in Red Bull Rookies Cup in Silverstone

Seventeen-year-old Czech rider Karel Hanika claimed another pole position in the Red Bull Rookies Cup event in Silverstone, England on Friday night. The race is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Hanika won the previous event held in Brno last week. In overall standings of the series, the Czech is in the lead with a 51-point advantage ahead of Jorge Martín of Spain.

Cycling: König wins Vuelta’s 8th stage

Czech cyclist Leopold König won the eight stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Saturday after he managed to hold off Daniel Moreno’s final sprint of the 167-long ride. Saturday’s stage victory is the Czech rider’s first of the Grand Tour series. On Friday, another Czech, Zdeněk Štybar, who the seventh stage of the Vuelta. Leopold König, who rides for NetAppEndura, has moved to fifth place overall.

30.08.2013 Sovereignty joins other conservatives to run in elections

Jana Bobošíková's Sovereignty party has joined forces with some former members of the Civic Democratic parties, conservative independent politicians and other smaller political movements to form a new block called "Hold your head high" or "Hlavu vzhůru". The political group, which will be headed by Jana Bobošíková, will run in the October general elections as a single entity. It has received backing from former president Václav Klaus, who announced this week that he will not be leading his own political movement in the elections. Among members of the new grouping are former Civic Democrats Michal Doktor and Boris Šťastny as well as the ultra conservative initiative D.O.S.T.

New video in Rath case shows no tampering with wine box

The prosecution in the corruption case against the former Central Bohemian governor David Rath has introduced as evidence a new video on Friday that shows the details of Mr. Rath’s arrest and disproves a number of statements that the defense has made. Unlike the first video that was shown during hearings, this one was taken from a different angle by a camera on a policeman’s uniform and clearly shows the whereabouts of the defendant and the fact that the box, which contained the alleged bribe, was never out of the defendant’s sight. Mr. Rath has claimed from the beginning that he thought that the box contained a bottle of wine from his co-defendant Kateřina Pancová, and that during his arrest the money was placed inside by the police, while he was being taken aside. Mr. Rath and 10 other defendants have been charged with bribe-taking and manipulating public tenders and may face up to 12 years in prison if found guilty.

Ostrava mayor files complaint over Social Democratic ballot

The mayor of Ostrava and the regional chairman of the Social Democratic party, Petr Kajnar, has filed a lawsuit after not having made it onto the party’s ballot in the Moravian-Silesian region. Mr. Kajnar, along with two other colleagues from the city administration, claim that the candidates for the ballot were not selected democratically, which is a violation of the statues of the party. The head of the Social Democratic party in the city of Ostrava, Adam Rykaly, has said that Mr. Kajnar simply did not get enough votes to be put on the ballot for the next general election. According to a decision of the Constitutional Court from 2011, parties are legally bound to respecting their statues.

Bursík set to register new party and plans to run

Former chairman of the Green Party, Martin Bursík, has gathered enough signatures to support the registration of his new Liberal Ecological Party in a record three days. Since announcing his intent to found a new party, the group has been able to gather the 1,500 signatures necessary and is planning to register the new party on Friday. Mr. Bursík said that once it is registered, the party will run in the general elections in October, but it has not been decided yet whether it will run alone or in partnership with another political entity. The new group has received support from the Czech-American economist Jan Švejnar, founder of the betting agency Fortuna Michal Horáček and others.

Czechs abroad will vote in Central Bohemian elections

Czechs voting abroad will be choosing from candidates running in the Central Bohemian region in the upcoming general elections in October, according to a random draw carried out by the State Election Committee on Friday. The committee selects the region in which Czech citizens who do not have permanent residency in this country will be voting before every parliamentary election. In both of the last general elections – in 2006 and 2010 – the random draw fell on the South Bohemian region. The Interior Ministry has slated more than 400 million crowns for organizing the election on October 25 and 26.

Czech Post warns of an email virus

Czech Post has warned people about emails that look like notifications of package pick-ups, but actually carry a Trojan horse virus. Customers are advised not to open the emails and delete them. Czech Post’s spokesman said that this is the second time a similar virus attack has taken place in the past two weeks and that this may be an attempt to discredit the postal service. The company has filed a legal complaint against an unknown perpetrator.

Czech Radio posts profit in 2012

Public broadcaster Czech Radio posted a net profit of 26.6 million crowns and generated revenues worth 2.158 billion last year, according to its annual report for 2012. In 2011 Czech Radio netted 145 million. Licence fees, accounting for more than 90 percent of total revenues, generated 1.913 billion crowns last year. The number of licence fee payers is reported to have increased to 3.063 million in 2012.The public broadcaster last year employed 1,400 people.

Actor and dubbing artists Jiří Tomek died, aged 82

Actor and dubbing artist Jiří Tomek has died at the age of 82 in Brno. Mr. Tomek is known as the Czech voice of Peter Sellers and received the František Filipovský award for lifelong mastery of dubbing in 1998. He began acting in the Theater of Brothers Mrštiky in the mid-1950s and mostly had comedic roles. He also received around 60 minor roles in film and television productions. In 1995, Mr. Tomek was one of the first two people to place their hand prints on commemorative plaques as part of the boardwalk of fame in front of Brno’s Municipal Theater.

Football: Plzeň to play Manchester City in opening game of group stage of Champions League

Czech football club Viktoria Plzeň have drawn Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, and Manchester City in the group stage of the Champions League. Bayern are the title holders. The draw is being seen as a tough but attractive one for Plzeň, who have now reached the group stage of the competition twice in three years. Plzeň’s advance to this stage of Europe’s most prestigious club competition, secured the team bonuses to the equivalent of 280 million crowns. In the first match, the club will face Manchester City.

Hejnová completes unbeatable year in Zurich

Zuzana Hejnová won the 400m hurdles race at the IAAF Diamond League final race in Zurich on Thursday crossing the line at 53.32 seconds. Jamaica's Kaliese Spencer was second in 54.22 seconds and Denisa Rosolova also from the Czech Republic was third in 54.99 seconds. Hejnová thus completed a hugely successful year in which she won all of the 11 races she competed in, breaking the Czech record she had set three times in a row. The present Czech record for 400m hurdles with which she bagged the gold at the World Championships in Moscow is 52.83 seconds.

29.08.2013 Czech top officials against military intervention in Syria

Czech top officials have spoken out against a possible military intervention in Syria, arguing that it will not help resolve the conflict in the war-torn country. Outgoing Prime Minister Jiří Rusnok said on Thursday that there were no legal grounds for military intervention and that he did not believe such a move could help bring about an end to the civil war. President Miloš Zeman likewise argued against military intervention, saying that the conflict in Syria was not a war between “good and evil” but between two evils –a dictator on the one hand and religious fundamentalists on the other.

Czech Foreign Ministry calling for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Syria

The Czech Foreign Ministry has adopted a reserved stance on a possible military intervention in Syria. A statement released by the ministry on Wednesday condemns the use of chemical weapons and says the UN inspection team should be given time and space to conclude its mission as thoroughly as possible. The Czech Republic is in favour of a diplomatic and peaceful solution to the conflict in Syria, the statement says, urging the two sides to sign an agreement on a ceasefire and open talks on the country’s political transformation.

Four Czechs in quarantine over bubonic plague outbreak in Kazakhstan

Four Czechs have been placed in quarantine in Kazakhstan after coming into contact with bubonic plague sufferers. An outbreak of the disease is reported in the eastern part of the country where over a hundred people are either being treated or are under medical surveillance. The plague claimed its first victim last week – a fifteen year old boy. The Czech Foreign Ministry has issued a travel warning to the country.

HIV numbers on the rise

The National Reference Laboratory for AIDS said on Thursday that the number of HIV positive people in the Czech Republic has crossed the 2,000 mark. Of those 389 have developed AIDS and 196 people have died of AIDS-related complications. The laboratory warns that the number of HIV positive cases has grown steadily in the past decade and could increase at a geometric rate unless effective action is taken especially among the young generation. In recent years the authorities have earmarked less money for prevention and awareness programs and people no longer see AIDS as a threat.

Former Czech EC Pavel Telička joins ANO movement

Pavel Telička, the first Czech European commissioner, will run for the ANO movement of billionaire Andrej Babiš in the 2014 elections to the European Parliament and will assist the movement in campaigning before the early general election due at the end of October. Mr. Telička confirmed the news on Thursday saying he would be responsible for EU related issues with the perspective of leading ANOs list of candidates running in the European elections next year. He said he would not run in the forthcoming election to the lower house of Czech parliament because he would not be able to wind up his other activities by then. Pavel Telička is a consultant for European affairs and one of the owners of the BXL Consulting firm.

Acid spill at Vinohrady hospital

Firefighters were called to deal with an emergency at Prague’s Vinohrady hospital on Thursday where employees of the hospital’s pharmacy accidentally spilt a container of acid and were exposed to the vapors which are a strong irritant to the eyes, nose throat and skin. Firemen working in protective suits evacuated 28 people before decontaminating the premises. Two employees were treated at the hospital.

First Prague Festival of Lights in October

Prague will host its first Festival of Lights from October 17 -20th. The city’s famous landmarks, cultural monuments, historical buildings, streets and other locations will be highlighted by audio-visual projections and events presented by local and international lighting artists. Among the buildings and landmarks highlighted will be the Tower Clock on Old Town Square, Charles Bridge, Kampa Museum, Petřín Tower and Prague’s Dancing House.

Becher company posts loses in profit

The Jan Becher liquor company has posted a 171 million crown pre-tax profit in the financial year 2012-2013, which amounts to an 80 million crown loss year-on-year. The company ascribes the drop to the brief period of prohibition in late 2012 enforced in connection with the methanol crisis and the drop in liquor sales in the following months. Becherovka sales suffered not only in the Czech Republic, but in Slovakia, Russia, Germany, Hungary and Ukraine. The appearance of deadly methanol-laced bootleg liquor on the market caused a nation-wide scare, claiming 47 lives. The sale of all spirits plummeted in the wake of the scandal.

Football: Viktoria Plzeň advance to Champions League group stage

Czech football club Viktoria Plzeň has reached the group stage of Europe’s most prestigious club competition, the Champions League, for the second time. The club defeated Slovenia’s Maribor 1:0 on Wednesday and won 4:1 on aggregate to advance. The game’s lone goal came from Stanislav Tecl in the 3rd minute. In 2011/12 Plzeň also advanced to the group stage. A draw will be held in Monaco later on Thursday to determine match-ups in the finals.

Tennis: Štepánek defeated at US Open

Czech tennis veteran Radek Štepánek was defeated in the first round of the US Open on Wednesday, losing to ninth-seed Stanislas Wawrinka. While Štepánek put up a fight in the first set, he lost momentum in the second and third. The final score was 6:7, 3:6, 2:6.

28.08.2013 Zeman confirms dissolution of the lower house

President Miloš Zeman signed a document on Wednesday officially dissolving the lower house of parliament, roughly a week after MPs voted in favour of the motion with 140 votes. It was the first time that the Czech Chamber of Deputies had decided for its own dissolution. The president has scheduled early elections for the last weekend in October – the 25th and 26th. Politicians have begun gearing up for campaigns; a number of new or newer political parties will vie to get into the lower house along with long-established parties, among them Citizen’s Rights – Zemanites, the Greens, Sovereignty, ANO or LES (launched on Tuesday by former environment minister Martin Bursík).

Klaus turns down opportunity to launch political comeback

In a statement released on Wednesday, former president Václav Klaus made clear he was turning down a chance to make a political comeback, confirming he will not run in the upcoming election. In recent days there was increased speculation the ex-president would return to party politics; Mr Klaus, who had met with numerous supporters, said he had weighed the decision carefully. In Mr Klaus’ view, he could have founded a party which would have fared successfully, but he made clear that two months to Election Day was too short a period for it to fulfil all of his criteria. The head of the small extra-parliamentary Sovereignty party, Jana Bobošíková, as well as several members of the Civic Democrats strongly backed Mr Klaus’ return. The former president may support one of the existing parties in the coming weeks.

Königsmarková’s sentence quashed

The Constitutional Court has struck down a suspended prison sentence given to midwife Ivana Königsmarková in 2009 for criminal negligence in the birth of a child that died 20 months later. Originally, she received a two-year suspended sentence, a 2.7-million crown fine and was banned from working as a midwife. She has maintained her innocence and said that there was no evidence beforehand that the birth would be a complicated one. She also maintained that the trial was an attack on home births in general by the Czech medical establishment. Her sentence was reaffirmed by the appeals court and the Supreme Court last year.

Government approves plan to help homeless

The outgoing interim government on Wednesday approved the country’s first-ever plan to try and comprehensively tackle the problem of homelessness. The proposal looks at the possibilities in public housing, health care and other social services up until 2020 to help those on the street. The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has until the end of the year to outline the order of projects, Minister František Koníček confirmed. According to the minister, the country currently has 30,000 people who are homeless, but the number could rise up to 100,000. The age group most at risk are those over the age of 65, he confirmed.

Ombudsman: country needs more paediatric psychiatrists

The Czech Republic lacks enough readily-available psychiatric care for youngsters the country’s ombudsman, Pavel Varvařovský has charged, saying the situation led to needless hospitalisation. The country should have around 100 paediatric psychiatrists but has 30 fewer, he told journalists on Wednesday. The Ombudsman’s Office looked closely at the matter of psychiatric care for children in 2011 and 2012. The Czech Republic currently has three psychiatric centres for children: in Louny, Velká Biteš and Opařany. Problems treated include depression, anti-social behaviour, and eating disorders.

Extremists cost city more than 500,000 crowns

Material damages in a clash between right-wing extremists and police in Ostrava at the weekend and the clean-up cost the city some 70,000 crowns the city said, stressing that a substantially higher sum of more than 465,000 crowns would be the bill for employing riot police. The city’s mayor, Petr Kajnar, suggested that the cost was not unacceptable given the size of the overall budget; at the same time he suggested Ostrava would take legal action against those who damaged property. At the weekend, 300 police officers came out in force; 21 of them and a number of extremists were injured in clashes. Sixty-two people were detained and a number of them charged with disorderly conduct. Extremists have called another demonstration for late September.

Constitutional Court rejects American national’s complaint

The Constitutional Court has rejected a complaint by American national Gilbert Ferguson Mc Crae, sentenced to 16 years in jail for murder. Two years ago, Mr Mc Crae shot and killed a 34-year-old, who had allegedly shouted obscenities at him a bar earlier, point blank on Prague’s 22 tram. The murder was discovered after 1 am. The convicted Mc Crae had argued that his rights had not been respected in the case but the court called his claim unsubstantiated.

Police shelve Barum Rally case

Police have shelved their investigation into a tragic crash in last year’s Barum Rally which claimed one life and left one person injured. According to investigators, no crime was committed: no mistake was uncovered on the part of organisers, who had sections properly marked off. The tragedy happened during the race last September when a Subaru Impreza driven by the team of Václav Kopáček and Tomáš Singer flew off the road at 160 kilometres per hour. The man killed was 54-years-old. Police are continuing to investigate another rally race in November where four bystanders died.

Police officer – suspected of murder – on run

The police are searching for 35-year-old Miloš Babyka, a police officer in Plzeň, who is believed to have killed his wife. Officials warn the man, whose whereabouts remain unknown, is dangerous and possibly armed. A police spokeswoman declined to reveal additional details but the Czech News Agency reported the victim was likely stabbed; according to unconfirmed sources, she was found by neighbours in front of her apartment. Anyone with information has been asked to contact the authorities.

Football: Čech, Chelsea, to face Bayern in Prague in UEFA Super Cup match

Star goalie Petr Čech has expressed the hope that playing in Prague will bring him good luck in Chelsea’s EUFA Super Cup against Bayern Munich on Friday. The match is being played on neutral ground: Prague’s Eden Stadium (home to Slavia Prague). The Super Cup is the single club competition trophy missing in the goalkeeper’s collection. Last year, Chelsea were defeated 4:1 by Atletico Madrid. The Super Cup pits the winners of the Champions League and the Europa League against each other.

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