Czech News 03.07.2014 - 25.6.2014

CR:  03.07.2014

Czech PM says Czech Republic has not abandoned Havel’s legacy

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has rejected the notion that under his leadership the Czech Republic has gradually been abandoning the late president Vaclav Havel’s legacy with respect to democratic principles and human rights observance in the world. In an interview for the ctk news agency Mr. Sobotka said that since taking office in January of 2014 his cabinet had considerably improved the country’s image abroad and was more successful than its predecessors in promoting Czech interests in the European Union. The coalition government has come under fire for fueling business ties with China at the cost of downgrading its support for Tibet. Mr. Sobotka said the Czech Republic was not ignoring human rights issues, merely strengthening economic diplomacy.

Czech PM to visit US for unveiling of Havel’s bust in Congress

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka will visit the United States in November where he will attend the unveiling of a bust of the late president Vaclav Havel in the U.S. Congress, the ctk news agency reports. The unveiling ceremony has been scheduled to take place on the 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. In 1990, the late Czech president delivered one of his most famous speeches before the U.S. Congress.

eMoney Services files law suit against Prague

The company eMoney Services, which owns the rights to the Prague multi-purpose Opencard has filed a law suit against the city of Prague and the Prague Transport Authority. The company claims it is owed 40 million crowns for rights to the card and another 30 million crowns for services provided for Opencard’s operation. City Hall has been locked in a drawn-out dispute with eMoneyServices and took over the running of the card after the contract for its operation expired. However it lacks the right to change or re-programme the existing software. Prague’s Municipal Court recently issued a preliminary order preventing the firm eMoneyServices from blocking Prague’s transport card, a step that would have affected close to one million city transport users.

Bavarian prime minister in Prague

Visiting Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer on Thursday met for talks with the Czech head of government Bohuslav Sobotka. The two officials signed an agreement on strengthening cooperation in business, science and education. Fighting cross-border crime was also a topic high on the agenda since the Bavarian authorities are having an increasing problem with home-made drugs smuggled across the border from the Czech Republic. Bavaria will open an official representation in Prague later this year which should further improve bilateral relations, long hampered by the controversial Beneš decrees.

Coalition parties patch up rift over company board positions

Coalition parties appear to have patched up but not fully resolved their clash over the share out of seats on supervisory boards of state companies. Last week’s move by ANO leader and finance minister, Andrej Babiš, to replace a swathe of board members at state controlled power company ČEZ with his nominees created anger, particularly from the smallest party the Christian Democrats, which found it had no representative on the board. Wednesday’s meeting of party leaders resulted in agreement that the Christian Democrats would put forward its candidate to be reviewed by the finance ministry. Social Democrat leader and prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka admitted afterwards that full agreement had not been reached. ANO bosses continued to argue that the ministry responsible for the state company should have the right to decide how to fill the board, a policy which is in conflict with the share out policy of recent years.

Tickets on sale for Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

Hundreds of film fans have been queuing up for tickets to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival which is due to kick off on Friday. The festival offers viewers over 200 films, including seven international premieres, two Czech premieres and, for the first time ever, an animated film. The festival will open with the international premiere of the American sci-fi I Origins, which will be personally introduced by the film’s lead actor Michael Pitt, director Mike Cahill and actress Astrid Bergès-Frisbey. Among this year’s celebrity guests are Mel Gibson, Michael Pitt, French actress Fanny Ardante who will present her third film Obsessive Rhythms for which she wrote the screenplay and directed and award-winning Hollywood actress Laura Dern.

Czech Jewish community not happy about Mel Gibson’s presence at Karlovy Vary Film Festival

The Czech Jewish community has protested against the presence of American actor Mel Gibson at this year’s Karlovy Vary Film Festival and the fact that he is to be presented with the Crystal Globe Award in recognition of his contribution to world cinema. In a letter sent to the festival’s president the Jewish community says that Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ portrays Jews as evil and bloodthirsty enemies of Jesus and argues that the award presented to him may fuel anti-Semitism.

Czech entomologist discovers unknown spider

Czech entomologist Milan Řezáč has discovered an unknown spider species in the Macocha abyss in south Moravia, the ctk news agency reports. The spider is from the Harpactea family and has been given the working name “six-eyed-spider”. Řezáč, who earlier discovered a new spider species in Israel, will publish a description of his latest find in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

Petra Kvitová secures place in Wimbledon final

2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová beat her friend and compatriot Lucie Šafářová 7:6, 6:1 in an all Czech semi-final on Thursday, opening the way for her third final at Wimbledon. On Thursday she will face either Romania’s Simona Halep or Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard hoping to win a second Grand Slam title.

Petr Čech’s agent says keeper’s future is with Chelsea

In football, Czech and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech is being counted on by the London club for the upcoming season and longer term future. Čech’s agent Viktor Kolář said a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain or Monoco is out of the question at the moment and the Czech keeper is part of Chelsea’s long term plans. His comments appeared in Thursday’s edition of the daily Hospodářské Noviny. Rumours of a transfer for Čech and his replacement by on-loan Chelsea and Belgian national keeper Thibaut Courtois have been circulating for some time.

02.07.2014

Mining group says Czech coal mining company readied for sale

The owner of the Czech Republic’s last large remaining miner of hard or black coal, used for making coke for steel plants, has announced that it is preparing the sale of the OKD company. New World Resources said that the sale scenario for OKD is part of contingency planning if a settlement if an ongoing capital restructuring involving major shareholders does not go through. Even so, offers for OKD and its Polish coal mining units have been invited and they will be evaluated against other options. OKD has four Czech mines producing around 10 million tonnes of coal a year. A deal with the Czech government to prolong the life of the Paskov mine and save around 2500 jobs was reached with the government earlier this year.

Incentives for foreign film makers boosted in 2015

The government has agreed an extra 300 million crowns will be earmarked next year to help tempt foreign filmmakers to make films in the Czech Republic. This year 500 million has been allocated to bring in the foreign film companies but 2015’s budget has been raised to 800,000. The incentives allow companies to reclaim up to 20 percent of the cash spent on film making in the country. The fund was created following warnings that filmmakers were shunning the country in favour of more generous venues.

Police seek to close investigation into Palestinian mission explosion

Czech police have shelved the investigation into the death of the Palestinian ambassador in Prague Jamal al-Jamal, during an explosion on New Year’s day, the CTK agency has reported. Police did not give further details of the decision, saying that objections might be still made to it. The ambassador was at first thought to have been killed when he opened a safe at the country’s mission in Prague. But police later said that no traces of explosive were found in the safe. Searches at the mission did however find illegal explosive, guns and pistols, a fact which strained relations with the Czech Republic. Suspicions of an attack were early ruled out.

Reduced VAT rate and abolition of some health charges agreed

A cut in Value Added Tax to 10 percent for books, baby food, and drugs was approved by the government on Wednesday at its regular weekly meeting. The reduce rate of sales tax should come into force from the start of 2015. Babies’ nappies did not make it into the basket of tax reduced items because of fears that a reduction here would conflict with European rules. The introduction of a reduced rate of tax is one of the government’s flagship measures. The Cabinet also agreed to abolish charges for visits to doctors and hospitals with the exception of use of emergency services.

Coalition parties to discussion Commission post, supervisory board share out

Government coalition parties are due to meet on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the selection of a future Czech nominee for European Commissioner and the share out of posts on state company supervisory boards. All three coalition parties have put their nominees forward to be Commissioner but have so far failed to agree with each other who should get the job. Candidate of the smallest party, the Christian Democrats, Zuzana Roithová, on Wednesday withdrew her candidature with the party instead suggesting that non-party Petr Blížkovský be given the job. He is already a high placed official in Brussels. Discussions over posts on state companies has been sparked by ANO leader Andrej Babiš ignoring share out conventions and putting many of his nominees on boards.

Press: US ambassador Eisen to leave Prague in August but replacement may be some time coming

The US ambassador to Prague, Norman Eisen, is set to leave the Czech Republic in August, Hospodářské noviny reported on Wednesday, quoting a diplomat at the city’s American embassy. Mr. Eisen has been in the post since January 2011 and will be replaced by Andrew Schapiro, a lawyer with Czech roots. President Barack Obama nominated Mr. Schapiro, whom he knew at Harvard, in March. However, he is one of over 30 ambassadorial nominees currently being blocked by Republican legislators; he may not be approved until next year, following elections to Congress in November.

Police say suspected arms dealers in custody

Police swooped on four men suspected of being arms sellers and who are now being held behind bars. The men, who were known as military arms and history enthusiasts, were from the Pardubice and South Moravia regions. Searches uncovered rifles, pistols and machine guns as well as explosives and ammunition. Police from the special unit for combatting organised crime said part of the men’s business appeared to be importing damaged guns, repairing them, and then selling them on abroad. They could face up to eight years in prison for illegal possession of and trade in arms.

Czech Internet use highest in Central Europe and Baltics

The Czech Republic has the highest Internet use in the whole of Central Europe according to the results of a survey released on Wednesday by the Gemius company. It said 96 percent of Czech of active age use the Internet compared with 85 percent of Estonians and 79 percent of Latvians. Leaving aside the Czech Republic, Internet use in the other Visegrad four states of Central Europe, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland, ranged between 65 and 75 percent, the survey said. With 6.7 million Internet users, the Czech Republic is the second biggest Internet market in the region behind Poland.

David Jarolím ends football career

In football, former Czech international midfielder David Jarolím has announced he will finish his career as a player. The 35-year-old played for his country in the 2008 European Championships in Austria and Switzerland and the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He left Slavia Prague in 1997 for Bayern Munich, where hardly he featured in the first team, and later played in the top German league for Nuremberg and notably for Hamburg, where he became captain. In the last season he played in the top Czech league for Mladá Boleslav.

Czechs Kvitová and Šafářová to play one another for place in Wimbledon final

Czechs Petra Kvitová and Lucie Šafářová are set to play one another for a place in the final at Wimbledon. Kvitová, who won the tournament in 2011, reached the last four after a 6-1 7-5 defeat of another compatriot, Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová, on Thursday. Šafářová has reached this stage in a Grand Slam competition for the first time in her career after a 6-3 6-1 win over Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova. The last time two Czech female players got to the last four in a Grand Slam tournament was at the French Open in 1986, with Hana Mandlíková and Helena Suková. Kvitová or Šafářová will play either the German Angelique Kerber or Eugenie Bouchard of Canada in Saturday’s final.

01.07.2014

State attorney files objection over handling of military spying case

The Olomouc supreme state attorney’s office has filed an objection over a case involving the abuse of the military intelligence service. It contends that a suspended sentence handed to Jana Nagyová for ordering intelligence officers to spy on the now former wife of Petr Nečas – who was then prime minister and Ms. Nagyová's boss and is today her husband – was excessively lenient. The state attorney’s office also objects to the dropping of charges against another defendant. The arrest of Ms. Nagyová was one factor in the fall of Mr. Nečas’s centre-right government in June last year.

Czech GDP growth in first quarter higher than original estimate and highest since crisis

Czech gross domestic product grew by 2.9 percent year on year and 0.8 percent quarter on quarter in the first three months of this year. The revised figures, released on Tuesday, are higher than a previous estimate published four weeks ago. The growth rate was the highest since the 2008 financial crisis. It has been attributed to rising domestic and foreign demand, particularly from Germany, and a very low base last year.

Šafářová reaches semis at Wimbledon with Czechs guaranteed finalist

The Czech tennis player Lucie Šafářová has reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon after defeating Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova 6-1 6-3 on Tuesday. Šafářová, who is seeded 23rd, shed tears of joy after her win, which she described as the greatest moment of her career to date. In the semi-finals she will play one of two compatriots, 2011 winner Petra Kvitová or Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová. The Czech women have had an unusually successful Wimbledon and are now guaranteed to have a player in the final.

Mental health group: Violent methods still used in Czech psychiatric care

The international organisation Mental Disability Advocacy says violent methods continue to be used in psychiatric care in the Czech Republic. In the 10 years since the group’s last report little has changed, it said, with metal cages on beds in mental hospitals merely being replaced by nets. In addition, leather straps are used to subdue patients. The Czech League of Human Rights has called for an end to such practices. However, psychiatrists say the report has been taken out of context, the Czech News Agency reported.

Police call firearms amnesty

The police have called a six-month long firearms amnesty during which people can surrender unlicensed weapons without fear of reprisals. It is the fourth such amnesty since 1996 and each undertaking still nets a considerable amount of weapons. During the last amnesty in 2009 people surrendered over 7,000 illegally held firearms. The amnesty enables people to legalize their weapons after they have been inspected by experts. The amnesty is in force from July 1st until the end of the year.

Five charged with illegal transfer of over CZK 10 billion out of Czech Republic

The Czech police have charged five people with the illegal transfer of money out of the Czech Republic, mainly to Asia, a spokesperson for the force’s anti-corruption unit said on Tuesday. The amount involved has been put at over CZK 10 billion over four years. Detectives say that the money transfer was connected to the sale of goods on Asian markets that the accused did not pay tax on. The five, who police say used front companies based in Cyprus, are also accused of money laundering. The case is linked to the previous charging of 25 Czechs and Vietnamese in May last year.

Court rejects appeal from man who poured slivovice on girlfriend and set her alight

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from a man who set fire to his girlfriend. Ladislav Kovařík received a 10-year prison term for attempted murder after, in a state of inebriation, pouring slivovice over his girlfriend and putting a cigarette to her in a Brno lodging house in April this year. The woman spoke in Mr. Kovařík’s defence, saying it had been an accident, but the court accepted the testimony of other witnesses.

Jiří Fajt to be appointed head of National Gallery

Art historian Jiří Fajt is to be appointed head of the National Gallery in Prague on Tuesday. The prestigious art institution has been under provisional management for over a year following the sacking of its former director Vladimir Rosel. Jiří Fajtl was handpicked for the post by then culture minister Alena Hanáková who was criticized for not holding an open competition for the position. His appointment was put off several times.

Czechs relatively feminist nation, suggests international poll

Czechs are a relatively feminist nation, suggests an international opinion poll by the Ipsos agency quoted by the Czech News Agency. Some 66 percent of Czech men surveyed said they definitely agreed or tended to agree with the statement “I am a feminist, i.e., somebody who defends and supports equal opportunities for women”. The figure for Czech women was 65 percent. Only the Italians ranked ahead of the Czech Republic in the survey, which was carried out in 15 states earlier this year.

More Czech institutions get Google Open Gallery treatment

Nine more galleries and museums in the Czech Republic have been given a virtual online presence through Google Cultural Institute technology. Prague’s Kampa Museum and the National Gallery were already accessible via the system, which puts institutions’ collections online as well as creating virtual tours of the spaces in question. They have been joined by the Václav Havel Library, Prague’s Jewish Museum, the Moravian Gallery in Brno and six other institutions.

30.06.2014

A former government chief-of-staff has been found guilty of abusing the country’s military intelligence

Chief-of-staff to the former prime minister Petr Nečas, Jana Nagyová, has been found guilty of abusing the country’s military intelligence. A Prague court handed her a 12 month suspended sentence and a four year ban on working in public service. Ms.Nagyová, who recently married the former prime minister, commissioned the intelligence service to spy on his wife in a scandal that brought down the centre-right government in June of last year. The state attorney on the case has said he will appeal the decision.

Minister Babiš under fire for shake-up on boards of state companies

Finance Minister Andrej Babiš has come under fire for effecting a shake-up on the supervisory boards of state-run companies such as ČEZ, Český aeroholding, Mero and Čepro. The Christian Democrats of the ruling coalition have criticized the fact that they were not consulted about the extensive personnel changes while the opposition parties accuse the minister of handing out lucrative posts to his friends. The finance minister has rejected the accusations, saying he had replaced political figures with experts in the field.

Czech Republic and Saxony to intensify cooperation in fighting cross-border crime

The Czech Republic and Saxony will intensify cooperation in fighting cross-border crime, Czech Interior Minister Milan Chovanec said at a press briefing on Monday following a meeting with his Saxony counterpart Markus Ulbig. The talks focused particularly on ways of curbing drug smuggling from the Czech Republic to Germany which has been a growing problem in recent years. There is a growing demand for the home-made drug crystal methamphetamine across the border; while in 2011 customs officials confiscated 3 kilos of the drug, in 2013 the amount rose to 14 kilograms. Drug law enforcement experts estimate that around six tons of the illegal drug is produced in home labs annually.

Trial begins of close advisor to former prime minister accused of soliciting huge bribe

The Prague Municipal Court will on Monday begin the trial of Marek Dalík, who is accused of soliciting a bribe of EUR 18 million in 2007 while he was a close advisor to then prime minister Mirek Topolánek. The so-called lobbyist stands accused of demanding the kickback from Austrian armaments firm Steyr to secure a Czech government deal to buy armoured vehicles. If found guilty of attempted fraud, Mr. Dalík, who had no formal state post, could face up to 10 years in prison.

Supreme Audit Office finds costly register of public buildings unusable

An electronic register of public buildings and office space which cost millions of crowns to set up is incomplete and practically unusable, according to the Supreme Audit Office. The system which was to bring greater transparency and order into the use of public buildings and save money on rented offices is not only incomplete, since many public institutions failed to deliver the respective information, but unreliable since offices which are obviously vacant have been listed as being used, the Supreme Audit Office reports. The deadline for providing the respective information was June of 2013 and many public institutions have failed to deliver it to date.

Ukrainian injured in Maidan clashes dies in the Czech Republic

A fifty-three-year-old Ukrainian national who was critically injured during the clashes on Maidan square in February has died in the Czech Republic. Jurij Sydorchuk was transported to Prague in a coma along with a group of other Ukrainians in need of medical care. He never came out of the coma and in view of the serious brain damage he suffered doctors predicted that his chances of recovery were slim. According to the Ukrainian embassy members of his family have already arrived in the Czech Republic to repatriate his body. All expenses are being covered within the MEDEVAC humanitarian aid programme.

June proves tragic month on Czech roads

Sixty-six people died on Czech roads in the course of June, the highest death toll in any single month this year, according to statistics released by the traffic police on Monday. Despite a heightened police presence on the roads ahead of the annual holiday rush the death toll is exceptionally high, up by 29 deaths as compared to last June. 277 people were reported seriously injured in car accidents over the same period.

Brno church gets new organ to replace original destroyed in WWII

A church in central Brno has been fitted with a new organ, decades after its original instrument was destroyed by a World War II bomb. The organ at the Church of the Assumption cost CZK 35 million and is described as one of the best and most modern in the Czech Republic. Speaking after it was blessed and ceremonially handed over on Sunday, Jan Martin Bejček of the Campianus foundation said the organ should serve the church's congregation for 200 years.

Police called to investigate circle in wheat field

Police are investigating the appearance of a circle in a wheat field near the town of Boskovice, after local farmers reported extensive damage to their crop. The police say it must have taken several people to make the intricate formation – a circle with an embedded star - overnight. The circle formations in crop fields are a regular summer occurrence which draw sightseers and conspiracy lovers, but farmers are increasingly protesting at the damage done to private property.

Czechs guaranteed Wimbledon women’s semifinalist

Three Czech players excelled in the women’s singles at Wimbledon on Monday, all making it to the quarterfinals. Lucie Šafářová beat her compatriot Tereza Smitková 6:0, 6:2 securing a place in the quarterfinals for the first time in her sporting career, Petra Kvitová beat China’s Peng Shuai 6:3, 6:2, and Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová defeated Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki 6:2, 7:5. The Czech winning streak means that the country is certain to have at least one semifinalist.

29.06.2014

Finance Minister: Budget could be balanced by 2017

The Czech Republic could be running a balanced state budget by 2017, the minister of finance, Andrej Babiš, said on a Czech Television politics show on Sunday afternoon. The ANO party chief said for that to be achieved planned tax collection measures would have to be successful. This year’s budget is running at a deficit of CZK 112 billion while the centre-left government is proposing a deficit of CZK 100 billion in 2015.

Protocol chief: Winton may come to Prague to receive highest Czech honour

Sir Nicholas Winton, who is 105, may travel from the UK to Prague to receive in person a Czech state honour. Sir Nicholas saved the lives of nearly 700 Prague Jewish children during World War II and is set to be presented with the Order of the White Lion, the Czech Republic’s highest state honour. Prague Castle protocol chief Jindřich Forejt told Czech Television he had spoken to the former diplomat in London on Saturday and that the latter had said he would come to the Czech capital for the award ceremony on October 28, which is Czechoslovak Independence Day, if he could.

Poster protesting more conciliatory approach to China hung on Havel’s old building

A huge poster of Václav Havel and the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama created to protest against the current government’s more conciliatory approach to China has been hung on the facade of the apartment building where the late Czech president lived on Prague’s Rašínovo nábřeží and where his brother Ivan M. Havel still resides. The poster had been hung by former Greens leader and current LES chairman Martin Bursík on his building by the Czech lower house after Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek signed a declaration in China saying that Tibet was an integral part of the country. Václav Havel supported human rights in China and was friends with the Dalai Lama.

Pro-Russian separatist arrested by Ukrainian secret service from Brno?

The Ukrainian secret service has arrested a pro-Russian separatist who may be Czech, the news website iDnes.cz reported, quoting a report on the Ukrainian site Korrespondent.net. The man is nicknamed “the Czech” and there have been reports that he is a Brno resident named Ivo Stejskal who travelled to the region to support the separatists. However, the Ukrainian secret service issued a statement saying the detained man was Russian. The arrest was made in the Kherson Oblast, which borders with Crimea.

Stretch of city centre tram line reopened after two months

A busy tram line that runs through the centre of Prague has been reopened after two months. Service has been renewed between Jindřišská and Lazarská after a 50-million crown project to repair lines and enable wheelchair access at the latter tram stop. The nearby section of line between the corner of Myslíková and Spálená streets and Karlovo náměstí has now been closed for renovation work that will run until August 9.

Mountain biker Kulhavý completes remarkable hat-trick with marathon win

Czech rider Jaroslav Kulhavý has come first in the Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships in South Africa’s Pietermaritzburg. The win makes the 29-year-old the first cyclist to have won a hat-trick of World Championships, Olympic and Marathon World Championships medals. Kulhavý’s compatriot Tereza Huříková, who is reigning European champion, came third in the women’s race in Pietermaritzburg.

Cycling team express support for Kreuziger

The Tinkoff-Saxo cycling team say they fully support member Roman Kreuziger, who could face Union Cycliste Internationale disciplinary proceedings over abnormalities in his biological passport. Tinkoff-Saxo general manger Stefano Feltrin expressed surprise over how long the matter, which dates back to 2011 and 2012, had been dragging on. The team previously said they would not enter Kreuziger in any events, including the imminent Tour de France, until the issue is resolved. The Czech denies taking banned substances.

28.06.2014

Catholic primate to mark centenary of death of Franz Ferdinand with mass at Czech castle where archduke lived

The head of the Czech Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Dominik Duka, is set to serve a requiem mass on Saturday evening for Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination exactly 100 years ago sparked World War I. The mass will take place in the courtyard of Konopiště Castle – where Franz Ferdinand lived – and will be attended by the Czech culture minister, Daniel Herman, and the Austrian ambassador to the Czech Republic, Ferdinand Trauttmansdorff. Exhibitions and other events are also being held in various parts of the country to mark the centenary.

Cyclist Kreuziger could face disciplinary proceedings over abnormalities in biological passport

Leading Czech cyclist Roman Kreuziger could face disciplinary proceedings from the sport’s international governing body Union Cycliste Internationale over abnormalities found in his biological passport for 2011 and 2012. Kreuziger, who is 28, has issued a statement denying having taken any banned substances. His team Tinkoff-Saxo say they will not enter him in the imminent Tour de France or any other races until the matter has been resolved.

Former police chief Lessy demands compensation over prosecution

Former national police chief Petr Lessy is demanding compensation of CZK 1.2 million and a formal apology from the state for being prosecuted in 2012. He was removed as police president by the then minister of the interior after being charged with slander and abuse of office before a court threw out the prosecution last year. Mr. Lessy told Czech Radio on Saturday that the amount he was demanding corresponded to his legal fees and lost income.

Warning of storms in some regions issued for Sunday

Forecasters say heavy storms are likely to hit the eastern part of the Czech Republic on Sunday. The Czech Hydro Meteorological-Institute on Saturday warned that the Pardubice, the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, Moravia and Silesia regions would see heavy rain, hail and strong winds, with flooding possible in some places. The storms are expected to hit between 9 PM Sunday and 3 AM Monday.

July to be relatively cool and wet, say forecasters

Temperatures in the Czech Republic in July should be on the cooler side and are unlikely to rise above 30 degrees Celsius, according to a monthly forecast issued by the Czech Hydro Meteorological-Institute. Rainfall is expected to be higher than average for the time of year, particularly in the next week.

Kvitová edges Venus Williams in epic Wimbledon battle

The Czech women’s tennis number one Petra Kvitová came from behind to beat five-times Wimbledon champion Venus Williams 5-7 7-6 7-5 in an fiercely-contested third-round match on Friday. Kvitová, who is 24, said it was perhaps her best performance at Wimbledon since she won the tournament in 2011. The Czech's half of the draw is considered favourable and to give her a chance of going far at the All England Club.

After Wimbledon exit Berdych questions decision to continue despite dusk

After a third-round defeat at Wimbledon on Friday, Czech men’s number one Tomáš Berdych questioned the umpire’s decision to continue the match despite the fact that it was getting dark. The contest, in which Berdych was beaten 6-7 4-6 6-7 by Marian Cilic of Croatia, ended at 21:38, the latest finish ever to a match at the All England Club not to take place on Centre Court. Berdych, who reached the final at Wimbledon in 2010, praised Cilic’s performance.

Hübschman leaves Shahktar Donetsk after successful 10-year stint

Czech international soccer player Tomáš Hübschman has left Shahktar Donetsk after 10 years. The defensive midfielder, who is 32, was not offered a new contract by the Ukrainian club and is reported to be set to join Czech side Jablonec. Hübschman – who has 58 international caps – won seven Ukrainian league titles and one UEFA Cup with Shahktar.

27.06.2014

Disability advocates criticize Czech approach to patients

An international human rights group, the Budapest-based Mental Disability Advocacy Center has criticized the Czech Republic over its approach to patients with mental illnesses, the Czech news agency ČTK reported on Friday, quoting the group’s report on the state of psychiatric care in the country. Czech hospitals continue restraining their patients and placing them in caged beds, according to the report that is to be presented in Prague on Monday. The findings are based on visits to nine out of 26 Czech hospitals and psychiatric wards; the rest reportedly denied access to the group’s experts, or ignored their requests. In 2003, the Czech Republic came under international criticism over the use of caged beds which were then prohibited by the Czech government.

Finance Ministry replaces Czech Aeroholding board members

The Finance Ministry on Friday replaced several members of Czech Aeroholding’s board of directors and of its supervisory board, the ministry said in a press release. Three out of five members of the state-owned firm’s board of directors were dismissed including Czech Airlines CEO Philippe Moreels. Meanwhile, five out of seven members of company’s supervisory board were also replaced; among its new members is the economist and former presidential candidate Jan Švejnar. The ministry said the changed were implemented to better prepare the company, with its subsidiaries Czech Airlines and Prague Václav Havel Airport, for its public listing in the future.

Czech education budget to increase by 3.8 billion next year

The Czech education budget is set to increase next year by 3.8 billion crowns, Education Minister Marcel Chládek told reporters on Friday. Mr Chládek said that besides the originally planned increase of two billion, earmarked for raising teachers’ salaries, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka had also agreed to up the budget by another 1.8 billion. Minister Chládek said the additional funds would be used to finance some of the ministry’s long-term projects and to improve schools’ equipment, among other things.

Police discover charge 429 people in major anti-drug operation

The Czech police have discovered 62 drug labs, 63 marihuana grow-ops and charged 429 people with drug-related offences in a major anti-drug operation, police president Tomáš Tuhý told a news conference in Prague on Friday. Detectives have also seized 16 kilos of illicit substances in the labs as well as 43 kilos of marihuana during the operation that lasted two months. In total, 108 of those charged were foreign nationals, Mr Tuhý said, adding the operation focused on regions bordering on Germany. The Czech police are cooperating with their German colleagues to curb exports of methamphetamine from the Czech Republic to Germany.

Czech foreign debt decreases slightly in Q1

Czech foreign debt decreased by over 64 billion to 2.15 trillion crowns in the first quarter of the year compared to the previous quarter, according to figures released by the Czech National Bank on Friday. Year on year, however, the debt rose by some 151 billion and now amounts to 54.8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. The quarterly decrease is due to Czech banks’ repaying of some of their foreign debt in the final quarter of last year, the central bank said. Foreign debt of the private sector also decreased but the public sector’s exposure, which represents some 30 percent of the debt, rose due to the government’s bonds sold to foreign investors.

New Central Bohemia governor elected

The regional assembly of the Central Bohemian region on Friday elected Social Democrat MP Miloš Petera the region’s new governor. Mr Petera succeeds party colleague Josef Řihák who stepped down on Monday over disputes within the Social Democrat group in Central Bohemia. Mr Petera, who has served as deputy governor, said he would give up his seat in the lower house of Parliament to be able to fully dedicate himself to his duties. Opposition councillors from the Civic Democrat and TOP 09 parties criticized the result of Friday’s vote, and said they wanted to know the real reasons behind the previous governor’s resignation.

Foreign affairs and trade ministries to jointly promote Czech business interests

The ministries of foreign affairs and trade have signed an agreement on cooperation in assisting Czech exports and promoting the country’s business interests abroad. The ministries have set up a new system of cooperation which includes the establishment of a Client Centre for exporters and investors and a network coordinating the business-related activities of Czech embassies and Czech Trade offices located abroad. The Foreign Ministry’s Diplomatic Academy and the Export Academy of Czech Trade will also provide special training programs in economic diplomacy.

Three men sentenced to jail over solar power fraud

A court in Brno on Friday handed out prison sentences to three men for attempted fraud over the licencing of a solar power plant. The court said the owner of the plant in Držovice, south Moravia, applied for a licence in 2010 to get a higher purchase price for electricity despite the fact no solar panels were installed at the time. Higher purchase prices were only granted to plants installed before the end of that year. The plant’s owner was sentenced to 6.5 years in jail while another man, who supplied fake documents, landed a seven-year sentence. The court also sentenced an employee of the plan to 5.5 years in jail for his role in the attempted fraud.

Národní třída metro station reopens after two-year break

Prague’s Národní třída metro station reopened to the public on Friday after undergoing a major reconstruction. The station was closed in the summer of 2012 in order to enable a large developer’s project in the vicinity. Národní třída, located in the city centre on the metro’s B line, is one of the busiest transport nodes in Prague, used by around 21 thousand passengers daily.

Tennis: Záhlavová-Strýcová stuns Li-Na to reach Wimbledon quarterfinals

Czech tennis player Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová stunned world number two Li Na of China 7-6, 7-6 in a third-round match at Wimbledon on Friday, and has advanced to the tournament’s quarterfinals. The 28-year old Czech, who is ranked 43rd in the world, said defeating Li-Na at Wimbledon to reach her first ever Grand Slam quarterfinals was the greatest win of her career.

26.06.2014

Czech PM expresses support for Juncker nomination to EU top post

Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has confirmed Czech support for former Luxembourg prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker to become president of the European Commission. In a phone interview with Mr. Juncker on Thursday, the Czech prime minister said Prague would support his nomination if the issue comes to a vote at an EU summit later this week. Mr. Sobotka said he hoped the EU would avoid drawn-out disputes over posts and focus on a reform agenda that would deliver growth and jobs and increase the competitiveness of the EU. The Czech coalition government has so far failed to agree on a joint candidate for the next Czech EU commissioner.

Czech finance minister wins court case over alleged communist past

The leader of the ANO coalition party and current Czech Finance Minister Andrej Babiš has won a court case against the Slovak Nation’s Memory Institute which registered him as a former communist-era secret police agent. Babiš launched the court proceedings in an attempt to clear his name, maintaining that although as a former foreign trade worker he could not avoid coming into contact with the communist secret police he had never been recruited as an agent or harmed anyone by bringing information against them. A Bratislava court ruled on Thursday that there was no evidence which would justify putting Andrej Babiš’ name on the list of former communist-era secret police agents. The institute has appealed the verdict.The allegations regarding Mr. Babiš’ past have sparked controversy on the Czech political scene with critics questioning his presence in high office.

Press: Police charge former head of CzechInvest with fraud

The police have charged a former head of the state agency CzechInvest with fraud, Hospodářské noviny reported on Thursday. Miroslav Křížek is accused of having paid CZK 2.2 million to acquaintance Zdeněk Hurský for an audit that was never carried out at the agency, which is tasked with attracting foreign direct investment and helping Czech firms do business abroad. Mr. Křížek, who is now a Civic Democrat local politician, headed CzechInvest from September 2010 to August 2012 when he was dismissed in connection with a different suspicious contract. He and Mr. Hurský could face up to eight years in jail if found guilty.

Constitutional Court rules Torubarov’s extradition was wrong

The Constitutional Court has ruled that the former justice minister Pavel Blažek made the wrong decision when he approved the extradition of Russian entrepreneur Alexej Torubarov to his homeland last year before the authorities had settled his asylum request. Torubarov was wanted in Russia on charges for fraud and blackmail, but he claimed that he was being persecuted by the Russian intelligence service. His extradition from the Czech Republic was dramatic after the then finance minister Miroslav Kalousek intervened and made a last minute attempt to prevent his plane taking off from Prague airport. Torubarov later escaped from Russia to Hungary. The court’s ruling means that he could now return to the Czech Republic and file a new request for asylum.

Health minister furious over fresh incident of hospitals rejecting critical patient

Health Minister Svatopluk Němeček has called emergency consultations with the heads of Prague hospitals in the wake of another incident when a patient in critical condition was refused admission to a number of institutions. The patient with heart problems was reportedly driven around Prague for two hours before paramedics found a hospital willing to take him in. According to the internet news site novinky.cz the minister is furious over the matter and has threatened that heads would roll once the incident was properly investigated.

Problem of overcrowded prisons may be back

Close to 20 percent of prisoners released under the amnesty declared by the former president Václav Klaus at the beginning of last year are back in jail, according to data released by the Czech Justice Ministry. Justice Minister Helena Válková on Thursday stressed the need to address the problem of overcrowded prisons, which was temporarily resolved by the amnesty. The problem stems from the fact that Czech courts rarely use alternative forms of punishment and the institution of house arrest, which was legalized some time ago, has not been introduced in practice due to the lack of electronic bracelets.

Czechs pay homage to Milada Horáková

Several hundred people gathered at a memorial to the victims of communism in Prague on Thursday to pay homage to the memory of Milada Horáková, the only woman ever to be executed for political reasons in the former Czechoslovakia. In a 1950 show trial Horáková was found guilty of treason and espionage, charges which were later proven to be false. The Communist government annulled the verdict in 1968, but it wasn't until the fall of communism, more than 30 years later, that Milada Horáková was fully exonerated. Her execution took place 64 years ago today.

Police investigating death of new-born

Police are investigating the death of a new-born in a home birth, the ctk news agency reports. The case occurred in Kašperské Hory, south Bohemia, where paramedics were called to help a twenty-year-old woman who was bleeding heavily. It is not clear if the mother had opted for a home birth or if the baby died in a premature birth before she could be taken to hospital. No midwife was present and the baby was dead when paramedics arrived at the scene.

Light aircraft crashes in south Bohemia killing two people

A light sport aircraft crashed near the town of Kondrač in south Bohemia on Thursday killing two people. It is not yet clear what caused the accident. Eyewitnesses, who pulled the pilot and passenger out of the plane, said the aircraft was not on fire when it came down. Although paramedics were at the site of the accident within minutes both the pilot and passenger died shortly after, both having suffered multiple internal injuries.

Standing ovation for Štěpánek at Wimbledon after battling loss to Djokovic

Radek Štěpánek received a standing ovation from Centre Court spectators after a battling performance against Novak Djokovic in the third round at Wimbledon on Wednesday evening. The Czech, who is 35, was impressive in a match that he eventually lost 4-6 3-6 7-6 6-7 after over three hours of play. Meanwhile Štěpánek’s compatriot and former finalist Tomáš Berdych, seeded sixth in the Grand Slam tournament, had to come from a set down to beat Bernard Tomic of Australia 4-6 7-6 7-6 6-1.

25.06.2014

Czech five percent barrier for EP elections could be lifted

The Czech Supreme Administrative Court will recommend to the Constitutional Court that it cancel the current five percent threshold in the elections to European Parliament valid in the Czech Republic, judge rapporteur Tomáš Langášek told journalists on Tuesday. The court panel complied with the complaint lodged by the Green Party; the Czech Pirate Party also presented a similar case in its complaint. The Supreme Administrative Court will suspend both proceedings, awaiting the verdict by the Constitutional Court. In the May elections to the European Parliament, both parties finished not far below the 5 percent threshold with 4.78 percent for the Pirate Party and 3.77 percent for the Greens.

Babiš: New EC president should choose Czech commissioner from list put forward by Prague

The head of the second biggest party in the coalition government, Andrej Babiš of ANO, says the next president of the European Commission should choose from a list of candidates for the Czech commissioner’s post put forward by Prague. ANO and coalition leaders the Social Democrats have to date failed to agree on a nominee to replace Štefan Fuele, who steps down later this year. The Social Democrats’ Jiří Dientsbier said on Wednesday that Mr. Babiš’s suggestion was one possibility. ANO are backing Pavel Telička to become the country’s next commissioner, while the Social Democrats have put forward Pavel Mertlík.

PM praises EU funding system as key solidarity component

European funds aimed at reducing differences among regions in Europe fulfilled European integration goals in terms of solidarity and coherence in the EU, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said at a meeting of Visegrad Four prime ministers on Tuesday. The conference, staged by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and focusing on the V4 (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), was also attended by outgoing EC President Jose Manuel Barroso. For citizens, the use of the European funds meant a concrete contribution to integration smoothing economic differences between individual EU member countries, Mr Sobotka added. According to the Czech premier, the Czech Republic and the EU will soon sign a partnership agreement enabling the Czech Republic to draw money within the EU´s new budget period.

Police charge four with corruption at Prague hospital

The police’s anti-corruption unit have charged four people with manipulating a tender to digitise medical records for Prague’s Na Homolce hospital. The four are accused of having conspired to launder money and rig public tenders, the Czech News Agency reported. It said the four, who were arrested following a raid on Wednesday morning, stood accused of causing over CZK 50 million in damages to the hospital. Police raids were also conducted elsewhere, including at a company that administers the hospital’s accounts.

Prague drops fine against PM for appointing cabinet member without clearance

Prague City Hall has thrown out a fine against Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka who had been accused by the Prague 1 authority of a misdemeanour for naming Andrej Babiš to his government despite the latter’s lack of a security clearance. Prague 1 had ordered Mr. Sobotka, who heads the Social Democrats, to pay a fine of CZK 10,000 for giving the ANO chief a cabinet post. The prime minister welcomed the decision.

Man gets five years after metal theft leads to death of woman

A man who caused the death of a woman by stripping metal from the roof of a house has been sentenced to five years in jail. A court in Ústí nad Labem heard how Slovak Koloman Miker cut out a metal girder from the structure of the unoccupied building which collapsed on the woman. Miker’s own mother was also inside the house and was seriously injured in the 2012 incident.

Czech Philharmonic perform to 4,000 at Prague Castle

Czech Philharmonic perform to 4,000 at Prague Castle

The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra performed a free concert to around 4,000 people on Hradčanské náměstí in the Prague Castle complex on Tuesday night. The concert, conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek, featured pieces by Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana and a number of other composers and brought the orchestra’s 118th season to a close. During the performance, which was broadcast live on Czech TV’s Art station, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra celebrated the release of the recording DVOŘÁK Complete Symphonies & Concertos.

World renowned Compagnie Marie Chouinard to appear at Prague dance fest

One of the world’s leading dance troupes, Compagnie Marie Chouinard, is set to appear at Prague’s Musical Theatre on Wednesday night as part of the annual Tanec Praha festival. The group, led by Canadian choreographer Marie Chouinard, will perform their renowned interpretation of The Rites of Spring. A repeat performance on Thursday will bring the 26th edition of the dance festival to a close.

Kvitová and Záhlavová-Strýcová into third round at Wimbeldon

Czech tennis players Petra Kvitová and Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová have reached the third round at Wimbledon. Kvitová, who won the Grand Slam tournament three years ago, on Wednesday overcame Mona Barthel of Germany 6-2 6-0 in just 52 minutes to set up a meeting with former world number one Venus Williams. Záhlavová-Strýcová beat Elena Vesnina of Russia 6-4 6-2 and will now face Li Na of China.

Lev Praha not to take part in Kontinental Hockey League next season

The ice hockey club Lev Praha will not play next season in the Russia-centred Kontinental Hockey League. The Prague club, who reached the finals of the competition’s Gagarin Cup last season, are reported to be in financial difficulties. Lev Praha was the only Czech club in the Kontinental Hockey League in the last two seasons. The Czech News Agency reported that one possibility was that Lev would sit out next season and return in 2015-2016.