Daily news summary
Former head of Academy of Sciences, Drahoš, files candidacy with Interior Ministry
Jiří Drahoš, the former head of the Czech Academy of Sciences, has officially filed his candidacy with the Interior Ministry to run in the presidential election in January 2018, with the deadline of November 7 looming. The presidential hopeful gathered more than 142,000 signatures for his bid, a minimum 50,000 was needed.
The candidate said the total was even higher but that some 15,000 signatures were disqualified for irregularities.
Mr Drahoš told journalists that he wanted to serve his country and fight not only for the Czech Republic but also for “a better and safer Europe”. Since announcing his intention to run, betting agencies have had Mr Drahoš in first and second place against the incumbent, Miloš Zeman.
Hašek says he will not run for Social Democrat leadership
Former MP, former party deputy leader, and former Social Democrat governor Michal Hašek has said he will not run for the party leadership when the Social Democrats hold their convention. The politician left the top brass of the party four years ago following a power struggle among leading members. Then, the Social Democrats narrowly won the election then but slipped to sixth spot this year with their poorest result since the 1990s.
The party is considering going into the opposition but Hašek warned the move could be a nail in the coffin.
Since the Social Democrats would not be the strongest opposition party, he said, it was questionable they would be able to attract enough attention. At the same time, he said he did not mean to imply the party should enter a coalition with this year’s election winner, ANO.
Mf Dnes: EPH sets sights on Škoda Transportation
The billionaire Daniel Křetínský's Energetický a průmyslový (EPH) is aiming to buy the Plzeň-based company Škoda Transportation, according to the daily Mladá fronta Dnes and the weekly Euro. The price of the transaction has been estimated as worth more than 10 billion crowns (some 390 million euros). According to a shareholder quoted, the deal could be completed before the end of the year.
With 5,300 employees, Škoda Transportation is the largest mechanical engineering company in Central and Eastern Europe.
Prague Castle opens renovated state rooms to public
Prague Castle has opened doors to the public to see state rooms which were renovated over the course of the summer. The public will be able to visit this Friday and Saturday (November 3 and 4).
Visitors will be able to see various rooms used to receive official guests, as well as smaller salons. Among the sites highlighted are a famous staircase from Matyáš Gate, the Cloakroom, the Throne Room, and the Brožík Drawing Room – all located in the Castle’s Southern wing.
Czechs still among main shoplifters in Bavaria: report
Czechs are amongst the main thieves in shops on the German side of the border according to figures from the Bavarian police, Czech Television reports.
Czechs are the second biggest group of foreign shoplifters after Romanians, according to the police statistics in one border region with the number of thefts up between 2015 and 2016
The most popular items to take are razor blades and other items from pharmacists and clothes. Two-thirds of all cases of thefts from shops were committed by Germans.
Mixed results for Czech clubs in Europa League
There were mixed results for Czech clubs in their Europa League qualification group games on Thursday night.
Slavia Prague lost 0:2 at home to Spanish club Villarreal, their first defeat in the competition so far, but still slip to third place in the qualification group.
Viktoria Plzeň beat Italian club Lugano 4:1 and are now second in their Europa League group.
Zlín lost 0:3 to Copenhagen and with just two points in the group just a slim mathematical chance of going further in the competition.
Weather
Saturday should be cloudy with sunny periods. Daytime temperatures of around 11 degrees Celsius are expected.
