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The Czech Republic ranks 42nd among the world’s most economically free countries, according to the Fraser Institute’s annual Economic Freedom of the World report, which was released on Tuesday. The index was introduced in 1996 and measures economic freedoms such as levels of personal choice, ability to enter markets or security of privately owned property by analysing policies and institutions of 152 countries. According to the report, based on 2012 statistics, Hong Kong is the most economically free country, while Venezuela placed at the bottom of the ladder. The Czech Republic moved up ten spots in the rankings compared to last year.

A villa built without a construction permit in Pardubice, east of Prague, is close to being legalized the Czech News Agency reports. The luxury villa, belonging to businessman Miloš Holeček, earlier faced demolition, but local representatives voted instead for changes in the local zoning plan which will allow the building to remain. The villa borders a local park, near the confluence of the Labe and Chrudimka. The owner was earlier fined 200,000 crowns for building the house without a permit.

Friends, family members, and former colleagues from the world of culture paid their last respects to composer and musician Petr Skoumal at the Strašnice crematorium in Prague on Monday. Mr Skoumal died on September 28th at the age of 76. Attendees at the funeral ceremony included actor and screenwriter Zdeněk Svěrák, film director Jan Hřebejk, theatre director and actor Jan Kačer and many others. The ceremony was closed to the public. Skoumal, who had studied conducting, was widely known his songs for both adults and children and also wrote music for films. Music journalist Jiří Černý described him as the most original Czech popular composer of the last 30 years.

President Miloš Zeman supports a new appeal by 232 ethnic Volhyn Czechs in Ukraine for the state to help with their repatriation to the Czech Republic, the president’s spokesman Jiří Ovčáček said at a press meeting on Monday. The president is to present a list of names to Interior Minister Milan Chovanec on October 18. In all, members of 70 families are asking for help to return over fears that the situation in Ukraine is not stable. In the past, they cited fears over a possible war with Russia, following developments in the east of the country and the annexation of Crimea. President Miloš Zeman has said he is deeply disappointed with the work of the Czech embassy in Kiev. The president told journalists at the weekend that he had voiced his reservations during a meeting with the Czech foreign minister, Lubomír Zaorálek.